Killing Dao Fruit
Chapter 416 - 413: Golden Branch and Jade Leaves, Red Snake Coiling Seal

Chapter 416: Chapter 413: Golden Branch and Jade Leaves, Red Snake Coiling Seal

Crack!

With a resounding explosion, a towering ghost gate, as if forged from solid iron, burst forth from thin air.

Behind the gate, two streams of light transformed into the figures of Wang Yuan and Huang Wu.

"What a paradise this is—if we hadn’t followed the path of cultivation, how would we have qualified to enjoy such a blessed land?"

The two gazed at the boundless green waves before them and the line where sea and sky met at the horizon, feeling as if a heavy stone had been suddenly lifted from their chests.

They couldn’t help but feel their spirits broaden.

Turning their heads to look back at Red County Shenzhou, their naked eyes still saw peaceful and sunny weather, but through their Dharma Eye, they saw tribulation energy surging tumultuously, painting a doomsday scene with dark clouds looming over the city, threatening to collapse everything.

The entanglement of causality and debts was like a tangled mess.

Even Wang Yuan, the one who had triggered the great calamity and now a Star Lord Taibai, could not see it clearly.

He could only discern the land of Yan State to the north, where a flood snake bearing the lotus mark was quickly gathering strength and growing, clearly showing that Su Guyun had achieved the Hidden Dragon Phenomenon.

And in the direction of Dengzhou Prefecture, a gold and black flood dragon was dashing left and right through heavy dark clouds, gradually swallowing the chaotic energies around it.

Clearly, Zhou Jinhuan was advancing with an unstoppable force, successfully capturing a large chunk of Dongchang Mansion’s territory.

This modest tip of the iceberg was visible only because he had already been in the midst of the tribulation. For others, it would be even less possible to gain such an advantage.

He exhaled softly:

"Xiao Zhou, gathering resources, recruiting magicians, planting spies... all these I, your brother-in-law, can do for you.

But when it comes to name and instrument, these cannot be borrowed from others; this is especially true for the business of emperors.

Starting from today, whether you can transform from a flood snake into a dragon, that’s all down to your own fortune.

If you can’t even surpass Su Guyun, then I will have to arrange early retirement for you in the Yin Department."

Wang Yuan allocated resources to Duan Zhiyin and reminded Zhou Jinhuan to prepare to receive the reinforcements from the Taiyin Xuanbing Dao, Qilin Sect, and Zhengguo Temple that were being sent one after another.

Then he immediately fled with Huang Wu.

The two brothers had a clear division of labor. Wang Yuan knew his own abilities in conquering territories were not comparable to those of Zhou Jinhuan, who had studied military strategies his whole life, along with his team of civil servants and military generals.

Not to mention that he had brought back talents from various state mansions, including Daoist soldier families, from Yunjing City.

Master Wang was far better at infiltration behind enemy lines, special assaults, and all manner of deceptions...

Moreover, if Wang Yuan, as a major sponsor, were to loiter around in this camp all day, wouldn’t he become a dragon that accomplishes nothing?

His goal had always been clear: to achieve immortality as a Corpse Dissection Immortal, ascend to the highest position on the Immortal Dao as the Yin Heaven Son!

The struggle for supremacy in the human realm was just a part to aid the growth of his Daoist skills.

Especially now that he had successfully refined the Small Book of Life and Death into his lifebound magic treasure and also legitimately positioned himself as the Yang World Yama.

He had already issued an edict using the power of a Commander City God to send out the Punishment Department Judge, Nie Renxiong—the Black Law Judge—who was one of the four judges of the seventy-two departments.

Commanding his subordinates to take complete control over the entire city god system of the eight prefectures of Yu State.

He planned to gradually reclaim the power that rightfully belonged to King Yanluo, ensuring that this heavenly divine position was truly deserving, and also laying a solid foundation for Zhou Jinhuan’s future conquests.

Beyond that.

