Chapter 68: Fiend Energy of Fengbie Palace
Chapter 68: Fiend Energy of Fengbie Palace
The sword threads formed by Mu Yuan burst apart, then condensed again. They moved as swiftly as lightning. Although the giant monster was very agile in the water, it could not dodge them. The seawater churned violently until finally, the monster roared in pain and fled far away!
Mu Yuan did not let it escape. He immediately chased after it. The Tidal Flow was best at controlling water, and it included the Water Hiding Dragon Escape Technique, a water escape method among the Five Elements. Though the monster was fast, it could not shake off Mu Yuan!
Qi Wei swept her spiritual sense and noticed both auras moving away. A thought crossed her mind. She waved her long sleeves and dove underwater as well! She was also talented and extremely diligent in her cultivation. Although she did not have Mu Yuan’s constant luck, she greatly benefited from practicing Tidal Flow day and night. The Water Hiding Dragon Escape was not difficult to learn, and she also knew it. Her whole body transformed into a gentle water current as she closely followed!
The giant monster stirred the waves, traveling hundreds of miles in one go. Mu Yuan was growing bored from the chase and was about to give up when he saw the monster flick its tail and dive straight down. When they neared the seabed, Mu Yuan even felt some pressure. Suddenly, a resplendent undersea palace appeared before his eyes, shining with immense light, dazzling and mesmerizing!
“Could this be the Dragon Palace?” Mu Yuan was just wondering when he saw the monster part the water and plunge inside. He was still considering whether to follow when, with a loud crashing sound, a troop of shrimp soldiers and crab generals in shiny silver armor rushed out and formed ranks. Leading them was a fish-headed monster holding a huge Sky-Piercing Halberd, its cold gleam sharp. The fish-headed monster waved its right hand and commanded, “Seize him!”
“Wow, this is really something!” Before Mu Yuan could speak, the sea creatures swarmed around him, thrusting their spears and Iron Swords at him!
Mu Yuan looked around and saw that these fiends were only at the Qi Refining First Layer level. Somehow, they had all taken humanoid forms with monster heads. Although they were numerous, Mu Yuan did not mind at all. He released the Six Harmonies Coldwood Sword Pills, transforming them into six towering cold trees. Their branches whipped about, forcing back all the attacking shrimp soldiers and crab generals. Many were even caught by the branches, shouting and struggling but unable to break free!
The leading fish-headed monster gave a loud shout and swept its Sky-Piercing Halberd. A sharp, explosive Divine Light erupted, actually knocking away one of Mu Yuan’s Sword Pills. Mu Yuan made a sound of surprise, infused his Zhenqi, and cold energy burst from the coldwood tree. The Tidal Flow combined with the Ice Soul Divine Light technique instantly froze the fish-headed monster solid, turning it into an ice statue!
Suddenly, a brilliant golden light shone from the resplendent palace, followed by a thunderous roar and a long cry. Then, lightning flashed everywhere, and thunder rumbled loudly. A dark shadow crossed the sky. Mu Yuan’s mind trembled violently, and the Six Harmonies Sword Pills transformed back into six streams of light, flying back into his hand!
A man appeared before him, wearing a light purple robe embroidered with a Nine-Clawed Golden Dragon in gold thread. A wild and imposing aura radiated from him. Mu Yuan felt slightly reassured. Looking at the soldiers rolling on the ground, he inwardly smiled wryly, “Young people are too impulsive. How could I attack his subordinates for no reason? What a sin!”
The man’s eyes widened, exuding majesty. With a flick of his finger, a golden light shot out and shattered the ice encasing the fish-headed monster. He stared straight at Mu Yuan and said, “Fellow Daoist, why did you harm my subordinate?”
Though it was a question, an aggressive tone was conveyed. Mu Yuan was used to being casual and had never met someone so domineering. Besides, he was indeed in the wrong, so he felt uneasy. He cupped his hands and said, “Well, one of your giant monsters tried to attack the ship I was on, so I took action!”
The purple-robed man snorted coldly and threw a punch with his right fist, causing the water to churn. “First, take my punch. Let’s see if you are qualified to speak!”
A wave of water surged toward Mu Yuan’s face. Mu Yuan suddenly felt immense pressure and grew somewhat wary of the purple-robed man. He combined the Six Harmonies Sword Pills into a single green rainbow and met the fist head-on!
Qi Wei had arrived while Mu Yuan was dealing with the small soldiers, but she had only watched from the side. She admired Mu Yuan’s exquisite sword technique. When the purple-robed man appeared, she also readied her Sword Pills in hand, prepared to strike at any moment.
When the sword rainbow and fist collided, a crackling of lightning flashed. Mu Yuan’s whole body shook, and he felt an electric current surge in, which was then absorbed by a Talismanic Script in his Dantian and transformed into Dragon King’s Dynamic Force. Only then did he feel slightly better.
The purple-robed man made a sound of surprise and cupped his hands together. A scaled, single-horned Flood Dragon suddenly materialized from his hands, clawing and pouncing fiercely.
“This guy really is related to the Dragon Clan. Unfortunately, he doesn’t cultivate Dragon King’s Dynamic Force, and he’s probably a Flood Dragon himself, not a true dragon!”
Mu Yuan thought to himself, but his hands did not slow down. The Green Wood Thunderblade transformed into a blue light dragon, tangling with the purple-robed man’s illusory green Flood Dragon. The Six Harmonies Sword Pills also shone brightly, releasing cold energy. Countless ice crystals fell like hail, momentarily overwhelming the purple-robed man!
The quality of the Six Harmonies Sword Pills was actually much higher than that of the Green Wood Thunderblade, but in terms of sheer wild power, they were not as formidable as the Green Wood Thunderblade. The Flood Dragon conjured by the purple-robed man radiated Divine Light and was also wrapped in electricity as it wrestled with Mu Yuan’s sword dragon.
