"Zhao Yang," he said in front of everyone, "the day I, Zhao Yang, become an Immortal will be the day Scholar Xiu returns."
Months later, a disheveled young man emerged from the Meditation Room of Xuanfo Temple. On this day, the world of Cultivation trembled; many powerful beings sensed an underlying unease, as if someone had awakened.
"Zhao Yang, have you completely refined the Dragon Vein Energy?" Long Xiao Wu was the first to arrive. He noticed a tremendous change in Zhao Yang's aura.
With just a wave of his hand, the heavens and earth shifted, and all things began to move in response.
"Xiao Wu, how is the Dragon Queen's condition?" Zhao Yang asked.
"My mother is much better now," Long Xiao Wu replied.
"To think he has reached the Great Ascension stage! After his transformation, his cultivation has advanced by leaps and bounds. I can hardly sense his presence at all; it’s as if he has merged with the world!" Song Baliang was astonished.
"Liu Rou said, 'Brother Zhao Yang, are you really going back?'"
Zhao Yang nodded. "My mind is made up. I want to return to my world for a visit. I won’t be gone long; the day I return will be the day I take Central Sovereign's life."
"I want to go too!" Liu Rou exclaimed.
"Take us with you, Junior Brother. We also want to see what your hometown is like," Song Baliang added.
Seeing Zhao Yang hesitate, Datong Zen Master said, "If you are worried that Void Turbulence will harm them, we can lend you our strength."
Upon hearing Datong Zen Master's words, Zhao Yang could only nod. "Alright then."
In the next moment, they found themselves on Buddha's Palm Mountain. Zhao Yang went to the Gorge where he once spent time with his master, Sun Wukong. He reminisced quietly and shared legendary tales of Sun Wukong with everyone.
Great Suffering Zen Master sighed and said, "I never expected such a powerful being would have enemies. When will the path of Cultivation ever reach its end?"
Zhao Yang remained silent for a long time before saying, "Master, let’s begin."
The Four Great Monks exchanged glances and began chanting scriptures, forming an array to construct the Void Formation. The world shifted as runes filled the sky; a void eye appeared before them, emanating a terrifying aura.
"Such a feat as crossing worlds is unprecedented. However, since there is a Divine Monkey who has paved the way, it should not be too difficult. Just be careful!" Great Compassion Zen Master cautioned.
Zhao Yang, dressed in white, was the first to step into the void passage, followed closely by Long Xiao Wu, Song Baliang, Yu Qingsnow, and Nangong Wuxin.
"Wait!" Just as the void was about to close, a voice suddenly echoed. The Consort of Rain descended from above, glancing at Zhao Yang. "If you find him, ask him if he will come looking for me again. I don't want to wait any longer."
After speaking, the Consort of Rain appeared somewhat melancholic. She had waited five hundred years for Sun Daoren and was weary. Now that her Celestial Root had formed, she could transcend tribulation and ascend at any moment. She felt old; if she did not ascend to immortality soon, she would truly grow old and lose her beauty.
Zhao Yang nodded. Although he knew it was unlikely he would encounter Sun Wukong on this journey, he did not want to see the Consort of Rain in such a sorrowful state.
He Qing remained silent, holding Zhao Tianlang's hand, which trembled slightly. Her eyes were red; she dared not look at Zhao Yang for fear of bursting into tears.
Zhao Yang turned to He Qing and said, "Mother, I'm just going back to take a look and bring some things back. Remember to prepare some dried meat for me when I return."
He Qing came back to her senses and quickly nodded. Ever since they learned that Zhao Yang largely did not belong to this world, they had feared that one day he would return to his original world and no longer recognize them. Hearing Zhao Yang's words made both of them feel a surge of emotion.
The Consort of Rain reached out her hand, opening her mouth as if to say something but ultimately said nothing. At the moment the void closed, Zhao Yang's voice resonated in the Consort of Rain's heart after hundreds of years of indifference, like a glacier breaking apart or a withered tree coming back to life. The Consort of Rain's stunningly beautiful face showed deep emotion.
"Consort Yu, wait for my return."
