The East Sea Azure Cloud Island was gone; he had nowhere to go.

Feng Zikang’s thinking was that he absolutely could not let this Turtle Child fall into the hands of others. Though this child was dazed and confused, he was someone who had experienced the First War of Investiture of the Gods two thousand years ago.

Compared to him, although some great demons had also lived for millennia, the information they possessed regarding the Investiture of the Gods was pitifully scarce. This Turtle Child was a veritable treasure trove, offering much reference material for the current War of Investiture.

"Brother Turtle, since you have nowhere else to go, why not stick with me for a while?"

Feng Zikang extended the invitation.

The Turtle Child was indifferent; he was still engulfed in confusion. Furthermore, if he didn't follow Feng Zikang, he might not even be able to leave this desolate, sandy wasteland. After some thought, he agreed.

"I'm really nothing special. My Master even said I could lie around by myself for several years and be fine. As long as you provide food and shelter, and give me a place to stay, that will be enough!"

His demands were minimal, and Feng Zikang readily agreed.

The Turtle Child changed his clothes and used his divine abilities to clean himself up, indeed appearing as a fair-skinned, tender young boy.

Feng Zikang took him and continued forward, heading toward the building ahead to look for the Jade Casket Celestial Tome that Hong Kang had mentioned.

However, this child lacked the Wind-Still Pearl; how he managed to enter the structure was a matter of destiny. When asked, the Turtle Child explained he had been asleep and didn't know if anyone had entered before him.

Even possessing the Wind-Still Pearl, the spiritual energy in the Mysterious Realm was too chaotic to allow for flight. Feng Zikang, leading the boy, trudged for half a day before finally reaching the structure.

It had once been a sacred immortal paradise, but now the pavilions were ruined, no longer retaining their former glory.

Tears welled up in the Turtle Child’s eyes; he must have been reminded of the East Sea Azure Cloud Island, which looked just the same.

Feng Zikang sighed, patted his shoulder, and stepped through the main gate. Inside lay a courtyard where immortal herbs and exotic flowers were almost entirely withered, leaving only dry branches and dead leaves.

"Huh!"

The Turtle Child noticed a peach tree by the entrance that had not yet withered. Two vibrant peaches hung from it, looking exquisitely tempting.

Feng Zikang nodded and smiled, "It seems this is fate leaving something for us. Brother Turtle, you haven't eaten in two thousand years; shall we share one?"

He picked the two peaches, wiped them clean, handed one to the Turtle Child, and slowly savored the other himself.

What Heaven grants, one must take; this was the righteous path.

At least in this great calamity afflicting Heaven and Earth, Feng Zikang could feel this clear sign of destiny. Now, blessed with luck, the peach tasted sweet and delicious in his mouth, leaving him feeling refreshed and almost celestial.

The Turtle Child benefited from the connection and also enjoyed a peach, his mouth watering with delight, feeling immensely cheerful.

"Brother Feng, I will really follow you from now on. It seems there are real benefits to being with you!"

Having been trapped in this desert for two millennia, Feng Zikang’s arrival not only freed him but also granted him an immortal peach. If Feng Zikang wasn't his destined benefactor, who could be? He was naturally content to drift with the current, but now he was firmly resolved to follow Feng Zikang.

Feng Zikang smiled faintly. At this moment, he was increasingly certain that the Celestial Tome in the Golden Cloud Cave on Jade Spring Mountain was very likely intended for him by Heaven’s will.

These two immortal peaches already signified Heaven’s will and attitude.

It seemed this great calamity would not be simple; it involved not only the Three Teachings and the myriad schools, the evil spirits and demons, and the great sects, but even those outside the cultivation world—the Heavenly Court and the ancient immortals—were all drawn into it.

Feng Zikang disliked the feeling of being caught up in such a situation, but when there were tangible benefits, he would certainly take them first.

"Let's go inside and look!"

He led the Turtle Child into the room. Everywhere was draped with cobwebs and dust; it was impossible to tell how many years it had been abandoned.

"Alas..."

The Turtle Child sighed, "The last time I came here with my Master, it was a pure Taoist sanctuary. I never expected it to look like this."

The transformation of the world—the seas turning into mulberry fields—spoken from the mouth of a child who had slept for two thousand years, made the contrast all the more jarring.

Feng Zikang also felt a deep sense of melancholy. What use was being an ancient immortal? Now the cave dwelling was dilapidated, and the person was nowhere to be found. True longevity was truly hard to achieve.

He slowly walked deeper inside, seeing only ruin everywhere, not a trace of living presence.

"Brother Feng, I wanted to ask you earlier, why did you come here now? Don't tell me it was just for those two immortal peaches; that was a miracle!"

The Golden Cloud Cave on Jade Spring Mountain was now a shadow of its former self; nothing remained.

