From a Zhengyi Taoist Child to a Master of All Laws

Chapter 644 Immortal Shadows in the Ancient City
Dali, built Ruocheng.

Vast and ethereal clouds and mist enveloped the entire city. Residents walking on the streets felt as if they were being greeted by a misty fog, and the world was shrouded in a hazy mist.

Tens of thousands of Chongxuan soldiers stood on the city wall, their eyes wide, clad in armor and armed with weapons. Bai Yingluo, head held high, gazed at the ethereal figure standing silently atop the clouds above Jianruo City, her thoughts in a daze.
What a graceful figure she was, so beautiful she seemed otherworldly. Her long robes flowed freely, cascading in the air. Even though her features were indistinct from tens of thousands of meters above, Bai Yingluo was suddenly overcome with a sense of inferiority.

The tens of thousands of male residents of the city, who looked up at the ethereal female Taoist in the clouds, all felt a sense of shame. They hurriedly returned to their rooms to wash, change clothes, and groom their hair and beards. However, they lingered at the door, tidying themselves up several times before finally stepping out of their rooms again.

Emperor Bai Yan of Dali led his civil and military officials out of the newly built imperial city. Upon seeing the female Taoist in the air, he suddenly felt that his full head of white hair was too weathered. He hurriedly returned to the inner palace and tidied his appearance in front of the bronze mirror.

It was as if this female Taoist was born in the clouds, making it impossible for anyone to feel any sense of disrespect. She was born with an aloof and cold air that kept the mundane world at bay.

Bai Yingluo looked up absently, a name flooding her mind. Seeing the discomfiture of the Chongxuan soldiers around her, a bitter expression crossed her face, and she shouted into the air:

“The Moon Lord of Yaochi, the person you are looking for is no longer in my Great Li. He set off for Purgatory Valley a week ago.”

"Purgatory Valley?"

A clear, ethereal voice rippled down from the clouds. Luo Qiushui's delicate brows furrowed slightly as she gracefully descended from the clouds, landing at the same height as the city wall. With a light touch of her bare feet, lotus flowers bloomed at her toes.

"Is there a portrait?"

"Clang... Bang bang bang!"

The soldiers on the city wall dropped their swords, spears, and halberds, which rolled on the ground a few times. The soldiers' eyes widened, but then they looked away, as if they were worried that their gaze would desecrate this fairy.

Luo Qiushui stood barefoot in the air, her long skirt flowing like clouds. This time, she truly descended from the clouds, looking like a fairy descending to the mortal world.

Faced with Luo Qiushui's innocent question, the soldiers on the city wall were at a loss, while Emperor Bai Yan of Dali had already arrived at the city gate in his dragon chariot.

"This is the person the fairy has been searching for!"

Bai Yinglu stared in disbelief at her father, who was dressed smartly and whose white hair had somehow been dyed black. Her lips twitched.

Emperor Bai Yan of Dali ignored his daughter's expression and personally went up to the city wall, holding the portrait in his hands. However, when he got closer, he smelled the foul odor on his body and dared not go any further.

Luo Qiushui's eyes were like water. With a wave of her right hand, a sash fluttered up and snatched the portrait that Bai Yan was holding.

"Unfortunately, it wasn't him..."

After carefully examining the man in the portrait, Luo Qiushui sighed softly.
This is a portrait of Bai Moluo painted by a court painter ten years ago, before she was abducted by Yan Jin. Before arriving in the capital of Dali, she had heard of a Taoist priest in the city who liked to wear green robes, but now it seems that he is not the person she is looking for.

Although she couldn't recall what the person in her dream looked like, it was definitely not the person in the painting.

With a soft sigh, Luo Qiushui, floating outside the city wall, frowned slightly. The tens of thousands of soldiers on the city wall felt as if ants were crawling all over their bodies, and they wished they could step forward and ask the fairy why she was frowning.
"The beginning and end of a relationship may be due to the fact that the time was not right, or perhaps... it was all just a grand dream of mine."

