Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme - Chapter 574

Chapter 574: Chapter 349: Divine Power

Beneath the Southern Sea, within the Crystal Palace.

The Grand Void Sea Assembly, right on cue.

“Come, come, come, fellow Daoists, let’s have another drink!”

“The Dragon Monarch is truly generous!”

“This ‘Thousand-Day Drunken Dreams’ would challenge even the True Dragon physique of the Mahayana Dragon Clan, tough to handle after three jars, let alone nine jars like the Dragon Monarch without falling. No wonder among the Dragon Clan of the Four Seas, the Southern Sea True Dragon is known for having the strongest physique!”

“Hahaha, my fellow Daoists flatter me too much!”

Amidst the banquet, the Cultivators passed cups and clinked glasses, the atmosphere exuberant.

At the main seat, a monarch with a dragon’s head and a human body, carefree and rather wild, was none other than the Southern Sea Dragon Monarch.

Among the Four Seas Dragon Palace and the Immortal God Taoism, there was a Nine Tribulations True Immortal known as the “East Sea Dragon Emperor,” who had long secluded himself in the East Sea, no longer involved in worldly affairs. There were also the West Sea, North Sea, and Southern Sea Dragon Kings, immortals in the midst of tribulations, all deeply devoted to cultivation and preparing for the True Dragon Immortal Tribulation.

Therefore, each sovereign of the Four Seas was a Mahayana, and this Southern Sea Dragon Monarch was one of them, being the eldest legitimate son of the Southern Sea Dragon King. He had ascended to Mahayana over fifty thousand years ago and possessed considerable strength as a senior figure.

The Southern Sea Dragon Clan was renowned for their physique, and this Southern Sea Dragon Monarch fully displayed the dragon nature, indulging in the pleasures of the senses during the banquet. The invited Mahayana Cultivators who came to the banquet shared in the same spirits, enjoying the fine wines and delicacies of the Dragon Palace.

Just as everyone was reveling, their spirits high…

“Hummm!!!”

A tremor resonated through the Dragon Palace.

“Hm!?”

The Southern Sea Dragon Monarch’s brow furrowed, his large copper bell-like eyes showing surprise and doubt.

It was just a slight tremor, hardly noticeable, but anything that affected the Dragon Palace was no trivial matter.

At once, he called for his servant, “Quickly, go to the Eastern Palace and ask the Dragon Queen where this disturbance is coming from!”

Seeing this, the other Cultivators put down their cups, a hint of mockery flashing in their eyes, which then turned to curiosity.

This Southern Sea Dragon Monarch, although a senior in the Mahayana realm, was known for focusing on body refinement rather than Divine Powers. Thus, he often relied on his wife, the Southern Sea Dragon Queen, even for disturbances in the Dragon Palace, and had to go to the Eastern Palace for inquiries. For a monarch to be in such a state, it was indeed hard to hold back laughter.

However, the main concern was the source of that anomaly. Could it be that trouble had also risen in the Southern Sea?

While the Cultivators were lost in doubt…

“Father King!”

An alarmed shout was heard, and a streak of Escape Light flew in, landing in the hall and transforming into a person, the Southern Sea Dragon Prince, Ao Jiang.

“Jiang’er?”

The Dragon King was momentarily stunned, “What has happened?”

“To report, to report to Father King!”

Ao Jiang’s voice trembled, his face bearing a look of alarm, “Just now, Zhen Yuanzi, the master of the Wuzhuang Temple on Mount Longevity in the South Observance Continent, came to the Grand Void Sea Realm to gather Mysterious Iron Refined Gold for refining treasures. He went straight to the Ancient Iron Mountain mines, displayed Heavenly Gang Divine Power, wielded the Whip Mountain technique, intending to collect Essence Gold Divine Iron. Now it has…”

“What!?”

Upon hearing this, the Southern Sea Dragon Monarch’s face changed, and he immediately jumped up in alarm and anger, rushing outwards.

“This…”

The remaining Cultivators looked at each other, not knowing what to do.

In such a manner, in the Grand Void Sea Realm.

“Boom! Boom! Boom!”

“Gurgle! Gurgle!”

The ground shook, the sea water churned.

The sky darkened and the sunlight vanished in the Grand Void Sea Realm, where a triangular Iron Mountain hung by a golden rope, being dragged upwards gradually by nine oxen.

In the mountain’s vicinity, colors of the Five Elements shone brightly, chains formed by the power of the Five Elements tried to lock onto the mountain, offering resistance.

But above the auspicious clouds, a Taoist man waved his horsetail whisk, sending out divine lights, colorful as the Five Elements.

“Bang! Bang! Bang!”

One after another, one light after another, red light flashes, green light breaks, green light slashes, yellow light falls.

In a blink of an eye, four chains of the Five Elements had been cut off, with only one struggling to hang on, teetering on the brink of collapse.

And at that moment…

“Stop!”