What Feng Zikang still intended to do here was genuinely perplexing to the Turtle Child.

Since True Man Yuding had already departed, what could possibly be left here?

Feng Zikang smiled faintly, "Seeing those two immortal peaches, I knew this was Heaven's will. What I seek must be within easy reach. Just follow me in..."

The Turtle Child followed him doubtfully into the inner chamber.

The inner chamber was equally collapsed; the tables and chairs had long since rotted away. Only a single portrait hung in the center. Though the colors were faded, it was preserved perfectly well.

The portrait depicted a gentle, middle-aged Taoist. The Turtle Child gasped upon seeing it.

He turned back to Feng Zikang, "Brother Feng, this is True Man Yuding! I can't believe his portrait is still hanging here after a thousand years."

"Oh?"

Feng Zikang glanced over. The Taoist in the painting, though merely sketched, was vivid and lifelike. Even though the paper scroll was yellowed, the piercing light in his eyes seemed real.

"Strange, he didn't leave anything else, but why leave a portrait here?"

The Turtle Child muttered beside him, but Feng Zikang knew exactly why.

He walked to the center and respectfully bowed to the portrait, looking up, "Venerable True Man Yuding, I am Feng Zikang, a disciple of the School of the Military from Dragon Tiger Mountain. During this great calamity afflicting Heaven and Earth, holding the Investiture of the Gods List, I followed a heavenly sign and came here seeking the Jade Casket Celestial Tome. If it is the Venerable One's will to entrust it, I ask for guidance on the direction!"

The Turtle Child listened, dumbfounded, "Brother Feng, don't tell me that actually works... True Man Yuding has been gone for two thousand years, you said so yourself!"

True Man Yuding had left the main Mysterious Realm for over two thousand years; what divine mystery could his lingering portrait possibly hold?

Feng Zikang smiled faintly and pointed. To their astonishment, the portrait moved without wind, revealing a hidden door behind it.

"Wow! It actually worked!"

The Turtle Child was genuinely impressed. He scurried forward excitedly, helping Feng Zikang push open the secret door.

"Careful!"

Feng Zikang warned, but with a loud clang, the Turtle Child was violently thrown out, kicking up a cloud of dust in the resounding crash, leaving him covered in grime.

"Such great force!"

Fortunately, being the manifestation of a spiritual turtle, while he might lack in other areas, his shell was certainly hard enough. He was battered by the force of the door pushing him out, dizzy and disoriented, but ultimately unharmed.

Feng Zikang smiled. Since destiny guided him here, if he hadn't acted himself, others were bound to suffer a loss. Feng Zikang reached into the dark opening and, as expected, pulled out a jade casket. Lifting the lid, he saw it contained a Celestial Tome.

"The Eight-Nine Arcane Art!"

This Celestial Tome was finally in his possession!

The Turtle Child peeked over and was startled.

"Good heavens! The Eight-Nine Arcane Art, such a divine power! True Man Yuding actually left it here? This thing is potent, Brother Feng, no wonder you had to make this trip!"

Feng Zikang laughed heartily and shook his head, "This version of the Eight-Nine Arcane Art is vastly different from what I have studied. I likely won't be able to cultivate it."

What he studied—the military path of strategic planning and winning battles from a thousand miles away—was one thing, but the method within the Formless Heavenly Demon Heart Sutra for nurturing a demon embryo and remolding the demonic body proceeded in a completely different direction than the Eight-Nine Arcane Art. At most, it could serve as a reference.

However, what truly interested him were the divine abilities attached to the latter part of the Eight-Nine Arcane Art: the technique of transformation with the wind.

He wasn't in a rush. He immediately opened the scroll and began comprehending it on the spot.

This place was originally True Man Yuding's dojo, the most suitable place to realize related heart techniques and divine powers. Moreover, within the portrait, there remained a sliver of True Man Yuding's divine (divine consciousness); if he encountered a bottleneck, he might even be able to seek guidance.

What was stated earlier described the principles of the Eight-Nine Arcane Art.

This cultivation method involved merging the primordial spirit and the physical body, condensing and solidifying them, and after eight refinements and nine transmutations, finally achieving supreme divine power, remaining unblemished through ten thousand tribulations.

This method was actually somewhat similar to Feng Zikang's technique for refining the demonic body.

However, refining the demonic body used the demon embryo to merge with the flesh, without scattering the primordial spirit. Feng Zikang observed that the eight refinements and nine transmutations in the Eight-Nine Arcane Art could further solidify the physical body, suggesting it could also be utilized during the forging of the demonic body.

He nodded, "This is indeed beneficial."

It seemed Heaven's arrangement was not entirely useless. Keeping the Eight-Nine Arcane Art for him was purely a triviality, but if he knew how to be adaptable, it could still be useful.

When the demon embryo matured, during the tempering of the demonic body, this method of eight refinements and nine transmutations could be cultivated independently and would surely be helpful.

