330: Eastern Wilderness

Chaofeng Ancient Realm.

Zhou Liye's figure flew through the high sky.

Ever since that day when he was rejected by the herb-gathering youth, Zhou Liye had recovered from his injuries and rested for a while. Only then did he set off again, but he had not encountered anyone else with a matching Physique.

A moment later, Zhou Liye stopped and took a jade pendant from the Storage Pouch at his waist. The jade pendant emitted a precious light. A huge map appeared in Zhou Liye's mind.

This was the map of the Chaofeng Ancient Realm that every Red Dust Walker was bestowed with. Zhou Liye examined it carefully. He was currently located in the Eastern Desolate Land of the Chaofeng Ancient Realm.

The Eastern Desolate Land. It had ten thousand nations, a thousand dynasties, and a hundred sects. Furthermore, there were the Ten Great Immortal Sects. Each was an extremely powerful cultivation force. They were entangled in struggles with one another. This vast Eastern Desolate Land was, even more so, a burial ground.

There were the Ten Great Immortal Sects in the Eastern Desolate Land. It was rumored that every immortal sect had a Mahayana Realm Heavenly Venerate or even a Loose Immortal in the Undergoing Tribulation stage stationed there. Soul Transformation, Void Refining, Dao Integration, Mahayana, Undergoing Tribulation. Reaching the Mahayana Realm was already the pinnacle of the Mortal Realm. Afterward, one could pass the Nine-Nine Tribulation to achieve Immortal Ascension and live as long as heaven and earth.

The Ten Great Immortal Sects overlooked the entire Eastern Wasteland Continent. Time passed, yet the Ten Great Immortal Sects endured. Among them, the Red Dust Immortal Palace was one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects.

However, the Red Dust Immortal Palace was extremely unique. Although it was a sect, it was actually just one person. The entire immortal palace served only the Palace Master of the Red Dust Immortal Palace. And the Red Dust Immortal was the oldest Loose Immortal in the entire Eastern Desolate Land, or even the entire Chaofeng Ancient Realm.

"Chaotic Sea..." Zhou Liye put away the jade pendant in his hand. He hesitated somewhat. If he went any further, he would leave the Eastern Wasteland Continent and enter the Li Luan Sea Region.

The Li Luan Sea Region was densely dotted with islands, and there were also various cultivation forces upon them. However, most of the sea area was occupied by powerful Yao Beasts. Only specific shipping routes, which were periodically cleared by powerful Cultivators, were relatively safe.

"Forget it..." Zhou Liye hesitated for a moment. He had no intention of going any further. He turned and headed toward the Sheng Yin Sect within the sphere of influence of the Red Dust Immortal Palace. As a Red Dust Walker of the Red Dust Immortal Palace, he naturally had the duty to supervise the forces under the Red Dust Immortal Palace. As for whether he could find another Physique of Calamity and Fortune, that would depend on fate.

...

Xuanming Realm.

Sword Domain.

On the summit of Qingyang Peak.

A name slowly appeared on the huge stone tablet located at the peak.

"Zhou Nanfeng."

It landed below those names that were either bright or dim. A Disciple of the Nan generation of the Zhou Family was officially listed on the Ancestral Tablet. The clan-guarding stone tablet was also called the Ancestral Tablet by the members of the Zhou Family.

The back mountain of Qingyang Peak.

Linya Pavilion.

The long-closed Linya Pavilion finally opened. A delicate young girl, appearing to be in her twenties with a white jade spirit flute hanging from her waist, pushed the door open and walked out.

"Fellow Daoist Li."

At this moment, Zhou Leren's figure arrived from afar. He landed outside Linya Pavilion and greeted Li Shuwu.

"Fellow Daoist Zhou."

Li Shuwu cupped her hands in return. The relationship between the two parties, to this day, was something even Li Shuwu herself could not clearly explain.

The Zhou Family had never restricted her movements. On the contrary, she lacked none of the resources to Cultivate. Instead, it was she herself who was unwilling to leave in order to quickly recover her cultivation, and she rarely went out.

"Now, my Zhou Family can be considered to have established a firm foothold in this Xuanming Realm."

"If Fellow Daoist wishes to leave, surely no one in this Sword Domain would hinder you, and establishing a sect would be no difficult matter." Zhou Leren looked at Li Shuwu, whose appearance remained unchanged, and said.

