Chapter Seventeen: An Old Acquaintance

Heizi stood there, appearing somewhat diminutive. It was not that he had shrunk, but rather that the Bi Fang before him was too towering. Its blue feathers were flecked with sparks of fire, and its long white beak glinted with a cold, cyan light, causing Heizi—a creature of the insectoid lineage—to tremble with trepidation. He looked up at the Bi Fang, bowed his head, and whispered, "Young Master, is that you?"

Upon hearing Heizi’s words, the Bi Fang’s form shifted, revealing the figure of Zhang Xiao. Seeing him, Heizi let out a sigh of relief. Zhang Xiao, however, stared at his own palms with a strange expression, ignoring Heizi entirely as he gently placed his hand upon the earth beneath his feet.

"Boom!"

The ground churned. The entire island shook as if struck by an earthquake; countless boulders erupted from the earth and collided, and in the blink of an eye, a small mountain rose upon the island. Not only that, but springs of clear water gushed forth, and towering trees sprang up from the soil.

The island, which had been reduced to nothing by Zhang Xiao moments ago, was transformed into an earthly paradise, teeming with birdsong and fragrant flowers. Even more incredible was that the island, previously devoid of spiritual energy, now began to radiate a faint, ethereal aura. Though weak, it would only grow stronger with time.

Heizi watched, utterly astonished, exclaiming in incoherent disbelief. Zhang Xiao’s eyes flashed as he nodded to himself, thinking: "As expected, this is the truly monstrous aspect of the Seven Transformations of the Profound Heaven. Being able to shapeshift into divine beasts is one thing, but the most formidable power lies in harnessing the elemental attributes of these beasts to achieve a perfect harmony of the Five Elements."

Take himself, for instance. After mastering the Xuanwu Transformation, he could harness the power of the Black Tortoise to draw upon the earth’s energy. Since the Xuanwu was also a water-attribute beast, the combination of water and earth yielded immense power. However, he had only obtained a single scale of the Xuanwu, not its true essence, so he had failed to fully trigger the divine beast’s innate supernatural abilities.

Now, having mastered the Bi Fang Transformation, he had utilized its wood and fire attributes. Not only had his strength surged, but he had also fully awakened the Xuanwu’s latent potential. Water and earth produce wood, wood feeds fire, and fire and earth produce metal, thereby harmonizing the Five Elements within his own body. Although his cultivation remained at the mid-stage of the Nascent Soul realm, in terms of supernatural power, he could easily slaughter even those at the late-stage of Soul Refining.

With this thought, Zhang Xiao smiled. He scooped up Heizi, his body transforming into a five-colored rainbow that streaked toward the heavens, flying eastward.

The sky at an altitude of tens of thousands of miles was not a place just anyone could traverse. Not only did powerful avian demon beasts fly in swarms, but the Nine Heavens Gale-Winds flowed there like razor-sharp blades. If someone with lesser strength were to reach this height, they would be shredded into meat paste by the winds alone, long before encountering any demon beasts.

A five-colored rainbow cut swiftly through the vast sea of clouds; a closer look revealed it to be Zhang Xiao, flying on his sword. The biting cold winds and visible blades of air constantly struck his body, occasionally sending off sparks.

Zhang Xiao, however, did not care in the slightest. The Nine Heavens Gale-Winds were fierce, but to his physical body, they were nothing. In fact, he found the battering of these winds strangely comfortable. Heizi huddled obediently in Zhang Xiao’s arms, not daring to even poke his head out; having the Nine Heavens Gale-Winds act as a massage therapist was a luxury not everyone could endure.

"Boom!"

The clear sky suddenly darkened. Zhang Xiao looked up to see a gargantuan Peng bird, tens of thousands of miles above him, casting a shadow that blotted out the sun. Though it appeared to move slowly, it was in fact traveling with terrifying speed.

This was not the first time Zhang Xiao had seen such a massive bird. He was not worried that it would descend to attack him; based on his observations, the demon tribes of the high heavens were highly territorial.

The Nine Heavens Gale-Winds were so named because they consisted of nine distinct layers of wind. The strength of the demon beasts in each layer varied greatly, and while those higher up were naturally stronger, they rarely descended to hunt weaker beasts unless something specifically attracted them.

Thus, Zhang Xiao had no qualms. On the contrary, whenever he encountered such sights, he observed them closely; such spectacles were not often seen.

