Chapter 151: Crow and Golden Crow

The fox maidens led away the demon soldiers, leaving the five thousand white crows abandoned at the immortal dwelling.

Looking out over the vast, snow-white expanse of crows, Qing Hong felt a sharp ache in his temples: how on earth was he supposed to deal with these feathered beasts?

Qin Wu chuckled with amusement. "Fellow Daoist, if you properly domesticate these white crows hereafter, they will make quite a fine flock of dwelling-guarding spirit birds. You should take good care of them."

"Feed them? Where am I supposed to get the food? Feed them Immortality-Discarding Pills every single day? And besides, think of the mess they'll make with their daily eating, drinking, and excreting. My immortal dwelling is not the Thousand-Bird Peak; I can't have them fouling up the place day in and day out!" Qing Hong swept his gaze across the assembled immortals, seemingly searching for a scapegoat.

Although these white crows possessed decent strength, the poultry bred by the demonic sects were one and all ferocious in appearance. Furthermore, taking charge of such vicious birds to act as a "bird tutor" or a "gong-scooper" was a troublesome chore indeed.

Therefore, no one dared to respond. Everyone lowered their heads and knitted their brows, as if the supreme Dao were inscribed upon the floor beneath them, completely immersing themselves in quiet contemplation.

In the end, it was Fu Yutang who could no longer bear to watch and spoke up, saying, "Later, when Master emerges from seclusion, I will ask Uncle-Master and Master to forge a Universe Dharma Treasure for me. I can take these white crow soldiers with me for self-protection."

"Very well."

Qing Hong settled the matter with that tone, continuing to chat and jest with the immortals until five-colored auspicious clouds drifted across the sky, and slivers of luminous feathers fluttered down around the immortals.

Amidst the brilliant radiance, crisp, clear cries occasionally rang out, refreshing the mind and invigorating the spirit.

"The resonance of spiritual qi is hidden within these bird cries. Could it be that some immortal has arrived?"

The immortals hurriedly rose from the reed mat canopy and looked up into the sky.

They saw a divine bird with golden eyes and emerald plumage flying in from the south. Its wings stretched wide like clouds covering the firmament, and its feathers were inscribed with numerous divine scripts and spiritual talismans, continuously scattering radiant plumes downward—truly a sacred spectacle.

Qing Hong caught a luminous feather to examine it. As the brilliance dissipated, a long tail feather rested in the palm of his hand. Hanging from its tip was an eye-like circular ring containing five-colored light that shifted in endless layers, captivating the soul. The surrounding immortals imitated his action, resulting in many of them becoming hopelessly lost in the hallucinatory arts emitted by the glowing feathers.

"Though these luminous feathers appear sacred, they conceal demonic qi within." Qing Hong pointed a finger upward, and a surge of watery light rose above his crown, transforming twenty-four precious pearls into a watery cloud realm.

The sky-vault was inverted, jade-green tides surged and rolled, and a vast expanse of floodwaters swept across the cosmos, completely wiping away the light feathers falling from the sky.

"Awaken!" Qin Wu shouted loudly to the crowd. One by one, the immortals snapped out of their trances, feeling profoundly ashamed as they recalled their behavior just moments before.

Qian Zhenzi of the Chongxu Path said to Qing Hong, "Brother Daoist, is this bird an artifact of the Southern Demonic Cult?" He and Qing Hong were old acquaintances; the previous year, when they had eradicated the Drought Demon, he and his junior brother had also contributed no small effort.

"Mm." Qing Hong looked up at the divine bird overhead.

The bird was strutting proudly, its tail-screen unfurled, layers of luminous halos dazzling the eye, resembling countless eyes gazing down upon the immortals.

"This peacock must belong to the Peacock Division of the Southern Demonic Cult, no?"

The Huangyang Demonic Cult worshipped the Golden Crow and practiced the Great Sun Demonic Fire, regarding the Golden Crow as the king of all birds. In addition, the sect had seven divisions: the Bifang, Vermilion Bird, Roc, Peacock, Swan Goose, Crane, and Nine-Headed Bird. Beneath each avian division were three envoys at the Human Immortal level, arranged by left, center, and right, forming the core power of the Seven-Transformation Divine Divisions of the Huangyang Demonic Cult. Likewise, these eight types of divine birds were all ranked among the Thirty-Three Demonic Gods of the Four Regions' Demonic Cults.

"The Southern Demonic Cult relies on these seven divisions for its combat strength. Now that the peacock has descended upon the immortal dwelling, their people have surely arrived."

