Chapter 13: The Emergence of the Celestial Isle of Penglai

“This Eastern Duke truly possesses a certain decisiveness!” Inside the Five Villages Temple, Zhenyuanzi couldn’t help but sigh.

Sitting opposite him, Hongyun swallowed a ginseng fruit in one bite and then asked, “Why do you say that, fellow Daoist? The Eastern Duke establishing the Immortal Court is clearly a move against the demons, isn’t it?”

Zhenyuanzi shook his head. “The Eastern Duke is the embodiment of primordial supreme yang energy. It’s true in essence, but compared to the truly top-tier powers, he still falls far short. He’s gambling on a chance.”

“Your words confuse me.”

“The Eastern Duke, born of supreme yang energy, is utterly unyielding and will never accept being subordinate. He had no opportunity before, so it was understandable. Now that the opportunity has arisen, he naturally seizes it. I believe when he founded the Immortal Court and began recruiting scattered cultivators, he was already prepared for the possibility of death and the end of his Dao.

“But the Eastern Duke is gambling—betting that the sages will not sit idly by, betting that his fate is heaven-ordained.

“If he wins, he will unify the vast primordial world, and with fortune on his side, further advancement is not impossible. If he loses, then death and annihilation await.”

“If what you say is true, then the Eastern Duke indeed shows great decisiveness,” Hongyun said indifferently.

Upon hearing this, Zhenyuanzi glanced at Hongyun, who was reaching for another ginseng fruit, and shook his head helplessly.

...

“Crunch, crunch,” Bai Jing gnawed on a mineral rock while gazing toward the East Sea.

The Eastern Duke had already established the Immortal Court; the Penglai Immortal Island should be about to emerge.

Fortunately, aside from those contaminated by chaotic energy, Bai Jing had almost depleted his various immortal materials. He now urgently needed to replenish his resources.

With the emergence of Penglai Immortal Island, he could go scavenging there.

With this in mind, Bai Jing left Mount Buzhou. After informing the Witch Tribe, he flew directly toward the East Sea.

The East Sea was, after all, Bai Jing’s old home. But compared to when he left, it was now much livelier. Occasionally, a streak of light would dart by—the destination of such a streak was naturally the Purple Mansion, home of the Immortal Court.

Technically, the East Sea was the territory of the Dragon Clan. However, the Dragon Clan had waned, reduced to only a few elders, the “big cat” and “small cat,” who were powerless to resist the Eastern Duke’s Immortal Court and thus could only turn a blind eye.

...

Of course, the Dragon Clan was not afraid of the Immortal Court, nor did they intend to submit. Even when the demon tribes came, the Dragon Clan never bowed. Much less to the Immortal Court—the Dragons still maintained their dignity.

After all, within the sea eye remained a core remnant of the Dragon Clan’s strength. Though they could not emerge openly, if the Dragon Clan faced extinction, they would not hesitate to fight to the death.

The Eastern Duke knew this well, so he dared not act rashly against the Dragons, nor did he ever consider fully occupying the East Sea.

Bai Jing flew back to the location of the Yingzhou Immortal Island. After sensing the mark he left in the great formation, he vanished instantly.

Returning to his birthplace after such a long time, Bai Jing felt a sudden sense of relaxation.

After surveying his domain, he found a comfortable spot and took out a fragment of the Fate Jade Plate to continue contemplating the Devouring Principle.

When he studied at the Purple Cloud Palace, Bai Jing only had a rudimentary grasp of the Devouring Dao—about one percent mastery.

The beginning is always the hardest. During the millennia spent on Mount Buzhou, aided by the fragment of the Fate Jade Plate, Bai Jing had reached a half-formed understanding of the Devouring Dao.

He estimated that by continuously refining his comprehension, once he mastered thirty percent, he would meet the standard to break through to the level of Primordial Golden Immortal.

Beyond that, his focus would be on strengthening his physical body and integrating the Devouring Dao into his flesh like the Twelve Ancestral Witches, so every movement would carry the power of the law.

Completing this step would allow his Xuán Gong Sixth Transformation body to break through to the Primordial Golden Immortal level.

With a fragment of the Fate Jade Plate, Bai Jing was confident he could reach thirty percent mastery before the Purple Cloud Palace’s third lecture.

The key was whether he could acquire sufficient resources to further his physical transformation.

Thus, the emergence of Penglai Immortal Island was crucial. Only by gathering enough immortal materials and minerals there could he support his body’s metamorphosis, enabling him to break through to the Xuán Gong Sixth Transformation and attain a Primordial Golden Immortal physique.

Then, at Treasure Snatching Cliff, he would have the capital to seize the Five Directions Banner.

Unknowingly, another ten thousand years passed. Bai Jing’s comprehension of the Devouring Principle advanced yet another level, and his mastery of the Devouring Dao reached ten percent.

He had also begun mimicking the Twelve Ancestral Witches, blending the Devouring Dao with his body.

This step was not easy. Fortunately, Bai Jing had spent much time with the Ancestral Witches—especially with Houtu—and had even refined a drop of Emperor Jiang’s essence blood, so he was quite familiar with the Ancestral Witches.

Thanks to this understanding, Bai Jing successfully fused the power of the law with his body.

Now, Bai Jing was like a walking black hole; every cell in his body continuously devoured the spiritual energy of Yingzhou Immortal Island.

The absorbed aura was used to mend his origin, though the effect was minimal, any improvement was better than none.

One day, as Bai Jing was meditating on the Devouring Principle, he suddenly sensed violent fluctuations in the space outside Yingzhou Immortal Island.

Meanwhile, above the East Sea, once peaceful, towering waves abruptly surged, and even the East Sea Dragon Palace beneath the waves seemed to tremble.

“Why is there such a dense eruption of spatial power? It feels as if something is about to emerge from the void,” the East Sea Dragon King Aotong said with some puzzlement.

“Your Majesty, could it be that a supreme treasure is about to appear?” Chancellor Turtle suggested.

“What supreme treasure could exist in the East Sea’s void...” Aotong’s words faltered as a thought struck him. He glanced at Chancellor Turtle and asked, “Chancellor Turtle, have you ever heard the legend of the Three Immortal Islands?”

“I recall hearing the old ancestors mention it long ago. Legend has it that hidden in our East Sea are three immortal islands: Penglai, Yingzhou, and Fangzhang.

“These islands are formed from fragments of chaos, containing unimaginable resources, including abundant innate spiritual roots and treasures.

“However, since the dawn of the primordial era, these three islands have remained concealed in the void above the East Sea, protected by powerful innate prohibitions that veil the heavens’ secrets. No one has been able to deduce their locations or find their traces, and none have ever set foot inside.”

Before Chancellor Turtle finished, a shrimp soldier scout hurried in with a report: “Reporting to the Dragon King, one of the immortal islands above the East Sea is faintly appearing. The island stretches boundlessly, its divine power unfathomable. We are unable to approach. Please advise, Your Majesty.”

“It seems one of the Three Immortal Islands has indeed manifested. I wonder which one it is?” Aotong furrowed his brow.

“Your Majesty, no matter which island it is, since it has appeared in the East Sea, our Dragon Clan must not miss this. This is an unprecedented opportunity!” Chancellor Turtle exclaimed.