A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 286: The Beginning, The End

Yuan Gong patted the tree.

The tall resurrection flower tree droops its branches, the flower buds slightly open, pouring out dew. The fragrant dew slides down the branch and condenses on the leaves at the end of the branch, forming a water ball.

"Although the Resurrection Flower is not yet in season, its dew is remarkably effective in healing wounds. Please drink a cup first."

Yuan Gong rolled the leaf into a cup, filled it with flower dew, and handed it over.

Guan Luoyang casually wiped the bloodstains on the waist of his Taoist robe, took the cup, and drank it all in one gulp.

He smelled strongly of blood, but apart from the obvious bloodstains on his hands, there were not many traces of blood on other parts of his body. Even the bloodstains he had just wiped on his waist had disappeared quickly.

His white Taoist robe with dragon and cloud patterns and silver trim was still shining brightly, but it looked slightly damp.

That's because all the blood Guan Luoyang shed during the previous battle was absorbed by the divine robe's majesty. The life fibers that emerged after absorbing the blood seeped into Guan Luoyang's body, filling the wounds he sustained in the previous fierce battle.

If it weren't for the divine garment, what Yuan Gong would be seeing now wouldn't be a complete human form, but rather a mutilated body with seventeen or eighteen holes of varying sizes, limping over here.

Of the six supernatural powers of Fu Wanshen, the first four are relatively straightforward, and in Guan Luoyang's view, they are all fairly conventional combat methods.

But the latter two.

As the flowers bloomed at the edge of the sea, a flag-spear pierced through the void, its tip appearing and disappearing unpredictably, teleporting and piercing through space without any warning.

Even though Guan Luoyang could manipulate gravity and indirectly influence space by reaching the highest heavens, sometimes he still couldn't catch the direction of the spearhead in time, making it impossible to defend against. He could only rely on temporary reactions to avoid it.

His injuries were entirely caused by this method.

Another supernatural power is even more shameless: the curse of punishment. It seems that as long as Fu Wanshen can inflict a wound on Guan Luoyang, then the life force in this demon king's body will be restored out of thin air.

It's not a naked method of devouring and refining like the Heavenly Demon Art or the Divine Robe.

Fu Wanshen's supernatural power is more like offering the concept of "the enemy being injured" as a sacrifice to an unpredictable being in the dark.

There is no need to extract any vital energy or life force from Guan Luoyang. The more times he is injured and the deeper his pain, the greater the reward Fu Wanshen will receive.

With such supernatural powers, it's no wonder that Fu Wanshen would utter words about competing in enlightenment.

In the end, however, he took the first step closer to death.

"Well……"

Guan Luoyang felt a cool sensation that slid down his throat into his stomach and permeated his entire body.

The wounds that were temporarily repaired by the life fibers of combat, which had been throbbing with excruciating pain, suddenly subsided considerably.

Yuan Gong retrieved the leaf, placed it on the branch, and the leaf stalk regenerated, connecting back to the branch. The branch slowly returned to its original height.

Fu Wanshen's figure, still carrying the flag, headed towards the battlefield.

Although he appeared as an unfamiliar nine-tailed fox, his aura of supreme authority over numerous demons ensured that none of the demon generals would mistake him for a human.

As soon as he arrived, the morale of the demons immediately soared.

The Crown Prince descended from the sky, kneeling before him, and excitedly called out, "Father!"

Before he could finish speaking, Fu Wanshen's figure had already walked towards him and collided with him.

The Crown Prince was stunned. He felt that his adoptive father's body was like a wisp of gentle sand that had just touched him and then suddenly dissipated.

All that remained was a sigh and a Xuan Yin Gui Yuan Banner falling from the sky.

The ape prince instinctively caught the Xuan Yin Gui Yuan Banner, as if only then coming to his senses. His eyes were filled with horror, and his pupils trembled violently.

He had already spotted the two figures under the flowering tree in the distance. His eyes blinked rapidly, more than a dozen times, and he shouted, "Father has created a clone to deliver a magical treasure to help us break the formation! My children, watch where my banner points, kill!!"

The Crown Prince Changyou leaped up, waving his banner, and charged toward the Abyss of Heavenly Books.

The human immortals in the air, seeing the Xuan Yin Gui Yuan Banner being waved, dared not confront it head-on and all dodged it.

The demons on earth, who had already fallen into a slump, now launched a fierce counterattack amidst the clamor of the crowd.

Just as the battlefield was becoming increasingly chaotic, the Crown Prince Changyou in the air suddenly pulled on the flagpole, and the flag spread out to cover him, instantly making him invisible and disappearing.

Some of the long-established demons were not so easily fooled. They had been paying attention to the movements of the Crown Prince Changyou for a long time, and when they saw that the situation was not good, they all tried to escape.

Guan Luoyang frowned as he looked over from afar and said, "If they escape, it will still be a big problem for the people in various places."

Just as Yuan Gongzheng was about to speak, the Resurrection Flower Tree behind him began to sway gently.

A mournful fox howl came from beneath the tree roots, and a faint emerald light emanated from the ground.

