"Why is Mister Yuan, Yuan Tiangang, here?"
Xu Ying was utterly stunned. The white-robed immortal was indeed Yuan Tiangang. Yet the last time Xu Ying met him, Yuan Tiangang had lost all his sharp ambition after Xu Fu exposed the Kunlun ascension fraud, intending to hide away on the Wangxiang Platform to grow old and die in seclusion, no longer yearning for immortal destiny.
Xu Ying had never imagined he would meet him again in a place like this.
Without a second thought, he grasped Yuan Tiangang's hand. Drawn by a surge of tremendous force, he soared into the air and landed lightly upon the speeding immortal mountain.
"His cultivation is far deeper than before," Xu Ying inwardly noted as he sensed the change in Yuan Tiangang's cultivation.
With his hair coiled in a knot and dressed in plain white robes, Yuan Tiangang had none of the haughty airs of an immortal; instead, he resembled a swordsman. His eyes shone brightly as he tensely watched the middle-aged Immortal King who had been knocked flying.
The middle-aged Immortal King steadied himself and immediately sprinted toward the immortal mountain.
However, Nalan Du had just been suppressed into unconsciousness and slipped from Xu Ying's grasp, plummeting into the sea and being swept away by the surging waves.
Seeing this, the middle-aged Immortal King abandoned his pursuit of Penglai for the moment and hurried to scoop up Nalan Du.
Towing the Penglai immortal mountain, the Xuanwu divine turtle galloped at full speed, bursting from this realm into another in the blink of an eye.
Cradling Nalan Du, the middle-aged Immortal King leapt into the air, his form linking with the Immortal Dao Jade Pool as he landed upon it.
"Penglai! I have searched for you for so long, and at last you reveal yourself! Don't even dream of escaping this time!"
The middle-aged Immortal King set Nalan Du down inside the Jade Pool and flicked his sleeve. At once, both the Jade Pool and the bizarre eye of Weixu in the sky vanished.
In the next instant, the Jade Pool and the eye of Weixu reappeared directly above the Penglai immortal mountain. But the Xuanwu was still galloping at breakneck speed, hauling Penglai into yet another realm!
"You cannot escape!" the middle-aged Immortal King snorted coldly.
The chasm of Weixu and the Immortal Dao Jade Pool seemed to manifest in the skies above all worlds, firmly locked onto the Xuanwu and the Penglai immortal mountain.
With every world the Xuanwu and the immortal mountain entered, the strange eye of Weixu in the sky drew a fraction closer, and the Immortal Dao Jade Pool neared the immortal mountain as well.
As though sensing the looming danger, the Xuanwu accelerated its frantic sprint, barreling forward unstoppably, tearing through world after world.
Yuan Tiangang lifted his gaze, watching the sky with tense vigilance.
As the Xuanwu rushed on, the heavens continually shifted, yet the colossal eye in the sky appeared across each world in turn.
It was as if every world possessed such a monstrous eye.
The bizarre eye of Weixu grew ever closer, and the middle-aged Immortal King drew nearer as well.
"You are nothing more than a bunch of false immortals sustained on immortality grass! You established a lesser Immortal Realm and forged a false Heavenly Dao, defying heaven itself!" As the middle-aged Immortal King drew near, his voice boomed with mounting thunder.
Yuan Tiangang's expression turned grave. The middle-aged Immortal King's dharmic power had already begun encroaching upon Penglai.
That power was vast as a surging sea, and within Weixu an even more terrifying might roiled. Frightful radiance converged within the bizarre eye of Weixu, on the verge of cleaving down upon the Xuanwu.
The Xuanwu moved faster and faster. Just then, Xu Ying heard cries of alarm. Looking over in haste, he saw a multideck tower ship brushing past the Penglai immortal mountain. A woman stood upon the ship, frantically waving both hands toward the mountain as if trying to get it to stop.
Upon that ship were also a giant serpent and a large bell.
"Pavilion Master Lin! Pavilion Master Lin, did you see that?! The Penglai immortal mountain just whooshed right past our faces!" the big bell clanged loudly, shouting in disbelief.
Yuan Qi hesitated, then said, "I think I saw Ah Ying on that mountain too."
Chu Xiangxiang said, "I saw him as well! But how could Uncle Ying have gotten ahead of us and boarded the Penglai immortal mountain first?"
Everyone aboard was thoroughly bewildered.
The Xuanwu divine turtle continued its frenzied swim when suddenly, an intensely dazzling beam of light shot out from the bizarre eye of Weixu. With a deafening hum, it slashed straight toward the turtle!
At that very moment, a magic treasure suddenly shot skyward from within the Penglai immortal mountain. It was an immensely imposing Heavenly Pass gate, standing steadfast in the sky.
The light blasted from the eye of Weixu struck the gate. The gate shuddered faintly, completely absorbing the terrifying might of the strike.
A resonant, deep voice echoed from the main peak of the Penglai immortal mountain: "Ninth Immortal King, did you truly believe that without descending in your true body, you could seize my Penglai? You underestimate Penglai and overestimate your Weixu."