Accordingly, Qing Hong called out loudly toward the south, "Which high personage of the Southern Demonic Cult has come? Step forth for a meeting."

That peacock landed on the distant Moon-Gazing Rock, standing on one leg and glancing about as it danced. The brocade screen behind it rippled back and forth, flashing with wondrous colors and brilliant hues of every sort, shifting into infinite shades.

"What a fine peacock divine bird, truly an extraordinary spectacle." Zhang Yuan初 couldn't help offering a word of praise. "This bird is brimming with spiritual nature; it must have at least a millennium of cultivation."

The bird was full of arrogance, standing on the high slope and looking down upon these immortal beings. Jing Xuan watched with displeasure and scoffed, "It is merely a peacock; if a phoenix were to come, the spectacle would be far greater."

A phoenix dancing across the nine heavens with a hundred birds paying homage—such a spectacle naturally could not be matched by a mere peacock.

Qing Hong noticed that the peacock kept staring in this direction, and he could not help furrowing his brows, seemingly understanding something. He pointed a finger toward the Jade-Green Tide Pearl overhead: "Change!"

The water clouds shifted unpredictably, and thick, heavy clouds shrouded the immortal dwelling in mist.

Seeing this, the peacock shuddered, and the golden radiance in its gaze gradually faded.

***

On a certain high slope not far away, a gathering of handsome men and stunning women had assembled. Among the Seven-Transformation Divine Divisions of the Southern Demonic Cult, the Peacock Division was the fondest of recruiting handsome and beautiful disciples. Anyone with an ugly countenance was strictly barred from entering the gates of the Peacock Division.

Yang Fei fancied himself exceptionally handsome and frequently dealt with members of the Peacock Division. As these people gathered together, one beautiful married woman opened her eyes and said, "Someone over there has noticed something amiss and is finding a way to block my perception."

The divine peacock that had flown to the entrance of the immortal dwelling was precisely this woman's natal spiritual beast. Relying on the connection between them, she had been spying on the true state of the immortal dwelling from afar, only to have Qing Hong see through it.

Yang Fei frowned and asked, "Can Aunt Liu not use her spiritual pupils to pierce through the shielding?"

"No. That person's methods are quite good; twenty-four precious pearls lock down the spiritual mechanism and mist, preventing outsiders from peering into the true state of the immortal dwelling." Having said this, the beautiful woman changed the subject: "Speaking of which, just now—"

"What about just now?" Yang Fei looked up, only to find Aunt Liu appearing right before him the next moment, tugging at his ear with annoyed indignation. "Don't call me aunt, call me elder sister! How many times do I have to tell you! This young lady is still in her prime!"

"Yes, yes, yes... Ow, it hurts!" Yang Fei hurriedly protected his ear and begged Aunt Liu to let go. "Elder sister... Elder sister, my good sister, can we please let go!"

Once Aunt Liu released him, Yang Fei muttered inwardly: Her prime? As someone who survived the previous Immortal-Demon Calamity, she must be at least four hundred years old, right?

However, a woman's age was a delicate matter. Female demonic overlords were no exception. Knowing when to be tactful, Yang Fei did not continue to dwell on the topic.

He said to Aunt Liu, "You mentioned twenty-four precious pearls? That must be the loose immortal Qing Hong, the descendant of the Cloud Firmament Pavilion? His Jade-Green Tide Pearls are quite a fine precious artifact. They contain the Qi of Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow, and can take lives without incurring karmic retribution. Moreover, he holds the Yin-Yang Dragon-Beard Fan in his hand, and that thing is not easy to deal with."

The Yin-Yang Dragon-Beard Fan was already an out-of-reach myth to the immortals and demons of the present day. But as one of the Nine Supreme Treasures and an ancient heavyweight treasure once used by the Xuan Gate to suppress destiny, its might absolute could not be underestimated.

"Although I have never witnessed the power of this fan with my own eyes, when I recall the Taiqing Seven-Star Sword from the last calamity, I fear its might is likely not much inferior."

Thinking of the Taiqing Sect's Seven-Star Precious Sword, the demons could not help but shudder.

To this day, the Thousand-Peak Mountain had been severed by the Seven-Star Sword and had yet to recover its original appearance! The mountain rock that had been chopped off could never be reattached and could only remain at the side as another lesser hill.

The people of the Southern Demonic Cult had fresh memories, and thinking of the Yin-Yang Dragon-Beard Fan of the same tier, their expressions turned sour one by one.

