Chapter Eighty-Six: Farewell to Chen Yulou

Early the next morning.

At the entrance to Li Yang’s small courtyard, a row of burly men stood not far away, driving horse-drawn carts loaded with goods.

Bang, bang, bang...

At the front stood Zhou Xiong, impeccably dressed in a Zhongshan suit. He straightened his clothes, then knocked on the courtyard gate.

“Come in!”

After a while, just as Zhou Xiong’s face was growing anxious and beads of sweat had appeared on his forehead, Li Yang’s voice finally sounded from within.

“Great Immortal! The things you requested have been prepared overnight and are ready for you.”

Entering the courtyard, Zhou Xiong glanced curiously at Li Yang, who was sitting cross-legged atop a toad the size of a water buffalo. After a few moments, feeling Li Yang’s gaze, Zhou Xiong gratefully lowered his head.

“Very good. I appreciate your efficiency,” Li Yang said, leaping down from the golden toad’s head. He walked out to inspect the carts at the gate, nodded in satisfaction after a brief check, and turned to Zhou Xiong.

“I don’t dare accept your praise, Great Immortal. To serve you is my greatest honor—I wouldn’t dare be less than diligent!”

Zhou Xiong watched in awe as the toad beside Li Yang opened its mouth and swallowed all the cargo from the carts in a single gulp. He shuddered, but forced a smile onto his face.

“Adaptability is a virtue. Here, this is half a year’s supply of antidote—take it. As long as you work for me, there will be plenty of benefits for you as well.”

Looking at the subservient Zhou Xiong before him—so different from the arrogant, domineering man of the day before—a glint of satisfaction flickered in Li Yang’s eyes. He admired people who could see the reality of their situation, adapt quickly, and execute tasks efficiently. It was clear Zhou Xiong’s success in Kun City was no accident.

“Thank you, Great Immortal!” Zhou Xiong exclaimed, overjoyed as he accepted the porcelain vial Li Yang handed him.

“By the way, inquire around for me—where, near Kun City, might there be news of a Floating Mountain?”

In recent days, Li Yang had been moving around the city, collecting medicinal herbs and trying to discover the specific location of the King’s Tomb, but to no avail.

“Floating Mountain!”

At the mention of the name, Zhou Xiong’s expression changed. He hesitated, staring at Li Yang for some time before finally gritting his teeth and speaking.

“I won’t hide it from you, Great Immortal. Floating Mountain is remote and known to very few. I once heard it rumored to conceal a celestial palace. Last year, I even led my brothers there for an expedition.”

A trace of terror flashed through Zhou Xiong’s eyes as he recalled the memory.

“But...that place is exceedingly strange. All sorts of bizarre creatures dwell there—man-eating fish, lizards seven or eight meters long. We barely made it far before all fifty of my men perished. I only escaped by sheer luck.”

“Oh? Come here and show me—where on the map is Floating Mountain located?”

Li Yang pulled out a map of Yunnan he had prepared in advance and handed it to Zhou Xiong, his tone solemn.

“Great Immortal, it’s right here—a Hui autonomous region. Floating Mountain lies within.”

After studying the map for a long while, Zhou Xiong finally pointed to a spot.

“Excellent! You’ve provided me with some unexpected gains today. Here, this is for you as a reward. Remember, continue to collect the items on the list I gave you yesterday, but there’s no need to deliver them for now. If I need them, I’ll come myself.”

Putting away the map, Li Yang took a small booklet from his breast and tossed it to Zhou Xiong, waving him and his men off.

“Boss, do we really have to do as he says?”

Not far from the courtyard, the tattooed brute named Ah Hu sidled up to Zhou Xiong, muttering quietly.

“Remember this—if you want to live long in this world, it’s not about how capable you are, but about keeping your eyes open. Know who you can provoke, and who you can’t. I, Zhou Xiong, have survived this long not because of my skills, but because I see things clearly. That’s all I’ll say. Since you’re one of my trusted men, I’ll pretend I didn’t hear that. But don’t say such things again in the future.”

Patting the boxing manual Li Yang had given him, Zhou Xiong glanced at Ah Hu with a meaningful look.

…

Indeed, with a local figure like Zhou Xiong assisting him, Li Yang found he could save himself more than half the effort. No wonder the great sects all liked to employ mundane forces for their errands—it was truly swift and convenient.

Counting the various medicinal herbs and resources Zhou Xiong had delivered into the dimensional space, Li Yang nodded in satisfaction.

“Gua...clang!!”

With a thought, the golden toad spat out a bronze cauldron over a meter tall and two meters wide. Li Yang stoked the fire beneath it and began tossing in various herbs from his dimensional space.

The first thing he needed to do now was to digest the accumulated divine energy of the exotic beast within his body. This special body-tempering elixir, formulated by Master Zixiao himself, was an indispensable resource for cultivation.

According to Master Zixiao, Li Yang’s essence, energy, and spirit were now severely imbalanced—so much so that his very personality was being affected. If he was not careful, he risked falling into madness. Only by swiftly refining the power of the Six-winged Golden Centipede and replenishing his spirit could he restore balance.

