Chapter 384 - 375: The Grand Trend Forms, Prominence Revealed

Chen Chenye had fallen?!

When this intelligence reached the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life and the Purple Cloud Villa, it immediately caused a stir.

Who was Chen Chenye?

Like Jiuzhe, he was a prized disciple of the Purple Sky Manor Master and a young Great Saint of the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life.

And unlike Jiuzhe's gentle nature...

...Chen Chenye, with his sharp and uncompromising stance, was a dominant figure within the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life's native faction—the leader of the radicals!

To some extent, he was also the figure used as a benchmark against Su Dao.

Many Saints had high hopes for him.

But in the end, he had still fallen.

Counting carefully, it had only been a month since he'd rushed from the Daoist Mansion of Eternal Life to the Burying Moon Mountain Dream World cluster battlefield.

Hadn't he perished a bit too quickly?

...

Purple Cloud Villa.

Bamboo Sea Study.

All day today, Sang Xiaowan was beaming, utterly delighted.

Even when she recited her lessons incorrectly and was strictly punished by her mother, Fu Sheng Fairy, she remained as cheerful as could be.

'So satisfying. Incredibly satisfying.'

'That guy she detested most was finally gone.'

'From now on, she would never have to see him again.'

'Hahaha, hahahaha!'

At this thought, Sang Xiaowan's eyes curved into crescents, and she couldn't suppress her laughter.

A moment later, she turned to Fu Sheng Fairy and said, "Mother, stop pretending. I don't believe for a second you aren't happy."

"What nonsense are you spouting? For the next few days, you will stay obediently in the dojo. You are forbidden from going out." Fu Sheng Fairy's expression immediately turned stern, her demeanor growing serious.

She was, in fact, overjoyed.

But some things were best kept as private joys.

To show it openly would only disrupt their greater unity and invite trouble.

"Oh." Sang Xiaowan huffed lightly, her gaze shifting to the view outside the study.

Outside the study, two people stood apart.

One was the tall figure of Jiuzhe.

The other, clad in the robes of a Heavenly Master, was the Purple Sky Manor Master.

At that moment, the Purple Sky Manor Master stood with his hands behind his back, looking up at the sky. "The wind is picking up."

Hearing this, Jiuzhe said thoughtfully, "The white clouds still drift leisurely. That is enough."

In truth, this master and disciple had long been wary of Chen Chenye.

It was just that Chen Chenye's fall had come even faster than they had anticipated.

According to their original plan, they were supposed to wait another two years for Jiuzhe to act in secret and cleanse the filth from their house!

Still, the current outcome wasn't bad either.

Chen Chenye had earned the noble reputation of taking Zhang Haisheng down with him, which, conversely, left them at ease.

...

The night deepened.

Jiuzhe took his leave of his master and returned to his own water-path Blessed Land.

At this moment, he stood in his Blessed Palace.

Blessed Lands and Grotto Heavens are both miniature worlds, Immortal Acupoints housed within a Saint's body.

These Immortal Acupoint miniature worlds, in turn, evolve from the empty apertures of Mortal Practitioners.

The difference between a Saint and a mortal is as vast as that between heaven and earth.

A large part of this distinction lies in the gap between an Immortal Acupoint and an empty aperture.

After all, a Saint carries a miniature world with them at all times. How could a Mortal Practitioner possibly fight against such a godlike figure?

"Flowing water does not strive to be first; it strives to be unending."

On the high wall of the core palace, a horizontal banner with these words glowed brightly.

Beneath the banner were portraits of various young prodigies, divided into three sections.

The first section contained the Great Sun Dragon Lady, Sen Yue, and the most recent addition... Fang Yang!

As for Su Dao, who was seen by the public as his fated rival, he was merely at the top of the second section.

Jiuzhe let out a slow breath.

He watched for a moment, then beckoned lightly with his hand.

The next moment, the portrait of Chen Chenye floated out from the second section.

Then, a faint smile on his face, he quietly watched the portrait burn to ash and scatter in the wind.

'The path of the Dao has many forks.'

'From now on, there is one less person worthy of my notice.'

...

The Burying Moon Mountain Dream World cluster.

