Northern Profound Yuan Water-Control Flag

On Mount Buzhou, birds sang and flowers bloomed. Emerald peaks rose one after another, immortal mists drifting everywhere as though within reach. Clouds soared and rain nourished the land; colorful sparrows sang and danced upon the branches. Spiritual beasts frolicked, leaping freely across golden bridges. All kinds of immortal grasses and wondrous herbs covered the mountain, their immortal fragrance intoxicating beyond measure. White clouds floated through the ravines—truly a paradise on earth!

Mu Jizi and Kunpeng wandered along the mountainside of Mount Buzhou, collecting a few mature innate treasures as they chatted idly.

"Worthy brother, look!" Mu Jizi suddenly pointed at the birds and beasts frolicking in the distance. "Although Mount Buzhou possesses pressure, it is directed only at cultivators like us. Those birds and beasts without cultivation or magical power need not fear it!"

"Elder brother is right!" Kunpeng nodded. "We cultivators may seem carefree and joyous, yet we struggle bitterly beneath the Heavenly Dao. In the end, among hundreds of millions of cultivators, how many can attain sainthood and roam free between heaven and earth?"

"What of attaining sainthood? Compared to the Great Dao, saints are merely slightly larger ants!" Mu Jizi glanced at Kunpeng, radiant light gleaming in his eyes. "So long as cultivators like us understand our true nature, comprehend our Dao heart, and know what we seek, we will naturally push aside every hardship and obtain the true Dao!"

"The Great Dao stretches endlessly. To shatter the barriers of the heart and point straight to one's true self is truly difficult beyond all difficulty!" Kunpeng sighed. Unknowingly, discouragement rose within him. "Elder brother understands his Dao heart and has a goal in seeking the Dao, but this foolish younger brother does not know where the Dao lies. How am I to pursue it? How am I to explore it?"

Hearing this, Mu Jizi frowned. Seeing the confusion in Kunpeng's eyes, he delivered a head-on, staff-like rebuke. "Where has your spirit gone, worthy brother? Though the path of the Dao is difficult, it cannot halt the steps of our generation. Even if there is only a one-in-a-hundred-million chance, we must seize it! Do you still remember what we said when we first met?"

As he spoke, Mu Jizi became high-spirited, astonishing light shooting from his eyes. Then he opened his mouth and said, one word at a time, "What you seek is sainthood!"

"Sainthood!" "Sainthood!" "Sainthood!"...

At the words "sainthood," a vast and surging momentum arose from nowhere. The echoes resounded through the entire ravine and lingered without fading for a long time!

"What I seek is sainthood?" Kunpeng's expression changed several times. At last, his body jolted sharply, and clarity gradually returned to his eyes. Cold sweat covered his forehead, while a lingering dread appeared on his face!

"Worthy brother, worthy brother!" Seeing this, Mu Jizi called out softly several times. "Worthy brother, are you all right?"

"Hu~~~~~~"

Kunpeng exhaled a heavy breath. Looking at Mu Jizi, who was concerned for him, warmth rose in his heart. He shook his head, then said with lingering fear, "I'm fine. I have elder brother to thank for just now. Otherwise, I fear I would have been deceived by an illusion!"

"It is nothing! Right, what exactly happened earlier?" Mu Jizi was somewhat puzzled. Kunpeng was an ancient ferocious beast and the future teacher of the Demon Race; his Dao heart should have been exceptionally steadfast. How could a single remark from him have produced a heart demon?

"Hehe!" A bitter smile rose at the corner of Kunpeng's mouth. Pointing toward the distance with one hand, he said shamefacedly, "Something was causing mischief and clouding this foolish younger brother's mind, which was why that scene occurred just now."

"Oh? Even with worthy brother's state of mind, you were still deceived. What sort of thing could it be?" Mu Jizi was greatly surprised. Looking in the direction Kunpeng pointed, he saw only an utterly ordinary pool of stagnant water hidden in the ravine!

