Chapter One: Re-entering the Dragon Palace

Inside the profound space of the Undying Thunder Boat, Fang Qingyan still lay unconscious with black threads covering her face. Seeing Yang Nan arrive, the two maidens, Lotus and Butterfly, hurriedly stood up to greet him. Looking at how the black threads on his wife's face were spreading more aggressively, with the Soul-Devouring Orchid's poison having completely merged with her divine soul and physical body, Yang Nan furrowed his brows deeply.

Fang Qingyan's tribulation ultimately stemmed from Yang Nan himself. If he failed to save his wife, how could Yang Nan's Dao heart ever achieve perfection?

Qingyan's injury had already transformed into a karmic heart-tribulation for Yang Nan! Only by rescuing Qingyan would he have any hope of transcending this tribulation!

Ni Cai sighed and said, "Ah Nan, I'm afraid Qingyan is unlikely to recover. You can only do everything in your power and leave the rest to fate." Fang Qingyan had always been dignified and generous, earning the deep respect of the demon soldiers, Ni Cai, and the others. Seeing her poisoned to such a state, Ni Cai could not help but sigh repeatedly. However, those who walked the path of cultivation must not become overly obsessed with romantic attachments, so Ni Cai merely advised Yang Nan not to panic excessively.

Yang Nan nodded and said calmly, "Brother Ni, ascending to the realm of a Venerable requires making grand vows to forge a Dao heart of great aspiration. Yet entering the realm of a Saint requires enduring the Tribulation of the Seven Emotions. My master, Buxu, has been trapped by the emotion tribulation, unable to advance into the realm of a Military Saint for hundreds of years. Qingyan is my emotion tribulation as well. If I cannot keep her safe, I fear I shall end up like my master in the future, unable to make even an inch of progress for centuries!"

The seven emotions were: joy, anger, sorrow, delight, love, hatred, and desire. These seven emotions governed the strength of one's Dao heart; the slightest indulgence posed the grave danger of falling into demonic deviation. When Yang Nan met Fang Qingyan, he knew his emotion tribulation had arrived. If he did not find a way to overcome it, any future aspirations of reaching the Saint realm would be sheer delusion!

The path of immortality was fraught with hazards, and forging the Dao heart was arduous. The slightest carelessness would lead to complete failure!

Since Qingyan was Yang Nan's emotion tribulation, her impact on his Dao heart surpassed almost everything else in the world!

At this moment, Yang Nan's mind was truly as tangled as hemp. Putting aside the extreme danger of the emotion tribulation, even if he were just an ordinary mortal man, seeing his beloved wife grievously injured and beyond cure would drive him to a frenzy of rage. How could Yang Nan—who had strived to always keep the upper hand ever since his reincarnation—not be consumed with burning anxiety when faced with such a helpless situation?

Ni Cai knew full well that while divine powers were easy to practice, the Dao heart was difficult to forge. The heart-demon tribulation of a Grandmaster, the grand-vow tribulation of a Venerable, and the emotion tribulation of a Saint were all matters of the utmost gravity. Yang Nan had attained the Grandmaster realm in just ten years, which was already astonishing enough. The grand-vow tribulation was no small matter, and the grand ambitions Yang Nan had set for himself would be exceedingly difficult to fulfill. If Fang Qingyan could shake Yang Nan's Dao heart and the situation was mishandled, his future eruption of the emotion tribulation would truly waste all his previous efforts!

Ni Cai immediately said, "Ah Nan, since that is the case, just focus all your efforts on saving Qingyan. Only then can you transcend the barrier of emotions in the future and forge a Saint's heart."

Yang Nan gently nodded, instructed the two maidens to take good care of Fang Qingyan, and returned to the edge of the Yang Thunder Pool to practice the True Explanation of the Rakshasa Underworld Soldiers.

