Chapter 489: From the Fairy's Beating

At noon, above the Five Continents of the Primordial World, at the South Heaven Gate.

Sunlight spilled over the sea of clouds, a place where no insects or birds dared to fly. Yet, the clouds unfurled and coiled, forming a wondrous spectacle, and a gentle breeze drifted, creating a subtle melody.

A golden light shot rapidly from the northwest, appearing like an arrow piercing the clouds from afar. In an instant, it reached a hundred miles before the South Heaven Gate, leaving the world behind.

The golden light ceased instantly, transforming into a tall, slender figure who stood proudly a hundred miles outside the South Heaven Gate.

Behold this immortal! With sword-like brows, narrow eyes, a hooked nose, and eyes flashing with fierce energy, his heart brimmed with arrogance. Draped in a large golden cloak that emphasized the grandeur of the Phoenix clan, he wore a magnificent jade crown adorned with golden pearls and golden-patterned white-winged boots. He gave a cold smile towards the South Heaven Gate, his overly sharp chin slightly raised, as if he could 'look forward' solely through his nostrils.

Tremble, Heaven!

"Ha... a yawn..." At the South Heaven Gate, a guarding heavenly general couldn't help but yawn and stretch.

A hundred miles away, the approaching Golden-Winged Great Roc frowned and tentatively began to assess the situation at the South Heaven Gate.

Something was amiss. Why hadn't the South Heaven Gate increased its guards? And why were only Heavenly Immortals and True Immortals stationed here?

Could it be that the Heavenly Court hadn't heard the news he'd released?

That couldn't be right. The Water God's conversations with Duke Dongmu had spread through various markets, clearly indicating they knew he, the Golden-Winged Great Roc, was coming.

Attacking the weak was inherently an insult to the dignity of the Phoenix clan!

The situation at the South Heaven Gate indeed suggested a trap...

Noon had arrived, and he had revealed himself. How could he possibly not enter?

The Golden-Winged Great Roc scoffed softly, flicked his cloak, and prepared to rush towards the South Heaven Gate.

He intended to fly openly through the Heavenly Gate, right before the eyes of these heavenly soldiers and generals, displaying his unparalleled speed and leaving them with no means of response!

The Great Roc spreads its wings!

The Golden-Winged Great Roc's figure transformed into a golden streak and shot towards the Heavenly Gate!

In but an instant, the roc had already covered ninety miles, nearing the Heavenly Gate, when a sword hum resounded above the gate. The Golden-Winged Great Roc's figure sharply veered to the left.

The entire process occurred in a flash, so fast that the guarding heavenly soldiers and generals had no time to react.

In fact, a certain deity's ordinary paper effigy, hidden in the shadows, could only barely catch a blurry afterimage.

*Hum—* Above the South Heaven Gate, the Demon-Slaying Sword erupted with streaks of purple light, and a sword beam, like a bolt of silk, struck down from afar towards the Golden-Winged Great Roc's figure!

Alas... Although this sword light was incredibly swift, it was still three-tenths slower than the Golden-Winged Great Roc's current speed, and it appeared the roc would easily dodge it.

The Golden-Winged Great Roc even turned his head to glance back, a hint of sarcastic amusement playing on his lips.

The so-called Emperor's Sword was nothing special. He hadn't even revealed his true form yet, merely flying in human form, and the sword light couldn't even catch him. How could it possibly guard... Heaven...?

The Golden-Winged Great Roc was suddenly startled and looked down, only to realize that he had, at some unknown point, flown into a barrier.

Dense Heavenly Dao power surged from all directions, and the hundred-mile expanse of dark clouds below formed a Yin-Yang Bagua pattern!

Heaven and Earth, like a cage, were now squeezing the Golden-Winged Great Roc's divine body...

Just then, the sword beam from the Demon-Slaying Sword shot towards him, narrowly grazing the Golden-Winged Great Roc's cheek and leaving a faint trail of blood.

