Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1028: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (36)

If inhaling the air near the Spiritual Energy Pillar outside the valley was equivalent to several days of arduous cultivation, then stepping inside the pillar would expose one to an almost unbelievable concentration of spiritual energy!

The air was thick with moisture... The spiritual energy here was so dense that it had reached the point of condensation, forming a mist.

Yet, to the astonishment of both Daoist and Demon factions, there were no dangers within this extraordinary Spiritual Energy Pillar.

It was commonly believed that where there was a great treasure, there would be a formidable guardian. However, this notion seemed to be completely disregarded in this place.

"This is..."

The White Tiger heir, Huang Baifu, suddenly stopped in his tracks.

Both factions had effortlessly reached the core of the spiritual energy pillar, where they found a massive jade pillar.

Completely snow-white, about seven meters tall, requiring two people to encircle it, the jade pillar was intricately carved with dragons soaring through the clouds—and it was from this pillar that the overwhelming spiritual energy was emanating.

"What exactly is this?"

The Black Tortoise elder, Ming Tushan, frowned. Despite the Black Tortoise Clan's long lifespan, he had no recollection of such an object.His gaze shifted toward Daoist Baijie, likely the only one within the Daoist World who had lived long enough to possess knowledge of such things.

After all, Kunlun led the Divine Land Daoist World, the orthodox lineage of Daoist sages. No one knew how much lost history they had preserved.

Yet even Daoist Baijie, after over a thousand years of cultivation, had never seen such an artifact.

"This is the Jade Dragon Pillar."

Surprisingly, the answer did not come from Daoist Baijie but instead from Lai Caisheng, a young yet highly respected vice president of the Daoist Association and a direct inheritor of the Plain-Clothed Dao lineage—the 72nd generation of the Heavenly Heart.

"Jade Dragon Pillar?"

Huang Baifu narrowed his eyes at Lai Caisheng.

"You, fortune teller, know what this thing is?"

Ignoring the remark, Lai Caisheng stepped closer to the jade pillar, gazing up at it.

"The Divine Land has twelve Dragon Veins."

"These are the ley line sources, the origins of all Spiritual Veins in the land. Each Dragon Vein once supported the national destiny of a great dynasty—Xia, Qin, Tang, Qing... Surely, you all know this?"

"Get to the point," Huang Baifu interrupted impatiently.

But Lai Caisheng continued at his own pace.

"The Twelve Dragon Veins, also known as the Twelve Ancestral Veins, serve as twelve nodes that collectively sustain the balance of all ley lines and spiritual energy in the Divine Land. And the Jade Dragon Pillar—this is the ‘spine’ of one of those ancestral veins. The very essence of a Dragon Vein.

It is said that a complete Dragon Spine could reach the heavens. Even this single fragment releases such overwhelming spiritual energy. Imagine, then, how powerful a complete Dragon Spine must be…

After all, each Ancestral Dragon Vein is responsible for one-twelfth of the Divine Land’s total spiritual energy."*

"Who placed such a treasure here?"

Hearing Lai Caisheng’s explanation, Hanyang Zhenren furrowed his brows.

This was not merely a question of desire—it was a question of how to handle the situation.

After all, none of those present were known for their virtue. If any side attempted to claim it for themselves…

"This treasure is mine!"

Without hesitation, Huang Baifu stepped forward and pressed his palm against the jade pillar.

In just an instant, an endless flow of spiritual energy surged into him, causing his demonic energy to grow. It was like drinking celestial nectar—an indescribable feeling of euphoria.

With eyes blazing with excitement, Huang Baifu declared,

"I’m taking this Jade Dragon Pillar back to the White Tiger Clan!"

"Huang Baifu, do you dare make such claims in front of all the Daoist and Demon forces of the Divine Land?"

A cold voice rang out from the Daoist faction.

Yet Huang Baifu was unfazed.

"Treasures belong to the strong!" he sneered. "You Daoists would only waste it! The Age of Decline has caused so many of your techniques to be lost! Even if I handed this Jade Dragon Pillar to you, how much could you even cultivate? You wouldn’t last long before squandering it completely!

But we, the Demon Clan, have never relied on mere techniques. With this Jade Dragon Pillar, our rise to power is inevitable!"

"Arrogant beast! Do you intend to let the Demon Clan plunge the Divine Land into chaos once more?"

From the Daoist ranks, a middle-aged Daoist stepped forward on a cloud.

"They say you, Huang Baifu, are the strongest among the Four Celestial Spirits. I, a humble Daoist, would like to challenge you!"