A dragon figure roared towards the Five Elements Array, its head raised high as it charged straight into it.

However, Xu Yang’s expression did not change. He merely waved his horsetail whisk, and divine light like sword strikes swept forth.

“Bang!!!”

The Southern Sea Dragon Monarch, enraged, appeared in his great Mahayana Jiao Dragon form with an uplifted dragon head and furiously splayed claws. Colliding with the divine light, a thunderous roar ensued, sounding as if the heavens were splitting and the earth was shattering.

Instantly, the sea water evaporated, Dragon Blood sprayed, and pieces of golden scales were seen falling. The Southern Sea Dragon Monarch too flipped over and retreated, displaying an extremely angry stance with his reverse scales standing on end.

Dragons have nine offspring, each with its own characteristics. The bloodlines of the Dragon Clan of the Four Seas also differ. Among them, the Southern Sea lineage is renowned for its strong physique, being the strongest within the Four Seas Dragon Clan.

Nevertheless, even with such an extraordinary physique, he was still no match for his opponent’s Divine Power. The five-colored beams were like swords sweeping through, brushing clean with each strike as heavy as mountains. Even the strong Southern Dragon struggled to counter it and was injured by its force in just one move.

The pain of his injury further enraged the dragon, and the Southern Sea Dragon Monarch let out a long howl, ready to fight to the death.

“Husband, you mustn’t!”

Fortunately, at this moment, an urgent cry came, and strands of Escape Light arrived on the scene, one of them landing directly in front of the dragon head, blocking his path.

“Wife?”

The Southern Sea Dragon Monarch looked down and saw a beautiful woman in palace attire, who was none other than his beloved Southern Sea Dragon Queen.

The Southern Sea Dragon Queen stood in front of him, signaling to him with her eyes, and transmitted her thoughts telepathically, “Husband, please stay calm. This person is no ordinary being, we cannot act recklessly!”

“This…”

The Southern Sea Dragon Monarch’s brow furrowed, visibly shaken but still unwilling.

Seeing his hesitation, the Dragon Queen did not say more. Instead, she turned around to face Xu Yang, her own brow furrowed in concentration, yet she remained silent.

On the other side, multiple strands of Escape Light approached the scene, and the Cultivators arrived at the center. In addition to the group that had been enjoying the feast inside the Crystal Palace, many practitioners who had integrated or returned to void and were exploring the Grand Void Sea Realm were also present.

“This…”

“Who is this person?”

“What audacious deity dares to seize the Ancient Iron Mountain of the Great Void Sea?”

“South Observance Mount Longevity, Wuzhuang Temple’s Zhen Yuanzi!”

“Mount Longevity, Wuzhuang Temple, Pill Origin Gathering, Zhen Yuanzi?”

“The newly ascended Mahayana who defeated a Buddhist Arhat and made a name for himself in South Observance, the Great Immortal Zhen Yuan?”

“It is indeed he!”

The crowd exchanged thoughts through divine senses, filled with shock and uncertainty.

Looking again at the scene within the array.

Nine oxen were pulling, lifting the Iron Mountain, and as the Taoist man brushed his horsetail whisk, the last Five Elements chain was also severed by divine light.

“Bang!!!”

With a resounding clang, the chain broke; a golden rope hung from the mountain’s corner, leaving the ancient ores suspended in the void, ready to be taken.

However, the Iron Mountain was ten thousand zhang high and unknowably heavy; even with nine oxen straining to pull, it was just hovering above the ground. How could it be stored away?

One saw the Taoist man smile as he swept his whisk, the force of the Immortal Spirit further spurring on the divine powers of Taoism, transforming into talismanic inscriptions that struck the Iron Mountain, embedding within it.

As each talisman marked its place and each inscription entered, the Iron Mountain rapidly shrank – ten thousand zhang to one thousand zhang, one thousand zhang to one hundred zhang, one hundred zhang to ten zhang, and ten zhang to one zhang.

“This is…”

“The Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Techniques—Great Minor Compliance!”

“It is indeed this divine power!”

The crowd watched in surprise, and even several Mahayanas’ expressions became serious.

Great Minor Compliance, a Heavenly Gang Divine Power, one of the thirty-six techniques, also known as—Law of Heaven and Earth!

This divine power subtly harmonizes with the Dao of the Void and the principles of Qiankun. By mastering this art of transformation, one can comply with both the great and the minor, projecting as grand as the Law of Heaven and Earth, and as minute as hiding and moving unseen; it serves extraordinary purposes in combat and fighting.

“Every single one of the Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Techniques is a vast divine power. No wonder Zhen Yuanzi could defeat the Cloth Sack Arhat with Great Minor Compliance,” remarked someone.

“Not so, not so. Back when he repelled the Cloth Sack Arhat, he had not yet mastered this Heavenly Gang’s Great Minor Compliance. He relied solely on his own ability, using the Five Elements Law to restrain the Power of the Void, thereby defeating the Cloth Sack’s Qiankun,” another contributed.

