From a martial arts disciple to a god through countless trials and tribulations

Chapter 233 The Ultimate God is Sick

The atmosphere on Tiger Mountain was subtle, like still water.

Jiang Qinghuang, along with the Demon Suppression Division and a large group of aristocratic families, met the legendary Southern Wilderness Holy Son Chen Xuan.

But as Chen Xuan's slightly displeased voice rang out, some people realized that Chen Xuan did not like some of them.

“We…” Some members of the aristocratic families felt a chill in their hearts and looked at the young man standing in the center of a group of mountain lords and great demons with fear in their eyes. Their hearts pounded.

Chen Xuan stood on the flat ground, his blue feather robe fluttering, his figure heroic, his eyes bright, with a faint, crystalline firelight flashing and disappearing.

But behind him lay utter terror: pairs of golden, ferocious eyes gleamed like golden candles in an ancient temple. This was the most dangerous monster cave in the world, filled with bizarre and grotesque sights.

A small, mountain-dwelling dog crouched at Chen Xuan's feet, its head bowed as it stared at the Chu cultivator with hostile eyes. A six-tusked white elephant stood behind Chen Xuan, its trunk swaying, emitting strange Buddhist chants that sounded like demonic wails. A three-tailed fox, its white robes billowing, appeared ethereal and divine, its long, pointed face bearing a half-smile. A large, blue deer, its head crowned with coral, and a white-skinned weasel, held a string of prayer beads in its hands…

More than ten mountain-lord demons stood respectfully behind Chen Xuan, but their innate tyranny and ferocity poured out "unintentionally," like dark mountains, making people's hearts tremble.

"Om..."

The energies of various cauldrons were vying for dominance, and although all the ghosts and monsters were suppressing them, countless small-scale celestial energy phenomena were still triggered. A bizarre and wondrous scene unfolded.

This was the most ferocious batch that the mountain king had eliminated; all that remained were relatively "benevolent" great demons.

Even so, the Qi practitioners of Chu could not withstand it.

The cultivators from the Demon Suppression Division fared better, as they were used to fighting and battling demons. However, the cultivators from aristocratic families fared much worse. They had never seen such a terrifying scene before, and their faces turned pale with fright, their legs went weak, and many of them collapsed to the ground.

"You... may I ask the Holy Son of the Southern Wilderness, is your indulgence of the mountain lords in releasing their oppressive aura intended to intimidate the Chu Kingdom?" An elder from a prominent family, a cauldron cultivator, asked with a forced smile. The other cultivators in his family had performed poorly, which made him feel ashamed.

Chen Xuan didn't even glance at him, but looked at Jiang Qinghuang and asked with a smile, "Princess, why have you brought so many unrelated outsiders?"

To look beautiful, one must wear mourning clothes. The stunningly beautiful woman standing before Chen Xuan at this moment possessed a graceful and dignified demeanor, yet also carried a hint of fragility, making one unable to help but feel pity for her.

A hint of joy flickered in Jiang Qinghuang's eyes. She slightly raised her chin, puffed out her ample chest, and said, "These aristocratic families insisted on coming; we couldn't stop them."

The collaboration with the monsters of the Southern Wilderness represents a change unprecedented in a thousand years.

This matter affects the fate of the nation and the interests of countless aristocratic families. If handled carelessly, it could lead to major problems... The ancient aristocratic families are very nervous and have sent people to accompany the Demon Suppression Division into the Southern Wilderness.

"I see. I thought the Daoist masters and cultivators from the aristocratic families of Chu had all donned the armor of the Demon Suppression Division and gone to the front lines."

Chen Xuan glanced at the aristocratic cultivators. Some of the Daoist cultivators looked familiar; they had appeared when they were fighting for the Human Emperor Banner back then... They belonged to different ancient aristocratic families.

Chen Xuan snorted coldly, and all the Chu cultivators' hearts skipped a beat. They quickly lowered their heads, their souls nearly leaving their bodies in fright.

