Ever since discussing the Dao with Fu Xi and Nuwa, Li Yi had sensed that a breakthrough was near. After parting ways with them, he hurried back to Penglai Island, preparing to enter seclusion and break through.
But he hadn't expected someone to show up as soon as he got back. Helpless, Li Yi could only meet his visitor first. He couldn't very well leave them waiting outside.
"This island is no ordinary place!" Ao Fang watched the immortal island shrouded in mist, two glints flashing in his pupils.
The Dragon Clan's power had grown ever greater. Since proclaiming themselves the Lord of Scales and Armor to the Primordial World, their prestige had been unmatched for a time. Yet even within the Dragon Clan, there were clearheaded cultivators with the foresight to see what lay ahead.
The proclamation had certainly raised the Dragon Clan's standing, but it had also offended countless cultivators and planted many seeds of disaster. If the Dragon Clan ever showed weakness, they might face annihilation.
The Ancestral Dragon had survived the brutal Great Tribulation of All Beings and even increased the Dragon Clan's power, so he was no fool. On the contrary, as an old monster born when the world was created, his mind was unfathomably deep. But the temptation of becoming a supreme being was simply too great, and the opposition was weaker than ever before, so he had set aside his other concerns.
Still, after making the proclamation, the Ancestral Dragon had humbly heeded advice and begun recruiting powerful cultivators from across the Primordial World, offering them generous terms to strengthen the Dragon Clan and secure its dominance and continued existence through overwhelming power.
Of course, not every cultivator would accept the Dragon Clan's offer. The Ancestral Dragon had anticipated this. Generally speaking, even if they couldn't recruit someone, they would do their best to befriend them, hoping to change their prejudices against the Dragon Clan and reduce the number of potential enemies.
The Dragon Clan also treated recruiting cultivators as a form of training for its own disciples. The stronger the cultivator a disciple recruited, the greater their contribution; naturally, that disciple would rise in status within the Dragon Clan and receive more cultivation resources.
Penglai Island lay in the East Sea, right in the heart of the Dragon Clan's territory. If it were only the island itself, its protective formation and the obscured workings of fate would have made it quite difficult for the Dragon Clan to find.
But ever since Li Yi had settled on Penglai, he had come and gone without hiding his movements. Naturally, it was difficult to escape the Dragon Clan's notice, and the discovery of Penglai Island had been inevitable.
Li Yi wasn't a Grand Unity Golden Immortal, but during the tribulation, the name Green Lotus Sword Master had been renowned throughout the alliance. Among Golden Immortals in particular, it had been famous as thunder, and he was known as the Invincible Golden Immortal.
So when Li Yi's portrait reached the Dragon Clan, he was recognized at once. A promising powerhouse like him, living in the East Sea no less, was naturally someone they wanted to recruit.
Ao Fang, the Dragon Clan's seventeenth prince, had come this time to test Li Yi's attitude and try to recruit him.
"Green Lotus Sword Master, once known as the Sword Maniac, escaped the pursuit of Grand Unity Golden Immortals several times. During the tribulation, he even severely wounded a Grand Unity Golden Immortal and killed tens of thousands of Golden Immortals. After the tribulation, he vanished into seclusion!" Ao Fang reviewed every detail of what he knew about Li Yi. He was a cautious man. Before setting out, he had asked his elders in the Dragon Clan about Li Yi. That was one reason he had succeeded in recruiting people time and again and risen so quickly through the ranks.
"Ah, what a fearsome man!" Thinking of Li Yi's mountain of corpses and his ferocious strength, Ao Fang couldn't help comparing them. They were both Golden Immortals, yet the difference between them was enormous. He was a favored prodigy of the Dragon Clan, but beside Li Yi, he was like mud compared to clouds.
At that thought, an inscrutable glint passed through Ao Fang's eyes. It was impossible to tell whether it was envy or resentment.
"Boom!"
The formation around Penglai Island shifted. The mist shrouding the island began to swirl rapidly, gradually forming an opening seven or eight zhang wide. A massive cloud bridge stretched out from within.
"I've kept you waiting, fellow Daoist," Li Yi said politely to Ao Fang. As for Ao Fang's identity as a member of the Dragon Clan, Li Yi had recognized it from his aura while still inside the island. During the tribulation, he had encountered countless members of the Dragon Clan and was very familiar with their aura.
"I am Ao Fang. I regret disturbing your cultivation, fellow Daoist," Ao Fang replied with perfect courtesy. He had come to recruit someone, not throw his weight around.
"Heh, please come in, fellow Daoist!" Seeing how courteous Ao Fang was, Li Yi became more polite as well. After all, one didn't strike someone who greeted them with a smile.
