Visiting Phoenix Perch Mountain, Kunpeng's Thoughts

The Primordial World had always been vast beyond measure, stretching for countless hundreds of millions of miles.

Moreover, because the World Womb Membrane ceaselessly devoured and transformed Chaos currents, the world's borders expanded outward in every direction at every moment, with no end in sight.

Thus, the Primordial World's regional divisions were complex and varied—Four Seas and Eight Wastes, Nine Heavens and Ten Lands, Eight Directions and Four Extremes... Different great powers had their own names for them. Yet the more widely accepted division was broadly that of five lands and four seas.

Let the Four Seas be set aside for now. Heaven had Five Elements, and earth was divided into five directions, corresponding to the way of the Innate Five Elements: east, south, west, north, and center.

The Western Lands were the most barren, afflicted by the lingering disaster of Rahu's self-destruction, where Demonic Qi and Resentment ran rampant;

The Central Lands lay at the heart of the Primordial World, where Mount Buzhou, the heavenly pillar formed from Pangu's spine, stood tall. Its foundations were the deepest, and it was also the most mysterious;

Yet when it came to spiritual splendor and abundant spiritual qi, the Eastern Land ranked foremost among the five lands.

Not only did the Kunlun Mountains, formed from Pangu's skull, stand there in majestic grandeur, but many top-tier Innate Sacred Beings such as Fu Xi, Nuwa, and Hong Yun had also established their Dao grounds there. It was truly a place where the Primordial World's spiritual beauty converged.

And three hundred sixty million miles south of the Kunlun Mountains stood a mountain called Phoenix Perch.

Phoenix trees covered this mountain, gold and jade grew everywhere, and the Cinnabar River rose from it, flowing south into the Southern Sea.

During the Dragon-Han Calamity, this place had once been the palace of Yuan Feng, progenitor of the Phoenix Clan. Thus, it came to be known as Phoenix Perch Mountain.

Though it had endured the flames of the Calamity, traces of Innate fire spirit still lingered within the mountain. Its spiritual qi was dense and rich, rosy clouds wreathed it year-round, and a hundred birds flew toward it in homage. It was one of the rare spiritual secret realms and blessed grotto-heavens in the southeastern Primordial World.

"Whoosh!"

That day, a stream of gilded rainbow light descended from beyond the distant horizon, passing through the Thirty-Three Heavens. It flew straight toward Phoenix Perch Mountain, finally stopping outside its gates and revealing three figures—none other than Lingxiao and his two companions.

Changxi skipped to Lingxiao's side, her almond eyes sparkling as they swept over the sea of phoenix trees blanketing the mountain. She laughed sweetly. "Big Brother Lingxiao, Sister, look! Phoenix Perch Mountain is covered in phoenix tree forests. Though they are merely low-grade Spiritual Roots, they possess a few more lively, bustling notes of spiritual charm than the Moon Osmanthus Tree of Moon Palace or the Fusang Tree of Lingxiao Palace!"

Xihe stood nearby in a moon-white immortal gown with wide sleeves, her bearing cool and dignified. Hearing this, she nodded slightly and replied in a clear voice, "It is indeed a place of spiritual splendor, worthy of the name Phoenix Perch."

Lingxiao smiled faintly at this. Turning toward Phoenix Perch Mountain, he performed a distant Daoist salute. His voice, infused with Great Firmament power, was clear and tranquil as it passed through the mountain gate's restrictions and echoed throughout the entire range. "Fellow Daoists Fu Xi and Nuwa, this humble Daoist is Lingxiao. I have come with Xihe and Changxi to pay you a visit."

At this moment, Fu Xi was within the quiet chamber of his Dao ground, deducing the Innate Eight Trigrams.

His true form was that of a dragon-bodied man with a human head, but he had already transformed into the humanoid Innate Dao Body most compatible with the laws. He wore a green-patterned Daoist robe, his face as fine as polished jade, stars seeming to flow within his eyes. The Dao rhythm of Innate Lesser Yang and Eight Trigrams patterns faintly circulated around him.

Yin-Yang qi intertwined around his fingertips as he used the fire of Innate Lesser Yang to scorch a turtle shell, deducing the numerical principles of heaven and earth and the changing tides of the Primordial World.

"Hm?"

Suddenly sensing three familiar auras descend outside the mountain gates, he immediately withdrew his divination technique. As he rose to his feet, he heard Lingxiao's words of visitation, and his expression changed abruptly.

