Chapter 970: I understand now, it's all too late.
The moment the idea struck Fei Ling, she made up her mind to act. Li Yang was already an Earth Immortal, an almost invincible being. If he continued his usual methodical, step-by-step training, even if she reached her master's level hundreds of years later, she still wouldn't reach Li Yang's. Earth Immortals were practically invincible on Earth, and their status was almost impossible to attain. Almost no Earth Immortals had appeared in recent years. As for Hua Mandie and the Earth Immortals of Yaochi Immortal Palace, those were from thousands of years ago; they had lived for at least a thousand years, making them the longest-living Earth Immortals on Earth. Yaochi Immortal Palace was unreachable; the location of its master was unknown. Hua Mandie was weary of life, witnessing the changes of the world and the cycle of birth and death, while her cultivation remained stagnant. Although she had a devoted cultivator like Zhang Tianyi, Hua Mandie was practically a stunning beauty, a fairy-like figure. In the entire cultivation world, she was a female fairy, with countless admirers. Zhang Tianyi was just one of them. Hua Mandie didn't think much of him; after all, Zhang Tianyi's cultivation level was too low, and they were completely mismatched. It was like a mortal pug trying to crossbreed with a German Shepherd or other breeds. No matter how hard a pug tried, no matter how devoted, it couldn't reach the other dog's thighs. How could it possibly mate and reproduce? It was simply impossible. Having understood these principles, Fei Ling, having been abandoned by his master and lost the opportunity to inherit the sect leader's position, if he hadn't encountered such a crisis, and if Tian Yuanzi had had more patience and hadn't stripped him of his inheritance, although he wouldn't have given up on revenge, he would have gritted his teeth and cultivated again to improve his cultivation level, so that revenge wouldn't be too late someday. He would never have entertained the thought of killing his master and stealing the God-Slaying Whip to deal with Li Yang. But now, it was all too late. Kunlun Mountain was known as the highest mountain in the cultivation world, a famous mountain, and a sacred place. The ingredients, including immortal herbs, were all top-notch. Finding the more than one hundred kinds of immortal and poisonous herbs needed to prepare the "Tethering Powder" wasn't too difficult either. Fei Ling spent almost a week preparing the herbs and poisonous herbs. He was extremely familiar with Kunlun Mountain; he knew every plant and tree by heart. Finding them was very easy. With the medicine prepared, the next step was refining. Although he was only at the early stage of Qi Induction, refining pills didn't require a very high cultivation level, but rather a high level of skill in using a furnace and cauldron. Kunlun Mountain naturally had no shortage of such materials. Tian Yuanzi, preoccupied with the Blood Demon and Li Yang, paid little attention to the once-important alchemy room. The obstacles set up there were meaningless to Fei Ling; he knew the way well and easily slipped in. The saying "You can guard against a thief within your own house, but not against one at home" perfectly describes this situation. After entering, Fei Ling briefly surveyed his surroundings, then followed the procedure, opening the furnace and preparing to start the fire and begin refining the pills. While he was refining the pills, Tian Yuanzi had already received news of Fei Hua. She has arrived in the capital; please rest assured, Master. Tian Yuanzi breathed a sigh of relief and planned to wait quietly for good news from his disciple.
"Master, have a cup of herbal tea~" Fei Ling eagerly came up and prepared a cup of herbal tea for Tian Yuanzi.
"This is bamboo tip tea, a specialty of Kunlun, which I personally prepared~" Fei Ling said with a respectful expression. This surprised Tian Yuanzi slightly. After taking the teacup and sipping it, he looked at Fei Ling and sighed, "Fei Ling, have you thought it through?"
"Master, I've come to my senses. Otherwise, I wouldn't have come to make you tea and apologize. It's all my fault for being so disobedient and not understanding your good intentions. I'm sorry for causing you so much trouble." Fei Ling said with a face full of guilt. He was indeed filled with remorse, and the expression on his face was genuine. But it wasn't because he felt guilty for not understanding his master's good intentions, which led to Tian Yuanzi's schemes being wasted, but because he felt guilty for killing his master. After all, Tian Yuanzi had taught him for decades and was practically like a father to him. Although he had made the decision easily at first, he still felt guilty when faced with the reality. But since he had done it, he wouldn't back down. He sneered inwardly, thinking, "No poison, no hero. Since Master looked down on me and abandoned me, he was the one who was heartless first, so don't blame me for being unjust. I'm sorry, Master."
