Immortal and Martial Dual Cultivation

Xiao Chen’s laughter echoed over the vast flame sea.

When Bai Yunfei and the other three heard it, it sounded exceptionally jarring. Their expressions turned extremely sullen.

“After him! Let’s see if he can afford to be arrogant after he gets ashore!” Fang Shaobai snorted coldly. Then, he executed his Movement Technique to give chase over the flame sea again.

That was right. Everyone feared Xiao Chen earlier because they were in the flame sea. This was not a good place for a fight. If they got careless, they might fall here together with Xiao Chen.

Furthermore, the four did not trust each other, mutually fearing each other. That was why they did not dare to attack Xiao Chen rashly.

In reality, there was one more reason that the four refused to admit to.

Be it Bai Yunfei, Fang Shaobai, Mu Yunzhu, or Xiahou Wu, Xiao Chen’s aura shocked all of them. His declaration that he would relentlessly kill anyone in the way made them hesitate, deterring them from attacking him.

However, none of them would admit to this, even in their hearts.

Seeing Fang Shaobai set off in pursuit, the others quickly followed with sullen expressions and murderous intent.

They wished that they could tear Xiao Chen into pieces immediately to vent their unhappiness.

“This Xiao Chen really intends to thoroughly offend those four. Given this, this matter will spread out in a few days,” the Hidden Spirit Temple’s Yuan Zhen said with a frown as he stood on the flame sea behind the pursuers.

Xiao Chen laughed very loudly, the sound carrying exceptionally far away. Even people fifty thousand kilometers away could hear him.

Aside from the Hidden Spirit Temple disciples, the other disciples giving chase heard him clearly.

“If I don’t mess with their thoughts, how can I throw off those people?”

Right after Yuan Zhen spoke, a figure spread his arms in the air like a celestial crane and landed firmly beside this group.

“Xiao Chen!”

The Hidden Spirit Temple disciples were shocked to see this person.

Xiao Chen had clearly already headed for the shore. How could he come here in the blink of an eye?

What was going on?

“You did that on purpose!” Yuan Zhen said, enunciating every word as he quickly figured out what happened.

Smiling faintly, Xiao Chen nodded. “That’s right. Those four are all peak experts among half-step Sovereign Emperors. It would be hard for me to defeat even one of them, what more four of them? While I can shock them for a while, they are not fools and will realize it soon enough. If the four worked together, they would not need to fear dying. At that time, they still could catch up to me. If I did not humiliate them, inciting them to give chase blindly, I would not be able to get out.

“Furthermore, the four consider their lives valuable and are not willing to die with me. Given that, why can’t this life of mine, Xiao Chen’s, be valuable too? It is not worth fighting them to the death.”

Yuan Zhen smiled bitterly in his heart. Indeed, it was not worthwhile. Regarding courage and wisdom, Xiao Chen surpassed the four. Funnily, the four still considered their own lives valuable and did not dare to clash with Xiao Chen.

When they learned the truth after returning to the Holy Domain’s Divine Capital, they would be frustrated to death.

“Benefactor Xiao, will you explain your connection to my temple?” Yuan Zhen asked softly as he looked at Xiao Chen.

Xiao Chen took out a brocade box and handed it to Yuan Zhen. As Yuan Zhen received it, he looked at Xiao Chen suspiciously.

“You will understand when you open it and take a look.” Xiao Chen waved his hand in a gesture of invitation.

Yuan Zhen opened the brocade box a crack, and piercing golden light came out of it. When he took off the lid, his expression changed. The expressions of the other Hidden Spirit Temple disciples also changed dramatically as they gazed at Xiao Chen in shock.

“A Golden Letter Honorary Gift!”

That was a golden letter, the highest form of Honorary Gift among the Buddhist sects, given only to those the Buddhist sect was exceedingly grateful to.

Xiao Chen smiled when he saw the other party’s expressions. Then, while Yuan Zhen was still stunned, Xiao Chen’s figure flashed, and he quickly reclaimed the brocade box.

“I am just letting you have a look and am not using this Golden Letter. Honored One, please don’t blame me for taking it back,” Xiao Chen said with a faint smile as he put away the Golden Letter.

Yuan Zhen recovered his wits and felt slightly depressed. He had indeed considered taking back the Golden Letter and repaying this favor on behalf of his sect.

After all, it would be much more worthwhile for him to repay the favor than to let the esteemed monks do it.

Who could have imagined that Xiao Chen would anticipate this? Before Yuan Zhen could react, Xiao Chen already snatched it back.

“Just address me as Yuan Zhen. I am just a lay disciple; there is no need for Benefactor Xiao to be so polite.” Yuan Zhen smiled and added, “Benefactor Xiao is right. It is just a look and not using it.”

Xiao Chen thought to himself, This Yuan Zhen is not too bad. Then, he asked softly, “Now, do you believe that I have a relationship with your sect?”

Yuan Zhen smiled and countered, “You even produced a Golden Letter; what is there to doubt?”

Now that the hostility was completely resolved, the two chatted for a while. Xiao Chen took advantage of the situation to ask, “What is the Ice Fire Divine Origin?”

