Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 573 - 348: Uproot the Mountain (First Update)

"It turns out to be Great Immortal Zhen Yuan!"

Seeing this, the Dragon Prince hurriedly paid his respects, "Little Dragon Long Ao Jiang, has seen the noble Immortal."

In his words, he was quite reverent; first, because he only had Integration cultivation, and secondly because the Pill Origin Gathering at the Wuzhuang Temple on Mount Longevity had been famous for years, known throughout the Four Seas. As a neighboring cultivator, how could he not know the weight of this True Immortal?

Xu Yang smiled and looked at this Southern Sea Dragon Prince before turning to glance toward the Grand Void Sea Realm behind him, "This humble Taoist wishes to explore the Grand Void; may I ask if the Dragon Prince grants permission?"

"This... naturally, it should be allowed!"

Ao Jiang hesitated for a moment, then replied, "However, it’s currently the time of the great assembly. My father, along with several senior Immortals, is currently feasting within the palace. Since the noble Immortal has come from afar and graced us with his presence, why not visit the palace?"

"I won’t trouble you for that."

Xu Yang shook his head, chuckled lightly, and said, "This humble Taoist came here to collect Essence Gold Divine Iron to refine a magic artifact. I’ve heard that the Southern Sea is vast with countless treasures. It must contain the opportunity I seek. Here is a bottle of Grass Return Elixir as a congratulatory gift, please accept it with a smile."

Having said that, he took out a jade bottle and handed it to Ao Jiang.

"Such a generous gift, how can this little dragon..."

Ao Jiang intended to be modest, but seeing Xu Yang’s expression, he found it difficult to continue his polite refusal and could only accept the jade bottle, "Then let this little dragon guide the noble Immortal."

Xu Yang smiled, "Please, lead the way!"

...

During this period of stillness and contemplation, planning a distant journey, Xu Yang had a clear goal: to collect Essence Gold Divine Iron and lay the groundwork for stirring up a major situation in the future.

Therefore, he came to the Southern Sea!

Momentum, momentum. Without finding someone of significance, how could he create a major situation?

But as important as it is to find someone significant, it’s also necessary to grasp the right measures. Otherwise, causing a self-inflicted disaster would turn into a laughingstock.

Thus, he had to choose a relatively softer target to handle among these significant ones.

The Dragon Palace of the Southern Sea met these criteria precisely: the weight of Immortal God Taoism was significant; although there was an old dragon who had Crossed the Tribulation, he had been greatly weakened and could not leave lightly, making him a significant yet manageable target.

...

With Ao Jiang leading the way and Xu Yang following, they stepped into the vortex and instantly disappeared without a trace.

The Southern Sea cultivators witnessing this also grew eager.

"Great Immortal Zhen Yuan?"

"Who would have thought that he would grace the Grand Void Sea Assembly?"

"Could it be that there truly are changes in fortune this time in the Grand Void Sea Realm?"

"It’s just a Fifth Rank Spiritual Object, after all. What harm is there in exploring inside?"

While their thoughts were swayed by greed, several cultivators of Integration level proffered congratulations and also entered the Grand Void.

At that moment, within the Grand Void Sea Realm, Ao Jiang was leading the way.

"This Grand Void Sea Realm, a relic of Ancient Times, contains countless treasures. My Dragon Palace has not fully explored it in hundreds of thousands of years. Some critical locations conceal opportune treasures, so elusive that even our Dragon Ancestor struggled to obtain them. If the great Immortal is interested, you may also take a look."

"Oh?"

Upon hearing this, Xu Yang became interested, "Does that include the Essence Gold Divine Iron?"

"There is indeed one place!"

Ao Jiang hesitated slightly but finally said, "Within the realm lies Iron Mountain, one of the critical locations, suspected to be an ancient mine from which the Great Void Dragon Palace draws iron for weapon refining.

It contains a piece of Essence Gold Divine Iron, naturally formed with nine orifices, corresponding to the Five Elements, weighing billions of pounds, and even connected to the Earth Aura, unmovable like a mountain!"

After speaking, he looked at Xu Yang, feigning a sigh, "Tens of thousands of years ago, when the Grand Void Sea Realm first appeared in this world, my Southern Sea Dragon Palace discovered this ancient mine and the Essence Gold Divine Iron within. We wanted to retrieve it but found it immovable. Eventually, it even alerted our Dragon Ancestor, and yet... we returned with nothing."

The words carried a sigh, his face showing a wry smile.

Xu Yang, upon hearing this, was unconcerned, "To encounter such a remarkable object, it seems my trip has not been in vain!"

"..."

