Running Away?

Inside Chessboard Mountain's cave abode, a single lamp burned like a bean, its faint glow seeming to illuminate the myriad worlds.

An ancient, simple golden lamp floated before Zhou Yuan.

This golden lamp was the spoils he had obtained after killing the True One Realm divine bird that had coveted his Yin and Yang Qi.

It was now perfectly suited for refining into a Merit Spirit Treasure.

Within the golden lamp, two flames twisted around each other without end, carrying the artistic conception of the dual forms and Taiji.

They were the Southern Bright Leaving Fire and the lamp's innate Innate Golden Flame.

Zhou Yuan gazed solemnly at the spirit treasure before him, his hands continuously shifting through seals as merit from the void gathered into the golden lamp like a stream.

If he used merit to refine the golden lamp, and if Zhou Yuan obtained enough merit in the future, this lamp might one day become like the Heaven and Earth Profound Yellow Exquisite Pagoda of later generations. Once deployed, it would grant him an innately invincible position.

But accomplishing that would require an enormous amount of merit.

Zhou Yuan's current accumulation was nowhere near enough.

"Although this treasure falls far short of Dao Lord Taiqing's innate pagoda."

"After being tempered by merit, the flames within this golden lamp are supremely hard and supremely yang. They possess the might to burn the heavens and boil the seas, and killing enemies with them incurs no karmic repercussions."

"At this stage, it will be more than enough."

Zhou Yuan nodded slightly as he looked at the golden lamp floating in the void.

With a thought from him.

The Crimson Bright Profound Sky Golden Lamp blazed with radiance, and thirty-six crimson lamp flames appeared in the void. Even Zhou Yuan's Dao body, tempered by Innate Yin and Yang Qi, could not help but feel scorching pain.

With this treasure, he had gained another offensive method.

With a sweep of his sleeve, the golden lamp naturally fell into Zhou Yuan's sea of consciousness. A golden barrier rose around it, nourishing his primordial spirit.

Zhou Yuan counted on his fingers.

"This period of seclusion has lasted nearly ten thousand years."

He lightly swung his bamboo staff and struck the Jade Chime.

Before long, Rat Ancestor Zishu, ancestor of the rat clan among Chessboard Mountain's twelve races, transformed into a streak of gray radiance and descended into the cave abode.

"Zishu greets the master."

"Rise. How did the matter I had your rat clan investigate go?"

Rat Ancestor Zishu was short and dressed in a gray robe, his eyes gleaming sharply.

Hearing Zhou Yuan's question, he hurriedly nodded.

"It has all been investigated, all of it."

"Though our rat clan is weak, our people are numerous and spread across millions upon millions of miles. The matter you asked us to investigate was easy enough."

As he spoke, he respectfully presented a jade slip.

"Please examine it, Master."

Zhou Yuan accepted the jade slip, and all manner of information rapidly flowed through his mind.

"Mm, the Wei River is shrouded in mist, and spiritual energy tides surge violently. There seems to be some great change."

Zhou Yuan had ordered the mountain's rat clan to investigate clues related to water-element spiritual objects.

He wished to use the Dao patterns contained within such objects to comprehend the laws of water.

Over the past ten thousand years, the rat clan had traveled everywhere and indeed found several leads.

Yet the one that interested Zhou Yuan most was the news concerning the Wei River.

The Wei River was a branch of the Huai River.

Though it did not compare to the Four Seas and Four Rivers among the waterways of the Primordial World, it was still one of the foremost water veins in the Primordial World. It was a tributary of the Huai River, ancestral vein of the Four Rivers, and was known as one of the Eight Streams.

Zhou Yuan lightly calculated with his fingers as the Five Elements Mystic Gate began to operate.

Faint golden light filled his eyes, reflecting rippling waters—the scene of the Wei River.

But in an instant, mist swept in. It not only obscured Zhou Yuan's divination, but also disturbed heavenly secrets and karma.

"What exactly is in the Wei River? How can it conceal heavenly secrets and block this poor Daoist's senses?"

Zhou Yuan was somewhat curious.

The Dao of Heaven diminished excess and supplemented deficiency.

The Dao of heavenly secrets was inherently the path of peering into the tracks of Heaven's operation and intercepting karma and fortune. Even with the Heavenly Machine Chessboard's aid, Zhou Yuan could only dream of observing all heavenly secrets and karmic threads as clearly as lines in his palm.

There had to be either something of an exceedingly high rank within the Wei River automatically blocking heavenly secrets and karma, or a great expert using some means to conceal all causes, for it to hinder Zhou Yuan's investigation.