Two years ago, he was a nobody who risked his life to seize the Emperor's Banner amidst a vast army; now, he's someone they don't even dare to look him in the eye...

"The Southern Wilderness will join the war between Chu and Yu and Zhi," Chen Xuan said to Jiang Qinghuang.

This is the will of all the ghosts and monsters in the Southern Wilderness, and it cannot be suppressed. Once the war begins, it means that a large amount of spiritual energy will appear in the world, and countless opportunities for advancement are right before their eyes. How could the ghosts and monsters be willing to stay in the barren Southern Wilderness?
Although war kills many people, those who survive become stronger.

Even in the Chu Kingdom, the same was true. Apart from a few people like Jiang Qinghuang who were so busy that they couldn't even find time to cultivate, everyone else made great gains.

For example, the dissolute playboy Pei Yuanyong is completely different from what he was two years ago.

In fact, the mountain spirits and other mountain lords have been in the secret realm of Guyao Mountain for over a year. Many spirits in the north have violated the old decree of the Mountain Goddess and sneaked out, causing considerable damage...

"How do I join?" Jiang Qinghuang asked. "The ghosts and monsters treat people as food."

All the people of Chu held their breath and looked at Chen Xuan, their expressions tense... They knew that ghosts and monsters had no moral compass, only power. To cooperate with them would be like asking a tiger for its skin.

“Ghosts and monsters eat people, but they can also eat demons.” Chen Xuan said slowly, “The Chu Kingdom needs to open its doors and allow ghosts and monsters from the Southern Wilderness to pass through and enter the battlefield.”

Not only do the mountain lords and ghosts need to strive, but the Taoist scriptures and ascension ghosts below also need to, otherwise relying solely on their own cultivation or the scarce land treasure trees will make it too slow to improve their strength.

“I’m afraid that won’t work. If the ghosts and monsters of the Southern Wilderness enter the Chu Kingdom, they must obey the unified command of the Chu Kingdom. Otherwise, the ghosts and monsters will be unruly and it will be like inviting wolves into the house.” Jiang Qinghuang said seriously as she bargained with Chen Xuan.

"This isn't a discussion, it's an announcement. The ghosts and monsters of the Southern Wilderness will definitely come out of the mountains," Chen Xuan said, shaking his head.

The Southern Wilderness is on equal footing with the State of Chu, or even superior in status. How could the ghosts and monsters possibly obey the commands of humans?

“The Jiang family will not agree to this happening.” Jiang Qinghuang also shook her head.

"Then let's start the war. The Southern Wilderness will join forces with the Rain Kingdom and the Zhi Kingdom to swallow up the Chu Kingdom," Chen Xuan said in a deep voice.

"Let's fight! It'll just mean the end of Chu. No one in the Jiang family is afraid of death!" Jiang Qinghuang said coldly, then turned and left in a huff.

Talk fell apart.

The atmosphere was eerie and extremely oppressive.

But before Chen Xuan could speak, the group of aristocratic cultivators from Chu Kingdom became anxious and hurriedly chased after him, pleading, "Your Highness, please don't be angry. We can still talk. Your Highness, please give way!"

They were terrified; if the monsters of the southern wilderness disregarded everything and invaded the Chu Kingdom, things would be too horrific.

Because demons are humanoid and abide by certain rules and regulations, even though the Chu Kingdom has fallen, these ancient families can continue to exist in the demon kingdom, albeit with a lower status.

But the monsters of the Southern Wilderness are different; they truly regard all humans and demons as the same kind of food!

At this moment, these ancient families dared not even think of seeking benefits from the "cooperation," and only hoped that Jiang Qinghuang would immediately agree to all of Chen Xuan's demands.

"So what if they eat people? Mortals can't eat them all!" a cultivator from a noble family thought to himself. "We cultivators from noble families just need to avoid ghosts and monsters; they can't possibly eat us anyway."

"Two young people getting angry over such a trivial matter, they really treat the important military and national affairs of Chu and the Southern Wilderness as child's play!" an elderly cultivator thought to himself, extremely angry.

