Chapter 412: What of Destiny: To Vie in the Tribulation or Not?

“So this is the Nanzhan Continent.”

A cloud-soled boot touched down on the dusty earth as a White Ape Daoist with an ordinary gait landed in the forest. He picked up a plump, bright-red fruit and sighed, “A Vermilion Fruit that’s only a few decades old is nothing special here. There isn’t even a single spirit beast guarding it.”

A young Daoist wearing an ornate crown and possessing an extraordinary air walked up slowly behind him. He smiled. “The name ‘Treasure Continent’ isn’t for nothing, is it? In the ten-plus days since we entered, we’ve even gathered several types of Pill Formation Great Medicine. It’s just a pity none of them were the Heavenly and Earthly Treasures you need, Junior Brother.”

“These things can’t be rushed.” Yuan Hao laughed. “Besides, whether I find anything is up to my own fate. You don’t need to stick with me, Senior Brother Zhou.”

Zhou Jun neither argued nor offered empty reassurances. He simply said in a leisurely tone, “My own gains on this journey have been far greater than yours.”

Although Yuan Hao was much more composed these days, he couldn’t help but pout at the remark. Forgetting all about the pathetically young Vermilion Fruit, he flicked his sleeve, transformed into a streak of sword-light, and sped off.

Zhou Jun unhurriedly transformed into light and gave chase. As they flew one after the other, Zhou Jun suddenly remarked, “The spiritual energy along this path has been growing stronger. There must be a spirit-rich land up ahead.”

Yuan Hao’s voice drifted back from within the sword-light. “I made a point to learn some techniques for spiritual geomancy from a senior brother at the Celestial Craft Hall. We should be able to find something if we head this way.”

Zhou Jun nodded to himself. ‘This monkey’s Dao heart may be unsteady, but his temperament has certainly matured over the past few decades. It looks like he doesn’t need me to watch over him so much anymore…’

Just as he was thinking of parting ways with Yuan Hao after they explored the spiritual land ahead, Zhou Jun’s expression suddenly changed. “Stop,” he called out.

Yuan Hao didn’t know why, but he trusted this senior brother of his, who had cultivated and grown up alongside him. At the command, he slowed his flight, only to see Zhou Jun materialize, his brow slightly furrowed as he stared ahead.

Yuan Hao followed his gaze to a nearby peak. There, a man in a Feather Robe sat cross-legged in the howling wind, a Purple Bamboo Staff resting across his lap. His long hair flowed freely, giving him an air of untamed elegance.

Yuan Hao asked in a low voice, “Which sect is he from?”

The Tai Su Orthodox Sect had, after all, been the first to arrive. In their ten days here, the two of them hadn’t yet encountered any other Xuan Sect cultivators. But from this man’s bearing, Yuan Hao could tell he was no ordinary cultivator. ‘He might be a True Disciple from one of the major sects… No, it has to be the Upper Profound Sect or the Spirit Treasure Sect.’

Zhou Jun, however, saw things differently. His expression grew increasingly grave as he stared at the man. To him, the man was utterly unfathomable. Even his Five Elements Child was frantically screaming warnings of danger. ‘There’s no way he’s a Golden Core Cultivator.’

Furthermore, as a True Disciple, Zhou Jun was privy to the edicts of the Master. He knew that a terrifying demonic master had forced his way into the Nanzhan Treasure Continent, and this fiend was very likely the man standing before him now…

However, from what he knew, this person’s cultivation had reached an incredibly high realm. As long as they didn’t provoke him, he was unlikely to stoop to bullying cultivators of their level.

Without explaining further to Yuan Hao, Zhou Jun sent a mental transmission: “Let’s fall back for now.”

Yuan Hao nodded slowly. The two of them turned to fly away, but unexpectedly, the man on the peak shot to his feet and shouted across the distance, “Xuzhuang!”

A jolt went through them both. They exchanged a look and glanced up at the sky. A streak of sword-light suddenly tore through the thick clouds, arriving in a flash. The light dispersed to reveal Xuzhuang, who seemed to be stepping out of the void, descending step by step as if on an invisible staircase.

“Ye Xuanzhang.” Xuzhuang wasn’t in any hurry to make a move. His gaze swept over Zhou Jun and Yuan Hao before he finally spoke. “So, you’re not planning on avoiding me this time?”

