Seeking an Opportunity in Penglai, Encountering a Divine Beast

Before the golden-white immortal light at Ren Xiaoyao's fingertips had completely faded, his gaze, sharp as a hawk's, locked onto the pool of melting demonic blood beside the undercover agent's corpse. In the instant the demonic blood turned into wisps of black smoke, he keenly sensed a faint yet chilling aura passing through the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi —it was the "Blood Curse Mark" that the Nine Ancestors of the Demon Realm had imprinted on the undercover agent's soul with their own millennia of Demonic Essence. When the mark shattered with the undercover agent's death, the fluctuation of Demonic Essence was like a black signal. Even if separated by billions of light-years, the Ninth Ancestor, sitting cross-legged in the "Ten Thousand Demon Cave" in the abyss of the Demon Realm Abyss, must have been awakened from their seclusion and sensed this abnormal fluctuation from the Immortal Realm.

"The Ninth Ancestor Old Devil is inherently suspicious and vindictive. I destroyed half of his Devil Palace back then, and he has never forgotten that grudge. Now that my undercover agent has perished here, within three days, at least two Devil Cultivator cultivators at the Golden Immortal level will surely come to pursue me, perhaps even carrying Devil Artifact like the ' Soul-Chasing Demon Mirror ' that can lock onto auras." Alarm bells rang in his mind. He lightly touched the gravel of the Gobi Desert with his toes, and his figure instantly transformed into a pale golden afterimage, speeding eastward as if drawn by a celestial wind. Along the way, he deliberately avoided the immortal paths opened up by cultivators and the places where Spirit Vein converged, choosing to travel through desolate mountains and wild, rocky beaches with sparse Spiritual Qi; even when passing by low-level Spirit Plant laden with plump spiritual fruits, he did not reach out to touch them—he knew the strangeness of the Demon Realm's "Soul-Chasing Technique." If only a trace of Immortal Essence fluctuation remained on the spiritual fruit, the pursuers could use the Devil Artifact to trace it back, and then, if he wanted to escape, he would probably have to pay the price of half his life.

Three days later, Ren Xiaoyao traversed a vast expanse of immortal mountains stretching for thousands of miles. Suddenly, an endless sea shrouded in spiritual mist unfolded before him. Immortal vapor rose from the sea like a light veil, and the outlines of distant islands appeared and disappeared in the mist: sometimes transforming into Jade Towers and Pavilions and pavilions, with the celestial bells hanging from the eaves ringing faintly, their clear, melodious sounds capable of soothing the restless minds of cultivators; at other times revealing the true forms of ancient, towering trees, with traces of spirit birds hidden among their thousand-year-old branches. The spirit birds' feathers shimmered with seven-colored luster, and their cries were filled with... The air was filled with a faint Spiritual Qi, as if a fairyland and a dream were intertwined. The spiritual Spiritual Qi permeating the Yun Miao Sect. The moment it was inhaled, even the long-dormant immortal Immortal Vein trembled slightly, and the Pure Yang Immortal Energy in the dantian spontaneously accelerated its circulation, like a stone thrown into a still lake, creating ripples, as if it were thirsting for more Spiritual Qi after a long drought. This was the "Penglai Blessed Land" that had been passed down in the Immortal Realm for thousands of years, a place of fortuitous opportunity that countless cultivators dreamed of.