The middle-aged Immortal King raised a hand and slapped downward. Immortal music erupted as his palm, formed entirely of countless Immortal Dao runes, descended with extraordinary power.
A giant hand also flew out from the Penglai immortal mountain, colliding with the Immortal King's palm in an even clash.
Just as the middle-aged Immortal King prepared to strike again, the Xuanwu leapt forward with the entire Penglai immortal mountain, breaking through a rising surge of massive waves.
Whoosh!
A flash of white light flared, and the Xuanwu and the Penglai immortal mountain vanished right before his eyes.
The middle-aged Immortal King was startled. He hurriedly looked around, and the bizarre eye of Weixu pierced through the heavens and myriad realms in an instant, taking every world into view. Yet not a trace of the Penglai immortal mountain could be found!
"Among the heavens and myriad realms, certain worlds are unrecorded—dark zones."
The middle-aged Immortal King's heart sank. The eye of Weixu could enter charted worlds, but to the eye, unmapped realms were dark worlds where it could not descend.
"Because I had to save Du'er, I was a step too slow and let them slip away. But at least Du'er's life was preserved, so it wasn't a total loss. As long as the Penglai immortal mountain appears again, it cannot escape my gaze."
The middle-aged Immortal King suddenly dissolved into a pool of Jade Pool immortal water, sinking into the Immortal Dao Jade Pool.
The treasure soared into the air, carrying Nalan Du as it submerged into the Heavenly Eye of Weixu and vanished without a trace.
"Penglai's emergence this time shows that the old fellows inside can no longer sit still. They will definitely show themselves again. Penglai has always been at odds with the demonic realm; I must contact the demonic realm as soon as possible. This time, no matter what, I must claim both Penglai and Yingzhou!"
***
Aboard the Penglai immortal mountain, Yuan Tiangang breathed a long sigh of relief when he saw that the eye of Weixu was no longer pursuing them. He smiled and said, "The one who took action just now was the master of the Penglai Immortal Realm. We all address him as the Immortal Master. He was the very first immortal of the Penglai immortal mountain."
"The Immortal Master!"
Xu Ying raised his head to gaze at the Heavenly Pass in the sky, a flicker of astonishment passing through his eyes.
Just like the Immortal Dao Jade Pool, this Heavenly Pass gave him an intensely familiar feeling.
The one who had severed his Jade Pool realm and refined it into an Immortal Dao treasure was the Ninth Immortal King.
Then who was this Penglai Immortal Master who held the Third Mysterious Pass?
Xu Ying suppressed the stirring in his heart, bowed, and gave thanks: "Thank you for the rescue, Mister Yuan. I will never forget your life-saving grace."
Yuan Tiangang laughed heartily, bold and spirited as ever. "I dare not take credit for rescuing you. I was merely waiting here for you, Fellow Daoist Xu, on the Divine Crone's orders."
He continued, "The Divine Crone said, 'Fellow Daoist Xu will face calamity today, pursued by the Ninth Immortal King at this very hour. Lend him a hand.' What I did was merely reach out and pull you up, that is all."
"The Divine Crone."
Xu Ying's heart stirred. Had Penglai's Divine Crone even predicted what he would face today?
This Divine Crone was evidently an important figure beside the Penglai Immortal Master. She had cast divinations twice before to help Great Emperor Beiyin and Great Emperor Dongyue escape their plights; what was her true intention?
Xu Ying smiled and asked, "Mister Yuan, how did you come to Penglai?"
Yuan Tiangang smiled. "After parting with you that day, I was disheartened because the Kunlun immortal destiny was exposed as a fraud. But then it struck me: the Three Realms tide I divined was drawing near, and the immortal destiny came from the Three Realms tide, not Kunlun itself. As the Three Realms tide intensified, I thought that perhaps my immortal destiny still awaited. So I cast another divination, and through it, I foresaw another immortal destiny—Penglai."
He chuckled. "Once I divined the Penglai destiny, I immediately took to the sea. Before long, I indeed encountered Penglai. The Divine Crone was already waiting for me on the mountain, saying I had a fateful bond with Penglai. I passed Penglai's heavenly tribulation and became an immortal here, finally free from having to live in a tainted place like the Wangxiang Platform."
Xu Ying was thoroughly stunned and mumbled, "You encountered Penglai not long after setting out to sea?"
Yuan Tiangang nodded. "It was very easy to find."
Xu Ying asked, "Did you encounter any strange occurrences along the way?"
Yuan Tiangang shook his head. "None at all."
Xu Ying fell silent for a moment and sighed, thinking to himself, *Why did I run into so much trouble after setting out to sea? First a multi-armed demon god, then pursuit by the Ninth Immortal King, and now this Penglai Immortal Master...*
He felt an undercurrent of unease and squeezed the black lotus curse upon his palm.
Right now, Penglai was like a ship drifting upon the sea. Having stepped aboard, he wondered whether this ship would eventually capsize.
Still, no matter what, he had to meet this Penglai Immortal Master.
More importantly, he needed to see the Divine Crone.