His water-elemental magic power was completely gone, and Yang Nan no longer harbored any thoughts of practicing water-elemental Dao techniques. Since he now possessed an extra thunder-elemental magic power within his body, he naturally ought to cultivate thunder-elemental arts. However, such techniques were exceedingly difficult to find. Left with no choice, Yang Nan temporarily set aside the thunder pearl and drove the Undying Yin-Yang Wheel with all his might to cultivate the True Explanation of the Underworld Soldiers.

With the aid of the heavenly thunder, he had leaped straight into the second tier of the Grandmaster realm, and two yin pearls had already formed within his Upper Origin acupoint. Aside from strengthening his divine soul, the Undying Yin-Yang Wheel also accelerated the cultivation speed of the True Explanation of the Underworld Soldiers. By diligently refining these two divine abilities every day, Yang Nan's magic power progressed at an incomparably rapid pace.

Throughout the ages, only someone like him could simultaneously possess both yin and yang magic powers. Even if other cultivators in the Kunlun Sect possessed dual-elemental magic powers, they could never be precisely one yin and one yang, perfectly opposing and complementing each other. Yang Nan had been shattered into pieces countless times amidst the heavenly thunder, relying on the power of thunder, the multicolored divine light, and various other subtle factors to reconstruct his divine soul before achieving such a miraculous feat. If he were to try it again, success would not be guaranteed.

With the dual energies of yin and yang, Yang Nan's most urgent task now was to find a thunder-elemental cultivation technique. Cultivating yin and yang simultaneously, once he unleashed the Undying Yin-Yang Sword, his offensive edge would be unmatched—even Buxu would fall short of him.

The black snake in the Upper Origin acupoint continuously opened its mouth to draw the spiritual Qi of heaven and earth into Yang Nan's body. Wisps of spiritual Qi were transformed by the snake's breath into tiny droplets of spiritual liquid. Though Yang Nan practiced bitterly every day, he could only condense a single droplet of spiritual liquid; transforming the liquid into crystals, and the crystals into pearls, was still a very long way off.

For Grandmaster-tier experts, every tier advanced added a strand of spiritual Qi above their head; reaching the ninth tier meant nine strands. For Grandmaster-class experts, every tier advanced added a spiritual flower above their head; nine tiers of spiritual flowers transforming into a halo of light behind the head marked the realm of a Venerable!

Nine halos condensing into auspicious clouds, with auspicious clouds naturally trailing behind one's footsteps, represented the realm of a Saint!

These spiritual Qi manifestations were formed naturally by a cultivator's magic power. Once a cultivator opened their spiritual eyes, they could see them at a glance.

At this moment, Yang Nan only had two spiritual flowers naturally blooming above his head; wanting to sprout another was an extremely difficult task. Despite his peculiar encounters and dual-Grandmaster cultivation, he still fell quite a bit short compared to true Great Grandmasters, which made cultivation techniques of paramount importance.

Piloting the Undying Thunder Boat, Ni Cai crossed boundaries upon boundaries and arrived in the Western Sea after a dozen days. Since Fang Qingyan was poisoned and unconscious, the most urgent task was to find the Myriad-Year Purple Ice Coffin rather than the Profound Ice Tendril Fruit. Otherwise, once the Soul-Devouring Orchid's poison flared up, Fang Qingyan would transform into a demon of the Netherworld, rendering even the acquisition of countless Profound Ice Tendril Fruits entirely futile.

The Western Sea Dragon Palace possessed boundless treasures, and the existence of a Myriad-Year Purple Ice Coffin was merely a rumor. The dragon race could live for ten thousand years, and with ten thousand years of accumulation, their treasures naturally piled up like mountains. Since Fang Qingyan was on quite congenial terms with Long Yao, surely the latter would not refuse.

Even if Long Yao did not possess a Myriad-Year Purple Ice Coffin, Yang Nan would snatch one by force if necessary!

The Undying Thunder Boat plunged through the waves and submerged, arriving before long outside Long Yao's magnificent palace. Patrolling crab spirits and shrimp monsters saw a bizarre vessel brazenly intruding and immediately brandished their sabers and spears to block the path, shouting, "Who goes there? How dare you trespass into our Dragon Palace?"