"Hmm. It's good that you understand your master's good intentions. Your master also has his own unspoken difficulties. No matter what, only the strongest have the authority to speak. Fei Hua once asked me, as the number one cultivator, why I didn't need to fear the leader of the Demon Alliance. I don't need to fear such minor characters, but behind such minor characters are much more powerful beings. That so-called leader is just a wisp of the Blood Demon's soul. A trace of his tainted blood escaped the seal and took shape outside, thus becoming the leader. He's trying to win over the Demon Alliance. I think they're all secretly plotting and already prepared."
"We've made preparations, just waiting for the Blood Demon to emerge. If we can't find someone to deal with the Blood Demon, we righteous cultivators will face an unprecedented calamity. You don't know how terrifying a mere Earth Immortal is. Even with the great formation and divine artifacts left by our ancestors, we can't hold out for long," Tian Yuanzi said painfully, taking a few more sips of tea.
Another terrifying aspect of the "Tianji Powder" is that it is colorless and odorless. No matter how high your cultivation level, unless you are immune to all poisons, you will still be affected. Normally, Tian Yuanzi would never be poisoned, after all, he is an old hand in the world and always wary. However, this cup of tea was served to him by his personal disciple, and he drank it without thinking much about it.
"Master, even the God-Slaying Whip of Kunlun is no match for him?" Fei Ling asked tentatively.
"Although the God-Slaying Whip is incredibly powerful, it also requires the wielder's magical power to be effective. The higher the cultivator's cultivation and the greater their magical power, the more terrifying and immense the power the whip will unleash. Even if I, your master, can wield the God-Slaying Whip and contend with that Blood Demon, there's no guarantee he won't possess an equally powerful magical weapon. In that case, I won't be able to hold out for long. Sooner or later, I'll fail... What's going on? Why is my magical power draining away... Hmm? How is this possible? How could this happen?" Tian Yuanzi suddenly exclaimed in shock, his expression changing drastically. He leaped up, but his body, which should have been able to easily take flight, felt frighteningly heavy today. He collapsed to the ground with a thud, his entire body limp and powerless.
Another strange aspect of the "Pulling Machine Powder" is that you won't notice its onset unless you're paying attention. But by the time you realize it, it's too late. Your magical power has already been almost completely corrupted. You'll be at the mercy of everyone. This is why Fei Ling kept trying to entice Tian Yuanzi to talk; seeing him was a way to distract him.
"You, Fei Ling, it's you..." Tian Yuanzi finally realized what was happening. Seeing the resentful look in Fei Ling's eyes, he understood everything. "Qianji Powder?" Tian Yuanzi, a master of Daoist magic, quickly understood. He felt heartbroken and then regretful, but it was all too late.
Chapter 971: Slaying and Exterminating
"Master, don't blame me, it's all your fault. It's you! It's all your fault! You forced me to do this. Not only did you not let me take revenge after my body was destroyed, you also stripped me of my right to inherit the position of sect leader. You forced me to this dead end. I treated you like this because you forced me to do this!" Fei Ling shouted uncontrollably at Tian Yuanzi.
"Feiling, you, you've truly wasted your master's efforts. You really don't understand your master's good intentions. Your master treated you this way entirely for your own good. Do you know, how could you possibly be a match for a mere Earth Immortal? Going to seek revenge against him is just suicide!" Tian Yuanzi said with deep sorrow.
"No, Master, if you're willing, I can fight him. Didn't Grandmaster leave behind a Nine-Turn Golden Pill? If I eat the Nine-Turn Golden Pill, my cultivation level can jump from the early stage of Qi Induction to the late stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation. With the God-Slaying Whip as a magic weapon, I can definitely fight Li Yang! Master, why don't you do this? Why?" Fei Ling roared angrily.
“Feiling, you’re thinking too simply. The Nine-Turn Golden Pill is the most precious treasure of our Kunlun Sect, and it’s something that can’t be consumed. Even if you did consume it, your cultivation level would only ever reach the late stage of Qi Induction, and you wouldn’t make any further progress. Your master’s decision not to let you consume it is for your own good,” Tian Yuanzi said, shaking his head with deep sorrow.
"You're talking nonsense! That's the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir left behind by the Patriarch, the first golden elixir for cultivators. A supreme treasure of cultivation. How could it have such a huge drawback?" Fei Ling shouted in complete disbelief.
