Chapter 514: Setting Sail
"I once told Fellow Daoist that I came to This World merely to find a lost Artifact of mine. Originally, I didn't want to cause a big fuss, but that Taishan Fujun was truly too much. He tried to snatch my things and was killed by me. That's not excessive, is it?"
"Hmm?" Tang Song's gaze swept over the Queen Mother of the West and the Dragon King behind her, who had a dragon head and human body and wore a magnificent brocade robe. He asked with a smile.
"No, of course not excessive! Even in the Mortal World, your behavior is merely self-defense!" Facing Tang Song's gaze, the Dragon King instantly felt cold sweat streaming down his back.
He secretly rejoiced in his heart: "If he hadn't known better just now and hadn't intended to avenge that rebellious son, perhaps at this moment he would already be keeping company with Taishan Fujun down below!"
The subsequent conversation between Tang Song and the Queen Mother of the West made him break out in even more cold sweat, his clothes soaked through.
"Oh? Then if I had just tried to seize that Cauldron, I fear in the next instant a sword would have pierced the sky, severed K'un-Lun, and slain me!" The Queen Mother of the West looked at Tang Song with a smile, but there wasn't the slightest trace of smile in her eyes.
"Fellow Daoist, what kind of joke is that? You are the Lord of K'un-Lun, how could you be a rogue who casually snatches other people's things!" Tang Song also looked at the Queen Mother of the West with a smile—
Both of them were clearly smiling, but the Dragon King caught in the middle was trembling, deeply afraid that if the two started fighting, he would suffer along with them.
If these two Great Gods were to fight, I fear the entire Sea Area nearby would turn into a dead zone!
The Dragon King had imagined the terrifying scene of the two fighting as much as possible, completely unaware that the person sitting opposite him had once planned to refine the entire World if he couldn't find what he wanted.
Fortunately, this worst-case scenario did not happen!
"I originally thought Fellow Daoist was someone who cherished beauty and jade, but it seems I underestimated Fellow Daoist!" The Queen Mother of the West stared at Tang Song for a long time, then scoffed: "Taishan Fujun was killed by Fellow Daoist, and the Underworld has also fallen into Fellow Daoist's hands. It seems Fellow Daoist doesn't plan to leave This World?"
"Alas, that Taishan Fujun was truly unwise. However, I had a bet with him beforehand. Although the Underworld isn't much, I've always been frugal in managing my household. Since it's my spoils of war, even a fly's leg, no matter how small, is still meat!" Tang Song sighed, his expression seemingly quite disdainful of the Underworld.
"Since the Underworld has completely fallen into Fellow Daoist's hands, does Fellow Daoist also wish to occupy K'un-Lun? I see Fellow Daoist seems quite interested in my maidservants!" The Queen Mother of the West said faintly, "Since Fellow Daoist intends to kill me, just do it directly. Why bother finding excuses?" The Queen Mother of the West saw through Tang Song's malicious intentions at a glance; he was clearly using the Underworld Cauldron to fish.
She just didn't understand why he insisted on finding an excuse for himself.
"Fellow Daoist, why must you imagine me as that kind of bully who commits murder and seizes others' property! I have always had my own principles in how I do things! Since Fellow Daoist hasn't provoked me, why should I be that villain!"
As Tang Song spoke, he pointed a finger downwards. Beneath his feet, water vapor gathered, condensing into a cloud three zhang square. The clouds converged, forming three long tables, each with a cloud seat behind it.
Then Tang Song flicked his robe sleeve, and several jade stone fruit plates immediately appeared on the long tables formed by the white clouds. The fruit plates were filled with various fresh fruits and sweet fruits. There were peach fruits the size of a fist, bright red and drippingly ripe, as well as white jade lotus root that emitted a pure white radiance like jade. Fire dates the size of an egg still had tender date leaves attached, and vermillion fruits the size of cherries in the fruit plates emitted a refreshing fragrance.
"Come, you two, no need to be polite, please sit!" After Tang Song gestured with his hand, he sat directly on the cloud couch and picked up a cherry-sized vermillion fruit from the fruit plate, tossing it into his mouth.
Although his lifespan couldn't compare to that of an Ancient God like the Queen Mother of the West, he controlled the Nine Realms, his influence radiating across several Great Worlds and over a dozen Small Worlds. He still had some assets.
