Looking at the prompt before him, Li Xuan furrowed his brow.
Unlike when he had killed the Golden Dragon, this time the system was clearly forcing him to venture out.
It wouldn't let him keep hiding on Mount Taixuan.
Because if he kept cultivating, the rewards would be negligible.
His cultivation might not advance at all for tens of thousands of years.
But if he went out...
Li Xuan rubbed his chin and thought it over. Then his eyes suddenly lit up.
That's right!
The system's choices only said he could help quell the calamity.
Or start a calamity.
Or do nothing at all, simply watching them fight to the death until it was over.
That meant that even if he didn't go out, as long as he watched the whole thing, he'd still get a reward!
At the thought, Li Xuan's heart stirred...
He seemed to have found a loophole...
He had to try to exploit it...
He immediately held his breath, formed hand seals, and chanted an incantation.
Spiritual energy converged, and a figure quickly materialized beside him.
Incarnation Outside the Body!
An enhanced version of Incarnation Outside the Body, no less!
When the incarnation appeared, Li Xuan was stunned.
As expected of an enhanced version. His true body was only at the first level of the Golden Immortal realm.
But this incarnation was actually at the tenth level of the Golden Immortal realm!
Of course, the incarnation had no Golden Core within it.
But a genuine tenth-level Golden Immortal was still a tenth-level Golden Immortal!
Li Xuan was overjoyed. Without a moment's hesitation, he selected option three!
He'd send his incarnation out to watch the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity until it was over!
He'd enjoy this windfall in comfort and safety.
"Ding! Successfully selected to watch the Dragon-Phoenix Calamity until its conclusion."
After making his choice, Li Xuan's incarnation glanced at the lotus platform.
He casually took the Fire-Tipped Spear and White Jade Ring, the two lower-grade Innate Spiritual Treasures, to use for protection.
Then he moved and flew out of Mount Taixuan.
"My lord!"
The Tribulation Cloud dispersed, and peace returned to the world.
Bright Rabbit, Qi Ying, Little Purple, and Little Blue finally had the courage to fly back.
Seeing Li Xuan still lively and kicking on the lotus platform, their admiration for him reached its peak!
In the face of such a great calamity, their lord had come through completely unscathed!
He was even still full of energy!
All four cried out, then knelt before Li Xuan with reverent expressions and shouted, "Congratulations, my lord! You've survived the Nine-Nine Tribulation and attained the Quasi-Saint realm!"
Li Xuan chuckled. "What Quasi-Saint? I'm only a mere Golden Immortal. Get up, all of you."
The four immediately felt that their lord was truly humble...
It had been one thing when he'd previously displayed the cultivation of a Mystic Immortal.
But now, even after becoming a Quasi-Saint, he still only showed the cultivation of a Golden Immortal...
He didn't want to put pressure on them.
Thinking this, the four stood up, their respect for him growing even deeper.
Where could they find another lord who was so powerful yet approachable, and so considerate of the dignity of lowly cultivators like them?
Li Xuan smiled. "Bright Rabbit, Little Blue, Little Purple, if you want to stay here, feel free to find a place to cultivate. But it's very dull here. There's nothing to do besides cultivation. If you want to leave, then go. You're always welcome to come back."
Then Li Xuan looked at Qi Ying. "As for you, I won't force you to stay either. Serve as my mount and reflect on your mistakes for a hundred thousand years, and then I'll let you leave."
"To be able to cultivate by your side is already an immense blessing! Qi Ying is willing to serve as your mount for the rest of his life!"
Qi Ying's face was alight with fervor.
At that moment, he felt not the slightest humiliation at being someone's mount.
All he felt was honor!
Serving as the mount of a Quasi-Saint, one of the most powerful beings in the Primordial Wilderness!
It was an honor!
The other three nodded too, their eyes burning as they cried, "We only wish to remain by your side! We have no other thoughts!"
The three were also deeply ashamed.
Back then, they had left without hesitation, thinking there were no opportunities here and that cultivation was too slow.
