After Chen Jiuyang sent Ji Lengyue home, he drove back to Ziyang County.
When he returned home, the whole family was asleep. Chen Jiuyang also quietly washed up and then went to bed, embracing Yao Zixuan's delicate body.
The next morning, Chen Jiuyang woke up naturally as soon as his biological clock signaled. With his current strong physique and vast qi and blood at the third level of the Earth Realm, he could go days without sleep, but he still maintained a normal person's schedule.
As Chen Jiuyang got up, he accidentally startled Yao Zixuan awake. Yao Zixuan let out a soft moan and mumbled groggily, "Jiuyang, when did you get back last night?"
"Around one or two in the morning. You sleep a bit longer, I'm going out to practice," Chen Jiuyang said, kissing her forehead before getting out of bed.
He possessed the Pure Yang body, while Yao Zixuan had the Pure Yin body. Both were special constitutions, and once they stepped into the martial path, their cultivation would advance much faster than ordinary people.
Yao Zixuan was only nineteen years old and had already reached the Yellow Realm. However, Chen Jiuyang was not in a hurry to have her rapidly improve her martial cultivation. The path of Divine Might as an Imprisoned Prison might have some issues. Once he had mastered the path of Invincible Divine Abilities, he would then allow his women to rapidly enhance their cultivation.
Otherwise, Yao Zixuan would have to endure the scorching summer and freezing winter training alongside him. If she only had cultivation to protect herself, what use would it be?
If he were not around, Yao Zixuan might not even be able to escape if she encountered an enemy.
As for now, if Yao Zixuan wanted to sleep in a little longer, let her sleep.
Chen Jiuyang got up and went outside to practice. Before long, the head of the Chen family appeared beside him with a dark expression, clearly having something to say.
Chen Jiuyang performed a set of nine close-combat moves. The air within ten meters of him became hot and humid, and then he slowly concluded his practice.
The head of the Chen family spoke, "Jiuyang, why did you provoke the Lotus Sect?"
Chen Jiuyang replied, "Someone from the Lotus Sect used蛊虫 (gu worms) to devour human essence and blood to raise their蛊. They committed serial murders in Fengcheng. I am the Xuan Yang Marquis, and it is my duty to assist the Six Doors in apprehending the true culprit."
Veins bulged on the head of the Chen family, "Jiuyang, the Lotus Sect is not to be trifled with. They are even more terrifying than Zhou Fangzun. If you can avoid provoking them, then don't. If the Fengcheng Hall Master of the Lotus Sect finds you later, you must not kill him out of momentary satisfaction. You must spare his life. Otherwise, once you kill him, you will truly offend the Lotus Sect."
Chen Jiuyang's expression flickered, "Family Head, the Lotus Sect is merely a martial sect. Are they that powerful?"
The head of the Chen family said with a solemn and serious expression, "The Lotus Sect has a legacy of over a thousand years. Its true origins are already untraceable. Such a sect of evil ways is despised by both the righteous and demonic factions. By all rights, it should have perished into the dust of history, yet it has managed to endure for over a thousand years. Do you know the reason why?"
"I don't," Chen Jiuyang replied. He didn't know much about the Lotus Sect either.
The head of the Chen family said in a deep voice, "Rumor has it, it's just a rumor... Rumor has it that there is an old monster in the Lotus Sect who has lived for many years... Legend has it that this old monster discussed longevity with Peng Zu."
"And this old monster is still alive today."
Upon hearing this, Chen Jiuyang was startled.
Peng Zu?
That was a legendary immortal who lived for eight hundred years. If the old monster of the Lotus Sect lived even longer than Peng Zu, and if this were true!!!
Chen Jiuyang felt a chill down his spine.
"However, no one has ever seen this old monster; it is merely a legend. But every time the Lotus Sect is eradicated, people with similarly evil practices reappear soon after."
"It is also because of this that the legend of this old monster has been circulating in the martial arts world."
"Jiuyang, you are destined to be crowned King in the future. It is better to believe it exists than not to believe it."
Chen Jiuyang frowned and said, "I understand."