The token gifted by Long Yao had already been handed over to Wang Chang by Yang Nan. Flying out from the Undying Thunder Boat with a gentle expression, Yang Nan said, "Two commanders, I must trouble you to announce my arrival to the Princess, and simply say that her friend Yang Nan from Kunlun has come to visit."

Seeing that it was Yang Nan, the two monsters instantly beamed and said, "So it is Immortal Master Yang who has graced us with his presence! Quick, invite him in, quick, invite him in! This minor one will go report to Commander Turtle right away!"

If one were to ask who was most welcomed in the Western Sea Dragon Palace, even the Princess's father, Dragon Saint himself, could not compare to Yang Nan. Seeing Yang Nan arrive, the two little monsters felt as though they had suddenly been granted freedom after being locked in hell for hundreds of years; they were so overjoyed they nearly broke into a song and dance to celebrate their luck.

Seeing the two monsters showing such eager hospitality, Yang Nan felt deeply puzzled. Though he had lived in this Dragon Palace for several months, these sea demons didn't need to flatter him to this extent, did they? Could there be some other reason behind it?

Not long after the crab spirit left, a bald-headed man clad in giant armor and wielding a great sabre rushed out from amid the undersea peaks. Bowing repeatedly to Yang Nan with an ingratiating smile, he lamented, "Ah! My revered Immortal Master grandfather, you have finally come! Our Princess has lost count of how many times she has spoken of you!" Commander Turtle slipped up, realized his mistake, and quickly added, "Our Princess has missed Immortal Fairy Fang dearly. Immortal Master, please enter quickly."

Seeing Commander Turtle's expression, Yang Nan understood somewhat and smiled faintly, "How have you been, Commander Turtle? I trust Princess Long Yao is well?"

Commander Turtle slapped his bald head and smiled bitterly, "Immortal Master, you wouldn't understand. Things were naturally fine when you were here, but once you left, the Princess's temper suddenly became capricious. The lesser ones get chewed out over nothing every single day—how could things possibly be well? Since the Immortal Master has come this time, please stay a few more days."

Seeing the pitiful, grievance-stricken expression of Commander Turtle, Yang Nan understood the situation completely. He was vaguely aware of Long Yao's intentions, but had deliberately chosen to feign ignorance. Ordinarily, he ought to have kept a wide distance from such matters, but at present, since he needed a favor from Long Yao, he could no longer afford to play dumb.

A group of sea demons surrounded Yang Nan and marched toward the Dragon Palace with the festive joy of celebrating a holiday. Ni Cai touched his own forehead in utter bewilderment, incredulously muttering, "How very strange! Ah Nan is neither a Venerable nor a Saint, nor is he their clan's old dragon. What on earth are these sea demons so happy about?"

How could Ni Cai—who had always remained untainted by mortal romance—comprehend the terrifying nature of an emotion tribulation? With a heart as pure as an infant's and a true self remaining utterly untainted by romantic desires, mortal affection might still allow one to speak of life and death, but once a cultivator abandoned their emotional detachment and let their heart be stirred, it proved far more terrifying than any love at first sight!

After thousands of years of bitter cultivation, Long Yao had somehow let her heart be moved by Yang Nan, causing her hard-won composure to melt away like flowing water and her Dao heart to lose its equilibrium. If she failed to pass this tribulation, she would undoubtedly find it difficult to attain the Saint realm in the future.

Although Yang Nan understood this in his heart, it was difficult for him to put it into words. Entering the Western Sea Dragon Palace, he saw that the grand hall was radiant with myriad beams of multicolored light, with luminous pearls and fine jades scattered everywhere, illuminating the entire hall into a breathtaking wonderland. Countless maidens poured forth like flowing water to welcome Yang Nan into the hall. Attired in grand and magnificent ceremonial dress with colorful skirts fluttering, Long Yao looked at Yang Nan and happily exclaimed, "What brings Daoist Yang to visit my Western Sea Dragon Palace today?"

