"Nothing. You just disturbed my peaceful sleep."
Zhou Xuan's voice was calm, like a breeze gliding over a pond without stirring a ripple. He made it sound as though he were recounting some ordinary little incident.
Zhao Gongming felt his scalp go numb. He froze in place, his face turning from green to white in an instant, and his legs nearly gave out.
Damn!
The Chaos Demon Dragon clan!
They had more than a hundred thousand living dragon bloodlines!
Even the mightiest experts in the outside world had to think twice before provoking them. And just because they'd disturbed his master's sleep, they had... been wiped out?
Good heavens, that was far too ruthless!
His master was definitely a super God of Slaughter from the Chaos!
Zhao Gongming felt a chill sweep over the back of his neck, and cold sweat trickled down his spine.
His lips trembled. Stiffly, he turned his gaze toward Zhou Xuan and forced a smile even uglier than a grimace. His throat felt as if it were clogged with stones, and he couldn't manage a complete sentence.
Zhou Xuan seemed to see the fear in his heart. His lips twitched as he spoke in a slow, gentle voice:
"Gongming, there's no need to be afraid. Over the years, your master's temper has mellowed considerably. I'm no longer as quick to anger as I was back then."
As he spoke, he even gave a knowing smile. His neat row of teeth glinted faintly in the morning light.
But in Zhao Gongming's eyes, that smile was sharper than a blade. He stumbled and nearly fell to his knees on the spot.
"Master is right... Gongming understands. From now on, Gongming will never dare disturb your rest again..."
Zhao Gongming nodded repeatedly, smiling obsequiously. He squeezed out a dry reply.
Before he'd even finished speaking, he shrank back half a step like a startled bird, then hurriedly added:
"Master, Gongming is an errand disciple. It's only right that I serve you! If you have any tasks, just give the word. I'll gladly put my life at your disposal!"
He had originally meant to ask Zhou Xuan to teach him some cultivation methods. But that remark had chilled his soul to the bone: he hadn't done a thing for his master, yet he'd come asking for benefits. If his master took offense... he might not even be left with a whole corpse!
Seeing this, Zhou Xuan lazily raised a hand and pointed into the distance.
Zhao Gongming followed his gaze. Through the drifting mist, he could just make out the outline of a vast orchard, suffused with spiritual light, its trees swaying in the breeze.
"Gongming, did you see that orchard when you came here?"
"I did! I did!"
Zhao Gongming immediately bent at the waist and nodded furiously, grinning from ear to ear.
"That orchard is magnificent. Every tree inside is an Innate Spiritual Root, and the branches are laden with Immortal Fruits, like stars and moons. Gongming has never seen such a splendid sight!"
Zhou Xuan nodded and casually made something up:
"Oh, those spiritual roots... I picked them up on a whim back when I was still wandering through the Chaos. They're nothing precious. Still, they're living things, and since you're an errand disciple, you can take care of the orchard. Water the trees, pull the weeds, prune the branches... If you do a good job, I'll make you the senior brother of the outer disciples someday."
Zhao Gongming's eyes went wide. Zhou Xuan's serene face was reflected in his pupils.
He immediately dropped to his knees and kowtowed hard, his forehead striking the flagstones with a dull series of thuds.
"Thank you for your favor, Master! Gongming will serve you with all his strength and won't slack off in the slightest!"
With that, he sprang to his feet and started to dash toward the orchard.
"Wait!"
But Zhou Xuan suddenly narrowed his eyes, his voice tinged with meaning.
"Gongming, don't rush off yet. I can tell from the energy around you that there's something unusual about you. You've had a Heavenly Dao restriction placed on you, and your true spirit is trapped on the Investiture of the Gods List, aren't you?"
Zhao Gongming froze mid-step. His cheerful expression instantly crumpled, his shoulders trembling as he spoke with a touch of sorrow:
"Master, after the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation, Gongming's true spirit was trapped on the Investiture of the Gods List. Since then, the Heavenly Dao has held my life in its grasp... Master... do you have a way to help me?"
