"Xiao Zhi, the things recorded inside are much more detailed than the basic cultivation knowledge taught by the Blessed Grotto-Heavens of Yan State. Once we reach Smoky Haze Grotto-Heaven, remember to keep it safe and don't tell anyone about it lightly. Although it isn't a cultivation scripture, the cultivation precautions concerning the Wheel Sea and Dao Palace Realms recorded inside were personally annotated by our Jiang Family Great Power. Even the Elders of those minor sects would find them attractive." Jiang Caihong reminded Li Zhi with a smile.
"Xiao Zhi? What kind of ridiculous nickname is that?"
Li Zhi complained inwardly, but he wore a smile on his face as he said to Jiang Caihong, "Thank you, Big Sis."
Just as they were preparing to leave, a mocking voice suddenly rang in their ears.
"Are the disciples of the Jiang Clan only capable of this much? Cheating a Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird hatchling out of a child's hands. Aren't you afraid of becoming a laughingstock if word gets out?"
"Who's spying there? Come out!"
Jiang Shuwen swiftly stored the bag containing the Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird hatchling into his Wheel Sea, then flipped his hand and took out a fist-sized, golden, square-mouthed pot with a bulging belly.
That was his magical treasure, the Demon Refining Pot.
As magical power flowed into it, the Fierce Beast patterns on the golden Demon Refining Pot began to glow one after another. Then four imposing Fierce Beasts flew out of its mouth and landed in the four directions, protecting the three of them in the center.
Jiang Caihong pulled Li Zhi behind her with one hand, while a silver whip flashing with arcs of electricity appeared in her other hand.
"Heh heh." A contemptuous laugh suddenly rang out from the forest, followed by a mocking voice. "Spying? Are you two little Dao Palace Realm brats even worthy of being spied on by this old man? You think too highly of yourselves. Could it be that all the disciples of your Ancient Family are this conceited?"
"May I ask who you are, Senior? Since you know that we are disciples of the Jiang Clan, why not show yourself?" A grave look flashed through Jiang Shuwen's eyes as he shouted toward the surrounding mountains and forests.
He had actually been unable to determine which direction the voice had come from, proving that his opponent's cultivation was far above his own.
"You want to see me? Are you worthy? Leave the child behind and go. This old man won't make things difficult for you." The voice rang out again.
"Since Senior refuses to show yourself, don't blame me for being unable to comply."
Jiang Shuwen signaled for Jiang Caihong to leave with Li Zhi at once.
Jiang Caihong nodded, then grabbed Li Zhi by the collar and sent him a telepathic message: "Hold on tight."
She then controlled the Lightning Whip. Arcs of electricity flashed around her body as she swiftly carried Li Zhi toward Smoky Haze Grotto-Heaven.
"Trying to leave? Get back here!"
Ten li away, a handsome youth who looked only fifteen or sixteen years old saw Jiang Caihong carrying Li Zhi into the air. He immediately struck in their direction with a surge of magical power.
In an instant, a barrier made of flower petals formed along their path.
Electricity flashed in Jiang Caihong's eyes. She directly swung the Lightning Whip at the petal barrier, but after the silver lightning struck the petals formed from magical power, it failed to pierce the barrier.
Instead, the petal barrier reflected the lightning back.
Just as the lightning was about to strike Jiang Caihong and Li Zhi, an imposing armored lion beast appeared before them and swallowed all the lightning in one bite.
Jiang Shuwen then controlled the Demon Refining Pot and appeared beside them.
That armored lion had been transformed from the True Spirit of the Thunder Beast within the Demon Refining Pot.
"Longevity Scripture? Could you be Senior Nangong Zheng of Hundred Flowers Valley?" Jiang Shuwen seemed to recognize the origin of the petal barrier formed from magical power.
"You little brat actually knows the name of my Grandmaster." As the voice faded, the youth appeared before Jiang Shuwen and Jiang Caihong.
The youth before them looked only fifteen or sixteen years old, but his eyes were filled with the vicissitudes of age. His true age was clearly far greater than his appearance suggested.
