Surging waves churned, and towering billows reached toward the sky.
*Rumble!*
Purple lightning densely webbed the heavens as dark clouds, dragging chaotic winds in their wake, swept over the expanse. The spiritual aura over the ocean fluctuated erratically, forcing several streaks of escaping light that had been drifting through the air to descend and rest upon the surface of the sea.
Thick azure light rolled across the water like a hunchbacked behemoth, casting fragmented emerald glints through the surging waves. Yet a colossal treasure cauldron materialized across the vault of heaven, locking it down upon the sea.
At last, the azure light manifested its true form—a gargantuan, green-backed giant softshell turtle with two horns upon its head and razor-sharp fangs and claws. Countless white corals and jewels encrusted its shell, dripping down radiant beams of Fushui light.
Those emerald eyes, vast as gateway portals, snapped open, brimming with a ferocious, icy glare. It parted its massive jaws, revealing rows of gleaming white teeth shimmering with a ghastly sheen.
“You Real Person... truly push your luck!”
The treasure cauldron at the apex of the sky quivered slightly. Copious Lushui poured forth, finally coalescing into an azure-robed figure who strolled leisurely to a halt in the sky. With a faint smile, he said, “Great King, you are being far too unreasonable. I merely came seeking a single item, willing to exchange for it through fair discussion and negotiation. How can you call that pushing my luck?”
The green-backed softshell turtle retracted his dharma body. Dropping from the sky, he transformed into a burly, square-faced elder with a broad forehead, clad in heavy scale armor. He cast a chilly side-glance at the man and sneered, “If it was through fair discussion, why deploy an array using spiritual tools? Locking down above, below, left, and right—does that display the slightest posture of negotiation?”
Chi Buzi lowered his hands, gathering a strand of dark green beads into his palm. With a gentle caress, he scattered a shower of clear light that formed a table. Only then did he chuckle and say, “After all, Great King, you frequently dwell in the deep sea, sleeping for who knows how many months and years on end. Having caught you with such difficulty, I could hardly let you stand in the empty air just to chat with me. Setting up an array with spiritual treasures to serve as a dharma manor ensures I do not slight the Great King.”
The burly elder into whom the demon king had transformed choked on his words. Pausing briefly, he replied, “Your shamelessness, Chi Buzi, is something I have finally witnessed with my own eyes.”
He was, after all, a demon king who had cultivated for many centuries, having stepped past Joining Purple long ago. Blessed with an extraordinary bloodline, he was not necessarily afraid of the junior before him. However, any clash between them would inevitably shake heaven and earth. For all these years, it was his low profile that had kept him alive, and he truly had no desire to stir up trouble.
Chi Buzi smiled faintly, seeming to discern his thoughts. Entirely unfazed, he seated himself beside the table, drew a flask of wine from his sleeve, and laughed. “I have long heard of Senior Zeng Zan’s illustrious name. ‘Fushui’ is exceedingly rare. As matters stand, Great King... how much certainty do you possess?”
Zeng Zan stared at him and replied flatly, “It is not as if Fellow Daoist Chi does not already know... With my meager abilities, seeking the Dao was difficult from the start. There is little hope left in this life; I harbor nothing more than the ambition to be born with a Dao Physique in my next life, and only then seek the Golden status...”
Chi Buzi understood perfectly what he meant by being born with a Dao Physique—nothing other than reincarnating as a human to pursue the Golden status through the Path of Violet Palace and Golden Core or the Path of Nourishing Qi and Cultivating Nature. He clapped his hands and said, “Fellow Daoist possesses admirable talent—have you ever considered seeking surplus or intercalary status?”
The two divine ability experts shared no deep friendship. For such a matter to be brought up without cause meant there was certainly an underlying demand. In this conversation, Chi Buzi was not asking about the demon king, but rather voicing his own inner designs. Zeng Zan fixed him with a stare and said coolly, “Does Fellow Daoist Chi wish to seek an intercalary status or a surplus status?”
Chi Buzi took a sip of wine and gazed back at him without any attempt at concealment. “I cultivate Lushui, yet came to seek Senior, a true cultivator of Fushui. Is it not easy to guess? Which path lies close to Lushui is all too evident.”
Zeng Zan narrowed his eyes, his expression deceptively calm. “Oh? Fellow Daoist harbors designs on Fushui?”
