After breaking up with my girlfriend, I became a Great Sage of the Demon Clan.

Zhou Yan nodded slightly.

Zhou Yan believed it, because Penglai Island had always appeared and disappeared on time before, but this time it disappeared half a month earlier than expected.

Why was it done half a month earlier? This must have been done by the culprit, Zhongdou Xingjun. As for how Zhongdou Xingjun did it, there are only two possibilities: one is that Zhongdou Xingjun communicated with a mysterious powerful being who controls the appearance and disappearance of Penglai Island, and asked that powerful being to close Penglai Island ahead of time.

The second method involves Zhongdou Xingjun figuring out the fish tank cleaning mechanism of Penglai Island, and then, by using this mechanism and fulfilling certain preconditions, causing Penglai Island to close prematurely.

As we all know, many flowers determine whether to bloom based on conditions such as sunlight and temperature. Therefore, people can also control the amount of light to make some flowers bloom when humans need them. For example, the night-blooming cereus, which originally could only bloom briefly at night, can now be made to bloom during the day by using flashlights and dark rooms as controlled conditions.

The same applies to Penglai Island.

Wenquxing thought that Zhongdouxingjun was the second possibility. So, since Zhongdouxingjun could control the conditions to make Penglai Island close in advance, why couldn't he control the conditions to make Penglai Island open in advance?

Even thinking further ahead, it's not impossible to control the garbage can of this cleaning mechanism—the Mountain and River Map—and directly suck Zhao Wenhe in, then shake him and turn him to ashes.

Chapter Thirty-Two: The External Demon

“Immortal, these are fresh fruits from outside my Taoist temple.”

The young Taoist priest who brought Zhou Yan placed a bowl of washed fruit, which Zhou Yan had never seen before, in front of him.

The young Taoist boy bowed and said.

"Wild fruits don't taste good, but eating a few bites after a meal can cleanse the palate."

Zhou Yan nodded.

"It's troublesome."

The young Taoist left to eat his breakfast.

Zhou Yan ate a few mouthfuls of porridge, then pushed the braised bamboo shoots given to him by the Nine-Colored Deer in front of Qing Cai. The little girl looked at Zhou Yan with a puzzled expression.

Zhou Yan said with a solemn expression.

"You eat it, I don't like bamboo shoots."

"Mmm, I'll eat it for my brother."

The Nine-Colored Deer took the bamboo shoots and ate them happily with the rice.

Zhou Yan picked up a wild fruit that appeared to be an illusion, took a bite, and tasted sweet and sour, but the flavors quickly dissipated.

Zhou Yan is immune to illusions. Others can eat these things and taste them, but they melt in Zhou Yan's mouth and disappear completely.

Zhou Yan pretended to chew a few times, then turned to look at the cafeteria window. The window was open, and Zhou Yan could see the grass growing and birds flying outside, the wind rustling the treetops. It looked so real, without a trace of falsehood.

A map depicting mountains, rivers, and the state.

Wenquxing (the God of Literature) wanted to put away the "Map of Mountains and Rivers" himself. He planned to capture Zhao Wenhe later, shake the map, and the Empress Zhao Wenhe, who was determined to restore her country, would be reduced to ashes.

But how do we subdue this "Map of Mountains and Rivers"?

Zhou Yan touched his chin with one hand, rubbed it, then stood up and asked a Taoist priest who was carrying a bowl to wash it.

"Master, Bai Ze has a favor to ask."

The Taoist priest holding the bowl turned around and bowed respectfully.

"What are your orders, Immortal Bai Ze?"

"I need paper, pen, ink, and a washbasin."

"Please wait a moment, Immortal Bai Ze."

The Taoist priest went outside, washed the tableware, and then went to the storeroom in the Taoist temple. Soon after, he brought Zhou Yan paper, pen, ink, and a washbasin.

Zhou Yan took his things and left the cafeteria, then went to a corner to write.

"Reporting to the Empress Nuwa:"

On the third day of the first month of the year Renyin, the winter expedition began. The plague god Zhao Wenhe brought calamity, and the people suffered from the epidemic. Passing through ten prefectures, the dead numbered in the millions; cries of agony echoed across the fields, and the people endured immense hardship. However, Heaven cherishes life, and Bai Ze boldly requests a map of mountains and rivers, hoping that the Goddess Nuwa will grant his request.

Zhou Yan placed the edict he had written in the basin and lit it.

The flames instantly engulfed the edict, burning it to ashes.

Zhou Yan was overjoyed.

