Chapter 5

"Good."

Then, the two established a Heavenly Dao Oath, using it as their contract.

After establishing the Heavenly Dao Oath,

Kunpeng officially became a registered mount,

protected by the Heavenly Dao. Lu Changsheng had to pay one million merit every thousand years.

After officially becoming a mount, Kunpeng gradually regained his rationality.

Although he did not regret it—after all, the payment was truly generous—

he was still the Teacher of Ten Thousand Demons of the Demon Race.

With such a lofty status, he ought to return and give an explanation.

Thus, Kunpeng once again put on a flattering smile and said:

"Great Master, I was originally the Teacher of Ten Thousand Demons.

Leaving the Demon Court so suddenly, I should at least return and explain myself.

I wonder if Great Master would be willing to accompany me to the Demon Race?"

Seeing that Kunpeng had a good attitude,

and having effortlessly spent ten million merit,

Lu Changsheng was in a good mood.

Besides, he had no other plans for wasting money at the moment.

A trip to the Demon Race seemed like a decent choice as well.

After pondering briefly, Lu Changsheng nodded and replied:

"That works."

After receiving Lu Changsheng's approval,

Kunpeng thanked him gratefully.

Then he adjusted his flying speed,

carrying Lu Changsheng toward the Demon Race Heavenly Court.

Along the way, Kunpeng could not help wondering

where Lu Changsheng had obtained so many Merit Treasures.

But feeling that asking directly would be inappropriate,

he spoke tactfully:

"Great Master, have you done something major recently?

How else could you have obtained so many Merit Treasures?"

Lu Changsheng was quietly meditating on Kunpeng's broad back.

Upon hearing the question, he immediately sensed Kunpeng's true intentions.

His face instantly turned displeased, and he said:

"Little Kun, do not ask about things you should not ask about.

Otherwise, you might easily bring down Heavenly Punishment. Understand?"

Hearing the warning in Lu Changsheng's words,

Kunpeng immediately responded sensibly:

"I understand, Great Master."

Although he answered that way,

Kunpeng's curiosity about Lu Changsheng did not diminish in the slightest.

After all, a cultivator who could establish an oath before the Heavenly Dao

and casually take out fifty million merit to hire a mount

clearly truly possessed that much merit.

Fifty million merit—

even the merit Nuwa obtained from creating humans might not have been this much.

"Great Master's origins are mysterious, and his background is extraordinary.

He casually uses fifty million merit to hire a mount.

Could he actually be the Child of the Heavenly Dao?"

Kunpeng marveled inwardly.

If a cultivator who was merely at the late-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm

could casually take out so much merit,

then unless he was the Child of the Heavenly Dao, it was truly difficult to explain.

However, if the Heavenly Dao knew of this,

it would probably hurriedly deny it.

After all, Lu Changsheng possessed a hundred trillion merit,

a quantity even the Primordial Heavenly Dao itself could not hope to match.

If the Heavenly Dao could speak, it might even acknowledge Lu Changsheng as its father.

Just as Kunpeng continued making guesses,

he suddenly sensed something.

His divine sense swept downward.

He saw a group of cultivators in the mountain range below fighting over a treasure.

Kunpeng focused his eyes and saw that it was an Innate Spiritual Root of the middle grade.

His heart stirred, but he suddenly remembered that he was Lu Changsheng's mount.

Without his master's permission, he could not act on his own.

Thus, he could only offer a reminder:

"Great Master, there seem to be quite a few cultivators fighting over a treasure in the mountain range below."

Although Lu Changsheng was only at the late-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm,

he had already noticed the struggle below while passing over the mountain range.

He had merely thought the treasure ordinary and could not be bothered with it.

Hearing Kunpeng's words, he said with disdain:

"It is only an ordinary middle-grade Innate Spiritual Root. What is there to care about?"

Kunpeng was famous for his poverty in the Primordial World.

Hearing Lu Changsheng say this, he could only smile bitterly.

He thought to himself:

"Great Master is far too extravagant. He actually calls a middle-grade Innate Spiritual Root ordinary... As expected of the Child of the Heavenly Dao. He is loaded!"