However, this process of eight refinements and nine transmutations was no easy feat.

Hong Kang cultivated for a hundred years and only achieved the third refinement. To master it completely and then reshape his foundation for further cultivation was even more difficult. Feng Zikang set it aside for now and flipped to the subsequent technique, Transformation with the Wind.

This was the profound secret of the Eight-Nine Arcane Art. Because the modification and tempering of the body reached a profound level, one could smoothly transform into various shapes.

It could change size, transform into rocks, flying birds, beasts, flowers, birds, insects, and fish—all manner of forms.

This miraculous technique was what made others envious. Feng Zikang studied it carefully. Many transformations required the completion of the eight refinements and nine transmutations before they could be performed. However, there were some simple transformations that, based on Feng Zikang's current cultivation level and control over his body, he could achieve successfully.

He closed the Celestial Tome and pondered the path of transformation, carefully considering it.

The Turtle Child emerged, seeing him studying the Transformation with the Wind technique, and sighed mournfully, "Brother Feng, why study this? My Master taught me this too; it’s incredibly difficult! It's not something you can learn overnight."

Bang!

Before his words finished, there was a sudden bang. Feng Zikang had transformed into a piece of rock, standing stiffly before him.

"Ah!"

The Turtle Child was greatly shocked, "You actually transformed! Brother Feng, you truly are a genius!"

This Transformation with the Wind technique was not easy to learn even for the immortals of antiquity. It required precise control over one's physical body, whereas the path of Taoism generally focused on cultivating the primordial spirit and was less concerned with the physical shell. Only the lineage of the Eight-Nine Arcane Art could learn it relatively smoothly.

Feng Zikang had not practiced the Eight-Nine Arcane Art but directly cultivated the Transformation with the Wind technique, and he succeeded in shape-shifting in just a moment—truly deserving of the title genius.

The Turtle Child stupidly began counting, "How many years did it take me to learn? Five years? Ten?"

In ancient times, people were unaware of the passage of time; many years slipped by unnoticed. In any case, he studied for a long time and ultimately achieved little success. To see Feng Zikang succeed instantly made him deeply ashamed.

He tapped the rock, which produced a dull thud.

"It really looks like one. Not like a transformation at all. Truly amazing..."

The Turtle Child tapped and felt the rock for a while, clicking his tongue in praise, but gradually something felt wrong. "Say, Brother Feng, you can change back now, right? You haven't gotten stuck, have you? Oh dear, what should we do then!"

He shook the rock desperately. After a long moment, the magic faded, and Feng Zikang tumbled down with a stumble.

Feng Zikang chuckled, "Brother Turtle, no need to worry. It's just that the transformation technique is new to me, and there are still some areas that are difficult to control, so returning took a little longer."

This was a small lapse of appearance, but for mastering the transmutation spell, this was already an astonishing achievement. Even with a famous master guiding him, success might not be guaranteed, nor would it be as swift and skilled as Feng Zikang's.

Feng Zikang practiced several more times, until he firmly grasped the basic spell of transforming into a rock. Only then did he nod in satisfaction.

His objective for coming here was now achieved, so naturally, he had to exit the Golden Cloud Cave on Jade Spring Mountain.

The Turtle Child followed him out of the cluster of buildings. With a thunderous crash, all the already ruined pavilions and towers behind them suddenly collapsed together, turning into a cloud of dust.

In the swirling dust, a portrait was seen drifting down, floating upward toward the sky, until it finally vanished.

"Congratulations, Brother Feng, for obtaining the Eight-Nine Arcane Art and mastering the Transformation with the Wind technique. Where are we going now?" the Turtle Child asked ingratiatingly.

Feng Zikang watched the portrait disappear into the air, then turned back and smiled, "Brother Turtle, why don't you return with me first to the Small Bamboo Forest of the Military School on Dragon Tiger Mountain? We can reside temporarily in a Mysterious Realm for now?"

"A 'Yi Realm'?"

The Turtle Child’s eyes widened. "Brother Feng, you are only at the Foundation Establishment stage, yet you possess a Mysterious Realm. You truly command respect!"

Feng Zikang smiled faintly, summoned the Wind-Still Pearl, and led the Turtle Child into the sandstorm.

"By the way, what is this treasure? Where did you get the Wind-Still Pearl, Brother Feng?"

The Turtle Child, having been trapped in the sandstorm for so long, was quite amazed to see such a potent treasure. Even in the era of the immortals, a Wind-Still Pearl like this was rare.

Feng Zikang then recalled that he needed to return the Wind-Still Pearl along the way. He smiled, "This isn't my treasure. It's the Wind-Still Pearl from Cihua Temple on Luyun Mountain. Now that you mention it, I remembered I need to return this treasure on the way to avoid trouble!"