Legend has it that this place is Secret Realm left behind by the High Antiquity Immortals and Gods "Emperor Donghua" after his ascension. The White Jade Cave Mansion where the Emperor cultivated lies dormant at the bottom of the sea, its entrance sealed by Thousand-Year Profound Ice. Inside, lies the immortal Cultivation Method <Donghua Immortal Scripture> and the High Antiquity magical artifact "Demon Slaying Sword." The island is home to rare and precious heavenly materials and earthly treasures such as ten-thousand-year-old lingzhi mushrooms and Nine-Turn Golden Lotus, as well as rare and exotic fruits containing Origin Power. However, the danger of this Secret Realm is equally terrifying: Ancient Divine Beast, nourished by the blessings of the Immortals and Gods, guard this place, their strength far exceeding... Even ordinary Golden Immortal Strange Beasts dare not easily venture into the depths of the sea, let alone low-level cultivators who dare not even approach the spiritual mists surrounding it. A hundred years ago, a group of Nascent Soul cultivators defied the odds and ventured into the sea, but only one escaped with half a life, his meridians severed and his cultivation completely destroyed. According to him, the rest became food for the Divine Beast "Mystic Turtle," their souls devoured by the Mystic Turtle's "Soul-Devouring Technique," leaving them no chance for reincarnation.

Ren Xiaoyao activated the Tai Chi Immortal Method, condensing his spiritual consciousness into a thin, hair-like golden ray, carefully skimming across the sea surface. Within the spiritual mist, astonishing illusory images of Spirit Plant flashed intermittently: the "Glass Grass," its leaves shimmering with Seven-Colored Rosy Clouds, each leaf like a piece of translucent Glazed Ice, its veins clearly visible. Drops of immortal dew falling onto the sea surface stirred up ripples of pale gold, the water itself imbued with a faint Spiritual Qi. An ordinary cultivator only needed to inhale a single breath to cleanse their marrow and meridians, clearing away years of accumulated impurities; the "Crimson Dragon Vine," entwined around a thousand-year-old tree, its vines resembling crimson iron, bore fist-sized "Dragon Blood Fruit" at its branches, their peels covered with fine... The Immortal Pattern, with their dragon-like patterns, emanated Spiritual Qi enough to allow Golden Core Cultivator stuck at a bottleneck for ten years to directly break through to the Nascent Soul Realm, without leaving any Hidden Danger dangers to their cultivation. If these Spirit Plant were in the outside world, they would be enough to trigger a bloodbath for them, but Ren Xiaoyao had no intention of lingering—his spiritual sense had already pierced through layers of spiritual mist, locking onto that special aura deep in the sea: it carried the domineering pressure unique to the Dragon Clan, making the surrounding seawater dare not move easily; it also contained the scorching power of the Phoenix Clan's rebirth, even the spiritual mist was slightly heated, that aura far surpassed that of ordinary Divine Beast, and even faintly revealed the vastness only Ancient Divine Beast possessed, as if it had existed since the World Creation time.

"It's the aura of the Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast." Ren Xiaoyao's heart skipped a beat, and his steps subconsciously slowed down. He had seen a record in the appendix of the Tai Chi Immortal Method fragments: The Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast was a Divine Beast beast descended from the High Antiquity dragon and phoenix clans, with the pure blood of dragon and phoenix flowing in its body. It was a rare "dual-attribute Divine Beast" in the Immortal Realm Origin Power. When it controlled water, it could turn the waters of the four seas into towering waves, with the "Ice Dragon Qi" of the Dragon Clan swirling around the crests of the waves. That cold aura was enough to freeze a cultivator's Immortal Vein, preventing the flow of immortal power. Heaven-Burning Emperor Formation the heavens, it could use the "Nirvana Flame" of the Phoenix Clan to burn everything. The flames were extremely hot, and they could even melt Devil Artifact that could withstand a full-force attack from Golden Immortal. The strength of an adult Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast was comparable to that of Late-stage Golden Immortal cultivator, and its physical body was incomparably strong. Its scales were three times stronger than the hardest "Black Iron Fine Steel" in the Immortal Realm. Ordinary Immortal Method could not even scratch its scales, let alone damage its body.