"Though the Wei River blocks karma, and I do not know what treasure is hidden within it."

"The Heavenly Machine Chessboard has issued no warning, so there should be no danger of death."

Of course, if a Great Divine Ability User had laid a scheme, muddled the heavenly secrets, and passed falsehood off as truth, then with Zhou Yuan's present Dao Cultivation, he naturally would not be able to see through it.

But such a Great Divine Ability User should have no karmic entanglement with him.

In cultivation, one should proceed with the caution of treading on thin ice, yet act with bold and vigorous determination.

There was no need to be overly timid.

Zhou Yuan pondered to himself.

A trip to the Wei River and back would take more than ten thousand years.

Could I avoid the chaos in the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range?

"Your master has been still for too long and wishes to go out for a while. Guard the mountain gate and the Dao grounds well. Do not grow lazy."

After giving instructions to the races under his command, Zhou Yuan gathered his belongings, raised clouds of rosy mist, and headed toward the Wei River.

Not long after Zhou Yuan left.

The void outside Chessboard Mountain suddenly shook. Then, a burly man clad in golden armor appeared in the air, leading several hundred armored soldiers dressed in black armor and radiating baleful energy.

Such a great disturbance threw the many living beings on Chessboard Mountain into a panic.

Before long, twelve streams of radiance flew out from Chessboard Mountain.

They were Rat Ancestor Zishu and the leaders of the other eleven races.

Rat Ancestor Zishu stared at the Golden Armored Divine General before him, whose aura was as deep and boundless as an abyss and sea, and his pupils contracted.

"Is he a great cultivator of the True One Realm, or a Grand Unity Great Sage?"

He exchanged glances with Chouniu and the others, then stepped forward several paces and bowed.

"This junior greets the senior."

"May I ask what business brings you to our Chessboard Mountain, Senior?"

Before the Golden Armored Divine General could speak, Guizhenzi at his side stepped forward with a smile.

"Is Daoist Taiyuanzi in the residence? Hurry and report this to him. Tell him that an honored guest from Phoenix Perch Mountain has arrived."

Upon seeing Guizhenzi, Rat Ancestor Zishu and the others let out long sighs of relief.

This old Daoist was their master's friend. The lineages of the Canglan River and Chessboard Mountain had many dealings with one another.

It seemed the visitors were friends, not enemies.

"Reporting to Senior, you have arrived at an unfortunate time."

"Our master had grown restless from prolonged seclusion and has already left Chessboard Mountain. We do not know where he went."

Guizhenzi frowned when he heard this and stamped his foot.

Why did Daoist Taiyuanzi have to drop the ball at such a critical moment?

I made it perfectly clear to him.

There was bound to be a great upheaval within this One Yuan Assembly.

He was not to leave the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range without cause.

Now that the envoy has arrived, if we cannot explain this clearly and he is treated as a fleeing cultivator...

Not only will the Chessboard Mountain lineage be wiped out and reduced to ashes.

Even my Canglan River lineage will not escape unscathed.

I will have to smooth things over for him.

Having thought this through, the old turtle smiled at the Golden Armored Divine General beside him.

"Daoist, it truly is unfortunate."

"I suspect that after Daoist Taiyuanzi heard this old man mention a few days ago that cultivators of the Divine Demon Dao Lineage were acting suspiciously beside the Huai River of the Four Rivers, he went to investigate."

The Golden Armored Divine General nodded slightly at these words.

I did not expect Daoist Taiyuanzi to be so impatient.

The lord of the mountain said that this man excelled at both alchemy and artifact refinement.

There may come a day when I need his help.

I can only befriend him, never make an enemy of him.

"Daoist Taiyuanzi truly is a loyal servant of our alliance."

"The Divine Demon Dao Lineage cultivators lingering beside the Huai River are no simple matter."

"I will report this matter to the lords."

The implication was that Taiyuanzi would not be accused of leaving the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range without permission at this time, nor be suspected of fleeing cultivation.

"Daoist Taiyuanzi has devoted himself wholeheartedly to our Myriad Races Alliance. We should likewise protect his Dao grounds."

"A great change is coming to the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range. Arm yourselves and guard the mountain gate well."

The Golden Armored Divine General took out a jade token and instructed Rat Ancestor Zishu and the others.

"If anything changes, crush this jade token. When I see it, I will come to your aid."

Rat Ancestor Zishu respectfully accepted the jade token.

"The master gave us instructions long ago. We will certainly guard the mountain gate well and dare not slacken."

The Golden Armored Divine General nodded. Then, together with the other cultivators, he gathered qi into clouds and headed in a mighty procession toward the center of the Myriad Spirit Mountain Range.