"However, I've heard people say that this fan is not in its complete state. Surely its power is only three to five tenths of the Seven-Star Sword's?" Yang Fei's tone was uncertain, for Qing Hong rarely took the item out to use.

After the group conferred for a while, Yang Fei went off to find the Left Envoy of the Roc and White, the Right Envoy of the Swan Goose.

"Mr. Bai, the immortal dwelling side is already on guard. In your view, what should we do?"

Swan geese were pure and noble; the Swan Goose Division of the Southern Demonic Cult was mostly composed of cultivators dressed as scholars.

Right Envoy Bai had originally been the second-place laureate in the early years of the Great Hong Dynasty. Later, squeezed out by others, he ran off in a fit of rage to the southern frontiers to serve the barbarian king. Ultimately, owing to his outstanding intelligence, he caught the eye of the Huangyang Demonic Cult and was taken into their fold. In a mere three hundred years, he had risen to become a figure of real authority within the Swan Goose Division.

"Since they issued a challenge, we can simply meet them face-to-face. In any case, this bout of dharma combat centers around the Young Cult Master, and the rest of us have come under the Cult Master's orders to assist."

Hearing his words, a smile bloomed at the corners of Yang Fei's mouth. "Then let us give them a harsh display of dominance!"

As he spoke, a halo of fire-light rose behind his head, within which a golden bird directly charged toward the immortal dwelling.

The Southern Demonic Cult had a distinct partiality for flying birds. Every human immortal who entered the cult was bound to have fierce birds and spiritual beasts bestowed upon them by the demonic cult. Seeing the golden bird fly out, Mr. Bai and the others wore knowing smiles. Similar divine birds followed closely behind them.

Those fierce birds and spiritual beasts were white, azure, golden, or purple, resplendent in colorful hues beyond count. All the birds arrived before the Cloud Firmament Immortal Dwelling simultaneously. The leading golden giant bird spread its wings and cried out, causing the distant mountain forests to suddenly rustle. A gust of roaring wind blew, and hundreds upon hundreds of flying birds flew out from the mountains to pay homage to their sovereign, pressing down upon the mountaintop in a dense, dark mass.

Gazing upon the countless exotic birds arrayed within the dense flocks, the immortals all wore unsightly expressions.

"A hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix?"

Zhang Yuanchu rallied his spirits. "Could it be that there really is a phoenix on the other side?"

"A phoenix is unlikely, but could it be a golden crow?" Jing Xuan frowned. "After all, the golden crow is the fundamental divine avatar of the Huangyang Demonic Cult."

The immortals looked toward the object of the birds' homage. It was a three-legged golden crow, eight feet tall, with a tail like a sea of fire and three legs planted upon the immortal rock, looking down upon the surrounding flock like a sovereign.

Upon seeing the crow, Qian Zhenzi suddenly chanted in a clear voice: "Today the clear skies are infinitely fine, suddenly the golden bird calls all in line. Pretending the mountain pheasant's a phoenix so grand, it's just a crow playing sun in the land."

***

Yang Fei was feeling full of soaring heroism, having his natal divine bird gather the hundred birds in homage. Suddenly hearing the casual verse improvised by Qian Zhenzi and pondering its meaning, he flew into a rage. "What an accursed Daoist, how dare he insult this young master!"

The mountain pheasant was also known as the "false phoenix"; as the saying went, "a phoenix comes from a pheasant's nest," and people frequently compared the pheasant and the phoenix to truth and falsehood. Qian Zhenzi's first line carried this exact implication. But his latter phrase, comparing the crow to the blazing sun, was similar. The golden crow was the essence of the great sun, dazzling in brilliance and illuminating all things, and was regarded as the symbol of the sun. Qian Zhenzi was cursing Yang Fei for "using a mountain pheasant to play the phoenix" and treating a crow as a divine golden crow, which thoroughly infuriated Yang Fei.

However, he quickly gathered his composure and declared, "This young master won't stoop to bickering with an idiot like you."

Hearing this, Qian Zhenzi countered, "Who is the feathered beast cursing?"

Yang Fei originally intended to snap back, but upon second thought, he realized: If I argue with him, wouldn't I be admitting that I am a "feathered beast"?

Thus, Yang Fei turned instead to Qing Hong and said, "Daoist Qing Hong, you issued a challenge to our demonic cult, and now we have arrived as promised. State your terms!"

Qing Hong was currently examining Yang Fei's golden crow, staring at it in a trance.