As he hesitated whether to bypass this area, the sea suddenly trembled violently, as if a colossal beast had awakened at the bottom of the ocean. The shockwaves spread along the water, even rippling the surface beneath his feet. The spiritual mist, like silk ribbons billowing in a gale, rapidly dispersed to both sides, revealing a crystal-clear sea surface where even the colorful coral reefs and swimming Spirit Fish were clearly visible. Then, a gigantic figure, tens of feet long, leaped from the sea, sending up a spray of water ten feet high: its Dragon Head was covered in purple-gold scales, each shimmering with a cold, metallic light, and a faint mist swirled between the scales, condensing into tiny ice particles upon contact with the air; two dragon horns... Like a piece of white jade, its top was shrouded in a light mist, from which tiny flashes of lightning crackled and popped. A pair of golden phoenix wings spread across its body, their feathers seemingly forged from pure gold, each gleaming brilliantly. As it flapped, countless golden fiery feathers fell, instantly evaporating the seawater into white mist upon contact with the surface. The mist carried a faint heat, raising the surrounding air temperature slightly. Its thick, powerful tail, covered in blue scales, swept across the sea, creating sprays several meters high. The water droplets, upon landing, carried a faint Dragon Might, causing the surrounding Spiritual Qi to stagnate, as if bound by Invisible Power.

"Human cultivators, how dare you trespass on my territory!" The voice of the Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast boomed like thunder, causing ripples to spread across the sea and disrupting the Spiritual Qi in the air. The once calmly flowing Spiritual Qi now surged and collided like turbulent currents. A purple-gold energy pillar rapidly condensed in its mouth, the pillar being over ten feet in diameter. Golden Flame and blue water light intertwined within the pillar: sometimes it transformed into a fire dragon, circling and roaring, its flames igniting the air and leaving burning streaks on the sea surface; sometimes it transformed into a water phoenix, spreading its wings and crying out, its dripping water droplets penetrating rocks and creating small holes in the reefs in the sea. The two forces clashed with each other, emitting a violent aura that could make even Golden Immortal cultivators tremble, like a giant purple dragon, fiercely attacking Ren Xiaoyao.

Ren Xiaoyao's pupils contracted sharply, not daring to be negligent in the slightest. As he dodged to the side, golden-white immortal light surged from his palm, and the Yin and Yang Energy intertwined in front of him to form a Tai Chi Phantom with a diameter of about ten feet. As the phantom rotated, it carried a faint purifying immortal power, capable of neutralizing some of the evil energy. With a loud "bang," the purple-gold energy pillar slammed into the Tai Chi Phantom. Golden Flame frantically burned the immortal energy, as if trying to incinerate the phantom into ashes. The golden-white immortal light on the surface of the phantom was burned slightly black; the blue water light continuously eroded the foundation of the phantom, like a tide impacting the balance of Yin and Yang Energy, causing the phantom's rotation speed to gradually slow down, and dense cracks appeared on its surface, as if it would shatter at any moment.

Using the recoil, Ren Xiaoyao retreated several feet, and the Pure Yang Immortal Energy within his dantian surged into the Tai Chi Phantom like a rushing river. The golden-white immortal light continuously repaired the cracks on the phantom, slowly purifying the invading water and fire power—this was the first time he had encountered an opponent capable of forcing the Tai Chi Phantom to such a state since recovering 60% of his immortal power. The strength of the Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast was three points stronger than he had anticipated, probably already infinitely close to the peak of the Late-stage Golden Immortal stage.

"As expected of the Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast, it possesses such formidable power." Ren Xiaoyao took a deep breath, his fingertips condensing immortal light, splitting the Tai Chi Phantom into two sharp immortal Immortal Blade. The Immortal Blade were composed entirely of golden and white immortal light, with a faint crimson-gold pure yang Pure Yang Immortal Energy swirling around their edges, radiating a pressure that Demon-Bane and destroy evil. As the blades spun, they could cut through the air, emitting a "humming" sound, and even the surrounding Spiritual Qi was stirred up by the blade wind, forming tiny vortexes. Through repeated observation with his spiritual sense, he finally discovered the Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast's weakness: the scales at the base of its wings were relatively thin, and that was the key vein for the flow of the Phoenix Clan Origin Fire. As long as the vein was severed, its flame power could be greatly weakened, causing it to lose half of its combat strength.

