Chapter 514 - 434: Plant a Seedling Today, Reap a Forest Tomorrow

Chapter 514: Chapter 434: Plant a Seedling Today, Reap a Forest Tomorrow

But for some unknown reason, his whereabouts had been discovered by the Celestial Demon Palace of the Red Flame Demon Country.

He was even ambushed by a mysterious expert.

Although he repelled the mysterious expert, the symptoms of his ’one body, two souls’ condition flared up prematurely.

During the day, he was still Emperor Wushuang, a transcendent immortal in white robes.

But at night, his personality would shift drastically, turning him into something akin to the Dark Emperor.

Under these circumstances, he lost all balance and was forced to undergo a fiery rebirth.

The one thing he couldn’t let go of was the Red-Brown Horse.

The Red-Brown Horse was a gift from his childhood sweetheart in the Immortal Realm, a warhorse meant for him, and it was incredibly important to him.

Only with the Red-Brown Horse’s return could he peacefully suppress his condition.

The Red-Brown Horse was currently in a palace in the southern part of the Vermilion Bird Ruins, undergoing a bloodline refinement.

Once the Red-Brown Horse finished its bloodline refinement, or if the prodigies of the Demon Race managed to breach the palace, the protective Array would dissipate.

At that point, the Red-Brown Horse could perish, which would not only devastate him but also affect his fiery rebirth.

Therefore, Emperor Wushuang hoped Fang Yang would intervene and bring the Red-Brown Horse back safely...

"Huh?" Yu Zither Immortal blinked her alluring eyes, somewhat taken aback.

Yu Zither Immortal had thought she and Fang Yang were here to rescue the Ten Thousand Flames Saint Venerable directly.

But as it turned out, they were supposed to rescue a horse?!

’So, the Young Venerable isn’t some cold and heartless person after all. But if it were Fang Yang...’ Thinking this, Yu Zither Immortal stole a glance at him.

She wondered what it would take to shake Fang Yang’s Dao heart.

In that instant, the image of Sen Hui surfaced in the lake of her heart.

’Probably only Sen Hui’s existence could affect Fang Yang even a little.’

......

Within the Saint Palace, fiery feathers drifted through the air.

Countless shackles bound Emperor Wushuang, yet his distinguished air was undiminished.

He said, "Although the Red-Brown Horse was born an ordinary foal, it has since gained sentience. This is a token. Once it sees this, it will trust you."

The moment he finished speaking, the void trembled and a speck of crimson light emerged.

[Vermilion Bird Feather]

The Vermilion Bird Feather looked like a palm-sized Vermilion Bird. Its form was valiant and its posture extraordinary, so lifelike it seemed as if the Vermilion Bird had been reborn.

But Fang Yang could see clearly that it was, in the end, just a single Vermilion Bird Feather.

It was a Tier Six Sacred Material that held a trace of the Vermilion Bird’s power, an incredibly rare treasure for any Fire Dao Practitioner.

As far as Fang Yang knew, the feathers of five divine fowls could be used to craft the Five Beasts Fan.

In primordial times, a few great weapons shook all of history, including the Qiankun Bag and the Heaven-Transforming Bowl. Such items were practically heaven-defying.

The Five Beasts Fan was one of them. Once successfully forged, its might was rarely seen in the world.

A single, gentle wave could turn stars to ash and evaporate the countless beings of an entire Star Realm. Its power was simply unimaginable.

However, forging the Five Beasts Fan was incredibly difficult. The most critical requirement was for the feathers—they had to be the ’One True Feather’ of each fowl!

The One True Feather embodied the Dao and the magic of the divine fowl, equivalent to a Cultivator’s Dharma Aspect.

"Golden Crow, I’m counting on you." Emperor Wushuang smiled gently, his tone warm as the Vermilion Bird Feather pulsed with divine light.

At that very moment, the ’Seek Fortune, Avoid Misfortune’ orb of light in Fang Yang’s mind flickered and produced a line of text:

"The board is set, turning from shadow to substance. Plant a seedling today, reap a forest tomorrow. It is a time for good deeds and charity; avoid being miserly."

Immediately after, five paths of fortune appeared:

[Supreme Fortune: Accept the commission. Wait for the Red-Brown Horse to complete its transformation before bringing it back, and also gift it the Fire Qilin Treasure Skill. Reward: Two Tier Eight opportunities, with potential for more in the future. However, the karmic entanglement will deepen. Greatly auspicious!]

[Good Fortune: Accept the commission. Wait for the Red-Brown Horse to complete its transformation before bringing it back, and do nothing more. Reward: One Tier Seven opportunity. Auspicious.]

[Neutral Fortune: Accept the commission. Bring the Red-Brown Horse back before it completes its transformation. Reward: One Tier Six opportunity. Neutral.]

[Poor Fortune: Accept the commission, but fail to bring the Red-Brown Horse back. Tragedy will strike, disaster looms. Inauspicious.]

