Right Under Their Noses

Dijun had not even arrived to stop Taiyi when Taiyi had already turned into a streak of rainbow light and headed for Wuyi Mountain.

For Dijun to become the Demon Emperor of the Demon Race and single-handedly forge the Demon Race into one of the Primordial World's foremost powers, he was clearly no fool.

After a brief moment of thought, he sensed that something was amiss. After all, throughout the entire Primordial World, the only ones who now dared confront the Demon Race head-on were the Witch Race.

"This is bad. Could it be that disciples of a Sage have descended from the mountain? If so, Second Brother's journey may well be fraught with danger."

Dijun immediately headed for Nuwa Palace. If a Sage had made a move, then Nuwa, the Sage of the Demon Race, was his final refuge.

At the same time, Dijun did not forget to have Nine-Infant lead people to Wuyi Mountain at once. He also sent word to Demon Master Kunpeng, asking him to head to Wuyi Mountain and lend his aid.

Meanwhile, dark clouds had gathered above Wuyi Mountain, pressing down like a canopy. Bolts of tribulation lightning churned within them, on the verge of descending.

Lu Xuan could not help but frown. "Is some living being in Wuyi Mountain undergoing Transformation? Why had I not sensed the slightest trace of it before?"

While Lu Chen was still puzzled, Zhao Gongming's face was filled with delight. He immediately said to Lu Chen,

"Martial Uncle, the Coral Tree and the Blood Ruyi should be about to undergo Transformation. This disciple wishes to go and lend them a hand."

Hearing Zhao Gongming mention the Coral Tree and Blood Ruyi, Lu Xuan could not help recalling that battle at Wuyi Mountain years ago.

Lu Xuan clearly remembered that Red Cloud Ancestor had once used two spirit treasures: the Coral Tree and the Blood Ruyi.

However, Nether River Ancestor had struck them down into Wuyi Mountain with the Yuantu and Abi Swords. Though many searches had later been conducted, they had never been found.

At the time, Lu Xuan had assumed that Nether River Ancestor had taken advantage of the chance to collect those two spirit treasures, so he had not thought much of it. He had never expected them to still be in Wuyi Mountain.

He immediately said to Zhao Gongming, "Where are they? Lead me there."

Zhao Gongming nodded and took the lead, guiding Lu Chen and the Three Xiao Sisters toward a valley.

When Zhao Gongming's group arrived above the valley, they saw a Coral Tree towering ten thousand zhang high, swaying in the wind.

Beside the Coral Tree stood an enormous Blood Ruyi, likewise radiating waves of treasure light. It had clearly reached the brink of Transformation as well.

At the same time, Lu Xuan could clearly see a treasure pearl hanging from the Coral Tree. Resting atop the Blood Ruyi was a winged forearm.

"I never thought the Treasure-Dropping Coin, which I had searched for all these years without finding, had actually been obtained by this Blood Ruyi."

"Then does that mean the Coral Tree's Transformation is Cao Bao, while the Blood Ruyi's Transformation is Xiao Sheng?"

"After all the twists and turns, everything has still returned to its starting point. Yet it has not remained entirely unchanged. At the very least, from the looks of it, Zhao Gongming seems to have a good relationship with the two of them."

As Lu Xuan pondered inwardly, he asked Zhao Gongming, "Gongming, how did you come to know them?"

Zhao Gongming replied to Lu Xuan, "During the time Martial Uncle was in seclusion, Gongming accompanied Bixiao in searching for treasures within Wuyi Mountain. By chance, we came upon this valley."

"Upon hearing someone whispering softly, I released my divine sense to investigate. Yet the voices vanished in an instant."

"Gongming felt there was something strange about it, so I secretly kept watch over this valley. Sure enough, I eventually discovered the Coral Tree and Blood Ruyi."

"They had both developed spiritual intelligence, though they were still some distance from Transformation. Once they learned that Gongming had discovered them, they feared that I would erase their spiritual intelligence."