After flying through the sky for several days, Zhang Xiao grew weary. He sat atop the clouds, produced a jug of "Fire-Burning Blade" liquor, and drank deeply, admiring the scenery of the islands below.

"Hand over the treasure, or don’t blame me for being ruthless!" Just as Zhang Xiao was enjoying his drink and humming a tune, a roar erupted from below.

Zhang Xiao paused, eyes snapping open to look down. On a small island below, roiling demonic energy billowed. A middle-aged man in black robes stood holding a demonic banner, waving it to release waves of dark power. Facing him were two women in long gowns, struggling to hold their ground with their magical artifacts.

The two women appeared to be only at the early stage of the Nascent Soul realm, while the man with the banner had already reached the late stage. His power far exceeded theirs, and he was likely holding back only out of some hidden concern.

Even so, facing the incoming tide of demonic energy, the women turned pale, knowing they had met a formidable foe. The woman in red pointed her flying sword and shouted, "Demon Li! You have committed countless evils and broken your word more times than can be counted. If you take one more step, I will destroy this item! We would rather go down together than let you have it!"

As she spoke, she produced a green herb from her palm. Seeing it, the man called Demon Li’s eyes lit up with unbridled greed.

He laughed, "Hahaha! Why must you two fairies be so difficult? Hand over the Dragon-Transforming Grass, and I shall let you leave. As for the rumors of my broken promises, they are nothing but gossip—not worth believing."

Perched on the clouds, Zhang Xiao’s eyes brightened at the mention of the "Dragon-Transforming Grass." He peered closely at the herb in the woman’s hand, observing that its leaves were shaped like tiny dragons, exhaling wisps of spiritual energy.

Zhang Xiao marveled; it was indeed a rare treasure of heaven and earth. According to the journals left by his master, the Ethereal Daoist, the Dragon-Transforming Grass could only grow in the lair of a True Dragon. In essence, it was a common spirit herb that had been transformed after coming into contact with the saliva of a True Dragon.

There was another theory that it formed when the essence of a True Dragon fell upon a spirit herb, imbuing it with dragon energy. Even in the ancient era, such an item was a rare and precious treasure, let alone in the present day.

However, to him, it was of little use. The Seven Transformations of the Profound Heaven could not be improved by mere pills, and as for the so-called "True Dragon Body," it was laughable—his own transformations were infinitely superior. Zhang Xiao remained perched above, purely out of curiosity; he had no intention of killing for treasure.

"Hmph! Demon Li, stop trying to deceive us! Everyone knows you betrayed your own brother for selfish gain, usurped your sister-in-law, and eventually refined her into a puppet, denying her even the chance at reincarnation. Who could believe a word from a beast like you?" The woman in the purple gown standing next to the woman in red could not help but sneer.

Up on the clouds, Zhang Xiao cursed the purple-clad woman’s lack of wits. She was essentially begging for death. While he despised the Demon Li, he found the woman equally foolish—ignorant of the situation, she was only pouring fuel on the fire. She was clearly a coddled simpleton.

As expected, the woman in red’s expression shifted, and she hurriedly scolded, "Junior Sister, stop!" But it was too late; the words had already made Demon Li’s eyes blaze with fury. This matter was a scar on his soul, and those who knew his temper would never dare mention it.

Shamed and enraged, he lashed out with his demonic banner, sending countless flames of demonic fire toward the two women. Their faces drained of all color.

The woman in red frantically cast out a red silk ribbon to shield them, but the blue demonic flame was a fire Demon Li had painstakingly refined, possessing immense power. Given that his cultivation was a tier above theirs, the woman in red stood no chance.

In the blink of an eye, the silk ribbon was reduced to ash. The woman in red turned deathly pale; with her artifact destroyed, the backlash caused her blood to churn, and she fainted on the spot. Beside her, the woman in purple panicked.

She grabbed the woman in red, crying, "Sister Zhao Yan! Sister Zhao Yan! How are you? Speak to me!" Zhang Xiao, still on the clouds, had been planning to leave the moment the woman in red fainted. He could easily kill Demon Li in a single strike, but it was none of his business. He was no saint; in this chaotic world, murders for treasure happened every day. Was he to save everyone he saw? Most importantly, the woman in purple had left a truly abysmal impression on him.

Zhang Xiao was about to turn away when he heard the woman in purple’s cry: "Zhao Yan!" The name sounded strangely familiar. Zhang Xiao began to search his memories.