Pingyang Heaven.

  In the boundless darkness, continents drifted like majestic, radiant stars, each glowing with dazzling light, flowing silently like a river of constellations.

  Pingyang Heaven, like the Void Heaven, was one of the Nine Heavens.

  Yet compared to the declining Void Heaven, Pingyang Heaven brimmed with vigor and ambition, constantly striving to climb higher.

  At this moment, a streak of light tore across the void.

  The light faded, revealing an ancient Buddhist temple. Solemn and sacred, it radiated golden Buddha-light while endless chants of sutras echoed from within.

  Above the temple floated Buddhist sarira, spilling brilliant radiance.

  Rumble!

  The temple soon descended upon a region, its pressure nearly crushing the area beneath it.

  Below lay a vast, magnificent continent. Streams of qi soared into the sky, blazing like suns in the darkness.

  To shine so brightly in the void’s gloom was something only a High Martial world could achieve.

  Sensing the temple’s arrival, a bronze warship burst upward from the continent, crushing the void inch by inch.

  Terrifying pressure spread outward.

  A figure in resplendent robes stood atop the warship: the Northern Palace Holy Lord.

  “Amitabha.”

  A Buddha slowly walked out from the temple, smiling warmly at the Holy Lord.

  “I heard the Northern Palace Holy Son perished tragically in the Void Heaven—his primordial spirit extinguished, reduced to ashes. A mere newborn High Martial world dares to show such contempt for the Northern Palace Sacred Ground…”

  “This monk wishes to visit that world and settle the karma. Would the Northern Palace Holy Lord care to join me and avenge your Holy Son?”

  The Buddha’s smile was gentle and soothing, like a spring breeze.

  The Northern Palace Holy Lord narrowed his eyes slightly.

  He had already learned of his Holy Son’s death. A new High Martial world had emerged in the Void Heaven, and Holy Sons and Maidens from many Pingyang Heaven sacred grounds had gone there to plunder its origin for their own benefit.

  His Holy Son’s demise naturally enraged him, but having just returned from the Void Heaven with a shattered body, he hesitated.

  “Rest assured, Holy Lord. We will not travel alone. The Holy Lords of Black-White Sacred Ground, Tuoba Sacred Ground, and Azure Spirit Sacred Ground will also accompany us…”

  The Buddha listed them calmly.

  The Northern Palace Holy Lord inhaled sharply.

  What was this bald donkey planning?

  It was just a newborn Derivation Nine High Martial world—why gather four Derivation Seven Holy Lords?

  Was it necessary?

  “This…” He was momentarily stunned.

  “Amitabha. That world is no ordinary place. Though newly born, any High Martial that rises in the Void Heaven harbors supreme secrets. This monk must proceed with utmost caution.”

  “Now that its protective barrier has crumbled, the time to strike has come.”

  The Buddha smiled.

  The Northern Palace Holy Lord found no reason to doubt him.

  “As for the others—besides accepting my invitation—they also wish to retrieve their own Holy Sons and Maidens. Rumor has it that all the sacred ground heirs have been captured by thieves from that world.”

  The Buddha’s explanation made the Holy Lord nod slowly.

  This monk hailed from Pingyang Heaven’s strongest world—the only Derivation Six High Martial, the Little Thunder Sound Buddha Realm.

  He deserved some face.

  “In that case, I shall accompany the Venerable.”

  Laughter echoed through the void.

  The monk’s expression remained serene as he pressed his palms together in greeting.

  Then—

  The ancient temple erupted with divine light and instantly vanished toward the Void Heaven.

  The Northern Palace Holy Lord stood aboard his bronze warship and followed leisurely behind.

  …

  “The world’s protective barrier was somewhat akin to the power of rules…”

  Lu Ping’an murmured, feeling the vanished force outside Five Phoenix.

  The power of rules was immensely strong. The entire Void Heaven was shrouded beneath them.

  Even Lu dared not clash with them head-on.

  If the rules ever acted in earnest, they could overturn the Void Heaven in an instant.

  “With the protective barrier gone, Five Phoenix is no longer sheltered in a greenhouse. It must now face dangers from all sides. Yet this too is a form of tempering and trial. A world, like a person, needs hardship to grow.”

  Lu smiled faintly.

  He felt no great worry about the barrier’s disappearance.

  He continued placing pieces on the board. The Asking-Heaven Game shifted unpredictably, stirring wind and clouds.

  As he played, his spiritual qi rapidly recovered and was immediately fed into the ancient tomb.

  …

  Above the vast sea.

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  Still. Oppressive.

  Qi Liujia stood upon the water in coarse robes.

  Beside him, Li Sansui stood respectfully; Li Sansi, cloaked in black, also looked up in puzzlement.