"You don't understand. In the mortal realm, such a golden elixir is a heaven-defying existence. Those senior masters wouldn't allow it to exist; only the immortal realm permits its existence. Moreover, only the immortal realm possesses the true elixir formula. Mortal elixir formulas are all flawed. When the patriarch left behind the elixir, he already conveyed that this golden elixir was refined from an incomplete formula. Furthermore, the medicinal power of mortal immortal herbs is insufficient to achieve the expected heaven-defying effect. It should not be consumed unless absolutely necessary. Your master is already at the late stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation; there's no need for that elixir. Besides, as long as you cultivate diligently, you can completely reach that level in the mortal realm through your own strength. Why rely on external forces? This not only avoids the drawback of being unable to advance to higher realms like Earth Immortal, but also preserves the treasure left by the patriarch. Why won't you listen to your master's advice? Would your master harm you?" Tian Yuanzi shook his head, saying painfully.
"No, that's impossible. You're lying to me! But even if it's only at the late stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, I'll still eat it. Once I reach the late stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, and have the God-Slaying Whip as my magic weapon, no one in the mortal realm will be my match. Not even Li Yang. Once I have those two things, I'll make sure Li Yang dies!" Fei Ling was almost driven to madness, unable to listen to any advice.
"Feiling, don't do this. Kunlun cannot be destroyed because of you. Even if you consume the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir and obtain the God-Slaying Whip, you will still be no match for a high-level Earth Immortal. Doing so will only lead to your death!" Tian Yuanzi advised with great distress.
"Hmph~ Master, stop lying to me~ I absolutely don't believe your words~ The God-Slaying Whip could even knock down gods during the Investiture of the Gods. Let alone a mere Earth Immortal. I will never believe your words again~" Fei Ling said through gritted teeth.
"You, you're too blind. Our ancestor Jiang Ziya was a Celestial Immortal, only a step away from a Golden Immortal. That's why he could unleash the terrifying power of the God-Slaying Whip. That's why the God-Slaying Whip's great reputation spread so widely. But you're only at the late stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation, completely unable to unleash the power of the God-Slaying Whip, and you'll be burdened by the divine weapon. Don't be so stubborn!" Tian Yuanzi's mind stirred, and he swallowed the words that were about to come out. Another major drawback of the God-Slaying Whip is its extreme consumption of mana. If one's cultivation level is insufficient, even a single use will almost completely deplete their mana. For example, someone at the late stage of Qi Refining and Spirit Transformation can only barely wield the God-Slaying Whip once. But Jiang Ziya was a Celestial Immortal, only a step away from a Golden Immortal. He used the God-Slaying Whip with complete freedom and earth-shattering power. Before his mana could even deplete, the enemy would already be reduced to ashes. However, he didn't mention this drawback, as Fei Ling had already suffered a qi deviation.
It's too late to undo the damage; they've already committed the heinous act of killing their master. He'd better use Li Yang's help to clean house for Kunlun. He also knew the effects of the Qi-Tracing Powder only lasted twenty-four hours; as long as he survived, he could explain the situation to Li Yang.
Fei Ling suddenly threw his head back and burst into laughter, tears almost streaming down his face. His face contorted with rage as he looked down at Tian Yuanzi: "Master, don't blame me. Today I've gone all the way, there's no turning back. Master, please don't blame your disciple when you get down there!"
"Feiling, what, what do you want to do?" Tian Yuanzi's expression suddenly changed drastically, and he looked at Feiling in horror.
“That’s right. Master, it seems you’ve already guessed. I won’t give you the chance to recover your magic power and then kill me. I’m sorry, Master.” Fei Ling looked at Tian Yuanzi cruelly, grabbed Tian Yuanzi’s neck and snapped it with a crack.
"I'm sorry, Master. May you rest in peace." Then he stared intently at Tian Yuanzi's corpse, waiting for Tian Yuanzi's soul to leave his body. But Tian Yuanzi was terrified, and his soul hid inside his body, too afraid to come out.
“Master, you really underestimate me. You want my sister to take over as sect leader? Let me tell you, my sister is an idiot! She's out of her mind. Not only does she try to stop me from taking revenge, but she also can't forget the person who killed her. Don't you think someone like that has a problem with their head? Where can someone like her lead Kunlun? Master, Kunlun still depends on me.” After Fei Ling finished speaking to the corpse, she affixed the Soul Refining Talisman that she had prepared beforehand to Tian Yuanzi's forehead.
Tian Yuanzi's corpse trembled violently for a moment, then several wisps of green smoke spewed out from his seven orifices before the corpse fell completely silent.
