Trafford's Trading Club

Chapter 1039: How Could There Be a Path to Immortality in This World? 47 — The Root of Chaos

As they ventured deeper into this place, the temporarily allied forces—one led by Daoist Baijie of the Daoist Association and the other led by Cang Jinshui and Qu Xinghe of the Demon World—finally realized that the golden sand beach they had initially landed on, filled with rare treasures, was actually the least valuable part of this realm.

If the wealth on the beach was enough to drive ordinary people insane, then the treasures hidden within the vast forest beyond the shoreline were enough to drive even these Daoists and Demons into madness.

Extinct and long-lost rare herbs, minerals used for crafting high-level artifacts, and spring water as pure as liquid spiritual energy…

There were even crystals containing bizarre and powerful energies.

They finally understood the meaning of a popular saying:

"Poverty limits imagination!"

"This… This is a thousand-year-old Naihe Purple Chariot Grass?! My heavens! This is a holy relic that can help the soul leave the body and roam the world freely! And there’s an entire field of it?!"

"Is this Shou Copper? So pure, so massive—an entire chunk… Unbelievable! Unbelievable!"

And it wasn't just the Daoist Association that was astounded. Even the Demons found priceless treasures within this mystical forest.

"Tianshan Silken Mushroom… a legendary ingredient. I only had a taste of it once—when the chieftain’s son was born! And even then, it was just a single strand boiled into soup…"…Hmm. The tone seemed slightly different there.

But it didn’t stop the Demons from coveting these heavenly treasures!

And this was only a corner of the forest… If they delved deeper, what unimaginable treasures awaited them?

Even a single pebble on the ground here could be worth a fortune!

Even for those who had lived for countless years, such as Daoist Baijie and Ming Tushan of the Black Tortoise Clan, this sight stirred temptation in their hearts.

But they were veterans of both the Daoist World and Demon World—having weathered countless storms, they knew better than to let their greed take over.

"Steady yourselves!"

Almost in unison, Daoist Baijie and Ming Tushan sternly ordered their respective groups to restrain themselves.

—Of course, it was mainly the younger Demons and Daoists who had been momentarily overcome by greed.

Those who had lived long enough immediately sensed something was wrong.

Where in the world could such a place exist—where even a single grain of sand was a treasure?

This had to be a trap.

Some of them even began to suspect they had fallen into an illusion the moment they entered this realm.

"Elder, I smell blood ahead!"

A Demon from the Azure Dragon Clan, who had been following Cang Jinshui, suddenly frowned.

At that, everyone’s expression darkened.

"Fellow cultivators, stay alert."

Daoist Baijie suggested, "Let’s send a few people ahead to investigate."

The Demon Association quickly agreed to the proposal, and soon, a joint team set out to track the source of the bloody scent.

It didn’t take long.

The scouting team returned quickly—bringing back bad news.

They found two corpses.

One was a male Daoist, clad in Daoist robes—the leader of a small Daoist sect. The other was a female Demon, a member of the Vermilion Bird Clan.

"Master!"

A young Daoist let out a devastated cry, rushing to his master's lifeless body in grief.

At the same time, a Vermilion Bird Clansman near Qu Xinghe stepped forward in mourning.

"Who… Who did this?!"

The Vermilion Bird Clansman growled, his face twisting in rage as he glared at the scouting team—after all, they had brought the corpses back!

"Calm down!"

The Azure Dragon Demon, who had first noticed the blood, frowned.

"When we found the bodies, there were signs of battle nearby, but besides these two… we found no trace of a third person. However, we did find this."

He carefully presented an item.

"Flame-Heart Ganoderma?!"

Ming Tushan looked at the plant in shock.

"A legendary herb said to only grow in the earth’s core, nourished by magma… A treasure of extreme Yang energy… This is a divine herb!"

The scout nodded and continued:

"We don’t know exactly what it is, but there’s no doubt—these two died fighting over it. When we found them, they had killed each other."

Daoist Baijie and Ming Tushan exchanged worried glances.

This was their worst fear.

When the Emperor’s Edict first appeared, both the Daoist and Demon factions had suffered heavy casualties—and if not for the intervention of the Management Bureau and the True Dragon Clan, Mt. Tai would have turned into an all-out battlefield.

And now… it was happening again.