"May I ask Senior's honored name?" Jiang Shuwen did not let down his guard merely because his opponent looked like a fifteen- or sixteen-year-old youth.
"This old man is Nangong Wentian." The youth smiled, then stared at Li Zhi with shining eyes, as if he had discovered a rare treasure. The more he looked, the brighter his eyes became, as if he might snatch Li Zhi away at any moment.
Meanwhile, Jiang Shuwen and Jiang Caihong desperately tried to recall the name "Nangong Wentian," but it seemed they had never heard that Human Great Power Nangong Zheng had such a disciple.
"Why haven't you two brats left yet? Hurry and hand that child over to me." There was a trace of urgency in Nangong Wentian's voice.
"Senior Nangong, if you want us to hand him over, you should at least give us a reason. Otherwise, we can only send a message to our clan elders." Jiang Caihong took out a Thousand-Mile Telepathy Talisman.
"You two little fools are truly blind. You actually want to send this Longevity Immortal Body to Smoky Haze Grotto-Heaven for cultivation." A trace of greed flashed through Nangong Wentian's eyes.
The moment the words "Longevity Immortal Body" left his mouth, Jiang Shuwen and Jiang Caihong knew that he was about to kill them.
Sure enough, after he finished speaking, the surrounding mountain forest suddenly became unfamiliar, transforming into a valley filled with blooming flowers.
"Not good. This is his Wheel Sea Phenomenon. We have to break through it!"
Upon seeing this, Jiang Shuwen immediately poured all his magical power into the Demon Refining Pot.
A scarlet beam of light shot out of the pot's mouth. A phoenix cry rang out, and a fiery-red Phoenix appeared above his head.
The Fire Phoenix then spewed a vast sea of flames toward the Hundred Flowers Valley below, as if it intended to burn all the flowers to ash.
However, the flowers in the valley seemed endless and eternally regenerative. They would be burned to ash one moment, only to revive in their original spots the next.
"The Demon Refining Pot? You've refined it well. What a pity that no true Great Yao has been refined within it. It lacks baleful energy." Nangong Wentian's voice echoed through the valley.
"Ever since this old man cultivated the Hundred Flowers Burial Sky Valley Wheel Sea Phenomenon, you two brats are the first to experience the joy of being buried by flowers." As Nangong Wentian's voice rang out again, the petals in Hundred Flowers Valley began to whirl through the air. They formed two enormous flower coffins that enveloped Jiang Shuwen and Jiang Caihong.
Seeing this, a decisive look flashed through Jiang Shuwen's eyes. He instantly drew the Demon Refining Pot into his body, and a roar of myriad beasts echoed from within his Wheel Sea.
"Brother Shuwen, don't!" Jiang Caihong cried out in alarm.
"Wheel Sea Phenomenon, Four Symbols Myriad Beasts World, emerge!" Jiang Shuwen threw back his head and roared. Fine blood-colored patterns appeared on his skin, and a world formed from countless Yao beasts appeared beside him, descending directly into Hundred Flowers Valley.
"Heh, using a magical treasure as the foundation to evolve a crippled Wheel Sea Phenomenon—you do have some talent. It's a pity that your cultivation is too low and your magical power too weak. Before this old man, even a complete Myriad Beasts World Wheel Sea Phenomenon would be useless." Nangong Wentian's disdainful voice came from high above.
Then Li Zhi felt himself break free of Jiang Caihong's protection and fly directly toward Nangong Wentian in the air.
"Pff!"
The two Wheel Sea Phenomena collided. Jiang Shuwen's Four Symbols Myriad Beasts World instantly collapsed. He spat out a large mouthful of blood and was caught by Jiang Caihong.
Then Jiang Shuwen, his face pale, said with disbelief, "Are you an Immortal Platform Realm Great Power?"
"Immortal Platform—a realm so many yearn for. Sadly, I haven't reached it yet." Nangong Wentian let out a wistful sigh.
He had been stuck at the peak of the Dragon Transformation Realm for a hundred years, yet he had never seen any sign of entering the Immortal Platform Realm.