"So they begged Gongming to spare their lives. They were even willing to offer their accompanying spirit treasures to Gongming, but I refused."

"Gongming remembered Martial Uncle once saying that all things in the Primordial World possess spirit. Once a spirit treasure develops spiritual intelligence, it must not be erased lightly, or karmic consequences will inevitably be formed."

"Therefore, Gongming not only did not erase their spiritual intelligence, but also came here every day to expound the Dao to them. By now, it has been three hundred years."

Lu Xuan nodded after hearing this, pleased that Zhao Gongming had remembered his teachings. Erasing the spiritual intelligence of a spirit treasure was truly not advisable.

Just imagine it: a spirit treasure had the opportunity to undergo Transformation, yet you strangled that opportunity. Then you still intended to wield that spirit treasure against enemies—could you be certain it would not ultimately backlash against you?

Even when Tongtian learned that the gourd he had gathered from Buzhou Mountain had developed spiritual intelligence, he had not chosen to erase it. Instead, he helped it undergo Transformation, and it became his attendant, Water-Fire.

Thus, Lu Xuan directly nodded to Zhao Gongming and said, "You did right. But do you know that because of this, you missed out on a great opportunity?"

Zhao Gongming looked at Lu Xuan in confusion. "An opportunity? Gongming seems never to have sensed any opportunity from beginning to end. I ask Martial Uncle to enlighten me."

Lu Xuan pointed toward the winged coin atop the Blood Ruyi and said, "The reason Martial Uncle brought you to Wuyi Mountain was to help you find the Treasure-Dropping Coin."

"Yet now, the Treasure-Dropping Coin has become the Blood Ruyi's accompanying spirit treasure. Would you not say that you missed out on a great opportunity?"

Zhao Gongming was stunned at first, but then a smile appeared on his face. "Martial Uncle, perhaps meeting these two fellow Daoists is Gongming's greatest opportunity in coming to Wuyi Mountain."

"As for the Treasure-Dropping Coin Martial Uncle speaks of, it is ultimately only a spirit treasure. Gongming does not lack spirit treasures to begin with, so why should I compete with them for it?"

Lu Xuan could only feel helpless. Could this Innate Spirit Treasure possibly be compared with ordinary spirit treasures? To you, Zhao Gongming, this Treasure-Dropping Coin was practically a death sentence.

Just then, the tribulation lightning in the sky finally finished gathering. Bolts of heavenly lightning crashed down one after another, striking directly upon the Coral Tree and Blood Ruyi.

In the blink of an eye, nine bolts of heavenly lightning had already fallen. The treasure light on the Coral Tree and Blood Ruyi had dimmed by seventy percent, leaving Zhao Gongming deeply worried.

After all, this was merely the first wave of heavenly lightning. By the rules governing the Transformation of living beings in the Primordial World, there should be at least two more waves, perhaps even more.

Seeing Zhao Gongming about to act, Lu Xuan directly reached out and stopped him. "What are you doing?"

"When living beings undergo Transformation, it is inevitable that they must accept the test of the Heavenly Dao. Only by surviving heavenly tribulation can they gain the recognition of the Primordial World's Heavenly Dao."

"At the same time, the process of crossing heavenly tribulation is the finest opportunity to temper their bodies and souls. It is the key to laying a solid foundation for them."

"Unless it is absolutely necessary, do not even use spirit treasures to resist heavenly tribulation. The more heavenly lightning they endure, the firmer their foundations will become."

"If you help them now, you may enable them to undergo Transformation easily. But because of your intervention, they will lose this opportunity to consolidate their foundations."

After hearing this, Zhao Gongming immediately stepped back, though his eyes remained full of worry. Still, he remembered that when he and his three sisters had undergone Transformation, they too had relied on themselves to withstand the heavenly lightning.

If he and his siblings could endure the heavenly lightning, then these two newly made friends of his should be able to as well. If it truly came to the brink of life and death, it would not be too late to intervene then.