Chapter 290: Jiang Taiping, the Ultimate Prodigy

Chapter 290: Jiang Taiping, the Ultimate Prodigy

Fat Dragon contemplated for a while before turning to Chen Qiu, "Qiu, if I may offer my suggestion, I believe the Profound Heaven Continent has always been a hidden threat, like a weak point for us. No matter who makes a move against the Profound Heaven Continent, we have to protect it."

"This will put us in a very passive position."

"So, whether it's seclusion or delaying time, I think they're both bad strategies. Without the Drunken Flower Manor and the next Drunken Flower Manor, can we rely on offering the Soul of Shadows' Fortune to delay time again?"

"My suggestion is to directly eliminate the hidden danger."

"Qiu, do you remember the story in our hometown called 'Wandering Earth'?"

". . ."

Chen Qiu's eyebrows lifted slightly as he pondered, "What do you mean?"

"Exactly!"

Fat Dragon nodded earnestly, emphasizing his point, "Directly pack up and take away the Profound Heaven Continent! That way, the problem will be permanently solved."

". . ."

Chen Qiu's lips twitched slightly. This was indeed an excellent plan, but the issue was that they didn't have the ability to pack up and take away the entire Profound Heaven Continent, even if his Miniature World was large enough. Taking away the Daxia Kingdom was also out of the question.

It was almost an impossible task.

Just as he was about to say something, Bear Gao suddenly ran over from a distance, panting heavily as he reported, "Master, new situation! Big news, huge news!"

Then.

Bear Gao, still panting, met the gazes of Chen Qiu and the others. He gasped, "Master, there's no need to consider the matter of the Drunken Flower Manor. The latest information those people received is that everyone in the Drunken Flower Manor is dead, and the entire clan has been exterminated!"

"What?!"

Bai Jia Jiuzhu stood frozen in place, momentarily unable to react. Had the entire clan been wiped out? A major power of the Sixth Rank Immortal Realm, and they were racking their brains to buy themselves some development time due to this power's threat. How did they suddenly receive news of this power's sudden annihilation?

Had they provoked some powerful enemy?

Very soon, a thought came to his mind.

"Could it be that there was once a powerful figure in the Pingxi Continent, but he wasn't well-known, and after learning that his hometown was destroyed, he went to seek revenge?"

"No."

Bear Gao took a deep breath and continued, "Everyone in the Sixth Rank Immortal Realm's Drunken Flower Manor has contracted Immortal Cancer, from the Manor Lord down to the maids and outer disciples. They all succumbed to Immortal Cancer and died just now."

"After succumbing to Immortal Cancer, their bodies will suddenly explode, turning into a highly toxic and foul-smelling green viscous liquid. The Drunken Flower Manor has now become a forbidden area, and everyone inside has perished due to Immortal Cancer."

"Huh?"

Bai Jia Jiuzhu's mouth opened slightly in disbelief. He had just been thinking of going all-in with Master Chen, using this crisis to firmly bind both sides together. But today, the Flower Manor had suddenly been wiped out?

This was too outrageous!

"No, Immortal Cancer isn't a Celestial Illness that causes sudden death, is it? Only when one's cultivation level drops to the point where their lifespan is insufficient will they die. Could it be that the Manor Lord of the Drunken Flower Manor stayed in the Sixth Rank Immortal Realm even when his cultivation level dropped to a certain level, instead of going to a lower-ranked continent?"

"Moreover, everyone's cultivation level and lifespan are different. How could they all die at the same time?"

"I don't know about that."

Bear Gao shook his head, "I intercepted their Telepathic Bracelet. Through the message on the bracelet, I learned that the Drunken Flower Manor did indeed perish, and it was due to Immortal Cancer. But the specific circumstances are unknown."

"Now, the entire Sixth Rank Immortal Realm is in chaos."

"Everyone is so preoccupied with finding out why an entire power would contract Immortal Cancer that they don't even have the mind to divide the resources left behind by the Drunken Flower Manor. They're trying to figure out if it's because of excessive sin points or some other reason, but the Drunken Flower Manor wasn't an evil sect. Compared to those evil sects, their sin points were far less."