Yuan Zhen gave Xiao Chen a strange look. “Benefactor Xiao, are you really unaware, or are you pretending to be unaware?”

Xiao Chen replied helplessly, “I indeed am unaware of what the Ice Fire Divine Origin is. I don’t even know where it is now.”

Xiao Chen’s expression appeared sincere, so Yuan Zhen explained what the Ice Fire Divine Origin was and where this place was.

After hearing that, Xiao Chen revealed a contemplative expression. There were some things that he still could not understand.

It seemed logical that the flame vein washed him to the Ice Fire Desolate Plain’s core zone.

However, he still could not understand why he appeared on the lotus platform and why the Ice Fire Divine Origin disappeared.

Xiao Chen thought about his greatly improved cultivation, moving from a newly advanced Peak Sovereign Personage to consummation.

He guessed that he might have absorbed and refined the Ice Fire Divine Origin unawares.

Xiao Chen recalled seeing many dense motes of light flickering with starlight at the bottom of the lake before he closed his eyes. Perhaps that was related.

However, there was no need to overthink.

In any case, Xiao Chen’s cultivation had increased significantly, and both his Universe Origin True Flame and Heavenly Snow Divine Flame had reached Rank 6.

What did the disappearance of the Ice Fire Divine Origin have to do with him? He had not targeted the Ice Fire Divine Origin from the start to the end.

“Benefactor Xiao, why did you appear in the Ice Fire Lotus Platform? What happened before that?” Yuan Zhen asked as curiosity flickered in his eyes.

This question involved the secret of Xiao Chen comprehending All Things Rejoicing Together, so he had no plans of telling others about it, for now.

After some thought, Xiao Chen replied, “It’s a long story. I will explain to you if there is an opportunity in the future.”

When Yuan Zhen heard that, he realized that this encroached on Xiao Chen’s secrets. Hence, he did not ask any further, just nodded to indicate his understanding. He smiled and said, “All these do not matter. However, there is something of importance that I would like to discuss with Benefactor Xiao.”

“The Ice Fire Lotus Platform?”

Yuan Zhen nodded and said, “That’s right. It looks like Benefactor Xiao is a smart person. I would like to use my treasures to exchange for the Ice Fire Lotus Platform with Benefactor Xiao.”

“What are the uses of this lotus platform?” Xiao Chen asked, feeling confused.

“It has boundless uses for people of my Buddhist sect, but it is not very useful to outsiders.” Yuan Zhen explained casually with a faint smile.

Xiao Chen thought to himself, This monk is really shrewd; he did not tell me what it can be used for.

Indeed, the ones who came to this Primal Chaos flame sea are all difficult.

Xiao Chen’s expression did not change as he said, “I can be considered half a Buddhist sect person. Master Yuan Zhen, please explain it to me.”

Yuan Zhen nodded and said, “Since Benefactor Xiao is half a Buddhist sect person, you should already know that lotus platforms are common Buddhist treasures.”

“Yes.”

“This Ice Fire Lotus Platform is born in extreme environments without any interference from men. Hence, it is known as an innate Buddhist treasure. In the entire Martial Epoch, only three places can birth such innate lotus platforms. Even in my Hidden Spirit Temple, such a lotus platform is very rare. It is even rarer in other temples.”

Yuan Zhen continued, “The esteemed monk powerhouses all require such an innate Buddhist treasure. Otherwise, it could not match their status. Hence, our Buddhist sect’s people treasure it a lot.”

This sounded logical, but it was actually all nonsense. According to what Yuan Zhen said, this lotus platform only highlighted an esteemed monk’s status.

While the lotus platform did indeed have such a function, the true value of Xiao Chen’s Ice Fire Lotus Platform lay in its three hundred sixty petals.

The best Ice Fire Lotus Platforms in the past had only one hundred eighty petals. No one had heard of a three-hundred-sixty-petal Ice Fire Lotus Platform before.

This was a lotus platform born of nature. It was not used for showing off one’s status but for comprehending Buddhist principles.

Even those esteemed monk powerhouses sometimes needed to comprehend some profound Buddhist principles. When using this innate Buddhist treasure, they could accomplish more with less effort.

Thus, if esteemed monks could enjoy such an effect, what more ordinary people?

This lotus platform had wondrous effects when cultivating a Buddhist sect Cultivation Technique and also had some effect for other Cultivation Techniques; it was not as useless to outsiders as Yuan Zhen said.

Most importantly, Xiao Chen’s Ice Fire Lotus Platform was a peak product among peak products. Who knew what other wondrous effects it might have?

Of course, Yuan Zhen did not lie. Everything he said was true; he just did not mention the important parts.

After hearing the other party’s explanation, Xiao Chen said after some thought. “So, it looks like it is indeed useless to me. Perhaps I can consider exchanging it.”

“In that case, Benefactor Xiao, would you like to peruse my collection? I believe that there will be something that can satisfy Benefactor Xiao in it.”

Upon seeing the haste of the other party, Xiao Chen smiled in his heart. This monk did not tell me the whole truth. He replied softly, “Everything can be discussed. Let’s chat as we travel.”