"I am who I am!" Zhang Chen’s figure appeared not far from the peacock, his eyes fixed on it.
"I have no enmity with you, why do you wish to harm me?" The peacock’s form twisted, transforming into a figure, a strikingly handsome young man draped in a Five-Colored Cloud Robe, his eyes staring deeply into Zhang Chen’s, full of confusion.
"Indeed, we have no quarrel, but I am interested in the treasure within your nest. Could I trouble you to retrieve it for me?" Zhang Chen asked.
"The treasure is not fully matured; taking it now would only harm its spirituality, and you’d get nothing more than a premature, defective product. But if you truly desire it, perhaps we could negotiate - release me, and the treasure can be yours." The peacock’s eyes bore into Zhang Chen’s, its voice laced with temptation.
"I don’t have time to wait, even if it’s defective. Please retrieve the treasure." Zhang Chen replied to the peacock.
But before he finished speaking, the peacock had already transformed into a stream of light, rushing to Zhang Chen’s side, its cold eyes full of chill: "Mere ant, you think you can harm me with unknown means? Once I capture your true body, I will peel your skin and light the heavenly lamp with your bones."
The peacock extended a claw, freezing Heaven and Earth, trapping Zhang Chen in the void. Fortunately, this was Zhang Chen’s Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Array, and his body disintegrated into yellow sand, letting the peacock’s claw grab nothing but air.
At this moment, Zhang Chen’s figure appeared deep within the Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Array, and without hesitation, he activated it to suppress the peacock.
Now that the confrontation has begun, it’s either you die or I die.
This peacock’s power is terrifying, far beyond Zhang Chen’s provocations.
"The peacock is furious; it seems the array’s power has damaged its feathers and harmed its essence, which has made it anxious. You’ve really angered it." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon watched the peacock flying frantically within the array, its voice filled with glee.
"What is the peacock’s strength then? It can’t be just the Twelfth Tier! If you don’t give me a satisfactory answer today, I’ll let you taste the array’s might too." Zhang Chen turned to look at the Great Freedom Celestial Demon.
"This creature’s power is immeasurable, likely beyond Twelfth Tier, having attained the legendary ’fruit’, but what does it matter? In your Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Array, there’s no difference." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon chuckled dryly.
"What’s this ’fruit’?" Zhang Chen asked, this being the critical information.
"Can’t express it, you either have it or you don’t." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon shook its head, sounding sincere: "No way to describe it in words."
Hearing this, Zhang Chen couldn’t force the Great Freedom Celestial Demon to explain further, instead asking: "What realms are there beyond the Twelfth Tier?"
"You could say there are realms, you could say there aren’t." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon’s eyes remained on the peacock amid the yellow sand, replying casually.
"What do you mean?" Zhang Chen was puzzled.
"Though the Twelfth Tier is indeed the pinnacle of cultivation, there are extraordinary talents who can form a ’fruit’ above the pinnacle, their strength changing dramatically. But forming a fruit is extremely difficult, even Taiyin Wang Shu and Eastern Emperor Taiyi have not formed a ’fruit’." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon explained.
Zhang Chen pondered deeply, uncertain of what he was contemplating.
"Quickly increase the power output to eliminate its protective barrier, directly suppress its physical form." The Great Freedom Celestial Demon urged Zhang Chen as the peacock’s glow dimmed within the array.
"The peacock is not easily suppressed, its power is unparalleled. I’ve already pushed the array’s might to the limit." Zhang Chen replied.
"Friend, please cease for a moment, I have something to say."
At this point, the peacock’s protective aura grew dimmer, seeming like a candle in the wind, about to extinguish, and finally, unable to endure, it called out amidst the vast yellow sand.
"What do you wish to say?" Zhang Chen’s figure flickered, appearing a hundred meters away from the peacock.
"May I know your esteemed name? With such incredible means, you must not be an unknown figure." The peacock inquired of Zhang Chen.
The name wasn’t a secret, so Zhang Chen didn’t hide it: "I am Zhang Chen."
The peacock pondered, throughout its existence since creation, it had never heard of this name: "I have no grievances with you, I admit defeat today. My eons of arduous cultivation didn’t come easily, I ask you to spare me a path to life and leave this secret treasure to you. Honestly, it’s of no use to me, I merely sought to comprehend the mysteries of Yin and Yang. Let our grievances end here, how about it?"
"Kid, you’d be a fool to believe him! If he escapes, breaking your Nine Bends Yellow River Talisman Array would be as easy as a snap, and you’ll have nowhere to cry. We don’t wish to take his life, only diminish his cultivation. As long as I possess his mind, with his foundation, it’ll take less than a thousand years to regain his cultivation, so muzzle your pity. Also, his emotions are fluctuating, his mind is wavering, and I’ve found an opportunity, so you must hold firm."
The Great Freedom Celestial Demon worried that Zhang Chen, short-lived as he was, might be swayed by the other’s words, so it hurried to remind him.
Moreover, the peacock’s voice was enchanting, inherently bewitching, fearing Zhang Chen might be caught off guard by it.
As they spoke, the Great Freedom Celemon dashed toward the peacock, transforming into a black lotus, weaving through its Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
"Your abilities reach the heavens, I rely only on this talisman array, should you breach it, where would my chance of survival be?" Zhang Chen replied, eyes fixed on the peacock, hoping it might reveal some skills under the onslaught of yellow sand, which would be quite profitable for him.
"What would bring you peace of mind?" The peacock glared at Zhang Chen, hatred gnashing its teeth. The person before it was a mere ant, possessing such a shallow cultivation, it would usually find it offensive to even look his way. Yet, who would have thought it would fall into this ant’s hands due to hubris? The peacock’s heart boiled with resentment, a sense of humiliation surged, rippling through its usually serene mindset.
"When I catch him, I’ll tear out his soul and torment him to death." The peacock vowed internally.
Amidst its surging hatred, the black lotus transformed by the Great Freedom Celestial Demon flickered and entered its body.
The lotus ignored the Five-Colored Divine Light’s defense, bypassed the peacock’s flesh, and directly entered its Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
Zhang Chen clearly witnessed this scene, shivering with fear: "This Great Freedom Celestial Demon is truly terrifying, with a moment’s emotional disturbance, it seizes the opportunity, truly terrifying."
At this moment, the peacock sensed something amiss, being a creature of eons, it first noticed its mental imbalance, swiftly inspecting its Essence, Qi, and Spirit. Next, the Five-Colored Divine Light returned inward, illuminating its Spiritual World, revealing the black lotus under its radiance.
"What is this?!"
Seeing the purple-black lotus in its Spiritual World, the peacock was alarmed. The Five-Colored Light flashed, transforming into a blade, slashing the black lotus, which scattered into powder under the Five-Colored Light’s sweep.
"What trickery is this?" The peacock gazed at Zhang Chen, its eyes showing a hint of terror, suspecting Zhang Chen of harming it with secretive methods.