". . ."

Chen Qiu listened carefully to Bear Gao's report and then summarized, "So, you're saying that the Drunken Flower Manor has completely disappeared from this world, is that right?"

"Yes, yes, Master."

"That's good."

Chen Qiu heaved a light sigh, momentarily unsure of how to express himself. He had been thinking about how to deal with the enemy, and now the enemy had mysteriously perished. Damn it. This curse was originally used to insult people, but now it seems to be a kind of attack.

"Since that's the case, that group of people is useless. Kill them all."

"We'll continue with our plan as normal."

"Understood." Bear Gao nodded solemnly, then hesitated, "Master, what about the Wang Family from the Unending Continent? There might be some story there."

"Let them all go."

Chen Qiu shook his head and waved his hand dismissively.

The Wang Family had been brought to the Miniature World in a state of unconsciousness from the start, so they hadn't seen or known anything. As for the woman filled with hatred for the Unending Continent, he didn't bother to find out what her story was.

Since the Drunken Flower Manor was gone.

There was no point in keeping this group, so he would just send them back to the Wang Family.

However,

Before sending them back, he had a significant matter to attend to.

Unending Continent, Wang Family, in front of the dried-up well in the backyard.

At this moment, Chen Qiu was walking alone towards the dried-up well, not stopping as he jumped in. Almost simultaneously, a Heavenly Dao Edict reverberated throughout the Unending Continent!

Heavenly Dao Edict: The Heavenly Dao senses that the Human Race's Mock Heaven Sect Master, the Heavenly Sage, the Heavenly Villain, the Human Race Guardian, the Peerless Prodigy, the Heavenly King Chen Qiu, should be remembered for eternity. However, Heaven is jealous of talent, and at the hour of the rabbit, he completely perished, returning to the Heavenly Dao.

The Celestial Prodigy's Passing

Countless snowflakes danced across the Unending Continent, and the mournful melody echoed throughout the heavens and earth. This was the land where Liu Zide had made his name.

Many on this continent had heard of Chen Qiu, and his story was well-known. Hearing the Heavenly Dao Edict, they all subconsciously paused, looking up at the sky in surprise, wondering what had happened.

Chen Qiu had come to their continent? And judging by the commotion, had he died on the Unending Continent? What was going on?

At the same time, in the Netherworld of the Unending Continent, as Chen Qiu descended, another Heavenly Dao Edict reverberated throughout the entire Netherworld.

"Heavenly Dao Edict: The Heavenly Dao has sensed the arrival of the Human Race's Guardian, the Supreme Immortal, the Peerless Talent, the Heavenly King, Chen Qiu. In life, he was a hero, and in death, he shall be a ghostly legend."

"With a trillion virtue points, he has forged a 'Heavenly Dao Top-Grade Virtuous Body'."

"Bestowed upon him is a strand of 'Soul of Shadows' Fortune', may all beings follow in his footsteps."

". . ."

Chen Qiu, now in the Netherworld of the Unending Continent, gazed at his gradually forming Virtuous Body and listened to the familiar prompt in his ear, letting out a soft laugh without saying a word. This voice had been long absent.

Under the 'Edict Regulars' entry, he had obtained two strands.

After that, he didn't linger but traveled back and forth several times. Finally, he heard the familiar and long-missed words, "Bestowed Empty," and obtained ten strands of Soul of Shadows' Fortune.

Bestowed Empty.

A First Rank Continent's Netherworld could have at most ten strands of Soul of Shadows' Fortune, and these strands were the foundation of a Netherworld. When all ten strands were drawn away, the Netherworld would collapse after ten thousand years.

However, for the Unending Continent, it held no significance.

The Vast Continent was destined to collapse within ten thousand years, and the Unending Continent would collapse along with it, even before that time.

Chen Qiu no longer worried about the Heavenly Dao Edict revealing his secrets.

