Chapter 7: Returning to Lingshan to Report on the Mission

With such top-tier cultivation techniques, they had hopes of reaching the realm of an Asura Sovereign in less than a century, which left them utterly overjoyed.

Furthermore, Yang Nan had also promised that he possessed an entire set of peerless techniques for ascending to sagehood and immortality, waiting for them. Because of this, the four commanders became completely devoted to following Yang Nan, to the point where even chasing them away with swords would not make them leave.

When Long Yao entered the Spirit Beast Mountain and saw Fish Maiden leading a flock of dazzling beauties out to welcome Yang Nan, she realized that his words were not false. If Yang Nan truly had an obsession with beauties, how could he possibly pass up this flock of rare and peerless beauties right by his side?

However, the Dragon Palace also had an endless stream of beauties. There were the breathtaking and speechless mermaids; the noble, elegant, and uniquely poised sturgeon maidens; the graceful and winding chi maidens; the slender-waisted, nimble-footed shrimp maidens; the naturally exquisite colorful fish maidens; the soft as gauze, translucent and pristine jellyfish maidens; along with giant clam maidens, conch maidens, shimmering fish maidens, and the boneless, supple eel maidens. Truly, everything one could imagine was there, leaving minor river spirits like Fish Maiden dumbfounded and secretly marveling.

Not to mention the naturally magnificent and god-like Long Yao, if one were to also count the burly and robust shark maidens, the passionate and enthusiastic kissing fish maidens, the leaping mudskipper maidens who constantly hopped about on their feet, and other niche attendants, Long Yao's palace had nearly gathered all the beauties of the sea in one sweep, numbering easily over a hundred different kinds!

Over a hundred kinds of diverse, uniquely enchanting beauties—surely, any man in this world upon seeing them would instantly feel as though he had arrived in the heavenly realm.

Watching the terrifyingly rapid expansion of their master's harem, and recalling the flower spirits and tree monsters back in their own mountains, the four commanders felt truly inferior by comparison. Yet, with things turning out this way, it would probably be exceedingly difficult for Yang Nan to ever shake off the titles of a debauched ruler and a collector of beauties...

The four commanders even gritted their teeth in secret, vowing that in the future, they must find a peerless demonic entity—unmatched in heaven and earth—to present to their master!

If they did not rouse themselves and catch up, the four commanders feared they would end up being nothing more than four tiny, insignificant shrimps in the end...

When it came to matters like this, even if the master didn't say a word, how could subordinates willingly lag behind?

Yang Nan had always paid little attention to these trivial domestic affairs among the women. Upon returning home, he took Long Yao for a stroll through the back garden. This back garden had always been managed solely by Fish Maiden and Flower Yan. Hundreds of mortal women lived here, sustained by spiritual medicines that kept their youth eternal and vastly increased their lifespans; they were so happy here that they had completely forgotten about ever returning home.

The yields from the medicine garden, combined with the produce of the mountain, were more than enough as tribute to Mount Kunlun, so Yang Nan did not need to worry much. The moment the thirty-odd outer disciples saw their junior grand-uncle return with countless sea treasures, they leaped for joy. In recent years, the cultivation levels of the three main disciples—Hunyuan, Qianren, and Bailian—had surged dramatically. Yang Nan was not stingy either; he let each of them select several spiritual objects from the treasury to forge their own divine weapons and magic treasures.

Yang Nan’s black snake magic weapon was already of saintly grade, and unless it encountered a divine object of heaven and earth, it would certainly be impossible to upgrade further. As for Yong'er, she ate nothing but divine objects; consuming these miscellaneous spiritual treasures would only yield a wisp of divine light, making it better not to eat them at all.

Therefore, all of these had simply gone into the Spirit Beast Mountain's treasury.

Early the next morning, Yang Nan left Long Yao behind and traveled alone to Mount Kunlun to see Sect Master Xuanxu. Although Buxu had said that unless he became a Sovereign, he need not return to the mountain, this matter was completely different. Furthermore, the Li family lineage was weak, and Yang Nan could come and go freely within the mountain. The first place he went to was the Hall of Purple Qi.

His bearded senior brother still maintained the cultivation of an eighth-tier Grandmaster. Over these past few years, Yang Nan had already attained the second-tier Grandmaster realm, yet his senior brother remained stalled in place. Upon seeing the junior brother he hadn't seen for six or seven years become a Grandmaster, Hu Yuan’s face was filled with great joy, and he laughed directly, "Junior Brother, it's one thing that you were forced into seclusion by Senior Uncle Buxu, but how could you reach the Grandmaster realm and still not come to see me?"