The fox demon suppressed under the tree also sensed the aura of Fu Wan's defeat and death. It no longer had the idea of ​​preserving the Heavenly Immortal Corpse Poison and was squandering it recklessly in its final struggle.

Guan Luoyang was already seriously injured. He barely managed to reach out and press down on the tree to help Yuan Gong and suppress the turmoil underground. However, he was too busy to chase after the fleeing demons.

Fortunately, at that moment, a giant-like ray of light appeared in the distant sky, swaying gently, and arrived close in an instant.

Under the glow of the sunset, Qin Zhiyue's battle robe fluttered slightly as she held the celestial orb in one hand and raised the Bagua axe high in her right, before throwing it with a sudden thud.

In the distance, a gust of wind swept through the void, and the Xuan Yin Gui Yuan Banner, which had been hiding and flying away, was struck by the great axe, revealing its true form with a loud clang.

The Crown Prince Changyou trembled violently, bursting out a cloud of blood mist as he fell from the sky.

"It seems like I deliberately came out to pick up bargains in today's battle."

Qin Zhiyue turned her head and said to the two people under the flowering tree, "I will apologize to you both after I have dealt with these little demons."

With that, she waved her right hand, and the enormous magic bell above the Giant Spirit Cave flew to the edge of the battlefield with a whoosh.

The master of the Giant Spirit Cave is, after all, a terrestrial immortal.

Earthly immortals bully wandering immortals.

Even though Qin Zhiyue still needs to hold the bronze ball in one hand, she is still invincible on this battlefield.

Those monsters that tried to escape were no match for the great bell. They often couldn't get far before they felt a darkness above their heads, and a wave of magical sound waves swept down, shattering their souls and leaving them utterly dead.

The battle was over; those monsters could no longer cause any trouble.

After another night, the human sects cleaned up the battlefield, collected the remains, retrieved the damaged magical artifacts, and gathered up the monster corpses.

Guan Luoyang, Qin Zhiyue, and Yuan Gong spent an entire night working together to first kill Xin Luo's three fox demons and seize the Heavenly Immortal Corpse Elixir that they had not yet used up.

After resting for two days, they slowly refined Feng Jun.

Inside the bronze sphere, Feng Jun used every means to entice and plead. The Deep Sea Divine Words, honed to perfection amidst the crisis, were now even more refined by him. In just a few words, hundreds of illusions arose, subtly stirring up selfish thoughts in people's hearts.

Elder Junxie went to the side hall where the bronze ball was located to report some matters to Qin Zhiyue. He only stayed for a short while, but he was already covered in a cold sweat. When he came out, he was still very scared and secretly thought it was strange.

However, sitting around Feng Jun, refining him, were three six-star experts. They possessed the Golden Light Divine Mantra, the Giant Spirit True Method, and the Vacuum Divine Power. To cultivate to such a level, one's mind must be thoroughly clear and self-controlled. They were not so easily persuaded.

Only after Feng Jun's will was completely extinguished, and after each of them thoroughly examined the situation, did they withdraw their magical power.

A small, delicate sprite with a flower wreath on its head and skin as green as tree bark brought fine wine.

Qin Zhiyue took a pot of wine first, and after drinking some wine, she felt a little better. She said, "I don't know what kind of water demon this is, or if it's at the Earth Immortal level. It's so tenacious. I originally thought I could keep some of its remains to use for refining weapons, but I didn't expect that only by completely obliterating it, leaving not a trace, can its mind be erased."

Master Yuan laughed and said, "The Giant Spirit Cave is quite wealthy, with numerous magical treasures. Why waste it on this evil object?"

Qin Zhiyue nodded, then suddenly said, "But if we're talking about magical treasures, what in Juku Continent can compare to those two volumes of heavenly books?"

"Over the past century, much of the land within the Abyss of the Heavenly Book has been returned. Although the internal space has undergone some changes, it is no longer as vast and dangerous as it once was."

She said, "Moreover, there is now the Celestial Corpse Poison. If the three of us work together and use the Celestial Corpse Poison to decipher the Abyss of Heavenly Books, there might actually be a chance to retrieve these two treasures."

Guan Luoyang perked up: "I also want to see what kind of treasure that Heavenly Book is!"

Yuan Gong pondered for a moment: "With the three of us working together, we do have a fifty percent chance of success. But how should we divide the two volumes of the Heavenly Book among ourselves?"

Qin Zhiyue laughed and said, "The Heavenly Book isn't an elixir that you can just take and forget. Since it's a book, all three of us can read it. We'll just find a place to store it."

Yuan Gong shook his head and said, "Fellow Daoist Guan came from afar. If he wants to leave, do you expect him to leave both volumes of the Heavenly Book in Jukuzhou?"

Qin Zhiyue looked at Guan Luoyang.

Guan Luoyang nodded and said, "I should be leaving soon."

Qin Zhiyue said, "Fellow Daoist has been kind to Jukuzhou. If it weren't for you, the demon race would probably have succeeded. Even if we were to survive, it would certainly be a difficult situation."

