"It just... vanished?"
Deero was struck with absolute shock, watching the massive mountain disappear so rapidly into Po Kong's mouth. For a Primordial Being, this was nothing short of terrifying. And this was while the man in the vermilion Taoist robe simply watched from a distance without lifting a finger. As the eldest brother, he certainly wouldn't be weaker than his sister.
Deero suppressed the marvel in his heart and called out, "The Demon King has been brought to justice. Withdraw! Return to the Jade Void Palace."
He looked back to see Zoran and Po Kong walking side-by-side. These two required the utmost caution.
Behind him, Zoran waved his hand in front of Po Kong, and a tiny, squeaky-voiced stone figure manifested in his palm.
"I thank your Excellency for your mercy in sparing me, and for protecting a shred of Shiji's consciousness," the little stone woman bowed with practiced grace. Her gaze then fell upon Po Kong. "It seems beauty is always accompanied by danger," she lamented.
"You speak with an interesting wit," Zoran observed, looking down at her. "Sparing you is the decree of the Jade Void Palace; you must be captured alive."
"Master Tso Lan," Deero's voice came from the side. Now that the Demon King had been subdued and the pair's entry into the Chan Sect was a certainty, he had shifted his form of address. "Might I ask to hand this Demon King over to the Demon-Hunting Squad for processing?"
Zoran nodded slightly and pushed the little stone figure toward Deero. Deero produced a small cage and stuffed Lady Shiji inside. The little stone person was quite cute in form, but Zoran had no interest in her. As for leaving her with Po Kong... she would likely just be eaten.
Following the Demon-Hunting Squad, the group returned to the Jade Void Palace on Mount Kunlun. The journey was incredibly swift, as subduing the target had taken no longer than the time it took for Po Kong to finish a meal.
In the rear, Zoran asked his sister, "How did you find that excursion?"
Po Kong nodded slightly. Lady Shiji's True Form mountain was different from ordinary ranges; it was rich with spiritual energy, making it much more to her liking.
Zoran's intent for this trip included a specific, pure thought. With Shendu's experience as a precedent, he wanted to take his other siblings through the myriad worlds to see different sights. As he had said when he first left their original world: This universe is so magnificent; how could I not let them see it for themselves?
Perhaps due to the influx of power, Po Kong's eyes seemed a fraction clearer. She watched the grand procession of the Demon-Hunting Squad and murmured, "These people look dignified and upright, but I feel as though they are bound by something."
Zoran raised an eyebrow. Outside the Jade Void Palace, the squads moved like dense stars returning to the sea. Po Kong was not truly dim-witted; the wisdom eroded by the Netherworld would return as her power grew. Zoran had simply told her to "speak little and do little" from the start.
"This world is full of constraints," Zoran remarked. "How was the taste of those Immortal Elixirs? Did they have any effect?"
Po Kong said in a low voice, "If the Eldest Brother refined them, I imagine they would be even better."
Zoran let out a wry laugh. "Once I achieve my goal here, we shall leave."
…
A short while later.
After listening to Deero's report, Wuliang Xianweng showed a look of great satisfaction. He stroked his long beard and praised, "Your Excellency has joined my Chan Sect. According to the rules, juniors who have yet to achieve immortality have one chance to choose a fortuitous magical artifact. Though you are already an Immortal, you still retain this right."
"However, before that, while you need not 'ascend,' you must be branded with our Chan Sect's Immortal Incantation to be issued an Immortal Jade Plaque. This serves as your identification; it will be your support when walking the world in the future."
Wuliang Xianweng spoke tentatively, beginning to chant a mantra as golden light swirled incessantly.
"That is acceptable," Zoran replied, his expression unchanging.
"Excellent, excellent!"
Satisfied, Wuliang Xianweng drove the Immortal Incantation forward, wrapping it around Zoran and Po Kong. After a long moment, the golden light faded. Having issued the jade plaques, he led them out of the Great Hall.
A moment later, with a wave of his hand, the Chan Sect's treasury unfolded before Zoran. Thousands of "swimming fish" formed arrays, drifting from afar; every fish was a treasure containing a precious item.
Zoran got straight to the point. "Do you have the methods for alchemy?"
"Of course!" Wuliang Xianweng said confidently. "Alchemy is the specialty of the Jade Void Palace." He beckoned a swimming fish to Zoran and asked, "Just this?"
Logically, since Zoran was an Immortal, he shouldn't lack alchemy techniques, but Wuliang Xianweng didn't pry. Zoran nodded, and the method stored within the fish unfolded before him, turning into a screen of light containing vast knowledge.
"This method encompasses the most mainstream paths of alchemy today. It is extraordinarily complex; one might not master it even after a thousand years." Wuliang Xianweng cautioned Zoran.
But in the next second, he froze. Zoran remained motionless as the screen of knowledge suddenly collapsed back into a swimming fish and drifted away.
Zoran said softly, "So that's how it works."
Wuliang Xianweng's expression turned rigid. "Your Excellency... has learned it?"
How was that possible? It had only been a few seconds. The screen was only open for a fleeting moment.
The corners of Zoran's mouth lifted slightly. "I have learned it."
In the myriad worlds, various powers emerge in endless forms, but their essence remains the same: mastery of one leads to the mastery of all. He only lacked a catalyst. A Demon Sorcerer was a being born from the source, possessing power by nature. It was like an eternal river; once a gap is carved, the water flows through without obstruction.
Wuliang Xianweng sighed in admiration, then asked, "Your sister also has one chance."
As soon as he spoke, Po Kong interjected, "I need an alchemy cauldron."
"Good, good!" Wuliang Xianweng laughed heartily. A shrewd man, he had already grasped their intentions. He beckoned another fish and took out a bronze cauldron. "This is an imitation of Master's Tianyuan Cauldron. Its refining capabilities are not inferior to ordinary artifacts. As for the true Tianyuan Cauldron, you will see it shortly."
Zoran nodded, sweeping his hand over the bronze cauldron. It shrank visibly until it floated in his palm. Po Kong was sensible; even without his prompting, she had chosen her fortune wisely.
Wuliang Xianweng drifted back toward the hall. He had received word that his Junior Brother, Taiyi Zhenren, was bringing the reincarnation of the Spirit Pearl, Nezha, to the Jade Void Palace.
"Look, that is the Tianyuan Cauldron." He pointed to the side with pride.
A colossal cauldron, much of it hidden within the mist, appeared before Zoran. The Tianyuan Cauldron possessed the ultimate power of refinement.
"Even ordinary materials refined by this cauldron will have their quality elevated," Wuliang Xianweng noted, stroking his beard.
Zoran took one look and then withdrew his gaze. Seeing that Zoran didn't seem overly interested, Wuliang Xianweng felt relieved. Ordinary people couldn't budge this cauldron; it was the personal artifact of Yuanshi Tianzun. Even he only had the right to use it.
"I shall have Crana take you to your grotto to rest. My Junior Brother is coming to visit, so I must take my leave."
"Please, do not let us keep you," Zoran said, raising a hand to see him off.
Wuliang Xianweng's Junior Brother, Taiyi Zhenren, held the responsibility of educating the Spirit Pearl. But that so-called "Spirit Pearl" was actually the reincarnation of the Demon Orb. It seemed Zoran had arrived just in time.
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