This display of eagerness left Ao Jiang speechless, hesitantly asking, "Does the noble Immortal truly wish to go?"

"Of course!"

Xu Yang smiled and stepped forward.

With his insight, how could he fail to see through the thoughts of this young dragon prince?

The Dragon Ancestor he mentioned was undoubtedly the old dragon of the Southern Sea, a member of the Dragon Clan who had survived the True Dragon Tribulation three times.

If even a Calamity Immortal struggled to move the Essence Gold Divine Iron, how could an Integration cultivator like him not know to withdraw in the face of difficulty?

This was Ao Jiang’s thought.

But he did not know that Xu Yang’s trip was precisely for this Essence Gold Divine Iron. Having already gathered related intelligence, he was determined to obtain it and would not retreat.

An unwelcome visitor arrives, boding no good.

One who is greedy and stingy, with cunning thoughts.

Not to say they are evenly matched, but both are talented in their own way.

"Noble Immortal..."

Seeing that Xu Yang did not recognize the difficulty and did not wish to retreat, Ao Jiang was also helpless and could only follow him reluctantly.

Thus, the two of them roamed the Grand Void, quickly arriving at a certain place.

There was a mountain in the sea, towering ten thousand zhang high, standing tall as a triangle, with a dark and heavy glow.

"This mountain..."

Xu Yang observed for a while and then discerned, "It does not seem to be entirely natural."

"Indeed!"

Ao Jiang nodded and said in agreement, "It’s suspected to be the work of an ancient Dragon Monarch, who used great divine powers to gather billions of Mysterious Iron, solidifying it into this mountain, heavy as Mount Tai. Even those capable of shouldering mountains and chasing after the moon would find it difficult to shake."

"But its weight is of secondary importance."

Xu Yang shook his head and said with a light laugh, "To solidify a mountain into iron, to even connect it to the Earth Vein and thereby to the Grand Void Sea Realm, is like turning still water into flowing water. It captures a hint of the profound mystery of creation, which is what allows the Essence Gold Divine Iron to be nurtured within the mountain."

Having said that, a flash of divine light shone in his eyes, illuminating the Mysterious Iron Mountain, and within the heart of the mountain, a radiant gold light burst forth. It was indeed a wondrous object that had taken the form and stature of a human body, with three gates and nine orifices and containing the dazzling colors of the Five Elements.

The substance, seemingly neither iron nor copper, and with a sensation of gold and jade, was indeed extremely mysterious.

It was the Essence Gold Divine Iron, an eighth-order Essence of the Earth!

"Celestial!"

Seeing that Xu Yang had discerned the location of the Essence Gold Divine Iron, Ao Jiang was astonished and began to advise earnestly, "This iron is the heart of the mountain, weighing billions, and it is fused together with Iron Mountain, seamlessly connected inside and out, a single entity..."

"Thus, pulling on one part will affect the whole. Any forceful actions would surely cause turmoil in the sea realm and may even extend to the Southern Sea, bringing catastrophe to all living beings."

Before he could finish speaking, he was interrupted, as Xu Yang replied with a light laugh, "That’s why neither the East Sea Dragon Emperor nor the Southern Sea Dragon Monarch took this object by force in the past, fearing the repercussions and the entanglement of cause and effect, which would add to the weight of their tribulations."

"..."

Having his words preempted, Ao Jiang fell silent, and could only stiffly respond, "Celestial indeed has an insightful vision!"

"Haha, fear not, Dragon Prince, I shall not act recklessly," Xu Yang said with a smile, stepping forward, "I might modestly claim some familiarity with the art of formations and the knowledge of geomancy. I can set up a formation that can sever connections with heaven and earth, isolate this mountain from the Great Void Sea Realm, and then retrieve the mining essence of this iron mountain."

"This..."

"Dragon Prince, step back!"

Hearing this, Ao Jiang’s expression changed drastically, and he opened his mouth to object, but Xu Yang waved his sleeve, and Ao Jiang involuntarily fell back.

With a smile, Xu Yang waved Ao Jiang away, then swept his horsetail whisk and spiritual light spewed forth, transforming into various magic artifacts, array banners, and talismans. Some stabilized the void, some entered the earth, others floated and sank in water, all forming a formation around the Iron Mountain.

Once the formation was complete, five-fold radiant lights could be seen, and the Power of the Five Elements circulated, cutting off the Heavenly Spirit and Earth Aura, severing the connection between Iron Mountain and the sea realm.

"Celestial, you mustn’t!"

Seeing this, Ao Jiang finally changed his expression and called out urgently from outside the formation, attempting to intervene.

