Chapter 1731: Dead Sea Enlightenment Leads to the True Self, Great Fortune Arrives with Abundant Peach Blossom Luck

"Seeing the light of day again!"

Escaping from the Dead Sea and returning to the Sheng Shen Continent.

When his mouth and nostrils were no longer filled with the murky water of the Dead Sea but instead could breathe fresh air, Zhu Yike couldn't help but let out a long howl.

It felt so good!

Every time he reappeared after being imprisoned, it always felt like a "resurrection."

But this time, the feeling was even stronger.

Zhu Yike was born in the Southern Domain, raised in dirt and grime, having dabbled in everything.

He had been a swindler, a robber, an assassin, a bounty hunter... As long as it allowed him to survive, he took on all sorts of dirty and arduous jobs.

He had experienced many types of dungeons, water prisons, and stone cells, and endured numerous tortures.

Without exception, with his Jin Men Stealing Technique, he always managed to escape intact.

If one could live in the light, who would be willing to hide in the dim corners?

Therefore, once he recognized Xu Xiaoshou as his master on Void Island, Zhu Yike truly began to put his life on the line.

He knew his origins had nothing to do with absolute light; he would never pass the selection of the Sheng Shen Temple.

Something like Sheng Nu, which was relatively righteous and led by the Eighth Sword Immortal, was already the best and greatest opportunity he could ever encounter.

He worked so hard that he directly confronted the Dao Dian Zhu!

Among the Refiners of the Five Domains, especially those from the Southern Domain, who didn't know what kind of person the Dao Dian Zhu was?

It wouldn't be an exaggeration to call him a "god" in the mortal realm.

And indeed, it was true...

Lord Xu could not possibly defeat the Dao Dian Zhu.

On Qing Yuan Mountain, as expected, the Dao Dian Zhu, who was unfathomable and unpredictable, cast his net, and he somehow stumbled into the Dead Sea.

Having been in water prisons so many times, Zhu Yike experienced "despair" for the first time.

All his clever schemes were exposed under the Dao Dian Zhu's calculations.

On the way to the Dead Sea, guided by Xi, he struggled and tried to save himself, but all his small tricks were seen through.

In the Dead Sea, once the forbidden spell barrier was activated, he became utterly useless.

Even those Ghost Beasts and Spirit Beasts he usually looked down upon... they still retained some physical strength, while a Refiner without spiritual power was no different from a corpse, except for the ability to breathe.

Did he regret it?

To say he didn't regret it would certainly be lying to Lord Xu.

But from an objective perspective, Zhu Yike didn't think he was wrong.

He knew that no matter how sincerely he repented, he could not work for the Dao Dian Zhu of the Sheng Shen Temple.

Even if he used all his strength and exploited every trick to its fullest, he still wouldn't catch the eye of Ba Zun'an, the chief of Sheng Nu.

His subordinates were all people like Wu Yue and Wu Xiu.

When they got serious and played their cards, their prefixes were always "Shi Zunzong."

Zhu Yike?

What kind of thing is that!

Being able to fight for Lord Xu was already the best choice Zhu Yike had ever encountered in his life.

For two months in the Dead Sea, he had despaired, fumed, struggled, exhausted himself, prayed, cursed...

In the end, his mindset completely calmed down.

He thought about only two things every day: whether Lord Xu had arrived, and when he would die.

In two months, he replayed his past, sordid life in his mind more than twenty thousand times. Zhu Yike even felt that he was only one divine half-saint position away from becoming a Saint.

His Dao Foundation originated from Shu Zu.

Unlike Li Fugui's somewhat illusory achievements gained through consuming elixirs, he achieved his Taixu through combat, and his Dao Foundation was as stable as a rock through various life-and-death trials.

His mindset could originally be considered a flaw...

But two months of tempering in the Dead Sea, with his hurried life suddenly slowing down, Zhu Yike achieved enlightenment in the Dead Sea.

"Life is fate."

"Death is fate."

"He who steals from me will eventually be stolen from, and he who takes will eventually return; others are like this, and we Jin Men cultivators are no different..."

Facing the wind.

Facing the desolate night sky.

Zhu Yike stood on a messy hilltop, spreading his arms, and laughed heartily:

"Old man, I didn't understand what you meant before. Is there anyone who can steal from my Jin Men?"

"Now, I understand a little."

"Rest in peace, although you already kicked the bucket..."

Zhu Yike cackled as he spoke. He was never a sentimental person, nor would he dwell too much on the past.