Yang Nan smiled bitterly and said, "Senior Brother, you aren't unaware of how strict my master is. The moment I reached the Great Completion of the Master stage, she chased me down the mountain, telling me not to return until I reached the realm of a Sovereign. I've basically snuck back this time; if she finds out, I'm afraid I'm in for another beating!"

Hu Yuan laughed heartily and said, "If anyone else wanted Senior Uncle Buxu to beat them, she wouldn't even deign to lift a finger. Look at you, brat; you're actually sitting here complaining about our Senior Uncle."

Yang Nan reached out and retrieved over a hundred jars of fine monkey wine from his Jiangshan Ring, smiling as he said, "Senior Brother, these hundred-odd jars of Monkey Intoxication are a filial offering from my subordinates. This Qianling Pill aids in Grandmaster cultivation, the Qingxin Pan helps with entering meditative concentration and calming the mind, and the Daxuan Zhushen Incense can repair the soul. Furthermore, these spiritual stones and elixirs are all produced in my mountain; Senior Brother certainly won't stand on ceremony with me, right?"

Hu Yuan looked at the former lonely and helpless junior brother and the impressive aura he now possessed. A deep warmth flashed in his eyes as he laughed heartily, "You're a wealthy man now. If I didn't accept them, wouldn't I be doing a disservice to myself?"

Yang Nan's heart settled, and he said, "Senior Brother, I also have a Tianyuan Qingxu Divine Talisman, which can help Senior Brother achieve the position of a Sovereign. As long as Senior Brother can cultivate to the ninth-tier Great Completion, there will certainly be no problem passing this boundary."

In truth, reaching the ninth-tier Great Completion also required a clear and enlightened Dao heart, along with the unity of one's true self. Knowing that Hu Yuan had a lingering regret in his heart, Yang Nan deliberately left that unsaid.

Hu Yuan lowered his eyes and murmured softly, "Thank you, Junior Brother, for your kind intentions. The two of us have been acquainted for over a decade and have always been of one mind; I won't say any superfluous words. If Senior Brother has any hope of becoming a Sovereign, I will have to thank Junior Brother for your help."

Seeing Hu Yuan's gloomy expression, Yang Nan suddenly chuckled and said, "Senior Brother, your younger brother has actually come to ask for rescue this time! You simply cannot stand by and do nothing!"

Hu Yuan asked in astonishment, "What kind of trouble have you stirred up now?"

Yang Nan then recounted how Qingyan had been poisoned, the plots of the Demon Valley, and the request of Prince Chun, finally saying, "I'm afraid I'll have to go look for the Profound Ice Thread Fruit over the next few years to cure Qingyan. I'm not afraid of the matters concerning the Demon Valley, but I worry that completely wiping out those sects harboring the delusional ambition to forge a supreme golden body will not be an easy task. Therefore, I wanted to come back and ask the Sect Master to issue a decree to assist us."

"Your wife actually contracted soul poison? This matter is extremely bizarre!" Hu Yuan frowned and pondered for a long time before slowly saying, "Although the Kunlun Sect has seventy-two monasteries across the world, we cannot quite claim to suppress all heroes. Those minor sects are at most at the Grand Grandmaster realm, and probably don't even have a single Sovereign. It's just that their numbers are large; if too few sect disciples go, nothing will be accomplished, but if too many go, how could the Sect Master possibly agree?"

Yang Nan chuckled and said, "Prince Chun gave me three innate spiritual objects and said that once he ascends the throne, the Kunlun Military Sect will become the state religion of the realm. Think about it—this struggle for orthodox religious authority has existed since ancient times. Now, we can settle the universe in a single stroke; how could the Sect Master not be tempted?"

Once they secured the orthodox authority, they would possess an endless stream of brilliant disciples, and the strength of the Kunlun Sect would soar above all other sects and factions!

With such an achievement, when ascending and meeting the past ancestors of Kunlun in the future, he would also have glory on his face!

Hu Yuan’s furrowed brows smoothed out as he laughed and scolded, "You stinking brat, you actually dared to calculate even the Sect Master! You'd better watch out or Senior Uncle Buxu will come out and skin you alive!" He then chuckled as well, "However, this trick is extremely effective. If Kunlun can suppress all heroes and become the orthodoxy of the realm, wouldn't the River Styx sect of the Legalist faction be jumping in anxiety? And the Buddhist sect would have to lower themselves a notch below us! This Prince Chun has seized our lifeline; he is truly formidable."

