Chapter 110: Who Is That Person’s Master?

With Cao Xiangyuan’s essence perfected and the Lead Flower obtained, Gold Horn bid farewell to Cao Kong. Before leaving, Cao Kong gifted Gold Horn a generous amount of spirit wine as a token of his sincerity.

"Gold Horn, give me a sip, won't you? The one in your hand smells so fragrant," Zhu Gang said with a chuckle.

Gold Horn ignored him, drinking even more frequently, which made Zhu Gang’s mouth water.

"Fine, keep it then. How stingy you are! I don't even care; there’s plenty of spirit wine in the Heavenly Palace. I’ll drink my fill once I go back," Zhu Gang muttered sheepishly. "By the way, who is that man’s master, to dare give him the Taoist name 'Dongzhen'?"

Gold Horn smiled upon hearing this. "If you really want to know, I’m afraid your legs would tremble if I told you."

Zhu Gang’s heart skipped a beat, but he kept a smile on his face. "What a joke. What do I have to be afraid of? I walk straight and sit upright. Stop keeping secrets."

"It’s nothing much, he’s just a gatekeeper."

Zhu Gang felt relieved and laughed. "Oh? You, Gold Horn, you really were trying to scare me. Which gate does his master guard? I’ll go meet him some other day."

"Sure. He stays on the east side of the Heavenly Court, usually guarding the East Heaven Gate."

"The East Heaven Gate?" Zhu Gang repeated. His body suddenly stiffened, and he forced a smile. "You don't mean... the Great Emperor of the East Pole, Qinghua?"

Gold Horn’s face beamed. "Exactly, the Great Compassionate and Great Vow-making, Great Holy and Great Merciful Taiyi Savior of Suffering."

In an instant, Zhu Gang felt his scalp tingle. His smile froze, his whole body trembled, and his legs turned to jelly, nearly causing him to fall from the cloud. What had he said earlier? Oh, he had apparently said that the Great Emperor of the East Pole had lost his mind and gone senile! Thinking of this, Zhu Gang nearly rolled his eyes back and fainted.

Gold Horn burst into laughter. "Hmm? Why did you stop laughing? Do you not like to laugh?"

...

After returning to heaven, Zhu Gang went to his Marshal’s mansion, filled with anxiety. As for Gold Horn, he rode his cloud to the front of the Tushita Palace. He hesitated at the entrance for a long time before muttering, "The Old Master is broad-minded; he surely won't mind."

Gathering his courage, he wore a smile and walked into the palace. "Old Master, I’ve returned to tend the furnace for you!"

He then saw his master sitting opposite a guest. Gold Horn paused, thinking, *A guest in the palace?* He cast a side glance at the visitor: wearing a crown with hanging beads and draped in colorful celestial robes—this was... the Taiyi Savior of Suffering!

Gold Horn felt a jolt run through him, his heart filled with trepidation, and the smile on his face vanished involuntarily.

At that moment, the Taiyi Savior of Suffering looked at Gold Horn with a smile and said gently, "Hmm? Why did you stop laughing? Do you not like to laugh?"

Gold Horn’s lips trembled, and he nearly burst into tears.

Taishang Laojun also laughed heartily, finding the scene amusing. "Child, didn't you say you were going to tend the furnace? Why haven't you gone yet?"

Gold Horn felt a sudden sense of relief and scrambled to the alchemy furnace, grabbing the banana fan and starting to fan the flames, thinking for the first time that tending the furnace was a truly wonderful task.

A while later, as Laojun walked the Taiyi Savior of Suffering out, the Savior passed by the alchemy room and glanced inside. "Hmm, not bad. He’s a good piece of material for tending a furnace."

Gold Horn’s eyes filled with tears; surely he wasn't going to be burned himself, was he? He only let out a long sigh of relief after the laughter of the Old Master and the Savior faded into the distance.

Not long after, Silver Horn arrived and handed Gold Horn a jade pot.

"What is this for?"