"What difference is there between my journey and trying to catch the moon's reflection in the water or viewing flowers through the mist?"

After speaking, the portrait in her hand immediately floated down to the top of the city wall. Luo Qiushui did not linger any longer; her clothes fluttered with the breeze, and she disappeared into the sky in an instant.

The entire city was filled with sorrow.
-
Fire Domain, Purgatory Valley.

Li Yang watched as a fiery red cloud flickered wildly in the sky, and his lips twitched.

Even though rumors circulated that the couple had broken up, Li Yang was still not confident that his character Yan Jin would not be recognized by Immortal Lord Dan Yu.

"A sin."

Li Yang felt melancholy, always prepared for the worst if his plans were exposed and they were forced to fight to the death. His divine sense had already activated the Nanming Sword at the ancestral aperture between his eyebrows.

"You rascal, you've been living a life of debauchery in those mortal kingdoms, and you still have the heart to come back?!"

A slightly angry female voice, seemingly capable of melting a man's bones, rang out. Then, the fiery clouds descended, revealing a charming woman draped in a red feathered robe.

For the first time, Li Yang realized that the hem of a feather robe could be slit so high and so white...

"I haven't even settled the score with you for killing my disciple Luo Wuji yet, so why don't you even want to say a word to me now?"

Dan Yu Immortal Lord Wu Qiye gracefully approached Li Yang, her slender fingers reaching out to hook Li Yang's chin.
"Why has your cultivation level dropped so much since you came back this time? Your aura also seems a bit mixed up..."

"When did you get such a pretty boy's body? He looks so delicate. After being Daoist partners for so many years, you've finally come to your senses and know to give me a change of pace."

"Hmph!" Li Yang snorted coldly, turned nimbly, and dodged the approaching Dan Yu Immortal Lord.

"Nanfeng, take me to my cave first. I suffered heavy losses on this trip to the ancestral star and must go into seclusion to cultivate."

Li Yang really didn't want to get entangled with this Danyu Immortal Lord any further. Adhering to the principle that the more he said, the more mistakes he would make, he coldly ignored the flirtatious glances in Wu Qiye's eyes.

Wu Nanfeng immediately broke out in a cold sweat, glanced awkwardly at Li Yang, then looked at his master, Dan Yu Xianjun, and swayed for a moment.

"Nanfeng, why don't you hurry up and take your senior uncle back to his cave to replenish his energy?"

Wu Qiye spoke first, looking at Li Yang with deep affection as she spoke, her whole body pressing against him like water.

May the Heavenly Venerable grant you boundless blessings! This humble Taoist is truly more like Shakyamuni than Liu Xiahui!

While inwardly complaining, Li Yang, adhering to his bottom line of not associating with millions of people, coldly ignored Wu Qiye's hints.

Wu Nanfeng felt as if he had been granted a pardon and immediately led the way, taking Li Yang deeper into the Flame Domain.

Wu Qiye stood alone, watching Li Yang's departing figure, and licked her bright red lips.

"Why is he acting so strangely after returning from his trip to the ancestral planet?"

"I'd like to see how long you can keep up this act. But the fact that you dared to kill Luo Wuji this time has certainly impressed me."

Wu Qiye giggled, her already thin feather robe barely concealing her ample bosom, causing the dozen or so immortals beside her to blush with embarrassment.

The feathered robe is a symbol of immortal purity, but when paired with Wu Qiye's domineering figure, it surprisingly exudes a touch of decadent beauty.

It wasn't until Wu Qiye transformed into a fiery cloud and flew away that the remaining dozen or so immortals looked at each other in bewilderment before finally realizing what was happening and wisely departing.
-
A chill ran down Li Yang's spine. He swore that if things had been even slightly amiss, he would have drawn his Southern Sea Sword and charged out, then fled for his life. "When did your master return?"

Flying over the fiery peaks of the blazing sea, Li Yang coldly asked Wu Nanfeng beside him, "..."

