novelraw Chapter 1036: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (44)
Chapter 1036: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? (44)
Wang Hu’s fist halted in midair, blocked by a strange force field-like barrier, unable to advance even an inch. For someone like Wang Hu, whose fists could break anything, this was an incredibly frustrating experience.
Without hesitation, he retracted his right hand, while his left hand clenched into a fist in the same instant, striking directly at the peculiar light shield. As for the mysterious purple-haired little girl, he would deal with her after smashing this shield!
Boom—!!
The ground trembled even more violently from the punch!
Few people knew that Wang Hu was actually left-handed! His left fist was far more terrifying than his right… The moment his punch landed, the light shield in front of him dented slightly but instantly restored itself.
A fierce glint flashed in Wang Hu’s eyes as he took a deep breath and threw a third punch—if one punch couldn’t break it, then two or three would do!
He never believed that anything in this world was truly indestructible!
Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom—!!
Watching the relentless punches raining down on the light shield, Tai Yinzi swallowed nervously. Even a single one of these punches landing on him would surely obliterate him.
Was this White Tiger Demon actually serious?Unlike Tai Yinzi’s terror, the mysterious purple-haired girl remained expressionless, merely glancing at the situation. After a moment, she spoke in a stiff tone:
[Scanning: Carbon-based Tier-3 lifeform.]
[Secondary scan: Specimen No. 27, White Tiger gene compatibility: 33.7%. Specimen No. 27, White Tiger soul factor compatibility: 7.64%.]
[Awakening criteria: Not met.]
She was speaking words Tai Yinzi couldn’t understand… The girl, who referred to herself as Gaia, now turned her deep purple eyes toward him, the pupils glowing faintly.
[Scanning: Source of Anomaly lifeform.]
[Secondary scan: Source of Anomaly compatibility: 4.571%.]
[Searching access permissions… Highest-level permission: Not met… Level 1 permission: Not met… Level 2 permission: Not met…]
Tai Yinzi: ??
[Secondary search: Level 3 permission… Not met. Level 4 permission… Not met. Level 5 permission… Not met. Subordinate Permission: Met.]
[Awakening criteria: Met.]
The purple-haired girl’s eyes suddenly dimmed, reverting to their original color. She lifted her dress slightly and performed a small bow before Tai Yinzi.
[Prototype Universal Treasury Administrator Gaia, at your service, Subordinate Permission Holder.]
Tai Yinzi: ??
Wang Hu’s punches suddenly stopped. He no longer attacked the strange light shield and instead leaped high into the air, bypassing the shield entirely to launch a direct punch at Tai Yinzi.
“Old ghost! Die!!!!!!”
As the fist approached Tai Yinzi, he jolted with fear. At this point, he didn’t care what this strange girl’s background was; he just desperately shouted, “P-Protect me!!”
[Understood.]
In an instant, the purple-haired girl raised her hand. The light shield repositioned itself in front of Tai Yinzi, once again blocking Wang Hu’s fist.
However, this punch was even more powerful than before… A deafening roar echoed as the force of the punch split from the sides of the shield, blasting into the stone forest behind Tai Yinzi.
The shockwave from the Dominating Fist extended for over a hundred meters… Tai Yinzi’s neck stiffly turned as he looked behind him. On either side, there were now hundred-meter-long deep trenches, carved by Wang Hu’s sheer strength!
“Restrain him!!!” Tai Yinzi shrieked.
[Understood.]
Once again, Gaia raised her hand. This time, tiny specks of multicolored light gathered in her palm, forming a glowing sphere.
At that moment, Wang Hu’s body reacted instinctively—every hair on his body stood on end as if struck by static electricity. A chilling sensation ran down his spine, and he immediately retreated.
However, the sphere in Gaia’s hand suddenly transformed!
Countless multicolored light ribbons shot out from the sphere at incredible speed, chasing Wang Hu relentlessly. His pupils contracted as he pushed off with his legs, moving rapidly within the stone forest.
Yet, these ribbons had an extraordinary tracking ability. They didn’t tangle or lose their target no matter how he moved!
Moreover, they kept multiplying… In mere moments, the initial few ribbons had split into hundreds, densely surrounding Wang Hu!
“Damn it!”
He couldn’t evade them all—his wrist was instantly ensnared by one of the glowing ribbons.
