Volume 3: A Long Journey Chapter 232: Breaking Free from the Trap

The Great Peng knew nothing about formations. It was fine as long as it didn’t look back, but the moment it turned around, the formation came to life. All around it was greenish mist, creating a hazy and chaotic environment that made it impossible to see clearly.

With no other choice, the Great Peng stopped in place and held its breath. It feared the mist might be poisonous, so it used its wings to blow it away. After casting several spells, it finally cleared the mist, yet nothing tangible could be seen—everything remained vague and indistinct.

The Golden-Winged Great Peng was extremely frustrated. It never expected that its momentary curiosity would trap it here. It was naturally unrestrained and detested constraints. Seeing that it couldn’t escape the formation on its own, how could it not get angry?

It tried several spells to test the formation, but they all had no effect, as if they vanished into thin air. Determined, it took a few steps forward. Though the formation was confusing, there were no real dangers—clearly, it was an illusionary trap. Those who practiced cultivation knew that formations could be either illusory or real; only the real ones could cause harm.

The Great Peng grew bolder as it moved around, eventually discerning the outline of the formation. Indeed, it was illusory—nothing was inside—but along its edges, deadly danger lurked. The Great Peng didn’t dare risk itself and sat down to ponder.

On the third day, two figures arrived outside the formation: the Phoenix and Xiang Liu. They took human forms—Xiang Liu remained green and uglier than a demon, while the Phoenix was heroic and graceful, unmatched in beauty in heaven or earth.

The Phoenix frowned slightly and said, “Why has this child come here again?”

Xiang Liu laughed mockingly, “Isn’t there anyone who behaves properly in your family?”

The Phoenix was used to Xiang Liu’s ambiguous way of speaking and replied coldly, “Let him out!”

Xiang Liu said, “Well… that might defy the will of the formation. This formation has taken a thousand years to develop and is nearly complete. If we try to save him, it will be destroyed.”

The Phoenix retorted, “That’s absurd. It’s just an outer illusionary formation—how could it be so complicated?”

Xiang Liu replied carefully, “In the art of formations, one small change can affect the whole. You’re not as skilled as I am in this.”

The Phoenix remained silent. He was also well-versed in formations, and Xiang Liu wasn’t bluffing. If he forced his way in to rescue the Great Peng, even he might suffer severe consequences. He could only say, “Tell me how I can help him escape.”

Xiang Liu said, “You should know that only a Hunyuan Golden Immortal can move freely within this formation. Even if you enter, you won’t be able to take him out. But if an external force is applied to the formation’s foundation, it will surely be destroyed, with an unimaginable backlash. Even with your cultivation level, you’d likely be seriously injured. But if the person inside reaches the level of a Hunyuan Golden Immortal, could this formation still trap him?”

The Phoenix snapped, “How can one practice within this formation? It’s likely that even in a thousand years, one won’t reach the level of Hunyuan Golden Immortal!”
Xiang Liu replied, “There is no other way.”
The Phoenix thought for a moment and said, “Brother Xiang Liu, would you be willing to help me once?”
Xiang Liu smiled and said, “I dare not, I dare not. Go ahead, Phoenix—speak freely.” Though the Phoenix and Xiang Liu had traveled together for many years, the Phoenix had always held Xiang Liu in utter disdain and rarely spoke to him. Now that his younger son, Da Peng, was trapped within the formation with no hope of escape, knowing Da Peng’s impulsive nature, the Phoenix feared that a moment of rashness could lead to eternal regret. Thus, he spoke to Xiang Liu with much more courtesy.
The Phoenix said, “I want to throw a few pills into the formation. I wonder if it will affect the formation’s magic.” In truth, the Phoenix knew that with his skills, he could insert the pills without disturbing the formation at all. But fearing that Xiang Liu might report him, he decided to do him a favor.
Xiang Liu replied, “That certainly won’t cause any problem.”
The Phoenix took out three pills and handed them to Xiang Liu, saying, “My knowledge of formation magic is far inferior to yours. Please, Brother Xiang Liu, help me to the end.”
How could Xiang Liu not understand the Phoenix’s intentions? By letting him do this, the Phoenix was essentially silencing him. He took the pills and smiled, saying, “Da Peng is like my own son. For such a small favor, I must help.”
Xiang Liu went to the front of the formation and threw the pills from his hand. The three pills linked together and slowly drifted into the formation.
Da Peng, who had been struggling to come up with a plan, suddenly saw three pills falling from the void. He reached out and caught them. Upon closer inspection, he was overjoyed. The pills emitted a wonderful fragrance and radiated spiritual energy—clearly not ordinary pills. Even compared to the Laojun Immortal Pill that Wukong had given him, these seemed superior.
At that moment, a gentle voice like jade sounded from outside the formation, “By reaching the level of Hunyuan Golden Immortal, you’ll be able to leave this heavenly formation unharmed.” There was both a sigh and hope in that voice, bringing an indescribable sense of comfort.
Da Peng’s eyes showed determination. This person had given him pills to help him practice within the formation and also informed him of the conditions for leaving. This kindness was beyond measure.
A heavenly formation? Hunyuan Golden Immortal? Great! I, Da Peng, am never satisfied with staying still, but for the sake of this “heavenly” goal, I’ll give it my all. Let’s see whether my power as the Heavenly Subduing Sage is greater or yours, you treacherous heaven!
Without hesitation, Da Peng put one of the pills in his mouth and began meditating seriously for the first time in his life.
While time passed swiftly in the human world, time within the formation seemed frozen. Only one person sat there motionless, like a statue…

After hundreds of years, the Great Peng finally opened his eyes. His once-electric gaze had now turned into a subdued divine light; not a trace of cultivation could be seen on his body, and his complexion was smoother and more radiant than before. After taking three pills, he consumed the Immortal Pill given to him by Wu Kong, eventually reaching the realm of Hunyuan Golden Immortal and becoming the foremost among the eight saints of Flower-Fruit Mountain back then!

