Qing Ling immediately used the secret language of the serpent race to convey the rank of the Ding Hai Shen Zhu to Granny Hua Geng. He dared not make any assumptions about the spiritual treasure's abilities, so he naturally did not mention them.
Granny Hua Geng pondered for a moment and instructed Qing Ling, "When this gate opens, I will enter and retrieve the treasure as quickly as possible. By then, other foreign Golden Immortals may attack you. With your Heavenly Rank Golden Immortal strength, you should be able to hold them off for a while. If you are unable to resist, take the risk and enter the gate. Even if the dangers within are unknown, it is safer than remaining outside. Remember, your life is paramount in all matters!"
Qing Ling was touched. To have such an elder care for him in the Primordial World was a great fortune. "Do not worry, Granny. I will act according to the situation."
"For now, conserve your energy. I observe that this gate will take some time to fully open," Granny Hua Geng said after observing the Sea-Sky Gate for a few moments.
Qing Ling then sat cross-legged with Granny Hua Geng to calm their minds.
Time slowly passed. After several months, no more Golden Immortal Venerables arrived. Ripples began to appear on the twelve luminous gates, with waves of blue water rippling across them. The luminous gates gradually emitted a powerful spiritual aura, and beams of light shot out from between the twelve gates, connecting them to form a congenital grand formation! Congenital spiritual treasures were usually protected by such formations to isolate those without destiny.
After a few more days, all the light on the Sea-Sky Gate vanished. At the twelve directional gates, Golden Immortal Venerables stepped inside.
On the north side, King Ling Chan transmitted to Mo Chan, "When I enter this gate, that old woman Hua Geng will also enter. At that time, it will be up to you to capture that congenital spirit. This time, you won't fail, will you? A Heavenly Rank against a Golden Immortal, don't let others mock you."
Old man Mo Chan quickly nodded and chuckled, "Without Hua Geng protecting him this time, a mere Heavenly Rank is easily within my grasp."
King Ling Chan nodded and walked forward, followed by four Golden Immortal late-stage experts from his clan who stepped into the luminous gate.
Granny Hua Geng also stood up and said, "Qing'er, remember to be extremely careful and prioritize your safety!"
"Don't worry, Granny. Go ahead," Hua Geng nodded and stepped into the luminous gate.
Dozens of Golden Immortal Venerables entered the luminous gate, leaving only over thirty Golden Immortals in the field, all guarding the gates to prevent their own cultivators from being ambushed upon emergence. Qing Ling's situation immediately became precarious. After all, although Granny Hua Geng was a Grand Unity cultivator, he was now just a Heavenly Rank youngster. All sorts of ill-intentioned individuals were lurking around.
As Mo Chan Venerable waited for all the late-stage Golden Immortal experts to leave, he moved to flash beside Qing Ling. However, a blue-robed man from the Qingyu tribe stepped forward and shouted, "Mo Chan, what do you think you're doing?" Behind him, the remaining two Golden Immortal Venerables and over twenty Heavenly Rank tribesmen also looked at Mo Chan.
Mo Chan snorted coldly and said, "Qingyu tribe, you're meddling too much." As he spoke, the Chanzu tribesmen behind him also stepped forward, confronting them. Five Golden Immortal Venerables even looked at them with ill intentions. The blue-robed man's face stiffened. Although the patriarch had instructed him to look after the Heavenly Rank serpent tribe, they were no match for the fifty-two departments of the Chanzu. Mo Chan let out a cold laugh and flew past alone.
Seeing this, Qing Ling bowed to the Qingyu tribesmen to thank them. This was the most normal thing in the Primordial World. Granny Hua Geng did not expect this favor to be of any real use, as self-preservation was a necessary means for smaller tribes to avoid conflict. Mo Chan Venerable flashed in front of Qing Ling and sneered, "Kid, today I'll see how you escape!" The surrounding cultivators watching from the sidelines were all paying attention, acting like spectators, with no intention of intervening. Little did they know, the roles of spectator and observed could change at any moment.
Qing Ling was unconcerned and said, "Old Chan, weren't the lessons from back then enough? Aren't you afraid of suffering another loss today? After all, this isn't the border of Xishan. People from a thousand tribes are watching. If you lose face here, you'll have no reputation left." Mo Chan's face showed great anger. He had no desire for further pleasantries and directly suppressed his aura, locking down the heavens and earth with dark light to prevent escape.
