Chapter 172: Chapter 170: Kunpeng Intervenes to Resolve the Crisis Chapter 172: Chapter 170: Kunpeng Intervenes to Resolve the Crisis In the ancient war between the Witch and Demon Tribes, both were extremely prosperous.

The Demon Tribe was powerful because they had two Saints, one Heavenly Emperor, and one Eastern Emperor, while the Witch Clan had the Twelve Ancestral Witches. At that time, Pangu’s Essence Blood had just begun to transform, so there was no shortage of those from the Witch Clan. Both sides argued over the matter of Reincarnation and eventually came to blows, with various Saints starting to scheme, resulting in heavy losses for both Witch and Demon Tribes.

Kunpeng had exerted great effort in the war between the Witch and Demon Tribes; War Gods Xing Tian and Chi You were both torn apart barehanded by him.

The Master of Ten Thousand Demons!

This title, although immensely imposing, was still far inferior to that of a Saint, which was a cause for his concern.

Kunpeng retracted his true form, which was simply too immense, covering tens of thousands of miles, and his voice thundered when he spoke.

He then transformed into the appearance of an old man, arrived in front of Xuan Ming, and asked, “What business does the Goddess have for me?”

Xuan Ming said, “Nether River has emerged, intent on killing all under the heavens but was thwarted by Wukong. Now, with Wukong seriously wounded, he intends to take this opportunity to bloody cleanse Water Curtain Cave. Water Curtain Cave is now the rising foundation of the Demon Tribe; if it’s destroyed, wouldn’t the Demon Tribe also be ruined? You were once under the Heavenly Emperor, the Master of Ten Thousand Demons. I have come especially to inform you of this matter, to see what you will do!”

Kunpeng sighed, “Master of Ten Thousand Demons is but a title of the past. Now, I only wish to diligently cultivate, to have strength sufficient to protect myself before the calamity of the elemental union arrives.”

Xuan Ming said coldly, “If Di Jun knew of your thoughts, I wonder if he would slap you twice?”

Choked by her words, Kunpeng took a moment before responding, “Everyone must fend for themselves, or heaven and earth will perish them.”

Xuan Ming then said, “You are a demon!”

Kunpeng was so furious he could hardly stand it, but he dared not vent his anger, lest he displease Xuan Ming and have her effortlessly dispose of him with a single slap.

Kunpeng sighed, “Then let’s go! But…”

Xuan Ming glanced at him, her eyes icy cold. She reached into the void, grabbed a clump of Merit, and threw it to Kunpeng, saying, “Take it!”

Kunpeng was overjoyed and took the clump of Merit, swallowing it in two or three gulps. He felt as though he had drunk a bowl of warm soup, his body refreshed. He couldn’t help but let out a long howl, shouting deep into the Bei Ming Sea, “Dapeng, I shall go out for a while, you continue to diligently cultivate in seclusion. If I return and you have not reached the Perfection of Daluo Golden Immortal, I will pluck all your feathers!”

“Goddess, come and ride on my back, and we can leave in an instant!” Kunpeng said.

In fact, Kunpeng was not unwilling to help Wukong. During the major battle between Buddhas and demons on the peak of Mount Putuo, the ancestors of the Demon Tribe had all taken action. Even though he was selfish, how could he act cowardly at such a critical moment? Would the title of Master of Ten Thousand Demons not be sullied by him then? What he would lose was not just his own face, but also Di Jun’s and even the late Eastern Emperor Taiyi’s—he couldn’t afford to lose face to such an extent! He hesitated and begrudgingly agreed to the task because he wanted to bargain for better terms with Xuan Ming, after all, Saints always had some treasures on hand.

Xuan Ming was well aware of Kunpeng’s thoughts. What wasn’t within a Saint’s calculations after divination? But still, when asking for a favor, it wasn’t proper to issue commands without offering something in return.

If not, it wouldn’t just be a loss of face for Kunpeng, but also hers. Being a Saint and asking for someone’s help without offering anything in return would surely lead to people speaking ill behind her back.

Kunpeng reverted to his true form, sprawling over tens of thousands of miles, with the body of a bird and the tail of a fish.

Xuan Ming leaped onto his back, and then Kunpeng called out, “Hold tight!”

With a spread of his wings, he flew towards Southern Ridge Demon Mountain.

As they flew over the Reincarnation Netherworld, Xuan Ming jumped down, not continuing with Kunpeng. After all, these were sensitive times, and Saints should not make appearances lightly.

Kunpeng said, “Goddess, please take care. I will go alone, no need to worry.”

Xuan Ming nodded and said, “Do not be negligent.”

Kunpeng replied, “Rest assured, Goddess, I am mindful.”

Xuan Ming waved her hand, bidding Kunpeng to go on his way, while she herself entered the Reincarnation Netherworld.

Kunpeng, of course, did not dare to neglect Xuan Ming’s command and headed towards Water Curtain Cave. Shortly after, he encountered Nether River and blocked his path!

“Ha-ha, ha-ha! Nether River, you pitiful being, it’s been a long time, have you missed your grand Kunpeng?” Kunpeng laughed heartily.

Nether River was already extremely angry inside, and hearing Kunpeng’s filthy talk fueled his rage. Blood rushed to his head, he picked up his twin swords, stepped onto his lotus platform, and went to battle with Kunpeng.

Kunpeng was not at all afraid of Nether River. He had absorbed a bit of the primordial Qian Kun energies, with Qian transforming into his Dapeng body and Kun into his fish tail. His physical body was comparable to an Innate Magical Treasure, even stronger than that of an Ancestral Witch, although he was not immortal like them. Furthermore, from the Qian Kun energies, many marvelous skills had evolved, immensely powerful.