Wang Hu gritted his teeth, planning to forcefully break free… but the ribbon refused to snap. More and more ribbons wrapped around him, binding him tightly!
In an instant, his entire body was ensnared by the glowing ribbons, which rapidly solidified.
Finally, Wang Hu’s entire body was encased in a strange, gray crystal-like material, rendering him completely immobile!
The restrained Wang Hu glared furiously, his Demonic Energy surging wildly. His pupils gradually turned into vertical slits, and the tiger stripes on his body expanded several times over.
But Gaia simply stated indifferently: [Reinforce.]
The crystalline structure deepened in color. Wang Hu’s body’s transformation halted, and the strange crystals began absorbing his Demonic Energy at an astonishing rate!
In just a few moments, Wang Hu’s face turned slightly pale. Sweat dripped down his forehead as he stared deathly at the terrifying purple-haired girl.
What the hell?!
Ignoring Wang Hu’s predicament, Tai Yinzi internally screamed several more profanities before leaping up in shock, his face full of disbelief…
If this were Boss's work, Tai Yinzi wouldn’t have doubted it. If it were the maid's, he would have accepted it too.
But who the hell was this little girl?!
A Demon from the Four Celestial Spirits Clan capable of Divine Beast Transformation?!
Yet, after successfully restraining Wang Hu, Gaia remained motionless. Her head lowered slightly, her eyes devoid of light, making her resemble an idle robotic entity.
Tai Yinzi hesitated, cautiously tiptoeing toward Gaia. As he neared, Gaia slowly lifted her head, her unblinking gaze locked onto him, but she said nothing.
Tai Yinzi’s eyes darted around before he tentatively extended a finger and lightly poked Gaia’s cheek.
His finger sunk slightly into her soft skin—it felt real, just like a living person, nothing like an artificial construct.
Just as he prepared to prod further, Gaia’s eyes suddenly flashed.
[Subordinate Permission Holder's actions exceed authority. Initiating self-defense protocol.]
Tai Yinzi: ???
Lightning orbs.
A massive number of them materialized behind Gaia—dozens? No, hundreds?!
Tai Yinzi’s mind went blank—he had no time to react before every single one of them rained down on him.
Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhh—!!!!!!
When the prolonged screams finally ceased, Tai Yinzi lay on the ground, charred and unconscious.
Gaia, meanwhile, returned to her idle state, standing silently, unmoving…
Kui Qianyi and Gui Ying’s expressions turned solemn.
If this place was truly Penglai, and the statement came from Long Xiruo, there was no need to doubt it. After all, this knowledge came from the inherited memories of the previous True Dragon.
“Is this really Penglai?” Kui Qianyi frowned. “That Jade Dragon Pearl actually brought us to this place?”
Long Xiruo’s expression was unusually cold. “Kui Qianyi, are you doubting me?”
Kui Qianyi immediately shook his head. “Not at all… On the contrary, I believe you. But precisely because I believe, it feels unbelievable. Should I assume that all of this might be the work of the 71st generation of Heavenly Heart?”
Long Xiruo was momentarily stunned.
Kui Qianyi’s reasoning wasn’t without merit—after all, the Jade Dragon Pillar had been extracted from Hope’s body, and Hope had left with the 71st generation of Heavenly Heart.
The Penglai Grand Gathering had been held in the Divine Land for countless years, and every time, it ended with a ritual performed by a successor of the Plain-Clothed Dao. If anyone in the Daoist World had the greatest chance of finding Penglai, it would undoubtedly be this unique sect.
But the 71st generation of Heavenly Heart had already found Penglai long ago?
“Several decades ago,” Kui Qianyi suddenly said, “the Plain-Clothed Dao produced a demonic prodigy… Lord Long, do you still remember?”
“The great sinner, Qingxiaozi?”
Long Xiruo searched her memory for the name and its history. “I remember that the incident ended with the sacrifice of the 70th generation of Heavenly Heart. As for Qingxiaozi, he was exiled due to the dying plea of the 70th generation’s Heavenly Eye.”
Kui Qianyi continued, “Qingxiaozi was indeed the strongest successor the Plain-Clothed Dao had ever seen. Back then, he gathered seven Spiritual Veins in an attempt to connect all twelve ancestral veins of the Divine Land, hoping to forcibly divine the location of Penglai using the land’s power.
