Dao Cheng Gui Xian

Chapter 279 The Dragon King's Choice, His Power Over the Suspended Mountain
Li Wushou's words were calm yet resolute.

The founder of the Fuzi lineage and a group of elders and protectors felt a tremor in their hearts as they looked at Li Wushou's figure wearing the Yin-Yang Daoist robe!
At this moment, Li Wushou's aura was somewhat similar to that of a near-immortal when his physical body was empowered by the Golden Core Dragon Seed.

Although there was a smile on her lips, there was a sense of indifference and detachment.

For some reason, even Li Wushou's words carried a hint of authority and unquestionable tone.

The patriarch of the Fu lineage nodded subconsciously, about to agree.

Behind him, Elders Yun and Shen, along with the several protectors who were intimidated by Li Wushou, all bowed in agreement.
"We agree to the High Priest's proposal!"

Just as they were sweeping away the Moth King flying insects in Wangxian City, and the patriarch of the Fuzi lineage led the clan leaders and the city god down the suspended mountain, they also learned from the crowd that Li Wushou had used his Blood Bone Dharma Form to turn the tide.

Elders Yun and Shen need not say much, but the Dharma Protectors were shocked to learn of the major events that later occurred at Suspended Mountain.

They never expected that in just a short gap, the suspended mountain would almost collapse!
The story of Li Wushou saving the world from collapse initially felt unreal and fantastical.

But as soon as Li Wushou spoke, they immediately felt that what he said was true. The pressure from his mind made it difficult for them to breathe.

Is this the true power to directly confront a Dharma image? Truly terrifying!
When the patriarch of the Fu lineage was mentioned, Shen and the others interrupted, showing slight dissatisfaction.

But he was in a good mood at the moment. He admired Yun and Shen's efficiency in clearing out the Moth King flying insects, so he didn't take it to heart. He calmed his mind and was about to accept Li Wushou's suggestion.

Suddenly, a buzzing sound rang out in the sky, and a human face slowly emerged in mid-air.

"I agree with the High Priest's suggestion!"

After stabilizing his injuries and mental state, the founder of the Kongzi Meridian awoke.

He was aware of everything that had just happened, but he had lost control of himself and was being manipulated by the Puppet Master like a puppet on a string.

In recent years, he has become somewhat impatient in his efforts to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.

Three years ago, the painter delivered the items he needed for his breakthrough, but unexpectedly, he was ambushed by the Puppet Taoist and was no longer in control of his own destiny, almost suffering eternal damnation!
If it weren't for the High Priest's all-out rescue, not only would his own thousands of years of cultivation have been lost in an instant, but the accumulation of the Floating and Void lineages over so many years would also have been wasted.

Looking back now, I still feel a bit scared.

Therefore, he was extremely grateful to Li Wushou.

Moreover, for some reason, he felt a strange sense of awe towards Li Wushou.

Upon waking, she found it difficult to harbor any rebellious thoughts when facing Li Wushou.

Besides, it's just a position of a god!
The high priest had proposed that the dragon god was originally a member of the Hanging Mountain, and he couldn't think of a reason to refuse.

He even felt that if Li Wushou ever wanted Huazhou, he would surely have his reasons. If it weren't for Li Wushou this time, not only would Huazhou have been lost, but he and his senior brother Fu would have lost their lives too!
Given Li Wushou's abilities, Huazhou is better in his hands than in his and Senior Brother Fu's.

On the other side, the aura of the Floating Lineage Ancestor stagnated once again!
The high priest had clearly asked me, but being interrupted twice in a row left him with an absurd feeling of being rejected.

Then, he shook his head, feeling both amused and exasperated.

I am the founder of the Suspended Mountain, who can reject me?

The series of battles has left my mind in turmoil, and my thoughts are becoming chaotic. After this period of busy work is over, I must go into seclusion and meditate.

After a moment of contemplation, seeing that no one else spoke, the patriarch of the Floating Character lineage cleared his throat and was about to speak.

But it was interrupted by a firm voice!

"I disagree!"

The founder of the Fu lineage was stunned. There was someone else?

And you disagree?!

The next moment, he realized what was happening and looked behind the High Priest.

