Great Red Immortal Sect

Chapter 378 Brightness and Darkness
Qinghe Palace.

On the jade throne, dragon energy flowed and purple lightning filled the air. Xu Xuan, dressed in a deep purple robe, activated his supernatural powers, his body light and free, as if supported by an entire vast ocean.

With a thought, he instantly left Qinghe Palace, stood atop the clouds, and looked towards the center of Tianchi Lake. The territory of Da Nan Fa Temple was still on the outer edge, near the north, adjacent to Yao Chen Gate.

In the center of Tianchi, the seawater grew increasingly dark, even swallowing the light of the sky. The reverse scale on Xu Xuan's neck trembled, and a deep, mysterious light of yin energy burst forth.

'What are the ghost whale and the stone man fighting over?'

According to the inscription on the blue stone sword beneath the Taiqing Stele, Tianchi in ancient times was probably not only the fiefdom of the Mingze Dragon Clan, but also had other mysteries related to the Kunpeng.

He stopped thinking and looked at a palace on the island, where a woman in a peach-colored palace dress was handling affairs. Various documents were laid out in front of her. He then transformed into a streak of purple lightning and fell down in an instant.

Inside the palace, Yang Yuanxin was intently looking at the numerous documents on the jade table. Her red eyes were bright and clear. There was no one else in the palace. Cold incense was burning, and white smoke drifted in the air.

The void shattered, and a line of purple lightning stepped out from within. She was completely unaware until Xu Xuan walked up to her and coughed lightly. Only then did Yang Yuanxin come to her senses, her eyes brightened, and her smile was as bright as the warm sun.

"Breakthrough?"

"Just came out of customs."

Xu Xuan stepped forward and sat to the side. Yang Yuanxin lowered her gaze slightly and said:

"This year, the Whale and the Stone Man have been fighting fiercely and have no time to attend to our place. We just don't know why they are fighting."

With a thought, Xu Xuan flipped his hand and took out a purple-gold alms bowl, inside which was a soul spirit formed from a radiant light. It was a fat monk, none other than Nanfa.

This Vajra has been imprisoned in this alms bowl for years, and now it has lost its temper. Upon seeing Xu Xuan, it immediately wailed:

"My lord, please spare this humble monk!"

Yang Yuanxin glanced at him from the side, her bright eyes flickering slightly. It was the first time she had ever seen a Vajra like this. Xu Xuan's hand flashed with purple lightning as he said in a deep voice:
"What mysteries lie at the core of Heavenly Pool that caused the battle between the Nether Whale and the Stone Man? Tell me the truth, or I will immediately sense any falsehoods through my divine powers."

Xu Xuan's two supernatural abilities are neither related to intention, so he naturally has no ability to manipulate the mind, but the other party is unaware of this.

"This..." Nanfa's soul trembled, and he began to conceal himself. Xu Xuan channeled his magic power, and purple lightning surged forth, startling the Vajra, who immediately cried out:
"If I tell you the truth, sir, could you spare my life?"

"Just tell me, and I promise I won't kill you."

Xu Xuan replied in a deep voice that he had no intention of killing Nan Fa. Currently, there was a shortage of manpower in the Dao Realm, and throwing this Vajra in would be a good way to increase the cultivation of the [Primordial Order].

"Very well." Nanfa's soul trembled, and his radiance flickered. "My lord, as someone from the Mingze, have you never heard of the origins of Tianchi?"

"With the departure of the Dragon Court, the Heavenly Pool was left without a master, and various factions wanted to take over. At that time, the Heavenly Pool was a magnificent sight, and the Golden Core lineages all sent people to settle there."

"It is indeed a blessed land. The Golden Core Dragon Seed remains here. The people in the Heavenly Pool in the past were all at the mid-stage of Purple Mansion or above. It was only after a disaster that many people died that they gradually withdrew."

"What calamity?"

Xu Xuan's gaze sharpened. He had never heard of this matter before, nor had Guangze mentioned it.

"A spiritual omen, a spiritual omen! Several forces have disturbed the protective object in the center of the Heavenly Pool, releasing a spiritual omen of yin and yang in flux, instantly killing several supernatural beings and several demon kings."