The Edict could enhance his strength, even if it was just a little. Every bit of improvement was valuable.

Next, under the guidance of Bai Jia Jiuzhu, Chen Qiu visited three First Rank Continents and obtained a total of twenty-nine strands of Soul of Shadows' Fortune. Two of the continents had their Netherworlds in full capacity, while one had a strand missing, taken by someone unknown.

Thus, he had gathered a total of thirty-nine strands of Soul of Shadows' Fortune, which was almost enough.

Nine strands of Soul of Shadows' Fortune could be combined into one strand of Yin Emperor's Fortune.

Thirty-nine strands were enough to form four strands of Yin Emperor's Fortune, with a little left over.

"That's enough."

Returning to the Vast Continent, Chen Qiu stood atop a mountain in the familiar Xuan Tian Prefecture, turning to Bai Jia Jiuzhu with a smile. "It's time to help your daughter get rid of the Immortal Cancer. After this, I probably won't return to the Vast Continent."

"After a few days, I'll visit the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm you mentioned, and then I'll focus on breaking through to the Heaven-reaching Continent to prepare for my ascension to the Immortal World."

"But your daughter will have to wait a bit longer."

"I'll need to go to the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm to gain the means to separate the Soul of Shadows' Fortune. Then you can contact the divine doctor you found in the Fourth Rank Continent to examine your niece."

"Understood."

Bai Jia Jiuzhu's face lit up with excitement and anticipation, nodding repeatedly. The most challenging part was resolved, and the rest were minor details. After so many days, he had almost given up, but now, unexpectedly, there was a glimmer of hope.

After parting ways with Bai Jia Jiuzhu, Chen Qiu returned to the Profound Heaven Continent. He stood before the snow-capped mountains and attempted to break free, but to no avail. Despite his current cultivation, he couldn't shatter the shackles of this miniature world, whose strength was almost comparable to the Heavenly Dao's restraints.

It was almost like the Heavenly Dao's shackles.

Unable to return to Daxia Kingdom, Chen Qiu didn't linger in the Profound Heaven Continent. Instead, he headed straight to the Fourth Rank Continent, the Jiang Taiping Continent, to rest for a few days before venturing to the Third Rank Continent's rumored Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm, where top experts from several continents would gather.

After that, he would prepare for his ascension.

The Immortal World, always sending people down.

It made him curious to witness it for himself.

"Brother Qiu," Fat Dragon said, lying on the grass in the Heavenly Palace in the outskirts of the Jiang Taiping Continent, gazing thoughtfully at Chen Qiu, who was reclining in a rocking chair. "Do you remember that version update that mentioned changes in the Immortal World?"

"One of the updates introduced nine 'Human Immortal Cave Mansions', nine 'Earth Immortal Riding Beasts', and nine 'Heaven Immortal Worlds'."

"These correspond to the cultivation levels in the Immortal World: Human Immortal, Earth Immortal, and Heaven Immortal."

"Do you think these might be the methods associated with those cultivation levels?"

"I'm not sure," Chen Qiu shook his head, a hint of confusion in his voice. "Usually, when one breaks through to a new cultivation level, they gain power-related abilities that significantly enhance their strength. These three things don't seem like they can increase power."

"They seem more like external possessions."

"Yeah, it's like that."

"Like buying a car or a house?"

"Exactly."

"It does seem similar." Fat Dragon lay on the grass, his head resting on his arms, a dreamy look in his eyes. "I wonder what it'll be like after ascending to the Immortal World."

"But at least there won't be hot and sour soup."

"You can't be sure."

Xiong Gao laughed. "Elder, don't forget that even the Fourth Rank Continents have hot and sour soup. There are mortals in the Immortal World too; they're just born there."

"When you put it that way, it feels so unfair. These people are born in the Immortal World, while we have to struggle to reach it."

"That's true, but we can't think like that. There are also those born in the Ninth Rank Immortal World, a place most people can't even dream of reaching in their lifetime. Thinking about that makes it even more frustrating."