With his cultivation elevated to a new level, the Golden-Winged Great Peng looked around but still couldn’t discern any clues about the formation. He remembered that mysterious voice, which had echoed in his mind countless times over these centuries. He could tell that this person was certainly not lying.

He channeled his energy throughout his body and rushed headlong toward the formation without hesitation. At this moment, wielding the power of a Hunyuan Golden Immortal, his force was immense. Yet unexpectedly, upon hitting the formation, he passed through silently as if it didn’t exist at all.

The Great Peng was stunned—so he could just get through? Then suddenly, everything became clear before his eyes: the same mountain, the same golden skies and silver lands—he had been away for so long!

He turned to look at the formation that had trapped him for hundreds of years but still found not a single clue. By his usual nature, he would have caused chaos here, but after being trapped for so long, his violent temper had worn down significantly. His rapid advancement in cultivation, along with years of self-cultivation, had made him much calmer. The Great Peng was already extremely intelligent; after much thought, he realized that the person who devised this formation was unfathomably skilled, so it was better for him not to act rashly. It would be fine to return later once he found some clues.

Moreover, regarding this formation, he really couldn’t say whether he felt more hatred or gratitude.

Above the Nine Peaks lay nameless mystic thunder, extremely powerful. The Great Peng assessed his current cultivation level—although it had improved greatly, crossing that terrifying thunder would likely require considerable effort. Once bitten by a snake, one fears ropes for years; if there were also powerful formations above, he might not be able to endure it.

Having made up his mind, the Great Peng set off without delay toward the Four Great Continents.

With his status as a Hunyuan Golden Immortal and his already incredible speed, he flew effortlessly through the fierce winds. With each flap of his wings, he could cover sixty to seventy thousand li. Given time to understand the patterns of the winds, even ninety thousand li might not be impossible. But he had many things to do now and couldn’t afford to delay.

Upon entering the territory of Beiju Luzhou, Dapeng was delighted to find that his wings could span as far as 108,000 li. He didn’t know that in this space, teleporting 108,000 li at once was the limit. Not only was Wukong’s Cloud Climbing Vortex like this, but even if the Supreme Sage of Hunyuan used his powers, he wouldn’t be able to go further—only who could cast the spell faster mattered.

At Guanjiangkou, Erlang Shen and his brothers were preparing to go hunting with eagles and dogs when they suddenly saw an extremely tiny black dot in the distance that quickly came into view. Erlang Shen looked closely and was shocked: “Brother Dapeng?”

Dapeng smiled and said, “It’s me, Venerable True Lord. Long time no see.”

Erlang Shen examined him carefully. Dapeng had once been on a similar level of cultivation as him, but now it was hard to tell his true strength. So he praised, “Brother Dapeng, you must have had great fortune. Surely you’ve had some extraordinary experiences.”

Dapeng replied, “What fortune? I almost lost my life.”

Erlang Shen didn’t press further and asked directly, “Brother Dapeng, have you come here to look for your brothers from Huaguo Mountain?”

Dapeng said, “You’re right, Venerable True Lord. If you know anything, I hope you’ll kindly tell me.”

Erlang Shen smiled and said, “Huaguo Mountain back then has become something incredible now. They now control Qitianling in Xiniuhexiu and can even rival the Heavenly Court and Ling Mountain.”

Dapeng was astonished. “How could they become so powerful? Could it be that those people are even stronger than me?” He didn’t know about Wukong entering the three realms, nor was he aware that many ancient figures had emerged.

Erlang Shen said helplessly, “Well… if I were to explain in detail, it would take too long to cover everything. It’s better for Brother Dapeng to go and see for himself; then he’ll understand the situation.”

Dapeng replied, “Good. Thank you, Venerable True Lord!”

“You’re welcome.” Knowing he couldn’t keep Dapeng, Erlang Shen bowed to see him off. “If you have time, come and have a drink together.”

Dapeng was already ready to take off. Hearing Erlang Shen’s words, he turned around and smiled, “Venerable True Lord, I’m afraid I don’t have the luck to enjoy such leisure as you do.” With that, he vanished in a flash.

Seeing Dapeng’s cultivation had greatly increased, Erlang Shen sighed to himself, “Qitianling is going to be lively again today. Sigh, if not for my limitations, how wonderful it would be to roar through the world with them.”

The more he thought about it, the more bored he felt. Activities he usually enjoyed, like hunting and drinking, now seemed utterly dull. So he found an excuse to return to his own palace.

The Bull Demon King was practicing combat skills on a deserted peak in Qitianling. He had fought against Wang Yu several times recently without gaining much advantage, which made him quite resentful. As he kept punching the rocks, he heard someone behind him say, “You brute ox, still acting so foolish, haha.”

The Bull Demon King recognized this voice as extremely familiar. Turning around, he exclaimed in both surprise and joy, “Great Peng! Where have you been hiding these past few hundred years? Come on, let this old ox see if you’ve improved!”
Great Peng laughed and said, “You’re no match for me!”
The Bull Demon King spat and said, “Only by fighting can we find out if I am your match or not!”
Great Peng nodded and said, “Alright!” With that, he soared forward and swept at the Bull Demon King with a wing that covered the sky and earth.