At this moment, Lu Shan Hai of the Heavenly King Alliance arrived with a group of martial artists, bringing a large amount of supplies and electronic equipment.
Lu Shan Hai came before Chen Jiuyang and said calmly, "Xuan Yang Marquis, we have pieced together the clues for the relic in Ziyang County. Today, we invite you to explore the relic together."
Before Chen Jiuyang could speak, the head of the Chen family sneered, "The Heavenly King Alliance truly shows great sincerity. I heard that your Heavenly King Alliance discovered the relic clues yesterday, and the first group to explore the relic went yesterday."
"What is the meaning of inviting our Chen family's young master to explore the relic today?"
Chen Jiuyang's expression turned cold, "Lu Shan Hai, do you take me, Chen Jiuyang, for someone who eats leftovers?"
"No, no, no, it's not like that!" Lu Shan Hai's expression changed several times, and then he gritted his teeth and explained, "Yesterday, we did piece together the clues for the relic in Ziyang County, and then a group of people in the alliance were too impatient and went with the pieced-together clues."
"However, there were hidden matters behind the clues. The group that explored the relic yesterday was completely annihilated, with not a single survivor returning."
The head of the Chen family's expression suddenly turned cold, "This relic is so dangerous, and you want my Chen family's young master to go to his death?"
"It's not like that either, please let me explain." Lu Shan Hai said with a wry smile, "This relic is divided into an outer suppression formation and a legacy left by a martial expert of the Emperor Realm."
"Confucius's disciples once settled here and discovered this legacy relic. They found that the legacy relic had too much malevolent energy, requiring time to dissipate it. So, they set up the Confucian 'Divine Might as an Imprisoned Prison' nearby as a suppression formation. One must first pass the test of the formation set up by the Zeng family ancestors to truly obtain the legacy of this Emperor Realm martial expert."
"The formation set up by the Zeng family ancestors was a fear illusion array that made martial artists face the deepest fears they had never encountered within their hearts."
"If someone were to guard outside the formation, and after a certain period, the person did not pass the assessment, they could be pulled out with a rope, allowing them to retreat safely. The group that went yesterday did not know this and rushed off, resulting in their complete annihilation."
The legacy left by a martial expert of the Emperor Realm was truly tempting, but was Lu Shan Hai's story true or false?
The head of the Chen family said in a deep voice, "How can I believe you?"
Lu Shan Hai took out a very ancient and tattered beast skin, "This is a relic left by the Zeng family ancestors, disciples of Confucius, from that year. It cannot be faked."
The head of the Chen family picked up the beast skin and examined it carefully for a long time before nodding in belief, "Jiuyang, if you wish to go to this relic, I will accompany you."
Chen Jiuyang laughed heartily, "How can I comprehend divine abilities without seeing them? Please trouble the Family Head to accompany me on this trip."
"Alright," the head of the Chen family nodded.
Lu Shan Hai said, "Then let's set off. I have prepared everything. The news of this relic has likely leaked out. If the relic's legacy can only be obtained by one person, we might miss it if we go late."
The Zeng family ancestors did not mention what the relic was like. If it was a sudden enlightenment, then only one person could obtain it. If it was a mural of cultivation techniques, then many people could observe it.
No one dared to gamble on what the relic's legacy was like, so they had to depart as quickly as possible.
Immediately, Chen Jiuyang and Lu Shan Hai and the others from the Heavenly King Alliance set off. After three hours of crossing mountains and ridges, they arrived at the entrance of a quiet primeval forest.
A lot of supplies were also parked by the forest entrance, clearly left by the group from yesterday.
At the forest entrance stood a stone tablet weathered by an unknown number of years, but still vaguely recognizable. On it was a line of text:
"To become a Buddha, how does one subdue their heart?"
"Mirage Illusion Array, a maximum of six hours per person."
Chen Jiuyang tied a rope around his waist. The rope was several hundred meters long, and the other end was in the hands of the head of the Chen family. Then, Chen Jiuyang confidently walked into the forest.
As soon as he stepped into the forest, Chen Jiuyang felt the world turn upside down. Then, his vision went black, and he fainted.