Chan Sect's Foremost Fortune Virtue Golden Immortal

Yun Zhongzi!

Chan Sect's foremost Fortune Virtue Golden Immortal, the Primordial World Grandmaster Artifact Refining Master, and the man later generations hailed as the foremost "Primordial World Knockoff Maker." There was even a theory that Yun Zhongzi was the reincarnation of Ancestor Hong Yun, the first red cloud between heaven and earth to attain the Dao. His profound fortune and virtue, according to this theory, were Heaven's compensation for the regret of his previous life, when Jieyin and Zhunti had schemed to steal the Sage seats belonging to him and Kunpeng.

But whatever the origins or cultivation of this foremost Fortune Virtue Golden Immortal of Chan Sect and Primordial World Grandmaster Artifact Refining Master, one thing was beyond doubt: among the many second-generation disciples of the Chan and Interception Sects, and even the Western Teachings, he was absolutely the one who bore the greatest goodwill toward the human race!

The reason was simple. Whether it was the Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect or the Ten Heavenly Lords of the Interception Sect, they had all committed endless slaughter, stirring the Investiture of the Gods Calamity into heaven-shaking waves. Yet the only one who chose to strike at Daji, attempting to avert the disaster from its very beginning, was this Fortune Virtue Golden Immortal!

From the moment he saw Daji, Di Xin had already foreseen that the historical episode of Yun Zhongzi offering a sword to slay her was about to unfold.

And all this time, he had been preparing for it. As luck would have it, Yun Zhongzi had arrived today!

"Back to Chaoge!" Di Xin declared to the others in a deep voice without hesitation. Then he turned to Zheng Lun. "General Zheng, bring the Shoude Plow!"

Having said that, Di Xin beckoned to the Five-Colored Divine Ox.

"Moo..."

At his gesture, the Five-Colored Divine Ox gave an excited low bellow and rushed to Di Xin's side. After obediently letting him mount its back, it stamped its four hooves, and golden clouds blossomed beneath them, bearing it and Di Xin toward Chaoge City at tremendous speed.

Seeing this, Zheng Lun scooped up the Shoude Plow, which had been transformed by heavenly dao merit, mounted the Fiery-Eyed Golden-Pupiled Beast, and followed them toward Chaoge City.

"That... is my ox..."

Huang Feihu watched the Five-Colored Divine Ox disappear into the distance. Though he had long since grown numb to it, his heart still twisted with pain, and he felt an urge to vomit blood.

Bi Gan looked sympathetically at Huang Feihu, sighing inwardly.

Never mind those few trifling deeds of his. A tyrant was still a tyrant. To think he would even seize his subject's mount-how utterly brutal!

[Negative emotion points from Huang Feihu: +99...]

[Negative emotion points from Bi Gan: +199. Total: +32,320...]

As Di Xin sped along, two bland notifications of negative emotion points arrived from the system's backend. Having grown accustomed to the sumptuous delicacies Huang Feihu supplied, he naturally had no appetite for such plain gruel and side dishes now. After a glance, he tossed them to the back of his mind and paid them no further attention.

A short while later, the Five-Colored Divine Ox arrived before the palace in Chaoge City.

Di Xin looked closely and saw a middle-aged Daoist standing beneath the dripping eaves, carrying a flower basket in his left hand and a fly whisk in his right, dressed in a pale blue Daoist robe with a loose fit and broad sleeves.

Who else could this Daoist be but Chan Sect's foremost Fortune Virtue Golden Immortal?!

At the sight of Yun Zhongzi, Di Xin immediately brought the Five-Colored Divine Ox down. Once he landed, he strode forward to greet him with a smile.

"Your Majesty, this humble Daoist offers his respects!"

Seeing Di Xin descend from the sky astride the Five-Colored Divine Ox, Yun Zhongzi could not help feeling momentarily dazed. He froze for a moment before recovering his composure, then bowed to Di Xin in greeting.

"Hahaha! Senior Yun Zhongzi, there's no need for such ceremony. Please, rise."

Di Xin hurriedly reached out to support Yun Zhongzi, laughing heartily.

"Your Majesty knows me?!" Yun Zhongzi froze, staring at Di Xin in astonishment.

As far as he knew, Di Xin was merely a mortal of flesh and blood. How could he recognize an immortal of Chan Sect like himself?

No, wait. How had this Di Xin already reached the third level of the essence refining into qi realm, with one foot in the qi refining into spirit realm?!

But in the next instant, he realized that the Di Xin before him was rather different from what he had imagined.

"Hahaha! Not only do I know your name, Senior, I also know why you've come..." Di Xin chuckled, then stepped aside. "Please come inside, Senior. I happen to have a few little things I'd like you to appraise. We can talk as we walk."

With that, Di Xin gave Yun Zhongzi no chance to speak further. He took him by the arm and strode into the palace.

[Negative emotion points from Yun Zhongzi: +50...]

"May I ask why Your Majesty thinks I've come?" Yun Zhongzi had truly never expected that all the words he had prepared would prove useless now. Left inwardly speechless, he could not help feeling curious and questioned Di Xin.

