The Dao of Reincarnation (450-451) (Patreon)

Chapter 450: Sun and Moon Illuminate Mountains and Rivers (Part 9)

"Burp~"

Even though Ling Jiuxiao was a "big eater," at this moment, he could not help but feel as if his entire body was about to be "stuffed" to death.

A Saint King, even the weakest Saint King, was still an enormous tonic.

Yet... some incomplete scenes flashed through Ling Jiuxiao's mind, causing his expression to turn peculiar.

"Elder, I know the cause of that Phoenix King's death."

"Oh?"

"It seems the Phoenix King merely cursed that sword dao master as a poser. In less than a month, he had all her feathers stripped away and her divine soul imprisoned here."

"Elder, have you ever spoken ill of that sword dao master?"

The Elder currently residing in Ling Jiuxiao's mind suddenly felt a chill run through his entire body.

What a joke. He was not even a soul body. How could he feel a chill?

"What nonsense are you brat spouting? This old man does not even know that sword dao master. How could I possibly speak ill of him?"

It must be so.

Ling Jiuxiao felt that the Elder's emotions seemed somewhat strange... exactly like someone with a guilty conscience.

Yet this should be a misconception.

...

Within the rear mountain of the Mountains and Rivers Sect.

"Interesting..."

Su Chen raised his head and glanced sideways into the distance. That direction happened to be precisely the Myriad Demons Realm.

"Sect Master, the Sun and Moon Hall is about to hold the grand competition of the younger generation of the Sun and Moon Continent. This is the invitation delivered by the envoy of the Sun and Moon Hall. Should we go and participate?"

Han Xiyue bent respectfully at the waist and presented with both hands an invitation made from the hide of some divine beast. A domineering aura faintly condensed in the void. Ordinary people could not even withstand the momentum of the invitation.

Suddenly, the invitation manifested the sun and moon together, transforming into a shocking celestial phenomenon that swept toward Su Chen.

This was the domineering nature of the foremost force of the Sun and Moon Continent. Only powerhouses who could withstand the pressure would receive the recognition of the Sun and Moon Hall.

That shocking celestial phenomenon converged upon Su Chen. Not even a single strand of his hair was stirred.

Su Chen casually waved a hand. Han Xiyue felt her palm grow light and empty. At some unknown point, the invitation had already fallen into Su Chen's hand.

"The grand competition of the heavenly prides of the younger generation of the Sun and Moon Continent?

"Very well. Consider it taking the juniors out to see the world."

Hearing these words, Han Xiyue muttered in her heart, "Making it sound as if you have been to the Sun and Moon Hall before."

Yet she only dared to say this in her heart and did not dare utter a single word of it aloud.

"Han Xiyue, what are you thinking?"

Han Xiyue was startled by Su Chen's sudden words. She replied somewhat guiltily, "Sect Master, of course I am thinking about what level the disciples of our Mountains and Rivers Sect can achieve in the grand competition of the younger generation heavenly prides of the Sun and Moon Continent. After all... our Mountains and Rivers Sect has risen for too short a time. There is still a great gap between us and those powerful forces."

All told, it had only been a short three years since the Mountains and Rivers Sect dominated the Great Yan Dynasty.

The corners of Su Chen's mouth lifted slightly as he said lightly, "Need that even be said? Since our Mountains and Rivers Sect is taking the field, first place is naturally as easy as reaching into a bag. We will make our name known throughout the Sun and Moon Continent."

Han Xiyue asked curiously, "Does that mean Sect Master will personally take action?"

Su Chen shook his head. "No. How could this Sect Master personally take action for such a minor matter? A single outer sect disciple is sufficient."

Han Xiyue: "..."

Her newly improved impression of Su Chen suddenly shattered into pieces on the ground.

...

Ling Jiuxiao finally ended this heart-stirring journey.

Looking at the branch in his hand, the fact that he could walk out of the Myriad Demons Realm unscathed owed no small credit to this branch. A mere branch had frightened all the great demons of the Myriad Demons Realm into fleeing in panic, allowing him to calmly escape under the gaze of many Demon Saints.