After fighting for a while, Mu Yuan confirmed that the purple-robed man was also following the path of Spirit Refining for immortality. However, the cultivation method he practiced was not particularly advanced and seemed somewhat suppressed by Dragon King’s Dynamic Force. Every time electricity from the Flood Dragon passed through the Green Wood Thunderblade, it caused significant numbness to Mu Yuan. But once he activated Dragon King’s Dynamic Force, he could immediately digest and dissipate it.
The ice crystals released by the Six Harmonies Sword Pills occasionally pierced through the purple-robed man’s protective Zhenqi and struck his body, only to spark a few scattered lights, as if hitting metal. The ice crystals shattered completely, and the purple-robed man only frowned slightly. For a time, neither could gain the upper hand, and both felt a sense of mutual admiration!
Of course, Mu Yuan still had his ultimate trump card unused—the Longevity Sword, which was sharp beyond compare. So far, he had never encountered anything that could withstand the edge of the Longevity Sword. However, the other party might also have a killer move. Since it wasn’t a life-or-death hatred, why push it to that point?
Thinking this, Mu Yuan slightly retracted his sword light and halted the momentum of the Six Harmonies Sword Pills. The purple-robed man was also clever. The two clashed their light Flood Dragon and sword dragon apart. The purple-robed man thought, “This person’s Magical Power is not low. He would make a good helper. In two days, when we contend with those reptiles for Lingyuan Reef, with his assistance, our chances of winning will surely increase significantly!”
He then laughed freely and said, “Fellow Daoist, your skills are impressive. How about coming to my palace for a visit?”
Mu Yuan smiled slightly but had not yet replied when Qi Wei drifted forward and said coldly, “Don’t forget, we still need to go for Condensing Evil Energy. Why waste time here?”
Mu Yuan felt displeased. He had not intended to go anyway, and upon hearing Qi Wei’s words, he said, “Fellow Daoist, your kindness is appreciated, but I fear we would be imposing!”
He straightened his robes and walked toward the palace. Qi Wei’s face turned cold, but remembering her master’s instruction to listen to Mu Yuan on the journey, she frowned and followed.
The outer part of the palace was covered by a water shield embedded with water-repelling pearls. The surrounding seawater could not enter. Inside, all kinds of luminous pearls illuminated the palace as brightly as day. The architecture was extremely luxurious—white jade carved railings, glazed tile roofs, radiant treasures everywhere, large fiery red corals like jade, potted treasure trees. It was extraordinarily lavish and magnificent, leaving Mu Yuan gasping in amazement. He thought to himself, if this place is already like this, what must the legendary Dragon Palace be like!
When the three of them took their seats as host and guests, some mermaids in long dresses, walking with graceful steps and swaying slender waists, brought fragrant tea and fresh fruits. Only then did the purple-robed man smile and introduce himself, “I am the master of this Fengbie Palace, Ao Lie. May I ask your names?”
Mu Yuan smiled and said, “I am Bing Chengzi of the Ice Soul Divine Light Sect. This is my senior martial sister, Bing Wei’er. Brother Ao’s palace is truly magnificent, the most splendid I have ever seen!”
This was true. When it came to luxury and grandeur, all cultivators knew that the Dragon Palace was the best. Many Daoist Sects, however, had buildings with an ethereal, transcendent aura, not emphasizing beauty. There was also the saying about the mighty Kunlun, with the Langfeng Pavilion atop Langfeng Summit being the most magnificent among Daoist structures, situated at the world’s peak, floating above the clouds, overlooking all under heaven. But Mu Yuan had never been there, though he guessed it could not match this place in splendor.
“Just now, I heard this young lady say that the two of you are going for Condensing Evil Energy. Coincidentally, my palace is connected to a deep-sea bottom fiend energy source. Why not come and take a look? If it suits you, there’s no need to go elsewhere. I would also like to discuss some Daoist techniques and Qi Refinement with Fellow Daoist Bing Chengzi.”
“Oh?” Mu Yuan was slightly surprised. He did not expect Ao Lie to be so hospitable. As the saying goes, unnecessary hospitality often hides ulterior motives. The other party surely had some purpose, but Mu Yuan did not mind. A free benefit was not to be missed. He immediately smiled and said, “Then I’ll trouble you, Fellow Daoist!”
Ao Lie laughed heartily, thinking that since you’ve received my favor, it would be hard for you to refuse when I ask for help later. Anyway, this fiend energy source was connected elsewhere and endlessly regenerated, so he did not mind giving away a personal favor.
After the three chatted happily, Ao Lie smiled and said, “Please follow me, both of you. The place is right here in my palace.”
Only then did Mu Yuan feel shocked. He knew that fiend energy constantly diffused day and night. Although cultivators needed Condensing Fiend and Refining Yang for their practice, both earthly fiend energy and heavenly yang energy were extreme energies of heaven and earth. If ordinary people touched even a little, their souls would scatter immediately! Even cultivators, if constantly surrounded by yang and fiend energies, would have their meridians invaded, causing severe damage. If the fiend energy was truly in this Fengbie Palace, how could Ao Lie still appear so vibrant and energetic!
Passing through several doors, Mu Yuan’s view suddenly opened up. He saw a huge hall, dozens of yards in diameter. In the center was a round well, similar to those used for drawing water in the mortal world, but slightly larger. Around it, countless large jade stones formed a complex, massive array. Streams of fiend energy rose like mist, hitting the array and shimmering with illusory light before being reflected back. The fiend energy surged back and forth, growing increasingly dense until it turned into a liquid and fell back into the well. Then, it was churned up again by the fiend energy, producing a gurgling, loud sound—truly spectacular!