"Master only returned yesterday, and he specifically instructed me to do so, so I was unable to inform my senior uncle in time..."

Wu Nanfeng was drenched in sweat as he carefully explained.

"I haven't returned to the valley for ten years. How has your master's fire magic cultivation progressed?"

"This disciple doesn't know, but it seems that Master never practices fire magic, but his dual cultivation technique of absorbing and replenishing essence is progressing by leaps and bounds."

"Ah."

Li Yang was speechless, choked with emotion, and looked up at the blue sky.

No wonder this shaman Qi Ye didn't go into seclusion to study; it turns out he doesn't cultivate fire magic at all, so naturally he wouldn't go into seclusion just because of a fire-based root magic.

The problem is, among the twenty-eight root methods, I haven't heard of any one that is related to dual cultivation.
Does this mean I'll have to live with this ticking time bomb every day for the rest of my time in Purgatory Valley?
Just as he was feeling lost, Li Yang suddenly saw a group of cultivators from Purgatory Valley sitting on the mountain peak below, each holding a fishing rod. Their long fishing lines were deep into the lava flowing between the peaks, as if they were fishing for something.

Seeing Li Yang's expression, Wu Nanfeng also glanced down and laughed:

"Master Uncle is truly lucky. Upon returning, he encountered the fire crows that the Great Elder keeps at the bottom of this Flame Domain, which migrate once every ten years. Those fire crows are always in the deepest part of the Flame Domain, which is the closest they are to the ground. If you use suitable bait to fish, you might be lucky enough to catch a fire crow and be bestowed with a divine treasure."

As Wu Nanfeng spoke, he immediately straightened his chest. The reason he was known as the Fire Crow Daoist was because he was given a Fire Crow Immortal Spirit by the Grand Elder when he was in the Innate Realm. He refined it into an external avatar, which was equivalent to being the number one in battle against others of the same realm. His combat power was doubled, which is why he made a name for himself.

Li Yang didn't feel anything at first, but his eyes lit up when he heard the words "immortal treasure".

Given Yan Jin's identity, Li Yang couldn't ask too many questions for fear of revealing his secrets, so he had to give up for the time being and mark a location first.

"Master Uncle, would you like to play a few rounds? A few years ago, I obtained a set of top-quality clubs from the Weaponry Sect. If you like them, I will deliver them to your cave later."

Wu Nanfeng smiled obsequiously. He knew that Yan Jin Xianjun had rendered meritorious service by offering his magic and was deeply pleased by his superiors. It was only a matter of time before he recovered his Earth Immortal cultivation. How could he not know how to curry favor?

Li Yang smiled and nodded, accepting the offer with complete composure.

The mountain that Wu Nanfeng took Li Yang to was one of the most magnificent in the entire Yan Domain. It had cave dwellings and fairy gardens, as well as servants and Taoist boys. Its spiritual energy was also among the highest in the entire Purgatory Valley.

What Li Yang didn't know was that Yan Jin and Dan Yu, both Earth Immortals, could only occupy a mountain cave dwelling that was even worse than this one. Later, Yan Jin couldn't stand it and left, and the cave dwelling he lived in was the lowest tier among the Earth Immortals in Purgatory Valley.

This is also the reason for that fire-type root technique. The shockwaves caused by the appearance of the fire-type root technique were far more terrifying than Li Yang had imagined. Not only did it cause all the high-ranking members of Purgatory Valley to go into seclusion, but even the two Celestial Immortals who were participating in the Nine Sects Council at the teleportation platform once wanted to return to the valley. However, they gave up because they were worried that the other eight sects would notice something amiss.

Li Yang entered the cave at the mountain peak, and as soon as he sat down cross-legged, he almost burst into tears.

This cave clearly has an extremely sophisticated spirit-gathering array set up, and it is also located in a place with extremely abundant fire-type spiritual energy. Even without any rare and precious materials, the progress of cultivation here would not be less than that of eating spirit stones every day in Dali!
How terrifying this is! The spiritual energy within this cave is equivalent to the spiritual stone production of a vast mortal kingdom.