"That’s Shenchi Zhenren!"

A murmur spread through the Daoist ranks.

"It is said that Shenchi Zhenren entered Daoist cultivation during the Ming Dynasty. He is nearly four hundred years old and wields boundless power! Legends claim that in the late Qing Dynasty, Shenchi Zhenren subdued two great demons single-handedly—his name is renowned across the land!"

Shenchi Zhenren carried a golden four-sided Tianpeng Ruler, a vermillion mark on his forehead, surrounded by auspicious clouds—his presence exuding absolute authority.

"Shenchi?"

Huang Baifu scoffed.

"You want to fight me?"

"Prince Huang, as one of the Demon Association’s representatives, don’t you think you’re being a bit reckless?"

Shenchi spoke calmly. "Your fellow representatives remain silent, merely watching you perform. Be careful not to become their scapegoat."

"Ha! So what if they want me to take the lead? I, Huang Baifu, have never cared about such things! If you have the strength, come at me! If not, get lost! There’s no one in this world I don’t dare to punch!

Schemes and plots mean nothing if I can break them with my fists!"

His eyes burned with contempt.

"Shenchi, don’t think that just because you defeated two great demons in the past, you’re some big shot! I know exactly what happened! You only subdued them because they were already weakened from battle! If it were a fair fight, you’d be nothing!"

"How dare you insult me, demon spawn?!"

Shenchi Zhenren's expression darkened with fury.

Without hesitation, he swung his Tianpeng Ruler, unleashing waves of energy like crashing tides. Even the younger Daoists at the back struggled to remain standing.

"Annoying fly! Eat my fist!"

BOOM!

A single, ordinary-looking punch crashed against Shenchi’s Tianpeng Ruler.

Behind Huang Baifu, a colossal White Tiger phantom roared.

In that instant, Shenchi’s overwhelming aura was completely shattered. His treasured Tianpeng Ruler, which had accompanied him for over two hundred years, shattered instantly under this monstrous punch!

"Gah!"

Shenchi Zhenren was blasted into the air, vomiting blood before he even hit the ground.

By the time he crashed back down, his face was pale, blood still gushing from his mouth. He trembled in anger—but before he could say another word, he fainted on the spot.

"Huang Baifu, aren’t you being too ruthless? The Tianpeng Ruler is Shenchi’s life-bound artifact! Destroying his artifact is equivalent to destroying half of his cultivation!"

Daoist Hanyang turned his piercing gaze toward the White Tiger Clan’s young master, snorting coldly.

But Huang Baifu only sneered. "I merely wanted to show you whether I have the strength to consume this Jade Dragon Pillar or not. Old Daoist Hanyang, if you’re not convinced, then take a punch from me!"

With that, Huang Baifu leaped into the air and threw a punch straight at Daoist Hanyang.

Daoist Hanyang wasn’t slow to react either. He formed a sword seal with his fingers, and from within his sleeve, seven streaks of sword light shot out in succession, stabbing toward Huang Baifu!

However, Huang Baifu’s fist tore through layer after layer of sword light. It wasn’t until the seventh sword light that his punch’s momentum finally began to weaken.

Hanyang Zhenren struck out with his palm again!

At the moment fist and palm collided, demonic energy and spiritual force erupted, sending shockwaves in all directions, stirring up dust and debris throughout the deep valley!

Hanyang Daoist staggered back several steps before stabilizing himself, while Huang Baifu flipped midair, landing with such force that his legs sank a few inches into the ground.

"Hahaha!!" Huang Baifu laughed wildly. "You actually withstood one of my punches, old ghost Hanyang. You do have some skill… Come again!"

As if possessing endless strength, Huang Baifu shot forward once more, his punch even fiercer than before!

"Huang Baifu, do you really think my Daoist World has no one who can match you?!"

At that moment, Daoist Hanyang suddenly exhaled a breath of golden energy.

Within the golden energy, a tiny sword glowed and expanded with the wind. In just an instant, it transformed into a silver longsword over three feet long. Daoist Hanyang grasped it in his hand and slashed toward Huang Baifu!

"Hahahaha!!!"

Huang Baifu’s laughter became even more reckless. He actually raised his fist to clash directly against Daoist Hanyang’s sword!

Clang!!!

A sorrowful sword cry echoed throughout the valley. But despite the impact, the silver sword still managed to block Huang Baifu’s ferocious punch once again.

Daoist Hanyang’s expression shifted unpredictably. His left hand flipped, drawing a massive 封 ("Seal") character with his spiritual force, pressing it down toward Huang Baifu!

"Dominating Fist!"