Was it the Dragon God who just spoke?
Li Wushou slowly turned around, looking at the Dragon King with a hint of surprise and doubt on his face.

The position of the Heavenly God is the Dragon King's obsession. For this position, the other party even went so far as to rebel against the Hanging Mountain and threaten the lives of millions of people on both sides of the Hengyang River. Now that it is within his grasp, he refuses to agree.
With a thought, a crack appeared in the membrane on Li Wushou's head, and he took out the crystal surface containing the Dragon King's transformed dragon body, which floated next to the Destiny Star.

"Is Your Majesty worried about the physical body? A small part of the dragon's body was refined by the Puppet Taoist of Immortal Mountain, but I retrieved the rest. After elevating it to the status of a celestial being, incense should be able to purify the dragon's body."

The Dragon King stared at Li Wushou, feeling somewhat moved.

Today, as he was once a proud and high-spirited god, he was later rejected by the two patriarchs and even the entire Huazhou people, causing his emotions to fluctuate wildly.

But only the High Priest Li Wushou stood firmly by his side.

He was similar to the founder of the Kongzi lineage; because he was too eager, he was manipulated by the painter.

Although I was not in control of my own body, I was clear-headed.

He had witnessed everything from beginning to end, and his feelings of emotion deepened.

Li Wushou was clearly capable of directly confronting the patriarch's Dharma form, but when he lost control, he chose to fight with his bare hands. In the end, even after crushing his dragon-like body, he only managed to suppress himself with the help of magical artifacts.

This support touched him especially deeply during his time of despair.

Seeing Li Wushou place the dragon body, the Destiny Star, and the Heavenly God's Decree before him, these things that were once out of reach failed to move him in the slightest.

Centuries of effort, only to be dismissed with a single word!

He didn't want to delve into whether the positions of the two patriarchs, Fu and Kong, were right or wrong.

It's all meaningless now!

This sense of being powerless and unable to decide one's own path in the divine path left him utterly disheartened.

At the same time, he finally understood Liu Qingmei's determination to spend a hundred years, even if it meant refining a trace of pure yang, to embark on the path of immortality again.

The Dragon King was filled with self-mockery, realizing that he himself was not as insightful as a little girl.

Regardless, he was going to betray Li Wushou's good intentions in elevating him to the status of a god.

He no longer wanted to walk this sacred path!

He wants to extract a trace of his essence from the mutated dragon body and walk the path of immortality again!

If he wasn't mistaken, he sensed a trace of innate spirit in Li Wushou.

He had briefly experienced this state when he was incubating the dragon seed.

How did they manage to take such a step forward in the Path of the Dragon Seed so quickly?

This made him both amazed by Li Wushou's talent and strengthened his resolve to reforge the dragon seed and enter the path of immortality.

He is a dragon, and the dragon's body should be his very essence.

Even if he doesn't succeed, at least he can freely decide whether he lives or dies!
So he slowly shook his head at Li Wushou and said firmly:

"I appreciate the High Priest's kindness, but I can no longer serve as the Heavenly God of Huazhou."

This time, thanks to the High Priest's help, I have finally escaped the torment of this dragon body transformation. Since that's the case, I might as well take this opportunity to completely sever ties with it.

I've decided to abandon the path of gods and embark on the path of immortals!

Looking at the Dragon King's resolute expression, Li Wushou, though he had not possessed the Dragon King, understood his thoughts quite well.

This proud Dragon King seems to have suffered a heavy blow this time!

Upon hearing this, the two patriarchs, Fu and Kong, changed their expressions slightly. Having been in charge of Suspended Mountain for so many years, how could they not hear the Dragon King's determination?

From a profit perspective, it is indeed difficult to maximize the benefits for Huazhou and Xuankong Mountain by having the Dragon God ascend to the Heavenly God, and there is even a risk of futile efforts.

However, from a logical point of view, the two's previous decisions were indeed too inhumane for the Dragon God.

The founder of the Kongzi lineage opened his mouth, as if to say something.

Although he was betrayed by the Puppet Taoist, his decision to use the matter of electing a new Heavenly God was indeed his own consideration.

At this moment, the Dragon King abandoned his post, leaving him somewhat embarrassed.

