After channeling all the Heaven and Earth Merit he had obtained into the Pure World White Lotus and the Primordial Sky Measuring Ruler, Xie Fang decided not to wander around the Primordial World for the time being.
After all, he needed to refine and merge such a vast amount of Heaven and Earth Merit. Besides, the Ferocious Beast Tribulation had ended, and life was beginning to stir anew throughout the Primordial World. This was hardly the right time to stir up trouble.
He didn't want to become the enemy of the entire Primordial World!
So he took the opportunity to return to his base, the Three Immortal Islands, where he could refine and merge the Heaven and Earth Merit, wait for the civil war between the Primordial Three Races, and then find a chance to stir things up.
With his current cultivation at the mid-stage Quasi-Saint level, tearing open space and returning to the Three Immortal Islands was naturally effortless.
As soon as he entered the Three Immortal Islands, the vast, powerful aura radiating from Xie Fang immediately made every living being on the islands aware of his presence.
"Master! Master is back!"
The moment Xie Fang set foot on the Three Immortal Islands, Mo Wu, who was playing with the island's inhabitants, sensed his arrival and grew tremendously excited.
He had spent all these years cultivating in seclusion on the islands. Without Xie Fang opening the protective formation, he couldn't leave—and so he had escaped the cleansing of the Ferocious Beast Tribulation.
Still, the tribulation had been so devastating that even from the Three Immortal Islands, Mo Wu could tell how perilous it was. The slightest misstep could have reduced him to ashes.
And from Zhen Yuanzi, he had learned that during a great calamity of heaven and earth, countless Quasi-Saints could fall—let alone a little Qilin like him, a late-stage Grand Unity Golden Immortal!
Naturally, that only made Mo Wu worry about Xie Fang even more.
As far as he knew, Xie Fang's cultivation had only reached the Grand Unity Golden Immortal level. How could someone at that level spend so long amid a tribulation like this without facing danger?
But now, after sensing Xie Fang's aura, he could finally set his worries aside.
"Master is Master. He came through such a perilous tribulation unscathed."
Mo Wu said proudly to the many beings nearby.
Those beings had gained their intelligence through Xie Fang's preaching. Over the years, their cultivation had improved considerably. They were still far from Form Manifestation, but they could communicate just like ordinary people.
After all these years, they had become good friends with Mo Wu.
"His Excellency has finally returned! That's wonderful!"
"That's right! His Excellency is back safe and sound. We should go welcome him!"
The beings paid Mo Wu no heed and hurried toward the place where Xie Fang's aura had appeared.
Mo Wu, however, leaped into the air on all fours and flew straight to Xie Fang.
"Master has just returned and needs to rest. You should all focus on your cultivation. Don't disturb him!"
He put on the airs of a mount, and his warning not to disturb Xie Fang filled the beings with awe. They quickly replied, "Understood."
But Xie Fang didn't even glance at Mo Wu. He simply waved a hand and said, "You should go cultivate on your own for now. We'll talk when I emerge from seclusion."
With that, Xie Fang went straight to a palace rich in Spiritual Qi and began cultivating in seclusion.
Mo Wu had wanted to show off in front of the other beings, only for Xie Fang to treat him just like everyone else. The others all burst into laughter.
Mo Wu's face flushed with embarrassment. Furious, he shouted, "You dare laugh at me? Don't run! Let's see how you fare against me today!"
"Hahahaha! Who would want to fight you? We're waiting for His Excellency to emerge from seclusion..."
The other beings had no intention of humiliating themselves by challenging Mo Wu, who had just advanced to the late stage of the Grand Unity Golden Immortal realm. One after another, they scattered.
Ten thousand years passed in the blink of an eye.
For all that time, Xie Fang had been immersed in refining Merit. Yet once he had refined and merged it, he was astonished to find an overwhelming amount of baleful energy surrounding him!
And a supreme treasure was acting strangely!
"The Nine Demon Pagoda!"
Startled, Xie Fang took out the Nine Demon Pagoda. Inside it, nine streams of Demonic Qi twisted together amid the boundless baleful energy, devouring it without pause.
But there was simply too much baleful energy. The nine streams of Demonic Qi couldn't consume it all, no matter how hard they tried!
"The Nine Demon Pagoda used to absorb baleful energy on its own. Now it's actively devouring it. This baleful energy must be of great benefit to the pagoda."
After pondering for a moment, Xie Fang channeled his vast, ocean-like magic power into the Nine Demon Pagoda!
At once, the nine streams of Demonic Qi rejoiced at his power. They guided it, using it to refine and devour the enormous mass of baleful energy inside the pagoda!
Another ten thousand years passed in a flash!
Boom—
As Xie Fang refined the last trace of baleful energy, a thunderous roar rang out. Vast, violent Demonic Qi transformed into surging waves of energy and swept wildly outward!
The halls and residences Mo Wu had built trembled under the impact, on the verge of collapsing!
The commotion naturally startled every living being on the islands.
The disturbance jolted Mo Wu awake from his cultivation.
"What's going on? Such powerful Demonic Qi... Has a demon entered the island?"
Mo Wu instinctively assumed that a member of the demon race had made it onto the island. But then he immediately realized the Demonic Qi was coming from the place where Xie Fang was cultivating in seclusion.
"No, it's coming from Master's palace. Could he be refining a demonic treasure?"
Mo Wu looked up. Demonic clouds churned, the skies changed color, and the Three Immortal Islands were almost entirely covered by rolling Demonic Qi.
"I wonder what level of Demonic Treasure Master is refining. It's causing such a commotion!"
Mo Wu watched with envy, but then returned to his secluded cultivation.
He had confirmed that the island hadn't been invaded by the demon race, so there was no danger.
Meanwhile, inside the palace, Xie Fang regarded the Nine Demon Pagoda with some surprise.
The Nine Demon Pagoda had originally been an Innate Supreme Treasure. It could be used to cultivate demonic arts, as well as capture and imprison people.
With Xie Fang's mid-stage Quasi-Saint cultivation, he could suppress any being below the early Quasi-Saint stage with a mere snap of his fingers.
With the Nine Demon Pagoda he had now, he could even suppress a mid-stage Quasi-Saint in an instant!
Although the Nine Demon Pagoda's rank hadn't increased, the rolling Demonic Qi within it convinced Xie Fang that even if he encountered a late-stage Quasi-Saint expert, he could suppress that person with a wave of his hand!
"Hongjun hasn't yet attained sainthood. Does that mean that with the Nine Demon Pagoda, I can already be considered invincible in the Primordial World?"
Xie Fang held the Nine Demon Pagoda in one hand and stroked his chin thoughtfully.
But he wouldn't be so reckless. The Nine Demon Pagoda could suppress a late-stage Quasi-Saint, but he would still have to deal with his captive afterward.
Otherwise, if the person he trapped struggled hard enough, there would still be a chance to break free.
And Xie Fang had far too many enemies. He didn't want to suppress one person only to be surrounded and attacked by the rest.
Now that he had finished what he needed to do, he could review what he had gained over the years and preach once more to the beings on the islands.
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