Ao Fang stepped onto Penglai Island and felt the extraordinarily rich Spiritual Qi. He saw the island covered with spiritual plants from heaven and earth, plant spirits frolicking about, and even a pool of Three Light Divine Water. It was unquestionably one of the most renowned Blessed Lands in the Primordial World. Even within the Dragon Clan, few could claim to possess such a place.
"What a heavenly paradise!" Two fervent glints flashed in Ao Fang's eyes, and deep envy stirred in his heart.
Li Yi naturally noticed Ao Fang's expression and understood what he was thinking, but he paid it little mind. Any cultivator would covet an immortal mountain and Blessed Land like Penglai Island.
Of course, if the other man harbored ill intent and tried to seize Penglai Island, Li Yi wasn't someone who could be pushed around. At that thought, two cold glints shot from his eyes.
"What brings you here, fellow Daoist?" As soon as they sat down in the main hall, Li Yi asked Ao Fang. He had never had much of a relationship with the Dragon Clan, so he truly had no idea why Ao Fang had come.
"Your combat strength is peerless, fellow Daoist. What a pity you're hiding away here!" Ao Fang was clearly experienced. Rather than reveal his purpose outright, he sighed with regret.
"What do you mean, fellow Daoist?" Inspiration struck Li Yi, and he began to guess why Ao Fang had come.
"You've guessed correctly. I came to invite you to join the Dragon Clan as an honorary elder and build a great undertaking together!" Seeing Li Yi's expression, Ao Fang knew he had nearly figured out the reason for his visit. He didn't beat around the bush; dragging the conversation out would only backfire.
"Oh!" Now that he knew Ao Fang's purpose, Li Yi remained noncommittal.
"You've been a Golden Immortal for a long time, haven't you, fellow Daoist? As soon as you join the Dragon Clan, you'll hold a high position and enjoy abundant resources and treasures from heaven and earth. With the momentum behind us, you can comprehend the Dao and break through the Golden Immortal realm to attain the Great Luo Merit Position with ease. With your talent, you might even reach the pinnacle one day and become a supreme being!" Ao Fang calmly laid out the benefits of joining the Dragon Clan. He believed no cultivator could resist such an offer. The promise of becoming a supreme being, in particular, could drive countless cultivators to madness.
If Ao Fang had been speaking to an ordinary cultivator, he might have succeeded. Unfortunately, he was speaking to Li Yi, so he was destined to fail.
Li Yi was already close to breaking through to Grand Unity Golden Immortal, and he lacked neither spiritual treasures nor resources. More than that, he scorned the very idea of using the promise of supreme status to tempt him. Li Yi's goal wasn't to become a supreme being, but to prove the Dao of Hunyuan and even surpass Hunyuan.
What could the Dragon Clan possibly do to help him cultivate? What was there in Ao Fang's offer to tempt him? Besides, the Tribulation of the Three Clans would inevitably come, and the Dragon Clan was doomed to end in tragedy. Li Yi had no desire to be swept into that maelstrom.
"Heh, I appreciate the trouble you've taken, fellow Daoist, but I've always preferred peace and quiet. Besides, I'm used to my freedom and can't stand being tied down," Li Yi politely declined Ao Fang's invitation.
You prefer peace and quiet? Then why are you always provoking Grand Unity Golden Immortals? You prefer peace and quiet? Then why have you killed so many? And if you can't stand being tied down, why did you join the alliance army back then? Ao Fang nearly spat blood at the thought. He felt Li Yi was pulling his leg, and his face turned deathly pale.
"Since you're not a member of the Dragon Clan, yet you live within the Dragon Clan's territory, then..." Ao Fang couldn't say what drove him to it. Perhaps it was his anger at being rejected for the first time, perhaps the jealousy and greed buried deep in his heart. He abandoned the Dragon Clan's usual practice of befriending those they failed to recruit and actually tried to threaten Li Yi.
"What did you say?" Li Yi almost laughed in disbelief. So this guy wanted to seize Penglai Island after all. A cold gleam flashed in his eyes as he stared fixedly at Ao Fang.
"You know what I mean." Under Li Yi's murderous gaze, cold sweat ran down Ao Fang's back, but he answered stubbornly. The Dragon Clan was powerful, after all, and he believed Li Yi wouldn't dare kill him just like that.
"Get out!" After weighing his options, Li Yi decided to let him go for now. If the Dragon Clan provoked him over this, he wouldn't hold back.
Ao Fang didn't dare linger. From the killing intent in Li Yi's voice, he knew the man had reached the end of his patience. If he didn't leave, he might really die there.
Outside Penglai Island, Ao Fang finally revealed his vile nature. "Green Lotus Sword Master, I'll make sure you die without a whole corpse! No one can be better than me, and Penglai Island will be mine too!" He cast a venomous glance toward the island, then quickly left.
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