Above Bailu Marsh.
A gigantic bird spread its wings, continuously circling in the sky.
Its eyes gleamed with brilliant radiance as it looked down upon this territory that had once belonged to it, its gaze distinctly human.
After seeing the billowing black airflows that had filled it with palpitations dissipate, the massive egret flapped its wings and descended toward the deepest part of Bailu Marsh.
Parting layers of toxic miasma and passing through a dense curtain of water, it entered a cave estate.
Inside, an enormous, multicolored python lay coiled in slumber.
Though the colorful python possessed a massive body, it did not appear bloated at all. On the contrary, it was exceedingly slender and graceful, exuding a faint, enchanting allure.
If an experienced cultivator were present, they would have recognized the colorful python's lineage at a single glance.
It was none other than a Nine Nether Phantasm Python!
When the Egret Demon King entered, the Nine Nether Phantasm Python seemed to sense it and opened a pair of clear eyes.
Their eyes met, and the Egret Demon King respectfully lowered her head.
The Nine Nether Phantasm Python's body quivered, and she transformed into a young woman in the prime of her youth.
After sweeping through the Egret Demon King's memories, a peculiar glint appeared in the young woman's eyes.
"He is barely twenty years of age, yet he already possesses a mid Foundation Establishment cultivation. Such talent is truly unbelievable!
"If it were some rapid demonic path technique, that would be one thing. But his magical power is remarkably profound and his foundation solid, completely devoid of any shallowness or instability. At mere mid Foundation Establishment, he effortlessly slew an early Golden Core cultivator. Even Master could not have accomplished such a feat back in the day.
"One can only say that he is truly worthy of being an avatar Master spent so much effort to cultivate!"
After sighing in amazement, the woman hesitated slightly.
She hesitated over whether to report Zhou Fuyou's astonishingly rapid progress to Master, especially his startling foundation.
Yet after a moment's consideration, she dismissed the thought.
Master should already be well aware of Zhou Fuyou's cultivation realm.
As for other matters, Master likely would not care.
"Besides, that voice transmission jade token only has two uses remaining. It cannot be wasted on such minor matters."
Murmuring to herself, the woman looked at the bowing Egret Demon King.
"The Zhou family's campaign to clear Bailu Marsh has already begun. It is impossible for you and your kin to continue living here in peace. Make your plans early: either choose to die on this native soil, or follow my advice and go to the Eastern Desolation to join the exalted Luotian Sect.
"I cannot guarantee other things, but regarding your premature shape-shifting, that is a mere trifle to my master."
The Egret Demon King seemed to have made up her mind long ago. She immediately prostrated herself on the ground, a melodious voice escaping her beak.
"This lowly demon will obey Your Ladyship's instructions!"
A brilliant smile appeared on the woman's face. "You have made the right choice. Do not be deceived by the Zhou family ignoring you all these years; they simply had not freed their hands. If nothing else, so long as the Zhou family's Old Ancestor wills it, he is not someone you can resist. Within the next two days, take my token and lead your clan to the Eastern Desolation. Someone will naturally be there to receive you."
The Egret Demon King nodded heavily, anticipation welling in her eyes.
According to this woman's description, the sect called the Luotian Sect possessed a miraculous pill that allowed demon beasts to assume human form ahead of time at Tier 3.
If that was true, she would have hope of reaching the Tier 4 Demon Emperor realm!
Under such temptation, even if she had to leave her ancestral home and serve under another's command, she was willing to take the risk!
……
Without anyone noticing, the indigenous inhabitants who had occupied Bailu Marsh for centuries began a quiet migration.
This should have been a major event that shook the Zhou family.
However, the sudden death of Sixth Elder Zhou Haiye drew everyone's attention!
Consequently, the plan to purge the demon beasts and open up Bailu Marsh was forced to a halt.
Naturally, once they recovered their senses, they would be able to effortlessly take over an empty Bailu Marsh, which would not be a bad thing in the end.
For the moment, however, what everyone cared about most was still Zhou Haiye's sudden demise.
The Clan Head's explanation was simply too difficult for anyone to accept!
Several True Cultivators of Foundation Establishment had been circling outside at the time, and none of them had sensed the demonic aura of any demon king. No one was willing to believe that Zhou Haiye had died at the hands of a demon beast.