This is bad! My sister and I have never had any friendship with Lingxiao. Why has this fellow suddenly come calling today? Could he be here for my sister?

Fu Xi had always been steady and composed, but whenever Nuwa was involved, he lost his usual calm. His instinct to protect his sister surged forth, and alarm bells rang wildly in his heart.

Fortunately, he did not neglect proper courtesy. He hurriedly straightened his robes and left the quiet chamber, receiving them in his humanoid Dao Body and inviting Lingxiao's group into the main hall of the Dao ground.

Host and guests took their respective seats.

Xihe and Changxi sat beside Lingxiao. Changxi obediently held the spiritual tea offered by an Azure Luan fairy, curiously studying the Eight Trigrams patterns flowing through the hall. Xihe, meanwhile, remained calm and lowered her eyes in silence. Every movement she made carried the cool, graceful poise of the Lunar Goddess.

Lingxiao looked around, but after a long while, Nuwa still had not appeared. A puzzled expression came over his face as he asked, "Why do I not see Fellow Daoist Nuwa?"

The moment those words left his mouth, Fu Xi's already tense heart leapt into his throat. Concern had muddled his judgment, and he hurriedly said, "May I ask what Fellow Daoist Lingxiao seeks from my younger sister? If there is anything you need assistance with, telling me would be the same."

He secretly rejoiced that his sister had gone down the mountain some time ago to travel the Primordial World and was not at the Dao ground. Otherwise, there truly would have been no small amount of trouble.

Seeing the urgency in his tone and the inexplicable vigilance in his attitude, Lingxiao felt a trace of puzzlement, but did not dwell on it. He merely assumed that Fu Xi had always secluded himself from the world and disliked outsiders disturbing him. Thus, he did not beat around the bush and directly explained his purpose.

"Fellow Daoist, do not misunderstand. I have not come for any other matter. One Yuanhui from now, I intend to become Dao companions with Fellow Daoists Xihe and Changxi. I will hold a banquet on the Sun Star, and I wish to invite Fellow Daoist Nuwa to serve as the principal guest and matchmaker for this marriage, so that all proper rites may be fulfilled."

Fu Xi was stunned upon hearing this. The heart hanging in his chest instantly settled back into his stomach, and the vigilance on his face vanished completely.

So he is not coveting my sister. I had misunderstood him.

"Proper rites?"

Then he found it novel and pondered to himself.

Since heaven and earth had first opened, Great Supernatural Beings in the Primordial World who became Dao companions had always simply cultivated together once their hearts aligned. Never had anyone held a grand wedding ceremony or spoken of inviting a matchmaker as the principal guest.

This Lingxiao was certainly something new.

With that thought, his expression became warm and amiable. He clapped his hands and laughed. "So that is the matter. However, Fellow Daoist has come at an unfortunate time. My younger sister left some days ago to travel the Primordial World. She most likely headed toward Mount Buzhou. If Fellow Daoist wishes to find her, there is an eighty or ninety percent chance you will encounter her there."

After saying this, he chatted idly with Lingxiao for a while and mentioned the origins of himself and his sister. "My sister and I were originally the first strands of Innate Lesser Yang and Lesser Yin qi on Mount Buzhou to take form. Yet Mount Buzhou is the heavenly pillar of the Primordial World and was a battleground fiercely contested during both the Ferocious Beast Tribulation and the Dragon-Han Calamity. Living there for too long would incur excessively heavy karma. We feared becoming entangled in Calamity for no reason, so we moved to Phoenix Perch Mountain in the east."

Lingxiao understood. After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Fu Xi, he rose to take his leave.

After thanking Fu Xi for his guidance, he brought Xihe and Changxi with him, unleashing the Golden Crow Rainbow Transformation and turning into a streak of light that tore through the sky, racing directly toward Mount Buzhou in the Central Lands.

At the same time, outside a desolate valley on Mount Buzhou's northern foothills, a dark, black-clad figure stood in the air. Wind and baleful qi churned around him. It was Kunpeng, who had tracked Hong Yun here.

Kunpeng had taken the form of an old Daoist with a hooked nose. He wore a black Daoist robe, his complexion grim and sinister, cold light flickering in his triangular eyes. The goatee beneath his chin trembled slightly, and he was filled with exasperated, violent fury.