Jiaoli fire dates, vermillion fruits, Siberian Solomon's Seal—these things that were Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures to Ordinary Cultivators were merely normal fruits and melons used to entertain Guests for Tang Song! This was the benefit brought by influence. He didn't need to do it himself; with just a word, his Subordinates would continuously find the things he needed and bring them to him.
"Fellow Daoist acts with such principles?" The Queen Mother of the West sat directly opposite Tang Song, picked up a sunflower seed like a black gemstone from the fruit plate, and peeled off the black skin in her hand, revealing the crystal-clear seed kernel.
She held the translucent seed kernel in her hand, looked at it curiously for a moment, and then put it into her mouth.
"With Fellow Daoist's Cultivation Base, shouldn't you be able to act without restraint? Are there still people in This World that Fellow Daoist needs to be wary of?"
"Act without restraint, hehe. There are indeed very few people in This World who can make me wary. If This World had such Experts, I wouldn't dare to do things like Sky Sealing and Earth Locking!" Tang Song's blunt words, a look of obvious bullying towards the old, weak, sick, and disabled, as if it were only natural. "Fellow Daoist, are you not afraid that This World has the kind of Experts you mentioned!"
This made the Queen Mother of the West's complexion stiffen. How was this different from cursing a bald donkey in front of a monk? She was so angry she almost wanted to grab the fruit plate in front of her and smash it onto Tang Song's face.
But the gap in strength was there. Even being mocked to her face, she was powerless.
However, the Queen Mother of the West still rolled her phoenix eyes and gave Tang Song a charming eye-roll.
Tang Song, however, completely ignored the Queen Mother of the West's expression. He picked up a section of white jade lotus root, pointed a finger, and the lotus root segment, as thick as a child's arm, was directly and evenly sliced into pieces as white as jade, scattering into the white jade plate.
"Look at the sea beneath our feet, and the isolated islands in this sea! For the beasts on those islands, this island is a world they can never leave in their entire lives. Just now you asked me what it's like Outside the World. This World of yours is an island I'm passing by. As for why I don't worry about encountering existences with cultivation bases stronger than mine, it's naturally because a place the size of a palm cannot raise a tiger!"
Tang Song smiled: "As for my principles in doing things, it depends on my mood! But don't worry, as I said, This World of yours is too small. Shallow water cannot raise a flood dragon. I won't touch your Territories, provided, of course, that you two don't provoke me! My final Destination is still those Continents at the End of the Sea!"
As Tang Song spoke, he flicked the plate of lotus root slices towards the two long tables, gesturing with his hand: "You two, have a taste. This lotus root is grown by me. It was planted for five years before being harvested once. Although it's not much of a good thing, the taste is sweet and refreshing!"
The Queen Mother of the West picked up a piece of lotus root slice, tasted it, looked through the cloud layer at the Sea Surface below, dotted with countless islands, and savored Tang Song's words.
"Since this is merely scenery along Fellow Daoist's way, after Fellow Daoist finds his things, he can simply continue sailing on his Road Ahead. Why bother...?"
"Continents are good, but they are vast and difficult to settle. Islands are small, but not all of them are places with poor resources. Look at this vermillion fruit; it's a specialty product of a Small Island. That island is barren, but this vermillion fruit is a rare fine product that benefits Qi and nourishes essence. It's just that the flowering period is a bit long; it flowers once every sixty years and bears fruit once every sixty years, yielding only thirty to forty fruits each time!"
Tang Song picked up a vermillion fruit and explained to the Queen Mother of the West.
This vermillion fruit was brought back by his Reincarnators who went to a Wuxia Small World. Later, after being evaluated by the Hive Laboratory, another group of people went and simply dug up the fruit tree that grew on chalcedony and brought it back.
Now, that vermillion fruit tree is planted in the Imperial Garden of the Great Luo Heaven.
The Queen Mother of the West glanced at the bright red fruits in the plate, her phoenix eyes raising slightly: "A batch can ripen in a hundred years, that's indeed not bad!"
She picked up a vermillion fruit. The fruit melted upon entering her mouth, filling it with saliva, sweet and smooth. After eating one, she picked up another, still wanting more.
Uh! Tang Song blinked, looking at the serious Queen Mother of the West, feeling a bit helpless. Please, are you missing the point? I'm telling you I took a blade and cut from Penglai East Road all the way to the South Heavenly Gate, and you're asking if my eyes are dry? Alright, alright, is this how we're playing?