Furthermore, even if a dignified Golden Core Master were outmatched against a demon king, he could not possibly have fallen so easily.
After all, Clan Head Zhou Junxiao had been presiding over the overall situation outside at the time and could have intervened at any moment.
Therefore, all the Foundation Establishment True Cultivators, along with Fourth Elder Zhou Xiaocheng who had been in seclusion and Third Elder Zhou Shuzhen who had been away on clan business, rushed to the council hall in hopes of obtaining a truthful answer from the Clan Head's own mouth.
Yet Zhou Junxiao did not show his face directly.
Tossing down a curt "Wait," he hurried toward the Coral Palace where the Old Ancestor resided.
Only after more than half a day did Zhou Junxiao emerge from the palace in a daze.
"A traitor?"
Just as the clansmen had been unwilling to believe his perfunctory explanation, he had been unwilling to believe Zhou Fuyou's account.
Yet with the Old Ancestor favoring him, he could hardly interrogate Zhou Fuyou, the family's child of the future.
Thus, the moment he left the Coral Palace, he headed straight for Zhou Haiye's residence and began a search.
Not only that, he used forceful methods without hesitation to violently crack open the storage bag left behind on Zhou Haiye's corpse.
In the end, upon discovering several letters and a large quantity of distinctive cultivation resources that did not belong to the Zhou family but originated from the Yin family, he was forced to accept the truth of what Zhou Fuyou had said.
"Zhou Haiye was a traitor, and Zhou Fuyou killed him to cleanse the clan!"
"Yet, the Old Ancestor has not even passed away. Why was he in such a hurry?"
……
Within the deep, quiet Coral Palace, an aged voice echoed slowly.
"The great tree has not yet fallen, yet the monkeys below are already eager to find their own backers. A grand Nascent Soul clan, yet its cohesion cannot even match that of some major sects."
Inside the hall, Zhou Fuyou stood calmly, his red-coral-adorned white robes spotless.
He spoke up, "Old Ancestor, there is no need to grieve. Some people were merely blinded. Since our Zhou family could tenaciously survive the demons of the Northern Sea and the great catastrophe of the Central Plains, what do these little squalls matter?"
Above, Zhou Yunshen shook his head. "Yet it is a fact that this old man's lifespan is running out—ten years at most."
Zhou Fuyou, who had remained calm through everything and had not lost his composure even when slaying Zhou Haiye, was utterly shocked at this moment.
"Ten years?"
Zhou Yunshen said, "Yes, ten years at most. If a friend had not extended my life back then, I fear I would not even have had these ten years."
Zhou Fuyou opened his mouth, unsure of what to say.
Zhou Yunshen, however, was remarkably at ease. He smiled and said, "If I pass away, the Zhou family will have no Nascent Soul True Person to oversee it. Fuyou, tell me, what should be done then?"
Zhou Fuyou replied without thinking, "Isn't the Grand Elder in secluded cultivation attempting to break through to the Nascent Soul stage? Once he succeeds, he will surely protect the Zhou family for another five hundred years!"
"He cannot do it." Zhou Yunshen seemed to have seen through everything long ago as he sighed. "Cang'er's natural aptitude was among the poorer ones of the second-generation clansmen. Those whose aptitude exceeded his either died under the endless assault of demon beasts in the Coral Sea back then or perished in the great catastrophe of the Central Plains. He was pushed up purely by relying on the clan's resources. The Nascent Soul stage may appear to be just one step away for him, but I fear he will not be able to cross it even if he exhausts all his strength."
Zhou Fuyou had never imagined that the Old Ancestor, who normally seemed to hold everything in his grasp, could also be this pessimistic.
He thought for a moment, a resolute expression surfacing on his face. "Old Ancestor, you need not worry. There are several Golden Core Masters watching over the clan, which can guarantee the family's safety for the time being. Outside the clan, a group of young talents has joined the Tiannan Dao Palace; in time, they will surely become the family's backbone. Above all, I am still here!"
Zhou Yunshen's cloudy gaze fell upon the young man, lingering in silence for a long time.
Facing this gaze, Zhou Fuyou felt an odd sense of familiarity.
Over the years, he had occasionally come to the Coral Palace to consult the Old Ancestor on advanced cultivation knowledge, especially the practice of the spell Qi Sea Floating Heaven.
The Old Ancestor had held nothing back from him, answering almost every question.
