"Oh, my Fellow Daoist Feng, you've finally come out!"
In the Qian Yuan Ba Jing Palace, when a tall and slender figure walked out with a relaxed and refreshed expression, stretching his arms and back, a handsome young man with a face like jade and a dashing appearance rushed to greet him.
"What's wrong?"
Feng Bingwen surveyed the world before him, including the familiar Ji Changqing standing before him. Everything before him came alive, giving him a unique sensory experience.
This time, his cultivation level did not improve, and the power within his body did not increase at all. However, Feng Bingwen knew that he had already undergone a complete transformation. At this moment, even without the aid of any magical artifacts, he could easily defeat his previous self on his own.
"Something terrible has happened!"
Ji Changqing's face was full of anxiety.
"What major event could it be? Could it be that some ancient clan has broken free from the restrictions imposed by our ancestors?"
Aside from this matter, Feng Bingwen couldn't think of anything more serious. Before this enlightenment and study of the Dao, his power was already unmatched among those of the same realm. But this time, after understanding himself and comprehending the profound principles, he even felt that he could sweep aside his contemporaries.
"Ancient alien races? What are they? Even if some of them break free of the seal, immortals will intervene and suppress them. Here, they can't cause any trouble at all; they're just waste material."
Ji Changqing's tone was completely indifferent. He knew that there were countless powerful human beings watching over the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, so nothing could possibly happen.
"Then there's nothing else."
"Do you know that the Daoist disciple of the Netherworld has issued a challenge to you?"
That's it?
Feng Bingwen was somewhat surprised; he had thought it was something serious. Although it was a bit strange,
"Since he has challenged me, then I shall accept the challenge."
"Oh dear, you can't accept that!"
Hearing Feng Bingwen's nonchalant tone, Ji Changqing became even more agitated.
“In the present day, no one in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths can be a match for that Daoist. If it were when you first came in, it would be fine. That ghostly fellow, if he challenged you to a battle, your fate wouldn't be much better than Qin Tianque's. But things are different now.”
"What's different? I remember you made the same assessment of that Luneburg giant before, saying that no one but me could be its match."
Feng Bingwen asked casually, while sensing the traces of his five protective spirits and the auras of his followers.
Although these guys comprehended the Dharma before him, they left the Qian Yuan Ba Jing Palace earlier than him. He seemed to have stayed there the longest.
"Um?"
It's unclear what Feng Bingwen sensed, but his brow furrowed slightly.
"I overestimated that giant; he's gone!"
Ji Changqing looked depressed, and his worry was even more obvious. He was genuinely worried about Feng Bingwen.
What does "gone" mean?
Feng Bingwen, who was about to take a step, paused. While he was in seclusion studying the inheritance that his master had given him, it seemed that many great things were happening in the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths.
"Literally speaking, the candidate for the throne of the Dragon Kingdom was refined by the Dao Child of the Netherworld Path!"
"Huh? What's going on? The Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, weren't they supposed to never truly perish? Even if they were killed, it would just mean they left early."
“Normally, that’s how it is, but that giant Longbo came in to compete for the fortune, so there are some rules he doesn’t have to follow. Therefore, he can’t enjoy this kind of life-saving benefit. Once he loses, this is what will happen to him.”
At this point, Ji Changqing spread his hands helplessly.
He was genuinely surprised that the Daoist disciple of the Netherworld was so ferocious, not only defeating the Dragon Giant but also refining him alive.
It's hard to say whether to marvel at the ferocity of this human prodigy or to lament that the Dragon Giant was all show and no substance, possessing only an intimidating title without corresponding strength, having lost its life before even challenging a few opponents.
"So, that Daoist disciple of the Netherworld is challenging me now, and you don't want me to accept? You think I'm no match for him?"
“If it were before his battle with the giants of Longbo Kingdom, I would even have encouraged you to take him down, but now I think you should back down and avoid his sharp edge.”
Ji Changqing disliked cultivators who played with corpses. These guys, as long as they didn't die, could theoretically become stronger the more they fought. They could collect the corpses of their opponents and refine them into corpse puppets.
Of course, theory is just theory; to turn it into reality, too many prerequisites are needed.
For example, nurturing an opponent's corpse into a corpse puppet requires time and resources, and the effort required to fully utilize its combat power in life.
However, the Daoist disciple of the Netherworld Path was particularly troublesome, because he seemed to be exceptionally proficient in this path. After defeating the giant from the Dragon Kingdom, he transformed it into one of his own fighting forces in a very short time.
Ji Changqing knew this so clearly because after that Daoist master refined the corpse puppet, he sought out many prodigies to practice on, wanting to test its combat strength. Ji Changqing was unfortunately chosen and became its target for practice.