"Since Fellow Daoist likes it, feel free to eat more!" Tang Song's lips twitched slightly, and he waved his hand, sending the plate of vermillion fruits in front of him to the Queen Mother of the West's long table.
Tang Song then picked up a crystal white pear from the jade plate. It was bowl-sized, and he took a big bite. This crystal white pear was also a rare species from a certain Small World. Although it didn't have much significant effect, it was exceptionally sweet, and prolonged consumption could beautify the complexion.
The jade plates holding these fruits were also treasures hand-polished by Expert Jade Craftsmen. The landscape paintings on them were cleverly integrated with Rune Restrictions, forming Magic Tools with distinct layers for preservation.
"Fellow Daoist wants to use the resources from these Islands to help himself reach a higher level!" Seeing Tang Song momentarily speechless, the Queen Mother of the West felt a release of stagnant Qi in her heart. She picked up a fist-sized peach in front of her, took a bite, and said disdainfully:
"This peach doesn't taste very good. I have some peach trees planted there. If Fellow Daoist needs them, you can transplant a few back!"
"Fellow Daoist is talking about Flat Peaches!"
Tang Song's heart stirred. Queen Mother of the West, Flat Peach—connecting these two words, he immediately thought of the legendary Flat Peach Garden.
In the Flat Peach Garden, there were three thousand six hundred peach trees:
The first twelve hundred trees had small flowers and small fruits, ripening once every three thousand years. Eating them allowed one to Achieve Immortality and the Dao, making the body light and healthy.
The middle twelve hundred trees had layered flowers and sweet fruits, ripening once every six thousand years. Eating them allowed one to Rise to the Clouds and Ascend, achieving Eternal Youth and Immortality.
The last twelve hundred trees had purple patterns and yellow kernels, ripening once every nine thousand years. Eating them allowed one to be As Long-Lived as Heaven and Earth, As Old as the Sun and Moon.
This was the most unforgettable segment of his memory from watching Journey to the West's Havoc in Heavenly Palace as a child, especially the Flat Peach the Monkey held in his hands, big enough to be the size of a human head, which made his mouth water just looking at it! However, after growing up, he watched the behind-the-scenes footage of Journey to the West and realized that the peaches he saw on television back then were all props made of dough.
And when he truly transmigrated to the Jambudvīpa World, although there truly was a Golden Mother in that World, for a small figure like him, let alone Flat Peaches, he only dared to dream of even a Flat Peach tree leaf.
He never expected that in This World, he could fulfill his dream—
Although the Queen Mother of the West before him wasn't that Queen Mother Goddess, her peaches were likely not ordinary things.
"My peach trees aren't as miraculous as those in the Journey to the West story. An Ordinary Person eating one can only increase their lifespan by three to five hundred years!" The Queen Mother of the West seemed to see through Tang Song's thoughts. As she spoke, she reached out, picked up a vermillion fruit, brought it to her lips, and smiled.
"Oh? Fellow Daoist actually knows about Journey to the West?" Tang Song looked at the Queen Mother of the West, feeling a bit surprised.
The Queen Mother of the West started to smile: "Do you think I'm that kind of old fogey in Fellow Daoist's heart?" Then she sighed: "The technological development of these Mortals has exceeded everyone's expectations, including us Gods. Even we have to value their development!"
The Queen Mother of the West glanced at Tang Song: "The Underworld can keep pace with the development of the Mortal Realm, and K'un-Lun naturally can too. K'un-Lun doesn't just have desolate and empty Palaces and those beautiful Heavenly Maidens! Among the satellites operating in the sky, three are from K'un-Lun!"
It seems he wasn't the only smart person in This World. Tang Song smiled. Those Immortal/Deities weren't fools either. Seeing humanity's technology develop so rapidly, they would definitely cast their gaze upon it.
However, the change in the Queen Mother of the West's attitude made Tang Song's heart stir: "Fellow Daoist wants to take my boat to see what's Outside the Islands!?"