He had even gifted him the Yin-Slaughtering Ruler, a famous magic treasure from his younger years.
Yet rarely had he seen the elder look at him with such an expression.
Affective tenderness, gratified comfort—it was thoroughly the gaze of an elder looking at a junior, yet within it lay an indescribable sorrow.
When was the last time he had seen such a look?
Zhou Fuyou recalled the scene of meeting the Old Ancestor for the first time. Yes, it was that time!
Back then, there had also been a trace of cold detachment.
Now, that detachment had dissipated, leaving Zhou Fuyou even more bewildered.
A faint sigh drifted past his ears.
"If only it were real."
Zhou Fuyou was puzzled. "Old Ancestor, what did you say?"
Huuu...
The old man exhaled a breath of turbid air and forced a smile.
"Nothing. I only recalled that since you mentioned the Tiannan Dao Palace, it is time for you to go there."
Zhou Fuyou was caught unprepared.
"But..."
"The Zhou family's heritage is too narrow. The longer you remain in the clan, the more your talent will be wasted. The Tiannan Dao Palace is a branch of the Tianyuan Dao Sect, once the strongest sacred ground in the Mountain Sea Realm. Its heritage and cultivation resources far exceed those of my petty Zhou family. Surely they are eager to see you. As it happens, I have grown restless from remaining idle; this time, I will personally escort you to the Tiannan Dao Palace!"
Zhou Fuyou clenched his fists. "Fuyou does not wish to leave just yet!"
Zhou Yunshen seemed to see right through him and smiled. "Do not worry about your sister. Since I gave her the Spiritual Root Pill back then, I naturally will not mistreat her. After you depart, the clan will treat her as a core member. I will have Third Elder Zhou Shuzhen instruct her personally, and all resources will be distributed in double portions. We will certainly see to it that she successfully establishes her foundation. Will that set your mind at ease?"
Zhou Fuyou still could not set his mind at ease. Or rather, the reason he had stubbornly insisted on remaining in the clan was to protect his sister.
Faced with this stubbornness, Zhou Yunshen patiently reasoned with him.
"She is no longer a child. She has come of age and can cultivate. You cannot protect her for a lifetime."
"No, I can!"
"Yet if you delay going to the Dao Palace, they will surely place blame upon the Zhou family and even implicate your sister. Would you want such a thing to happen?"
"This..."
"Go to the Dao Palace and cultivate diligently. Once you have established a firm foothold, you can bring her over to receive better guidance as well. If you achieve success in your cultivation realm and become an important figure in the Tiannan Dao Palace or even the entire Dao Sect in the future, wouldn't you be able to protect your sister all the better?"
This time, Zhou Fuyou wavered.
Zhou Yunshen did not press further; he trusted that this intelligent child would understand.
Bailu Marsh was vast, yet it spanned a mere three thousand li.
And how could the entire cultivation world be limited to a mere three thousand li?
"Go back and think it over carefully. This may well be the last time this old man travels far from home."
……
In the Azure Void, a deathly silence enveloped all.
Suddenly!
A profoundly muffled roar sounded, carrying a boundless, unyielding will as it crushed down heavily upon the void.
"Roar!"
A colossal shadow broke free of all restraints, standing proudly in the boundless starry expanse.
It was clad in azure scales, its body mottled and scarred by nine massive sword wounds running across its frame, resembling the marks left behind by the passage of time.
Its gigantic head possessed no ferocious horns, yet it seemed capable of piercing through the firmament.
Such a terrifying thousand-zhang body was supported by only a single stout leg.
This single leg was as heavy and massive as a pillar of heaven, not only bearing the monstrous frame, but also suppressing the starry sky and the boundless void beneath its foot.
The instant it appeared, fierce winds whipped up around it. One powerful vengeful spirit after another came howling toward it from all directions.
Among them were mother-and-child entities linked as one, undulating phantoms, roaring blood demons, and a three-legged crow spewing dense ghostly fire.
If placed into the cultivation world, every single one of these vengeful spirits would be a being capable of wreaking havoc across a region and overturning rivers and seas.
Yet before it, they were like horseflies and gnats, unworthy of even a glance.
Its eyes, like blazing stars, stared fixedly at the black-robed Daoist in the distance whose robes flapped violently in the wind, its gaze brimming with boundless fury.
"Roar!"