Below, and at the South Heaven Gate, the incredibly dense Heavenly Dao power gradually receded.

The Golden-Winged Great Roc, however, remained rooted in place, feeling the terrifying sensation and powerlessness of having almost been severely wounded in that single instant.

This...

The Golden-Winged Great Roc took a deep breath and stared intently at the South Heaven Gate.

What now?

He had already made bold declarations. Was he to return defeated, unable to even enter the Heavenly Gate?

Would the reputation of his Phoenix clan be utterly disgraced? And what about him, the Golden-Winged Great Roc? How would he ever show his face again?

From afar, the South Heaven Gate, built of white jade, loomed majestically in the clouds, and the three divine swords suspended above it had returned to their original 'unassuming' state.

The great roc was caught in immense indecision.

What he didn't know was that inside the South Heaven Gate, in a sea of clouds, Li Changshou and Qin Tianzhu, concealed by the Taiji Diagram, a Primal Chaos Supreme Treasure, were at that very moment... laughing.

"Chang Geng, aren't you giving him too much credit by directly using a Primal Chaos Supreme Treasure?"

"Your Majesty, please don't think that way. The Golden-Winged Great Roc is, after all, the son of the Primordial Phoenix. Let's consider it showing some respect to the Primordial Phoenix."

Li Changshou chuckled: "I, your humble servant, placed hundreds of recording orbs near the South Heaven Gate, arranged according to the ancient Monster Court's Great Array of Stars, just to ensure this move. With the scene we just witnessed, the Heavenly Court's prestige won't be affected. Today, we're going to teach this fellow a lesson and incidentally see if we can subdue him and put his extreme speed to use for the Heavenly Court. If he proves too unruly and eventually escapes, we won't have suffered any losses..."

A plan going awry? Impossible.

Qin Tianzhu gave a thumbs-up and then asked, "What if he gets angry and kills our soldiers and generals?"

Li Changshou replied, "Your Majesty, rest assured. I, your humble servant, will intervene at any moment. I acquired the Taiji Diagram from my master precisely to prevent him from causing trouble in a fit of rage."

"Excellent!"

Qin Tianzhu nodded in satisfaction, his eyes lighting up: "Here he comes, here he comes! That fellow is coming again."

Outside the South Heaven Gate, the Golden-Winged Great Roc remained in human form. With scarcely two undulations and a sway of his cloak, he was back a hundred miles outside the Heavenly Gate.

He was panting heavily, his eyes brimming with fighting spirit, as he stared intently at the three divine swords above the Heavenly Gate.

I'll go for it!

As long as I fly fast enough, the divine swords won't catch me!

He, the Golden-Winged Great Roc, had never endured such humiliation since birth! When it came to extreme speed, even Kunpeng wouldn't stand a chance today!

Divine Ability: Phoenix!

Wait a moment... What were these heavenly soldiers and generals doing now?

"Why aren't the reliefs here yet?"

A middle-aged guarding heavenly general complained.

As his words fell, figures just happened to fly out from within the South Heaven Gate, quickly taking over the defensive positions.

A newly arrived heavenly general announced loudly: "Lord Water God has ordered that the three divine swords be taken to the Water God's residence for blade repair and maintenance. Please escort them there."

As he spoke, the newly arrived general bowed deeply to the three divine swords above the South Heaven Gate.

Qin Tianzhu subtly gestured with his finger, and the three divine swords slowly descended, escorted away by several heavenly generals and a squad of heavenly soldiers.

Golden-Winged Great Roc: ...

He had only been at the South Heaven Gate for a moment, yet he was now dumbfounded for the second time.

At this point, the mental fortitude he had honed through years of rapid flight was struggling to keep up with the mental effort required for his current thoughts...

Was the Heavenly Court sabotaging itself?

No, this was the Water God challenging him!

The Water God was clearly humiliating him, assuming he couldn't contend with the power of the Heavenly Dao!