However, Qing Ling showed no fear. He simply flipped his hand, and a phantom appeared before him, shining golden light that dazzled the eyes. The surrounding cultivators watching were all surprised, "Is this... the Dragon Clan's Twelve Ranks?"
"Indeed, but this is only a phantom, used to display the contents of the Twelve Ranks."
"Then what's he using it for? Even if there's an order for Golden Immortals not to attack Heavenly Ranks, that only applies during the Battle of Ten Thousand Beasts."
Qing Ling said coldly, "Mo Chan, do you dare to violate the Dragon Clan's Twelve Ranks? Do you wish to rebel against the Dragon Clan's rule?" Mo Chan's outstretched hand trembled. He cursed, "Presumptuous! How dare you slander me. My loyalty to the Dragon Clan is unwavering. Tell me, which one have I violated?" To rebel against the Dragon Clan was a crime punishable by extinction, a sin that would bring the endless torment of vengeful spirits from the Myriad Dragon Abyss, a torture of absolute severity. He could not allow such a charge to fall upon him.
Qing Ling pointed at the phantom of the Twelve Ranks before him, and a light shone on the second rank. "Any Saint Son or Saint Daughter belonging to a clan, when traveling within the Dragon Clan's dominion, must not be offended by any of the ten thousand tribes. All Saint Sons, regardless of clan, are treasures of the Dragon Clan. Those who dare to offend them will be killed!..." There was a long string of text following, but the preceding lines were enough.
Mo Chan's face turned ashen. If this place were deserted, he might have dared to take the risk and kill him. But now, under the watchful eyes of everyone, he had no such courage. The Dragon Clan's authority could absolutely not be infringed upon. Even if the requirement of the second rank was extremely absurd, those who dared to violate it were already dead. He had faintly heard from other ancient clans that the position of Saint Son and Saint Daughter was related to the fundamental source of the Dragon Clan's control over the world, which was why they attached such extreme importance to it! He had intended to use his Golden Immortal means to intimidate Qing Ling and then capture him. By then, it would be a fait accompli, and most of the clans present would not know the identity of the Saint Son from distant Xishan.
Just as Mo Chan was caught in a dilemma, a voice suddenly sounded. "Fellow Daoist Mo Chan, do not be hasty. Others cannot attack, but I still can!" Mo Chan quickly looked back and saw a clan member of the Hei Xi Upper Clan, a peerlessly beautiful woman, approaching with a smile. His heart stirred, and he chuckled, "Is this the Saint Daughter of the Hei Xi Upper Clan, renowned throughout the Eastern Wasteland?" Miao smiled and nodded, "Indeed. As I am also a Saint Daughter of my clan, the struggle between Saint Sons and Saint Daughters does not carry such a crime. Right, Saint Son of the Xishan Serpent Tribe?" Her voice turned cold as she looked at Qing Ling.
Mo Chan saw this and quickly smiled, "Then I thank the Saint Daughter for her trouble. My Chanzu and your esteemed clan have always been harmonious neighbors, and we may even be able to support each other in the future." Miao smiled and replied, "Venerable Mo Chan speaks the truth." As soon as she finished speaking, she struck out with a palm without any warning, as swift as lightning. But Qing Ling, who was already prepared, was faster. He stomped his foot and burrowed into the depths of the earth. The giant palm fell with a roar, causing the entire Miaozhu Island to shake significantly, and a hundred-zhang-deep chasm appeared on the ground.
Seeing that her attack had failed, Miao was not surprised. She waved her arm, and the water-blue banner in her hand shook. Rushing currents of seawater surged from the depths of the island, forcing Qing Ling, who was hiding beneath the island, into a corner where he had no choice but to reappear on the surface. Miao said nothing and attacked again. She harbored deep hatred for Qing Ling from years past and knew he was a congenital spirit with considerable strength, so she did not dare to be careless.
The surrounding water waves converged heavily, completely sealing off Qing Ling's six directions. The water waves expanded, and the great waves formed by the Tian Yi True Water were not comparable to ordinary seawater. Qing Ling remained calm. His vast magical power surged within him. With a wave of his hands, he unleashed streaks of green spiritual fire that adhered to the Tian Yi True Water and burned fiercely, unafraid of being extinguished by the true water. This was his Dantian fire, wood fire, possessing the inexhaustible vitality of wood. Wood reversed into fire, and wood generated fire. When the wood element flowed smoothly, it was born from water. The wood energy within Qing Ling, a trace of Yin-Yang transformation, the surging surrounding Tian Yi True Water, which could stabilize the soul and restrain the body, generated a continuous supply of wood energy. The more vigorous the wood energy, the stronger the green fire, and the weaker the heavenly water!