“In those days, he had just ascended to Mahayana and was able to repel a Buddhist Arhat. Now, six hundred years have passed, and not only has he cemented his foundation, but through the Pill Origin Gathering, he has collected many Mana Points and even mastered this Heavenly Gang Divine Power. With such talent and brilliance, there are few in Mahayana who can stand against him!”

“No wonder he dares to defy Buddhism and come to the Southern Sea to take the Ancient Iron Mountain; he truly has a strong foundation to rely on!”

“Great Minor Compliance is only one name; the technique he used to lift the Ancient Iron Mountain just now should be the Heavenly Gang Divine Power known as Whip Mountain Move Stone.”

“In just a few hundred years, besides solidifying his Mahayana foundation, he has also mastered two Heavenly Gang Divine Powers?”

“Terrifying indeed, terrifying indeed!”

A group of Mahayana secretly exclaimed in admiration.

The Southern Sea Dragon Emperor, who had been stopped by his wife, displayed a look of astonished doubt in his bell-like eyes.

Looking back at the scene…

The Heavenly Gang Divine Power, Great Minor Compliance, reduced the thousand-zhang Iron Mountain to the size of one zhang. Hidden inside was a streak of golden light—essence gold divine iron ranked at the eighth tier.

Xu Yang sat upon the clouds, whisking his horsetail whisk, lifting his hand casually, and suddenly the Tai Chi Yin and Yang appeared, the black and white fish swirled, manifesting the Sleeve Universe, a mustard seed encompassing Mount Meru.

Indeed…

“Sleeve Universe!”

“A renowned technique of the Great Immortal Zhen Yuan!”

“Within the Qiankun arts, it surpasses even the Buddhist Cloth Sack.”

Seeing this divine power, the group of Mahayanas wore solemn expressions, their Integration and Return to Void shining in their eyes.

“Whoosh!”

A sweep of the sleeve encompassed all things, and the Iron Mountain, shrunk to one zhang, could not resist; it entered the sleeve and disappeared into the universe.

Afterward, the Dao practitioner retracted his hand in his sleeve, and with another sweep of his whisk, the Five Elements Array activated, stabilizing the Earth Aura and dissipating the turbulent sea waters.

Eventually, all returned to tranquility, the Magic Artifacts and Command Flags flew up and were collected back into the robe of the Dao practitioner, leaving only an empty and quiet open space, causing onlookers to feel a sense of loss.

“Essence Gold Divine Iron!”

Upon seeing this, the Southern Sea Dragon Emperor finally came to his senses, bellowed furiously, and full of heartache, he ignored his wife’s obstruction, reared up with a flick of his tail, and moved forward: “Return my treasure!”

“Hmm?”

Hearing these words, the man atop the auspicious clouds flicked his whisk, turning around: “You are…?”

“I am the Southern Sea Dragon Emperor!”

The Southern Sea Dragon Emperor shouted angrily: “You dare to take a precious treasure of my Southern Sea! Return it immediately, or you will not rest in death!”

“Hmm?”

Xu Yang frowned slightly, spoke coldly: “It’s not as if Southern Sea Dragon Palace has any say in this. The treasures of the Great Void Sea Realm are there for those with destiny to claim. I have taken the treasure according to circumstance and reason, even in accordance with the promise of the Southern Sea. Dragon Emperor, are you intending to go back on your word?”

“You…!”

With these words, the Southern Sea Dragon Emperor was suddenly at a loss for words, unsure of how to retort.

The onlookers silently laughed, communicating through divine senses.

“Hahaha!”

“Even the Southern Sea Dragon Palace has its day!”

“Humph, the Great Void Sea Realm is an ancient heritage meant to be shared by the cultivators of the Southern Sea, but the Dragon Palace has greedily held it for itself. They only open it once every thousand years and demand tribute as entrance fees – if one does not pay, they are barred from entering.”

“Demanding tribute is bad enough, but they also control the opportunities within the realm. Take this Ancient Iron Mountain, for instance. Let alone the essence gold divine iron, even ordinary iron mines are forbidden from others to mine, forcing everyone to pick on their leftovers, utterly undignified!”

“Such shameless extortion. And look where it’s gotten them now?”

“Well, not just the essence gold divine iron, but the entire Ancient Iron Mountain was taken away—truly impressive, what a bold stroke, hahaha!”

“This Great Immortal Zhen Yuan, possessing such broad divine powers and extraordinary methods, truly is as unyielding as iron. I wonder if the Southern Sea Dragon Palace dares to clash with him?”

“We have long heard that this man is as fiery as a blaze, unwavering and upright. For the matter of the Golden-Furred Lion, he even refused to give face to Buddhism. Now facing the Southern Sea Dragon Palace, he surely won’t back down either!”

“Now there will be a good show to watch!”

The crowd exchanged thoughts, taking delight in the Dragon Emperor’s misfortune and waiting to see how he would react.