"Then let's do it this way. After taking out the two volumes of the Heavenly Book, we will each try to make copies, as many as we can. Then, Fellow Daoist Guan will choose one of the two original volumes, and that volume will belong to Fellow Daoist Guan forever."

The Heavenly Book itself is a magical artifact, which is why it can contain so many mysteries. The power of the rubbing itself is definitely not comparable to that of the Heavenly Book, and the mysteries recorded are not as comprehensive.

After discussing it, the three of them agreed on this arrangement.

Yuan Gong sighed, "It's a pity that of the five volumes of Heavenly Books, only the 'Cataclysmic Fortune Scroll' and the 'Warp and Weft Scroll' were returned. If the 'Daoist Scroll' had been imprinted with all the profound techniques and demonic arts of that world, it would surely have been even more tempting."

Guan Luoyang took a sip of wine and laughed, "Actually, we're not entirely confident about obtaining the Heavenly Book yet. Neither Yuan Gong nor I are at our peak condition, so there's no need to rush in the next couple of days. On the contrary, there's another important matter that we should seize the opportunity to accomplish in one fell swoop."

Yuan Gong asked in confusion, "What?"

Qin Zhiyue clapped her hands: "Of course, it's time to celebrate the victory, and then, hold an alliance meeting to establish rules!"

"That's right!"

Guan Luoyang said, "Jukuzhou should also have unified rules. If we let them continue to be so undisciplined, sooner or later there will be small mishaps that turn into big disasters, until the country is in turmoil and the problems are too deep to be solved."

If it is truly an unavoidable disaster, then all we can do is try our best and have a clear conscience.

However, in cases like Jukuzhou, where things could clearly be done better, the lack of ambition and focus on internal strife among those in power and resources at the top almost led to a major disaster.

They are simply treating the lives of millions of people like a joke.

This kind of behavior involves staying in one place for a long time, enjoying the patronage of fame, and having qualified people selected from the common people to fill the foundation over the years, yet believing that one only needs to take care of oneself and does not need to take care of other responsibilities.

They are not truly living the carefree life of immortals or embodying the righteous path; they are merely short-sighted and biased individuals.

Qin Zhiyue drank a full pot of wine and said, "I should take advantage of this great victory to make this alliance a reality. A hundred years ago, we had many obstacles, but today, all those seriously injured seniors are dead. I suppose Lord Yuan will no longer stop me."

Yuan Gong chuckled and said, "The way of the sages changes with the times, and I am not some old stubborn man who does not know how to reflect. However, what rules should be set at the alliance meeting? If we just force those sects to obey our orders in the future, I'm afraid it will not be of any benefit to Jukuzhou, but will only sow the seeds of disaster."

Without hesitation, Qin Zhiyue said, "Why not just modify the rules of my Giant Spirit Cave and put them up there? If we manage all the sects as one, there will surely be a different atmosphere."

Master Yuan shook his head: "The rules of a sect may seem reasonable, even enlightened and lenient, but they are actually based on the premise of a master-disciple relationship, the grace of passing on the knowledge, the affection of resolving doubts, and the moral education of living together day and night to seek the immortal path. Only then do these rules seem normal."

"Take the most common example: when a master rewards or punishes a disciple based on their diligence, laziness, and achievements, it's always for the disciple's own good. A reasonable person will naturally know right from wrong. But if one faction punishes another, without detailed rules to follow, wouldn't it cause them to speculate, feeling that their entire faction or region is being discriminated against or suppressed, thus inciting resentment and creating enmity between the two factions?"

"To require all sects to abide by the same rules would probably seem rather unreasonable."

Qin Zhiyue blinked and said, "I've heard that in the Southern Continent, the human race has a concept of a supreme ruler. They must be more knowledgeable about this. The ancestors of the Twelve Palaces of Chongming drifted over from there. Why don't we try to go there and learn from them?"

"I spent some time with them, and they're all roughnecks now; how would they know about all those rules?"

Yuan Gongdao said, "If we were to send someone to learn, even a terrestrial immortal would have to fly for several months to reach the Southern Continent. The round trip would be fraught with unforeseen dangers, so it's not an easy task."

Guan Luoyang clapped his hands with a smile, drawing their attention, and said, "I do have some experience in this area. Why don't I tell you about it first, and then you can consider the local situation, select some rules, and put them together into regulations, and then slowly refine them later."

Yuan Gong and Qin Zhiyue were both pleasantly surprised and quickly asked him to come over.

The following day, they summoned the leaders, elders, and true disciples of various sects, and also invited the envoy from Jade Pool City to witness this alliance meeting.

Guan Luoyang originally thought that he was just a passerby and would not participate in the future management of this place, and that Qin Zhiyue and the others could handle all the matters.

However, Qin Zhiyue and Yuan Gong insisted on having him join them in giving the speech.

After several busy days, the Jukuzhou Alliance finally finalized its basic structure.

Soon after, the three of them joined forces to summon the Heavenly Immortal Corpse, broke into the rift valley, and finally saw the two volumes of the Heavenly Book.

(End of this chapter)