Kun was suddenly pulled from his immersion in the beautiful scenery and exclaimed, "A Wu is here!"
He then turned to Qing Ling and urged, "Go quickly! Go quickly!"
Seeing his reaction, Qing Ling smiled and, without hesitation, flickered away, choosing to trust the little fellow.
But the wind in the sky had, at some unknown time, intensified and gathered into a wind curtain at the edge of the North Sea, sealing off the entrance.
"Go? Can you truly leave?"
A figure emerged, surprisingly another Kun!
The newcomer’s appearance was identical, but the eyes of the later arrival, a young man, were filled with sharpness.
Qing Ling sized up the newcomer and said with a light laugh, "Greetings, fellow Daoist."
The Kun seemed somewhat fearful of the young man and whispered, "A Wu, don't make things difficult for him. He's just here to see the North Sea. He hasn't done anything bad."
"How do you know he hasn't done anything?" the young man, addressed as A Wu, raised an eyebrow and said coldly.
"I've been following him," the Kun defended.
"No need to say more," A Wu waved his hand. "You can tell Peng."
As the words fell, a vast expanse of wind and clouds suddenly rose from the north, and a divine Peng descended from the heavens.
The colossal body of the divine Peng landed and also transformed into the appearance of a Kun. However, the Peng exuded an overbearing and domineering aura.
A Wu bowed slightly, his face filled with respect.
The Kun looked uneasy but remained still.
"Why have you come to my North Sea, fellow Daoist?" the Peng's powerful pressure descended like a mountain, bearing directly down on Qing Ling.
Qing Ling looked at the three people before him, who shared the same appearance but vastly different temperaments. He found it peculiar but still waved his sleeve, his Wood Dao essence turning into wind, dispersing the powerful pressure before him.
"I am Qing Ling, a cultivator from the Eastern Wilderness. I accidentally stumbled into the North Sea, and finding it exceptionally beautiful, I've been sightseeing. I harbor no other intentions. I beg for your forgiveness, senior."
The Peng scrutinized him for a moment, then his eyes widened in surprise and he said, "You, are you not the Lord of the Earthly Dao?"
Qing Ling was somewhat astonished but still smiled, "I merely hold the position on behalf of the Lord. This Lord of the Earthly Dao of mine is but a guardian of the Earthly Dao."
The Peng nodded, his overbearing aura receding significantly. He turned to the young man named A Wu and said, "Since I have appeared, you shall return to the sea's eye and hold the fort for me."
A Wu respectfully nodded and turned to leave.
The Peng looked at the Kun and sighed, "When will you ever make any progress? Come back."
Upon hearing this, the Kun's tension vanished. He glanced at Qing Ling before walking towards the Peng.
The Kun walked directly into the Peng's body, and the Peng's aura surged instantly. His realm, previously only at the fifteenth heaven, now reached the twentieth.
Qing Ling was greatly astonished. Looking at the young man before him, who radiated an extraordinary aura, he had a realization and bowed halfway, saying, "I pay my respects to the Ancestor Kun Peng."
The young man suddenly opened his eyes, revealing a frigid glint that even true dragons would fear, and looked at Qing Ling.
"Oh? So it's a green snake." The young man seemed to recall something and chuckled, "You have discerning eyes. It's no wonder you are from Daoist Tai Geng's lineage."
Qing Ling exclaimed, "Senior, do you know Ancestor Tai Geng?"
A sense of timelessness washed over the Kun Peng's eyes. He sighed and said, "Know him? We were sworn enemies for hundreds of eons. Little did I expect that when we were about to become friends, it would be the time of his demise."
Qing Ling was filled with confusion and wanted to ask more, but Kun Peng waved his hand, "It's all in the past, no need to dwell on it. Since you have succeeded Tai Geng, he can be considered to have found a successor. While the Earthly Dao is good, it is not your true path. Do not forget your roots."
Qing Ling nodded in agreement, no longer intending to inquire further.
Kun Peng looked south and after a moment of silence said, "Originally, I should have lent you a hand to repay the favor from years ago owed to Tai Geng. Unfortunately, my cultivation is at a critical juncture now, and I cannot interfere in worldly affairs. Everything must be left to your snake race to handle yourselves."