That was why he had traveled outside, searching for an opportunity to break through.
Along the way, he heard that something had changed in the Barren Ancient Forbidden Zone and came over to try his luck. He had never expected to encounter Li Zhi before even reaching the Barren Ancient Forbidden Zone.
With Li Zhi in his grasp, a vast surge of magical power instantly entered his body.
Especially his Wheel Sea.
Nangong Wentian then saw the vast silver Bitter Sea and the Immortal Tree within it.
"Hahaha! The Longevity Immortal Body—it really is the Longevity Immortal Body! Heaven has not treated me unfairly. In this life, I will ultimately reach the heavens!" The instant Nangong Wentian saw the silver Bitter Sea and Immortal Tree, he burst into hearty laughter.
It seemed that the pent-up resentment accumulated in his heart for many years had vanished in an instant.
At that moment, Jiang Caihong crushed a blood-red Divine Talisman.
A massive aura instantly descended upon her.
Then Jiang Caihong's gaze became unfamiliar. With a single point of her finger, the space constructed by Nangong Wentian's Wheel Sea Phenomenon began to collapse.
"Boom!"
Immediately afterward, Hundred Flowers Burial Sky Valley collapsed from within. Nangong Wentian, who had been laughing moments before, suffered a severe injury in an instant. It seemed as though even his Wheel Sea had been pierced.
"Eight Gods Savage Force."
Nangong Wentian stared at Jiang Caihong, who had launched the attack, in disbelief.
"Hmph! You dared to injure the disciples of my Jiang Clan. You're courting death." Jiang Caihong, possessed by the divine sense of a Jiang Family Great Power, spoke coldly.
"A mere strand of divine sense, yet you dare act arrogantly."
After stabilizing the waves within his Wheel Sea, Nangong Wentian was not worried about the divine sense of the Jiang Family Great Power.
Having reached the peak of the Dragon Transformation Realm, he was not very afraid even when facing the divine sense of an Immortal Platform Great Power.
He then sealed Li Zhi and threw him aside before attacking Jiang Caihong.
He circulated the Longevity Scripture to its utmost limit. Countless flower petals flickered around him, and he displayed the powerful strength of the peak Dragon Transformation Realm to perfection.
However, only Nangong Wentian knew that if he could not kill the Jiang siblings within ten moves, the injuries in his Wheel Sea Realm that he had forcibly suppressed would erupt.
Although it seemed that the Jiang Family Great Power's Eight Gods Savage Force had merely broken through his Wheel Sea Phenomenon, the profound force had actually penetrated into his Wheel Sea while he was caught off guard.
Nangong Wentian faintly sensed that even his Wheel of Life had been damaged.
Li Zhi, thrown into the mountain forest by Nangong Wentian, continued communicating with the Deity of the Hundred Herbs Diagram in his mind.
After receiving no response from Grandfather Diagram for a long time, Li Zhi hardened his heart and offered the artifact spirit of the Hundred Herbs Diagram, which acted like an old grandpa, an exorbitant reward. "Grandfather Diagram, one portion of Immortal Liquid comparable to Divine Spring Water, in exchange for helping me leave this place."
Grandfather Diagram seemed to have been tempted by the price Li Zhi offered and immediately manifested from his Wheel Sea.
With a slight tremor, Li Zhi felt his body, which had been sealed by Nangong Wentian, regain its ability to move.
Then a special energy radiated from the Hundred Herbs Diagram.
Li Zhi channeled that special energy into his legs and swiftly ran into the distance.
The scenery on either side seemed to flow backward, rapidly retreating.
At that moment, Li Zhi seemed to possess the Shrink Ground into Inches technique, vanishing directly from that stretch of mountain forest.
Ever since arriving on Ancient Beidou Star, the Hundred Herbs Diagram had begun absorbing the essence energy of the world in all directions once more.
After nearly a year of recovery, the Hundred Herbs Diagram had secretly absorbed an unknown amount of Heaven and Earth Essence. Even the Small World within the diagram had regained its lush vitality.
Before you continue