Chapter 48: Wings That Soar Among the Clouds
So this is the unique aspect of the fall of Nirvana-level cultivators in this Treasure Bottle Realm...
Hongyun watched as the old turtle, Gui Qiansui, gradually dissipated before him, raising an eyebrow ever so slightly. The method of his demise bore some resemblance to the Dao transformation of cultivators in the Primal Wilderness.
In the Primal Wilderness, once one achieved True Immortal status, they possessed their own true spirit. If their true spirit dispersed in this way, it would vanish completely. However, what dissipated was only the true spirit, not the physical body. Moreover, the cause of such dissolution was not only the realm but also the tribulation of this world.
Hongyun narrowed his eyes, observing the tribulation aura that faded along with Gui Qiansui. Within his gaze, a suction force arose, drawing the tribulation aura into himself. Sensing subtle changes within, a spark of intent flickered in his heart.
In this world, among the human and demon races, there were nearly thirty cultivators at the Chrysalis stage. If he could slay them all, absorb their power...
The thought surfaced but lasted only a moment before he dismissed it. He had once gained two remnant spirits of tribulation artifacts, each containing tribulation energy counted in the hundreds. This tribulation aura was, at most, a mere fraction of that. Even if he slaughtered all the fiend cultivators in the Treasure Bottle Realm, gathering another remnant spirit would be difficult, not to mention his true goal was not the remnant spirit.
His target was to hunt a complete tribulation artifact in this world.
...
While Hongyun pondered thus, the human and demon races in the Treasure Bottle Realm were shaken.
Deep in the demon realm stood a towering mountain, piercing the heavens. Atop it was a grand, luminous palace and a solitary figure.
This was the abode of the strongest among the demon clan—the Ape Emperor’s Palace of the Eight-Armed Golden Ape, the Demon Emperor.
On the palace, the old Ape Emperor gazed into his wine cup, lost in thought.
"My last friend has left me as well..."
He murmured, voice laden with regret, lifting his head as if to peer through the mist above: Someday, I will tear away the veil of this sky—the day is near.
Among the humans, in the Great Martial Dynasty.
---
The Supreme Emperor was as he always had been, leisurely waving his palm fan, face full of calm.
After a moment, he paused, then resumed fanning himself.
Is chaos finally about to descend...
He mused inwardly, sighing. Even without prying into the secrets of heaven, at his cultivation, little in the Treasure Bottle Realm could truly distract him.
Just now, a “chessmaster” of the human race had fallen—how could he not be shaken?
Yet chaos was welcome; only then would opportunities arise.
He measured his own cultivation again. When he opened his eyes, a sense of ease settled over him.
Let soldiers meet the enemy and earth swallow the flood. Now that the destiny of the Treasure Bottle Realm is in turmoil, as war stirs, events will unfold with their own logic. I shall wait and muddy the waters further.
With this thought, his spirits rose, and he hummed a tune, feigning sleep.
...
As for the cause of all this, Hongyun, he was staring at his own status panel, astonished.
For now, the panel had quietly changed.
Gate of the Heavens—side quest: Resolve your three life-and-death tribulations / Completed.
It seemed that Gui Qiansui had truly intended to kill him, and had his words faltered, he might already have fallen.
Seeing “Reward Available to Claim” at the end, he felt as if fortune had come to him effortlessly.
He hesitated briefly, suppressed his anticipation, stirred the local energies to confusion, and slipped away using his abilities.
When he found a secluded spot, he stopped and pondered over what the reward could be.
After failing to deduce anything, he silently thought, “Confirm Claim.”
A flash of light passed, and his garment split open at the back.
Behind his host body, a pair of wings grew.
These wings stirred lightly, instantly doubling his speed. Not only that, his soul was no longer bound to the old human form.
With a shift of thought, his soul lingered within his body, save for the new wings—there was little difference otherwise.
---
The wings were called: Cloud-Chasing Wings.
The name alone matched him well, suggesting soaring through the clouds of the nine heavens.
He stirred his thoughts and flew with these wings, circling the air before landing silently.
Quite satisfactory.
He thought, retracting the wings with a wave.
Yet seeing the torn fabric on his back, he sighed inwardly, deciding to use this method as little as possible if he could avoid it.
Still, it was not a bad thing—should trouble arise in the demon realm, he could summon his wings to prove his identity without issue.
...
“Uncle Yun, I’m tired now...”
On a massive blue stone, Chai Xiaoyue sat cross-legged, her face full of grievance:
“I still haven’t mastered that technique just now.”
It seemed this little one would be lazy by nature in the days to come.
Hongyun lay atop a cloud, turning comfortably. He could now control the clouds of this world to some degree; though not fully, he could borrow a bit to wield some tricks.
“What you need is calm and focus. If your heart is unsettled, you cannot learn.”
Hongyun watched her eyes for a while, as if piercing to her soul:
“A tree wishes for peace but the wind will not cease. You must seek out the root cause within yourself that prevents you from finding calm;
Otherwise, breaking through to the next realm—the Condensing Fiend stage—will be much harder than usual.”
“But Uncle Yun...”
Chai Xiaoyue stammered, unable to articulate her thoughts, frustratedly patting her little head, imitating the adults with a deep sigh.
Hongyun did not linger. Finding that the little one truly had no way to break through today, he flipped his hand and took out a garment, which turned out to be a small boat. It spun from his palm, catching the wind to expand into a fiendish warship ten yards long and two yards wide.
He had acquired it on his journey north; the owner, seeing him alone, tried to recruit him for labor, only to be wiped out with a gesture. After a round of reforging, it was now no less than a true fiend treasure.