“Nether River, it’s been many years since we last met, and you have indeed improved quite a bit!” Kunpeng burst out laughing.

Although he appeared to be an old man, he possessed the vigor of youth with his white hair and young face, coupled with a heroic spirit that gave off an exceedingly strange aura.

Nether River was quite angry, thinking to himself, “Old Ancestor, do I really need your commentary on my cultivation level, you wretched bird-man?”

With a flick of his sword technique, the Yuan Tu Sword in his left hand flew out, transforming into a streak of cold light to slay Kunpeng.

Kunpeng let out a light cry, reached into the void with his left hand, and grabbed a black longsword. This sword, having been refined for a long time from the dark waters of Bei Ming, he had been swallowing and exhaling in the dark waters daily to temper this sword, and now at last it was unsheathed for killing!

With a flick of his wrist, Kunpeng spun a sword flower that twined around the cold light, fiercely gnawing and tearing, sending out sparks in all directions.

“Kill!” Nether River uttered softly, shaking the murderous aura, and countless strands of red killing intent swept across the sky, seeking to engulf Kunpeng in a deadly fight.

Kunpeng simply sneered, pinched a spell with his left hand, and exclaimed, “Qian Kun Dual Energies!”

His eyes suddenly emitted a strange light; his left eye produced Qian energy, and his right eye produced Kun energy. The fusion of the two energies was indescribably mysterious, and when these combined, they formed a cyan color. Witnessing the Qian Kun Dual Energies, the murderous auras dared not approach, and any that did were purified on contact.

Nether River slightly furrowed his brow; he had never fought Kunpeng before because back then the Demon Tribe was too dominant. To oppose them would have been suicidal. He had only heard that Kunpeng possessed the Qian Kun Dual Energies from the time of creation, which had transformed into the mermaid’s tail and Peng’s body, granting him an immense gift of creation. Now he realized the formidable power of the Qian Kun Dual Energies, which could nearly evolve everything, returning all to Chaos.

Nether River secretly pondered, “Kunpeng’s mana is not weak, I’ve just returned from battling Ksitigarbha King and the others, and my mana is quite depleted. Although I do not fear Kunpeng, falling and being disgraced is another matter. With so many disciples watching, how could I afford to tarnish my reputation?” He recalled the Yuan Tu Sword and continued his calculations, “Well, since Kunpeng is adamant about protecting Water Curtain Cave, I shall let him have this one. Today, I must not suffer a loss again, otherwise I’ll be utterly disgraced!”

Having thought this, Nether River said, “Kunpeng, you brute, if not for my battle with Ksitigarbha King, Sun Wukong, and the eleven Ancestral Witches today, I would definitely tear you to pieces!”

Kunpeng mocked, “Fine, I’ll wait for you! When you’ve recovered, we’ll fight again!”

Nether River couldn’t have hoped for a better response and said, “Good, we shall battle another day! Once I have recuperated, I will certainly take your bird life.”

Kunpeng said, “I’ve lived for so many years that I’m tired of it; come and kill me, quickly come and kill me!”

With a cold snort, Nether River plunged into the Blood River, turning twice before heading toward the Asura Blood Sea.

“Damn it, another bird-man emerges out of nowhere; truly, this is bad luck, just bad luck!” Nether River cursed continuously in his heart, feeling plagued by misfortune of late.

Kunpeng also faintly sensed Nether River’s strength, realizing that if a real fight were to break out, it wouldn’t be easy to determine a winner. Consequently, the whole affair would be frustratingly unrewarding, so why not let him leave easily? They were all striving for the same goal; why bother with useless bravado? Despite his outward boisterous and spirited demeanor, which made Nether River believe he was being manipulated, Kunpeng himself was also strategically using Nether River. Could the leader of the myriad demons be so easily fooled? The so-called great wisdom often masquerades as folly, and it’s people like Kunpeng that embody this saying.

With Nether River’s departure, the crisis at Water Curtain Cave was resolved.

“Kunpeng, come up here!” Di Jun’s voice called out.

“Heavenly Emperor, what do you seek?” Kunpeng couldn’t help but ask.

“Just come up here. Do you want a great opportunity that would make you a Saint?” Di Jun said.

“A Saint?” Kunpeng looked up at the sky, his heart surging.

Who wouldn’t want to become a Saint? He had cultivated for so long yet had never stepped into the realm of Saints. Now even in his dreams, he wished to become a Saint, but unfortunately, he did not possess Zhun Ti’s ability to dream it into reality, becoming a Saint in a dream. Now, Di Jun was suggesting he could make him a Saint, but how could this be?

Kunpeng asked, “Really?”

Di Jun replied, “When have I ever deceived you?”

Kunpeng laughed out loud, “Good! Heavenly Emperor, where are you? I’m coming to find you.”

At that moment, a talisman drifted down from the sky and hovered in front of Kunpeng.

“Follow this talisman, and you’ll find your way,” Di Jun said.

“All right!” Kunpeng exclaimed.

He then followed the talisman towards the heavens, heading deep into the Celestial Realm.

As for the matter of Kunpeng’s ascension to sainthood, stay tuned for the next chapter. (To be continued. If you enjoy this work, welcome to Qidian (qidian.com) to cast your recommendation vote and monthly ticket. Your support is my greatest motivation. Mobile users, please visit m.qidian.com to read.)