Mentioning Prince Chun's grand masterstroke, Hu Yuan felt boundless admiration in his heart. Heroes frequently emerged among mortal emperors; without supreme talent, how could one firmly sit on the dragon throne and govern the entire world?

Yang Nan laughed heartily and said, "Naturally. If he weren't formidable, would I have made this grand vow as a Sovereign to assist him?"

Hu Yuan patted Yang Nan heavily on the shoulder and said, "Don't I know you, brat? Do you think a mere grand vow alone would move your heart? I'm afraid the benefits are quite substantial, aren't they?"

Seeing Hu Yuan's meaningful expression, Yang Nan knew he couldn't hide it from this seemingly rough yet shrewd senior brother. He sighed and said, "Prince Chun promised to let me arbitrarily select treasures from the imperial treasury. This is the price paid in exchange by the Confucian Mind Sect, and it has nothing to do with our Kunlun Sect!"

Hu Yuan chuckled and said, "Look at that crafty look of yours. Don't worry, Junior Brother, the Sect Master isn't greedy for your so-called innate spiritual objects; it's the orthodox state religion of the Military Sect that is most attractive. But when the time comes, shouldn't there be a share of those treasures for me?"

Given their friendship, Hu Yuan wouldn't seriously demand any treasures from Yang Nan; he was merely teasing him after not seeing each other for several years.

Yang Nan readily replied, "Since Senior Brother has spoken, it goes without saying. When the time comes, your share is guaranteed!"

Hu Yuan laughed heartily and said, "I'm not asking for nothing either. Aren't you urgently needing manpower to go down the mountain and quell the rebellion? How about I personally lead a team to go? You should feel at ease then, right?"

Yang Nan was overjoyed and said, "With Senior Brother taking the field, you will surely sweep away all demons and monsters, and your younger brother can finally rest easy!"

Since he could both fulfill his Sovereign grand vow and obtain treasures from the imperial treasury, how could he still be unsatisfied?

Among the Kunlun Grandmasters, Hu Yuan possessed the highest magic power and the supreme divine abilities. With a single wave of his Seven-Star Magic Saber, even a Grand Grandmaster would be wiped out in one fell swoop. With him going down the mountain to assist, Yang Nan could sleep peacefully without a worry.

Hu Yuan waved his hand and said, "Alright, alright, you should go convince the Sect Master first. If the Sect Master gives the word, I will set out; if the Sect Master refuses, there is nothing I can do either."

Without the Sect Master's decree, one was not permitted to privately leave the mountain—this was the established rule within the Kunlun Sect, and Hu Yuan could not break the rules to assist out of personal affection.

Yang Nan chuckled and said, "I'm off to the Ancestral Hall to find the Sect Master right now! In my view, this matter will definitely succeed."

With a flash of his Yin-shining escape technique, he instantly headed toward the Ancestral Hall on the Lingxiao Peak. Hu Yuan stretched out his hand, but how could he possibly manage to stop him in time? He could only laugh and curse, "This stinking brat, he really is impatient!"

Yang Nan's escape light flew right up to the front of the Ancestral Hall, and he walked the rest of the way in. He wouldn't dare fly over the Ancestral Hall; that God-Slaying Annihilation Formation was nothing to mess with. Strangely enough, there were not any disciples guarding the front of the Ancestral Hall. When the two white-feathered spiritual eagles saw him coming, they merely struck a pose and presented him with a huge, dismissive backside.

Yang Nan felt deeply suspicious in his heart: why was the defense of the Ancestral Hall so lax?

Walking past threshold after threshold, he finally arrived at the innermost hall. Sitting right at the entrance was an old Taoist priest yawning away, looking half-asleep—wasn't that precisely Sect Master Xuanxu?

Not daring to be discourteous, Yang Nan stepped forward and bowed, "This disciple pays respects to the Sect Master!"

Sect Master Xuanxu didn't even lift his eyelids. A lazy smile curled the corner of his mouth as he said, "You just put those three treasures down right there, and then you can go wherever you want!"

Seeing the Sect Master looking completely listless, how did he look anything like a sage?

Suspicion arose in his heart. Looking carefully at Sect Master Xuanxu, he saw a massive auspicious cloud enveloping the Sect Master's body. The cloud's light flickered vaguely, and its aura was vast and boundless—if this wasn't Sect Master Xuanxu, who else could it be?

Yang Nan moved sluggishly. Growing thoroughly impatient, Sect Master Xuanxu lifted his eyelids slightly and said angrily, "Little monkey, I told you to bring those three innate spiritual objects to me, not to send you down to the netherworld. What are you hesitating for?"