Ling Jiuxiao felt he was cool to the extreme. He and the branch were truly formidable. This entire experience could be written into a legend.

Yet at present, the most urgent matter was that he still needed to change into a new set of clothes, because his current clothes were a bit too wet.

"Before this journey, when I entered the Myriad Demons Realm, I was merely a minor cultivator who had just stepped into the Spirit Vein realm."

"Now, upon leaving the Myriad Demons Realm, I am already a peak Profound Connection king. Had my cultivation not soared so rapidly, leaving my foundation unstable, I might now have been able to directly break through to the Void Refining realm and become an Emperor realm powerhouse standing on equal footing with the ruler of the Great Yan Dynasty!"

Looking back on the short span of less than two years, Ling Jiuxiao's life had completely changed. The young kings he had once envied could now be suppressed with a wave of his hand!

"Brat, with your current cultivation, you can head to a broader world."

Ling Jiuxiao asked curiously, "Elder, does that mean we will not return to the Mountains and Rivers Sect?"

The Elder: "Nonsense. Of course, we must return to the Mountains and Rivers Sect. You brat still need to help this old man retrieve the Seven Leaf Divine Tree. Otherwise, within a few years the Mountains and Rivers ect will inevitably suffer the backlash of the Seven Leaf Divine Tree and invite great disaster."

"This old man will tell you the location he senses. When the time comes, you only need to use some methods to approach and help this old man retrieve the Seven Leaf Divine Tree."

Ling Jiuxiao nodded.

Upon returning to the Mountains and Rivers Sect, the present Sect had changed enormously. Countless continuous islands floated in the air. Immortal mist drifted, halls stretched one after another, and it possessed quite the bearing of a sacred land.

"Ling Jiuxiao, he is actually still alive?"

"Two years ago, he took first place in the outer sect test, then completely vanished without a trace."

"Has he returned for the inner sect assessment?"

"..."

When the inner sect assessment was mentioned, the eyes of many disciples filled with boundless yearning.

"Inner sect?"

Ling Jiuxiao felt it was time for him to start showing off.

The rewards for entering the inner sect seemed rather good.

Standing on the platform with his hands clasped behind his back, the wind whistling around him, he felt rather lonely.

"Not a single opponent in one exchange."

Two years ago, the existences he had needed to look up to could now only be defeated by his hand and then look up to him!

Thus, Ling Jiuxiao successfully entered the inner sect.

The space of the inner sect was even broader than that of the outer sect, and the concentration of cultivation vital energy was also higher.

Ling Jiuxiao's figure appeared in the Scripture Pavilion of the inner sect.

"The first floor... is actually entirely filled with Venerable-level cultivation methods and divine abilities."

Ling Jiuxiao was quite astonished.

The Scripture Pavilion of the inner sect also had three floors.

The first floor alone contained Venerable-level cultivation methods and divine abilities.

Could the second floor be Saint-level? Then what rank would the third floor be?

Yet his thoughts were quickly rejected by the Elder.

"Brat, every single Saint inheritance is capable of creating a colossal force that lasts for several thousand or even ten thousand years on the Sun and Moon Continent. The appearance of every such cultivation method or divine ability will stir up a storm."

"With the current Mountains and Rivers Sect, it is likely only by preserving the inheritance of that little fellow from the past that it has been able to continue to this day. If you wish for Saint-level cultivation methods and divine abilities, you will need to become the successor of the Mountains and Rivers Sect."

"Yet... being able to possess such abundant Venerable-level foundations is already rare. Given time, recovering the bearing of a sacred land will not be difficult."

Ling Jiuxiao felt rather regretful. Although he also could not enter the upper two floors of the Scripture Pavilion.

"Elder... look over there. Does that item look a bit familiar?"

In a corner of the Scripture Pavilion, a black incomplete book was being used to prop up the leg of a table.

The second incomplete volume of the Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Divine Art!