The Queen Mother of the West sighed softly and said: "To be frank with Fellow Daoist, since the birth of This World, I have existed in This World, personally witnessing This World go from nothing to something, witnessing this Planet go from desolation to its current prosperity—"
"I created the Primal Humans and personally destroyed them. I established Order that ruled the World and personally watched the collapse of Order! Now, I have reached the peak in This World—"
Tang Song smiled faintly, understanding the Queen Mother of the West's feelings and thoughts. This Ancient God's ideas were slightly different from the Ancient One's. That Sorcerer Supreme was in charge of the Timeline and had become completely tired and bored of seeing everything, like watching a chess game that had been repeated countless times.
What she needed was novelty from Outside Time, even if this novelty was an apple falling onto the chess game board.
The Queen Mother of the West before him, however, had truly reached the limit of power that This World could contain. In This World, she couldn't see the Road Ahead. She wanted to go further, just like those seekers of the Dao.
"That Cauldron of Taishan Fujun once made me feel it was my hope to go further! For this Cauldron, he and I had many magical combats!" The Queen Mother of the West's gaze fell below the Sea of Clouds. On the Sea Surface, nearly a thousand Japan Yokai had already suffered heavy casualties. Dozens of figures were still fighting non-stop around that black Cauldron.
"This Underworld Cauldron is indeed an Innate Spiritual Treasure. Refining it can indeed achieve the Golden Immortal Karmic Position!" Tang Song's gaze also fell upon the Underworld Cauldron held by Shuten-doji. As for the Japan Great Demon, who was left with only one arm, blind, surrounded by several Great Demons, and critically wounded and dying, Tang Song didn't even bother to look at him.
"Innate Spiritual Treasure!?" The Queen Mother of the West looked at Tang Song with doubt. Clearly, there was no concept of Innate Spiritual Treasure in This World.
"So-called Innate Spiritual Treasures are products of a World's Rules Manifestation. Each Innate Spiritual Treasure represents different Rules, and their power and function also differ. Some Innate Spiritual Treasures can Immobilize the Four Great Elements (Earth, Fire, Wind, Water), while others can break open Chaos and recreate Universe Worlds. As for this Underworld Cauldron, rather than saying it's an Innate Spiritual Treasure, it's better to say it's an Innate Divine Artifact!"
"Innate Divine Artifact!" The Queen Mother of the West, who was immersed in the power of the Innate Spiritual Treasures described by Tang Song, subconsciously repeated.
"Innate Divine Artifacts are also a type of Innate Spiritual Treasure, but they are born from the Heavenly Dao's influence and carry a certain Mission. Just like this Underworld Cauldron, appearing in Taishan Fujun's hands, his Mission from holding the Cauldron was to open up the Underworld and compensate for the Heavenly Dao's deficiencies!
And as his return for opening up the Underworld, it was a Golden Immortal Karmic Position! The Way of Heaven diminishes the excessive and supplements the insufficient. The Heavenly Dao is actually more like a running software that can automatically find and fix its own flaws!"
As Tang Song spoke, he fell into a certain contemplation. Combining this with the insights from the Jambudvīpa World Source Imprint, he felt his Dao Heart become clearer by several degrees. The feeling was like a highly nearsighted author putting on a new pair of glasses after using the old ones for four or five years, seeing the World a bit more clearly!
"Then, does that mean the power of Innate Divine Artifacts is above that of Innate Spiritual Treasures!" The Queen Mother of the West said thoughtfully.
Hearing her words, Tang Song gave a wry smile. He flicked his robe sleeve, and boundless divine radiance burst forth from within.
Buzz buzz buzz—On the Sea Surface, the Underworld Cauldron, which had been fought over by dozens of Great Demons without any movement, began to shake violently.
Then, a clear light and a black light intertwined, instantly shredding those dozens of Great Demons and drawing them into the Cauldron.
Tamamo-no-Mae, who had been observing the Battlefield from afar, saw this scene and was so frightened her face turned pale. She transformed into a demonic wind and ran for her life, but it was too late.
After the Underworld Cauldron rotated for thirty-six cycles, a mass of greenish-black mist was expelled from within the Cauldron body. That fist-sized mist expanded, instantly covering an area of a thousand li.
The mist only existed for two or three moments. When the mist retracted, the largest Island of Fusang directly disappeared—
"The strength or weakness of an Innate Spiritual Treasure depends on who the User is?" Tang Song beckoned, and the black Cauldron flew directly into his palm: "Killing two birds with one stone, there was actually an unexpected gain!"
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