Having reached the level of a Golden Core True Person, one naturally had the qualifications to establish a sect. As the former Master of Tiannan Pavilion, it would be reasonable if Li Shuwu wished to re-establish Tiannan Pavilion.

"If Fellow Daoist Zhou does not mind, may I serve as a Guest Elder?" Li Shuwu thought for a moment, then shook her head.

"That is certainly acceptable." Zhou Leren did not expect Li Shuwu's answer to be like this. He agreed with a face full of smiles.

Afterward, the two conversed for a few more sentences. Zhou Leren turned and left.

Li Shuwu came outside Linya Pavilion. She watched the clouds and rosy light in the distance, not knowing what she was thinking about.

Several hours later, Zhou Family Disciples arrived, delivering a new Guest Elder token and a specially made Zhou Family robe. Li Shuwu accepted them.

A short time later, the sound of a long flute drifted leisurely from Linya Pavilion. It reached the ears of Zhou Dingze, who was passing by in the distance. The flute sound was leisurely, as if resonating with heaven and earth.

...

Three years later.

Great Buddha Domain.

Below Songbai Peak.

"Little Master Kong Bai, this is the Qiaofu powder that the Abbot specifically asked to be left behind last time. Please, Little Master, take it back." An elderly man in cloth clothes placed a small bag into the back basket carried by a little monk who was about ten years old.

The little monk had an ordinary appearance and slightly dark skin, but he was very sturdy.

"Alright, Uncle Li."

"Uncle Li, how much silver?" Little Master Kong Bai said, preparing to take out his own money pouch to pay.

"No need, no need."

"The Abbot and Little Master have helped us a great deal."

"What is a mere bag of Qiaofu powder worth?" Uncle Li shook his head with a chuckle.

"If Uncle Li does not accept it, Master will definitely scold me." Little Master Kong Bai insisted on paying. Uncle Li, helpless, had no choice but to accept five copper coins.

Seeing this, Little Master Kong Bai beamed with joy and climbed up toward Songbai Peak.

Songbai Peak.

The gates of Kushan Temple remained wide open. Inside the temple, there were figures of various animals playing in the courtyard, but they were limited to the front temple and did not go toward the back.

Before long, Little Master Kong Bai's figure appeared at the gate.

As was the routine, he first went to the back temple. After paying respects to his Master and Mistress, he took out the items from the back basket. He recounted what he had seen and experienced while down the mountain. Only then did he excitedly come to the front temple to feed the group of small animals.

In these few years, the small animals he fed had become more and more numerous. He could not take care of them all, so he released many of them. Even so, there were still many left. Many had returned after being released. Little Master Kong Bai, helpless, had no choice but to continue raising them.

"Kong Bai." At this moment, a voice came from the back temple. Hearing this, Little Master Kong Bai immediately stood up and came to the back temple.

Inside the back temple courtyard, Zhou Xiangyu sat cross-legged beneath a large Buddha statue.

"Master." Little Master Kong Bai bowed. Then, he sat cross-legged on a prayer mat in front of Zhou Xiangyu.

"You have entered the temple for three years, yet you have never touched upon Cultivation. Do you have any grievances?" Zhou Xiangyu had a smile on his face; he was quite satisfied with this Disciple.

"None at all."

"Disciple has gained much insight; these are skills that would be hard to learn even for a thousand pieces of gold. Disciple is content." Little Master Kong Bai replied honestly.

"Letting you recite Buddhist scriptures first was to Cultivate your Zen intent and align with the Dharma, so that you can go further."

"After chanting Buddha for three years, now is the time." Listening to the answer, Zhou Xiangyu seemed to have expected it, but he still explained. After speaking, he pointed a finger of golden light at the center of Little Master Kong Bai's brow.

Threads of scripture flowed within the golden light, branding themselves into Little Master Kong Bai's consciousness. This was the Qi Refining chapter of the Maha Prajna Miaoku Buddhist Canon.

A moment later, Zhou Xiangyu withdrew his finger. Little Master Kong Bai in front of him had already fallen into a deep sleep. However, this was a normal phenomenon.

Zhou Xiangyu stood up.

"It was hard for him, being able to endure for so long." Jiang Ningchan walked in from outside and smiled at Zhou Xiangyu.

"That is precisely what is valuable about him." Zhou Xiangyu looked quite proud between his brows, as if proud of his own choice. Kong Bai was, after all, different from him. Without laying a solid foundation, teaching him rashly would certainly not allow him to go far.