Although Qing Ling was curious as to why Ancestor Tai Geng had caused Kun Peng to owe him a karmic debt, he still thanked him.
Ancestor Kun Peng sighed again, "In the blink of an eye, the great tribulation of heaven and earth has arrived again. It has been one kalpa. Compared to those old fellows, I have fallen too far behind. I can only wait a little longer."
After his lament, he looked at Qing Ling again, his eyes filled with admiration, "Not bad. Your foundation is stable, and you have even broken through the shackles of heaven and earth. It seems you will face no impediments before the peak Great Power realm. Back then, to break through the shackles of heaven and earth, I split into two bodies, Kun and Peng. Later, to reach the peak realm, I divided into the Five Bodies of the North Sea. Although I succeeded, my path was flawed, and my cultivation has not progressed much over the years. Do not be hasty in your future cultivation. Do not follow in my footsteps."
Qing Ling was amazed and said, "Thank you for your guidance, senior."
Kun Peng hesitated for a moment, then extended a finger towards the icy North Sea. The vast ocean surged, and a divine light flared, drawing in energies from all directions. A divine lamp emerged from the ancient seabed.
A divine lamp floated on the icy sea, its crimson light startling all energies.
Ancestor Kun Peng beckoned the divine lamp, saying, "This lamp is the Ten Ultimate Heavenly Lamp. It is neither innate nor acquired but a rare treasure nurtured by heaven and earth. The holder of this lamp can perceive the general fortune and misfortune of the ten directions. Within the lamp are the ten ultimate fierce energies that can absorb calamities. While it possesses no other great divine abilities, this sole use is quite remarkable. This Ten Ultimate Heavenly Lamp is a gift for you."
Qing Ling was startled and quickly demurred, "Senior's kindness is too great. Such a miraculous item is needed by yourself. I cannot accept it lightly."
"What are you afraid of?" Ancestor Kun Peng laughed. "If I want to eat, I only eat flood dragons and divine phoenixes, not snakes. No matter how miraculous this treasure is, it cannot withstand my heavenly and earthly tribulation energies. It is only useful for those below the peak. Moreover, this treasure is merely to repay the favor owed to Daoist Tai Geng back then. If he had not self-immolated his great Dao body, several of us might not have survived safely to this day. Accept it."
Qing Ling hesitated for a moment, then accepted the divine lamp and thanked Kun Peng.
Kun Peng smiled and said, "In the future, it's best to come to the North Sea less often. If you were to encounter my Five Bodies of the North Sea alone, you might not be able to leave the North Sea. Go now."
Qing Ling nodded his thanks and, with a turn, was teleported out of the North Sea by Kun Peng.
His curiosity about the deeds of Ancestor Tai Geng grew. Not only was he close to Supreme Xuanwu, but even Kun Peng owed him a karmic debt. He shook his head, no longer dwelling on the past.
He looked at the Ten Ultimate Heavenly Lamp in his hand, wondering about its true rank. However, this treasure, merely imbued with luck, was already extraordinary. It could discern the fortunes and misfortunes of the ten directions and resist tribulation energies. While it could not withstand the tribulation of peak great powers, it was an extremely rare treasure for those below the peak.
Qing Ling refined the Ten Ultimate Heavenly Lamp, dispelling its residual energies but did not absorb it into his nascent soul for nurturing. After all, it was a gift from an outsider, and a peak great power at that. No matter how pleasant his words, one must remain vigilant. Thus, Qing Ling carried the lamp and walked slowly, an ancient lamp emitting a crimson glow, his green robe treading mountains and rivers, and golden bells chiming in secluded valleys.
Within the Ten Ultimate Heavenly Lamp, there was a ethereal world, with sky and earth, vast red sands, a long river of crimson water, roaring icy winds, golden light streaking across, blood mist billowing, soul-bewildering dark lights, and scorching flames. Under the illumination of the Ten Ultimate Heavenly Lamp, Qing Ling could observe the general fortune and misfortune of the ten directions. Black and red signified ill fortune, purple and gold signified good fortune, blue, green, and cyan represented blessings, yellow and gray indicated disaster, and white light was neutral. Ten colors, ten directions, fortune, misfortune, blessings, and disasters, all contained within a single lamp.