With a Teleport, Ren Xiaoyao appeared to the left of the Divine Beast as if by teleportation, his immortal blade whistling as it slashed towards the base of the wings. The Immortal Blade -Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast had already sensed the danger; its right wing flapped violently, showering down countless golden fire feathers like a torrential rain. These feathers still carried the residual heat of the Nirvana Flame, capable of igniting Sea of Fire upon landing on the sea surface, and shot towards Ren Xiaoyao. At the same time, its dragon tail swept horizontally, whipping towards Ren Xiaoyao's waist like a steel whip, the blue water light containing the icy power of the Dragon Clan. If struck by such power, even Immortal Vein could be frozen, requiring at least half a month to heal. Ren Xiaoyao's toes touched the sea surface, his figure as light as a willow catkin as he dodged: fire feathers brushed past his clothes, landing on the sea surface and stirring up small fire pits, with unextinguished flames still remaining at the bottom of the pits, making the seawater sizzle; where the dragon's tail swept, the sea surface was directly torn open with a deep trench, the bottom of the trench was covered with a thin layer of ice, even the seawater was frozen, forming a white ice mark.

Under the cover of the flames, Ren Xiaoyao's Immortal Blade struck precisely at the base of the Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast's wing. With a "swoosh," purple-gold scales flew everywhere, and purple-gold blood gushed out like a fountain, staining the seawater within a radius of ten feet pale purple—this blood contained the Origin Power of the dragon and phoenix. If it were to fall into the outside world, a cultivator would only need to drink a drop to break through their cultivation bottleneck, and it could even repair damaged immortal Immortal Vein, completely healing old wounds. The Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast let out a painful roar, its voice filled with undisguised anger and pain. Its right wing drooped limply, and the once blazing Golden Flame instantly dimmed, as if doused with cold water; clearly, the veins of its Origin Fire had been severed.

"Human, you have angered me!" A rage flashed in the eyes of the Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast. Its body circled in the air, its Dragon Head slightly lowered, and purple Dragon Might might erupted from its body, spreading outwards like an invisible giant wave. The seawater was forced downwards, forming a huge circular depression. At the same time, its phoenix wings unfolded again, the remaining golden Phoenix Fire intertwining with its Dragon Might, forming a massive vortex in the air. The vortex was ten zhang in diameter, sucking in the surrounding Spiritual Qi and seawater. Within the vortex, the forces of water and fire collided wildly, emitting a piercing "sizzling" sound. The resulting shockwaves forced a huge depression into the sea surface, evaporating countless drops of seawater into white mist. Even the distant islands trembled slightly, the ancient trees on the islands bending low, and spiritual fruits falling from their branches, hitting the ground with a crisp sound, as if bearing invisible pressure.

Ren Xiaoyao dared not be careless. He quickly formed hand seals and chanted the Mnemonic of the Tai Chi Immortal Method: "Yin and Yang Mutual Generation, Heaven and Earth form a shield!" The Yin-Yang Fish Jade Pendant jade pendant on his chest instantly appeared. The runes on the surface of the pendant shimmered with golden and white immortal light. As the runes flowed, a semi-transparent Immortal Barrier spread out from the pendant, protecting him entirely. This Immortal Barrier was his Natal Immortal Shield, condensed from his own Immortal Essence and the Tai Chi Profound Meaning. When fighting the undercover Soul-Chasing Demonic Pillar, he had relied on this immortal shield to block a fatal blow. At this moment, the surface of the Immortal Barrier was still surrounded by a faint Purifying Power, which could neutralize some of the demonic energy and malevolent energy. Even if it was hit by the power of water and fire, it could be quickly repaired.