"Elder brother, do not be hasty! Watch this foolish younger brother cast a spell!" Kunpeng shook his head with a smile, deliberately keeping him in suspense. He stepped forward and arrived beside the pool of stagnant water in the ravine, then reached toward its surface with his great hand!

A massive hand formed from magical power appeared out of thin air. Like the hand of heaven itself, it flowed with vast magical power. Then, with a sharp whoosh, it pierced the air and plunged deep into the bottom of the pool!

"Splash~~~~"

After a bout of stirring, the great hand burst from the pool with a bang. Following behind it was a blue little flag about a foot high, spinning rapidly. A hazy radiance shrouded the flag, upon which countless illusions evolved. Waves of clarity rushed toward them.

At the sight of it, Mu Jizi immediately felt a sense of familiarity. Looking carefully, he exclaimed in surprise, "Northern—Profound Yuan Water-Control Flag!"

"Correct! It is this flag!" Kunpeng nodded. "This foolish younger brother's cultivation cannot compare to elder brother's. The moment I entered this place, my mind became muddled and confused, and I did not know what to do. Only after elder brother awakened me did I sense a pull!"

"Oh, so that was it!" Mu Jizi suddenly understood. No wonder Kunpeng's gaze had been unfocused just now—he had been deceived by the array formed by the Northern—Profound Yuan Water-Control Flag!

"Hmm? Right, then why was I not deceived by the illusion array?" Mu Jizi suddenly thought of it and felt that something was not quite right!

"Hehe!" Kunpeng smiled, putting away the Northern Profound Yuan Water-Control Flag. "Perhaps this was the Profound Yuan Water-Control Flag's test for this foolish younger brother!"

"That makes sense!" Mu Jizi nodded and did not pursue the matter further.

After obtaining the Northern Profound Yuan Water-Control Flag, the two continued wandering Mount Buzhou!

Mount Buzhou was picturesque. As it had been formed from the spine of the great god Pangu, the quality of innate treasures here was naturally somewhat higher than elsewhere! Though Mu Jizi and Kunpeng had each obtained a spiritual treasure, neither found themselves with too many spiritual objects. Whatever they could collect, they collected!

That day, Mu Jizi's expression suddenly shifted. He pulled Kunpeng into the air and concealed themselves high in the sky!

"Hmm? Elder brother, why have you done this?" Kunpeng steadied himself in midair, a trace of confusion in his eyes!

"Worthy brother, look!" Mu Jizi smiled and pointed below!

"Hmm?" Following Mu Jizi's finger, Kunpeng lowered his head and looked down, his pupils shrinking slightly!

At that moment, two figures were walking through the place where they had just rested!

Of the two, one was a youth of sixteen or seventeen, while the other was an old man in a plain white robe, his beard nearly half a meter long!

The youth was handsome, but his cultivation was only at the True Immortal of Primordial Unity realm. The ordinary-looking elder, on the other hand, had already reached the middle stage of the Primordial Unity Golden Immortal realm! His cultivation was even a level higher than Kunpeng's!

There was no need to say it: these two were naturally the Qilin Tribe's Grand Elder and Second Prince Qi Yu!

"Yu'er, the two of us have searched Mount Buzhou for more than a month, yet we have not seen the two great experts you spoke of. Could it be that they have already returned to their residence?" The Grand Elder's expression was blank, as though nothing in the world could stir his emotions!

"Yu'er does not know!" Qi Yu lowered his head and replied respectfully, "However, since even the Grand Elder has spread his divine sense and searched for over a month without finding those two great experts, then either their cultivation exceeds the Grand Elder's by far, or they have already returned to their residence!"

"Mm!" The Grand Elder nodded. "That should be the case. Since so, we shall search for several more days. If we still gain nothing, then we shall leave!"

"Everything shall be as the Grand Elder commands!" Qi Yu nodded respectfully. Then, following the Grand Elder, he vanished from Mount Buzhou...