Although Li Yang knew that the spirit stones Bai Yingluo secretly sent every day were only the portion left over after Dali paid tribute to the nine sects, he was still moved at this moment.

"Please wait a moment, Senior Uncle. The spiritual materials approved by the Grand Elder before his seclusion will be delivered immediately!"

Wu Nanfeng bowed respectfully, then transformed into a cloud of red and left the cave.

Li Yang didn't have to wait long. A quarter of an hour later, a group of fairy maidens and Daoist boys knelt outside the cave, holding a storage ring.

"By the decree of the Grand Elder, Immortal Lord Yan Jin has rendered meritorious service in offering his teachings. He is hereby rewarded with one hundred drops of Flame Marrow, one thousand top-grade spirit stones, ten Myriad Flame Tempering Pills, one Immortal-grade cave dwelling, and ten bowls of Southern Brightness Foundation-Strengthening Liquid..."

Li Yang couldn't hear what was said next. He reached out and grabbed the ring from outside the cave. Looking at the dazzling array of rare and precious materials inside, which almost blinded him, he gasped in astonishment.

"Now I understand why Zhang Hengming is so hostile towards the Nine Sects..."

"Even if you sold Zhang Hengming's entire body, soul, and bones as an Earth Immortal, the value of it probably wouldn't be comparable to half of this spirit ring."

After his initial shock, Li Yang was overjoyed. This risky move now seemed absolutely correct. Using the enemy's cultivation resources and natural treasures to strengthen himself was the true way to learn from the enemy's strengths and use them to his advantage.

"In this way, if nothing goes wrong, rebuilding the Earth Immortal Dao Fruit within a year will no longer be a pipe dream!"

Li Yang's mind settled down, and his eyes brightened for the first time. He didn't care about any pills, grabbed a handful from his ring and stuffed them into his mouth. His body once again felt the long-lost sensation of being about to burst from the spiritual energy.

Although my physical body is weak, my constitution is amazing, so I can go all out and finish it off.

Li Yang was absolutely certain that if he received such spiritual treasures every day, he would have a chance to reshape his Earth Immortal Dao Fruit, let alone in a year, or even in half a year!

This is the foundation of the Nine Sects of Ultimate Truth!

The celestial maidens and Daoist boys kneeling outside the cave hadn't even finished reading the immortal decree when they saw the spirit ring already flying into the cave. They looked at each other, wanting to cry but daring not to.
The items in the spirit ring are indeed rewards, but the spirit ring itself isn't.
A group of celestial maidens and Daoist disciples, all at the Innate Realm, knelt at the door, but none of them dared to knock on Li Yang's door.

"What are you still doing here? Immortal Lord Yan Jin has returned from his tribulation and is a great contributor to our Purgatory Valley. He is highly valued by the Immortal Venerables above. Let alone one spirit ring, even a hundred or a thousand would be granted by the Immortal Venerables."

"Get out of here!"

Wu Nanfeng arrived gracefully. After hearing the whole story, he turned cold and slapped the leading Taoist boy several times. The boy's cheeks swelled up with blood from the slaps, and he left trembling.

Li Yang was unaware of the reason behind this, as he was so engrossed in his cultivation that he had no time to perceive what was happening outside.

When Li Yang came out of the cave that evening, Wu Nanfeng was standing at the door with a fawning smile, looking as reserved as a gatekeeper.

"Uncle-Master, I've brought the fishing rod. I wonder when you'd be interested in going fishing?"

Wu Nanfeng smiled charmingly, showing none of the ferocity and malice she had displayed just moments before.

Li Yang nodded coldly and gracefully rose to his feet. Just as he reached the sky, he saw a massive, seemingly long-awaited fire cloud descending upon him.

"My dear husband, what a coincidence! You're also fishing for fire crows at this hour? How about we go together?"

Li Yang's expression changed, and without looking back, he landed back in his cave.
(End of this chapter)