“The Southern Wilderness has the upper hand and is waiting for a better price. It would be reasonable to send Princess Jiang to the Southern Wilderness for a marriage alliance, and the Chu Kingdom would have no choice but to agree.” Some people thought to themselves that Jiang Qinghuang was making a mountain out of a molehill.

A group of noble families offered kind words of advice, trying to persuade Jiang Qinghuang, who represented the Jiang family's stance, on behalf of the Southern Wilderness.

However, Jiang Qinghuang did not budge. The ancient families had no choice but to try other approaches and were forced to agree to some of Jiang Qinghuang's conditions. Finally, they managed to bring Jiang Qinghuang back to continue negotiations.

"I agree to your request. The ghosts and monsters of the Southern Wilderness may pass through the Chu Kingdom without restraint, but they cannot eat people and do evil at will," Jiang Qinghuang said to Chen Xuan. Her smile was as beautiful as a flower, her phoenix eyes were bright, and her long eyelashes were like dandelions, as if they were about to fly away in the wind.

“If something goes wrong, it’s hard to explain. How about this: any ghosts or monsters willing to leave the Southern Wilderness to seek their fortune will join the Demon Suppression Division as registered cultivators.”

Chen Xuan said, then turned to look at the group of mountain lords and great demons, and asked, "Do you seniors have any objections?"

All the great demons were mentally prepared, because the Mountain Lord and the Three-Tailed Fox had already given them hints, or even explicit statements... that the Holy Son of the Southern Wilderness was a human, so they could not be cruel to the humans of Chu without reason.

However, joining the Demon Suppression Division... never mind, human cultivators don't dare to mess with ghosts and monsters anyway.

There were no dissenting voices.

The great demons tacitly approved of the Southern Wilderness Holy Son's small act of willfulness regarding power and authority.

On the other side, Jiang Qinghuang coldly addressed the dozen or so aristocratic families who had followed her, saying, "If anyone tries to obstruct this matter that we all agreed upon in person, don't blame my Demon Suppression Division for showing no mercy!"

The group of aristocratic cultivators looked at each other, speechless, and could only agree.

In this way, two young people, with just a few words, decided on a matter of great importance concerning the fate of hundreds of millions of people.

That's how the Qi cultivation world, with its extraordinary power, works. There aren't many conspiracies or tricks. If you agree to something face-to-face and then go back on your word, one side will pay a bloody price.

soon.

Chen Xuan left to continue his cultivation. With the general direction settled, the Mountain Lord, along with the knowledgeable three-tailed fox, the Demon Suppression Bureau, and a group of ancient families, continued to discuss the specifics in detail.

Not long after, Jiang Qinghuang left and walked alone towards the top of the mountain.

"Huh? Where did Your Highness go?" Some cultivators from ancient aristocratic families noticed Jiang Qinghuang's retreating figure as she climbed the mountain. After a moment of surprise, some of them realized, "Could these two be in cahoots, putting on a show?"

They realized that in their haste, they had been forced to agree to some of Jiang Qinghuang's harsh conditions, and they immediately felt a pang of regret.

"Rumor has it that the Holy Son of the Southern Wilderness once appeared in Falling Moon City and fought alongside His Highness. Could it be that it's not just a rumor?" someone whispered a secret.

But all around were ferocious and malevolent monsters who kept saying that humans were food, which made the noble families of Chu angry but dare not speak out.

"General..."

On the cliff, Jiang Qinghuang bowed to Chen Xuan, her phoenix eyes almost overflowing with laughter: "Thank you for your cooperation, General."

Chen Xuan glanced at her and said, "It was just a small favor."

Jiang Qinghuang looked Chen Xuan up and down, becoming more and more satisfied. Then, she said solemnly, "Congratulations, General, on passing the cauldron test!"

After saying this, she took out a small sandalwood box from her sleeve and presented it to Chen Xuan, saying, "General, your status as the Holy Son of the Southern Wilderness is now truly deserved. Please accept this small gift as a congratulatory present."

In fact, Jiang Qinghuang already knew that Chen Xuan had advanced to the Cauldron stage.