The tempestuous sound carried matchless power, charging straight into the soul of any living being.
Yet when it reached the black-robed Daoist, it was like a gentle breeze brushing against his face, merely stirring the stray hairs at his temples.
Luo Chen stood with his feet planted upon the Hunyuan Cauldron, the Soul Refining Banner held in his hand, his expression solemn.
"Kui Ox, struggle no more! This banner is the true home of your soul!"
What answered him was an even more violent roar from the Kui Ox.
Luo Chen was not surprised.
It had taken twenty years, an immense amount of magical power, and day-and-night refinement within the Hunyuan Cauldron using the Nirvana Holy Fire to finally arrive at this day.
This present overbearing Kui Ox, seemingly capable of swallowing the sun and moon, was merely experiencing a terminal surge of energy—nothing more than its final, unwilling struggle.
Without a physical body, the only thing the Kui Ox could rely upon was divine soul attacks.
Yet Luo Chen's divine soul foundation completely surpassed that of this ghost-god Kui Ox. Especially under the reinforcement of the Prison Suppression soul technique, the ghost-god Kui Ox could not even breach his defenses.
Rage!
Struggle!
In the end, submit to me!
Luo Chen divided his mind into two tasks. He shook the great banner, causing heaven and earth to tremble; he expanded the great cauldron, as if even the stars were suppressed.
Amidst this continuous suppression and tug-of-war, the ghost-god Kui Ox, making its desperate final stand, could only be pulled into the Soul Refining Banner bit by bit amid unwilling roars.
The primary soul was restored!
The remaining ghostly spirits also howled as they swept into the Soul Refining Banner.
Just as Luo Chen felt immensely satisfied at having thoroughly subdued a Tier 5 ghost-god, a faint, almost imperceptible cracking sound reached his ears.
Crack!
Luo Chen lowered his head, his gaze falling upon the banner in his hands.
Across the banner's surface, a million ghostly shadows swarmed, with the Kui Ox poised in a roar.
Yet along the banner pole, crack after crack was visibly spreading.
Luo Chen's brow twitched, and he understood the reason in an instant.
"In the end, this Soul Refining Banner cannot bear a Tier 5 ghost-god!"
This Soul Refining Banner had originally been obtained from a Northern Sea Golden Core cultivator, and at that time, it was merely an ordinary Ten Thousand Soul Banner.
Later, through continuous refinement by Luo Chen and Little White, it had grown step by step into the Hundred Thousand Ferocious Soul Banner, and then the Million Malevolent Soul Banner.
Although Luo Chen had frequently added materials throughout the process to strengthen the Soul Refining Banner, bearing a Tier 5 ghost-god was still too strenuous for it.
Fortunately, Luo Chen possessed extraordinary artifact-crafting knowledge and instantly thought of a solution.
With a flick of his wrist, another great banner stood before him.
It was white in color, peaceful and serene—it was the Soul Nurturing Banner.
Crafted by the hands of Blood Nightmare Moluo of the Yuan Demon Sect, it was of genuine True Artifact quality.
If he melted and refined it into the Soul Refining Banner, it would further enhance the Soul Refining Banner's strength.
However, to bear the Kui Ox's power, it would still not be enough.
Without pausing, Luo Chen caused streams of light to burst forth from his storage ring. Looking closely, they were clearly various rare and precious metals, stones, jade, and timber materials seldom seen even in the cultivation world.
With a flick of his hand, he tossed both soul banners and the assortment of materials straight into the Hunyuan Cauldron.
Spitting out azure flames, he began the melting and refinement.
The Daoist sat cross-legged in the void, the true fire blazing as he continuously refined the treasure.
Because of the brief yet intense battle earlier, this patch of the Azure Void seemed to have disturbed heaven and earth.
A meteorite floating in the cosmos was drawn by the commotion, hurtling toward this location.
The Daoist glanced at it, golden light flashing in his eyes, and he reached out a great hand across the void.
A massive palm manifested in the sky, suddenly seizing the meteorite before tossing it into the grey cauldron as well.
Time trickled by.
Roughly half a year later, the Daoist extinguished the flame and withdrew his hands.
A deep, jet-black great banner floated down before him.
A long crack still remained on it, yet a look of satisfaction had already appeared in the Daoist's eyes.
"It should be able to support condensing the divine body of the Kui Ox once!"
Chapter 1039