CHAPTER 522: CHAPTER 522 A GOLDEN MAN

Atop a towering mountain that rose straight from the ground stood a dazzling palace, its light shimmering and Divine Brilliance swirling around it, making it look so sacred and noble.

It was as if it belonged to the palaces above the Nine Heavens.

But it was not a building, rather a Dharma formed by the intertwining of Tao and the order of heaven and earth.

In front of the palace stood a tall young man with long golden hair, enveloped by the same Divine Brilliance, casting him as both divine and holy.

"Do you see it?" Yue Wuxia dragged him to this area, positioned far away to watch.

"I see it," Chen Pingping lifted his head.

He saw the golden palace and the young man wrapped in Divine Brilliance, feeling a shiver in his heart. The Dharma was awe-inspiring.

This was not just a manifestation of Tao and cultivation, but a natural effusion, as if it had been approved by the heavens.

What was strange was that the man had his eyes closed the whole time.

Yue Wuxia chuckled, "He is an Emperor of Medicine who has cultivated the legendary Tao fetus. If nothing goes wrong, he will achieve Tao Verification and become an Emperor. He might even achieve Tao in an alternative way."

Chen Pingping was shocked.

This—isn’t this The Son of Destiny?!

An Emperor of Medicine taking spirit form, assuming human shape, cultivating a Tao fetus.

"However, there’s a flaw..." Yue Wuxia had already spotted the clue. "My mother said that it’s very difficult for the spirits of heaven and earth to achieve Tao, but once they do, they will reign supreme above all beings, invincible among those of the same Emperor Realm."

"Isn’t that contradictory?" Chen Pingping side-eyed her.

"It’s not contradictory. The spirits of heaven and earth are indeed favored by the heavens. It’s true they have an easy path to achieving Tao, but there’s also a fatal flaw..." she said. "They need an opportunity."

Ordinary people stepping onto the path of cultivation, wishing to enter the invincible Tao, face many hardships. Even risking nine deaths for one life, there’s no guarantee of success.

But the spirits of heaven and earth have only one calamity to face, and it is their most difficult one.

If they overcome it, they are guaranteed to achieve Tao Verification, but if they fail, they face destruction. It’s very extreme.

And most spirits of heaven and earth choose another path in their cultivation, striving for the ultimate embodiment of their origin.

Chen Pingping was taken aback. "What does that mean?"

Yue Wuxia explained, "He cultivated from an Emperor of Medicine and will also return to his original essence as an Emperor of Medicine, thus breaking free from the shackles of the calamity and moving towards true Perfection. At that time, even without truly achieving Tao Verification, he can challenge a Great Emperor."

Two choices.

One, cultivate in human form, facing a terrible calamity.

The other, cultivate as the original essence, advancing to true Perfection. Although they cannot achieve Tao Verification, they possess strength equivalent to a Great Emperor, which is also considered an alternative form of achieving Tao.

So what then?

Chen Pingping widened his eyes. "What are you going to do?"

"Do you know why he keeps his eyes closed?" Yue Wuxia blinked.

Chen Pingping could only look at her in confusion.

"He’s making a choice, and waiting..." Yue Wuxia continued. "Closing his eyes is a process of internalizing the self, the first step in returning to the origin; yet his presence here suggests he’s not content."

Cultivating as the original essence, advancing to Perfection, could indeed offer an alternative way to achieve Tao, on par with a real Great Emperor, but it would also cut off the real path to ascension.

Because the Emperor Realm is not the end.

So often, what seems like a blessing from the heavens is actually a kind of restraint.

Because there is a choice.

When they are faced with this choice, they are destined to suffer.

Yue Wuxia said, "He’s not content, that’s why he’s here. If I’m not mistaken, he’s waiting for something similar."

Chen Pingping became more confused as he listened.

"A tree, a flower, a blade of grass, an existence similar to his own essence..." Yue Wuxia lowered her eyelids. "So, we need to follow him."

"When you just mentioned a similar essence, were you referring to?"