Yet they'd come crawling back to beg for help.
In the end, their lord had not only saved them, but hadn't looked down on them and had let them stay by his side to cultivate.
What else could they say except that they'd repay him with their lives?
Even if this was a land devoid of spiritual energy, they would never leave again!
The four's gazes gave Li Xuan goosebumps. He let out an awkward chuckle and waved his hand.
Four basketball-sized drops of blood appeared before them, glowing faintly.
"Fine, then. Stay with me. Cultivate with these four drops of Qiongqi Blood Essence first. We'll talk again after you've refined them."
Li Xuan had tens of thousands of catties of Qiongqi Blood Essence.
He could eat Qiongqi meat, but he couldn't use its blood.
The blood was too toxic. With his cultivation at the time, using it would have poisoned him into losing his mind and turning into a ferocious beast.
Now that he was a Golden Immortal, he figured he could probably use it.
And sparing a few hundred catties out of tens of thousands for his four followers was no big deal.
As for Qi Ying and the others, they were stunned by the Qiongqi Blood Essence before them.
Even Bright Rabbit, who had once chanced upon a piece of Qiongqi meat and gained sentience after eating it, was now utterly astonished at the sight of the blood!
This was a priceless treasure that couldn't be found anywhere else in the entire Primordial Wilderness!
Who could find a second Qiongqi?
At most, they might find a lesser bloodline descended from Qiongqi.
A moment later, the four hurriedly bowed again and cried excitedly, "Thank you for bestowing this blood, my lord!"
"Cultivate diligently."
Li Xuan smiled faintly, then closed his eyes and began cultivating.
The four looked at one another, then carefully picked up the Qiongqi Blood Essence.
They flew down from the mountaintop, found a place, and began earnestly refining it to improve their cultivation.
Mount Taixuan fell quiet once more.
"Little Er, little Er, with your schoolbag on your back, off to school you go..."
Ten thousand miles west of Mount Taixuan.
Li Xuan's incarnation held the Fire-Tipped Spear, with the White Jade Ring on his back.
With a sunny smile, he sang as he headed west.
The Dragon-Phoenix Calamity's final eruption would take place at Phoenix Mountain.
So if he went straight to Phoenix Mountain, he should be able to watch the final battle.
After tens of thousands of years of fighting among the Three Tribes, the Primordial Beings had clearly dwindled in number.
Along the way, Li Xuan could hardly see any living beings. The entire Primordial Wilderness was desolate.
Under a great calamity, all living beings perished. That was no exaggeration.
Fortunately, Li Xuan had long since grown used to the silence.
It didn't bother him, and he was extremely familiar with this stretch of road.
Over the past ten thousand years, he had already used his incarnations to explore countless miles of it.
With Prime Kirin's lineage wiped out, the Beast Race had no leader.
They were utterly defeated, then gathered up by the Feathered and Scaled Tribes, becoming cannon fodder and soldiers for both sides.
And with Prime Kirin no longer a threat, the conflict between Ancestor Dragon and Yuanfeng grew increasingly fierce.
The fighting below naturally became more brutal as well.
The battle between the Luan Bird and Flood Dragon that Li Xuan had witnessed earlier was proof enough.
How could the two tribes divide the meat, rare treasures, magical treasures, and spiritual items obtained after defeating the Beast Race equally?
Ancestor Dragon and Yuanfeng were especially determined to fight over the fortune of the world!
All for the chance to attain the Hunyuan Wuji Great Luo Dao Fruit!
Thus, the Feathered and Scaled Tribes were gradually on the verge of an all-out war.
He flew on.
Li Xuan was no longer the same as before, when he'd been a first-level Heavenly Immortal, barely clinging to life.
Though he remained cautious, as a tenth-level Golden Immortal, he now had the confidence to roam the Primordial Wilderness!
And with the Fire-Tipped Spear and White Jade Ring to protect him, he was prepared for both offense and defense.
So his speed was more than...
Twice what it had been before!
Before you continue