Chi Buzi was left speechless as his breath caught in frustration. He sneered inwardly, grinding his teeth in hatred as he thought, I’ve fought with you for decades. Do you think I still don’t know what kind of scum you are? You talk so righteously, but deep down you’re lustful, cowardly, and greedy to the core. Pretending... and you’re still pretending so well...
Lu Jiangxian watched the creature’s mouth flap and secretly felt a headache. It had taken a lot to stage this moment properly and he truly feared that this fellow would talk too much and give something away.
Jinlian wasn’t talkative at all. How did he manage to produce such a noisy thing like Dangjiang...
Lu Jiangxian silently commanded the creature to shut up, gently shook his head, and spoke in a warm tone, “You have deserted your post for many years. Naturally, you must bear punishment. Return to your position.”
When these words landed, Chi Buzi instantly regained feeling in his limbs. The burden in his heart was finally lifted. When he felt the cold touch of the floor beneath him again, he sighed silently in his heart, So he really didn’t take my body... after all, he is an immortal...
So it was this idiot abandoning his post from some grotto heaven or secret realm back then. No wonder that fiendish thing barged in out of nowhere!
He had originally thought that Dangjiang had been sent by some True Monarch to seize his body. That was why he had gone to Zongquan Island and taken the risk to speak all those words. Now that he had finally pieced together the full chain of events, he felt a trace of envy in his heart, This fool really has foolish fortune...
He paused for a moment and realized that this Immortal Lord, who seemed to be Yingze, had likely come only to retrieve the fiend. In all likelihood, he would soon depart into some immortal realm, and anxiety began to rise in his heart.
Chi Buzi had finally obtained a chance at forming a Golden Core. How could he let it slip away? At the very least, the immortal before him seemed approachable.
He gritted his teeth and bowed fiercely, then spoke in a solemn tone, “Buzi feels longing in his heart to behold the Immortal Lord’s face. I only fear the great path is not in harmony. To see the immortal is like seeing the truth of the Dao. I beg the Immortal Lord to guide me to the Golden Core Dao.”
He could not stop trembling in fear as he spoke. The immortal above did not seem surprised and quietly watched him.
After a moment, he said, “You used your body as a cage to imprison Dangjiang. You prevented him from revealing himself. That can be considered a merit.”
Chi Buzi felt both doubt and joy in his heart. He pressed his head even closer to the ground. The brilliance before him receded like the tide, little by little fading away, leaving only a long sigh.
The immortal declared, “You have the heart to cultivate yourself and preserve your nature. That is already rare in this world today. Since you seek a clear path, I shall show you one. Make good use of it.”
Chi Buzi knelt silently. Only when the brilliance before him had fully vanished did he slowly raise his head. Everything before him remained frozen in endless stillness. It was tranquil and peaceful.
If not for Si Boxiu standing beside him like a statue, Chi Buzi would have thought everything had been nothing but a dream. He slowly stood up and looked around.
All the splendid colors in the great hall were slowly fading. The stone steps, jade slips, formation lines; everything dissolved like sand in the wind, leaving behind endless whiteness.
He looked ahead, where a snow-white command token floated in the air. The man in green stepped forward and gently grasped it. A thunderous boom echoed in his mind as the token transformed into white radiance and shot into his consciousness.
Countless spell chants surged forth like a great flood. Chi Buzi slowly raised his head, light flashing in his eyes, as several large words appeared in his mind, Heavenly Glyph Bright Profound Sacrificial Method!
Clink clang...
He suddenly lifted his head. The white light before him had completely vanished. The clinking of jade pendants returned to his ears at the same time as the flow of spiritual energy reappeared in his perception. Chi Buzi still held the green jade slip, cool and smooth to the touch.
The glow of the formation lit up his green robe, revealing intricate patterns. He heard the aged voice of Si Boxiu behind him.
“Any gains?”
“Not enough.” Chi Buzi smoothly and naturally lifted his head. A look of helplessness appeared on his face as he slightly shook his head and frowned. “It’s still only Foundation Establishment Realm.”
He quickly searched through it again. As expected, the Purging Dew of Pristine Water was still not there. Disappointment written all over his face, he returned to Si Boxiu and spoke softly, “What a pity. Has Uncle already taken the spell he wanted?”
“There’s nothing here I particularly need...” Si Boxiu shook his head and said, “These techniques seem more suited for ordinary disciples to study. What I’m looking for is a more profound kind of sigil and formation art. While there are some interesting things here, they’re still not enough.”
“A more profound kind of sigil and formation art?” Chi Buzi's expression remained natural. There was no trace of the events just moments ago. He smiled and said, “Then we’ll have to head to Moonlight Origin Mansion!”
“Wouldn’t dare say for sure...” Si Boxiu’s mouth twitched slightly as he silently shook his head.
Chi Buzi cast his gaze across the sea of Dao methods and casually remarked, “Since Uncle has already taken what he wants, then let’s act together. Trigger the formations in this hall and destroy everything here!”
Si Boxiu frowned slightly but found some sense in the suggestion. The ones at the center were all Purple Mansion Realm techniques related to True Essence. Their formations were especially tight. There might even be additional restrictions layered within. It would take at least an hour to break one open.
Since none of it was essential to either of them, and time was precious within a grotto heaven, spending an hour just to extract one technique was not worth it. But leaving it for others to take was even more unacceptable.
Si Boxiu activated the Profound Yellow Dao Talisman and placed it onto the center of the formation, speaking softly, “Stay back for now. Breaking this great formation isn’t easy, but triggering its self-destruction is much simpler!”
Si Boxiu was a master of the art, so Chi Buzi naturally left it in his hands and gracefully retreated. Once he was a quarter of a kilometer away, a dazzling blaze shot skyward. Golden-red mixed with ash-black erupted as True Flame and Merging Fire exploded simultaneously.
Now, no matter how good the techniques inside were, they’ve all been completely burned away... Chi Buzi’s face was slightly reddened by the surging flames in front of him. A harmonious smile appeared on his face, and he was thoroughly satisfied in his heart, I must keep the Heavenly Glyph Bright Profound Sacrificial Method strictly confidential. But who knows when someone might catch a glimpse... It needs a plausible origin.
This Palace of Enlightened Dao is the perfect source. Who knows what secret techniques were hidden within? Burn everything to ashes, and there’s nothing left to verify... Who could possibly say otherwise?
He clasped his hands behind his back. His green robes flickered between light and shadow under the blazing fire. He forcibly suppressed the surge of joy and doubt in his heart, thinking silently, I’ll study this technique carefully when I return. But since it was bestowed by an immortal, there’s an eighty or ninety percent chance I won’t understand a thing... Still, I must try.