Does this mean Nuwa has accepted her own decree?

Will the "Map of Mountains and Rivers" recognize its owner later and come into my hands?

Zhou Yan straightened up from the edge of the washbasin and sighed.

"Having a big thigh is just so great."

The nine-colored deer beside him tilted its head to look at Zhou Yan and asked a question.

"Brother, what thigh?"

Zhou Yan was about to say "Goddess Nuwa," but then he thought again that Nuwa didn't seem to have legs; she just had a snake's tail.

"Children shouldn't ask too many questions."

Zhou Yan picked up the nine-colored deer that had transformed into a little girl and vigorously rubbed the little one's head.

"Brother, you've done a good deed this time. I wonder how many people you'll save."

Nine-Colored Deer looked puzzled. She still didn't know about Zhao Wenhe and the Great Plague. However, she believed whatever Zhou Yan said and never doubted his words.

Wow, brother is amazing!

The Nine-Colored Deer looked at Zhou Yan from bottom to top with sincere eyes full of stars.

"Immortal Bai Ze, did you have a good night?"

At an intersection to Zhou Yan's right, Dong Chengzi, dressed in a gray Taoist robe, walked over with his fists clasped.

Zhou Yan, holding the nine-colored deer, looked at Dong Chengzi approaching and nodded.

"very good."

Dongchengzi bowed before Zhou Yan and said...

"Immortal, I have already informed the immortals of the other blessed lands of your arrival. I originally intended to invite all my fellow cultivators to listen to your teachings, but just now the master of Mingxia Grotto came to see me, saying that his Peach Blossom Spring has been ravaged by some unknown evil spirit. Since you are here, Immortal, may I..."

Dong Chengzi stood up and looked at Zhou Yan expectantly.

Zhou Yan: "..."

Sorry, my Bai Ze is a bit weak; I can't see things beyond my line of sight yet. But about Peach Blossom Spring...

Zhou Yan inquired.

"Is that Peach Blossom Spring the one in Tao Yuanming's 'Peach Blossom Spring'?"

Dong Chengzi sighed.

"Yes, back in the pre-Qin period, the immortal Guang Chengzi traveled the world and encountered a mortal family seeking refuge. He used his magic to send the family to Peach Blossom Spring. To prevent this paradise from being discovered, Guang Chengzi personally wrote a Peach Blossom Incantation, which states that anyone who comes to Peach Blossom Spring but has impure thoughts or is untrustworthy will have their life taken."

Zhou Yan clicked his tongue. In "The Peach Blossom Spring," it was indeed mentioned that the old man in the Peach Blossom Spring told the fisherman who went in not to talk nonsense when he came out, and not to tell anyone about the Peach Blossom Spring. But the fisherman didn't listen and insisted on telling others. As a result of karma, the fisherman eventually died.

"Originally, we also thought that with this Peach Blossom Curse, and in our blessed land, the people in Peach Blossom Spring should be able to live long and have endless descendants."

Dong Chengzi's expression darkened.

"Who would have thought that those kind-hearted people would encounter such a thing?"

As Zhou Yan's mind raced through the faces of that old gang of Zhongdou Xingjun, he couldn't help but sneer inwardly before speaking.

"Daoist Master, please take me to that Peach Blossom Spring. Bai Ze should be able to see some of the problems there."

Dong Chengzi bowed again.

"I'm sorry to trouble you, Immortal."

A cloud appeared at Dongchengzi's feet.

"Immortal, please grant me this old Taoist's request."

Dong Chengzi remained still, lifted up by the clouds, and flew in one direction.

Zhou Yan looked down at his feet, the young man sighed, kicked his foot, and flew up from the ground.

Zhou Yan initially thought that after gaining the ability to step on the void, his flight was no less than that of other flying divine beasts. But now, looking at Dong Chengzi's feet on a cloud, he could be carried by the cloud without moving at all. He, on the other hand, still had to run and move his legs to fly.

Both can fly, but their prestige seems to be on a completely different level.

However, Dongchengzi, who was in a hurry to fly, ignored Zhou Yan, who was running happily behind him. Instead, he flew all the way to a peach blossom forest and landed. Zhou Yan followed the old Taoist priest to the ground. Behind the peach blossom forest was a cave. After entering the cave and leaving it, the surrounding environment changed.

Previously, Zhou Yanfei had surveyed the terrain from the air. There was clearly a large lake behind the peach blossom forest, but now, after exiting the cave behind the peach blossom forest, there was a lush farmland with a farmhouse at the end of the farmland.