Zhou Xuan smiled faintly and flicked a finger. Two dazzling streaks of light, one red and one gold, flew out of a distant pill chamber and hovered before Zhao Gongming. An indescribable holy aura seeped through the spiritual mist surrounding them.
"The red one is the Great Dao Divine Soul Pill. It can help you rebuild your divine soul and free you from the Investiture of the Gods List. From then on, even the Heavenly Dao won't be able to do anything to you."
"The golden one is called the Instant Primordial Golden Immortal Pill. I can tell that you were originally at the Primordial Golden Immortal realm. Your cultivation only fell to its current level because your true spirit was placed on the Investiture of the Gods List. Once you refine the spiritual energy in this pill, you'll return to the Primordial Golden Immortal realm!"
Zhou Xuan spoke as casually as if the two divine pills in front of him—each powerful enough to shake the Primordial Wilderness—were nothing but wild fruit by the roadside.
Zhao Gongming listened, his eyes nearly popping out of his head. His Adam's apple bobbed as his voice trembled on the verge of tears.
"M-Master... th-those are the Heavenly Book, the Investiture of the Gods List! J-just these two pills can break the Heavenly Dao's restriction?"
Zhou Xuan pursed his lips, a trace of impatience in his expression.
"What the hell is the Heavenly Dao?"
"When I attained the Dao, the Heavenly Dao didn't even exist yet. How dare it act arrogant in front of me!"
"If I weren't old now and more mild-tempered, I'd go straight to the Primordial Origin of Heavenly Dao and give it a good beating—to vent my anger on behalf of my errand disciple!"
His words were utterly brazen and domineering, yet they were filled with affection. Zhao Gongming's heart shook, and he nearly burst into tears on the spot.
"Waaah... Master, you're so good to me... even as an errand disciple... If I could become your personal disciple, wouldn't you... wouldn't you spoil me to the heavens?"
Zhao Gongming held the two pills, still floating before him, in both hands. Tears brimmed in his eyes as he prostrated himself, no longer daring to show the slightest disrespect.
"Spoil you to the heavens?"
At those words, Zhou Xuan suddenly felt a little sick. Then he saw Zhao Gongming, a grown man, gazing at him with tear-filled eyes, and he felt even more disgusted. He hurriedly kicked Zhao Gongming and said:
"You brat, hurry up and get over there to refine those pills! What's the matter with you, a grown man, crying and blubbering?"
"Gongming obeys!"
Clutching the pills, Zhao Gongming kowtowed respectfully before retreating to one side, overjoyed.
Meanwhile, Sun Wukong left the Dragon Palace and returned to Flower-Fruit Mountain!
Just as they'd agreed, the Dragon Palace had submitted and paid tribute!
Flower-Fruit Mountain and the four sea dragon clans had become allied kingdoms, and the four Dragon Kings of the seas had accepted Sun Wukong as their big brother!
The very next day, the Dragon Palace sent over more than ten million tons of seafood. On top of that, the gold, silver, pearls, and agate they delivered weighed several million catties in total.
They also provided every weapon and suit of armor they'd promised!
These supplies greatly eased the financial pressure Sun Wukong had been facing.
Seeing this, the million-strong host of demons admired Sun Wukong even more.
His reputation grew louder still!
More demons flocked to pledge their allegiance!
Before long, demons had gathered from all around, and Flower-Fruit Mountain had become a paradise for them, with more delicacies than they could eat and more gold, silver, and jewels than they could use...
For a time, the demons praised him everywhere, and the name of the Handsome Monkey King of Flower-Fruit Mountain resounded across the Eastern Continent of Divine Sands!
Sun Wukong also became the idol of countless demon clans!
Yet the more things went his way, the more troubled he felt. He couldn't help thinking that something was still missing...
Before you continue