Only then could he fully absorb the centipede’s power and advance in his path.

Gurgle, gurgle...

After half an hour, when the medicinal liquid in the cauldron was boiling, Li Yang shed his clothes and leapt inside.

Assuming the secret postures of his body-refining school, he began practicing each movement carefully. As his breath and movements synchronized, his golden bones vibrated with a strange resonance, and his muscles rippled madly. Golden motes of light seeped from his bones, and the flesh and viscera throughout his body greedily absorbed this mysterious energy.

He lost track of time, drifting into a peculiar state of chaos. Every cell in his body began to tremble violently, emitting a mysterious wave. The golden substance within the cells slowly melted, divided, and gave birth to brand new cells.

As the cells divided, the image of the coiling golden centipede in his consciousness began to dissolve, splitting into countless fine, invisible threads of energy, each seeping into his body’s cells.

After some indeterminate period, a surge of heat rose from his dantian, like a volcano erupting, blasting open all his meridians. With the increased flow of blood and energy, the heat in his core condensed more and more until it formed a tiny golden droplet, no larger than a sesame seed.

Thud, thud, thud...hummm...

At the instant this heat arose in his dantian, Li Yang’s heartbeat suddenly quickened, pounding like muffled drums. His bones trembled violently, the sound echoing throughout the courtyard.

Exhaling a long breath of greyish-white turbid air, Li Yang opened his eyes. Feeling the heat in his dantian, a flash of excitement passed through his eyes.

“Magic power! This—”

Crack, crack...

He jumped out of the cauldron, shaking himself. His skin rippled like waves, flinging off water droplets. It was as if every cell in his body was brimming with vitality, and his bones crackled like firecrackers.

“Very good. At your current rate, you’ve at least stepped through the threshold of body refinement!”

Noticing the changes in Li Yang, Master Zixiao’s voice echoed in his mind.

“Master, what’s happening to me?”

Li Yang clenched his fist, the air exploding in his grip. He felt an unprecedented clarity and ease throughout his body. With a thought, boundless divine power surged from his cells, subject to his will. His face showed a trace of astonishment.

“This is the proper path—fusing the beast’s divine soul into your body. Only then can he command your powers, and you, in turn, can truly wield his strength. Now you’ve cultivated magic power, and the hidden dangers in your body have been temporarily alleviated. As you continue cultivating, your essence, energy, and spirit will eventually find their own balance.”

“The path of the Human Immortal ultimately leads to dispersing the soul throughout the body and forming the true Human Immortal Aspect. You are using the beast’s divine soul as a substitute for your own—each time you refine one, you gain a new aspect, and as your soul merges with your blood and energy to produce magic power, you cultivate both the body and the law. This will grant you immense power, far beyond your peers!”

“To be honest, the method you’re cultivating may be unremarkable in its content, but the concept itself is truly brilliant—even I must admit my admiration!”

Master Zixiao regarded Li Yang with great satisfaction, as though he were a masterwork of art.

“Master, am I now qualified to cultivate the Primordial Thunder Sutra?”

Feeling the divine power surging within him, Li Yang spoke with renewed confidence.

“Hmph! You’re still far from that. When you’ve truly undergone a total transformation and attained the aspect of a Buddha or Sage, then you’ll be qualified to cultivate such divine powers. For now, focus on fully refining the Six-winged Golden Centipede within you.”

As if reading Li Yang’s thoughts, Master Zixiao snorted coldly, dealing a blow to his enthusiasm.

...

That afternoon, as Li Yang was meditating in the courtyard, familiarizing himself with his newfound magic power, he suddenly sensed something and opened his eyes.

Bang, bang, bang...

Sure enough, after a moment, there was a knock at the gate.

The innate spiritual perception of these ancient beasts was truly astonishing!

In the past, Li Yang’s cultivation in the Human Immortal path meant his spiritual sense was weak—he couldn’t sense the outside world at all. But just now, a strange intuition had arisen in his heart.

He immediately realized that this was the sign of the Six-winged Golden Centipede’s soul merging with his body. This special perception was like a sixth sense—any living thing approaching would be sensed immediately, and it was even more profound than human intuition.

“Brother Li! It’s been years, but you’ve grown ever more heroic and impressive!”

“Brother Li, you have no idea how much Old Luo has missed you!”

Looking at Chen Yulou, Old Luo, the Crooked, and Partridge Whistle at the gate, Li Yang’s face broke into a smile he hadn’t shown in a long time.

“How have my brothers been lately?”

Supporting the charging Old Luo, Li Yang greeted them all warmly.

“Daoist Li, you’re not being fair. We three have been waiting for you for years now!”

“Daoist Partridge, it’s been years, but you look so much fuller now. Seems life’s been treating you well.”

Li Yang eyed Partridge Whistle up and down; his formerly gaunt cheeks were now plump and rosy, his face radiant with health and laughter. The haggard look from years ago had entirely vanished—he looked as though he was enjoying life so much he’d forgotten all his troubles.