"As a result, many forces retreated, wary of the methods left behind by Mingze. Only a few have moved in, which gave me the opportunity. As for the rest, this humble monk really knows nothing."

"The interplay of Yin and Yang."

Xu Xuan suddenly understood. This omen matched the changes of the Kunpeng. It seemed that his previous guess was correct. There were traces of such immortal spirits in the core of the Heavenly Pool.

"grown ups."

Nanfa spoke, and Xu Xuan snapped back to reality, his gaze sharpening as he asked:

"You previously stated that you were a disciple of the Hanging Temple, so how were you expelled?"

"That's a long story," Nanfa said somewhat apologetically. "If you'd like to hear it, then I'll tell you."

"The six schools of Buddhism are transmitted in Mount Sumeru. Our temple belongs to the [Zen Enlightenment] school, which leads to the human heart, to seeing one's true nature and becoming a Buddha. It does not require the power of vows. In the past, I went down the mountain to gather thousands of believers in order to seek a higher state of mind. After cultivating Vajra, I was expelled from the temple."

"Later, I was fortunate enough to reach the South China Sea. Without thinking about the Mingze, I went straight to Tianchi and gathered many believers there."

Xu Xuan knew Nanfa's origins, nodded slightly, and then suppressed him in the purple-gold alms bowl, waiting for an opportunity to imprison him in the Dao Realm, which would also save his life.

Yang Yuanxin listened for a long time, her red eyes bright. After pondering for a while, she simply said:
"Now that the Nether Whale and the Stone Man are fighting, it's the perfect time. As long as we find out Hua Gu's condition, we can prepare to attack the core of the Heavenly Pool. As for that spiritual omen, is it a trick of the Dark Swamp?"

"I don't know either. I'm afraid I'll have to go to Dongyuan to send a message and ask about its origins."

We can still contact each other through Dongyuan and Mingze, but it takes a very long time to go back and forth, and we don't know when we will receive a reply.

Xu Xuan felt that he probably wouldn't get any response. Since Guangze hadn't told him about this, he probably had some reservations and didn't want to say it.

"For now, we should take over Yaochen Gate first to occupy the north of Tianchi and connect to the Minghai. Then we will have no worries about the rear in the future, and if we want to retreat, we will not be afraid of being blocked."

The Yao Chen Sect is located not far from where the Heavenly Pool meets the Sea of ​​Darkness. With this immortal sect nearby, Xu Xuan was still uneasy and thought it best to conquer it first.

Kong Ming was only at the early stage of the Purple Mansion realm, yet he cultivated the Zhou Chen technique and possessed wondrous escape skills. However, Xu Xuan had now cultivated his second divine ability, and the opponent's advantage had vanished.

Xu Xuan and Yang Yuanxin discussed their plans for the future and how to mobilize troops. Time passed slowly, and before they knew it, dusk was approaching.

As the sun set and the sky grew dim, Yang Yuanxin sat in her seat. Suddenly, the red feathers at her temples emitted a crimson light. She immediately stood up, looked to the north, and her expression changed.

"What's the matter?"

Seeing that Yang Yuanxin's behavior was unusual, Xu Xuan assumed that something had happened at Fengyan Mountain. He was about to activate his divine power to break through the void when he saw that Yang Yuanxin's expression gradually softened and joy appeared in her eyes.

"Brother, we've emerged from seclusion."
-
In Fengyan Mountain.

It was dusk, the light of day had faded, the crimson flames were dim, and few winged creatures were seen moving about in the mountains.

Dark energy surged from a central spiritual peak, causing the array to tremble violently. The once tightly closed cave slowly opened, revealing complete darkness inside.

Black flames burst forth from the earth's veins outside the cave, extinguishing the last remaining glimmer of light. Suddenly, a strange phenomenon appeared in the sky: a black sun dragged the flames down into the mountain and vanished.

The dark, malevolent flames rose up, transforming into a giant black crow that circled the peak three times before plunging into the earth's veins along with the setting sun.

