Ten Suns Across the Sky, Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi

In an instant, everyone inside the Landscape Painting was sent out.

Not only that, the Skyland Landscape Painting let out a mournful cry, seeming both furious and grief-stricken as it shot toward Laozi. Clearly, that single sword strike had severely damaged the supreme spiritual treasure, the Skyland Landscape Painting.

Everyone also noticed that Yuding and the others were pale, each of them looking unsteady on their feet.

Chen Yang, on the other hand, was covered in cracks, blood flowing endlessly from his body. He looked utterly miserable.

The Slaying Immortals Sword in his hand hummed, supporting Chen Yang. Otherwise, he would have long since collapsed to the ground.

Even so, the light in Chen Yang's eyes was gradually fading.

Seeing this, Yunxiao endured her discomfort. "Junior Nephew Chen Yang... this..."

Duobao also rushed over. "Disciple, disciple..."

"Master... I won. Hahaha..." Chen Yang laughed, coughing up blood along with bits of his internal organs.

"You won, you won... You reckless brat, could you use a formation in that state so casually?" Duobao was delighted, but also furious.

It could not be helped. The formation had been far too powerful. Chen Yang had activated the Immortal-Slaying Formation within his body, manifested another Immortal-Slaying Formation outside it, and fused the two formations together. The resulting transformation had exceeded all imagination.

Chen Yang himself had been the core of the formation, drawing in endless spiritual energy and converting it into endless sword qi to strike down his enemies alongside the Slaying Immortals Sword.

It looked terrifying, but in truth, it had been extraordinarily dangerous.

His physical body had not been strong enough. Being flooded with so much spiritual energy, how could he possibly have emerged unscathed?

Seeing this, Yuding and the others were pale, yet carried a trace of admiration. "We lost. We concede wholeheartedly..."

Chen Yang could no longer hear those murmurs. He had already fallen completely unconscious.

No one knew how much time had passed before Chen Yang finally woke up.

After awakening, Chen Yang discovered that he was in a cave dwelling. In the distance stood a blazing furnace.

Chen Yang faintly shook his head and looked around. "Where is this?"

"This is your master's cave dwelling in Yuxu Palace." Duobao slowly walked over as he spoke. "You brat were far too reckless. Activating the sword formation inside your body was already difficult enough to endure, yet you activated sword formations both inside and outside your body at once. How could your physical body withstand that?"

Seeing Duobao, Chen Yang could not help but smile. "Master... under those circumstances, I had no other choice. Whether it was Martial Uncle Yuding or Martial Uncle Guangchengzi... their cultivation and strength both surpassed mine. If I wanted to win, I could only take a risky gamble."

"Enough, enough... Fortunately, nothing serious happened." Duobao said.

"Master... How long was I unconscious? Also, what was the result of the competition?" Chen Yang asked.

"Relax. You were only unconscious for a little over half a year. As for the result of the competition, naturally, you won." Duobao replied irritably.

Chen Yang smiled faintly. "That is good, that is good... What about my rewards? The supreme-grade spiritual root and supreme spiritual treasure..."

"Relax, you will not receive any less than what you are owed. Especially since you brought honor to our Jie Sect in this competition. Your grandmaster was very pleased. He personally treated your injuries and brought out divine medicine to further strengthen your physical body. Before long, you should be able to enter the fifth turn of the Nine-Turn Profound Art." Duobao said.

Chen Yang was stunned and immediately examined the changes in his body. "Hiss... My physical body really has grown stronger. I am now at the peak of the fourth turn of the Nine-Turn Profound Art, only one step away from entering the fifth turn."

Chen Yang said with gratitude, "Thank you, Master."

"Haha... There is no need for such politeness between master and disciple. Besides, this competition has deepened your foundation even further. It is time to find an opportunity to break through into the Great Unity Realm."

Duobao stroked his beard, looked at Chen Yang, and took out five pearls. "After entering the Great Unity Realm, you must refine the five qi. I have already prepared a high-grade innate spiritual treasure for you—the Five Elements Pearl. Though it falls slightly short of my own supreme spiritual treasure, it is enough to surpass many others."

