A Man of Passion in His Youth

A Man of Passion in His Youth

Just as clusters of Spirit Beasts launched wave after wave of charges toward the Nine-Story Heavenly Ladder, the serene Peacock Phantom high in the sky suddenly let out a cry toward the heavens. A barely perceptible trace of anger appeared in her jewel-like nine-colored eyes, as though she wanted to settle accounts with someone who had set up a mourning hall right in front of her.

At the same time, a wild Nine-Colored Storm swept across the Nine-Story Heavenly Ladder, frightening the myriad beasts into kneeling again and again in worship of the miracle.

Zong Qingfeng, covered in blood from fighting in the arena, was also swept out by the storm. A Nine-Colored Feather God Token landed in his palm.

"What's going on? The fight clearly wasn't over yet. Why was I given the Nine-Colored Feather God Token already? Has Peacock Heavenly Venerate manifested herself?"

Still utterly confused, Zong Qingfeng groggily looked around and saw everyone worshipping their ancestor. He blankly dropped to his knees as well and kowtowed several times to the phantom that had never shown any reaction before.

Getting a Nine-Colored Feather God Token just by kowtowing a few times was quite a bargain.

As he got to his feet, Ye Kong silently appeared beside him with the Four Great Vajras and patted him on the shoulder.

"Brother, the Peacock big shot spoke. She wants us to hurry down there."

"Huh? Peacock Heavenly Venerate really manifested herself? And she even passed a message to you, Officer Ye?"

Zong Qingfeng pulled out several Elixirs and swallowed them to suppress his injuries. He looked at Ye Kong with utter amazement, feeling that this was somewhat unreal.

Why had this big shot manifested herself out of nowhere? Even members of the Nine-Colored Peacock Tribe had never received such treatment when they came here to investigate. Could it be that she had taken a liking to Officer Ye's talent?

"That's right, she really manifested herself. She even told us, 'Evil demons still remain below. I want the evil demons dead! Come quickly!' Maybe she thinks I'm particularly good at killing evil demons."

With a grave and assured expression, Ye Kong selectively relayed the words of the big shot who had smashed apart the mourning hall.

"I understand. It seems Zong has once again benefited from Officer Ye today."

Zong Qingfeng's expression turned solemn. If that was the case, then this Underground Palace contained not only the Peacock Heavenly Venerate of old, but also evil demons that had invaded this trial ground back then and had yet to perish!

He had long heard that the Outer Domain Evil Tribe possessed incredibly tenacious vitality, and that their Demon Souls were far more solid than the Divine Souls of living beings in the Great Thousand World. Thus, ancient experts had mostly sealed them away and relied on the passage of time to wear them down. Who would have thought that some of them had endured until today without dying?

After Zong Qingfeng and his teammates had recovered, Ye Kong greeted Han Shan, Mo Feng, and the others. He then used the evil demon's blood essence as a catalyst to activate the Teleportation Array, entering it with Lu Hou and the others.

After a shift in space, Ye Kong opened his eyes and looked around. Almost every part of this place bore congealed black bloodstains, and some of them still carried considerable power even now.

Zong Qingfeng, who had been prepared for this, also revealed a wary look. He carefully took out a Compass and dripped blood essence onto it to seek the way.

Once the Compass's needle stabilized, he slowly let out a breath and said, "Everyone, this Compass was bestowed upon me by an elder of my clan. According to its guidance, we should have a chance to find traces of one of the three Heavenly Venerates of the Feather God Hall, the Golden-Winged Great Peng. But now that Peacock Heavenly Venerate has manifested herself, what do you all think?"

"She hasn't given us any guidance now, so of course we should first find something useful. If we don't temporarily increase our strength, how will we have the ability to help her deal with—"

Before Ye Kong could finish saying that he wanted to secure some benefits first, the Feather God Token in his hand stirred up spatial ripples again and forcibly teleported him away.

Lu Hou and Zong Qingfeng were shocked, but they could not stop Ye Kong from being taken away. A voice filled with the bearing of a cold and proud queen rang out from the sky.

"There is no need to worry about his safety. Go do what you need to do!"

Hearing this, Lu Hou's face remained full of worry. In the end, he hardened his heart and gritted his teeth at Zong Qingfeng.