"Naturally, you've come for that fox spirit, Senior!" Di Xin concealed nothing. With an inscrutable smile, he spoke with breezy confidence.

[Negative emotion points from Yun Zhongzi: +99...]

Yun Zhongzi stared blankly at Di Xin, his head buzzing for a moment.

He had prepared a whole string of arguments, pondering how to persuade this legendary tyrant. Yet before he could even open his mouth, Di Xin had revealed the purpose of his visit. Moreover, he was utterly calm, as though she were not a fox spirit but a stalk of foxtail grass.

Still, he simply could not understand how Di Xin had learned Daji's true identity.

And if Di Xin knew what Daji really was, why had Yun Zhongzi still seen demonic aura soaring into the sky above Chaoge City while gathering herbs on a high peak earlier?

"A heart like white clouds, ever free; a mind like flowing water, drifting east or west. Could even an accomplished master such as yourself lose his composure, Senior?"

Watching Yun Zhongzi's reaction, Di Xin laughed inwardly, but his face took on a bewildered expression as he posed the question.

"Strange! Strange! Strange!" Yun Zhongzi stared hard at Di Xin and repeated the word three times before continuing, "Since Your Majesty knows Daji is a fox spirit, why do you still allow her to live in Chaoge City? Aren't you afraid of falling under her spell?"

"Senior, do I look as though I've fallen under her spell?"

Di Xin laughed heartily and answered with a question.

Of course, he only dared do this with Yun Zhongzi. Had he been facing any of the other Twelve Golden Immortals of Chan Sect, he would never have asked such a question. Otherwise, he might have been reduced to ashes on the spot.

[Negative emotion points from Yun Zhongzi: +99...]

Yun Zhongzi had no answer and dutifully handed over his negative emotion points.

Beyond that, upon closer inspection, he discovered that although the fox spirit's demonic aura soared into the sky over Chaoge City, it showed signs of decline and deterioration. It was as though she had suffered a grievous injury not long ago and had never recovered.

All of this made him click his tongue in wonder.

After all, he had divined the fox spirit's origins before. Apart from the demonic aura of Xuanyuan Tomb, he had also sensed the Dao resonance of a Sage. She was by no means ordinary.

How had such a demon been wounded by someone? Especially when she seemed to have been wounded by this mere essence refining into qi realm cultivator?!

As he saw it, if even a Sage's actions could be obstructed, the only explanation was that Di Xin also had a Sage backing him. He simply did not know whether it was his own master, his senior martial uncle, his junior martial uncle... or perhaps those two in the west...

After all, with the calamity approaching, even Sages had to scheme and plan carefully!

"It seems this humble Daoist worried needlessly..." Unable to make sense of it, Yun Zhongzi chose not to dwell on it any further. He smiled and said to Di Xin, "Just now, I saw heavenly dao merit descending outside the city. May I ask what happened?!"

"I made a few things on a whim, never imagining that heaven and earth would resonate with them and bestow a little heavenly dao merit." Di Xin chuckled as he explained.

[Negative emotion points from Yun Zhongzi: +199...]

This time, Yun Zhongzi's negative emotion points finally rose into three digits.

Heavenly dao merit was exceedingly precious, not something one could obtain simply by wishing for it. At the very least, Yun Zhongzi had refined countless artifacts, yet only a scant few had prompted heaven and earth to bestow heavenly dao merit.

Yet something made by this man whom the world called a tyrant had actually drawn heavenly dao merit. It was strange indeed.

But after hearing this, Yun Zhongzi examined Di Xin and discovered traces of bestowed heavenly dao merit on both him and the Five-Colored Divine Ox beside him. Clearly, his claim was no idle boast.

"Martial Uncle, this is the Shoude Plow His Majesty made!"

Just then, catching a meaningful glance from Di Xin, Zheng Lun hurried forward, holding up the Shoude Plow as he spoke to Yun Zhongzi.

"So you are a disciple of Senior Brother Du'e..." After glancing at Zheng Lun and making a brief inward divination, Yun Zhongzi learned his origins. He smiled and nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to the Shoude Plow imbued with heavenly dao merit. After examining it, he asked in puzzlement, "What is this used for?"

"This Shoude Plow is for farming. With one ox and one person, it can plow dozens of mu in a single day!"

Di Xin chuckled, pointing to the Shoude Plow as he explained it carefully to Yun Zhongzi.

"So it is a treasure of farming! This is indeed a useful implement. With it, countless people can be sustained!" Yun Zhongzi dearly loved artifact refining and was not bound by convention. Even though this was no magical treasure, merely a mundane object, it still piqued his interest. He turned it over and examined it repeatedly, praising Di Xin's ingenuity and creativity without end. Then he said with some regret, "Unfortunately, its refining method is far too crude. It is not a spiritual treasure and possesses little power. It cannot enter the halls of the Sages."

"Senior, on that point, please forgive me, but I cannot agree!" At those words, Di Xin shook his head and brought out the statement he had spent the past few days preparing for Yun Zhongzi. Smiling, he said, "I believe the way of the sage is no different from the everyday needs of the common people!"