Nine-Bend Yellow River Formation, Eastern Sovereign's Treasure

Bixiao watched the smooth, flowing sequence of events, her expression turning astonished. "Great Sun True Fire, Ginseng Fruit... Could it be that our little martial nephew intends to refine a Supreme-Grade Spiritual Root and fuse it into his own Five Elements?"

"His Great Sun True Fire may have originated from the Fusang Tree. Now, he is condensing the earth element with the Ginseng Fruit Tree. Together with the rewards he received from the Three Sects Tournament, he truly could gather all five Supreme-Grade Spiritual Roots," Qiongxiao said as well.

"Hiss... A cultivator's strength in the Great Unity Realm is largely tied to the quality of the Five Elements they condense. Senior Brother Duobao is so powerful precisely because he fused a complete set of supreme-grade spiritual treasures. Now our little martial nephew is fusing Supreme-Grade Spiritual Roots... This, this..." Bixiao said.

"Enough... Martial Nephew Chen Yang is exceptionally gifted, and he is Senior Brother Duobao's direct disciple. He took first place in the Three Sects Tournament and obtained some Five Elements treasures. There is nothing strange about that." Yunxiao merely smiled and said no more.

Qiongxiao pondered slightly. "Sister... That may be true, but this could also be your opportunity. After entering the Great Unity Realm, you first condensed metal, then water and wood. All three were condensed using supreme-grade spiritual materials. That is why, after attaining the Heavenly Immortal Realm of Great Unity, your foundation and strength were no weaker than those of direct disciples. But for fire and earth, we lack supreme-grade spiritual materials. Perhaps we can rely on..."

"Qiongxiao... Supreme-grade spiritual materials are things one can encounter only by chance. Chen Yang found them, but who knows what price he paid? He may not even have enough for himself now that he is refining them. How could you..." Yunxiao said sternly, faint anger in her voice.

"Sister... You misunderstand me. When did I ever say we should ask Chen Yang for materials? I mean dual refinement. The Five Elements the two of you have condensed are both formed from supreme-grade spiritual materials, so their quality should not differ much. Moreover, between the two of you, you happen to possess all five elements: metal, wood, water, fire, and earth. When the time comes, you can cultivate together, allowing the Five Elements within your bodies to intertwine and temper one another. Perhaps it will let the Five Elements in your body absorb some of the Spiritual Root's fortune. Besides, Sister is a woman and Chen Yang is a man. Your dual refinement would also intertwine yin and yang. Perhaps you could even give rise to Yin-Yang Five Elements!" Qiongxiao said.

Yunxiao considered it, then nodded. "This method is feasible. It would benefit both Chen Yang and me. I will mention it to him later and ask whether he agrees."

"He will definitely agree. After all, it benefits both of you. If you truly condense Yin-Yang Five Elements, attaining Immortal Great Unity will be incredibly easy," Bixiao added.

Chen Yang knew nothing of the conversation between Qiongxiao and Yunxiao.

At present, Chen Yang seemed to have transformed into a stubborn stone.

The earth element within him was being inscribed. Branches from the Ginseng Fruit Tree and a first-generation Ginseng Fruit intertwined, forming an Earth Element Grand Formation. It evolved into a space that devoured spiritual energy and circulated along with the Great Sun True Fire.

As it circulated, endless pure earth-element energy was transformed and fused throughout Chen Yang's body. His flesh gradually petrified, slowly becoming stone. Yet after transforming into a stubborn stone, Chen Yang could clearly feel his body growing stronger, while the faint impurities hidden deep within him were cleansed once more.

It had to be said that after condensing the fire element and tempering his body with Great Sun True Fire, Chen Yang's body had already approached perfection. Yet now, as the earth element transformed, even the deeper layers within him were gradually tempered.

Not only that, but as the transformation continued, it eventually gave birth to a special energy that surged into his Middle Dantian.

At that moment, a continent emerged within Chen Yang's chaotic Middle Dantian. The earthy-brown continent formed and floated amid chaos, while a great sun hung in the sky.

Chen Yang could clearly sense that his Middle Dantian was evolving toward a world.

That was right, a world. The formations Chen Yang had inscribed were created with World in the Palm as their foundation. Their essence contained the Dao of space. Once the Five Elements were fully inscribed, his Middle Dantian would inevitably transform into a small world.

Thus, each formation Chen Yang inscribed caused his Middle Dantian to gradually evolve toward a small world.

In the blink of an eye, more than two hundred years passed.

Chen Yang awakened, easily passed the lightning tribulation, and looked toward the Three Xiaos.

Yunxiao, one of the Three Xiaos, gazed at him with gentle elegance and a smile. "Chen Yang... Congratulations on passing the lightning tribulation and completely stabilizing your Heavenly Immortal Realm of Great Unity. At this realm, you have already surpassed many second-generation disciples of the Three Teachings."

Chen Yang chuckled. "Even so, I am still far from comparable to you, Martial Aunt."

Yunxiao smiled slightly and did not deny it.

After all, Yunxiao's cultivation had already entered the True Immortal Realm of Great Unity. Even among the Jie Sect's second-generation disciples, such cultivation placed her among the finest.

"Enough... The two of you have high cultivation, unlike us. Let us go quickly. If we miss the time when this opportunity appears, we will have to wait another three thousand years," Bixiao said slowly.

Chen Yang nodded. "Right. Then let us go."

"Come, I will lead the way." Yunxiao spoke as she rode the clouds.