"Let's go! We'll dig up the Golden-Winged Great Peng's Tomb together!"

After being dragged out of the Spiritual Road by some inhuman old monk and kicked out of the mountain gate, Ye Kong once again experienced the sensation of forced spatial delivery. He was still just as lost and filled with excitement.

"Junior, since you're awake, stop playing dead. Hurry up and get off the ground. I have something to instruct you to do!"

The cold, queenly voice came from above Ye Kong's head. When he looked up, the sight before him immediately dazzled him.

It was a Bodhi Tree that emitted mist-like life energy, brimming with the essence of life and surging power of the Great Dao. It looked immensely precious!

A plump and noble beautiful woman in a red-and-purple palace gown sat quietly on a branch. Her nine-colored long hair was piled high and secured with a jade hairpin, while the hem of her gown spread across the branch. She watched him calmly with the gaze one would use on a clueless rookie.

Seeing that Ye Kong had actually stared at the Bodhi Tree first instead of looking at her, Peacock Heavenly Venerate had wanted to rebuke him again. But remembering that he was a Buddhist cultivator, she suppressed the thought and coldly asked, "Do you know why I summoned you here?"

"I do. To slay evil demons! In that regard, this junior dares say I have some experience."

Ye Kong withdrew his infatuated gaze from the Bodhi Tree and nodded seriously.

Perhaps feeling that his cultivation was too low and lacking confidence, Ye Kong took out a piece of Big Black Iron from his Mustard Seed Bracelet. The words "Demon Slaying" were carved upon it.

"Senior, look. This is this junior's Demon Slaying Token. Although I'm only a low-level Demon Slayer for now, I'll become a Demon Slaying King sooner or later!"

"Where did a little fellow like you, who isn't even a Supreme, get a Demon Slaying Token? And you dream of becoming a Demon Slaying King? I truly don't know how your master could dote on you to such an extent! You're simply lawless!"

Peacock Heavenly Venerate could not help but laugh at Ye Kong's appearance. With the corner of her lips raised, she mocked him a few times.

Ye Kong had wanted to remind her that he was a Spiritual Mountain Apostate, and that it had not been his master, Shi Zhen, who had pulled strings to get him the Demon Slaying Token. But after thinking it over, he decided not to reason with a woman and instead joined her in fiercely cursing his hateful master.

"Hmph. Speaking of which, you junior should address me as Ancestor. I will not have you risk your life for nothing today. If you succeed, this Bodhi Tree will belong to you."

Considering her status and unwilling to bicker with a child, Peacock Heavenly Venerate felt much better after thoroughly berating Ye Kong's damned master. She lazily pointed at the Divine Tree beneath her.

Ye Kong's expression changed, and he cautiously asked the lady before him, "May I ask which peerless expert of the Buddhist Sect you have ties with, Senior? Or were you once a Buddhist Disciple as well?"

At those words, a meaningful smile appeared on Peacock Heavenly Venerate's noble and stunning face.

"When I went out to gain experience in my youth, I met a very handsome Lay Buddhist Disciple. He later became the founding patriarch of your Great Spiritual Mountain, the Buddha Emperor, who was known alongside eight other supreme experts of that era as the Nine Emperors.

"By a fortunate coincidence, I once formed a Bloodline Link with him. The Peacock King Sutra was created jointly by him and me, and this Bodhi Tree was also left to me by him. Do you think I deserve to be called your Ancestor?"

"You do! Absolutely! Greetings, Ancestor Grandmother. Please accept this junior's bow!"

After hearing this, Ye Kong thought to himself that his patriarch had also been a man of passion in his youth. He had actually given away the Bodhi Tree, his strongest battle weapon, as a token of love. He immediately performed a solemn bow.

Seeing how perceptive Ye Kong was, Peacock Heavenly Venerate nodded in satisfaction, a teasing smile appearing on her face.

"Since your companions will still need some time to obtain Little Golden Peng's blood essence, why don't you tell me how you were expelled from Spiritual Mountain back then? Don't tell me you were just like your patriarch, obsessed with beauty?

"Haha, that dead man had been quite fortunate that I was the daughter of the Nine-Colored Peacock Clan Chief. Otherwise, he would have been left wandering the Great Thousand World with nowhere to go."

Little Meng Xin politely asks for continued reading, bookmarks, and recommendations.