He was a pragmatic gambler.

To live one more breath was to earn one more breath.

If occasionally something as good as a half-saint position falling from the sky happened, it certainly wasn't because of any great effort he had made, but simply because...

"My luck has gotten better!"

Zhu Yike grinned, laughing freely, then clapped his hand, revealing three copper coins on the back of his palm.

All were heads.

He chuckled, then with a reverse swipe of his right hand, the copper coins were gathered to his thumb, and he flicked them upwards.

"Zheng!"

Three copper coins flew up at different heights.

Zhu Yike bent one knee, half-sitting in the void, crossing his left ankle over his right thigh, and then rolled up his pant leg.

*Pa! Pa! Pa!*

The three copper coins landed with a splat on his black furry pant leg. He looked down...

Still heads!

"Wohoo!"

Zhu Yike laughed loudly, then clapped the two copper coins on his lower leg, causing the first one to fly up.

He caught it, held it for a breath, rubbed it between his fingers, and shouted:

"Flower!"

The copper coin vanished, transforming into a seductive blue tear of a rose.

He chuckled and patted his lower leg again; the second copper coin flew up. He caught it and rubbed it again:

"Radish!"

The copper coin disappeared.

A white radish, seemingly just pulled from the earth, appeared in Zhu Yike's hand.

It wasn't over yet. He lifted his lower leg one last time, and as the copper coin flew up, Zhu Yike caught it.

In the time it took to turn around, he opened his palm:

"Mirror!"

In his hand, a human-sized full-body mirror appeared: the Chuan Dao Jing Zi Jing.

Zhu Yike burst into laughter.

He held the Chuan Dao Jing Zi Jing up to himself, styling his bangs in the mirror, then propped it beside him and found a rock to sit on.

He wasn't sure what he was thinking.

Suddenly, he looked towards the horizon, the distant horizon.

The morning sun emerged from the sea of clouds in the east, casting a tangerine glow that fell directly on Zhu Yike's face.

Zhu Yike radiated light.

He embraced the mirror as if hugging a good friend's shoulder, laughing triumphantly:

"Hmph, today, I am incredibly lucky!"

"What is he doing?"

Refiners from all over the Five Domains, at least four domains' worth of people, couldn't understand what Feng Zhongzui was doing at that moment.

Yes, the Chuan Dao Jing Mu Jing was still broadcasting the Dead Sea, but the screen had become half.

The other half showed another mirror aimed at Zhu Yike after he exited the Dead Sea.

And when the mirror's image shifted in the end, revealing that crooked, ugly face still styling its bangs...

Everyone knew that the Chuan Dao Jing aimed at Zhu Yike had been found.

"But, why?"

Still, most people were baffled, unable to comprehend Zhu Yike's actions after leaving the Dead Sea.

Like the wind.

Completely illogical!

"Flower, radish, mirror... Is there some hidden meaning?"

"Hua Hong Da Dao, the intelligence says he knows this 'Jin Men Stealing Technique.' Is this that 'stealing from heaven and changing the sun'?"

"But what's the 'meaning'? He targets what he wants to steal, exchanges it with a copper coin, and gets a predetermined item. It can't be that he's gambling, can it?"

"Haha, of course not. How could he randomly steal and always get what he calls for?"

"If it's not gambling, what is he performing?"

"He's performing something unfathomable, like a ghost or deity. He even stole the mirror, which means he knew there was a Chuan Dao Jing filming him. Go stay in the Dead Sea for a while, and your mental state will probably be crazier than his!"

"Crazy? It doesn't feel like it..."

While the four domains were still trying to figure out the purpose of Zhu Yike's actions, even pondering the profound meanings of "flower," "radish," and "mirror"...

Little did they know that at that very moment, in a certain domain, along with Zhu Yike's every move, a fervent cheer was erupting.

The Southern Domain's Land of Sin!

Only people from the Southern Domain understood Zhu Yike.

Only the Death Cultists, evil people, and fallen corpses understood all of Zhu Yike's actions after leaving the Dead Sea.

Just as Yu Jing Wen Rou Xiang reflected the extravagant style of the entire Central Domain, the Southern Domain suffered years of continuous warfare, and no one knew if they would wake up after a sleep or be sent to another world.

Therefore, they believed in acting on impulse and living in the present.

Zhu Yike was simply too Southern Domain!

His character, his actions, precisely represented the ultimate freedom and unrestrained nature of the Southern Domain people!

"He is gambling, a grand gamble!"

Gambling what?