Chapter 451: Sun and Moon Illuminate Mountains and Rivers (Part 10)

Good news. That was indeed a fragment of the Heaven-Devouring Earth-Swallowing Divine Art.

Bad news. Both Ling Jiuxiao and the Elder felt that something was not quite right.

"Strange... Any fragment of an Emperor Scripture is enough to cause turmoil across the myriad domains of the starry sky. Why would a small sect successively possess two fragments of an Emperor Scripture?"

"Could it be that the present Mountains and Rivers Sect has no one who recognizes goods? A proper fragment of an Emperor Scripture is being treated as waste paper... Truly a wanton waste of heavenly treasures!"

The Elder's heart was dripping blood.

Ling Jiuxiao obtained Emperor Scripture fragment +1.

Half a month had passed since Ling Jiuxiao entered the inner sect and obtained the Emperor Scripture fragment.

An excited voice from the Elder rang out in Ling Jiuxiao's mind.

"Found it! Finally found it!"

Ling Jiuxiao said, "Elder, have you found the whereabouts of the Seven Leaf Divine Tree?"

The Elder replied, "Correct! The aura of the Seven Leaf Divine Tree is precisely within the rear mountain of the Mountains and Rivers Sect."

Ling Jiuxiao felt somewhat troubled. "Elder, the rear mountain is a forbidden zone of the sect. Not to mention disciples, even elders are not allowed to enter."

"No matter, brat. This old man will help you conceal your aura. Slip quietly into the rear mountain, and it will certainly be without anyone noticing." The Elder made a confident guarantee.

Ling Jiuxiao was deeply familiar with the Elder's abilities.

He was unreliable in minor matters and also unreliable at critical moments.

"Even if you are caught, you brat will only be locked in confinement for a hundred years. Your lifespan is still long now. Being locked up for a hundred years is no big deal. After a hundred years, you will still be a fine man."

Ling Jiuxiao: "..."

Yet in the end, he still agreed to help the Elder. Because this was something he had already promised.

...

On a dark and windy night, the elder guarding the forbidden land of the rear mountain only felt a clear breeze brush past.

Under the Elder's protection, Ling Jiuxiao had already slipped into the rear mountain.

"Elder, why are there so many animals in this rear mountain?"

Ling Jiuxiao was very curious.

The moment he entered the rear mountain, the small lizard lying on a tree, the nine-colored snake coiled on a branch, the chickens, ducks, and geese by the water's edge, and even the fish in the water all turned their eyes toward the direction of his concealment, as if they had discovered his traces.

The Elder said, "These are perhaps just ordinary animals with not the slightest cultivation, that can be casually slaughtered. The most urgent matter is still to find the Seven Leaf Divine Tree as quickly as possible."

"..."

The words had barely fallen.

Ling Jiuxiao felt a chill run down his back.

"Elder, I feel there might be someone behind me."

The Elder said with full confidence, "Brat, do not scare yourself. With this old man here, not even a single ant among any living being within a thousand li can escape this old man's notice. If there is someone behind you, this old man will certainly remind you."

At that moment, a light laugh came from behind Ling Jiuxiao.

"Little fellow, doing some sneaky and underhanded things in the middle of the night is not good."

Ling Jiuxiao: "..."

The Elder: "..."

Both of them fell silent.

Ling Jiuxiao knew the Elder might be somewhat unreliable. Yet he had not expected him to be this unreliable.

The front foot had just stepped into the rear mountain, and the next second, he was caught red-handed by the main party.

Ling Jiuxiao turned his head in trembling fear and saw a handsome man in a green-blue long robe standing with his hands clasped behind his back, smiling as he looked at him.

"Sect... Sect Master!"

Ling Jiuxiao recalled that he had once seen a portrait of a youth in the great hall. The person in the portrait was none other than the youth before him, and even more handsome than in the portrait.

Looking at the little fellow before him, Su Chen said, "As an inner sect disciple, you should be clear about the sect rules. Privately sneaking into the rear mountain carries punishment."