A vein throbbed on the Golden-Winged Great Roc's forehead, and he clenched his fists, wanting to simply leave. But on second thought... if he retreated now, wouldn't his reputation be completely ruined? Wouldn't his Phoenix clan become a laughingstock throughout the realms?

What a Water God!

He had left him unable to advance or retreat!

The Golden-Winged Great Roc narrowed his eyes and instantly considered several more layers of possibilities.

The Water God must have anticipated that he would disregard everything for the dignity of the Phoenix clan, and surely set up an inescapable trap inside, waiting for him to rush in.

Even if there were mountains of knives and seas of fire ahead, he, the Golden-Winged Great Roc, was determined to charge through today!

"Hahahahaha!"

The Golden-Winged Great Roc suddenly burst into laughter, standing on a cloud, observing the South Heaven Gate from a hundred miles away, his voice echoing for thousands of miles:

"Water God! Even if your divine abilities are boundless, even if you can cover the sky with one hand, even if this Daoist is not your match, today, this Daoist accepts your challenge! This Heavenly Gate, I, the Golden-Winged Great Roc, am determined to breach! See if you can stop me before I reach the Guanghan Palace!"

The Golden-Winged Great Roc darted forward, transforming into a golden streak, instantly piercing through the South Heaven Gate and vanishing among the clouds.

The heavenly soldiers and generals guarding the South Heaven Gate were still gazing in various directions outside the gate, searching for the source of the voice they'd just heard. The golden streak was so fast that their divine senses couldn't even catch a trace of an afterimage.

Excluding spatial transposition techniques, the Golden-Winged Great Roc truly deserved his reputation for extreme speed. It's just that...

Qin Tianzhu muttered: "Did he just concede to you earlier? Is he trying to put on a brave face again by rushing in with a death wish?"

Li Changshou raised a hand and rubbed his temples: "The Phoenix clan's defeat back then was indeed well-deserved."

"Indeed," Qin Tianzhu clicked his tongue, "their defeat was well-deserved."

"Your Majesty, I shall now transfer my consciousness to my other effigies. I must keep a constant watch on this fellow to prevent him from actually harming anyone."

"Go, go," Qin Tianzhu said with a chuckle, shaking his head. With a gentle wave of his finger, the three divine swords returned to their positions above the South Heaven Gate and remained suspended.

At this moment, Li Changshou's consciousness shifted between his paper effigies, steadily tracking the Golden-Winged Great Roc's figure.

After the Golden-Winged Great Roc entered the Heavenly Court, he remained fully vigilant, deliberately holding back three-tenths of his extreme speed for emergency maneuvers and escape.

But soon after flying into the Heavenly Court, he was startled again...

Everywhere was peaceful, with no sign of military formations. Although the Heavenly Court was no longer desolate, vast expanses of cloud sea remained very empty.

The Golden-Winged Great Roc's divine sense spread out, allowing him to see immortal maidens dancing in distant pavilions, heavenly soldiers practicing battle formations on various cloud platforms, and two or three immortals gathered in leisurely pavilions, drinking and singing...

Incidentally, the Golden-Winged Great Roc's divine sense sensed several astonishing pressures emanating from three directions: the Tushita Palace, the Grand Cloud Palace, and the Jade Pool.

'It seems I can only go this way.'

The Golden-Winged Great Roc muttered to himself, knowing full well in his heart that he dared not approach these three directions.

He was here to make a name for himself using the Heavenly Court, ridicule the Water God, and present his pledge of allegiance to the Western Church—not to seek death.

How could he provoke the avatar of the strongest Saint?

The Jade Emperor and Queen Mother were inherently the rulers of the Heavenly Court, able to freely summon the power of the Heavenly Dao within it. He had just experienced the might of the Demon-Slaying Divine Sword, and his cheek still stung, so he naturally dared not approach.

The Golden-Winged Great Roc offered a faint smile.