Silver Horn replied with a hint of envy, "The Taiyi Savior of Suffering instructed me to give this to you. It is the Nectar of the Purple Mansion, infinitely marvelous. Many immortals and deities seek it in vain."

Gold Horn stood there, dazed.

...

After Gold Horn left, Cao Xiangyuan felt a bit down for a while, missing his friend. But parting is a common part of life, especially since it wasn't a permanent separation between the living and the dead. Thus, he soon moved on, immersing himself in alchemy and cultivation, hoping to become a true disciple of the Star of Longevity soon so he could reunite with his friend in heaven.

Seeing this, Cao Kong couldn't help but marvel.

Ten days passed in a flash, and it was time for Cao Kong to visit the Qinghua Changle Realm. Upon entering the realm, he found the Nine-Spirit Yuansheng waiting there with a beaming face.

"You have great fortune! Do you know what the Old Master has promised you this time?"

Cao Kong shook his head honestly. "Seeing your expression, Brother, I know it must be something wonderful, but I cannot guess what it is."

The Nine-Spirit Yuansheng did not keep him in suspense. "The Old Master has agreed to forge a treasure for you in the future. You only need to provide the spirit materials yourself."

Cao Kong’s eyes lit up. Most of the top-tier magical weapons in the *Journey to the West* were forged by the Old Master, proving his peerless skill. To have the Old Master forge something for him would surely result in a treasure among treasures.

Immediately, however, Cao Kong felt troubled. He had no rare materials on hand, and it would be a waste of such an opportunity to forge something mediocre. As for begging his master for materials, Cao Kong couldn't bring himself to do it; he knew that even the Old Master’s promise to forge for him was likely out of respect for his own master.

Reading his thoughts, the Nine-Spirit Yuansheng said, "No need to rush. It is rare for the Old Master to forge treasures. You already have the Five Elements Essence Sword to protect you, which is enough for now. You can search for materials over time."

Cao Kong bowed. "Thank you for the reminder, Brother. I will keep it in mind."

The Nine-Spirit Yuansheng suddenly asked, "How is your cultivation progressing?"

Cao Kong shared his various confusions, and the Nine-Spirit Yuansheng answered them one by one. Cao Kong then admitted that while his progress was not slow, he felt as if he were being held back, feeling like a mayfly in the vast universe—the world was too large, and there was too much to learn.

The Nine-Spirit Yuansheng laughed. "As they say, a thousand debates are not worth a single trial. Junior Brother, show me all that you have learned."

Cao Kong felt as if he were empowered to unleash all his techniques within the Changle Realm. He didn't hesitate; he summoned the Five Elements Swords and, performing the celestial steps, displayed everything he had mastered before the Nine-Spirit Yuansheng.

"Junior Brother, attack me!" the Nine-Spirit Yuansheng shouted. His voice was sonorous and vast, clearing Cao Kong’s mind, and he poured all his strength into the assault.

The Twenty-Eight Mansions, the Five Elements and Five Luminaries, the Eight Winds of Breath, the Great Escapes of the Five Elements, and the Transformations of Heaven and Earth. This display was terrifying. Looking back at the demons Cao Kong had encountered on his journey—the likes of the Bat Demon or the Black Evil King—they would have been reduced to dust and sent to the King of Hell in a single encounter if faced with such power.

Yet, the Nine-Spirit Yuansheng stood his ground, neutralizing every one of Cao Kong’s attacks without moving an inch.

*Clang!*

A crisp sound echoed as the Nine-Spirit Yuansheng flicked his finger, sending Cao Kong’s sword flying. Cao Kong stumbled back, feeling a strange force course through his body, vibrating his internal energy without causing any injury.

He bowed and said, "Brother’s power is boundless; I admit defeat."

Recalling the scene, the Nine-Spirit Yuansheng mused, "I know the reason now."

Cao Kong looked on with anticipation.

He heard the words: "The beginning of the cycle, the renewal of all things."

"Junior Brother, contemplate these words well. A thousand words are not worth a single moment of personal realization."

Cao Kong was stunned, a spark of insight flashing, yet it remained just out of reach.