Why gamble?

What would happen after all this gambling?

These were the questions that people from the other four domains would ponder, questions that meticulous people like Lord Xu and the Dao Dian Zhu would consider.

In the eyes of the Southern Domain people, there weren't so many questions.

The Southern Domain people never considered these things; they only knew that at that moment, if they wanted to do something, and they did it, then it was done!

When Zhu Yike used a copper coin, called out "flower," and then rubbed out a flower,

The Death Cultists, represented by those at the first viewing platform in Feng Jia Cheng, erupted in cheers.

Everyone was celebrating, celebrating a successful gamble.

Perhaps it was for something else, no one knew, but it was a celebration nonetheless.

When Zhu Yike called out "radish" again and also stole a radish, someone immediately jumped onto the stage and performed a bloody escape race around the viewing platform seven times.

Why a bloody escape?

Why a race?

Why seven laps, not six or eight?

No one among the Death Cultists present questioned these "whys"; they only knew that the scene became even more fervent because of the bloody escape race of seven laps.

They cheered one after another, astonishing the untainted Feng family members.

Some Death Cultists even threw shoes onto the stage to express their respect for Zhu Yike's two consecutive successful gambles in the picture.

And when the last wave of calling "mirror" brought the mirror, the scene completely lost control, thoroughly exploding.

Could the Chuan Dao Jing also be gambled for and won?

Among Lord Xu's instructions to Zhu Yike in the Dead Sea was to find a Chuan Dao Jing after leaving the Dead Sea...

To get something so effortlessly, after two consecutive successful gambles, and still wanting to win a third time under such a slim chance, it was simply too exhilarating!

"Flower, radish, mirror..."

People who had lived their entire lives in the Southern Domain's Land of Sin wouldn't think that a flower represented dreams, a radish represented life, or that a mirror might represent a path to the unknown, or a tool to see one's true heart and the Great Dao.

They never thought so much; they only knew...

A flower is just a flower.

A radish is just a radish.

A mirror, at most, gained an extra name: Chuan Dao Jing.

And the last line, "Today, I am incredibly lucky," was like pouring hot oil over a fish that had been filleted, steamed, and drizzled with hot oil, adding the perfect finishing touch.

Whether it tasted good was another matter; just watching the oil boil and sizzle outside the pot brought immense satisfaction.

"My..."

"Where's my Chuan Dao Jing?"

Feng Xiaoshuang stared blankly at the dirty copper coin in her hand, her beautiful eyes filled with astonishment.

It suddenly disappeared!

This copper coin suddenly appeared!

Without any warning, and no fluctuations from spiritual techniques or ancient sword arts...

Not long ago, she had just received an order from the Old Patriarch to broadcast the Five Stages of Decline in the Western Domain, and without resting, she rushed to the Sacred Mountain.

Zhu Yike hadn't even started broadcasting yet, and the Chuan Dao Jing was gone?

"No."

Feng Xiaoshuang quickly realized that the Chuan Dao Jing had most likely been taken by Feng Zhongzui because, in the end, the image in the mirror faintly conveyed a sound... mirror?

Then I still have to face him directly?

Feng Xiaoshuang's heart felt a little anxious.

Filming Lord Xu was simple; just bring someone along. Lord Xu wouldn't harm his own people, at least. That good job went to that boy Feng Zhongzui.

Filming Zhu Yike...

This was definitely a Southern Domain evil cultivator, and his temperament was unpredictable.

Her appearance was quite striking, and her figure was excellent. Could it be that he would take a liking to her?

"Boom!"

She looked up into the distance.

Dark clouds gathered in the distant sky, vaguely forming a Saint Tribulation.

"Not the right time."

Not long after the sun rose from the sea of clouds, Zhu Yike's mind became clear, and the Saint Tribulation actually found its way to him on its own.

This was not a good time to undergo the tribulation!

Lord Xu's mission hadn't been completed yet, and according to Lord Xu's previous instructions, where was the dog?

Just then, a voluptuous fairy, riding a sword, arrived from the distant south. When she landed in front of him, a closer look revealed...

Her appearance was also outstanding!

She was definitely not a dog!

Zhu Yike squeezed out a smile, turned his head, and chuckled to the Chuan Dao Jing, "It seems I'm not only lucky today, but my romantic luck is also booming!"

Feng Xiaoshuang landed, and upon hearing his words, her heart skipped a beat. She said unnaturally:

"Hello, Senior Zhu, I am the Chuan Dao Jing..."