The same was true of the patriarch of the Fuzi lineage, because after the painter revealed the alienated body of the Dragon God, he abandoned the Dragon God immediately.

The two patriarchs hesitated before speaking, but the Dragon King felt much more at ease after he finished speaking.

He felt the invisible shackles that had been binding him shatter the moment he made his decision, and from that moment on, he felt as if he had been reborn.

Li Wushou looked at the Dragon King's genuine smile and nodded slightly.

He didn't want to interfere with the Dragon King's decision. He supported the Dragon King if he wanted to become a god, and he also supported the Dragon King if he didn't want to. He just wanted to repay the Dragon King, it was that simple.

"Since the Dragon King is unwilling to be elevated to the status of a celestial being, then I agree that the Dragon King should return to the path of immortality. What do you all think?"

Elders Yun and Shen, who had been observing quietly, bowed deeply and said:
"We agree with the High Priest's decision!"

The Kongzi lineage patriarch, still struggling with his awkwardness, instantly composed himself upon hearing Li Wushou speak and echoed:
"I agree with the High Priest's decision!"

???

The patriarch of the Fu lineage, who was still thinking about how to persuade the Dragon King to change his mind, had a look of astonishment on his face.

The feeling of being isolated and rejected in my heart intensified!

Seeing that Kong Wu had already agreed, and that Li Wushou had spoken, he had nothing to say and could only nod and say:
"Since the Dragon God has made up his mind, Suspended Mountain is willing to fully support the Dragon God in returning to the path of immortality, and also invite the Dragon God to serve as the Supreme Elder of Suspended Mountain, a position equivalent to the patriarchs of the two lineages. What do you say?"

After being reminded by the patriarch of the Floating Lineage, Kongwu also realized what was going on. He did support the Dragon King's return to the path of immortality, but he was also unwilling for the Dragon King to leave the Suspended Mountain.

So he began to offer his advice:
"Yes, Dragon God, I was ambushed by the Immortal Mountain before, and I had no choice in the matter. I support the Dragon God's willingness to return to the path of immortality. In the future, we will be fellow Daoists, sweep away the confusion and calamity, and take revenge on the Immortal Mountain together. Wouldn't that be wonderful?"

Li Wushou glanced at the two patriarchs with great interest. They were certainly not fools to have been able to govern Suspended Mountain for hundreds of years.

Perhaps because they've gotten used to being high and mighty, they've started to lose interest in some things.

Having survived this crisis, the two seem to have become more worldly-wise again.

Li Wushou was pleased with this, but he didn't interrupt, even though he also thought the patriarch of the Fuzi lineage's suggestion was excellent.

After all, apart from the ancestor of the Floating Lineage, the high-ranking members of Suspended Mountain are all their own people. The fact that the Dragon King stayed at Suspended Mountain is indeed a great help in clearing away the mysteries and calamities.

But as he had previously decided, the choice was up to the Dragon King himself.

On the other side, the patriarch of the Fu lineage, seeing that the Dragon King was still hesitating and frequently glancing at Li Wushou, spoke up again to persuade him:
"The Immortal Mountain harbors ulterior motives and intends to overthrow the Suspended Mountain, plunging Huazhou back into chaos. If it fails this time, it will try again."

Even the Dragon King wouldn't want his hundreds of years of hard work to go to waste, would he?

Moreover, it was thanks to the Dragon King's efforts that the Five Directions City produced a figure like the High Priest. Wouldn't it be a pity to completely abandon him?

Since the Dragon King has decided to return to the path of immortality, we naturally support him. We will not trouble the Dragon King with worldly matters. If a crisis arises, the Dragon King may decide for himself whether or not to intervene.

Upon hearing what the patriarch of the Fu Zi lineage said, the Dragon King glanced at Li Wushou once more.

Li Wushou was born in Huazhou, so he must have had feelings for Huazhou.

Otherwise, given the perilous situation of the Immortal Mountain overturning Huazhou, the other side could have simply ignored it.

The other party may not stay in Huazhou for long, but they certainly don't want Huazhou to be in turmoil. Staying in Xuankong Mountain is fine too; helping them look after Wufang City and Huazhou can be considered a way of repaying their kindness in saving us.

Thinking this, the Dragon King nodded slightly to the two ancestral masters, Fu and Zi, in agreement.

