Immortality begins with meditation puppets

Chapter 458 Styx Robe
The little conch shell blew softly.

The Jiaotu, a deep-sea dragon hook shaped like a conch shell, was hanging on a magnificent fourth-class treasure ship with a golden and black background, dragging it across the sea. The blue sky and white sun flag was waving in the wind on the treasure ship, which was none other than the ace treasure ship of the Thousand Islands Immortal Kingdom - the Wan Guo Pinnacle Ship!
At this very moment, aboard the Myriad Kingdoms Peak, Su Qing's old friend, Master Fuhu, along with his good elder brother, Master Jianglong, were speaking to him with a mixture of pride and embarrassment.

What's remarkable is that the Thousand Islands Immortal Kingdom received intelligence that two cloud dragons from the outside world had entered the Land of Despair. The Dragon Subduing True Man, who had condensed the Dragon Subduing Dao Pattern, possessed the art of slaying dragons, but had never had a real dragon to slay. As soon as he learned of the cloud dragons, he was filled with ambition to slay them. He led his brother Fuhu and the clan's treasures, intending to slay the dragons and prove his Dao. While perfecting his Dao Pattern, he also attempted to break through the Heavenly Barrier within his body, open up his inner world in one fell swoop, and prove himself as a fifth-order body cultivator.

"I'm not bragging about subduing dragons, but I grew up playing with snakes. I've played with all kinds of snake demons, big and small, with the bloodline of true dragons, near Fangzhang Immortal Island. When I advanced to the fourth rank, Fuhu and the other True Immortals in the clan advised me to become a snake-playing True Immortal."

A fourth-tier True Immortal only plays with snakes? To put it bluntly, that's outrageous! I play with snakes because snakes are all I have to play with; I want to play with dragons!

While the Dragon-Slaying Immortal exudes heroic spirit, he also feels a touch of sadness.

The more arrogant you are back then, the more you'll regret it later.

There are no true dragons in the world for him to play with, but to be honest, if the true dragons of the Tianyuan Realm, such as the Golden Dragon and the Azure Dragon, were to be born, even he, the Dragon Subduer, would be unable to handle them.

Only the cloud dragons and earth dragons from the outside world, if he is well prepared, can bully the dragons with their numbers and perhaps have some fun.

Unfortunately, the outside world lacks ancient Daoist treasures such as the Primordial Mountain and the Snail Palace. When the Tianyuan Realm was in seclusion, it was impossible for it to cross over and come here. Therefore, it did not give him a chance to play. As a result, he has been known as the Dragon Subduer for more than a thousand years, but he has never subdued a true dragon. As a result, his Dao patterns are incomplete, and he has not dared to break through to the fifth level.

Now, the opportunity has come. Two fifth-order cloud dragons are coming at once. Whether he, the Dragon Subduing True Man, can withstand them or not, he has to consider whether this is his only chance to subdue dragons in this lifetime!

"To my shame, when we came here, my brother Fuhu and I were full of ambition, wanting to go to the Land of Desolation to find two cloud dragons and have some fun. We never expected that we would encounter four Golden Turtle Sword Cultivators so soon after setting off. My brother and I only glanced at them a couple of times before the leading old sword cultivator pierced our treasure ship with a single sword strike. He also told us to stop there and not to interfere with the people of Golden Turtle Island. If it weren't for Fellow Daoist Su, we don't know what we would have done!"

The towering Dragon-Subduing Immortal blushed deeply at this point, looking as embarrassed as a young bride.

Su Qing, of course, wouldn't embarrass this powerful and influential figure in the Thousand Islands Immortal Kingdom, who was already one of his major clients. After casually mentioning the tugboat fee for the Jiao Tu, he became indignant about the two immortals' plight:

"It is said that the sword cultivators of the Spirit Treasure Realm on Golden Turtle Island are the most arrogant and unreasonable. The Land of No Breath is the Land of No Breath of the Western Sea people. Why can they go there, but we cannot? This time when we go to the Land of No Breath, I will definitely talk to them about this matter and avenge the two True Immortals!"