"An existence like his own."

"And then?"

"Devouring..." Yue Wuxia stared ahead.

The two concise words exerted immense pressure on Chen Pingping.

Here we go again.

Dammit...

Isn’t the Tree of Great Dao inside Zi Ji similar in origin to an Emperor of Medicine?

Chen Pingping’s scalp tingled.

Before he came, he thought the start of the Wind Cloud List was just a minor skirmish, where he could easily claim first place with a wave of his hand, and incidentally suppress those two individuals mentioned by his master. But now it looked like this gathering of young people was far more complex than he had thought!

Yue Wuxia suddenly looked at him. "Why are you so nervous?"

Chen Pingping sheepishly replied, "Not at all!"

"Don’t worry," Yue Wuxia said seriously. "Beings like him, who consider themselves superior and look down on others, wouldn’t deign to strike us. They feel attacking a worthless cultivator would tarnish their sanctity."

Oh, right!

Chen Pingping, half-understanding, asked, "Wuxia, do you think any powerhouses from the Human Clan are eyeing him, now that he’s come here alone?"

Yue Wuxia stared at him as if he were a fool for a long while before explaining, "Who would dare to make a move against a being favored by the heavens? Do they have a death wish? Besides, even though he is an Emperor of Medicine cultivator, he also has a powerful backer."

Chen Pingping was shocked. "What kind of backer?"

"Do you know about that Ancient City deep within the Nine Heavens?" she asked. "It’s said to be the graveyard of Great Emperors, and even the Golden Soldiers guarding the path have a minimum realm of a Saint King..."

Chen Pingping was speechless.

"Even the Demon Emperor of the Demon Race wouldn’t dare set foot there lightly. With such backing, who within the Human Clan would dare to make a move against him?" Yue Wuxia looked at him. "Of course, this doesn’t include fights among the younger generation, which naturally involve great risks."

After all, he himself is a formidable warrior and is also favored by the heavens.

Moreover, if you were lucky enough to defeat him, the young people in the Ancient City might take a very strong interest in you.

"If you’re lucky enough to kill him, heh heh... then prepare for the annihilation of your entire clan."

Chen Pingping wiped off a bead of cold sweat.

"Don’t be afraid. As long as we don’t provoke him, he won’t take the initiative to attack us," Yue Wuxia chuckled. "We just need to follow him and see if we can get a share when he finds that similar origin."

Isn’t that a bit too humble?

Chen Pingping calmed himself down.

Though he may be powerful and have an impressive backer, we shouldn’t have to describe ourselves as merely ’getting a sip of the soup,’ right?

The two fell silent, observing quietly.

It wasn’t long before...

The golden-haired man suddenly moved on, and terrifyingly, the palace behind him followed, floating in his wake.

Chen Pingping felt a tremor in his heart and became more solemn.

Is Junior Sister here too?

This time, he took the initiative to grab Yue Wuxia and follow the golden-haired man.

Chen Pingping’s judgment was correct; the golden-haired man’s goal was indeed the Tree of Great Dao.

Junior Sister Zi Ji was indeed within the Ancient Country, on Spirit Mountain.

However, the golden-haired man’s target was not her, but rather Divine Body Chen Shixian, who was in a sea area outside the Ancient Country.

By her side, a little monkey kept complaining, "Really, that guy already made you so many promises. Why couldn’t you just stay put in the Wuji Sect? Why did you have to go out looking for opportunities by yourself?"

"HEH!" Chen Shixian sneered contemptuously and then said with a serious face, "I have an irreconcilable enmity with Chen Pingping; he is the enemy of my life, and I must defeat him. I will never compromise with him."

She was very proud.

And rightly so! If the Ancient Divine Body isn’t proud, who else has the right to be?

"But...?" The little monkey hesitated, then, recalling certain experiences, it started to realize Chen Pingping’s formidability, and that of the few youngsters around him...

Chen Shixian frowned. "What’s wrong with you, monkey? Who’s your master?"