The Wanshui Stone Bank is located in the South China Sea.
Here, besides the scattered and orderly islands numbering hundreds, there is only boundless sea.
During the dawn when the sun rises in the east, this sea area must show various beautiful coastal scenery.
However, due to the enveloping dark mist, the area within a few thousand miles now appears hazy as if it's just getting dark.
At this moment, a howl of an unseen object sounds from the northern sky, approaching gradually.
Wang Zixi slowly turned his head and saw that this howl was continuous, rising higher and higher, and the excited sea water kept rolling and surging.
At first, the howl was not very intense, and the sea water was only slightly churning.
But in a moment, the howl pierced the sky, ten thousand times louder than the shrill sound of a cargo ship's whistle.
The water in the sea roared even more with the howl, becoming fierce waves and rolling over, raising giant waves up to twenty meters high, almost covering the entire sky. Both sunlight and dark qi were obscured by the huge waves.
That's not even the worst of it.
A cloud of divine light and fragrance floated in among the howling sounds.
The cloud sped like a galloping horse, starting as small as a palm before swiftly approaching and expanding to cover most of the sky. It pressed down on the sea, with myriad beams of radiant light shining over the Wanshui Stone Bank, several thousand meters high in the sky.
The colorful light shot out in all directions, as if the gates of heaven had opened wide, filling people with a sense of boundless joy and relaxation.
At the same time, a sigh rose up in the colorful light, "Wang Junior Brother, I did not expect to part for over a year and find that you have committed such heinous acts at the Wanshui Stone Bank. That's why my teacher asked me to bring you back to the temple and teach you. Alright, I'll give you a chance. If you surrender and follow me back peacefully, we won't hurt the harmony among our disciples!"
In the colorful light, Chen Yun's voice was heard.
Following that, a lucky cloud enveloped in mist and emanating steam, over an acre in size with tens of thousands of rays of radiant light descending.
Dressed in a green robe, wearing a black silk headscarf, and with his hands behind his back, Chen Yun, with his natural air and celestial demeanor, gradually appeared in Wang Zixi's sight.
His face showed no trace of emotion, only extending his hand to point. The auspicious clouds in the sky were like the bursting of a celestial river, spreading down like a radiant snake madly wandering in the dark qi that enveloped the Wanshui Stone Bank.
In the span of a single breath, the dark qi dissipated completely, and the heavens and earth became clear and bright.
Chen Yun immediately deployed his powerful magic, demonstrating his strength and warning Wang Zixi that he was no longer the same as before, urging him to surrender immediately!
Wang Zixi hadn't expected that the moment he sent a message, Chen Yun had traveled from thousands of miles away.
What Wang Zixi hadn't expected even more was that the Chen aunt he had watched grow from nothing, had now cultivated his cultivation to such a high level. With a wave of his hand and a lift of his foot, he used the power of his spirit to mobilize part of the spiritual energy of this realm, transforming it into the rising eastern dawn, shattering the darkness.
"Chen aunt, just one year has passed, and I never thought you would become so powerful."
Wang Zixi looked up at the sky in awe and praised, "When you first entered my Zhongnan Mountain Jingyang Cave Daoist Temple, you were nothing more than a frail young man. In just five or six years, the time has flown by. Now you are tall and sturdy, exuding an aura of vigor and vitality. Your cultivation is profound beyond measure. My heart...is very contented."
Mid-sentence, a surge of dark qi erupted from his body once more, dispersing and dissolving the rising eastern dawn formed by Chen Yun's spirit energy.
The sky and earth once again turned dark and gloomy, cold and icy, with a chilling presence of evil qi!
Wang Zixi's tone was one of relief, but his actions were not friendly. He even retaliated with powerful magic, telling Chen Yun that he would not surrender easily today!
Feeling the cold and evil around him, Chen Yun looked down from above and said, "Wang junior brother, are you really going to resort to such a destructive act?"
Wang Zixi spoke with determination and power: "I, Wang Zixi, have dedicated my entire life to seeking the Dao, only to achieve immortality. However, some things are not within one's willpower. I had no choice but to do some things that bring shame upon our sect. Please, Chen uncle, consider my past favors and give me three days. After three days, I will definitely not disobey your command and submit peacefully, follow you back."
Hmm?
Three days later, no resistance.
Submit peacefully and follow me back to the Daoist temple?
Hearing this, Chen Yun couldn't help but freeze for a moment.
From the evil aura of this realm and the terrifying scene he was witnessing, Chen Yun could deduce that the other party was performing a sacrifice of all living beings here to gather boundless power for himself, and even possibly use it to greatly boost his cultivation.
Then why does the other party say he will submit and follow you back to the temple after three days?
Could it be…
Chen Yun speculated silently that Wang Zixi might be sacrificing thousands of lives to gather power for someone else.
According to his understanding of Wang Zixi, his family members had all died decades ago, and apart from himself, he seemed to have no relatives.
Master Wang Laozhi is at the level of a supreme leader, one step away from forging a Golden Pill to attain immortality. It seems that he doesn't need Wang Zixi's help in condensing these forces.
Then, for whom is Wang Zixi acting in such a manner?
Chen Yun's inner thoughts were very perplexed.