The light was extinguished, followed by a deep darkness, where even moonlight and starlight disappeared, with only a few spirit fires still burning in the mountains, emitting a bright light.

A man in a red robe slowly walked out of the cave. He had a dignified appearance and a graceful posture. His supernatural power was faintly emerging, and there were mysterious phenomena such as dark evil fire and black sun abyss.

Yang Yuanyi carefully sensed the changes in the supernatural power within his body. The light of the Bing Fire was gone, replaced by a dark color that swallowed up the light.

His once bright, jade-like red eyes had turned pitch black, devoid of any luster.

Outside the cave, the void trembled, and a figure emerged from it, exuding a noble air. Dressed in crimson robes, he strode amidst raging heavenly flames. His mere presence radiated boundless light, dispelling the pervasive darkness. "Father," Yang Yuanyi raised his head, a smile spreading across his face, his voice tinged with excitement, "I have followed that cultivation technique, reversing my inner landscape and using malevolent energy to devour light. I have now mastered [Ming Yi Hui]."

Dao Yan's gaze was complicated as he led Yang Yuanyi out to the summit. The strange phenomena of the breakthrough had dissipated, and the stars and moon could be seen in the sky again.

"Now that you have broken through to the next level, you can become a king. Have you ever thought about taking a Daoist title?"

He turned to look at his own son, his tone complex. Dao Yan was much taller and more imposing, while Yang Yuanyi could only raise his head to talk to his father.

"I had previously considered that if I achieved [Bingyang Yuan], I would be called [Jiongming]. But now I've taken a different path, which is not quite appropriate."

Yang Yuanyi's voice was slightly emotional. "Bingyang Yuan" is the most orthodox divine power of Bing Fire. It is extremely magnificent and is a close minister of the sun. It can dispel cold and dampness, clear away clouds and rain, and represents the brilliance of the world, which is all-encompassing.

"The old master has already decided on it for you, and I will tell you today." Dao Yan's gaze narrowed slightly, his voice revealing no emotion. "It will be called [Hui Ming]. Do you understand the old master's intention?"

Yang Yuanyi pondered for a moment, her eyes flickering slightly, and then said:

"Hide your talents and bide your time, waiting for the right opportunity."

“That’s right.” Dao Yan turned around and looked at the night sky. The starlight and moonlight shone down, and there was still light between the mountains and the sea. It was not all darkness.

"There was another reason why I had you cultivate the [Bingyang Yuan] technique. Are you aware of it?"

Yang Yuanyi remained calm, as if she already knew about this, and simply said:
“I understand your intention. If we’re talking about the killing power of the Foundation Establishment stage, the [Crow-Holding Fire] is the most powerful. It’s the might of heavenly fire and it’s more suitable for our clan.”

"But... what does Yanggu mean?"

He suddenly raised his head, staring blankly at his father's back, only to see that the tall and imposing figure had lowered slightly. Dao Yan's tone was complex as he simply said:
“Back then, a decree came from the cave, ordering you and Yuanxin to choose one of you to cultivate the [Bingyang Yuan] technique. The old master chose you.”

Yang Yuanyi remained silent for a while. He naturally understood the meaning behind this. If one wanted to break through to the Purple Mansion with the [Bingyang Yuan] and integrate it with the evil energy, it would be extremely difficult. In the end, he would probably only have the option of switching cultivation methods.

“I have no regrets about my past. If I could do it all over again, I would not want Yuanxin to cultivate this path.”

His voice was steady and resolute. Dao Yan slowly turned around, his gaze sharpening, and said only:

“My clan has never produced a Golden Core cultivator, only a noble lineage. Yet the tiger and bear species on the Bing Fire Dao Image have all died out, while my Fire Crow has been safely passed down from ancient times to the present. Do you know why?”

"Could it be due to the mystical heritage of my clan, or the nobility of my bloodline?"

"It's the Golden Crow."

Yang Yuanyi looked at her father with a hint of doubt in her voice.

"But what is the use of cultivating this supernatural power?"