"Fellow Daoist Su is right. How we cultivators of the Tianyuan Realm fight within our own realm is our internal conflict. When facing cultivators from the outside world, we should unite against them. Fellow Daoist Su, rest assured, this time when we go to the Land of Extinction, my brother and I will follow your lead!"

Knowing Su Qing's character, Master Fuhu quickly spoke up to express his opinion.

The Dragon-Subduing Immortal was slow to realize this. Although he didn't want to be overshadowed, he still needed to rely on Su Qing for the time being, so he didn't object. He only added, "If we encounter Yunlong, I would appreciate it if Fellow Daoist Su could give me a chance to play around with him first!"

Standing at the bow of the Peak, Su Qing first looked at the terrifying sword mark that had destroyed the stern's power core. As expected of the successor of the Lingbao Dao lineage, renowned for its swordsmanship since ancient times, this single sword strike was enough to make Tiger Egg bow down in worship to the sword energy emanating from the sword mark. At Xiong Er's suggestion, Tiger Egg tried to learn a thing or two from this sword mark.

What a good-for-nothing! All he ever does is covet other people's things!
His gaze shifted from the stern to the middle cabin. Even with his True Eyes of Truth activated to their maximum power, he still couldn't see what good things were inside the cabin covered by the black cloth.

It felt as if any gaze or spiritual sense falling upon the black cloth was swallowed up as if falling into an abyss or black hole, unable to gain any feedback whatsoever.

The less he could see, the more Su Qing wanted to see it, because he was certain that the things inside the cabin were some incredible treasures!

When he discovered the two brothers, Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger, he saw them struggling, one holding the bow and the other the stern, lifting the ship above their heads and making their way towards the Land of No Return. It seemed that even if they had to carry it, they would carry the treasure ship to the Land of No Return.

A fourth-tier treasure ship without its power core is definitely not worth their attention. The treasures inside the ship are what give them the confidence to deal with Yunlong later.

And this treasure can only be kept on this ship and cannot be moved off the ship.

What a precious treasure, yet it's so inconvenient?
In other words.

Such an inconvenient treasure, yet it is valued so highly for subduing dragons and tigers. If it could be unleashed, how powerful would it be!
"As expected of the true overlords of the West Sea, the fake overlords of the Penglai Sect are nowhere near as bold as the Thousand Islands Sect! Even with two fifth-order cloud dragons, the two Thousand Islands True Persons dared to dream and attack. It seems that they have a plan to deal with these two cloud dragons on this trip?"

Su Qing stared intently at the cabin, and the two brothers, Jianglong and Fuhu, immediately understood the meaning behind his words. They exchanged a glance, but Fuhu Zhenren, having dealt with Su Qing several times, knew that if he didn't explain things clearly to this kid, Su Qing might find an opportunity to have the Jiaotu ship tow the ship into the deep sea for his own research.

"There's no point in hiding it. This time, for my elder brother's great feat of subduing the dragon, all the elders of the clan joined together to invite the robes that our ancestor wore in the past."

Everyone knows that the Styx Ancestor is a well-known kind and good person. He has worn this robe for many years and has been influenced by him. He is very compassionate and cannot bear to see anything without clothes. Whenever he sees something without clothes, he will take the initiative to fall on it to keep it warm and protect it from the cold.

"We specially brought out this robe from a fourth-tier treasure ship so that we could dress it up. With the power of the ship itself and the power of this robe, we would be able to go to the Land of No Return without any restrictions, and only then would we have a chance to deal with those two cloud dragons!" According to True Man Fuhu, there were no treasures in the cabin at all. The only treasure was that piece of black cloth!
Su Qing, who had originally coveted the treasures in the cabin, stopped looking at the black cloth after hearing the explanation from Master Fuhu. He also made Hu Dan, who was still at the stern rubbing the sword mark like a lovesick fool, quickly return to the group. After a perfunctory bow to the two masters, Masters Jianglong and Fuhu, he fled back to Bixi on Dragon Island.