As long as he could reach Guanghan Palace today and see the immortal Chang'e, he didn't need to be overly disrespectful to her; simply embracing her waist, bestowing a kiss, and then departing elegantly...

Hahahahaha!

Among the wanderers of the Three Realms, only I, a Phoenix—the Golden-Winged Great Roc—shall spread my illustrious name!

Suddenly, a voice transmitted: "What is this general giggling about? Why are you flying so fast? What's the hurry?"

The Golden-Winged Great Roc, mid-flight at extreme speed, instantly halted, his entire body bristling as if his feathers were ruffled. Following the direction from which the voice drifted, he saw a desolate immortal mountain in the sea of clouds ahead...

At the mountain's peak, a burly man in a grey robe, with horns on his head and a steel ring through his nose, sat before a campfire, roasting two skewers of chicken wings, with a wine pot by his side.

A master.

The Golden-Winged Great Roc immediately sensed the pressure this ox demon exerted on him, especially the ox demon's nose ring, which made the Golden-Winged Great Roc's spiritual senses leap wildly.

The Green Ox asked, puzzled: "General, what's wrong? Is barbecuing not allowed here?"

"And you are?"

"Just a casual Heavenly Court staff member," the Green Ox waved his hand and, following the script he had memorized, laughed heartily, "What shall I call you, General?"

The Golden-Winged Great Roc was about to announce his name, but then hesitated slightly and said, "You don't need to know. Where is the Guanghan Palace?"

"Guanghan Palace? You fly this way, keep flying. When you reach the intersection between the Sixth and Seventh Heavens, you'll find a signpost that points to Guanghan Palace."

The Green Ox chuckled: "What, going to see Chang'e? Don't get ahead of yourself, Chang'e is hard to see. Just glimpsing the other Moon Maidens would be fortunate enough."

"Hmph!" The Golden-Winged Great Roc scoffed coldly, cupped his hands at the Green Ox, and said, "I never imagined a powerful demon like yourself would also pledge allegiance to the Heavenly Court."

Having spoken, his figure transformed into a golden orb, leaving a faint golden streak across the sky as he quickly flew far away, avoiding the Green Ox.

The Green Ox cursed: "You general, why are you insulting an ox? You're the damn demon!"

The Golden-Winged Great Roc heard the curses fading behind him and gave a slight sneer, taking it as the ox demon's last shred of dignity.

'Wait, isn't Lord Lao Zi's mount also an ox?'

No sooner had this thought crossed his mind than the Golden-Winged Great Roc's figure halted again. He was already in the clouds where two heavens converged, seeing the suspended signpost.

The signpost had two wooden arrows, both pointing diagonally upward, one towards the northwest, the other towards the northeast.

The wooden sign pointing northwest bore the inscription: "To the Lunar Star."

The wooden sign pointing northeast read: "To the Hall of Heavenly Punishment."

The Golden-Winged Great Roc's sword-like brows furrowed, and he instantly realized... the problem was not simple.

'What a clever Water God, using such a deceptive trick here.'

The Golden-Winged Great Roc smiled once more, recalling the words of caution given by the Western Church's Saint disciples when he departed.

They had said the Water God was extremely cunning and to be very careful, that the Water God specialized in outmaneuvering his opponents mentally, and that he shouldn't overthink things, but just charge straight through...

All nonsense!

If an ordinary bird arrived here, it would surely go against the obvious and head towards the direction marked "Hall of Heavenly Punishment."

If a slightly smarter bird arrived here, it would go against that reversal and follow the direction indicated by the wooden sign.

But he, the son of the Primordial Phoenix, the fastest in the Three Realms, the rare Golden-Winged Great Roc of the Primordial World—how could he fall for such a trick?

This wooden sign, its lines were still fresh, the ink not yet dry, and a faint Dao aura of the Grand Pure One lingered on it. It must have been set up by the Water God just moments ago!

There was only one answer, and only one true path!