She had been keeping an eye on news about Chen Xuan. Back when the old, frail phoenix under the royal city was revived by the Heavenly Tribulation and the Heavenly Tribulation decree passed through, she learned a lot of inside information.

"What is this?" Chen Xuan took the sandalwood box, opened it slightly, and a burst of intense red light poured out, revealing a jade bead the size of a longan. Accompanied by the distant chanting of scriptures, it rang out softly.

"After the emperor's ancestors fell, the traces of the True Lord appeared and met me one last time, passing on to me all the true meaning of his life's understanding of fire magic."

Jiang Qinghuang pointed to the jade bead and said, "I separated half of it and attached it to the bead as a gift to the general."

When a true lord falls, the traces left in the world will resonate and bring great benefits.

When Fu Long Zhenjun perished, the lingering spirit of Long Ziyue in Chen Xuan's dragon soul imprint seemed to be reborn, transforming into a different kind of being similar to a "weapon spirit".

Now that the True Lord of Candlelight, Emperor Jiang, has fallen, Jiang Qinghuang, the most outstanding descendant of his bloodline, has also received enormous benefits... the greatest benefits.

Although Chen Xuan had also met Emperor Jiang, he did not have any related items on him and therefore could not receive any gifts.

"This is too valuable," Chen Xuan said.

The fire magic comprehension of a True Lord, a great being, is of unimaginable value. If a Fire Virtue Spirit were to see it, it would drive him mad; if a Fire Virtue True Lord were to see it, it would move him deeply.

"General, you have done me such a great favor to the Chu Kingdom this time. It was like sending charcoal in the snow. Countless mortals will live because of you. This kindness far surpasses any cultivation artifacts." Jiang Qinghuang said solemnly, insisting that Chen Xuan accept the gift.

Jiang Qinghuang didn't value these cultivation items much; she cared more about the survival of the Chu Kingdom and the lives of its people.

When Jiang Qinghuang arrived at Tiger Mountain, she discovered that Chen Xuan was cultivating the Phoenix True Scripture and realized that Chen Xuan was cultivating the Shangyang Secret Essentials... This thing must be of great help to Chen Xuan.

Chen Xuan thought about it and did not refuse.

He encountered countless difficulties in refining the Fire Phoenix Scripture. After climbing one mountain, there were always higher mountains blocking his path, an endless series of challenges.
Even with exceptional comprehension, it would be difficult to solve everything in a short period of time.

If Emperor Jiang had a true understanding of the essence of fire magic, things would be much simpler; this is something we desperately need.

Chen Xuan accepted Jiang Qinghuang's generous gift without feeling embarrassed. He believed that he would repay the favor tenfold in the future.

Now, you've single-handedly facilitated the peaceful merger of the Southern Wilderness and the Chu Kingdom. Isn't that because of the affection between Emperor Jiang and Jiang Qinghuang?
Chen Xuan could choose not to do these thankless tasks.

"General, aren't you planning to go to the Chu battlefield with the mountain lords of the Southern Wilderness?" Jiang Qinghuang asked doubtfully before leaving.

"Not for now," Chen Xuan shook his head and said, "There are still other things to do in the Southern Wilderness."

Soon after.

Jiang Qinghuang led the Demon Suppression Division and a group of aristocratic cultivators with unspoken grievances away. Meanwhile, the great demons of the Southern Wilderness mobilized their descendants and clans, preparing for a large-scale invasion of the Chu Kingdom.

A gentle mountain breeze blows, and the clouds drift and gather.

"Click."

Chen Xuan opened the wooden box, took out the jade bead containing the insights of the True Lord of Candlelight, and held it in his hand as if he were holding a ball of crimson flame.

He activated the Phoenix Scripture, and suddenly, the scriptures that had previously been unable to integrate into his immortal body were divinely aided, and many problems were easily solved, allowing him to progress by leaps and bounds in a single day.

At this moment, it seemed that the path of fire virtue was dozens of times easier in front of Chen Xuan... at least at the furnace level.