Both were figures of the Great Real Person level, making this matter extraordinarily sensitive. If Chi Buzi sought to attain Fushui, any conflict between their statuses could very well devolve into an irreconcilable fight to the death!
Chi Buzi locked eyes with him, then suddenly raised an eyebrow. “Old Senior has weathered many storms. It is impossible that you are ignorant of the matter regarding the Xinyou Swimming Marsh Seal. Why bother testing me?”
Chi Buzi possessed four divine abilities, a fact Zeng Zan naturally understood. Now that the truth was laid bare, the demon king no longer bothered to feign ignorance. With an intrigued look, he remarked, “You currently wield four divine abilities. Lushui already has a master who will not permit your ascent; the nature of Kan cannot be clashed with; that leaves only He, Fu, and Pin. Why must you steer toward Fushui?”
The old demon gave a chuckle. “Reincarnation is so splendid, yet you are unwilling to take it. Heshui welcomes intercalary status, yet you stubbornly refuse it. Isn't that rather irrational? Or do you simply distrust the dragon kindred?”
*Reincarnation?*
Chi Buzi sneered internally.
He knew all too well how narrow-minded that individual was. A hidden hand had already been planted within his soul. He was only granted a chance to attain the Dao now because he still had utility; if he were to reincarnate, what value would remain of him? Instant death on the spot would be getting off lightly.
Zeng Zan had cultivated for countless years, his Dao attainment even exceeding Chi Buzi’s. He naturally understood that Pin Water was the path of reincarnation. Since Chi Buzi had no intention of reincarnating, only two paths lay before him.
Chi Buzi’s expression darkened. Looking quietly at the elder, he said, “Heshui welcomes intercalary status, yet across a thousand years, many have sought He, and not one has succeeded. The entanglement between Lu and He is far too terrifying. I suspect... it is related to the dragon kindred seeking truth.”
“Oh?”
Zeng Zan’s expression shifted slightly. He smiled and countered, “Perhaps our predecessors simply lacked sufficient cultivation. If you were to attain He and escape Lushui, would you not naturally share a stance with the dragon kindred? At a time when the dragon kindred seek truth, why would they ever turn away an extra helper? They would naturally aid you.
“Since you believe that lord of Lushui will never spare you, then without the aid of the dragon kindred, the likelihood of your success is even slimmer!”
Yet Chi Buzi’s gaze remained clear and free of doubt, his expression turning somewhat chilly. “True Chi was a Great Sage; how could he not have known that one person cannot hold two Dao fruits simultaneously? His demise had its reasons, and the transformation between Lu and He holds great terror. Heshui clearly welcomes intercalary status, and dragon scions are numerous, yet Heshui retains only a single fruit status. There must be an arrangement behind it. If I rashly meddle, my death is certain. Not to mention, what kind of era are we living in? Pursuing an intercalary leap between Lu and He at this juncture would not be seen as assistance in the Dragon Lord’s eyes—it would be branded as either sheer stupidity or malice.”
Zeng Zan gazed at him for a long time before nodding. “Formidable.”
Chi Buzi sneered and replied, “And if I leap toward Fushui instead, could the dragon kindred not stand behind me just the same? In this game... Heshui is a dead end. Only Fushui offers a glimmer of hope.”
Though his tone was assertive, his gaze lingered intently on Zeng Zan’s face. As the old demon sank into deep contemplation, Chi Buzi raised an eyebrow and continued, “I know Senior cannot attain the surplus status, which is why you contemplate reincarnation. Back then, Dongfang—back then, the Chi lineage presided over the catastrophic loss of Fushui's vastness, rendering the surplus status unattainable thereafter. When the last True Monarch holding a Fushui surplus status also perished, the lakes and marshes beneath heaven withered overnight... Senior's desire to reincarnate is likewise to attain an intercalary status in Fushui.
“If someone like me attains a Fushui intercalary status first, would that not serve as an ideal test of the Dragon Lord’s intentions on Senior's behalf?”
Zeng Zan stared at him silently. Chi Buzi added in a measured tone, “Lakes and marshes are positions that nourish water, aggregating and complementing each other. If I truly succeed, could a noble scion of Fushui like Senior ever be left without backing?”
Zeng Zan mused, “Yet the Dragon Lord and Fushui...”
