What is the Heavenly Dao worth? How dare you bully my handyman disciple?

"Nothing else, you just disturbed my peaceful slumber."

Zhou Xuan's voice was faint, like a gentle breeze rippling across a pond, undisturbed, as if he were merely recounting an ordinary matter!

Zhao Gongming felt his scalp tingle, frozen in place, his face instantly turning from ashen to pale, his legs nearly giving out.

Damn it!

The Chaos Demon Dragon clan!

That was a lineage of over a hundred thousand living dragon bloodlines!

In the outside world, even top-tier mighty figures would be wary of them. And they were wiped out just because they disturbed Master's sleep?

Heavens, that's too overbearing!

Master is definitely a super killing god in the Chaos!

Zhao Gongming felt a chill run down the back of his neck, a cold sweat trickling down his spine.

His lips trembled, and he stiffly shifted his gaze to Zhou Xuan, forcing out a smile that was more like a grimace. His throat felt like it was clogged with stones, unable to form a complete sound.

Zhou Xuan seemed to sense his fear, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, and he spoke slowly:

"Gongming, you don't need to be afraid. My temper has mellowed considerably over the years; I'm not as violent as I used to be."

As he spoke, he even chuckled as if it were a serious matter, a row of neat teeth gleaming faintly in the morning sun.

But this smile, in Zhao Gongming's eyes, was sharper than any knife. He stumbled, nearly falling to his knees on the spot.

"Master speaks the truth... Gongming understands. Gongming will never dare to disturb Master's rest again..."

Zhao Gongming nodded repeatedly with a fawning smile, his voice dry and strained.

Before he even finished speaking, he flinched back another half-step like a startled bird, hastily adding:

"Master, Gongming is an errand disciple and should serve! If you have any tasks, please command me. Gongming's life is yours to command!"

He had originally intended to ask Zhou Xuan to impart some cultivation methods, but that last sentence had him so terrified that his soul felt like it was freezing: he had come to ask for benefits without doing anything, and what if Master was displeased... he would truly die without a whole corpse!

Seeing this, Zhou Xuan lazily raised a hand and pointed into the distance.

Zhao Gongming followed his gaze and saw, amidst the swirling mist in the distance, the outline of a vast orchard faintly appearing, filled with spiritual light and dappled shadows.

"Gongming, when you arrived, did you see the orchard over there?"

"I saw it! I saw it!"

Zhao Gongming immediately bowed low, nodding frantically, his eyes nearly disappearing in his smile:

"That orchard is magnificent! Every tree within is an Innate Spiritual Root, adorned with immortal fruits like stars and moons. Gongming has never seen such a grand sight!"

Zhou Xuan nodded and casually made up a story:

"Oh, those spiritual roots... I picked them up casually when I was still wandering in the Chaos. They aren't particularly precious. But they are still living things. Since you're an errand disciple, take good care of the orchard. Water them, weed them, prune them... If you do a good job, I'll make you the senior disciple of the outer disciples in the future."

Zhao Gongming's eyes widened abruptly, his pupils reflecting Zhou Xuan's serene face.

He immediately knelt down and kowtowed heavily, his forehead striking the bluestone with a dull "thud."

"Thank you, Master, for your guidance! Gongming will surely serve with all his might and dare not slacken in the slightest!"

With that, he abruptly stood up, ready to bolt towards the orchard.

"Eh!"

But Zhou Xuan suddenly narrowed his eyes, his voice carrying a hint of meaning:

"Gongming, don't rush off yet. I observe a unique energy about you. Have you been placed under a Heavenly Dao restriction, your true spirit sealed on the Investiture of the Gods List?"

Zhao Gongming's steps faltered. His previously joyous expression instantly turned to one of misery, his shoulders trembling, and his voice carried a hint of sorrow:

"Master, after the Investiture of the Gods Tribulation, my true spirit was trapped on the Investiture of the Gods List, and from then on, I was controlled by the Heavenly Dao, my life not my own... Master... do you have a way?"

Zhou Xuan smiled slightly and flicked his fingers. Two brilliant streams of spiritual light flew out from the alchemy room in the distance, one red and one gold, hovering before Zhao Gongming. An indescribable sacred aura emanated from the swirling spiritual mist.

"This red one is the Great Dao Divine Soul Pill. It can help you recast your divine soul and break free from the shackles of the Investiture of the Gods List, making you untouchable by the Heavenly Dao henceforth."

"This golden one is called the Instant Primordial Golden Immortal Pill. I observed that you were originally at the Primordial Golden Immortal realm, but your realm only fell to this point because your true spirit was on the Investiture of the Gods List. After you refine the spiritual energy of this pill, you can return to the Primordial Golden Immortal realm!"

Zhou Xuan spoke nonchalantly, as if these two divine pills, capable of shaking the Primordial World, were no more valuable than common wild fruit.

Zhao Gongming's pupils nearly exploded, his throat bobbing, his voice trembling so much he almost cried:

"Mas... Master... these... those are the Heavenly Book's Investiture of the Gods List! These... these two pills alone can break the Heavenly Dao's restriction?"

Zhou Xuan pouted, a hint of impatience in his expression:

"What is the Heavenly Dao worth!"

"When I attained the Dao, the Heavenly Dao didn't even exist yet. How dare it act so arrogantly before me!"

"If I weren't old and my temper wasn't so mild now, I would definitely go to the Primordial Origin of Heavenly Dao and beat it soundly, to vent my anger for my errand disciple!"

His words were boundless in their arrogance and peerless in their dominance, yet behind the voice lay a deep sense of care, making Zhao Gongming's heart tremble, nearly bringing him to tears on the spot.

"Wuwuwu... Master, you are too good to me... Even an errand disciple is treated like this... If I could become your personal disciple, wouldn't I... wouldn't I be doted on to the heavens by Master?"

Zhao Gongming held the two pills suspended in the air with both hands, his eyes teary, prostrating himself completely, no longer daring to show the slightest disrespect.

"Spoiled rotten?"

Hearing this, Zhou Xuan suddenly felt a chill. When he saw Zhao Gongming, a grown man, looking at him with teary eyes, Zhou Xuan felt even more disgusted. He quickly kicked Zhao Gongming and said:

"You brat, hurry up and go refine the pills! A grown man, crying and sniveling, what kind of behavior is that!"

"Gongming obeys!"

Zhao Gongming hugged the pills, kowtowed respectfully, and then happily retreated to the side.

Meanwhile, after Sun Wukong left the Dragon Palace, he returned to Flower-Fruit Mountain!

As expected, according to their agreement, the Dragon Palace submitted and paid tribute!

Flower-Fruit Mountain and the four Dragon Palaces became brotherly nations, and the Four Dragon Kings recognized Sun Wukong as their elder brother!

The next day, the Dragon Palace sent tens of millions of tons of various seafood and marine products. In addition, gold, silver, pearls, and agate amounted to a total of several million catties.

Besides that, the promised weapons, armor, and other items were all delivered without fail!

With these resources, Sun Wukong's economic pressure was greatly alleviated.

Seeing this, the millions of demons were even more impressed with Sun Wukong, bowing down to him in admiration.

This made Sun Wukong's reputation even greater!

More and more demons came to pledge their allegiance!

Soon, the demons gathered, and Flower-Fruit Mountain became a paradise for demons, with endless delicacies and inexhaustible gold and jewels...

For a time, the demons praised him, and the name of the Handsome Monkey King of Flower-Fruit Mountain echoed throughout the Eastern Continent of Divine Sands!

Sun Wukong also became an idol for countless demons!

However, the more this happened, the more troubled Sun Wukong felt. He always felt that something was missing