The Golden-Winged Great Roc looked up at the 'midpoint line' between the two signpost arrows, a cold smile playing on his lips, and with a whoosh, he shot forward, directly shattering the signpost!

This was the true way to the Lunar Star!

*Bang—*

A thousand miles away, the sea of clouds churned.

The Golden-Winged Great Roc flew so fast he couldn't react in time, suddenly running into a barrier of cloud mist and being thrown back by the Heavenly Dao's power, spitting out a mouthful of blood as he looked down.

The cloud mist in front was blown away by this horizontal impact, revealing the translucent, pale golden barrier behind it...

The barrier array at the edge of the Heavenly Court!

A phoenix's curse!

The Golden-Winged Great Roc turned his head to look around, his nostrils flaring a few times, then sheepishly flew back to where the signpost had originally been.

He pondered for a long time, his divine sense exploring for a long time, and finally... he headed in the direction the signpost had originally indicated for the 'Lunar Star.'

In the Grand Cloud Palace, the large bronze mirror placed in the center displayed this scene to all the immortals and gods.

Someone, unable to hold back, let out a snicker, and the entire hall was instantly filled with a cheerful atmosphere.

One of Li Changshou's paper effigies stood there, currently resting with closed eyes, also displaying a faint smile.

A moment later...

A trick, there must be a trick.

Unbeknownst to himself, the Golden-Winged Great Roc's vigilance had been raised to its peak.

He had encountered almost no obstacles along the way, and now, he had reached the vicinity of the Lunar Star from the edge of the Eighth Heaven, from where he could directly see the great star revolving in the celestial canopy.

But at this moment, the Golden-Winged Great Roc hesitated to proceed.

Why was the Heavenly Court utterly unguarded?

Why were there so many strange occurrences along the way, with even a signpost guiding him?

Why would the Water God deliberately remove the three divine swords?

It was simple: the Water God intended to act against him when he was off guard!

Just an instant before success, when his mind relaxed, the Water God would launch a sudden assault!

All the Water God's schemes were focused on this Lunar Star!

No, that's not right either...

If he managed to reach the Lunar Star, the Water God would have already half lost. The Water God was skilled in schemes, so it was highly probable he had set an ambush before the Lunar Star.

In that case, this Daoist only needed to detour from the back, secretly ascend from the rear of the Lunar Star—wouldn't that be...?

The Golden-Winged Great Roc displayed a faint, confident smile, two ethereal wings appearing on his back. With a light tap of his toes, producing a suppressed sonic boom, he swiftly traversed the celestial canopy, circling to the rear of the Lunar Star.

The rear of the Lunar Star was an expanse of pale white 'sandy sea', dotted with a patch of light green jungle...

The Golden-Winged Great Roc sensed unusual fluctuations in the cosmos, suggesting that a powerful great array might be present here.

He dared not be careless, slowly landing at the edge of the sandy sea. He tried to fly towards the front, but found that the cosmos in all directions were sealed off. The front and back of the Lunar Star were separated by an invisible wall, and a rather dangerous aura flowed within it.

Only that patch of jungle...

The Golden-Winged Great Roc pondered for a moment, maintaining his ethereal form, and approached the jungle. Upon closer inspection, he saw a stone tablet.

"There is no secret passage directly to Guanghan Palace here."

This ridiculous trap!

Only a fool would fall for it!

But the Golden-Winged Great Roc... hesitated.

Layers of thoughts swirled in his mind as he remained hidden and silent in the sandy sea for a long time.

He didn't know when, but going to Guanghan Palace had become an obsession. Even if he only touched Chang'e's hand, this time, he wouldn't have lost to the Water God...

Phoenix Clan, divine flame unextinguished!

The Golden-Winged Great Roc's nostrils twitched again, and he stepped forward, striding into the jungle...

But to the Golden-Winged Great Roc's surprise, there really was a secret passage here, containing faint Water Elemental power. Ahead, there was even a spatial compression array where a single step could cover hundreds of miles!