The azure-robed man stepped forward, speaking flatly: “I know the Dragon Lord dislikes seeing Fushui flourish. While an intercalary status is harmless enough, once I covet an intercalary status, I inherently harbor the ambition and possibility of coveting the fruit status. Perhaps in ordinary times... he would rather discard me than allow Fushui to grow powerful. But things are different now.
“Today, the dragon kindred seek truth—they seek the Dao of True Dragons!”
His eyes were razor-sharp. “Should they fail, heaven and earth will be upended. They might not even possess the strength to hold the East Sea... How could they spare attention for the affairs of Fushui? Fushui would certainly be lost. At the very least, I would have been elevated by them; our interests would align, and a karmic bond would exist between us.
“And should they succeed, there would be even less cause to worry about me. Heshui would no longer need to be synonymous with the dragon kindred. Even if Fushui flourished, what would it matter? Standing an entire realm higher, they would have me perfectly tame and obedient, rendering such anxieties entirely moot.”
The man gathered his sleeves, concluding calmly, “This is precisely why I am certain Senior will still cultivate Fushui in your next life. Senior has remained halted at this step all this time purely to avoid provoking the Dragon Lord, waiting until the greater situation is settled before pursuing Fushui once more.”
Zeng Zan studied him for a long while before murmuring, “Since your calculations are so lucid, and you understand my opportunity lies after the dragon kindred seek the Dao, are you not afraid that I might harbor greater ambitions—resenting that you take the step ahead of me and snatch away my chance at the fruit status?”
The tone of Zeng Zan’s voice had subtly shifted, yet Chi Buzi merely laughed. “Of course not. Xuan Yuan was plotted against so miserably back then. As a descendant of Xuan Yuan, Senior is gripped by fear... Who knows whether the dragon kindred are even willing to let Senior ascend? From any perspective, I am a far more suitable candidate than Senior.”
He took a step forward, the depth of his eyes inscrutable, and smiled faintly. “I came today to let Senior understand one thing: only after I attain the Dao will there be a chance for Senior to attain it.”
Zeng Zan stared at him for a long moment, a flicker of hesitation finally stirring in his heart:
*He... might truly possess that sliver of a chance!*
The old demon asked in a low rasp, “What do you want?”
Chi Buzi’s eyes brightened slightly as his gaze shifted from the elder’s face up to his forehead. “I want Senior’s pair of horns.”
The old demon fell silent. Chi Buzi spoke with undisguised ambition: “I currently cultivate Fushui's ‘Morning Cold Rain,’ which is closely related to ‘Clear Dusk Rain.’ Derived from an ancient unique manual, it harmonizes the two Daos of Lu and Fu to utter perfection. However, because I do not comprehend Fushui, my cultivation speed is dreadfully slow.
“If I can obtain Senior’s pair of horns, grind them to powder, brew them into decoctions, and consume them year after year, I can first expand the magic power of my divine ability, and second, borrow Senior’s bloodline as a descendant of Xuan Yuan to draw a few degrees closer to Fushui.”
He made no attempt to veil the greed in his eyes. Zeng Zan lifted his head, fixing him with a penetrating glare, and said hoarsely, “I do not begrudge a pair of xuan horns. Yet you, Chi Buzi, have always treated human life like roadside weeds—faithless, treacherous, rapacious, and venomous. You claim you will help me once you attain the Dao; how could I possibly trust you?”
Chi Buzi looked momentarily taken aback. Then the expression on his handsome face twisted, and he burst into raucous laughter:
“If I made you a solemn promise, you certainly wouldn't believe it anyway! Your consideration is entirely correct; whether this junior will help you is indeed hard to say. But Old Senior! If you do not help me, I will surely take my revenge once I attain the Dao!”
He gave a careless shrug. That celestial poise evaporated completely, replaced by an amused smirk upon his face.
“Or perhaps... this junior will simply take them myself!”
Zeng Zan stared at him in silence, a bizarre chill suddenly welling up in his chest:
*Chi Wei was a petty man, yet even he had moments of righteous conduct... But this junior of Chi Wei’s is dignified on the surface yet entirely contemptuous of morality, utterly unscrupulous—a wicked scoundrel, an unmasked, genuine fiend!*
The two stood facing each other across the sea in dead silence. The thunder in the sky grew deafening, dense webs of purple lightning blanketing the vault above. Billowing clouds, drawn by ‘Ru Zhong Zhuo,’ cascaded downward like a roaring waterfall.