The group embarked on their journey back to Earth through time and space. In the endless universe, countless stars shone brightly; however, they could not dispel the fear of coldness and boundless darkness. Zhao Yang extended chaotic chains from his body to bind everyone together, preventing anyone from being swept away by the cosmic turbulence. His Divine Sense had reached the realm of Heavenly Dao, allowing him to sense the cycle of heaven and earth and truly understand what his master had once told him about stepping into immortality in one leap.
Suddenly, Nangong Wuxin exclaimed in shock, "What is that!"
Above them floated an enormous corpse spanning tens of thousands of miles across the cosmos, wrapped in a shroud stained with blood as if it were still fresh. A smaller star collided with that shroud and shattered instantly, causing cosmic turbulence.
Next, Long Xiao Wu nearly cried out in fright because far away lay a creature several hundred thousand miles long lying on its back in the cosmic river. Its body was covered in scales that resembled those of a dragon!
However, when they caught sight of the creature's head from afar, they couldn't help but shudder; its head was already decayed beyond recognition, with transparent fan-like structures on either side of its jaw!
"The legendary ruler from the Ancient Immortal era—the Giant Divine Serpent!" Long Xiao Wu spoke up, drenched in cold sweat. He had thought that figures from the cultivation world were terrifying enough; now it seemed there were indeed greater powers beyond comprehension. The serpent was one of their dragon clan's ancient ancestor totems; although it wasn't on par with the Azure Dragon Ancestor among the Four Divine Beasts, it was still an existence that commanded respect wherever it went. Yet here it lay dead with its skull shattered—who could be strong enough to do this?
"Junior brother, could it be that people from your world hunted them down? Just how powerful are they? Will we be captured if we go?" Song Baliang couldn't help but worry.
Zhao Yang smiled and replied, "You'll find out when you get there."
At that moment, the dragon's body suddenly split apart; even the massive corpse wrapped in shrouds burst apart with a loud bang. A seemingly small black ship slowly drifted through the cosmic river. Wherever it passed, stars collapsed and everything shattered. As the black ship sailed past Zhao Yang and his companions, their hair stood on end because the strange power emanating from it exceeded anything they could imagine—even a divine corpse thousands of miles long could be destroyed by this small black vessel. They truly felt their lives were at stake.
As the overwhelming pressure descended, plunging everyone into despair, mysterious characters began to emerge around Zhao Yang. A Treasure Cauldron, exuding an aura of chaos, flew out from within him, its inscriptions forming peculiar patterns that circled around him.
The small black ship seemed to gain consciousness, suddenly transforming into a streak of black light that traversed the starry river and turbulent currents, arriving beside Zhao Yang and the others. However, the oppressive aura from the ship had vanished; it now loomed before them like a colossal barrier, impossibly high and seemingly endless.
A voice seemed to emanate from the ship: "Help me."
It was a woman's voice!
Could it be that someone was imprisoned aboard this massive black vessel?
As everyone held their breath in silence, Zhao Yang retracted the Chaos True Qi back into his body. He slowly extended his hand towards the imposing black ship and uttered two words: "Tearing the Sky."
In an instant, the gigantic black hull vanished. From the depths of the universe, a delicate little ship flew towards him, landing in Zhao Yang's hand. He tucked the small vessel away and continued onward with his companions.
Song Baliang, Long Xiao Wu, and Nangong Wuxin stood agape in shock. Such a powerful and terrifying entity had been subdued by Zhao Yang so easily?
Zhao Yang offered no explanation; the secrets of the Emperor were too vast and complex for even him to fully comprehend.
All he knew was that this black ship was a distress signal sent by the Sky-Rending Empress. Yet, unbeknownst to him, as he placed the small vessel in his embrace, a long-dormant Black Box within his Cosmic Bag finally stirred. Cracks appeared on its surface, releasing a faint pulse of life energy that resonated with the power emanating from the black paper ship.
The drowsy Ginseng King rubbed his eyes and looked fearfully at the black paper vessel. He then shook the Black Box resting beneath his head. Instantly, everything within it ceased to emit any energy. However, once Ginseng King fell asleep again, the power from the black paper ship surged back into the Black Box.
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