Just as the divine dragon was the chief of scaly creatures, the phoenix was likewise the leader of the feathered tribe. In the realm of Xuanzheng, divine dragons were common, but phoenixes were not.

Because pure-bred phoenixes were extremely rare, they had completely vanished from sight ever since the end of antiquity. Most of the phoenixes that had appeared over the past few millennia were sprites possessing phoenix bloodlines that had purified their blood and evolved. The most common among them was the "false phoenix"—the mountain pheasant. Using a mountain pheasant to play the phoenix was a derogatory remark, but it did indeed possess a sliver of possibility.

As for a crow mutating into a three-legged golden crow, that was also possible. Yet the success rate was far too low; ever since the creation of the Xuanzheng realm, only a single golden crow divine bird had ever resided upon the sun star overhead. As for a crow feathering out to become a golden crow? At most, it bore a seven or eight-tenths resemblance, and a true golden crow had never once been born.

"If there are divine beasts in the Xuanzheng realm, I fear the dragon clan is truly the most common. Of course, these dragon clans are not true heavenly dragons either, but rather the descendants born of heavenly dragons."

As he muttered to himself in contemplation, Jing Xuan gently nudged him from behind. Qing Hong snapped out of his trance and said to Yang Fei, "I am a person cultivating outside the calamity and do not wish to enter the killing tribulation. Nor do I care to engage in endless slaughter with your demonic cult. My reason for seeking a duel with you today is none other than to negotiate the ownership of this three-hundred-li territory. If I win, this place shall belong to me, and how I dispose of it hereafter is none of your demonic cult's concern. Even if someone travels from the southern frontier outward, they shall not pass through my territory."

"Naturally, if I lose, without another word, the Cloud Firmament Immortal Dwelling shall be handed over to you. From then on, I will live in seclusion overseas and never set foot in the Central Plains again!"

Qing Hong spoke with righteous conviction, causing Yang Fei's brow to twitch. "Never step foot in the Central Plains again? You certainly have a bold spirit."

As a successor of the Cloud Firmament Pavilion, never setting foot in the Central Plains again was a remarkably heavy stake. By comparison, the demonic cult's restriction against approaching this region seemed insignificant.

"I also stated in my letter: three bouts of dharma combat before the immortal dwelling. The previous defeat of your Roc Division counts as the first. This time makes the second."

"How do you propose we fight?"

"We are all immortals and demonic transcendents blessed with long lifespans. Moreover, a great killing tribulation awaits you shortly, and I have no desire to fight you to the death. Let us engage in a 'gambling of the Dao'."

"A gambling of the Dao? How is that played?"

"You and I shall each propose topics, which will then be assigned numbers. Then we shall each cast dice, and determine the mode of combat by the sum of those numbers. A total of three rounds, and the victor wins."

Qing Hong understood that if they fought a group battle, despite the considerable number of people on his side, if the Huangyang Demonic Cult were truly to take things seriously, his side would inevitably suffer. Furthermore, if anything untoward happened to these disciples of the Supreme lineage within his immortal dwelling, he would never be able to afford the compensation later on—the karmic favor owed would simply be too massive.

Therefore, Qing Hong chose the method of a gambling duel.

"Very well!" Yang Fei answered crisply and cleanly. Then, looking up at the sky, he added, "However, the day is already growing late. Tomorrow at the hour of *chen* [1], we shall return for the gambling duel!"

With those words, he led his followers away.

Upon returning to the distant high slope, one of them sneered, "Why must the Young Cult Master bother dueling him? In this old man's humble opinion, we should simply strike him down and be done with it! As the saying goes, 'divine prowess cannot rival heavenly numbers, and heavenly numbers cannot rival wisdom.' No matter how high his cultivation is, in this old man's hands, it would take no more than the time it takes to brew a cup of tea."

"Indeed. Ghost Elder's 'Seven-Star Proclamation Death-Cursing Spell' can be called an absolute pinnacle beneath heaven. Never mind this Lord of Cloud Firmament, even if their founding master were still alive, escaping death would be difficult." The beautiful woman disguised as a heavenly maiden laughed and flattered him sweetly.

"No rush. Since they delivered a challenge, we shall abide by the rules. Killing people with curses is, after all, a lower strategy." Yang Fei finished speaking, then immediately added, "Still, we can prepare this method in advance. Cursing them to death will make it all the easier for us to take over the immortal dwelling afterward. Master Ghost Elder, prepare it beforehand; we might just have use for it."

***