As they chatted, time passed by slowly.

Many members of the Mock Heaven Sect were out on missions, resulting in a noticeable decrease in the sect's population. The once bustling atmosphere had faded, leaving a sense of tranquility yet still felt warm and cozy.

Chen Qiu lay in a rocking chair, listening to the conversation between Xiong Gao and Fat Dragon's son. He smiled lightly, choosing to remain silent at times, his mind at ease as he lay there.

Today, many matters had been resolved.

The Soul of Shadows' Fortune had finally been settled, and the mess of the Enchanted Vineyard had been thoroughly addressed. Now, all that was left was to wait for the opening of the Heavenly Dao Mystic Realm.

Just then—

In the distance, a large mountain and a small hill approached them, and who else could it be but Ba Dan and Zhao Yishi? Zhao Yishi had also found his final resting place. If he had left with them at the time, perhaps he wouldn't have achieved what he had today.

After all, they didn't know Zhao Yishi was a Maan Clan member, and they weren't Maan Clan members themselves. Naturally, they didn't have access to the Maan Clan's internal inheritance and cultivation methods.

Moreover, when Zhao Yishi was with his own clan, it was more natural, as they were of the same kind and had more in common.

The ground trembled as they approached.

Ba Dan finally reached the vicinity of the Celestial Palace, and Chen Qiu stood in the air to greet him. They exchanged a glance, both seeing the laughter in each other's eyes. Then, Ba Dan spoke first, grinning widely, "Master Chen, thank you. In that great battle, I achieved an absolute victory. Now, I am the leader of the Maan Clan in the Fifth Rank Immortal Realm. I plan to groom Zhao Yishi as my successor."

"After I reach the Fifth Rank Immortal Realm, if you need anything, I will take care of it all!"

"Oh, by the way..."

Ba Dan carefully took out a jade slip from his bosom, enveloped it with spiritual energy, and handed it to Chen Qiu, "Here is a strand of Shadow Emperor Fortune. I'm returning it to you first. I obtained it from the Maan Clan's treasure vault."

Chen Qiu didn't hesitate and immediately took the jade slip, storing it in his bosom. He understood the Maan Clan's temperament.

As expected.

After seeing Chen Qiu accept the jade slip, Ba Dan finally heaved a sigh of relief. His entire body relaxed, as he had repaid a portion of his debt. He was well aware that returning this strand of Shadow Emperor Fortune didn't mean he had repaid the entire debt.

After all, the value of the Shadow Emperor Fortune varied at different times.

If one had to compare the value of the Shadow Emperor Fortune, it would be pure nonsense.

He was concerned that Chen Qiu wouldn't accept it, which would increase the debt he owed Chen Qiu. He truly didn't know how to repay it, but after Chen Qiu accepted it, he had repaid a portion of the debt, and his entire being felt much lighter.

"Master Chen, let's not talk anymore. It's getting late. Let's drink."

"Let's drink and chat."

The night deepened, and by the campfire.

Chen Qiu sat cross-legged on Zhao Yishi's shoulder, listening to Ba Dan's tearful account of his hardships and setbacks along the way. It must be said that although Ba Dan was a Maan Clan member, he seemed suited to be a storyteller, and his story was quite interesting.

Fat Dragon acted as a comic relief, ensuring Ba Dan's words didn't fall flat.

After a few rounds of drinks.

Ba Dan wiped away the tears from the corners of his eyes, his eyes turning red as he spoke, "That's all in the past now. Let's not dwell on it. Master Chen, after that great battle, I actually wanted to contact you, but after becoming the leader of the Maan Clan, I realized that the leader has too many responsibilities to handle. I couldn't find the time, so please forgive me.”

“It's no trouble.” Chen Qiu shook his head.

“After I finish handling the matters at hand, I'll come to you at the first opportunity.”

“Oh, by the way.”

Ba Dan suddenly remembered something and hesitated for a while before saying, “There's something I'm not sure whether to tell you or not. Recently, a major event occurred in the Sixth Rank Immortal Realm, causing a huge commotion. Even several Fifth Rank Immortal Realms are aware of it.”