At the same time, he crushed the last two Qi Condensing Grass leaves in his sleeve, and the Spiritual Qi within the grass leaves quickly merged with the Pure Yang Immortal Energy in his dantian. The Spiritual Qi of the Qi Condensing Grass acted as a catalyst, not only neutralizing the violent aura of the Pure Yang Immortal Energy but also making the immortal power more condensed. The originally slightly loose immortal power was now like compressed steel, with each strand containing immense power. A moment later, a crimson-gold Immortal Sword Qi condensed, wrapped with the profound Tai Chi Profound Meaning Sword Qi, carrying the pressure of Demon-Bane and evil. The air around the Sword Qi was torn apart, forming tiny Space Cracks that shot towards the center of the vortex.

"Boom—" The moment the Immortal Sword Qi collided with the vortex, the world seemed to fall into a brief silence. Even the sound of the wind vanished, and the spiritual mist on the sea surface remained still, like a frozen scene. Then, the power of water and fire scattered in all directions like torn cloth. Golden Flame and blue water light fell on the sea surface, stirring up countless waves, some several meters high, scattering the nearby spiritual mist and revealing a clear expanse of sea. A huge energy void remained at the center of the vortex, and surrounding Spiritual Qi rushed in frantically, forming Spiritual Energy Vortex, like... A miniature tornado struck. The Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast shuddered, spitting out a mouthful of purplish-gold blood. The blood transformed into specks of light in the air and dissipated—it was clearly severely injured, its aura instantly weakened by more than half, and its once upright body slightly bent. Yet even so, there was no sign of retreat in its eyes. Instead, it raised its head and roared, unleashing an even stronger primal aura from its body—this fortuitous opportunity about to appear had consumed its millennia of Origin Power. If it were taken away, it would not be able to recover its peak combat strength for a hundred years and would no longer be able to protect this sea area.

With a long roar, a light slowly rose from the depths of the sea, as dazzling as the red sun, dyeing the surrounding seawater a pale red, even illuminating the coral reefs on the seabed. It was a completely crimson fruit, about the size of a fist, its surface entwined with Golden Patterns: sometimes the patterns transformed into a coiling dragon, its claws carrying faint lightning, capable of cleaving through impurities in the air; sometimes they transformed into a phoenix spreading its wings, its feathers flashing with the light of flames, capable of dispelling the surrounding chill, possessing both the domineering power of Dragon Qi and... The fiery aura of the phoenix—this is the "Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit." This fruit is formed from the Origin Power within the Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast, and only one fruit condenses every thousand years. Consuming it not only greatly enhances cultivation but also strengthens the foundation of one's Immortal Vein Immortal Vein, making them as resilient as those of a dragon and phoenix. It can even allow a cultivator to comprehend a trace of the Origin Power of the dragon and phoenix, enabling them to incorporate the power of water and fire when using Immortal Method in the future, thus increasing the power of their Immortal Method several times over. It is truly a top-tier heavenly materials and earthly treasures in the Immortal Realm, and even Golden Immortal Peak cultivators are driven mad by its allure.

"So this is the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, the very source of my fortuitous opportunity." A glint flashed in Ren Xiaoyao's eyes as he leaped into the air once more. He could clearly sense that the Origin Power contained within the fruit was far richer than he had imagined. If he could consume it, not only would his immortal power be completely restored, but he might even break through to the Late-stage Golden Immortal realm, just one step away from the peak of his Golden Immortal Peak. More importantly, this fruit might allow him to take his Tai Chi Immortal Method to the next level and comprehend the profound mysteries of the fusion of Yin and Yang Energy with the power of water and fire.

Seeing this, the Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast flew towards the fruit with all its might. Ignoring its injuries, it swept its dragon tail again, lashing out at Ren Xiaoyao with the remaining Dragon Might might—if this Origin Fruit were taken away, it would take at least ten thousand years to condense again, and its strength would decline significantly, possibly even falling from the Late-stage Golden Immortal to the Early-stage Golden Immortal, becoming prey for other Divine Beast beasts.