  Du Longyang, Ye Shoudao, and the others frowned, a tense unease settling over them.

  According to Qi Liujia, once the protective barrier fell, terrifying experts would descend. That might be the true beginning of Five Phoenix’s calamity.

  A gentle breeze finally blew, rippling the sea.

  Time trickled by.

  The first day after the barrier vanished passed quietly.

  Nothing happened across all of Five Phoenix.

  Those who had been anxious were now bewildered.

  Even Qi Liujia was taken aback.

  “Could I have been wrong…? The protective barrier is gone. How can the Holy Lords of Pingyang Heaven’s many sacred grounds remain silent?”

  “Perhaps they’re brewing something big.”

  “We cannot let our guard down.”

  Qi Liujia stayed vigilant.

  He soared into the sky and began laying down a grand formation outside Five Phoenix, inspired by the ancient runes on the tomb’s walls.

  Formation lines wove through the void like swimming fish in the darkness.

  One day, two days, three days…

  Time continued to pass.

  The terrifying experts Qi Liujia spoke of never came.

  The reincarnated Buddha had once vowed that when Five Phoenix’s protective barrier fell, he would descend.

  Yet now—nothing.

  The ancient tomb sat resplendent above the sea, overflowing with flowing light. Countless cultivators gathered, hoping to explore it and claim supreme opportunities.

  But days passed, and the tomb showed no signs of opening.

  Five Phoenix, on the verge of turmoil, instead fell into an eerie calm.

  …

  Within the Immortal Legacy Ruins.

  Lu Changkong carried a wooden bucket, scooping fertilizer mixed with spirit stone powder with a gourd ladle and sprinkling it over the medicinal fields.

  “Picking chrysanthemums beneath the eastern fence, leisurely gazing at the southern mountains…”

  That described him perfectly.

  Inside the time-accelerated ruins, he lived a carefree life.

  He had thoroughly studied every spirit herb here. He understood their properties completely and recorded everything in his Herb Compendium.

  He had personally tasted every single plant.

  Some were poisonous, some caused strange feverish reactions, some accelerated spiritual qi absorption, some healed wounds, some neutralized hundreds of toxins…

  Each herb was like a unique soul. Lu Changkong had become utterly obsessed with researching them.

  Through years of planting and studying, his cultivation had advanced steadily without deliberate effort. Swallowing various spirit herbs daily, their medicinal effects accumulated within his body.

  Once he finished researching every herb in the ruins, an emptiness settled in his heart.

  That emptiness panicked him. On the first day without new herbs to study, he felt like mold was growing on his body.

  Hands behind his back, hoe over his shoulder, he stood beside the fields lost in thought.

  Staring at the radiant spirit herbs swaying in the breeze, he inhaled deeply.

  What would happen if he crossbred different herbs?

  Would their properties neutralize each other?

  Would the quality improve continuously?

  If one herb combined the effects of a hundred others, could it become a divine medicine capable of reviving the dead and regrowing flesh on bones?

  The idea seized him and refused to let go.

  He began experimenting with crossbreeding.

  Fortunately, the ruins offered many treasures for his research.

  He used Origin Water from the waterfall as fertilizer—plants grew astonishingly well.

  He even utilized the gray River of Time that most experts feared.

  He discovered that the accelerated flow of time greatly sped up plant growth—a delightful surprise for his crossbreeding project.

  While experts outside trained bitterly or meditated before dao steles, he was crossbreeding herbs.

  The ancient Farmer School of the Hundred Schools of Philosophy had records on plant hybridization. Following those methods and adding his own practical innovations, he began cultivating.

  Once he successfully produced hybrid seeds, he prepared wooden basins linked by chains. The upper layer held soil and the seeds; the lower layer was filled with specially mixed Origin Water fertilizer.

  Carrying the basins, he waited by the River of Time.

  When the gray current surged past, he shouted “Heave-ho!” like an old fisherman casting his line and flung the chained basins into the river.

  The river swept by.

  After a long while, he pulled them back.

  The chains were nearly rotted, covered in rust. Lu Changkong sucked in a cold breath.

  He really was dancing on the edge of death.

  One careless moment and the River of Time would reduce him to dry bones.

  But the result was excellent—the seeds had grown into lush spirit herbs, even flowering.

  He had saved an enormous amount of time.

  Carrying the new herb back to his wooden hut, he carefully plucked the tiny flowers.

  He unrolled a bamboo scroll, prepared ink and brush, and lit an oil lamp.

  Ritual was important.

  He wrote first:

  “New spirit herb bred from Spirit Pivot Grass and Niu Mang Grass, named Spirit Mang Grass. Vibrant color, no scent, taste…”

  Pausing, he set down the brush, crushed a flower, rolled up his sleeve, and placed a pinch in his mouth.

  A sour, astringent flavor exploded across his tongue.