"Have I become an alternative version of [Emperor Yan Ming]?" Chen Xuan exclaimed in surprise.

……

"Achoo!"

Under the distant sky lies an ancient region called Yunmeng.

A young man sneezed unexpectedly. He was dressed in a black robe, with a mysterious ring on his finger, and muttered, "Who's after me?"

Immediately.

Xiao Hou turned around and looked into the distance, his expression becoming serious. A frivolous young man was squatting on the riverbank, a sword hanging at his waist and a blade of grass dangling from his mouth.

"What are you?"

The frivolous young man whirled around, spat out the foxtail grass, clenched his fists, and stood up. His scarlet eyes lit up: "You want to force Brother Niu Zi too?"

Xiao Hou paused for a moment, then, remembering Chen Xuan whom he longed for, said:
“Well, Brother Niu, I see that your face is dark, you need to… quickly find someone to treat your illness.”

"boom!"

In the next instant, a fist the size of a sandbag tore through the air like lightning, accompanied by a dense aura of blood and divine light, causing the sky to collapse and the river to flow backward.

"Go to hell with your illness—"

The young man, his eyes bloodshot, black hair wildly dancing, drool dripping from his mouth, roared, "You're all forcing me! You're all forcing me—max it out, max it out!!!"

Fighting!

A tripod or furnace.

The ultimate god.

……

……

In Tiger Mountain.

Chen Xuan was at the most crucial juncture in refining the "Phoenix True Scripture".

"This effort was no less than the ten-month seclusion in the Guyao Mountains, but at least we are on the path to a new one."

Chen Xuan held the Candlelight True Lord's artifact given to him by Jiang Qinghuang and made extremely rapid progress in his comprehension.

More than ten days later.

The five internal organ deities that were sitting cross-legged inside Chen Xuan opened their eyes and jumped out of his body one after another, staring at each other.

"What happened?" The five Fated Ones, not understanding what was going on, scratched their heads and all looked at Chen Xuan.

"call……"

With each breath, Chen Xuan's aura rapidly weakened, entering a state close to death, a deathly silence descended.

But in the next instant, another kind of fiery life energy rose from within him, accompanied by a clear and noble phoenix cry, incredibly intense.

The power of destiny on the front of the immortal body rapidly receded, but the power of mountains and seas on the back surged out like a tsunami.

"Howl!"

Chen Xuan couldn't help but raise his head and roar, his whole body radiating crimson light. Countless magnificent flame rune lines spread across his body until they covered his entire face, and his eyes turned crimson gold, like two furnaces.

The black feather robe, formed from immortal energy, now flowed with crimson light and transformed into a crimson dharma robe.

"It's done!"

Chen Xuan was overjoyed. After nearly two months, he finally succeeded in forging a new path and mastered the Five Treasures Martial Immortal Body, a version of the Mountain and Sea technique.

Having mastered the first Phoenix Scripture, a solid foundation was laid, making the subsequent Mountain and Sea Scriptures much easier.

"Long..."

At that very moment, thunderclouds rolled across the sky, stretching for hundreds of miles, and nine crimson lightning bolts, like azure dragons, surged forth, their lightning like a waterfall.

The tribulation of the second level of the cauldron and furnace realm has arrived as summoned.

Chen Xuan integrated the Phoenix Immortal Fire Divine Body into the Five Treasures Martial Immortal Body, greatly enhancing his physique and directly breaking through the shackles of his cultivation realm, entering the second level.

"hold head high……"

Within the thunderclouds, a pair of pale golden vertical pupils faintly appeared, the will of Yunmeng Ao Guanglong God born from the lightning.

But this moment.

Chen Xuan paid no attention to the lightning tribulation in the sky. He slowly turned around and looked at the continuous mountains to the south.

"Finally, I've been waiting for you." Chen Xuan thought to himself. In his vision, a dazzling golden sun slowly rose into the sky, boundless and filling half of the sky.

The Golden Crow God traveled over hundreds of thousands of miles.

coming.

(End of this chapter)