Yuan Tiangang led him up the mountain, smiling as he said, "There are many immortals in Penglai. Though they are not true immortals, they enjoy longevity equal to heaven itself. Fellow Daoist Xu, look up, and you can see the sun of the Immortal Realm."
Xu Ying looked up and indeed saw a golden sun hanging in the sky. The worldly essence radiating from its sunlight was extraordinarily potent!
Not only that, wisps of immortal qi drifted down from the heavens, showering across Penglai.
"Once you become an immortal of the Penglai Immortal Realm, you can cultivate here with twice the results for half the effort," Yuan Tiangang said with a smile. "Every immortal in Penglai possesses profound cultivation, none inferior to the anglers."
Xu Ying marveled, "Truly remarkable. No wonder the Ninth Immortal King didn't dare force his way into Penglai."
Yuan Tiangang nodded and sighed. "More than remarkable. I don't know when I will ever reach their level."
Rather than a single mountain, the Penglai immortal mountain was more like an immortal isle composed of undulating peaks. Its base rooted deep into the sea while half floated above the water; had it not been tethered by chains, it might have drifted straight into the heavens.
Floating above the colossal mother mountain were dozens of smaller immortal peaks. Upon the larger peaks stood sprawling immortal palaces, while the smaller ones held only a cottage or two.
Around a hundred peaks, large and small, hovered in the skies above the mother mountain.
Together, these floating peaks and the mother mountain were known as the Penglai Immortal Realm.
"Mount Fangzhang was so small, yet Penglai is so vast. Truly extraordinary," Xu Ying remarked in admiration.
He followed Yuan Tiangang to higher ground. The Xuanwu divine turtle was still hauling the immortal mountain toward the distant coast.
"Some call this ocean the Heavenly Sea, saying a sea from the heavens fell into the mortal world and connected with the oceans of the heavens and myriad realms, creating the wonder of an ocean joining all worlds," Yuan Tiangang explained with a smile. "Others say a certain part of the Heavenly Sea even connects to the Immortal Realm and the Heavenly Dao world. If one is lucky enough, one might even cross over into the Immortal Realm."
Hearing this, Xu Ying recalled the time aboard the tower ship when they had sailed beneath a South Heavenly Gate, where immortals had ordered a strict guard to prevent stowaways.
*Could it be that they were lucky enough back then to slip into the Heavenly Sea of the Immortal Realm?*
As the two flew toward the main peak of Penglai, conversing as they traveled, Xu Ying asked, "Mister Yuan, how powerful is Weixu? And what is the background of the Ninth Immortal King?"
Yuan Tiangang replied, "According to the immortals here, he was once an Immortal King of the Immortal Realm. To quell the turmoil stirred up by that great villain, he severed his own realm and led a host of immortals who had done the same, fighting their way back into the mortal world from the Immortal Realm. Because he guarded the ninth pass of the heavenly road, people call him the Ninth Immortal King."
He sighed and added, "That Ninth Immortal King was a pitiful soul as well. After suppressing the great villain and quelling the chaos, who would have thought the Immortal Realm would discard them, barring them from ever returning? In his fury, he fell into the demonic path, founded Weixu, and grew very close to the demonic realm."
Xu Ying cleared his throat softly and said, "Mister Yuan, I am the great villain you speak of."
"I know," Yuan Tiangang said with a chuckle. "I said it on purpose to tease you."
Xu Ying gave a muffled grunt.
He had learned some information about the Ninth Immortal King from the Outer God Chongxiao, but had not known that the Immortal King was the one who founded Weixu. He asked, "What kind of place is Weixu?"
"I don't know," Yuan Tiangang answered. "I haven't been here long either, so many secrets remain unknown to me."
He lowered his voice and said, "Lately, I've been studying divination under the Divine Crone and have learned a great deal. She must know many secrets. Once we see the Immortal Master, I will introduce you to her."
Xu Ying was filled with anticipation and smiled. "I would very much like to meet her as well."
He was curious about the Penglai Immortal Master, but even more curious about this Divine Crone who could foresee the future.
Both Great Emperor Dongyue and Great Emperor Beiyin had received guidance from this Penglai Divine Crone. Great Emperor Dongyue had gifted Xu Ying the Golden Crow egg to await a chance at revival twenty thousand years later, while Great Emperor Beiyin had also been directed by her, constantly speaking of fateful bonds.
Xu Ying still carried the bamboo divination slip the Divine Crone had given to the Northern Emperor.
Written upon the slip was: *Stars of the Nether Capital fall into chaos, the kun fish leaps the sea, nether fires burn on the other shore, and a fateful bond shall come of itself.*
Every line had already come to pass.
Just then, a voice came with a chuckle: "Fellow Daoist Xu, if you wish to know about Weixu, why go to the Divine Crone? I know a thing or two about it myself. Weixu was originally an ancient ruin whose Heavenly Daos and principles were exceedingly bizarre. Because the Ninth Immortal King and his followers severed their own realms and reverted from immortals to mortals, their lifespans gained an end. In their pursuit of longevity, they had no choice but to turn to Weixu."
Chapter 318