  His brows instantly knitted into a deep crease.

  The sourness spread, and his tongue felt electrified.

  Then the sensation raced through his body, making him numb all over.

  Trembling, he picked up the brush again.

  “Taste sour and astringent, like being struck by lightning. Properties: extremely poisonous.”

  He tried to circulate spiritual qi to suppress the poison, but to his shock, his qi couldn’t touch it.

  This Spirit Mang Grass was truly lethal!

  He stood, intending to fetch an antidote.

  But his body convulsed.

  His face turned blue-green.

  Thud!

  He collapsed face-first onto the floor.

  Lu Changkong’s vision blurred, yet his heart was strangely calm.

  To die for the pursuit of his Dao—he had no regrets.

  His only lingering attachment was Lu Ping’an.

  “Ping’an… your father really wasn’t a very responsible parent.”

  He sighed softly, then his head lolled to the side.

  …

  Origin Lake, Lake Heart Island.

  Lu, mid-game, suddenly felt his eyelid twitch.

  Hm?

  Lines danced in his eyes. The next instant, he saw the scene inside the Immortal Legacy Ruins.

  He saw Lu Changkong lying stiff on the floor, face blue.

  Lu blinked in disbelief.

  What on earth had the old man done?

  In all of Five Phoenix, who would dare kill Lu Changkong?

  Wasn’t his father everyone’s father?

  He abandoned the chessboard.

  With a flick of his sleeve, he stored the Spiritual Pressure Chessboard and vanished in a flash of lightning.

  When he reappeared, he was inside the Immortal Legacy Ruins.

  White robes fluttering, a thousand blades reflecting the light.

  The little thatched hut was peaceful.

  With a wave, Lu Changkong’s body floated up.

  “He’s been poisoned… such potent toxin. It blocks spiritual qi circulation and even paralyzes the divine sense, causing it to collapse.”

  Lu inhaled sharply.

  All the spirit herb seeds in the ruins had been left by him.

  If he remembered correctly, none were this deadly.

  How had his father ingested something so toxic?

  Then he spotted the open bamboo scroll on the desk—new entries in the Herb Compendium.

  “Crossbreeding? And personally tasting the results—testing poison on himself?”

  Lu didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

  He placed a finger on Lu Changkong’s forehead.

  All the poison in his father’s body flowed into Lu’s finger, turning it pitch black.

  With the toxin removed, color returned to Lu Changkong’s face. He let out a soft snore, regaining consciousness.

  Lu gently laid him on the bed.

  “Crossbreeding spirit herbs…”

  “What a wild idea. Truly, the only one who can defeat Dad is Dad himself…”

  Lu smiled, glancing at his blackened finger. Even he found the poison shocking.

  At this level, it could probably kill a Yin Spirit realm expert.

  “Well… compiling a compendium like the Divine Farmer tasting all herbs—this is a good thing. This is Dad’s lifelong pursuit.”

  Lu sat in his Thousand Blades Chair and strolled around the hut. He looked out at the swaying spirit herbs in the fields.

  He had neglected his father for quite some time. If not for this incident, he might never have noticed how low-profile the old man had become.

  “Since he wants to taste every herb, let’s improve his constitution a little… at least so he doesn’t accidentally poison himself to death.”

  After thinking for a moment, Lu made his decision.

  He returned to the bedside and raised his hand.

  Lines crisscrossed as the Origin trembled. He had once obtained a divine medicine and analyzed its properties.

  Now he replicated that internal structure and overlaid it onto Lu Changkong’s body.

  Buzz…

  After a long while, faint radiance emanated from Lu Changkong’s flesh.

  “Modification complete… I suppose this counts as a special physique. What should I call it? Divine Medicine Constitution?”

  “It has incredible compatibility. Ingesting poison won’t kill him; instead, the properties will remain in his body, allowing him to release deadly toxins… If he consumes a hundred poisons, a thousand, ten thousand… the resulting toxicity could make even immortals and gods retreat.”

  Lu chuckled.

  “Let’s call it the ‘Myriad Poisons Body.’”

  Now Dad could taste every herb without fear of accidents.

  Buzz…

  Without waiting for Lu Changkong to wake, Lu vanished.

  A little while later…

  Lu Changkong opened his eyes, confusion flickering within.

  “Hm… I’m not dead?”

  He even felt unusually healthy.

  How had he ended up in bed?

  Perhaps he had crawled there in his final moments, wanting to die with dignity.

  But he hadn’t died.

  Returning to his desk, the oil lamp still burned quietly; the ink had not yet dried.

  After a moment’s thought, he dipped the brush and crossed out “extremely poisonous.”

  “Spirit Mang Grass: sour and astringent taste, like being struck by lightning. Properties: mildly toxic.”