Xuzhuang had been hunting Ye Xuanzhang in Nanzhan for over ten days. Although Nanzhan was vast, the Tai Su Orthodox Sect knew the location of his entry, so the trail was not impossible to follow.

Meanwhile, Ye Xuanzhang seemed to be surveying some location within the Nanzhan Continent, making frequent appearances. As a result, it only took a few days for Xuzhuang to lock onto his trail and track his movements on several occasions.

However, Ye Xuanzhang seemed intent on avoiding a direct confrontation with Xuzhuang. In their few clashes, he never revealed his true techniques, often just sparring and maneuvering until he found an opportunity to flee.

Given Ye Xuanzhang’s skill and his evasive tactics, Xuzhuang—present only in the form of a Dharma body—was truly powerless to stop him. Since Ye Xuanzhang also wasn’t causing any trouble in Nanzhan, Xuzhuang had mostly given up hope. He never expected Ye Xuanzhang to suddenly reappear and wait for him.

Since he was only a Dharma body, Xuzhuang had little fear of any potential schemes Ye Xuanzhang might have concocted, so he had pursued him directly.

A faint smile touched Ye Xuanzhang’s lips. “Xuzhuang, I know you possess immense power. Though I don’t think much of the title ‘Liu Zhuo,’ I’m self-aware enough to know I cannot fight three of you at once.”

Xuzhuang hadn’t expected him to say such a thing, and his eyebrow twitched slightly.

“But the tides of battle are ever-shifting. If your true self were here, I would use every art at my disposal, and victory might not be beyond my grasp,” Ye Xuanzhang said coolly. “But you are merely a Dharma body. There is no point in killing you; it would be a pointless exposure of my own techniques.”

Xuzhuang’s expression remained unchanged. “In that case, why reveal yourself now?”

“Hahaha.” Ye Xuanzhang laughed heartily. “I risked everything to force my way into Nanzhan for this very moment, in this very place.”

If any Demon Sect cultivators were present, they would surely be astonished that Ye Xuanzhang was in the mood to waste so much breath on Xuzhuang today. But Ye Xuanzhang himself didn’t care.

The man before him was worth the conversation, and his mood today made it feel worthwhile. He pointed a finger to the sky and said wistfully, “Are you aware of a treasure, left behind by an Ancient Loose Immortal, that roams the vast emptiness of space and visits the Profound Yellow Realm only once every three hundred years?”

“I searched for it for ages and had already thought it was a lost cause. I never imagined your esteemed sect would open Nanzhan ahead of schedule, which led me to a startling realization…”

“It’s right here.” Ye Xuanzhang’s finger lowered to point at the ground beneath his feet, his voice growing distant. “This war certainly bolstered your sect’s reputation and blunted the Demon Sect’s rising fortune, but it also allowed me an unexpected gain. Perhaps this is simply the turn of fate.”

“The Demon Sect’s fortune has waned? No matter. I can be the pillar that holds up the heavens, the beam that spans the seas.”

Xuzhuang’s eyes narrowed slightly. He truly hadn’t expected the affair in Nanzhan to have this kind of twist.

But he didn’t feel Daochen Zhenren’s plan had been a mistake. ‘Just now, a single glance was enough to tell that the clouds of fortune above both Zhou Jun and Yuan Hao were surging, a sign of great prosperity. If the Demon Sect had been allowed into the Nanzhan Treasure Continent, there’s no telling how many geniuses they would have produced…’

Besides, if the Tai Su Orthodox Sect could diminish the Demon Sect’s fortune, it could also snap this pillar that holds up the heavens and break this beam that spans the seas!

It was just a pity that now was not that time.

The reason Xuzhuang hadn’t attacked the moment he arrived was because he had already faintly sensed it. Though Ye Xuanzhang appeared to be present, he was, in fact, already separated from the Profound Yellow Realm by some kind of barrier.

He had no desire to make a pointless attempt, so he simply said coolly, “Congratulations, fellow Daoist. Let’s hope the day that beam warps and that pillar snaps doesn’t come too soon.”

“Hahahaha!” Ye Xuanzhang roared with laughter, pointed at Xuzhuang, and asked, “In the calamitous struggles to come, which of us will be reduced to withered bones?”

Xuzhuang did not deign to answer, only stating coolly, “Wherever my Great Dao leads, the path is clear—calamity or no.”