"Why is Master in such a panic? Little Bear has already had Fellow Daoist Li scout the location. Three hundred miles ahead, the Deepwater Tyrant has been deployed, and the Four Great Demon Gods are lying in ambush. We just need to wait for the Jiao Tu to drag that broken ship to the explosion location. Once the explosion is heard, we will follow the Four Great Demon Gods to take action. We guarantee that those two fat sheep will not even have a chance to send a message."

By then, the storage bags of those two True Immortals, the treasures in the ship's cabin, and even the two True Immortals themselves would be excellent materials for crafting fourth-tier puppets…

Xiong Er rubbed his hands together, having already arranged everything clearly for the two brothers, Jianglong and Fuhu. Tong Chang's scalp tingled as he listened, Liang Haishun nodded repeatedly, and Li Hailang, who had returned to his old ways, patted his chest, indicating that although he hadn't been a Tribulation Cultivator for many years, he had spent many years as the leader of the Langtian Gang, and still had professional skills.

"Xiong Er, how could you do this? I, Su Qing, have always acted with integrity and uprightness. The two True Immortals, Subduing Dragon and Subduing Tiger, are my closest friends. How could you do such a thing as murder for a little treasure!"
"Quickly retrieve that Deepwater Tyrant, disband the four demon generals, and do nothing that would cause the two True Immortals to misunderstand us!"

Su Qing sternly rebuked Xiong Er, but still feeling uneasy, she called Tong Chang over to use the Celestial Master's secret technique to conceal the traces of Xiong Er and Li Hailang's preparations, ensuring that the Dragon Subduer and Tiger Tamer would not be able to detect it.

"Fellow Daoist Su, there's no need for this. This matter was merely a decision made on your own by your puppet, and it has nothing to do with you. I'm sure that even if the two True Immortals, Subduing Dragon and Taming Tiger, knew about it, they wouldn't blame you!"

When Tong Chang saw that Su Qing was so worried about the Dragon Subduer and Tiger Subduer misunderstanding and fearing that it would affect their friendship, he suddenly felt that his good younger brother was not as bad as he had imagined. He was still the same loyal and righteous Su Qingtian!

Liang Haishun knew Su Qing's character well. He knew that in this desolate place, even if Su Qing didn't want to kill them, he was definitely after their treasures. He hadn't even discussed the towing fee for the dragon-taming and tiger-subduing mission in detail, so he must have his eyes on their treasures. There was only one possibility for canceling the operation at this moment.

That is, the Dragon Subduer has a trump card that makes him unapproachable!

And when he asked, it was indeed so.

"The Styx Robe! The Dragon Subduer is so reckless, he's risking his life to bring out the Styx Robe!"

After Su Qing finished speaking, he glanced back with lingering fear. The dilapidated ship that he had initially found amusing now seemed more terrifying to him than the four demons, this high-ranking evil demon!
It's a wonder that even the Dragon Subduer and Tiger Tamer dared to sit on that dilapidated boat!
"The Styx Robe? What kind of treasure is this? Is it even more powerful than Xing Tian's Blood Axe?"

The ignorant and incompetent Liang Haishun listened with a blank expression and asked a question.

Meanwhile, Tong Chang, who knew the details of the Styx Robe, turned pale with fright when Su Qing read out the name of the robe. The crystal ball in his hand turned from red to black, transforming from an extremely ominous sign of near-death to a sign of certain death!

"The Styx Robe, ranked forty-eighth on the list of spiritual treasures of the heavens, was originally a primordial spiritual treasure. It was later obtained by the Styx Ancestor and worn by him for many years. Influenced by the Styx Ancestor's Dao Integration with the Nine Netherworlds, it possesses the characteristics of 'all paths lead to the same destination'. It is one of the treasures inherited by the Styx Sect. It is said that wearing this robe is equivalent to possessing the Styx Ancestor's body, and one can feel and comprehend the Great Dao from the Styx Ancestor's perspective. It is a treasure for enlightenment that the disciples of the Styx Sect cannot obtain."

