Stealing Heavenly Secrets from Cover the Heavens - Section 47

"Xiao Zhi, the things recorded in that are far more detailed than the cultivation basics taught by those Blessed Grotto-Heavens in Yan State. Once you reach Smoky Haze Grotto-Heaven, keep it safe and don't casually tell others. It's not a cultivation Scripture, but the notes on cultivation precautions for the two great secret realms—the Sea of Wheels and the Dao Palace Realm—were personally annotated by our Jiang Family Great Power. Even some Elders from minor sects would find it tempting." Jiang Caihong also smiled as she reminded Li Zhi.

"Xiao Zhi? What kind of weird nickname is that?"

Li Zhi grumbled inwardly, but kept a smile on his face as he said to Jiang Caihong, "Thanks, big sister."

Just as they were about to set off, a mocking voice suddenly rang in their ears.

"Are Jiang Family disciples only capable of this? Tricking a child out of a Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird's fledgling. Aren't you afraid of becoming a laughingstock if word gets out?"

"Who's spying there? Get the hell out here."

Jiang Shuwen quickly stashed the bag holding the Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird fledgling into his Sea of Wheels, then flipped his hand to produce a fist-sized, golden, square-mouthed, wide-bellied pot.

That was his magic artifact, the Demon Refining Pot.

As he channeled his mana into it, the ferocious beast patterns on the golden Demon Refining Pot began to glow, and four imposing beasts flew out from the pot's mouth, landing in the four directions around them, shielding the trio in the center.

Jiang Caihong, meanwhile, pulled Li Zhi behind her protectively, a silver long whip crackling with electric light appearing in her hand.

"Heh," a contemptuous laugh suddenly echoed from the forest, followed by a sneer: "Spying? Do two little brats in the Dao Palace Realm really warrant this old man spying on you? You think too highly of yourselves. Are all disciples from your Ancient Family so arrogantly self-important?"

"May I ask, senior, who you are? Since you know we're Jiang Family disciples, why not show yourself?" Jiang Shuwen's eyes flickered with caution as he shouted toward the surrounding woods.

He couldn't even pinpoint which direction the voice came from, meaning the other party's cultivation far surpassed his own.

"You want to see me? Are you worthy? Leave the child behind and go. This old man won't make trouble for you." The voice sounded again.

"Since senior refuses to show himself, then don't blame me for refusing to comply."

Jiang Shuwen signaled Jiang Caihong to take Li Zhi and leave immediately.

Jiang Caihong nodded, grabbed Li Zhi by the collar, and transmitted a message: "Hold tight."

Then, she summoned her lightning whip, a flash of electric light surrounding her, and swiftly flew toward Smoky Haze Grotto-Heaven with Li Zhi in tow.

"Trying to leave? Come back."

In the woods ten li away, a handsome youth who looked only fifteen or sixteen saw Jiang Caihong leap into the air with Li Zhi and immediately shot a burst of mana in their direction.

Instantly, a barrier formed from flower petals materialized on their path.

Jiang Caihong's eyes sparked with lightning as she swung her whip at the petal barrier, but the silver electric bolts striking those mana-formed petals failed to break through.

Instead, the petal barrier rebounded the lightning back at them.

Just as the electric bolts were about to hit Jiang Caihong and Li Zhi, a majestic lion beast covered in scale armor appeared before them, swallowing all the lightning in one gulp.

Then, Jiang Shuwen arrived beside them, riding the Demon Refining Pot.

That scale-armored lion was the manifested true spirit of the Thunder Beast from within the Demon Refining Pot.

"The Longevity Art? Could senior be the Grandmaster Nangong Zheng from Hundred Flowers Valley?" Jiang Shuwen seemed to recognize the origin of that mana-formed petal barrier.

"You little one, you actually know my Grandmaster's name." As the voice faded, the youth appeared before Jiang Shuwen and Jiang Caihong.