"I was born with the Ice-Sealed Meridians… Elder said I wouldn’t live past a hundred years… unless I found treasures of extreme Yang energy…"

The Vermilion Bird Clansman spoke softly, his voice filled with grief.

"Moli… Moli was searching for this for me…"

Suddenly, he stood up, his eyes filled with madness.

He lunged at the Daoist’s corpse.

"What are you doing?!"

The young Daoist reacted instantly, stepping between them in shock and anger.

"Moli was my life’s greatest love… And your master?"

The Vermilion Bird Clansman let out a maniacal laugh.

"Even in death, I will tear him apart!"

"You dare?!"

The young Daoist’s eyes burned with fury.

"How dare you desecrate my master's body?! Who’s to say your Demon woman didn’t strike first?!"

"I’ll kill you!"

"You wretched beast—die!"

The two, consumed by hatred, were about to fight to the death.

Just then—

"Enough!"

Qu Xinghe stepped forward, knocking the Vermilion Bird Clansman unconscious.

At the same time, Daoist Baijie signaled to Hanyang Zhenren, who swiftly incapacitated the young Daoist.

"Forgive him," Qu Xinghe sighed.

"Flameflow has lost his beloved—he’s blinded by grief."

"And I will personally investigate this matter," Daoist Baijie promised.

Cang Jinshui suddenly spoke:

"This place is overflowing with treasures… and desire. If we keep going, more bloodshed will follow."

"I propose we collect all the valuables first… then decide on their distribution once we find a way out."

Everyone fell silent for a moment—now that they had moved to the beach, the Daoist Association had fewer people than the Demon Association.

Although the terrifying Huang Baifu was absent, the other side still had leading figures from the Three Tribes of the Four Celestial Spirits.

On their own side, only Daoist Baijie and Hanyang Zhenren stood as formidable figures, while the rest were mostly younger disciples. In terms of overall combat power, they were likely no match for the Demon Association. However, if a full-on battle were to break out, the Demon Association wouldn't necessarily gain much from it either.

After a brief discussion, Baijie and Hanyang agreed to cooperate.

Since they had already decided to extract resources from the jungle, both the Daoists and the Demons got to work immediately. Using various techniques, they absorbed treasures as if they were whales drinking water, eager to empty this vast treasure trove.

In just a short time, the collected treasures had already formed a small hill.

However, with the powerful figures from both the Daoist and Demon Associations still present, no one dared to secretly take anything from the treasure pile.

"How foolish."

Just as everyone was reveling in their gains, a cold, indifferent voice suddenly reached their ears.

Daoist Baijie and Hanyang Zhenren's expressions changed slightly, while the representatives of the Four Celestial Spirits from the Demon side also furrowed their brows. The voice had appeared so suddenly!

No one had even noticed when the speaker had arrived.

But soon, those with sharp senses pinpointed the source of the voice. They looked in unison toward a towering ancient tree in the jungle, where a white-clad figure had silently appeared on one of its branches—a breathtakingly beautiful woman with an icy demeanor.

She looked like a celestial maiden from the Moon Palace, her cold aura seemingly innate, exuding an ethereal beauty that sent chills down one's spine, quelling any improper thoughts.

"Daoist Baijie, is this woman from your Daoist Association?" Cang Jinshui frowned. He had never seen this woman before, and she had no trace of demon energy about her.

Baijie and Hanyang both shook their heads. She was unfamiliar to them as well.

"May I ask who you are?" Hanyang Zhenren looked up and spoke in a calm, neutral tone.

Daoist Baijie, however, seemed to be lost in thought as he studied the woman’s face.

The cold and aloof woman standing on the branch spoke indifferently, "Daoist Baijie, if I were you, I wouldn't allow them to continue extracting resources from this jungle. In fact, I wouldn't take a single thing… You, as the leader of Kunlun, should understand that wealth and greed can bring disaster."

Daoist Baijie was momentarily stunned but then shook his head. "I appreciate the warning. But while wealth may incite greed, it also has great value. If handled properly, these resources could benefit both the Daoist and Demon worlds."

The woman in white sneered. "And who will oversee the distribution? You, or the Demons? How will it be divided? Who takes more, who takes less? Who gets the best, who gets the worst? Who takes first, and who takes last?"