Just as Kunpeng was secretly grumbling and preparing to leave,

an unexpected change left him stunned once more—

the middle-grade Innate Spiritual Root that everyone had been fighting over actually flew toward Lu Changsheng of its own accord!

"Stop fighting! The treasure flew away!"

Someone in the melee came to his senses and shouted loudly.

The many cultivators turned their heads one after another.

They saw the spiritual root flying straight toward Lu Changsheng in midair.

Then, under everyone's gaze,

with even Lu Changsheng himself somewhat bewildered,

the spiritual root actually took the initiative to acknowledge him as its master.

For a moment, everyone present was shocked.

Although Lu Changsheng was surprised,

after sensing that the spiritual root had acknowledged him,

he still subconsciously put it away.

He helplessly shook his head and sighed:

"I heard that people with great fortune could pick up treasures even while walking.

It turns out that it was true."

Seeing him put away the spiritual root,

the group of cultivators immediately became dissatisfied.

A cultivator at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm looked hostile and said:

"Fellow Daoist, we have been waiting here for a long time, all to harvest the spiritual root once it matured and use it for cultivation.

You merely happened to pass by, yet you intend to claim the fruits for yourself. Isn't that going too far?"

As soon as that cultivator finished speaking,

the group of cultivators quietly rose into the air,

forming an encirclement.

Clearly, they had no intention of letting Lu Changsheng leave easily.

Seeing this, Kunpeng did not hesitate to reveal his form, which blotted out the sky and covered the earth.

He glared coldly at the surrounding Grand Unity Golden Immortals and said in a deep voice:

"Who dares to stop my Great Master?"

As Kunpeng's late-stage Quasi-Saint aura spread out,

all those blocking their way were shaken.

"It's the Demon Master Kunpeng of the Heavenly Court!"

Everyone knew that the Demon Race Heavenly Court revered the Four Emperors above all—

Empress Nuwa, Emperor Xi Fuxi, Eastern Emperor Taiyi, and Demon Emperor Dijun.

Beneath the Four Emperors was the Teacher of Ten Thousand Demons, Kunpeng.

How exalted was his position?

Yet when the cultivators looked carefully,

they discovered that such a figure had actually become Lu Changsheng's mount.

They were all astonished and whispered in horror:

"The dignified Teacher of Ten Thousand Demons has actually become a Grand Unity Golden Immortal's mount?"

Hearing everyone's discussion,

Kunpeng sneered, his heart full of disdain:

"You insects, how could you know that I follow the Child of the Heavenly Dao?

In the future, I will possess endless merit. If I obtain the Primordial Violet Qi, I may even attain Sainthood!"

Thinking of the opportunity to become a Saint,

Kunpeng could not help baring his great maw.

However, he was currently in his true form.

That grin looked especially ferocious,

frightening the group of Grand Unity Golden Immortals into retreating one after another.

"Fellow Daoist, please forgive us. We still have important matters to attend to and cannot stay long!"

In the blink of an eye, the cultivators disappeared without a trace.

Seeing the insects scatter,

Kunpeng shrank his body and obediently carried Lu Changsheng toward the Demon Race Heavenly Court.

Lu Changsheng did not take this interlude to heart.

Only after the two had gone far away did the group of Grand Unity Golden Immortals gather again.

Looking in the direction where they had vanished, they repeatedly marveled:

"Tsk, tsk. A Grand Unity Golden Immortal actually managed to make Demon Master Kunpeng willingly become his mount..."

The origins of this person were definitely not simple!

Another cultivator nodded deeply in agreement and said:

"That's right. But to make Demon Master Kunpeng bow his head and submit—

could this person have some connection with a Saint?"

Upon hearing this speculation,

the surrounding cultivators all showed astonished expressions.

During the Witch-Demon War, there were only seven Saints in the Primordial World.

Apart from Hongjun, who had long since merged with the Heavenly Dao,

the rest were the six newly sanctified beings.

These seven Saints were the strongest combat power in the current Primordial World.

Saints had transcended cause and effect and remained untouched by the mortal world.

Therefore, for Lu Changsheng to make a Saint act on his behalf and turn Kunpeng into a mount—

what kind of astonishing origins did he possess?

Just as the group of Grand Unity Golden Immortals was shocked and speculating,

Lu Changsheng felt quite relaxed.