Wang Yuan shifted his gaze to the foot of the mountain, where the climate was pleasant all year round, the winds mild and the rain timely, and the flowers and fruits ever bountiful—Dushuo Mountain.

Colored mists drifted, the sun and moon shimmered, and the peaks of the immortal mountains were both lofty and perilous, connecting the earth’s beauty with the heavens’ grandeur...

Rumble rumble...

Countless flourishing peach trees, that feed on the layers of blossom, slowly moved their roots up from the ground.

It was the newly advanced Wood Official Peach Fairy who was driving her innate divine ability, ’Peach God Tao – Bend and Stretches Across Three Thousand Miles.’

She was transforming those peach trees which had grown on the mountain for countless years and had long since fused with the land’s spiritual mechanism.

Finally, relying on the island’s terrain, she formed a Red Snake Coiling Seal Formation that enveloped the entirety of Dushuo Immortal Mountain!

As cinnabar sand served like a fiery brush, capable of producing both literary and military talent. The sharp peak drank in the morning light, reflecting a high office’s utmost honor. The red snake wrapped around the seal, its weight of office carried with great ability.

And on the island, amidst swirling white fog, the Netherworld Ghost Soldiers from various lifetime professions continued their final restorations of the buildings.

Golden walls and jade pillars, painted beams and carved gables; by the stone steps, a few green cypresses, and in front of the white jade hall, several tall bamboos.

Though not as solemn and majestic as the palaces of the mortal world, the richness and grandeur here far surpassed those of the Imperial City.

Especially on the main peak of Dushuo Mountain, where the pavilion was surrounded by terraced, three-tiered halls on either side, all open like branches and leaves made of gold and jade.

This forms another layer of the ’Golden Branches Jade Leaves Three-Layer Formation.’

The very central pavilion is itself the ’Dragon Tower Phoenix Pavilion; where dragons twine and phoenixes soar, with vigorous corners and an imposing aura.

A clear synchronization of the vast spirituality of both mountain and sea.

Even a mortal with no understanding could naturally grow into a non-human or even a Dao General if they lived here.

Logically, the Red Snake Coiling Seal Formation is a Yin House Formation, used for graves; while the Golden Branches Jade Leaves Three-Layer Formation and the Dragon Tower Phoenix Pavilion are Yang House Formations, meant for the living.

Yin Houses "harness the Earth Qi" and Yang Houses "harness the living Qi," this configuration is akin to building a house in a graveyard.

Any mediocre Feng Shui master who attempted this might be laughed at.

But for the ’Yin Mountain Taoism,’ and for Wang Yuan and Huang Wu, this couple who followed the Ghost Path, it was perfectly suitable.

This Dushuo Mountain is not only one of the world’s renowned overseas immortal mountains but also suppresses the "Earth Gate" that connects to the earthly Yin World, bridging life and death, Yin and Yang.

The three layers of nested formations are perfectly suited to nurture the energies of life and death, harmonizing the Mortal World with the Underworld, benefiting not only the owner with gathered Qi and fortune but also contributing great merit to the operation of Heaven and Earth.

If Dengzhou Prefecture and even the entire Yu State are the foundation of Zhou Jinghuan’s kingly path, then this Dushuo Mountain is the foundational enterprise of Wang Yuan’s Immortal Dao!

As for now, the only thing missing to initiate the formations is the large peach wood in the "Taoyuan" that acts as the hub of the Earth’s veins.

"This humble one pays respects to the Master and the Lady!"

Feeling their master’s arrival, the mountain guardian spirit beast Old Black and the Three-Legged Golden Toad rushed over together and bowed at their feet.

Wang Yuan had seen the documents submitted by Lady Peach Fairy before arriving and nodded at them, offering some encouraging words:

"Old Black, for the sake of your health, remember to lick fewer toads when you have free time."

Before the licker and the licked could both be touched by the statement, he continued:

"Recently, the complaint rate at our Cloud Tower Ghost Market direct sales store has surged.