The most humiliating thing was that he, a proud cultivator who had achieved the second-grade extraordinary phenomenon, had not been able to defeat a single corpse puppet, even though that corpse puppet was extremely special and not much weaker than it had been in life.
But what else does this show besides demonstrating the terrifying strength of that Daoist? He was defeated by a mere corpse puppet under his command without even making a move himself. What else is there to say?
The only consolation was that he wasn't the only one who had this embarrassing experience; many other prodigies had also experienced the frustration of being unable to defeat even a corpse puppet under someone else's command.
It's not really their fault, mainly because the giant Longbo's supernatural powers are all in his physical body. Even if he dies in battle, as long as he is properly refined, it will not affect his combat power.
Furthermore, the Daoist was quite wealthy and equipped the corpse puppet made from the Dragon Giant with many powerful magic treasures. With these many advantages, their group of geniuses were completely crushed.
"Okay, I understand."
Feng Bingwen responded, but didn't say whether he accepted the challenge or not.
"You really can't act impulsively right now. Your affairs have already been exposed. Otherwise, why would that Daoist challenge you by name if he was alright?"
Seeing Feng Bingwen's nonchalant attitude, Ji Changqing looked helpless.
"What did I expose?"
Feng Bingwen looked puzzled.
"Stop pretending. Your story is common knowledge now. Everyone knows you are the next Dao Child of the Supreme Dao!"
Ji Changqing's face showed a kind of resentment that said, "You've kept this from me for so long," but at the same time, there was also a sense of pride. He had picked out the Taishang Daozi who was hiding his identity at a glance. Wasn't that enough to prove his good judgment?
"What Supreme Daoist Master? This is utter nonsense!"
Feng Bingwen waved his sleeve dismissively, clearly ignoring all of this, even though he knew the truth in his heart.
"I am now a rogue cultivator."
"Your master, that celestial being from the Supreme Dao, has already come looking for you. This celestial palace was left behind by your master and specially arranged for you, wasn't it!"
As he spoke, Ji Changqing peeked out at the magnificent Qian Yuan Ba Jing Palace.
This celestial palace is famous throughout the Nine Heavens and Ten Earths, but not for good reasons; it has a purely infamous reputation. A considerable number of prodigies believe that this celestial palace is a trap, a complete waste of time and utterly meaningless.
However, a small group of prodigies felt that this celestial palace did indeed contain profound inheritances from the Supreme Dao, and the reason they couldn't understand it wasn't because there was a problem with the celestial palace, but because there was a problem with their group—simply put, their aptitude was insufficient.
"..."
Feng Bingwen remained silent. He hadn't even had a chance to put on an act, and this information, which should have been kept secret, had become common knowledge, known to everyone.
How do you know about news from the outside world?
He couldn't understand it. Shouldn't this secret realm be isolated from the outside world? How could they know what was happening outside?
"It's not something we know; it was said by that Daoist from the Netherworld Path. He's a Dao Child, so it's normal for him to have privileges that we minor cultivators don't have."
When he said those words, Feng Bingwen could clearly hear the barely concealed sourness in the guy's voice.
"Hey, it's Feng Bingwen!"
At this moment, a group of human prodigies, resembling immortal couples, rode on extraordinary mounts as they passed through the distant sky. Suddenly, they noticed something and their gazes turned to Feng Bingwen. Among them, a girl with a face like a peach blossom cried out in surprise.
"Xiao Xi, don't be rude!"
The boy, who had been happily embracing the girl, was startled. He shouted at her and then pulled her off his mount. Standing on the cloud, he bowed to Feng Bingwen.
"I am Zhang Ji. I have met the Supreme Daoist Master. This is my Daoist partner, Ye Chunxi. She has been pampered since childhood and lacks discipline. Please forgive her for any rudeness."
"...It's alright!"
Feng Bingwen remained silent for a moment, and only spoke after seeing the young couple become a little nervous. It wasn't that he was deliberately tormenting them, but he was genuinely speechless. When he defeated the Daoist disciple of the Heavenly Sword Sect, he didn't see that group of guys being so respectful.
"I am not a Taoist master!"
Although he knew it was pointless, he still offered an explanation, and sure enough, the young couple wore expressions that said, "Who are you trying to fool?"
"Daozi, did you just emerge from seclusion?"
The boy didn't believe Feng Bingwen's explanation and started calling him by the title he thought was right, then his face lit up with excitement.
"Um!"
"Do you know that the Daoist Master of the Netherworld has challenged you to a duel?"
"I just found out."
“Daozi, I have just learned that the Daozi of the Netherworld Path is worried that you will refuse to fight, so he has sent his followers to hunt down a five-colored deer.”
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