Cautiously, checking every few steps, the Golden-Winged Great Roc slowly flew to the end of the path, inexplicably finding himself upside down, having arrived on the other side of the Lunar Star...

He righted himself and looked up, realizing he seemed to be in a dry well.

Outside, there should be layers of encirclement.

But only by breaking through could he, the Golden-Winged Great Roc, truly make a name for himself in the Primordial World!

Phoenix clan secret technique, prepare...

Above the well, the Golden-Winged Great Roc halted, standing dumbfounded ten meters high in the air.

There were pavilions for dance and song, and winding paths leading to secluded spots, with a colossal tree canopy overhead, like a natural ceiling.

There were no hidden guards around, no traps or calculations anywhere. Instead, beyond the surrounding walls was a sturdy great array.

"Little Spirit Pearl, be good, open the door."

A pleasant humming sound drifted from the side.

The Golden-Winged Great Roc turned to look at the source of the sound, only to see a lovely and graceful maiden, carrying a basket of carrots on her back, skipping out from a vegetable garden...

"Huh?"

The maiden tilted her head, saw the Golden-Winged Great Roc standing in mid-air, paused for a moment in surprise, then her small face turned pale, and she shrieked, "Master! A man broke in! Master!"

"Silence!"

The Golden-Winged Great Roc shouted loudly, and with a whoosh, darted out, raising his hand to seize the maiden.

Just then!

A cold snort suddenly boomed beside the Golden-Winged Great Roc's ear, making his spiritual senses leap wildly and his hairs stand on end as his own speed plummeted!

The surrounding cosmos pressed in, as if he had plunged into a mire!

(The Taiji Diagram secretly displayed its power.)

The Golden-Winged Great Roc thought at that moment that he was being restrained by someone else's divine ability, and turned his head in horror...

A white shadow flashed, and a peerlessly beautiful immortal maiden already stood before the maiden, her exquisite face filled with chilling frost, and her eyes shining with an azure-blue light.

A master!

The Golden-Winged Great Roc was about to reveal his true form, but the immortal maiden acted too swiftly, her two slender hands rapidly forming the Nine-Character Seal, using an ancient human combat technique.

The Golden-Winged Great Roc clearly felt at this moment that a trace of the Great Dao of Time had been invoked by this woman!

Even just a trace was enough to unleash stormy waves in the Golden-Winged Great Roc's heart. At this instant, the Golden-Winged Great Roc's extreme speed was completely nullified; his forward momentum was like a snail's!

He couldn't even reveal his true form!

The immortal maiden's long hair fluttered as she emotionlessly pushed her left palm forward, nine greenish-white halos blooming from her palm, binding the Golden-Winged Great Roc's almost solidified figure.

"Subdue!"

The Golden-Winged Great Roc's vision went dark; his primordial spirit was confined, his divine body locked down. The illusory image of the Golden Roc that had appeared around him was forcibly dissipated by the nine azure halos.

The immortal maiden raised her delicate hand, her sleeve fluttering, and the Golden-Winged Great Roc, bound like a zongzi, flew over the high wall, passed through the great array that automatically opened a slit, and tumbled several times on the sparse grass.

A large axe came from the side, its blade grazing past the Golden-Winged Great Roc's ear, slicing off strands of his long hair, and embedding itself in the grass.

The Golden-Winged Great Roc's Dao heart trembled slightly as he felt the pressure of another master, who was overtly displaying murderous intent towards him.

At the edge of the roc's vision, a muscular, burly man strode forward, his eyes filled with a bloody glint.

The burly man asked in a deep voice: "Your Highness, shall he be flayed or burned?"

From within the wall came a cold reply: "Make soup."

The Golden-Winged Great Roc, whether from fright or from sheer rage, simply passed out.

In the Grand Cloud Palace, all the immortals and generals watching this scene in the large bronze mirror were now utterly silent.