But the immense energy he accumulated was beyond human control. Worse still, it attracted the ‘Dragon Fiend’…”
“Grandpa Kui, what is the Dragon Fiend?” Luo Pianxian, already overwhelmed by the story, couldn’t help but ask.
Kui Qianyi glanced at Long Xiruo hesitantly.
Long Xiruo calmly explained, “A ‘Dragon Fiend’ is a special lifeform created by the lingering resentment of a dragon after its death. It invades Spiritual Veins, seizing their essence in an attempt to reincarnate into a new dragon. However, the new being is extremely violent and will continue devouring ley lines to grow stronger.
If left unchecked, a Dragon Fiend could consume all twelve ancestral veins of the Divine Land, disrupting the land’s fortune itself.”
“Then at that time…” Luo Pianxian trailed off.
Kui Qianyi sighed. “At the time, your Sister Dragon was already stretched too thin trying to suppress the chaos in the Divine Land’s veins. The task of dealing with the Dragon Fiend fell to both the Daoist and Demon worlds.
Unfortunately, the battle was devastating. Many sects and Demon clans lost their elite forces.
Originally, Qingxiaozi, as the instigator, was supposed to die. But in the end, the 70th generation of Heavenly Heart sacrificed himself to eliminate the Dragon Fiend, saving both worlds and all living beings.
With his final merit, he exchanged his life to spare Qingxiaozi.”
“The 70th generation of Heavenly Heart must have truly cherished Qingxiaozi as his disciple,” Luo Pianxian murmured.
Kui Qianyi and Long Xiruo both turned to look at her.
Feeling uneasy, the little Butterfly Demon lowered her head timidly. “D-Did I say something wrong?”
Long Xiruo sighed. “No, you’re right… It’s just that none of us want to admit it.”
She exhaled softly. “That’s all in the past. Regardless of what happened then, the important question now is—what exactly is the 71st generation of Heavenly Heart planning?
Even with Qingxiaozi’s past mistake as a lesson, isn’t he afraid of summoning another Dragon Fiend?”
“Could it be that the 71st generation of Heavenly Heart has found a way to control it?” Kui Qianyi frowned. “Or perhaps, the catastrophe from decades ago allowed the Plain-Clothed Dao to discover Penglai’s location, but they’ve kept it a secret ever since?”
“It’s hard to say.” Long Xiruo tapped her fingers. “The 71st generation of Heavenly Heart’s goal isn’t Penglai itself but the reawakening of spiritual energy in the world…
But our arrival here was clearly the result of Hope’s Power.”
“Lord Long, this matter is far too complex. Unless we find the 71st generation of Heavenly Heart himself, there’s no way to get a clear answer.” Kui Qianyi cupped his hands.
Long Xiruo smiled bitterly. “That’s easy to say, but look at me now—I’m powerless.”
Kui Qianyi took a deep breath. “Then please, Lord Long, lend me the Divine Pearl for now. I will use a secret technique.”
Every time Kui Qianyi used his secret technique, it greatly drained his vitality. He had already used it once during the Xiangliu incident and had been recovering ever since.
Although he seemed fine outwardly, Long Xiruo knew he had been secretly using medicine to nurse his health—he was still far from fully recovered.
“How many lives do you think you have?” Long Xiruo glared at him.
Kui Qianyi fell silent.
“Who’s there?”
At that moment, Gui Ying suddenly disappeared from where he stood.
In the blink of an eye, he reappeared several meters away, brandishing a gleaming dagger and slashing at empty air.
A shadowy figure instantly evaded the attack, revealing itself—a pale-faced, sinister-looking man radiating ghostly energy.
The man, having dodged Gui Ying’s strike, smirked coldly. “As expected of the last survivor of the Underworld River Clan. Your perception is remarkable.”
Gui Ying narrowed his eyes and twirled his dagger, splitting it into two. “You are… Fengdu City’s ruler, Xiao Shengmo?”
The ghostly man chuckled—a chilling, sinister laugh.
“I had no intention of eavesdropping,” he said. “I was forcibly transported here as well and had to hide for my own safety. But… I seem to have overheard some very interesting things…”
Then, Xiao Shengmo’s gaze shifted to Long Xiruo. His eyes narrowed.
“…Lord Long?”
(End of Chapter)