Gradually, the Tian Yi True Water was pushed back by the inexhaustible wood fire. The sky was filled with green fire, circling and burning around the red-clothed man. Ten thousand waters overturned, but ten thousand fires remained unextinguished. Miao was startled, never expecting this boy to possess magical power comparable to a Golden Immortal, and it was endless and inexhaustible. She pulled out a black jade hairpin from her hair, muttered an incantation, and channeled her finger's magical power. She then shouted, "Go!" The black jade hairpin shot out directly, carrying the powerful soul of a Golden Immortal and a spiritual treasure refined by a Grand Unity cultivator of the Hei Xi Upper Clan, specifically designed to break all laws and restrain the physical body.
The Sky-Nihility Rope behind Qing Ling also flew up, transforming into nine strands. The nine green strands dispersed and then converged, the tips of the nine strands forming a single line. This single green strand collided with the black light, erupting in a magnificent glow that forced many cultivators to close their eyes. Green light and black light divided a thousand-zhang heaven and earth. The black light was shrouded in deathly aura, while the green light was endless in vitality. Black and green intertwined, their strengths indistinguishable. At this moment, Qing Ling's long-prepared Primordial Spirit finally moved.
The red-clothed youth flew into the sky, breaking through the mixture of water and fire. His hair flew about, his peerless beauty shone like the sun. His divine manifestation appeared, with a human body and a serpent's tail. One hand held the gentle spring breeze, and the other held fine rain. The spring breeze and fine rain transformed into a nourishing elixir, bringing prosperity to a thousand-mile marshland. A projection of a thousand-mile spring world enveloped Miao. In an instant, her soul felt as if it were bathed in a spring breeze. She seemed to have returned to the time when she was still a water lizard, with warm sun and gentle breezes, a hundred flowers blooming, and ten thousand trees vying for spring. She felt herself become spring, each flower, each blade of grass, each beast, each spirit, all part of this thousand-mile spring panorama.
In Qing Ling's Dantian world, the Xuan Tian Vine absorbed the lake of spiritual energy and released wisps of the Great Dao of Wood, constructing the reality of this spring panorama of flourishing trees with the Great Dao of Wood! Even Venerable Mo Chan standing beside him was drawn into the scene and the meaning. However, his perception was of spring frogs croaking everywhere, of mating and procreation in the depths of the vegetation, of budding spring hearts, and of heightened desires in wild beasts! Around the periphery of this thousand-mile spring scenery, the hundreds of cultivators all sank into it. Only some Golden Immortal Venerables who were not deliberately targeted remained clear-headed, but even they couldn't help but feel their bodies' vitality rekindle within this picturesque spring scenery.
Standing in the air, the divine statue bathed in the golden radiance of the great sun, the divine eyes held a beautiful, glazed radiance in the left eye, and a void of black death in the right. The divine being looked down, indifferent to all beings, drawing the life force of heaven and earth to the beings, saying, "You have received my spring, so you shall offer your bodies!" Qing Ling's divine manifestation was majestic and noble. His divine words proclaimed: "Heaven and earth are born, all beings return to spring!" In an instant, within the flourishing spring panorama, Miao's mind merged with heaven and earth. She had not fallen into Qing Ling's illusion, but he had used his divine authority to draw upon the power of heaven and earth. The power of heaven and earth was neither good nor evil, so it naturally did not trigger her Primordial Spirit's crisis, forcing her to resist.
A bit of blue water essence flew out from her body, merging into this spring panorama of flourishing trees. Miao's body visibly lost its youthful luster. Her black hair turned gray, her fair, elastic skin gradually shriveled, even developing wrinkles etched by time, and her body began to wither and thin. Venerable Mo Chan was even worse off. Already extremely old, his body had been weak in his early years, his yang energy extremely depleted. After becoming a Golden Immortal, his body recovered, and he engaged in unrestrained procreation. The yang energy deficiency accumulated over tens of eons. Now, with Qing Ling's divine Dao law guiding him, dark black points flew out of his body and merged into the spring scenery. His body's yin became extremely abundant, and his yang extremely deficient, triggering a phenomenon of decay. His teeth fell out one by one, his body weakened, his face became wrinkled and spotted, and his lower body became extremely deficient in yang energy, possibly rendering him unable to procreate again.