This was probably a journey from one small grotto-heaven to another. Zhou Yan had heard from the Daoist boy in the Linshan Grotto-heaven that this secret realm had twelve blessed lands connected to each other. However, to get through them, one had to go to a special location to pass through; otherwise, you could circle around a small grotto-heaven and still not find any other grotto-heavens.

"Immortal, Peach Blossom Village is just ahead."

Dong Chengzi turned around, gestured towards the rural area ahead, and then straightened up and walked over.

Zhou Yan followed Dong Chengzi to Taoyuan Village.

The closer they got to Peach Blossom Village, the more an indescribable stench of decay wafted over, causing Zhou Yan to frown and the Nine-Colored Deer to find it unbearable.

As they got closer, the situation became even more alarming. Several corpses lay at the entrance of Peach Blossom Village. Some of these corpses were covered in hair, while others had distorted facial features. They were stabbing each other with weapons, their faces contorted in a ferocious display, as if they were fighting a bloody battle with their mortal enemies.

Zhou Yan scanned the text, and the answer given by his omniscient ability was "The demonic appearance is revealed, and the evil spirits are corrupted."

Further in, the stench became even more intense, forcing Zhou Yan to cover his nose. Dong Chengzi, who was walking ahead, noticed Zhou Yan's action and casually waved his hand, causing a breeze to disperse much of the stench.

Dong Chengzi said sadly.

“If a villain came and slaughtered this Peach Blossom Village, that would be one thing; then we cave masters could join forces and kill that villain. But the current situation is beyond what killing can solve.”

Zhou Yan looked down at the ground.

Outside Peach Blossom Village, there are mostly corpses of demonic outsiders slaughtering each other. But inside, there are fewer corpses, though occasionally you can see elongated pieces of meat on the ground and strips of meat stuck to the walls.

It was as if someone had cut a person up and dumped their flesh and blood on the ground, but the flesh and blood were still connected, and even alive, emitting an extremely foul stench.

Following the trail of flesh and blood, Zhou Yan reached the center of the village and saw a human centipede chained to the ground.

This centipede lacked the shiny black exoskeleton of a normal centipede; its exterior was pure human flesh. It had 150 legs on each side of its body, all of which were human hands. Its back was covered with countless human faces, which kept opening their mouths and eyes, looking at Zhou Yan and the others. The human hands on its sides kept crawling on the ground, seemingly trying to crawl towards Zhou Yan.

"I'm losing my mind, I'm losing my mind to the extreme," Zhou Yan swore. He was a man who could watch a hardcore political movie and eat fried pork chops, but when he saw this bloody centipede, he couldn't help but feel a chill in his heart.

Zhou Yan squinted.

Name: Flesh and Blood Demon Image (Failed Product).

Origin: A demonic entity formed from the flesh and blood of a living person after death, which enters their body.

Supernatural powers.

Failed product: The invading Outer Demon is dead; it was supposed to be the Black Giant Dharma Form, but it is now completely out of control.

Demonic energy: When an external demon dies, its demonic energy is released, and once it disperses, it will cause great harm.

The nine-colored deer in Zhou Yan's arms struggled.

The little guy called out softly.

"Bang!"

Auspicious light emanated from the nine-colored deer, covering the constantly writhing human centipede. Where it was covered, flesh and blood thinned, revealing large sections of human bones stuck together and black mist that was constantly dissipating but being worn away by the auspicious light.

Auspicious light quickly enveloped the demon, and its flesh melted at a visible speed, transforming into a white demon skeleton shrouded in black energy.

The auspicious light of the nine-colored deer clashed with the black aura on the skeleton. The black aura was no match for the auspicious light of the nine-colored deer and was easily dissolved by the light. Only the skeleton remained, and the demonic body fell to the ground and crumbled into countless fragments.

A bearded Taoist priest in a white robe walked over and greeted Zhou Yan with clasped hands.

"This immortal must be Bai Ze, right?"

Zhou Yan nodded slightly.

Dong Chengzi, standing to the side, gestured and introduced the situation.

"Immortal, this is the master of Mingxia Cave, Lie Yuzi."

The old Taoist priest in white robes bowed to Zhou Yan.

"Immortal, this evil creature is brimming with demonic energy. I was just thinking about how to dispel it when..."

The white-robed old Taoist priest, Lie Yuzi, looked at the nine-colored deer in Zhou Yan's arms.

Zhou Yan patted the head of the Nine-Colored Deer, then looked at the skeletons behind Lie Yuzi and Dong Chengzi.