The founders of the Floating and Empty lineages were overjoyed upon hearing this.

Li Wushou had no objection to this, clapped his hands together, and congratulated the Dragon King:

"May the Dragon King's path to immortality be smooth, and may he live a carefree and unrestrained life from now on!"

This time, the patriarch of the Fu lineage was well-prepared and immediately offered his congratulations to the Dragon King.

Upon hearing Kong Wu and Yun, and Shen and the others' belated agreement, the patriarch of the Fu Zi lineage was overjoyed!
But then a worry arose in his heart: if the Dragon King were to abandon his post at this time, who would Huazhou choose to elevate the Heavenly God?
The founder of the Floating Lineage was deeply troubled and secretly discussed the matter with the founder of the Empty Lineage.

On the other side, the Dragon King murmured Li Wushou's words "carefree and unrestrained," then raised his head and nodded solemnly to Li Wushou!
The Dragon King narrowed his eyes and looked solemnly at the crystal surface that sealed the mutated dragon body.

Seeing this, Li Wushou quietly opened a crack in the crystal surface.

The Dragon King glanced at the Void Ancestor in the sky with some surprise. He still thought that the other party had opened it and was about to give a signal, but he saw that the Void Ancestor was not paying attention to this place.

The Dragon King was then surprised to realize that it was Li Wushou who had opened it.

The opponent actually has such mastery of the art of sealing the void?

Suppressing his shock, the Dragon King murmured, and the void hummed, like a soft dragon's roar.

The mutated dragon body, which had been sealed within the crystal surface, began to boil, and suddenly a dragon pearl flew out from it!
This dragon ball is vastly different from the mutated dragon body; it shimmers with golden light and is permeated with the scent of incense.

The Dragon King did not take it away, but instead used his dragon claws to refine it. Before long, a wisp of golden aura emanated from the dragon pearl.

This aura was like blood essence, like divine soul, exceptionally pure.

Inside the Three Immortals Pavilion, Chen Gou'er swallowed hard.

Li Wushou looked on thoughtfully. Was this the origin of the Dragon King?

The Dragon King's eyes showed pain, but his determination was extraordinary. He raised his head and let out a dragon's roar, and the ink spot between his brows disappeared.

The trick Liu Qingmei left behind dissolved the ink, and the Dragon King's spirit was freed from its shackles.

The dragon's body opened its mouth and spat out a dragon ball, which floated in mid-air.

This dragon ball is also entirely golden and has not been stained by ink!

A dragon's roar resounded from the Dragon Ball, and the Dragon King's Yin spirit, the Golden Dragon, suddenly rose from within the Dragon Ball. Immediately afterward, its aura changed abruptly, and Yin and Yang became opposed.

"Refine Yin!"

With a soft shout, the Yin God Golden Dragon suddenly burst into flames.

A large amount of incense and evil energy were extracted from the golden dragon's body.

The pain of burning his soul was excruciating, reaching to the very bone, yet the Dragon King remained silent!
The two patriarchs, Fu and Kong, who were still discussing the selection of the celestial deity, looked over at the same time. This method of retracing the path of immortality was beyond their expectations!

They originally thought that the Dragon King would use his dragon body as a foundation to slowly remove the corruption of incense offerings.

But at this moment, the Dragon King actually wanted to remove all the divine aura at once, leaving only a trace of the original source.
Isn't this going a bit too far?

This is no less than Liu Qingmei escaping by dying!
It took a full half hour for this tempering process to come to an end.

The aura of the Yin God Golden Dragon, belonging to the divine path, completely disappeared. Li Wushou examined it carefully and at this moment, no matter how you looked at it, the golden dragon was no different from the soul of a cultivator.

Moreover, after being burned by the flames of the divine soul, it becomes exceptionally pure.

Although in terms of quantity it is only comparable to that of a top-tier Golden Core cultivator like Elder Yun, Li Wushou felt that in terms of quality it was not much worse than that of the founder of the Floating Character Clan.

With a flick of its tail, the golden dragon of the divine soul burrowed into the wisp of primordial energy that had just been refined from its original form by the dragon pearl.

A brand new dragon body materialized, slowly extending until it stopped at about nine zhang (approximately 33 meters).