Feng Xiaoshuang froze.

Zhu Yike also froze.

The spectators in front of the mirrors in the Five Domains burst into laughter.

Feng Xiaoshuang was not of the younger generation; many in the Southern Domain knew her.

Strictly speaking, she was middle-aged, but not yet at the level or age of the Shi Zunzong.

She was of the same generation as Feng Xiaose, who had left the Feng family and joined the Xu Yue Hui Gong.

Their ages were similar, neither too old nor too young, both at the level of Xiao Kongdong and Zhu Yike.

Their combat power was also considerable.

At least, those of the Feng family's 'Xiao' generation who could show their faces wouldn't be weak.

Logically, she could address him as an equal.

At this moment, calling him "Senior Zhu" probably showed respect to Lord Xu, and to the half-saint position, and to the Saint Tribulation that had just flashed by.

"Hello, Chuan Dao Jing."

Zhu Yike easily took over the role of the Chuan Dao Jing holder, turning the mirror to face the woman who called herself Chuan Dao Jing.

The woman who claimed to be the Chuan Dao Jing blushed instantly:

"No, I mean..."

Ancient sword cultivators seemed unable to tolerate being filmed by the Chuan Dao Jing.

She couldn't even speak properly, and the way she took out the copper coin in her hand became extremely unnatural, or rather, affected:

"I mean, the Chuan Dao Jing is mine, Senior. Your copper coin is missing, it's with me..."

"This isn't my copper coin. What I lost was a Ling Que." Zhu Yike was very adept at flirting with respectable women.

"Mmph."

Feng Xiaoshuang's mouth twitched, and her face showed an expression of wanting to explode but daring not to, as the Chuan Dao Jing was still filming.

Grace.

She had to be graceful.

She had to maintain the demeanor of their Feng family, unlike those greenhorns Feng Zhongzui and Feng Tiantian!

"Hehe, is it this?" Feng Xiaoshuang actually pulled out a Ling Que.

Zhu Yike didn't take it, a subtle smile spreading across his face, "I also lost a wife; she was wearing a Ling Que."

Feng Xiaoshuang's eyebrows shot up, and her sword intent erupted throughout her body. She suddenly pulled out her sword from behind her waist.

"How dare you!"

She suddenly lunged, her great sword slashing towards the Chuan Dao Jing.

This not only startled Zhu Yike but also sent a jolt through all the spectators in the Five Domains. This woman...

"Get lost!"

The great sword descended from above, directly towards his face.

As she drew her sword, the void behind Feng Xiaoshuang cracked.

Golden myriad swords formed, and that imposing pressure could briefly make enemies lose their focus and clarity.

Absolute Imperial Reign!

But how could Zhu Yike be a novice young man?

He had seen many grand scenes; he had even wrapped the Dao Dian Zhu in paper before. How could he be swayed by a mere first realm of ancient sword arts?

"Zheng."

He flicked a copper coin with his fingertip.

Feng Xiaoshuang slashed down with her sword, and her hand felt empty.

She had been holding the great sword with both hands, but suddenly she was holding a copper coin and fell towards Zhu Yike.

"You're too wild. Master Zhu doesn't like that. Master Zhu likes gentle and fluid women."

The sword in her hand actually appeared in Zhu Yike's hand.

When he acted, he showed no pity for women, thrusting the sword straight into Feng Xiaoshuang's chest.

"Pfft!"

The Chuan Dao Jing was splattered with blood.

This blood seemed to smear across the faces of everyone in the Five Domains, bewildering them all.

"What happened?"

"Feng Xiaoshuang's sword, how did it appear in... Stealing from Heaven and Changing the Sun?"

This was too bizarre!

If using copper coins to exchange for a flower, a radish, or a mirror earlier seemed unremarkable to people, and they didn't quite grasp the trick behind it,

This move of exchanging swords in combat was even more fatal than pulling the rug out from under someone's feet!

Zhu Yike delivered a powerful kick, his greatsword's guard pressing against Feng Xiaoshuang's chest, almost deforming her.

The penetrating force of the kick sent Feng Xiaoshuang flying hundreds of feet through the air, and the sword blade, piercing through her back, shattered the giant rock in the mountains.

"Pfft!"

Feng Xiaoshuang was in excruciating pain, spitting out another mouthful of blood, but she couldn't fall because of such a minor injury.

She fiercely pulled out the great sword from her chest, her eyes stained with a bloodthirsty scarlet, "Good, good, good..."

This looked like a sleeping lion awakening.