The cloud-riding technique evolved from supreme-grade spiritual clouds was so fast that ordinary movement techniques could not compare.

Chen Yang also possessed supreme-grade spiritual clouds and had already mastered the technique, but he did not bring them out to show off.

They traveled over the waves and arrived at a certain place in the East Sea.

Upon arriving, Chen Yang swept his gaze around, searching for traces of formations and hidden islands.

After all, an opportunity located within the East Sea would most likely be hidden on an island.

After searching for a long time, he found no islands nearby.

Chen Yang pondered slightly, then asked, "Martial Aunt Yunxiao... Where is this opportunity located? I have observed the area for a long time, but I see neither an island nor any traces of a formation."

Bixiao smiled playfully. "Hehe... Martial Nephew Chen Yang, we never said the opportunity was hidden on an island somewhere in the East Sea."

"Not on an island? Could it be beneath the sea?" Chen Yang asked.

"Martial Nephew Chen Yang... It is rather strange. That opportunity is hidden among the clouds in the sky. Every three thousand years, the clouds here undergo certain changes, and a special auspicious cloud appears. That auspicious cloud is where the opportunity lies, or rather, its entrance. Unfortunately, it bears an inscribed formation, making it difficult to enter," Yunxiao said with a trace of melancholy.

"...The opportunity is hidden inside an auspicious cloud?" Chen Yang's expression grew grave.

"Probably. We do not know the specifics either. The Primordial World is vast, and its cloud layers are equally immense. Thus, no one can say how many clouds and mists exist within the Primordial World. An opportunity hidden among auspicious clouds would be almost impossible to find. It would be a miracle.

"We sisters discovered it only because we were all transformed from spiritual clouds and possessed a special sensitivity toward clouds and mist, allowing us to notice its difference. But once we realized that the auspicious cloud was unusual, we tried to break its formation. We never expected it to remain for only three days before dispersing, leaving no trace to follow.

"Afterward, we observed it many times and discovered that this opportunity-bearing auspicious cloud appears once every three thousand years, each time for three days. After three days, if no method of entering has been found, the auspicious cloud disperses," Yunxiao said with a sigh.

"This... This is far too rushed. How could anyone break it in only three days?" Chen Yang shook his head.

Bixiao nodded as well. "That is why we are counting on you. Besides, did you not say during the tournament that as long as an unattended formation was not too profound, you could break it at will?"

"That is true. But would the formation inscribed around such a deeply hidden opportunity really be simple?" Chen Yang said.

"Over the years, we have explored the formation and gained some understanding of it. We will pass it to you now, in hopes that it will be of some help," Yunxiao said with a smile.

Chen Yang nodded and immediately received the information.

As the formation information entered his mind, a slight change appeared in Chen Yang's eyes.

As Chen Yang comprehended the formation's structure, he inexplicably felt a sense of familiarity. "The formation has Nine-Bend transformations and incorporates dragon aura. It seems to be water-element based... Why does this formation feel so familiar?"

[You comprehended the Nine-Bend Nine-Dragon Grand Formation and gained an insight. You have comprehended the Nine-Bend Yellow River Grand Formation.]

"So this is the predecessor of the Nine-Bend Yellow River Grand Formation."

Chen Yang nodded to himself.

Then he looked at the puzzled Three Xiaos. "Martial Aunt Yunxiao... The opportunity we have encountered this time may involve some secret."

"What do you mean? Is there something wrong with this opportunity?" Yunxiao asked curiously.

Chen Yang nodded seriously and said solemnly, "If I am not mistaken, this formation may be one left behind by the Eastern Sovereign. It is called the Nine-Bend Nine-Dragon Formation."

"Hiss... Penglai Immortal Mansion, was that not a force founded by the Eastern Sovereign? Could this opportunity be the Eastern Sovereign's Treasure? If it is, then we..." Bixiao said excitedly.

The others also wore grave expressions.

Chen Yang considered it briefly, then said as a precaution, "Martial Aunt... For safety's sake, I should send this information to my master. If we become trapped inside when necessary, someone will be able to rescue us."

Yunxiao nodded upon hearing this. "That is feasible. Since this opportunity is connected to Penglai Immortal Mansion, its dangers are unknown. Having someone ready to provide aid would indeed be good."

Chen Yang nodded, took out a jade pendant, inscribed a few words on it, and crushed it.

Seeing this, Bixiao could not help asking, "What is that?"

"A communication talisman. It is a secret technique I created that can contact my master. However, after the message is sent, it will take at least ten days for Master to receive it. Therefore, we should first break the formation and enter the opportunity site," Chen Yang said solemnly.

"Right. The auspicious cloud will remain for only three days before disappearing. No matter what, we must enter and take a look," Bixiao said.

Chen Yang nodded and looked toward the auspicious cloud, his expression serious. "I will try to merge with the formation and enter the opportunity site without damaging it."

As he spoke, Chen Yang approached the auspicious cloud.

The closer he drew, the clearer the traces of the formation became. At that moment, Chen Yang released the formation within his body and began to comprehend the formation before him.

The essence of all formations was the Dao of formations. Chen Yang now sought its essence and grasped its mysteries, seeing whether he could merge into it.

Two days later, Chen Yang sensed a change in the formation and said, "It is done. Follow me..."

Chen Yang had no time to say anything else. He seized the Three Xiaos and merged into the auspicious cloud.

There was no choice. The auspicious cloud was about to disperse, and Chen Yang had to hurry.