Hearing this, Chen Yang was deeply moved.

It had to be said that Duobao was an exceptionally responsible master.

In the blink of an eye, several hundred years passed.

Over those centuries, Chen Yang spent his time either cultivating or studying in the Exposition Sect's scripture repository, gaining greatly from both.

One day, Chen Yang followed Duobao as they traveled across Kunlun Mountain.

"Master... will it be all right for us to seek out Immortal Zhenyuan?" Chen Yang asked.

"Haha... Do not worry, disciple. Your master has friends throughout the world and shares a good relationship with Immortal Zhenyuan. Asking for some Ginseng Fruit to help perfect your five elements should not be a problem. Besides, my visit to Immortal Zhenyuan this time is also at your grandmaster's behest. So put your mind at ease." Duobao said seriously.

"At Grandmaster's behest?" Chen Yang asked in confusion.

"Yes. You should not ask too much about matters between the older generation." Duobao said.

Chen Yang tactfully did not continue asking.

However, not long after the master and disciple began flying, Chen Yang felt an unbearable heat.

Looking up at the sky, he saw the blazing sun overhead.

"Hiss... Master, this sun..." Chen Yang could not help saying.

Duobao also looked toward the heavens and flicked his whisk. "Ten Suns Across the Sky, scorching the land and killing countless living beings. The princes of the Demon Court are committing great sin."

Seeing this scene, Chen Yang immediately understood that this was the Ten Suns Across the Sky from the myths. Before long, someone like Houyi would likely emerge to shoot down the suns.

He had known it as a myth before, but seeing it unfold before his own eyes was still rather shocking.

Yet beneath the ten suns, scorching flames baked the earth and countless lives perished. Flowers, grass, and trees were set ablaze, rivers dried up, and many beasts died.

After watching for a long time, Chen Yang could not help asking, "Master... are the Demon Court's ten princes causing such chaos, and Dijun does not intend to stop them?"

"It is not that he does not intend to stop them. Dijun probably does not even know. After all, the Primordial World is immeasurably vast. The Demon Court is located above the Heavenly Dipper Layer and beneath the stars, far from the Primordial Wilderness. With the Heavenly Dipper Layer separating them, how could they easily see what was happening in the Primordial Wilderness?" Duobao said.

Chen Yang nodded and said nothing more.

Soon, Duobao brought Chen Yang along and used a special escape technique.

It seemed to involve some spatial art. In the blink of an eye, the scenery changed, and they had no idea where they were.

Perhaps several hundred years later, Duobao finally brought Chen Yang to Longevity Mountain.

Longevity Mountain was also a blessed land of the Primordial World. Spiritual energy gathered here, clouds and mist curled about, and immortal birds and spiritual herbs could be found everywhere. It was truly a precious place.

Duobao stood upon an auspicious cloud and slowly descended. "Martial Uncle Zhenyuanzi... Duobao has come to pay a visit..."

"Haha... An honored guest has arrived. Fellow Daoist, why do you not open the mountain gate and welcome him?" A hearty laugh rang out.

The clouds and mist around Longevity Mountain then dispersed, revealing a Daoist temple that faintly shimmered with divine light, countless formation patterns interwoven across it.

Two Daoists now stood before the temple gates. One wore an earth-yellow Daoist robe and held a whisk, looking somewhat kind and benevolent. The other wore a red robe and carried a crimson gourd, his fiery red hair quite striking.

Seeing the two Daoists, Duobao smiled. "I did not expect Martial Uncle Hongyun to be here as well."

"Haha... Little Duobao, there is nothing strange about me being at Five Villages Temple. On the contrary, why do you have time to come here now? Do not tell me you have come to steal fruit again?" Hongyun said.

Duobao's face immediately turned red. "Martial Uncle Hongyun... Do not speak nonsense. My disciple is here."

"Disciple? Little Duobao has taken a disciple now. You have grown up, grown up..." Hongyun said, unable to stop himself from looking toward Chen Yang.

Zhenyuanzi also looked at Chen Yang and said, "All right, do not keep standing outside the gate. Come in with me."