However, he saw that countless living beings within a radius of a few thousand miles were suffering, realizing that he couldn't let Wang Zixi continue in this way.
He tried his best to persuade him, hoping to avoid a major confrontation, "Wang junior brother, I don't know what kind of trouble you are facing, but my teacher is a truly divine being who is famous throughout the heavens and earth. While I can't say he knows everything and can do anything, at least for troubles that we commoners have not yet realized the Dao, for him it's almost child's play. If you have any trouble, please tell me, and I will definitely intercede with my teacher for you. In that case, would you come back with me?"
Wang Zixi also had his hands behind his back, maintaining an expression of calm, without responding to Chen Yun's words.
On the contrary, he asked with concern: "Chen uncle, I have heard for a year that you are planning to seek spiritual roots in the Moon and Sun Teng hole. May I ask if you have found what you desire?"
Chen Yun nodded, "Yes, I have."
Wang Zixi suddenly smiled, "It's good that you obtained it. It's good that you obtained it. To be honest, when you were just a mediocre cultivator and wanted to go to the dangerous Yueyue Lake Cave Heaven to seek spiritual roots, I couldn't help but worry for you secretly. Fortunately, you not only returned safely but also obtained the desired spiritual root. That's great! It's a great thing!"
It was clear that he was genuinely happy for him.
Feeling a warmth in his heart, Chen Yun really felt a bit reluctant to take action.
Chen Yun sighed and said, "Wang junior brother, a year has passed since we last saw each other..."
"Wang Zixi." Wang Zixi interrupted, his gaze carrying a hint of nostalgia, "Do you still remember when you secretly practiced the foundation-building skill?"
Chen Yun nodded slightly and smiled, "Of course I remember. It was because I secretly practiced the foundation-building skill that you scolded me for a while. To be honest, at first, I was a bit resentful, but after knowing that you were worried about my safety, I understood your words."
Wang Zixi pursued the question, "What made you defy my advice and secretly practice the foundation-building skill?"
Why did I not listen to the advice and secretly practice the foundation-building skill at that time?
Chen Yun's gaze became confused, "I didn't listen to the advice and secretly practice the foundation-building skill because I felt that time was urgent. After all, Master Wang Laozhi clearly said that workers can only work in the temple for five years. If they cannot be admitted into the doorway within five years, they will lose their hope for immortality."
Five years of time, for a cultivator, was just like a white horse passing by.
However, for myself as an ordinary person at that time, five years seemed to be a bit too short.
After all, according to Li Si's words, it would take at least two to three years to fully cultivate the foundation-building skill.
These two or three years included a third of that time dedicated to learning about the human body's structure.
Therefore, Chen Yun feared that he wouldn't be able to become a disciple of the temple, so he desperately wanted to show his "talents" and didn't listen to the advice to practice the foundation-building skill.
Of course, I didn't really disregard everything. I had the Dàluó Língtāng to rely on.
Otherwise, Chen Yun would have been willing to spend a year and a half learning about the structure of the human body.
These thoughts flashed in his mind. Chen Yun spoke truthfully, "The path of immortality is not known by everyone. I originally secretly practiced the foundation-building skill because I was afraid that I might miss the hope of immortality and wanted to make the most of every moment."
Wang Zixi nodded slightly, "You were just an ordinary person at that time and still understood that the path to immortality is not easy. If you miss it, you may never get another chance for the rest of your life. Therefore, no matter what, you would not listen to my advice and practice the foundation-building skill. Now, I have encountered a situation that may be worse than your previous circumstances. Do you think I should act as you did back then, ignoring all warnings and giving it my all to seek even a sliver of opportunity?"
Chen Yun agreed, "Should!"
Wang Zixi said, "Then, please give me three days to fulfill my heart's desire."
Chen Yun shook his head, "No, I cannot agree to your request."
Wang Zixi asked, "Why not?"
Chen Yun took a deep breath and pointed to the vast world, saying, "The sliver of opportunity you speak of is the sacrifice of all living things in this realm. It is a disaster that harms others for the benefit of oneself. It is to take away the lives of all living beings and complete one's own path to enlightenment. I ask you, if you achieve immortality in this way, will your Dao heart not shatter?"
"I may never have the chance to become an immortal in this lifetime," Wang Zixi said in an unusually calm tone, "but I still must do this. Chen uncle, please do not try to persuade me further. Our paths are different. Today, you may use your powerful magic arts to capture me and bring me back to the Daoist temple, or even defeat me so that I am utterly destroyed. Wang Zixi will not blame you!"
Chen Yun laughed bitterly and said, "Are we still going to have a confrontation?"
Wang Zixi unleashed his black qi, which instantly shot up into the sky and spread out, enveloping Chen Yun completely.
His aura became incredibly fierce, and his tone was decisive and resolute as he said, "Chen uncle, I've watched you grow up. Just this time, since I have committed a disaster that causes suffering to all living beings, and you are here under the order of the elder master to capture me, let me see just how far you have grown!"
Seeing this scene, Chen Yun knew that the battle was unavoidable.
He also activated his true qi throughout his body, emitting a bright golden light, "Fine, then today I will ask Wang senior brother to review my cultivation level for me!"
(Chapter ends)