But Xu Yang paid him no attention. Once the formation was set, he flew upward and settled upon clouds in the Green Water Void, sweeping his horsetail whisk and beginning the incantation for the ancient ore, the Divine Mysterious Iron Mountain.

"Supreme Chaos Yuan in the beginning, prostrated before Venerable Lord in Mysterious Capital, the Tao arising from the void, elusive spirit beyond measure, Divine Spirit solidifies in emptiness, myriad changes, infinite wonders..."

Incantation after incantation, Taoist formula after formula.

Instantly...

"Booming and rumbling!"

The ground shook and mountains trembled, frightening both gods and ghosts, as the sea water churned and Earth Aura gushed forth. Golden light manifested in the void, like ropes cast down, latching onto the corners of Iron Mountain. The sounds of mooing, like the Azure Dragon’s roar, revealed the shadow of the Green Bull, which began to thunderously lumber forward.

"What is this...!"

From outside the formation, seeing the golden ropes lifting the corners and nine bulls rushing in all directions, Ao Jiang’s pupils shrank as he exclaimed in shock, "Mountain Moving Curse?"

"No, it’s not!"

In an instant, he overthrew his guess and realized in horror, lost for words, "The Thirty-Six Heavenly Gang Techniques—Whip Mountain Move Stone!!!"

"Booming and rumbling!"

Before he could finish speaking, the mountains and rocks were in an uproar. The mighty Iron Mountain, tens of thousands of feet tall and untold weight, though tugged on by the golden ropes and dragged by the nine bulls, could not be lifted, and seemed on the verge of collapsing.

In that moment, atop the clouds, the Taoist man whipped with his horsetail whisk, invoking the Immortal Spiritual Power and Taoist Divine Power. The whip struck the body of Iron Mountain and rooted itself in the Earth Vein, fully displaying the abilities of the divine arts and divine powers.

"Booming and rumbling!"

Whip after whip, with Immortal Spiritual Power bearing down, even the ancient ore and the massive Iron Mountain began to budge, slowly rising from the ground.

The ore and mountain, immeasurably heavy, began to shift. As one might expect, the consequence was immediate: the sea water boiled, and the Earth Aura surged. Even with the Five Elements Formation serving as a barrier, the disturbance shook the Great Void Sea and caused the entire sea realm to tremble.

Outside the formation, waves surged tumultuously. Even as a Dragon Prince, a being of Integration tier, Ao Jiang was caught in the impact, struggling to maintain his stance.

Ao Jiang’s body trembled, his footing unsure. The water currents, once at his command, now ran wild, beyond his control. Wave after wave crashed into him, leaving his internal organs feeling as if they would burst out. He had no choice but to retreat with the tide, and in a blink, he was pushed a hundred yards back.

Retreating a hundred yards, the violent current calmed, and Ao Jiang managed to steady himself. He looked up towards the front again, and horror overcame him.

"Booming and rumbling!"

Within the Five Elements Formation, the golden ropes hung from the corners, and the nine bulls pulled at the ropes. The Immortal Spirit of Mahayana and the capabilities of Taoist Divine Power combined, causing the immense Iron Mountain to lift from its place, threatening to sever the Earth Vein entirely.

Unexpectedly, the Earth Aura surged forth, multi-colored, forming five chains that held fast to the base of Iron Mountain.

"Is this..."

"An ancient Five Elements Formation set by a Dragon Monarch?"

"The Five Elements Formation, connecting Iron Mountain above and Earth Vein below, was surely a strategy left by an ancient Dragon Monarch to nurture the Essence Gold Divine Iron!"

"This person has mastered the Heavenly Gang Divine Power and possesses the ability to Whip Mountain Move Stone, but these divine powers at their utmost can only shake the Iron Mountain. As for the Earth Aura roots transformed by the Power of the Five Elements..."

"Bang!!!"

Before he could finish speaking, as thoughts hung unresolved, the horsetail whisk swept forth, a streak of red light, blazing like fire, shooting straight out. It was like a Divine Sword slashing across the sky, descending upon Iron Mountain, aiming at the chains of Earth Aura, and cleaving a path through, cleanly cutting the green light.

Five Elements Divine Light!

Red fire overcomes green wood; the Five Elements control each other. The red light severed the green light, freeing Iron Mountain from its shackles. Once more, it began to rise, causing the sea to roil and the earth to tremble anew.

Outside the formation, Ao Jiang was struck by another impact, reeling and nearly fainting, overwhelmed by darkness, as if the sun and moon had lost their luster. He was stricken with terror, unable to help but cry out, "Great Immortal, please retract your divine powers! Cease the divine powers!"