Dao Yan lowered his gaze slightly and said in a low voice:
"Back then, in order to seize the throne, Jiaoyang attempted to perform the act of 'empty proof,' which triggered the ten suns to patrol the sky, burning this world to a scorched state. The celestial yang was not upright, the fire of Bing was rampant, and the earth cracked and evil surged. This is why the change of [Bingyang Yuan] occurred."

"Even though this demon lord has been executed, he still occupies the position of Mingyi. Even Emperor Zhu Ci can't do anything to him. He can only break his feathers and cut his bones, seal him in evil energy, and prevent him from ever escaping."

"Now times have changed, the Great Xia Dynasty is gone, and the throne we fought for is long gone. The grudges of the past are nothing."

Suddenly, some suspicion arose in Yang Yuanyi's mind. He vaguely sensed something, and the joy of having just mastered the supernatural power was diluted, leaving only a chilling feeling.

"【Mingyi Hui】, 【Han Wei Nue】, and there is also 【Kang Yang Fen】. Now there are still two supernatural powers missing, but it is not without the opportunity to make up for them. Once they are perfected, Zao Yang will be complete."

"Do you understand Yanggu's intention?"

"I understand the reason."

Only now did Yang Yuanyi truly understand the purpose of this supernatural power; it was probably just a pawn that Yang Gu had laid out in the path of dry yang.

"Now that you have mastered your supernatural powers, I have some free time. You can go into seclusion to cultivate the next supernatural power. From today onwards, Fengyan Mountain will be under your care. Do not disappoint me."

Dao Yan's voice grew increasingly deep and somber, as if he had remembered something.

"As for Tianchi, that's also up to you to decide whether to take action. I won't go there."

"Yes, Father."

Yang Yuanyi had already made up her mind. She looked up again, only to see the void shatter, a line of crimson light disappear, and Dao Yan's figure was nowhere to be seen.

Now that he is the master of Fengyan Mountain, he feels no joy. The old master has left, and now his father is also going into seclusion, as if he is avoiding something.

It was already night. He climbed to the top and looked into the distance. He stood there quietly. There were many demons moving around below the mountain, but none of them dared to approach, as they were intimidated by his imposing aura.

After waiting for a long time, the void ahead shattered, and a thunder chariot and lightning whip materialized. Two people emerged from it: Mu Youdu and Yang Yuanxin.

Yang Yuanxin stepped forward quickly, her expression softening, and smiled:
"Brother, you've succeeded."

Yang Yuanyi simply nodded, glanced at Xu Xuan with a slightly surprised look, and said:

"You have broken through and cultivated to the Purple Mansion stage. This is the Second Divine Power?"

When he went into seclusion, Xu Xuan was still at the Foundation Establishment stage. Now that he has emerged from seclusion, Xu Xuan has already cultivated two divine abilities. This speed is somewhat frightening.

Demons typically break through to higher realms slowly, but this Dragon King's progress is comparable to that of immortals, completely unaffected by his bloodline.

"It's a long story."

Xu Xuan shook his head and, together with Yang Yuanxin, told her about the major events that had occurred over the years. He then noticed Yang Yuanyi's expression was filled with emotion, and she sighed, saying only:

"I never imagined you would have already conquered Tianchi and were about to re-establish the Dragon Court."

Yang Yuanxin, standing to the side, narrowed her gaze slightly and asked in a low voice:

"Did Father come?"

She noticed traces of supernatural power left behind here and asked her brother about them.

"Now that I have reached the Purple Mansion stage, Father, you may go into seclusion and cultivate the next supernatural power."

Yang Yuanyi hesitated for a moment, but still told the truth.

"Why not stay a little longer? We could have seen each other again."

Yang Yuanxin looked slightly downcast, but quickly recovered and simply smiled:
"Now that you have mastered supernatural powers, elder brother, you should invite all the demons to come and celebrate. According to ancient rites, you should be granted a kingship. May I ask what your title should be?"

"【晦明】"

Yang Yuanyi activated his divine power, breaking through the void and instantly sending the three of them to Bingyang Palace. He lit the candles, and the palace was immediately brightly lit.

(End of this chapter)