The Five Domains didn't expect to see Zhu Yike battle Feng Xiaoshuang before fighting the dog-lover, and they all eagerly looked forward to it.

Just then...

*Pa!* Zhu Yike kicked down.

The front of the Chuan Dao Jing was pressed to the ground, and the screen went black.

"What's going on?" At this critical moment, it broke down again. The spectators in the Five Domains screamed one after another:

"Feng Zhongzui, what are you doing? Did your hand shake?"

"Where's my screen? My Hua Yue Lou invites you for a drink, what kind of screen can't I watch?"

"It fell! The mirror fell! Pick it up! Someone... Feng Zhongzui, quickly come and pick it up!"

"Zhu Yike, I'm going to kill you!"

Mixed in with the clamor of the Five Domains was Feng Xiaoshuang's roar like a lioness from Hedong, accompanied by the sound of tearing wind and sword cries.

Can't see!

The screen was completely black!

No one knew why the screen suddenly went dark, and even the people in the Southern Domain started wondering why...

Just then, a "Zheng" sound echoed.

Everyone recognized this sound as that of a copper coin being tossed. Immediately after, Zhu Yike's voice emerged:

"Purple."

The Five Domains instantly fell silent.

Everyone held their breath, their eyes wide as copper bells.

"Ah—"

The next moment, sword cries filled the air chaotically.

Feng Xiaoshuang's terrified shriek followed.

This time, the Five Domains thoroughly erupted. They all rushed to the stage, frantically shaking the Chuan Dao Jing, as if trying to shake open the black screen or shake Feng Zhongzui to death.

"Show me!"

"What can't I see!"

"Zhu Yike, hurry and set the mirror upright for this grand master!"

"Ahhh, Zhu Yike, Senior Zhu, Master Zhu... you come and replace Feng Zhongzui, you are the one who knows! I'll give you copper coins, we will support you as the King of Chuan Dao, just let me see, ahhh!"

"Zhu Yike, I'll kill you!"

In the black screen, Feng Xiaoshuang's heart-wrenching killing intent was clearly audible to the Five Domains.

At this moment, everyone wanted to kill Zhu Yike even more than Feng Xiaoshuang did!

Because after the "Zheng" sound, that guy's faint voice echoed again:

"A set? I prefer separates."

Ah—

The scream coming from the Chuan Dao Jing was the very reflection of what everyone in the Five Domains felt at that moment.

Show me.

Zhu Yike, please, I want to see.

"Your shoelace is untied."

"So is your belt."

"It's the scent of roses, and..."

"Curly."

The copper coin didn't "Zheng" many times, yet the Five Domains felt like they had passed through a long spring and autumn.

Where was Zhu Yike a Taixu?

His cultivation was unfathomable, alright!

In comparison, Feng Zhongzui was nothing; the things filmed by the Chuan Dao Jing that Master Zhu was stepping on were far superior to anything he produced properly.

With a shake of the Chuan Dao Jing, the screen returned to light.

In the distance, Feng Xiaoshuang, her chest stained with crimson blood, was huddled by a rock, propping herself up with her sword, her face full of overflowing rage.

"I have real business to attend to, I need to go count. Here's your Chuan Dao Jing back."

The mirror flew, and the people of the Five Domains saw it land in Feng Xiaoshuang's hand, without a single rebellious word spoken.

It's over?

It's just over?

What about the great battle? There was still a fight missing between you two!

"You are not the Eighth Sword Immortal, nor the First Sword Immortal. The era of ancient sword cultivators has long declined."

Master Zhu in the mirror spoke condescendingly.

This single sentence almost denigrated the entire Feng family.

But even with such a mocking remark, Feng Xiaoshuang said not another word, her hand merely trembling slightly.

The battle was over.

It really was over.

What happened between them just now?!

Master Zhu seemed to realize something was amiss, he hesitated, "I was just joking earlier..."

No response.

The mirror's image trembled.

"You should be someone who can take a joke..." At this point, Zhu Yike recalled the great sword that had suddenly lunged earlier, "...right?"

Behind the mirror, unseen by the world, Zhu Yike suddenly saw the Chuan Dao Jing wiping its eyes.

This big sister...

No, I just untied your shoelaces and belt, and took two strands of your hair. Why are you crying?!

Zhu Yike was utterly bewildered.

But he was absolutely not going to apologize. After his eyes darted left and right, he decided to ignore it and lifted his head to the sky, beginning to count:

"Ten."

"Nine."

"Eight."

"Seven..."