Although its current size is not small compared to that of an ordinary person, it is almost adorably tiny compared to its previous dragon body, which was over three hundred feet long.

But the Dragon King was very satisfied!

If you're going to embark on the path of immortality again, be thorough. If you don't completely sever ties with the path of gods, how can you go far on the path of immortality?

Although his strength is now only a fraction of what it used to be, comparable to a Golden Core cultivator, once he rebuilds his Dragon Seed, he will surely be able to progress much more smoothly.

He still has a lot of flesh and blood in the Dragon Palace. If he can have the Suspended Mountain collect some more, it will be enough for him to re-cultivate the dragon seed.

Li Wushou looked at the Dragon King and couldn't help but nod in agreement.

Such decisiveness, truly befitting the Dragon King!
Li Wushou then turned his gaze to the Dragon King's dragon body.

There was no other reason than Chen Gou'er barking incessantly inside the Three Immortals Pavilion!
After the Dragon King's spirit left his body, his dragon form burst forth with pure flesh and incense energy, making Chen Gou'er's mouth water uncontrollably!

The old beggar's eyes lit up; this was far more delicious than the mutated dragon body.

Just then, the Dragon King, who had been reborn, pointed at his dragon body and suddenly spoke:
"High Priest, my dragon body was hatched from a dragon seed. It's a pity that this dragon seed body has been tainted by my Yin spirit incense and the divine power of the painter. However, it still has some research value. So, I'll give it to you, High Priest, to study the methods of dragon seed refinement."

Upon hearing this, Chen Gou'er cheered inside the Three Immortals Pavilion.

"This Dragon King is truly a good dragon!"

A glint flashed in Li Wushou's eyes, and he cupped his hands to the Dragon King, saying:

"Why is this so embarrassing?"

Even so, Li Wushou's hands moved quickly.

A vertical line appeared between his brows, and the Tai Chi Dojo floated out. The power of the boundary spread out, absorbing the dragon seed body shed by the Dragon King and the two dragon pearls into the Tai Chi Dojo.

The next instant, the Tai Chi Dojo, along with the crystal surface that sealed the mutated dragon's body, was retracted into Li Wushou's body.

Li Wushou's clean and efficient movements left the Dragon King speechless.

He was not disgusted at all; on the contrary, he was delighted.

The more impolite Li Wushou was, the less the other party treated him as an outsider.

Otherwise, given Li Wushou's background, why would he even bother with this useless dragon body that has been tainted by incense offerings?
At this very moment, the founders of the Floating and Void lineages also reached a conclusion regarding the selection of the Heavenly God.

The founder of the Floating Character lineage stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting to Li Wushou, and asked:
"May I ask, High Priest, we intend to appoint Mr. Chi Xiu as a celestial being. What is your opinion?"

Li Wushou, still immersed in the joy of unexpectedly gaining a dragon seed body, suddenly froze for a moment.

Upon seeing this, the founder of the Fuzi lineage felt a pang of alarm. The Dragon King had abandoned his post, and Huazhou was indeed facing the predicament of a break in the divine path.

In this way, let alone invading the Mi'e, even the Grand Master of Zhenhai's request for the twelve celestial gods to gather in Zhenhai City at the end of the year could not be fulfilled.

If we anger the Great Lord of Zhenhai, that's no laughing matter. What if the Sea Patrol Envoy comes and demolishes the Suspended Mountain before the Immortal Mountain even returns?

After thinking it over, he suddenly thought of a silver giant figure.

He had just gone down the suspended mountain to exterminate the Moth King flying insects and learned about Chi Xiu's information from Yun and Shen.

Knowing that Chi Xiu is Li Wushou's guardian deity!
He also understood that this request was rather presumptuous, since the Heavenly God was equivalent to Chi Xiu spending most of his time in Huazhou.

This is tantamount to forcibly taking someone away from Li Wushou.

It's normal for Li Wushou to be unwilling!
Little did Li Wushou know that he was thinking about why the founder of the Fuzi lineage seemed to be afraid that he would not be able to fully control the Suspended Mountain.
What if we add the Heavenly God Pool cultivator?

Then he could truly be said to wield immense power over the suspended mountain!
(End of this chapter)