Tong Chang recalled the information about the Styx Robe he had seen in the Heavenly Talisman, and his voice trembled slightly involuntarily.

Upon hearing this, Xiong Er slapped his thigh excitedly and exclaimed:
"Such a treasure, even the Dragon Subduer and Tiger Tamer are unworthy of it? Only my master deserves it. Let's pull off a heist and give you a chance to become the Styx Ancestor!"

"What do you know, you cowardly bear? Today I'll teach you a lesson: not every treasure is safe to touch. Some treasures, if taken rashly, will bring you to your death!"

Su Qing glared at Xiong Er, telling it not to covet treasures whenever it saw them. Coveting everything would not only harm itself but also implicate its owner!

Seeing Xiong Er turn his bear face away indignantly, Su Qing helplessly explained again:
"It is true that this Styx Robe is powerful, but that was when the Styx Ancestor was still alive. With his protection, Styx disciples who wore this robe could all gain something and would not have any hidden dangers."

But after the great calamity of antiquity, wasn't the Styx Ancestor gone? From then on, any being who wore this robe would be assimilated into the Styx Ancestor the moment they put it on, and could use many of the methods the Styx Ancestor used in the past. But how could they have the same profound magical power as the Styx Ancestor? A single spell could drain their bodies dry, and after their magical power was drained, their physical essence and blood would be devoured by the Styx robe, resulting in a terrible death!
Even more terrifying is that this robe can possess not only living beings but also inanimate objects. After realizing that the robe was not right, the Styx Sect sealed it under the Styx Blood Lotus, hoping to use this treasure to suppress the robe and prevent any living being from approaching it. They thought that this would solve everything, but they never expected that the robe would assimilate the Styx Blood Lotus as well. With the combined power of these two treasures, they almost destroyed the Styx Sect's Thousand Island Kingdom at that time.

If these two treasures hadn't attempted to rush into the Netherworld River, hoping to assimilate it along with the blood river and thus possess the same fortune as the Styx Ancestor of yesteryear, but instead underestimated the power of the Netherworld River and had been scattered by it, with the robe suppressed beneath the river, this treasure might have triggered a cataclysmic disaster that would have ravaged the entire Tianyuan Realm.

Therefore, this treasure ranks higher on the list of all heavenly treasures than even the Styx Ancestor did in his lifetime, and even above the Styx Black Lotus!

Su Qing recounted all the information about this treasure obtained from the Heavenly Talisman in detail. Xiong Er immediately patted his chest in fear, while Li Hailang kept saying that the Tribulation Cultivation had no future and that it was fortunate he had changed careers early.

"Since these two brothers, Subduing Dragon and Tiger, dared to bring out this robe, it must be because after so many years of being washed by the Nine Nether River, it has lost its previous ferocity. The Styx Sect must already have a way to utilize this treasure. Otherwise, even if these two brothers had ten thousand times the courage, they wouldn't dare to summon this treasure!"

Tong Chang stroked his goatee, clearly having calmed down by now, and analyzed the situation rationally.

"Regardless, this treasure is extremely malevolent, and it's best for us to avoid contact with it. The Styx Ancestor was not a benevolent person in ancient times either. I even suspect that the so-called 'all paths lead to the same destination' ability of this robe is a scheme set up by the Styx Ancestor himself, or perhaps he wanted to use this treasure to resurrect a dead body!"

Su Qing, who loved money but valued his life even more, made up his mind that no matter how the Dragon-Subduing Tigers operated the treasure in the Land of No Breath, he would not care. Once they arrived in the Land of No Breath, he would let the two brothers carry the boat themselves. He did not intend to do the hauling work!
(End of this chapter)