*Rumble!*
Towering billows crashed back into the ocean with earth-shattering roars. The radiance of the treasure cauldron abruptly converged, and a pair of xuan horns had already appeared in Chi Buzi’s hands.
The horns in their true form were as vast as mountain peaks, yet condensed by divine ability magic power, they were the size of two short swords, gripped in a single hand. Subtle, profound patterns resembling ripples upon a lake rippled across their surface, exuding a pale white halo—undeniably exquisite treasures!
Yet Chi Buzi’s gaze did not linger on the horns. Instead, he stared intently at Zeng Zan before him, seemingly probing his condition. The azure cauldron in the sky continued to cast down its brilliance, ‘Ru Zhong Zhuo’ radiating waves of lethal menace.
The young man stared fixedly at the old demon, not saying a word. His expression carried a trace of intrigue, appearing solicitous yet laden with veiled intent, as he murmured, “Old Senior... are you all right?”
For a green-backed giant softshell turtle to sever its horns would inevitably leave it weakened. What were a mere two xuan horns compared to an entire green-backed turtle? As for all his words just now... whether true or false, what did it matter?
Yet Zeng Zan’s expression remained placid.
“This pair of horns was shed when I broke through to Joining Purple.”
“Oh.”
All the anomalies across the sky instantly vanished. Chi Buzi showed not the slightest embarrassment at having his scheme thwarted. Instead, he clicked his tongue in mild disappointment, clasped his hands behind his back while clutching the horns, and smiled. “I hold such deep respect for Old Senior; it was merely a small jest, so please do not take it to heart.”
Though his words sounded polite, the treasure cauldron in the sky showed no sign of being put away.
Zeng Zan remained expressionless. Leaping upward, his form blurred and shifted, morphing once more into that mountain-sized, green-backed giant softshell turtle. It unleashed an earth-shaking roar, and the pair of azure xuan horns atop its head shone resplendently, casting forth the vast light of Fushui.
*Rumble!*
Having witnessed that pair of xuan horns with his own eyes, Chi Buzi finally stowed the spiritual treasure with a tinge of regret. With a flick of his sleeve, his figure materialized not far away, effortlessly evading all the pale white illusions. He called out courteously, “Safe travels, Senior!”
The roar of the ocean waves shook heaven and earth. The giant turtle spanning the skies vanished simultaneously. Chi Buzi patted his sleeves, dispersing the lingering Fushui wonders clinging to his garments, and sighed with regret: “Living so long truly makes them difficult to deceive...”
He brought the two horns in his left hand before him, examining them closely. His brow showed not the slightest joy at having acquired crucial treasures, but rather a cold, haughty scrutiny.
The surrounding wind and rain ceased in an instant. The composure and unbridled arrogance he had displayed while discussing the Fushui lineage seemed to vanish from him like an illusion. Chi Buzi averted his gaze from the horns, letting it fall upon the calm water.
A silver-clad figure stood far in the distance.
The man possessed a face like polished jade, eyebrows slanting sharply toward his temples, a prominent nose, and a broad forehead. Atop his head grew a pair of long silver horns, and his pale blue pupils gazed far into the distance.
Behind him, a mountain-like behemoth floated low upon the sea, its back bearing continuous, sprawling palace complexes. Chi Buzi’s expression grew progressively solemn.
*A Dragon King...*
He had actually guessed long ago that the dragon kindred were keeping an eye on him. His expression unchanged, he channeled his divine ability and emerged ten paces away from the colossal beast. Realizing that no demon king came forward to intercept him, he saw that this Chi scion seemed to stand alone upon the water, still admiring the distant scenery.
Chi Buzi narrowed his eyes slightly.
*What immense majesty... Even ordinary Dragon Kings do not possess such a grand carriage when traveling... Most likely a crown prince, or someone serving in close attendance to the Dragon Lord...*
Wary in his heart, he stepped forward slowly and bowed. “This humble cultivator greets the Dragon King!”
The silver-robed youth did not turn his head. Instead, he gave a light wave of his hand, made a shushing gesture, and continued staring into the distance with keen interest.
Unsure of what this dragon had up his sleeve, Chi Buzi bowed slightly and followed the direction of the youth’s gaze. Narrowing his eyes, he mobilized his divine ability magic power, instantly bringing the hazy, distant scene into clear view before him:
*This is... Combined Fire...*
Chapter 1039