Chapter 714: Chapter 142: Mutation
Within the Yuan Ci Secret Realm, Wan Jian Tian felt a deep sense of self-blame.
He had sworn to protect Zhou Yan’s physical body, believing he could surely guard it well, but now, not only had he failed to preserve Zhou Yan’s body, but Zhou Yan’s daughter Si Si had also mysteriously disappeared.
Wan Jian Tian knew of Si Si’s strange actions, but he believed that she would never do anything against Zhou Yan. Therefore, he deduced that the second possibility had occurred: someone had taken Zhou Yan’s body and abducted Si Si.
His feelings were complicated, and after much contemplation, he decided to personally visit Tianji Mountain to find Zhuge Guyan and investigate the matter.
Even more, he felt that there might still be unstable elements within the Yuan Ci Secret Realm.
Thus, Wan Jian Tian temporarily entrusted the matters of the Yuan Ci Secret Realm to Battle Sky Bear Saint Xiong Ba and had Jiu Que assist Bai Ying. He quietly left the Secret Realm without alerting anyone.
When Wan Jian Tian left the Yuan Ci Secret Realm, another incident occurred at Tianji Mountain.
Outside Tianji Mountain, Zhuge Jiayue returned inexplicably from Nine Origin Heavenly City, her face filled with an urgent anxiety as she hurriedly flew towards Tianji Mountain.
With the Heavenly Mechanism Order, she could freely enter and exit the place. Yet, before she could set foot on Tianji Mountain, the heavens and earth suddenly flipped, and Tianji Mountain stood upside down, turning into a mist-like purple light that swiftly shot away and genuinely vanished.
“Hmm? What’s going on? Why has Tianji Mountain disappeared?”
“If that’s the case, what should we do? This issue is of great importance. Failure to notify the Sect Master could lead to a colossal disaster!”
Zhuge Jiayue was incredibly anxious, the color of vexation clear on her face.
She had awakened her Life Chart and was protected by the Power of Destiny of the Fate Goddess, which made it difficult for her to show such anxiety and impatience. But this time, she seemed utterly troubled and chaotic, unable to calm down.
She stood in place, then used the power of destiny to predict and derive, but the results were chaotic, with nothing existing. It was as if everything had been enveloped in a layer of mist, as though the previous clarity had been an illusion.
“What exactly… is happening? Where has the change occurred? Why is there this frightening feeling of a space-time mix-up, an inversion? Could it be that some terrifying calamity is about to descend? And that matter… why did the Sect Master and Tianji Mountain both disappear at such a critical moment?”
Zhuge Jiayue felt uncertainty in her heart. She stood there alone for a long time but still, no information became apparent.
The Heavenly Mechanism Order in her hand was now discarded like a fragment of a shattered Soul Device, completely losing its luster.
After waiting a moment longer, realizing there were no leads whatsoever, she began to hesitate whether to stimulate the energy of the Destiny Temple and ‘submit’ to that person, seeking ‘his’ help.
…
Wan Sha Desolate Land.
Three months had passed.
After three months of arduous cultivation, Zhou Gucheng’s Cultivation level had once again soared, with a similarly significant enhancement in strength. He sensed the mystique of the Lonely Sword Intent within the desolation, which corresponded to a complex and profound transformation.
These, however, were secondary. Cultivating alongside Hou Chen, Zhou Gucheng felt an unprecedented support from the power of Blood Qi.
It seemed as if that Blood Qi was like an ancient, long river where Buddhas with seven-colored halos frequently chanted scriptures and terrifying white-bearded elders passed on their teachings.
Such Anomalies would appear each time Hou Chen cultivated, which also affected Zhou Gucheng, allowing him even to refine the evil aura of Wan Sha Desolate Land into pure energy.
“Says thus I have heard… There is no characteristic of living beings, no characteristic of lifespan.”
“The Tao that can be told is not the eternal Tao… Heaven and Earth are heartless, treating all creatures as straw dogs.”
…
“Here it comes again.”
Zhou Gucheng shook all over, feeling as if countless killing intents and Heart Demons had all turned into monkeys, suppressed under a stone wall by a palm of golden light; they also transformed into the Monkey King, purified by the fire of a Purple Pill Furnace.
“Heart Demon is also the Heart Monkey. To subdue the Heart Monkey is to achieve the Supreme Dao.”
“When the Heart Monkey ascends, the Heart Demon becomes the Heavenly God. The Demon Heart is the Heavenly Heart.”
Zhou Gucheng comprehended this Ultimate Dao, and his whole being felt enlightened, his pores emitting an Immortal God’s radiance, extremely refreshing.
Regrettably, the time of restraint arrived.
Zhou Gucheng finally understood Hou Chen’s intentions—it was a critical moment, and he wanted to send him out! How could he leave such an excellent opportunity? Missing this chance, attaining Sudden Enlightenment again would likely be extremely difficult.
“Alas, Uncle Gucheng, now that you’re gone, Chen Chen will be lonely as snow again, truly vexing. Although this place is wonderful, it’s also unbearably dull. You should go out and tease some arrogant Fairies and then come back to accompany Chen Chen.”
Hou Chen, halfway through his cultivation, suddenly gave up, as if sensing something, and said somewhat helplessly.
Zhou Gucheng’s facial muscles twitched slightly. He spoke with a grave and stern tone, “You little brat, not learning good things, thinking about teasing women all day long? What grand aspirations!”