How could Ren Xiaoyao give it a chance? Immortal light condensed again in his palm, and the Tai Chi Phantom transformed into a golden immortal rope. The rope was covered with fine runes, which shimmered with a faint golden light, continuously weakening the Divine Beast's Origin Power as it coiled around the Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast. At the same time, he poured all his remaining immortal power into the Immortal Sword Qi, making the Sword Qi even more dazzling, as bright as the sun, and with an unstoppable momentum, it slashed at the Divine Beast once more.

This time, the Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast had nowhere to escape. Golden immortal ropes tightly bound its body, the runes on the ropes releasing Purifying Power, constantly weakening its Origin Power. No matter how much it struggled, its scales were deeply marked by the ropes, yet it could not break free. A precise strike from the Immortal Sword Qi slashed at its Dragon Head; with a "crack," its purple-gold scales shattered, blood gushing out and forming a blood mist on the sea surface, the stench of blood carrying a faint Spiritual Qi. The Dragon Phoenix Progenitor Beast let out a mournful roar, its voice filled with despair, its body crashing heavily onto the sea, creating a wave several meters high, smashing a huge crater in the water, which was then filled with seawater. It struggled to stand, its limbs trembling, but due to severe damage to its primordial energy, its body gradually lost strength, finally collapsing onto the sea surface, only the occasional flapping of its phoenix wings proving it was still alive.

Ren Xiaoyao landed beside the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit and carefully picked it. The fruit was warm to the touch, and a pure primordial aura surged into his body from his fingertips, flowing through his limbs like a warm current. His previously calm Immortal Vein instantly became active, and the Pure Yang Immortal Energy in his dantian began to stir, as if it wanted to break free from the dantian's restraints. Without further hesitation, he sat cross-legged on the sea, formed the Five-Hearts-Toward-Heaven Seal commonly used by immortal cultivators with his legs, and formed the "Spirit-Gathering Seal" with his hands, before putting the fruit into his mouth.

The fruit melted upon entering the mouth, transforming into a pure Origin Power that flowed into the dantian like a warm current. In an instant, the Pure Yang Immortal Energy within the dantian surged wildly, boiling like bubbling water. The immortal power, which had recovered to 60%, rapidly increased like a ignited flame. Nourished by the Origin Power, the space within the dantian expanded continuously, gradually growing from the size of a fist to the size of a bowl. The originally narrow immortal Immortal Vein were repeatedly washed by the Origin Power, becoming wider and more resilient. The hidden injuries left from the previous battle were also healing rapidly, and the tiny cracks on the meridian walls were completely repaired. Even the old scars from being injured by Devil Artifact many years ago disappeared. Even the divine soul in the sea of consciousness became more solid, surrounded by a faint golden light, and its perception of the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi became more acute, allowing it to clearly capture the flow of every wisp of Spiritual Qi within a hundred miles.

What surprised him even more was that the profound mysteries of the dragon and phoenix contained within the Origin Power were subtly influencing his Tai Chi Immortal Method. He could clearly feel that the flow of Yin and Yang Energy had become smoother, and the sluggishness he felt when casting the Tai Chi Phantom had disappeared, as if the Yin and Yang Energy were meant to flow in this way. The power of the Tai Chi Phantom had quietly increased, and a faint layer of water and fire energy lingered on its surface, giving the originally purely defensive Immortal Method a more integrated offensive and defensive characteristic. He could even vaguely mobilize a trace of the Origin Power dragon and phoenix, fusing it with his own immortal power. When casting Pure Yang Immortal Energy, he could incorporate the domineering pressure of the Dragon Clan, making his immortal power more impactful. When activating the Tai Chi Purifying Power, he could add the heat of the Phoenix Clan's Nirvana Flame, greatly enhancing its restraining effect on demonic energy. This fusion was not deliberate, but rather an instinctive reaction, as if the Dragon Phoenix Origin had been deeply bound to his Immortal Vein.