The youth before them looked only fifteen or sixteen on the surface, but his eyes were filled with a deep weariness, suggesting his true age was far older than his appearance.

"May I ask senior's esteemed name?" Jiang Shuwen didn't let his guard down just because the other party looked like a teenager.

"This old man is Nangong Wentian." The youth said with a chuckle, then fixed his gaze on Li Zhi with gleaming eyes, as if he'd discovered a rare treasure. The more he looked, the brighter his eyes shone, as if he might snatch Li Zhi away at any moment.

Jiang Shuwen and Jiang Caihong racked their brains over the name "Nangong Wentian," but they couldn't recall any disciple of the human Great Power Nangong Zheng by that name.

"Why aren't you two little ones leaving yet? Hand that child over to me." Nangong Wentian's tone grew impatient.

"Senior Nangong, if you want us to hand him over, you'll need a reason. Otherwise, we'll have no choice but to send word to our clan elders." Jiang Caihong produced a Thousand-Mile Telepathy Talisman as she spoke.

"You two little brats are truly blind, actually planning to send this Longevity Immortal Body to cultivate at Smoky Haze Grotto-Heaven." Nangong Wentian's eyes flickered with greed.

The moment the words "Longevity Immortal Body" left his mouth, Jiang Shuwen and Jiang Caihong knew he intended to kill them.

Sure enough, after he spoke, the surrounding forest environment suddenly shifted, transforming into a valley full of blooming flowers.

"Damn, this is his Sea of Wheels Phenomenon. We have to break through it."

Seeing this, Jiang Shuwen poured all his mana into the Demon Refining Pot.

A crimson light shot from the pot's mouth, and with a "cheep" like a phoenix's cry, a fiery red phoenix appeared above his head.

Then, the fire phoenix spewed a sea of flames directly at the flower valley below, as if to burn every blossom to ash.

But the flowers in the valley seemed endless and ever-reviving; the moment they were reduced to cinders, they sprang back to life.

"The Demon Refining Pot? Not a bad refinement. Too bad you haven't refined any true Great Yao inside it, so it lacks that fierce, murderous aura." Nangong Wentian's voice echoed through the valley.

"Since this old man perfected this Hundred Flowers Burial Sky Valley Sea of Wheels Phenomenon, you two little ones are the first to experience the joy of a floral burial." As Nangong Wentian's voice rang out again, the petals in the valley began to swirl, forming two massive flower coffins in the air that descended toward Jiang Shuwen and Jiang Caihong.

Seeing this, Jiang Shuwen's eyes flashed with resolve. He instantly withdrew the Demon Refining Pot into his body, and the roar of myriad beasts erupted from his Sea of Wheels.

"Brother Shuwen, no!" Jiang Caihong screamed in terror.

"Sea of Wheels Phenomenon, Four Symbols Myriad Beasts World, emerge!" Jiang Shuwen howled at the sky, bloody veins appearing on his skin. A world composed of countless demon beasts materialized beside him, crashing down into the flower valley.

"Ha, using a magic artifact as a foundation to manifest a flawed Sea of Wheels Phenomenon—you've got some talent. But your cultivation is too low, your mana too weak. Before this old man, even a complete Myriad Beasts World Sea of Wheels Phenomenon is useless." Nangong Wentian's disdainful voice came from high above.

Then, Li Zhi felt himself torn from Jiang Caihong's protection, flying straight toward Nangong Wentian in the sky.

"Pfft!"

Two types of Sea of Wheels phenomena clashed, and Jiang Shuwen's Four Symbols Myriad Beasts World instantly collapsed. He spat out a mouthful of reverse-flowing blood before Jiang Caihong steadied him.

Then, pale-faced Jiang Shuwen said with disbelief, "You're an Immortal Platform Great Power?"

"Immortal Platform—what a coveted realm. Unfortunately, I'm not there 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 still saw no sign of stepping into the Immortal Platform Realm.

Thus, he had set out on a journey, seeking an opportunity for a breakthrough.