He was one of North Nether's foremost Innate Sacred Beings. In his Kun form, he could swallow heaven and contain earth; in his Peng form, his wings spanned ten thousand miles, and one beat of those wings carried him ninety thousand miles through the void. His escape arts and divine abilities surpassed all others in the Primordial World, yet he lacked a suitable spiritual treasure, leaving him repeatedly constrained by others.

Earlier, unable to suppress the fury in his heart, Kunpeng had intercepted Hong Yun, only to be trapped by Zhen Yuanzi using the Earth Embryonic Membrane. The two had fought for a full thousand years before Zhen Yuanzi finally withdrew.

Once free, he had pursued Hong Yun all the way by following his aura. Yet when he reached the foot of Mount Buzhou, that bastard Hong Yun's aura had abruptly vanished without a trace!

"Crash!"

Kunpeng furrowed his brows, spreading his divine sense like a surging tide as it swept across the desolate valley before him.

Yet all he saw were jagged rocks and thickly growing weeds. It was no different in the slightest from any ordinary valley found throughout the Primordial World, and there was not even a trace of Innate spiritual resonance.

Throughout his life, opportunities had always brushed past him. He had never obtained a Supreme-Grade Innate Spiritual Treasure or Spiritual Root, so naturally he did not know the key—this valley was wrapped in layers upon layers of spacetime interstices. Only one with fate could see through the illusion and behold its true appearance.

At this very moment, the Innate Gourd Vine swayed quietly atop the Nine Heavens Breath Soil. Three gourds upon it shimmered with spiritual light, yet they were simply not fated to him.

—Those with fate may meet across a thousand miles; those without fate may stand face-to-face and never meet.

"Damn it! That brat Hong Yun got away again!"

Kunpeng gritted his teeth, his iron fists clenching until they crackled. His eyes were filled with the vicious ruthlessness of one who would repay every slight. He snarled furiously, "If Zhen Yuanzi had not meddled in my affairs, I would have ground that brat Hong Yun's bones to dust and scattered his ashes long ago, venting the hatred in my heart! A weakling who cannot even fight with Dao arts has escaped from my hands time and again. This is utterly infuriating!"

Hong Yun had ruined his opportunity for no reason at all and caused him to lose all face before the three thousand Violet Firmament Guests. Between them lay karma as vast as heaven itself.

For such a bitter fruit, Kunpeng would repay every grievance. He would certainly make Hong Yun pay with his life!

"Hmph!"

Kunpeng snorted angrily and was about to turn away when a flash of inspiration suddenly struck his mind. Stroking his goatee, he fell into contemplation.

One Yuanhui from now would be the day Daoist Lingxiao held his wedding banquet on the Sun Star.

Daoist Lingxiao had, through his own intelligence, established the Twelve Time Markers and obtained immeasurable Heavenly Dao Merit. Aside from Dao Ancestor Hongjun, he was the person in the Primordial World most skilled at planning for Merit and opportunities. His wisdom and schemes must surely be extraordinary.

"Hmph, Hong Yun, Zhen Yuanzi, and those two thieves from the west—you just wait!"

A cold gleam flashed through Kunpeng's eyes as he muttered to himself, "Fellow Daoist Lingxiao was able to secure such overwhelming Merit through the Twelve Time Markers. He must possess great wisdom."

"Let me prepare a generous gift and swallow my pride. When I attend the banquet, I will ask him for guidance. If I can scheme out an opportunity for Merit and refine a Merit Spirit Treasure of my own, then when I face them again in the future, I will no longer be constrained by their treasures, unable even to get close, forced to suffer such endless frustration!"

"If I do not avenge this hatred, then I, Kunpeng, am unworthy of being an Innate Sacred Being!"

At this thought, the violent fury in Kunpeng's eyes subsided somewhat.

Though his family fortune was meager, that was only in comparison to top-tier sacred beings such as the Three Pure Ones and Fu Xi.

The North Sea was rich in produce. Even if he had no Innate Spiritual Treasure or Spiritual Root worthy of display, he could still find quite a few Innate rare treasures.

And if all else failed, he could prepare unique spiritual ingredients and fine dishes from North Nether. At the very least, the sincerity would be there.

"Boom!"

With a beat of his wings, he swept up a sky-full of black wind and fled toward the depths of North Nether, beginning preparations for the generous gift he would bring to the banquet.