Many magicians who use black dog blood for refining have reported that, although the medicinal effects are quite impressive, unexpected side effects occur, making people want to consume more after using it.

If this gets out, people might think we’re like those unscrupulous merchants who are adept at nasty tricks, adding ’leaves’ to the ingredients."

Old Black wore an embarrassed look on his canine face:

"Yes, Master! I will definitely pay attention next time."

Wang Yuan then turned to the Three-Legged Golden Toad:

"Xiao Jin, I’ve reviewed the quarterly report sent by the Lady Immortal, and your performance indicators are satisfactory. I hope you continue to press on, aiming to improve by another three percent next quarter."

The large toad’s face turned bitter, but he dared not retort.

"Yes, Master!"

Previously, they were short on matching pearls and jade for the construction of the palace.

The Three-Legged Golden Toad, who had been educated by the Heart-Eating Worm for half a year, practicing the twenty-four-character mantra from the inside out,

has directly contributed most of his accumulated wealth over many years to achieve the performance indicators.

His innate divine ability was to attract wealth and treasures, and all the assessment items were focused on revenue, which was far more stringent than the tasks carried by Old Black.

Moreover, as colleagues serving together on Dushuo Mountain,

the Three-Legged Golden Toad had to endure the brainwashing motivation from this exemplary old employee every day:

"We are all family, don’t just think about what you can get from the Tao Lineage; first consider what you can bring to the Tao Lineage."

"When Yin Mountain Taoism becomes bigger and stronger in the future, we will all be veterans. How could the Taoist Master shortchange us?

The good days are yet to come!"

"The outside world is in chaos now; rewards are not important, the platform is the most important.

If we want to keep our jobs, we must first protect our boss."

"..."

Old Black not only preached these words but also put them into practice with all his might.

Not just in action, he also made sure to pull his colleague along in the effort.

The Three-Legged Golden Toad felt if he didn’t come up with a plan, he was really going to be rolled to death by this damn dog!

No, I can’t be the only one to suffer this indignity.

Tomorrow, no, I will write a letter right now, inviting those who have also consumed the faulty Flat Peaches from "Peach God Tao" to join the warm family of Dushuo Mountain.

My family, whether I can survive to accomplish next quarter’s performance assessment depends entirely on all of you.

Wang Yuan was unaware that his spirit beasts possessed such high enlightenment.

He left them with the words, "Prepare yourselves, we are about to embark on two new projects that will change the world."

He then entered Taoyuan with Huang Wu.

They came to the Ginseng whose leaves had withered, and like the "Six Paths Ghost Dragon" and the "Earth Mother’s Black Heaven," stood prominently before them.

Still immersed in the Withered Wood Zen state, having been subjected to the "Ghost Gate Thirteen Needles," the two "Green Seal Strange Immortals" looked like stone carvings without the slightest hint of life.

Whereas the Ginseng, which continued to breathe and grow more vital, was Sage Wu of the "Emperor Bao Sheng," in a "Reincarnation State" under the protection of the "Six Paths Golden Wheel"!

Due to the nature of the Ginseng, the leaves of his lifebound immortal grass within had withered down to just one stem with three leaves.

If reincarnation was successful, it would start anew from a one-year "Three Flowers" and slowly increase its foliage to be reborn.

Not only would the original medicinal properties be fully retained, but they would also undergo a qualitative change on this basis, achieving the supreme "Nine-Leaf Ginseng King."

Even the possibility of slowly planning for an "Immortality Dao Fruit" with the remaining lifespan wasn’t completely out of the question.

Wang Yuan sat cross-legged beside the Ginseng, silently sensing Sage Wu’s condition with the aid of the "Six Paths Golden Wheel."

From day to night, from sunset to moonrise,

he waited for four to five hours before his eyes suddenly opened.

"Success!"

At the same time, a refreshing fragrance emanated from the elderly Ginseng, quickly spreading across the island and causing all the vegetation to begin growing wildly.