Ling Jiuxiao did not know why his knees suddenly went soft.

The Elder in his mind had gone completely silent as if dead, which caused Ling Jiuxiao to curse the unreliability of this old fellow in secret. At this point, he could only rely on himself.

"Sect Master, this disciple has long admired the great name of the Sect Master. Meeting you today, you are truly elegant and unrestrained, wise and mighty, graceful as a jade tree in the wind... If the elegance of this world is divided into ten parts, the Sect Master alone occupies twelve."

Ling Jiuxiao spoke without pause.

He did not want to be locked in confinement for a hundred years. At his current peak of youthful elegance, how could he endure a hundred years of loneliness?

"Very well, very well. You little fellow actually possess a bit of insight and talent. In the future, you will certainly become a pillar of the sect. Today's matter, this Sect Master can pretend not to have seen."

Ling Jiuxiao's expression brightened at these words. "Many thanks to the wise and mighty Sect Master! In that case, may this disciple leave this place?"

Su Chen looked at him with a smiling expression.

Ling Jiuxiao's heart cooled once more.

"May I ask what instructions the Sect Master has?"

Su Chen said, "You should have heard of the grand competition of the younger generation heavenly prides of the Sun and Moon Continent."

Ling Jiuxiao nodded.

"This Sect Master wishes for you to represent our Mountains and Rivers Sect and go participate."

Upon hearing this, Ling Jiuxiao hurriedly said, "This disciple swears to serve the sect unto death. Sect Master, rest assured. This disciple will certainly obtain a good ranking for the sect!"

Su Chen shook his head. "No... I want you to defeat every genius of the Sun and Moon Continent, seize first place, and spread the prestige of our Mountains and Rivers Sect."

Ling Jiuxiao's expression turned bitter. There were so many geniuses on the Sun and Moon Continent. Seizing first place...

Su Chen continued, "Yet this Sect Master is not such a stingy person. I will not allow anyone to shed blood and tears for the sect in vain.

"If you can seize first place in the grand competition of the younger generation heavenly prides of the Sun and Moon Continent, this item can be given to you by this Sect Master as a reward."

In Su Chen's hand, a seven-colored, brilliantly radiant treasure tree appeared. Upon the treasure tree were seven leaves.

Ling Jiuxiao stared repeatedly at that treasure tree with a face full of confusion. After a moment of hesitation, he asked, "Sect Master... what is this item?"

Su Chen looked at Ling Jiuxiao with a peculiar expression, then said lightly, "This item is named the Seven Leaf Divine Tree."

"Seven Leaf Divine Tree?" Ling Jiuxiao murmured the name after him, then his eyes suddenly widened like copper bells. "This is the Seven Leaf Divine Tree?"

Su Chen nodded.

"Sect Master, rest assured. This disciple will certainly seize first place in the grand competition of the younger generation heavenly prides of the Sun and Moon Continent and spread the prestige of our Mountains and Rivers Sect!"

Ling Jiuxiao made a solemn vow.

The Seven Leaf Divine Tree... was this not precisely the item he had been bitterly searching for?

Hiss~ It had come without any effort at all!

After leaving the rear mountain, the Elder's voice finally sounded once more in Ling Jiuxiao's mind.

"This old man nearly suffocated. How is this possible? This old man did not sense even the slightest aura of that person approaching!"

Ling Jiuxiao said, "Elder, so you are still alive. What happened just now? When I called out to you, old man, it was as if you had completely vanished?"

Ling Jiuxiao was very curious.

This old man looked down on this and looked down on that every day. How was it that today he was like a mouse seeing a cat?

The Elder said in a muffled voice, "Just now... this old man had a feeling of being seen through. That person seemed to have discovered this old man's existence."

"Yet perhaps this old man is overthinking it. In this world, there are fewer than three who can discover traces of this old man's existence. Those capable of discovering traces of this old man's existence could not possibly be cooped up in this small place. Even the entire Sun and Moon Continent would be nothing more than insignificant grains of sand to such figures!"