Along the way, hearing that something had changed in the Barren Ancient Forbidden Zone, he came to try his luck. But he never expected to run into Li Zhi before even reaching the Forbidden Zone.

Seizing Li Zhi in his grasp, a surge of immense mana instantly flooded into Li Zhi's body.

Especially within the Sea of Wheels.

Then Nangong Wentian saw that vast silver Bitter Sea, and within it, an Immortal Tree.

"Haha, a Longevity Immortal Body—truly a Longevity Immortal Body. Heaven has not been unkind to me. This old man will finally ascend to the heavens." The moment Nangong Wentian saw the silver Bitter Sea and the Immortal Tree, he burst into a hearty, unrestrained laugh.

It was as if the pent-up frustration of years had vanished in an instant.

Just then, Jiang Caihong crushed a blood-red Divine Talisman.

A massive aura instantly descended upon her.

Then Jiang Caihong's gaze turned unfamiliar. With a single finger pointed out, the space constructed by Nangong Wentian's Sea of Wheels phenomenon began to collapse.

"Boom!"

Immediately after, the Hundred Flowers Burial Sky Valley crumbled from within. Nangong Wentian, still laughing, was struck heavily, as if his very Sea of Wheels had been pierced through.

"Eight Gods Savage Force."

Severely wounded, Nangong Wentian stared in disbelief at Jiang Caihong, who had struck him.

"Hmph! Dare to harm a disciple of my Jiang family? You're asking for death." Jiang Caihong, now possessed by the divine will of a Jiang Family Great Power, spoke coldly.

"Just a sliver of divine will, and you think you can act arrogant?"

After stabilizing the turmoil within his Sea of Wheels, Nangong Wentian showed no fear toward the Jiang Family Great Power's divine will.

His cultivation at the peak of the Dragon Transformation Realm left him unafraid when facing a mere wisp of an Immortal Platform Great Power's will.

Then he sealed Li Zhi and tossed him aside, charging at Jiang Caihong.

The Longevity Art was pushed to its limit. Countless petals flickered faintly around him as he unleashed the full might of his peak Dragon Transformation Realm cultivation.

But Nangong Wentian alone knew that if he couldn't kill the two Jiang siblings within ten moves, the injury he had forcibly suppressed in his Sea of Wheels Realm would erupt.

What seemed like merely the Sea of Wheels phenomenon being broken by the Jiang Family Great Power's Eight Gods Savage Force was, in truth, far more dangerous. In his carelessness and lack of defense, that mysterious force had already pierced deep into his Sea of Wheels.

Nangong Wentian vaguely sensed that even his Wheel of Life had been damaged.

Tossed into the forest by Nangong Wentian, Li Zhi kept communicating with the Deity of the Hundred Herbs Diagram in his mind.

When the Diagram Elder remained silent for a long time, Li Zhi grew ruthless and offered an exorbitant price to the old patriarch-like Artifact Spirit of the Hundred Herbs Diagram: "Diagram Elder, a square of immortal liquid on par with Divine Spring Water—help me escape this place."

The Diagram Elder seemed swayed by Li Zhi's offer and immediately manifested from his Sea of Wheels.

With a slight tremor, Li Zhi felt his body, sealed by Nangong Wentian, regain its mobility.

Then a special energy radiated from the Hundred Herbs Diagram.

Li Zhi channeled that special energy into his legs and swiftly fled into the distance.

The scenery on either side seemed to flow backward, rapidly receding.

In that moment, Li Zhi appeared to possess the divine ability of Shrink Ground into Inches, vanishing directly from the forest.

Ever since arriving at the Ancient Beidou Star, the Hundred Herbs Diagram had resumed absorbing the essence of the eight directions.

After nearly a year of recovery, the Hundred Herbs Diagram had secretly absorbed an immeasurable amount of Heaven and Earth Essence, and even the Small World within the diagram had become vibrant and full of life once more.