“In the Sixth Rank Immortal Realm, there's a powerful force called the Enchanted Vineyard.”

“It's a force that specializes in brewing wine. The wine they brew is truly top-notch immortal wine. Recently, an event occurred that you, Master Chen, couldn't even imagine.”

“.”

Chen Qiu sighed softly and said, “Is it that the entire Enchanted Vineyard contracted Immortal Cancer and simultaneously perished, and the Enchanted Vineyard has become a forbidden land?”

“What?”

Ba Dan looked at Chen Qiu in disbelief, his mouth slowly widening, “Master Chen, do you know about this? How...how did you know?”

This was a matter of the Sixth Rank Immortal Realm!

Master Chen had been staying in the Fourth Rank Continent, the Jiang Taiping Continent. How could he know about the Sixth Rank Immortal Realm? It was normal for news from the Sixth Rank Immortal Realm to reach the Fifth Rank Immortal Realm, as they were both immortal realms and often exchanged information.

But it would never reach the Fourth Rank Continent.

After all, the shackles between the immortal realms and the mortal world were quite strong.

Master Chen's intelligence network was indeed vast. No wonder he obtained the Shadow Emperor Fortune. He sighed lightly, accepting this fact, and when he thought about the Shadow Emperor Fortune, he subconsciously looked at Chen Qiu.

However, that glance caused him to freeze in place.

He could sense that Chen Qiu's dantian now contained four more strands of Shadow Emperor Fortune and several strands of Soul of Shadows' Fortune, not counting the one he had just returned. Damn, it had only been a few days since they last met. Where did Chen Qiu get so many strands of Shadow Emperor Fortune?

It was unbelievable!

"Hmm."

Chen Qiu nodded casually, "A friend told me, but I only know the general situation. I'm quite curious about the Enchanted Vineyard. You know some of the details."

"I don't know the specific details."

Ba Dan shook his head, his eyebrows furrowing, "The reason this matter caused such a huge stir in the immortal realms is not only because the Enchanted Vineyard is a well-known force, but more importantly, because the entire Enchanted Vineyard contracted Immortal Cancer."

"This is fundamentally an unreasonable matter."

"It's common knowledge that Immortal Cancer is a completely random illness with no signs or symptoms, and one's chances of contracting it are purely based on fate. Theoretically speaking, the odds of a Dao Partner couple both developing Immortal Cancer are as slim as a Qi Condensation cultivator drawing a Rainbow Entry."

"For so many people from the same power to simultaneously contract Immortal Cancer is more exaggerated than achieving immortality in a single day."

"This is an utterly impossible situation, and it completely defies the laws of nature. Moreover, it reveals something else."

"Immortal Cancer might not be entirely random; it could be a method used by the Heavenly Dao to eliminate those it dislikes."

"And Immortal Cancer might also be a form of attack employed by powerful cultivators from the High Rank Immortal Worlds."

"Regardless of which possibility is true."

"One thing can be ascertained: this incident at Drunken Flower Manor has caused Immortal Cancer to break its previous patterns, no longer randomly attacking indiscriminately, but instead targeting specific individuals. The fact that we don't know who the attacker is makes this problem even more severe."

"Because of this incident, many people in the Fifth and Sixth Rank Immortal Realms have recently emerged, offering high prices to acquire Soul of Shadows' Fortune, fearing that Immortal Cancer might one day befall them, leaving them with no other option but to await death."

"The price of Soul of Shadows' Fortune has skyrocketed overnight."

"Is this a targeted attack by the Heavenly Dao?"

Chen Qiu nodded thoughtfully. "If you're suggesting this is an attack method used by cultivators from the High Rank Immortal Worlds, I don't think that's very likely. After all, Immortal Cancer isn't a one-off or two-off occurrence; there are numerous cases of people suffering from it."

"It feels more like the Heavenly Dao cleansing those it dislikes."