Seeing her flushed cheeks, passionate gaze, and eyes shimmering with boundless delight, Yang Nan steadied his mind and said, "Daoist Long, my visit today is precisely to ask for your assistance."

Long Yao led Yang Nan to a seat, sat down, and looked at him, saying, "Daoist Yang, our friendship has always been one of mutual understanding. Previously, Daoist, you gave me a great deal of assistance. Now, whatever lies within Long Yao's power, I shall obey without hesitation!"

Hearing her resolute tone, Yang Nan felt deeply moved. Cupping his hands, he said, "Daoist Long's great righteousness touches my heart. To speak the truth without reservation, Qingyan has been afflicted by the poison of the Soul-Devouring Orchid and requires a Myriad-Year Purple Ice Coffin to suppress it. I heard that this item exists within the Western Sea Dragon Palace, and I have come to borrow it from the Princess. I wonder what the Princess's thoughts are?"

Long Yao started in shock and cried out in dismay, "Sister Qingyan was poisoned by the Soul-Devouring Orchid? Who dares to commit such a vicious act?" Her pretty face filled with frost, she pondered for a moment before declaring, "I will certainly not let this matter rest. Once the true culprit is investigated and identified, I will surely exterminate their divine soul to avenge Sister." Although she held romantic feelings for Yang Nan, her bond of sisterhood with Qingyan was completely genuine; upon hearing the detailed account, she resolved to avenge her friend as firmly as driven nails.

Seeing her sincere and utterly genuine expression, Yang Nan nodded and said, "The Princess's deep affection and steadfast loyalty to my wife make me feel deeply ashamed. Because I courted disaster, I allowed a petty, venomous villain to ambush her. I feel an overwhelming sense of guilt; I am truly a most incompetent husband."

Long Yao nodded and said in a deep voice, "Brother Yang, this is not our first time meeting, there is no need to call me Princess. Let us put Sister's revenge aside for the moment. To tell you the truth, my Dragon Palace only possesses two Myriad-Year Purple Ice Coffins: one holds my mother's remains, while the other is in the possession of my seventh brother, Long Yun. My brother possesses a perverse and violent disposition, and since Brother Yang already has previous grievances with him, I fear borrowing it will be exceedingly difficult."

His mother's remains could absolutely not be disturbed!

And his brother Long Yun bore an old blood feud with Yang Nan!

Seeing her delicate brows tightly knitted together, Yang Nan knew in his heart that this matter would be immensely difficult to resolve. If he went to demand it from Long Yun, it would be equivalent to making an enemy of the entire Dragon Palace; yet if he did not ask, Qingyan's life would be forfeit.

However, as far as Yang Nan was concerned, what else was there to fear about offending someone like Long Yun? If he was going to offend him, he had already done so long ago!

If it meant curing Qingyan, what harm was there in offending everyone under heaven?

With a calm expression, Yang Nan simply cupped his hands and said, "Princess Long, thank you for the warning. I will go and demand it from Long Yun myself; there is no need to trouble the Princess to step forward. Whatever the outcome—whether life or death—I, Yang Nan, will bear it entirely on my own shoulders."

Enraging the Dragon Palace was a terribly ominous prospect, but how resolute was Yang Nan's intent? Without the Myriad-Year Purple Ice Coffin, Fang Qingyan would turn into a demon within a month. This coffin was of such paramount importance that even if it meant braving a mountain of blades and a sea of fire, Yang Nan was determined to forge ahead!

Long Yao shook her head and said, "Brother Yang, you do not understand. Although you previously lured my seventh brother out of the sea to fight and defeated him, the restrictions within the Dragon Palace are numerous. If you go deep into the seabed to fight, I'm afraid you still won't be able to defeat my seventh brother. Why don't you let me accompany you? If my seventh brother refuses, I will simply fall out with him."