Huang Baifu let out a low growl, his body surging with demonic energy like a radiant white glow. He punched straight at the Seal character!

Boom!

The enormous Seal shattered instantly!

Daoist Hanyang’s face darkened. With a flash of movement, he narrowly dodged the incoming punch. But…

Boom——!!!!

A corner of the deep valley was completely obliterated by the force of that punch, leaving a massive tunnel-like hole!

This punch… was unstoppable!

Daoist Hanyang broke into a cold sweat. People had always said Huang Baifu was the most gifted White Tiger of this generation, that even before reaching a hundred years old, he had already defeated the previous White Tiger Clan Leader and single-handedly suppressed the other Four Celestial Spirits Clans… It seems that wasn’t an exaggeration.

Within the Demon Race, there was likely no one left who could rival him!

Above the valley, Long Xiruo and her group had just landed when they were shaken by the overwhelming power of Huang Baifu’s punch.

Even Kui Qianyi looked slightly grave. "Legend has it that Huang Baifu possesses the purest ancestral bloodline within the White Tiger Clan… but I never imagined he could actually achieve Divine Beast Transformation. In an era where the Demon Race is in decline, the appearance of someone like Huang Baifu—whether it is fortune or disaster, who can say…"

"Grandpa Kui, what is Divine Beast Transformation?" Luo Pianxian, who was hugging Long Xiruo, asked in confusion.

Kui Qianyi explained, "The Four Celestial Spirits are the descendants of the four divine beasts of Divine Land. Every generation of their descendants carries some degree of divine beast blood, but only a very few can awaken it. Awakening is a threshold—anyone who successfully awakens their divine beast bloodline becomes a formidable Great Demon at the very least. However, if the bloodline is awakened to an even higher level, one can achieve Divine Beast Transformation.

Huang Baifu’s bloodline is so pure that he is likely able to partially manifest the true form of the White Tiger… Right now, probably only Baijie is capable of withstanding Huang Baifu’s punches. After all, in all of Divine Land, only a handful have reached the Enlightened Dao Realm."

"Enlightened Dao Realm?" Luo Pianxian blinked.

"It’s a high-level cultivation realm," Kui Qianyi said slowly. "Even in the ancient golden ages of Divine Land, those who reached Enlightened Dao Realm were considered elite.

Beyond Enlightened Dao Realm is Dao Fruit Realm… Achieving Dao Fruit Realm is equivalent to immortality. One who attains Dao Fruit has truly ascended.

Baijie reached Enlightened Dao Realm back in the Yuan Dynasty. His accumulation is terrifyingly deep. If it weren’t for the End of the Heavenly Law Era, where the path to immortality was severed…"

"That’s amazing!" Luo Pianxian blinked again. "Grandpa Kui, can you withstand Huang Baifu’s punch?"

Kui Qianyi chuckled. "I’d probably have to hide in my turtle shell and play dead."

At that moment, Long Xiruo, who had remained silent, suddenly spoke. "Kui Qianyi, go down and guard the Jade Dragon Pillar. I suspect it was taken from Hope… If we wait too long, that child will die."

Kui Qianyi hesitated before saying, "If you personally step in, none of them will dare to resist—"

Long Xiruo shook her head. "Just act in the name of Xuanyuan Palace. I have other things to do… Hope should be nearby. Kui Qianyi, let’s split up. The Pearl has limited usage time and can’t be activated continuously. I don’t want to waste it on this greedy lot."

Kui Qianyi glanced at Long Xiruo, then after a moment of silence, sighed. "Gui Ying, let’s go down in the name of Kun Division."

But just then—

BOOM!

From the depths of the valley, the Jade Dragon Pillar suddenly erupted with a dazzling light!

A pillar of spiritual energy far stronger than before surged forth, turning everything blindingly white in an instant!

When the light faded…

The deep valley remained. The Jade Dragon Pillar was still there, continuously emitting its spiritual energy pillar.

However—

Whether it was the Daoist World cultivators, the Demon Race warriors, or even Long Xiruo’s group—they were all gone!

When Luo Pianxian regained her senses, she found herself in this immortal-like paradise… But she was relieved to see that Long Xiruo, Kui Qianyi, and the others were still beside her.

"Did we… get transported?" Kui Qianyi frowned as if realizing something. "Is this Hope’s spatial folding ability? But where exactly is this place…?"

"Penglai…"

Long Xiruo gazed up at the towering peak and murmured, "In the memories of the last True Dragon, there was a scene exactly like this…

This is Penglai Immortal Island!"

(End of Chapter)