Hanyang Zhenren snorted. "That is not for you to worry about. The Daoist Association and the Demon tribes will naturally come to a fair agreement. But you, an unknown outsider, are sowing discord here. What is your true intention?"

The woman remained indifferent. "I'm merely warning you… These things are not so easily taken."

"What do you mean?" Daoist Baijie asked suddenly. "Also… I feel as though I've seen you before. Have we met somewhere?"

The woman replied, "This entire jungle is filled with rare treasures as far as the eye can see… Do you really believe they all formed naturally? Many of you must have realized this already, but faced with such riches, you choose to be willfully ignorant. Let me repeat: these treasures are not so easily taken. If you take something without offering something of equal value in return, you may regret it. I have said my piece—whether you take or leave, it is up to you."

With that, the woman waved her sleeve and stepped into the wind, preparing to leave.

"Fearmongering! You’re not leaving until you explain yourself!"

Cang Jinshui let out a cold snort, his body soaring into the air as he transformed into a streak of cyan light, rushing toward the woman.

His palm extended forward, unleashing a massive azure claw that shot toward the woman.

But the woman in white merely let out a faint snort and flicked her sleeve. An invisible force instantly dispersed Cang Jinshui’s claw, not only neutralizing his attack but also rebounding onto him directly.

With a loud boom, the Azure Dragon clan leader was sent crashing to the ground with a single flick of her sleeve!

Everyone was stunned.

The woman remained standing gracefully on another tree branch, which didn't even sway under her weight, as if she had no mass at all.

"Since when did the Azure Dragon clan become so arrogant? Is this how Cang Wuji taught you?" Her voice remained cold.

Cang Jinshui's eyes burned with rage. "How dare you call my late father by name!"

"Late father?" The woman raised an eyebrow before sighing in understanding. "So Cang Wuji has passed on… The world changes so quickly. Very well, I won't bother with a junior like you. One last time—these treasures are not easily taken. Proceed wisely."

With that, she stepped into the wind again, this time without anyone daring to stop her.

Cang Jinshui’s expression was dark as he picked himself up. His hand clenched around an unknown mineral, which crumbled into dust under his grip.

"The audacity! That woman actually dares to act like an elder and humiliate our clan leader!" An enraged young Azure Dragon clan member stepped forward. "Cang Shitian is willing to capture her for you, my lord!"

But Cang Jinshui remained silent.

He was not a reckless man. His attack had merely been a test of the woman’s strength—but he had not expected her to be so terrifying. With a single flick of her sleeve, he had been utterly overpowered.

He was the leader of the Azure Dragon clan, one of the Four Celestial Spirits. Even though the Azure Dragons had declined in power, and the White Tigers currently held dominance, an ancient clan still had its remaining strength. He was a true demon of immense power.

"Calm yourself, Clan Leader Cang," Ming Tushan suddenly spoke. "This woman… she may actually have the right to call herself your elder."

"What do you mean?" Cang Jinshui was startled.

Ming Tushan turned to Daoist Baijie and said seriously, "Daoist Baijie, you must have realized it as well… her identity?"

Daoist Baijie nodded. "Judging by her techniques, she must be using the Huan Zhen Dao arts… And for someone to wield them with such mastery, while also being a woman, there is only one possibility—the ‘White Moon Fairy,’ Yu Sanniang, from five hundred years ago."

"Yu Sanniang?" Cang Jinshui frowned. The name sounded familiar, but he couldn't immediately recall where he had heard it.

Ming Tushan sighed. "Huan Zhen Dao is an extremely low-profile sect. Few know about it today. As for the ‘White Moon Fairy’ from five hundred years ago, even fewer remember her. But if I mention her other identity, I doubt anyone here will be unfamiliar."

"Enlighten me, Elder Ming," Cang Jinshui said, taking a deep breath.

Ming Tushan said, "Yu Sanniang, before becoming the 'White Moon Fairy,' was actually a member of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox Clan of our Demon race. You must understand, the Nine-Tailed Celestial Foxes were deities of the same era as our ancestors—the Four Celestial Spirits: Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise... And this Yu Sanniang is a third-generation descendant of the Nine-Tailed Celestial Foxes."

For their generation of the Four Celestial Spirits, aside from the exceptionally long-lived Black Tortoise Clan, which of them had not already been separated by dozens of generations?

This white-clad woman… was actually a figure from their ancestors' era?

(End of Chapter)