"I knew you'd be too terrified to come out, Master, so I prepared everything for you long ago. May you have a safe journey~" Fei Ling looked at her masterpiece and laughed bloodthirstily. She clapped her hands and laughed triumphantly, with a hint of madness in her voice.
He then strode away, heading straight for the treasure pavilion.
In the capital city, at the entrance of a courtyard house with a giant banyan tree, a beautiful and refined young woman, though her brows bore a hint of melancholy, stopped. She looked up at the house number, nodded slightly, and then spoke a few words to the gatekeeper. The gatekeeper saluted and let her in.
"Miss Feihua, please come in. The general has already instructed that if you arrive, you should go straight in," the gatekeeper said respectfully.
"Thank you~" Fei Hua nodded slightly, smiled faintly, and went inside.
Chapter 972: Beautiful Inside and Out
Feihua entered the courtyard. An elderly man with snow-white hair, neatly combed, stood at the door, looking very energetic and waiting quietly with a smile on his face. He looked to be over ninety years old, but he did not need a cane and stood upright, seemingly still retaining the military style he had in his youth.
"It would be truly impolite of me not to personally greet the celestial being upon his arrival," General Yang said with great respect.
“General Yang, you’re too kind. There’s no need for you to come out to greet me personally. You can wait in the main hall. I’m a junior. Although I was fortunate enough to enter a cultivation sect, I’m still much younger than you. It should be me who comes to visit you personally,” Fei Hua said, stepping forward to help General Yang.
"Hahaha... Please, Immortal." General Yang was in high spirits. At the pinnacle of power in the mortal realm, he was still treated with such respect by a cultivator. He was delighted, thinking Fei Hua was incredibly adept at handling people. The Immortal was indeed extraordinary.
"General Yang, please!" The two men politely declined each other's invitations and entered the hall together. They took their seats as host and guest. General Yang took a deep breath and said, "The Da Hong Pao tea from the mother tree of Wuyi Mountain is a top-grade item in the mortal world, but in the eyes of immortals, it is nothing more than a mundane thing. I hope the immortals will not find it offensive."
"General Yang, please don't keep calling me 'Immortal,' it makes me feel embarrassed. I'm just an ordinary person, only my way of life is different. Just call me Feihua. You're like my master, who lived for hundreds of years and looks about the same age as you. It's very approachable," Feihua said to General Yang with a very warm smile.
General Yang nodded slightly, his mood improving even more. He genuinely liked Feihua. She was far superior to his grandchildren. Those debt collectors, seemingly obedient at home, were universally reviled spoiled brats outside. They wouldn't dare utter a sound in his presence, let alone speak confidently and easily about life and ideals. They were utterly hopeless. Alas, this was the difference. This was why he was a celestial being, while his own grandchildren were nothing but trash.
"Very well, then I'll take advantage of my seniority and call you Feihua," General Yang chuckled. His life had been full of ups and downs, countless calamities and near-death experiences; he had seen through many things. Even facing a celestial being like Feihua, he only showed respect, without being obsequious or self-deprecating.
“That’s right. Grandpa Yang. You don’t mind if I call you that, do you?” Fei Hua said with a smile.
"Hahaha... Alright, alright, it's all my fault for being careless. I called your name but didn't introduce myself. My real name is Yang Kaiwu, you can call me Grandpa Yang or Grandpa Wu, it's fine." Yang Kaiwu laughed happily.
“Alright then. I’ll still call you Grandpa Wu. The character ‘Wu’ sounds the same as the ancient word ‘Wu’, which means ‘I’. So Grandpa Wu is like calling me Grandpa. It’s more intimate.” Fei Hua said with a bright and genuine smile.
Yang Kaiwu burst into laughter, causing his personal secretary, hiding nearby, to secretly gasp in astonishment. Ever since the incidents involving the Dragon Group and the National Security Bureau, General Yang had hardly smiled, not even to the point of laughing at anyone. Yet today, upon seeing this young woman, he was laughing incessantly. "Sigh, comparisons are truly infuriating." Not only was she stunningly beautiful, but she was also incredibly eloquent, making General Yang laugh heartily with just a few simple words. That's the difference in skill and presence.
"Good, good, good... have some tea!" Yang Kaiwu's goatee stood up with joy.
"Yes. It is indeed a top-quality tea, comparable to the bamboo tip tea of Kunlun." Fei Hua said with a smile after taking a sip of tea.