[Dire Fortune: Refuse the commission. The situation will turn perilous. Crises will surge like a tide, each wave higher than the last. You will be trapped in a hopeless situation with a one-in-ten chance of survival. Greatly inauspicious.]

At this moment, Fang Yang’s gaze hardened.

’Plant a seedling today, reap a forest tomorrow. It is a time for good deeds and charity; avoid being miserly.’

Without a doubt, he had to accept this commission from Emperor Wushuang.

What’s more, he had to execute it as perfectly as possible. The more perfect, the better.

Although his expectations for the commission had been off, the situation was still within his control.

’Supreme Fortune... and also gift the Fire Qilin Treasure Skill to get two Tier Eight opportunities...’

At this moment, Fang Yang recalled what he had gained in the Celestial Fire Palace, and a profound feeling washed over him.

Everything was so perfectly orchestrated, it was as if a pair of invisible hands were manipulating it all.

For some reason, he recalled the "Venerable Emperor’s Proverb" that the Vast Sea Venerable Emperor had foretold.

In the next instant, he mentally shook his head, suppressing the urge to activate his Dream Emperor Dharma Aspect.

’The better I complete this commission, the greater the reward.’

’But if I refuse, I’ll get the Dire Fortune—a one-in-ten chance of survival.’

’But how could Emperor Wushuang, in his current state, possibly create a situation with a one-in-ten chance of survival for me? Unless... our tracks have been exposed?!’

In that instant, a hundred thoughts raced through Fang Yang’s mind.

A moment later, he nodded and accepted the Vermilion Bird Feather.

Soon after, he and Yu Zither Immortal departed from the Saint Palace, their figures vanishing into thin air.

...

"Fang Yang, are we just going to charge straight in?" A hint of uncertainty appeared on Yu Zither Immortal’s fair, pretty face.

Back in the Saint Palace, she had clearly sensed that Emperor Wushuang had eyes only for Fang Yang. He had completely ignored her, treating her as if she were nothing.

The experience was a sobering one, making her realize the vast gulf between herself and the Young Venerable.

"What’s wrong? Feeling down already?"

Fang Yang glanced to the side, took her hand, and said reassuringly, "This matter isn’t as simple as you think, but it’s not as complicated as you fear, either."

"Is that so? Hmph, I’m not feeling down at all." Yu Zither Immortal felt the warmth of his palm, huffed, and tried to pull her hand away, but Fang Yang held it fast.

In an instant, her cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked away.

As the old saying goes, sincerity gets you nowhere, but a good play always wins the heart.

Fang Yang would never miss such a prime opportunity to win someone over.

At this very moment, Fang Yang was silently activating his Wisdom Dao Magic, his thoughts racing as he continued to ponder the situation.

The truth was, he didn’t completely trust Emperor Wushuang.

He knew that Emperor Wushuang was indeed trapped in a confused state of one body and two souls.

But was the Emperor Wushuang he had just met truly the completely lucid "light" persona he claimed to be?

He had his doubts about that.

Or perhaps it was more accurate to say, he had only ever trusted himself.

He was prepared to turn on anyone, at any time, in any place.

...

Like a gentle breeze, yet also like a flash of lightning.

In the blink of an eye, Fang Yang and Yu Zither Immortal’s figures vanished into the void, their movements impossible to trace.

The southern part of the Vermilion Bird Ruins was dotted with numerous volcanoes.

But at this moment, volcanoes were erupting in unison. The sky was bleak, the earth was cracking open, and endless rivers of magma flowed across the land.

Hidden within these volcanoes, large and small, were various wondrous realms and palaces.

Using the Vermilion Bird Feather for guidance, Fang Yang led Yu Zither Immortal swiftly forward.

Soon, they saw groups of Demon Race prodigies searching among the volcanoes.

Clearly, these Demon Race prodigies intended to find the Red-Brown Horse and use it to blackmail Emperor Wushuang.

It was worth noting that among these Demon Race prodigies, there was only a single young Great Saint, who resembled a golden demonic ape.

They were currently in discussion, talking about how the Pumo Tree, the Crocodile Jiao, and the others hadn’t been responding.

"What the hell are the Pumo Tree and the Crocodile Jiao up to? They kept pushing us to find the Red-Brown Horse, but now they’re not even replying to our messages?"

"Could the Golden Clan have shown up? Those barbarians from the Profound Realm are no slouches."

"Even so, there’s no way that would leave the Pumo Tree without even a moment to send a reply!"

"Exactly! Besides, this whole operation is a world-shaking assassination plot orchestrated by the Celestial Demon Palace specifically to target Emperor Wushuang. There’s no way it could go wrong!!"

"..."

The sounds of their discussion grew, becoming even louder than the roar of the erupting magma.

As their words drifted up to the sky, Yu Zither Immortal couldn’t help but glance at Fang Yang, her eyes filled with delight.

’This is my Dao partner,’ she thought, ’an existence whose deeds will echo throughout history!’ℯℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