He leisurely began refining the Innate Spiritual Root that had just acknowledged him as its master on Kunpeng's back.

As the spiritual root gradually merged into his body,

the Primordial Creation Art cultivated by Lu Changsheng began operating.

The seeds of the Three Thousand Great Dao Laws within his body began to evolve.

During the evolution,

Great Dao Divine Runes circulated without end.

The power of the Three Thousand Laws coiled around his body,

occasionally revealing a wisp of terrifying Great Dao might.

Even Kunpeng, who was carrying him, was shocked.

Fearing that any jolting might disturb Lu Changsheng and bring disaster upon himself,

he slowed down, striving to fly as steadily as possible.

Yet his heart remained shaken:

"Is this the Child of the Heavenly Dao?

At merely the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm, he can already draw the Three Thousand Great Dao Laws to circle around him?"

One had to know that drawing the Three Thousand Great Dao Laws was a domain that only Saints could ordinarily touch.

Yet Lu Changsheng was merely at the late-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm,

still unimaginably far from Sainthood.

Apart from the "Child of the Heavenly Dao,"

Kunpeng truly could not think of any other origins

that could allow someone at the mere Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm

to possess billions of merit while also drawing the Three Thousand Laws to follow him.

While Kunpeng was astonished,

Lu Changsheng had already completely refined the Innate Spiritual Root.

He successfully advanced to the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm.

Such an effortless breakthrough made Kunpeng even more certain—

Lu Changsheng was undoubtedly the Child of the Heavenly Dao.

Lu Changsheng himself did not care.

He knew clearly that bitter cultivation was already meaningless.

No matter how he cultivated, it would be difficult to become a Great Dao Saint.

Only by quickly wasting this hundred trillion merit

could he achieve the Great Dao Saint position on the spot!

At this moment, the Demon Race Heavenly Court was peaceful.

Outside the South Heavenly Gate, the Demon Race powerhouse Qiongqi was patrolling the area.

Qiongqi instructed the demon soldiers standing guard:

"The Witch Race has been causing trouble repeatedly lately. You must remain especially vigilant!"

"Yes, sir!"

After giving his orders, Qiongqi was about to go patrol elsewhere.

Suddenly, his thoughts stirred, and he looked up—

he saw Demon Master Kunpeng carrying a cultivator at the peak of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm returning.

Qiongqi froze for a moment.

He rubbed his eyes in disbelief, then looked again.

His face instantly filled with shock:

"Could the Demon Master really have been taken as someone's mount?"

His exclamation drew the gazes of the surrounding demon soldiers, all of whom looked horrified.

Some soldiers immediately hurried off to report to the Ten Demon Gods.

As Kunpeng descended into the Demon Race Heavenly Court, Qiongqi stepped forward and shouted angrily at Lu Changsheng:

"How dare you, arrogant cultivator, use our Demon Master as your mount?"

Having just landed and already received Lu Changsheng's permission to transform into human form, Kunpeng immediately retorted in displeasure:

"How dare a mere Qiongqi show disrespect to my master?"

Qiongqi and the surrounding soldiers were stunned.

What had they just heard? Not only was the Demon Master not angry, he was actually defending this cultivator and even calling him "master"?

What in the world was going on?

Yet Lu Changsheng stood quietly where he was like an uninvolved bystander, as though this had nothing to do with him.

Qiongqi remained stunned for a long while before asking in bewilderment:

"Demon Master... what happened to you? Could it be that some evil technique has taken control of your mind? If so, blink!"

Kunpeng merely wore a look of disdain.

"You sparrows could never understand the aspirations of a swan. Being my master's mount is a blessing I, Kunpeng, have cultivated over three lifetimes!"

As soon as he said this, all the demons were shocked. They could not believe this was the same Teacher of Ten Thousand Demons from the past.

While the demons stood in shock, Demon Emperor Dijun, Taiyi, and Fuxi also arrived after hearing the news.

Upon seeing Kunpeng and Lu Changsheng beside him, the three furrowed their brows and asked Kunpeng:

"Kunpeng, is it true that you became someone's mount?"

Kunpeng answered frankly, "That is indeed the case."