"However, by logic, the Heavenly Dao doesn't possess personal emotions or feelings of like or dislike. Therefore, it's more likely that the Heavenly Dao is cleansing those who don't abide by the rules. Ba Dan, do you remember if you did anything that might have violated the rules before you contracted Immortal Cancer?"

He had a vague feeling.

The mass deaths at Drunken Flower Manor might be related to the manor's involvement in the destruction of Pingxi Continent, a form of heavenly punishment?

This was just a guess, not a certainty.

Ba Dan thought for a long time before shaking his head. "I don't remember, but to my knowledge, I didn't do anything that violated the rules. Perhaps Immortal Cancer was still random when it struck me, but it might have mutated recently?"

"Could a change in the High Rank Immortal Worlds have caused this mutation?"

". . ."

After a moment of contemplation, Chen Qiu asked a question that had been on his mind for a while: "By the way, this continent is named 'Jiang Taiping' Continent. Is there someone by that name in the High Rank Immortal Worlds?"

"Yes."

Ba Dan hesitated, "I've seen this name in history books, but that was a long time ago. This continent's original name wasn't Jiang Taiping Continent; it was renamed later."

"It's said that this person was an absolute peerless prodigy."

"That..."

After a moment of hesitation, Ba Dan decided to be honest: "He might be even more exceptional than Master Chen. This person was born in the Fourth Rank Continent, and from the moment of his birth, there were heavenly phenomena across the land. His life was like a soaring journey, rising swiftly to the Fifth Rank Immortal World and then to the Sixth Rank Immortal World."

"As for whether he reached the Seventh Rank Immortal World, I don't know; it's not recorded in the history books."

"He was the first person I've encountered who caused a continent to be renamed in his honor. This was changed by the Heavenly Dao itself, not arbitrarily."

"It's said that for the Heavenly Dao of a continent to be renamed after you, it must be proud of you, and you must have triggered a certain achievement."

"According to the records..."

"This person was born with nine Rainbow Entries."

"What the hell?" Fat Dragon, sitting on Zhao Yishi's other shoulder, couldn't contain his laughter. "Born with nine Rainbow Entries? When did Rainbow Entries become so worthless?"

"Was his father an Immortal Emperor? How could he be born with nine Rainbow Entries?"

"Huh?"

"You're right."

Ba Dan looked at Fat Dragon with a faint smile. "His father was indeed an Immortal Emperor. He was born into a family of courtesans, a long time ago. It's said that an Immortal Emperor once visited a brothel in the mortal world and, after enjoying himself, left behind a seed."

"At the time, the courtesan didn't know her client was an Immortal Emperor."

"Only after discovering her pregnancy did she hide her identity and return to a remote mountain village to give birth. The moment the child was born, heavenly phenomena enveloped the entire continent, and as soon as he cried out, he already possessed nine Rainbow Entries."

"What happened next is self-evident. As the son of an Immortal Emperor, he dominated the Fourth Rank Continent. When this private son was born, the Immortal Emperor sensed it and sent down a Dao Guardian."

"With the Dao Guardian's assistance, he swiftly rose to the Fifth Rank Immortal World and then the Sixth Rank Immortal World."

"Note that when I say 'High Rank Immortal Worlds,' I'm not referring to the Seventh or Eighth Rank Immortal Worlds. In the cultivation world, it's commonly believed that becoming an Immortal Emperor is the final stage of cultivation, meaning they achieve eternal life and become the strongest. Here, 'High Rank Immortal Worlds' refers to the Tenth, Eleventh, and even the Twelfth Rank Immortal Worlds."

". . ."

Fat Dragon remained silent, his face expressionless. Although he felt extremely jealous and couldn't understand how someone could be born with nine Rainbow Entries, it made sense if their father was an Immortal Emperor.

The cultivation world was chaotic and complex.

But even in such a chaotic and complex cultivation world, the words 'my father is an Immortal Emperor' could solve 99% of problems.

What more was there to say?

It was perfectly understandable.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end