Here, the flames of war still burned fiercely.

However, after numerous fierce confrontations failed to produce a decisive outcome, the momentum seemed to have waned somewhat.

But in reality, many sides were still plotting.

Venerable-led powers like the Great Xuan Dynasty and the Red Flame Demon Country, for instance, were looking for the perfect opportunity.

They planned to attack the First, Second, and Fourth Route Armies simultaneously. This would leave Fang Yang and his Third Route Army overextended, unsure of whom to help.

Therefore, while the surface appeared calm, a tempest was already brewing in the depths.

Fang Yang, Su Xi, and Silver Phoenix were all aware of this brewing storm.

However, because Fang Yang had established the position of vice-commander, he was free from many miscellaneous duties, whereas Silver Phoenix had to handle everything personally.

...

Silver Phoenix's face was filled with admiration. "One step ahead, always ahead. Fang Yang's decisiveness is incredible. This is what it means to be a Primordial Ancestor of a lineage."

Ultimately, the fact that Fang Yang had secured a base of operations in advance was just too crucial.

And because of that, he had the spare capacity to cultivate Su Xi's talent.

For this, Silver Phoenix was both envious and admiring of Fang Yang, silently reflecting on the terrifying nature of a lineage's Primordial Ancestor.

Layman Yue's eyes lit up as he nodded. "That's right. After all, his decision back then to travel far to the 'Great Wasteland' was simply too brilliant."

"And that choice brought him enormous prestige, allowing him to quickly consolidate power."

"While we were still sorting out our duties and positions, he was already appropriately deploying talents like Su Xi to fortify his base..."

Hearing this, Silver Phoenix winced internally.

It was fine when she didn't make comparisons, but next to him, she felt rather "useless."

She took a deep breath. "I need to step up my game, too. It would be too humiliating to be forced off the battlefield."

...

The sky was high and the air was crisp.

By now, Fang Yang and Su Xi had already led their corps back to the Third Route Army's encampment.

Just as before, all was stable.

Su Xi could once again exercise her duties as vice-commander, sharing Fang Yang's responsibilities.

Under these circumstances, Fang Yang was able to steal a moment of leisure amidst his busy schedule.

Third Route Army, Commander's Tent.

Fang Yang sat cross-legged on a meditation mat, head bowed as he looked over the documents on the low table before him.

A sharp glint flashed in his eyes as he thought, 'Should I take this chance to go to the Great Sage Dream Realm, the one resembling a Golden Giant Cauldron?'

'Just half a month ago, I aged another year.'

'I'm no longer twenty-eight, but twenty-nine.'

'And there are less than nine months left of my one-year pact.'

'Time is incredibly tight.'

'According to my calculations, once the Dream Emperor's phantom devours the Great Sage Dream Realm, I will certainly be able to transform into the Kunpeng Saint Body.'

'But I have to consider whether this trip will go smoothly.'

'After all, a Great Sage Dream Realm is different from a Saint's dream realm.'

As he weighed his options, the scales in his heart gradually tipped, and he felt a stir of excitement.

The next moment, the 'Seek Fortune, Avoid Calamity' ball of light in his mind flickered, forming words:

[The tide is turning; your prominence revealed. A time for bold advancement, not for hiding your light.]

[Upper-Mid Lot: Travel to the Great Sage Dream Realm resembling a Golden Giant Cauldron. Act with caution and exit with a low profile. There will be danger but no harm. You can obtain a strand of Tier Six opportunity, with no lingering troubles. Auspicious.]

[Mid-Mid Lot: Dither and hesitate, remaining in place. Nothing gained, nothing lost. Neutral.]

Seeing the fortunes appear, delight filled his eyes.

There were only two fortunes this time, so he quickly made his choice.

'Calm on the surface, but with turbulent undercurrents.'

'As the Kunpeng Ancestor, no matter how much I hide my light, I'm destined to be the center of attention.'

'Neither enemy nor ally can afford to ignore me!'

At this thought, a smile touched his lips.

Then, he rose to his full height.

The tent's grand formation activated, and a seclusion placard materialized.

The next moment, a wisp of clear wind appeared once more, drifting into the distance.