“Heh heh, well, I don’t exactly know how to tease, but it does sound intriguing. I’m genuinely curious as to why women’s pecs can develop so much more than men’s and possess such elasticity; it’s truly miraculous. Sadly, it seems no one shares my perspective. The next time I encounter a woman I don’t like, I must tear off her clothes and thoroughly inspect the structure of her pecs.”
Hou Chen spoke with curiosity.
Zhou Gucheng’s face turned dark, and cold sweat formed on his forehead, but he suppressed the strange thoughts and coldly said, “What’s so great about having big pectoral muscles? I think if you spent your energy on cultivation, by now you would have—have—”
Speaking thus far, Zhou Gucheng suddenly didn’t know what else to say. Hou Chen’s cultivation speed was truly against the heavens. In these three months, Hou Chen’s realm had reached the peak of the Sword Void Eight Transformation, and he was close to transcending the tribulation.
The bloodline within his body was expanding every moment, emitting a terrifying aura, like a bloodthirsty Supreme being continuously awakened and growing. It was truly frightening.
Previously, Zhou Gucheng was still confident he could exchange a few moves with Hou Chen in battle. Now, he believed that if he were to fight Hou Chen, he would be cut down by the other’s Emperor Qi Dragon Transformation Technique within three moves.
This was not self-deprecation; rather, after combining the Emperor Qi Dragon Transformation Technique with Xingyi, it could astonishingly transform into three dragons. It was like having three selves, each with the same strength.
Even a one-on-one was difficult enough, let alone one against four. Zhou Gucheng knew he would be instantly obliterated.
“The young master is so powerful, and so is his disciple. They’re both in the same cultivation environment with the same nurturing, yet I still can’t compare to him. I don’t have a great talent for cultivation, so I have to work even harder. I may not aim to surpass, but I at least aim not to fall too far behind!”
Zhou Gucheng thought to himself.
Thinking of all these things, Zhou Gucheng involuntarily sighed and said, “All these messes, you’ll understand when you grow up.”
“But… after practicing the Emperor Qi Dragon Transformation Technique, I’m getting younger and younger. I really feel like vomiting three liters of blood. It’s like I’m being tricked! Before, I looked fifteen or sixteen, with a face rosy and fair, incredibly handsome. Now, I actually look like I’m about twelve. If I continue to cultivate, I won’t end up like little sister Sisi and become a little brat, will I? That would be tragic.”
Hou Chen said pitifully.
“…”
Zhou Gucheng had nothing to say.
“So, if my pectoral muscles developed well, I could prove that I am very impressive.” Hou Chen continued.
Saying this, he also compared a muscle-stretching motion and fiercely kneaded his own chest.
Zhou Gucheng watched the child with strange ideas and couldn’t help thinking to himself that from beginning to end, you are a little brat; you have never really grown up.
However, Zhou Gucheng ultimately didn’t know what to say because neither he nor Hou Chen knew what would be appropriate. He was not good with words to begin with, and after Hou Chen said that, his face almost turned red without knowing what to say.
“I’m going out, but I will come back in soon.”
Zhou Gucheng dropped the words coldly.
“Yay, remember to share the secret of building pectoral muscles when you come back.”
Hou Chen said, with stars in his eyes.
“Secret my foot, I’m going out to kill. I’ll learn from you, kill all that I don’t like, and then I can come back in for a few years of harsh cultivation.”
Zhou Gucheng said icily.
“Uh—this… remember to leave a few for me, don’t kill them all, otherwise, when I go out, there will be no one left to kill, and I won’t be able to come back in.”
Hou Chen was taken aback, then immediately made a request.
Zhou Gucheng stumbled a bit, but nodded and said, “Alright, I promise you, I’ll try to leave a few.”
…
Nine Origin Heavenly City.
“The heritage of Nine Palaces Heavenly Que Sacred Land has descended upon our Nine Origin Heavenly City.”
“This time it’s a group of rarely-seen geniuses, never famous before, but incredibly terrifying.”
“Each of them seems to have a combat power exceeding ten. Some say they’re from the Upper-class Plane descending to the Lower Realm, only their intentions are unknown.”
“Hush—Mr. Xiao, you really mustn’t bring this up again, or else it might bring disaster upon you.”
“Feng Dao, why is that?”
“Alas, you don’t know. There’s news from nowhere, saying the Ten Thousand Realms Supreme King, Lei Yan King, is completely dead. Emperor Qi Sword Body Zhou Yan’s physical body is destroyed, his soul annihilated in the Time-Space Soul-locking Tower, totally gone…”
“What? This, this is impossible!”
“What’s impossible about it? These enigmatic beings from the lower realm seem to be from the High-level Plane. So, I think, I’m afraid our Sword Burial Ancestor Star is about to experience a major upheaval.”
…
When Zhou Gucheng came out, he was still very low-key. He didn’t hide his appearance or clothes, but he didn’t make any showy displays either, keeping silent as he traveled back to his own Main Peak.
However, as he passed by the Secondary Main Peak of Hou Ling, Zhou Gucheng was surprised to discover that Hou Ling’s Secondary Main Peak had been occupied, and Hou Ling had disappeared without a trace.
Following that, Zhou Gucheng made a terrifying discovery that not just Hou Ling, but also Li Wuxian, Zhou Xian, Jia Yongheng, and others’ Secondary Main Peaks had vanished.
He was wondering when, due to his soul making immense and pure progress, he sensed some information emanating from a group of Cultivators in the distance who were gathering to discuss Tao.
At that moment, Zhou Gucheng was completely stunned.