It had been 200 years since Qing Jiao had sworn loyalty to Wang Dong, and during this time, he had witnessed numerous feats of his master's power. Along the way, he had seen Wang Dong eliminate countless savage beasts, many of which had reached the level of Xuanxian. Even the elders of the Golden Carp Clan, who were only at the mid-Xuanxian stage, were no match for him.
However, what left Qing Jiao most astonished occurred 50 years ago, when Wang Dong casually waved his hand and obliterated a Golden Immortal. This event shook Qing Jiao so much that he fainted for over a month. In just a moment, Wang Dong summoned a massive hand, tens of thousands of feet wide, shining with golden light, and with a single grasp, the entire Golden Immortal turned into dust.
"Impressive! So impressive!" Qing Jiao was so excited he almost had a cramp. With a master like this, who in the Great Wilderness would dare challenge him? Qing Jiao even thought about flying to the Dragon Palace with Wang Dong to flaunt their power. But, that was just a fleeting thought.
Over time, Qing Jiao realized that Wang Dong was not a Golden Immortal—no Golden Immortal was this powerful. He wasn't sure exactly what stage Wang Dong was at, but after splitting his soul, the Great Dao had only evolved for a million years. Besides Wang Dong, only Hong Jun and Yang Mei had attained the Grand Dao fruit, and they rarely showed themselves. So, the highest known realm in the Great Wilderness at the moment was still the Golden Immortal.
Under Wang Dong's guidance, Qing Jiao began cultivating a special technique tailored to him, the "Qing Jiao Emperor Body Technique", which had six levels. Unlike the Dragon Clan's techniques, which focused on purifying bloodlines, this technique used Qing Jiao's serpent body as a foundation, gradually channeling water essence to forge the Kui Shui Root Bone.
Qing Jiao had already reached the peak of the third level of the Heavenly Immortal stage. His serpent body was surrounded by water vapor, and with every movement, water seemed to follow. He was vastly stronger than before.
One day, while Qing Jiao was flying with Wang Dong through the sky as usual, Wang Dong suddenly commanded, "Stop." Without hesitation, Qing Jiao halted.
"Finally, I've found it. This should be Penglai Immortal Island," Wang Dong said, his face showing a flash of excitement. After hundreds of years of searching, even the most patient would begin to feel frustration.
Wang Dong flew toward the mist, and for the first time, his true soul governed his body. Immediately, his appearance seemed to change, and his cold silver eyes stared with an emotionless gaze at the direction of Penglai Island.
His true self (hereafter referred to as the true self, and the division of his soul as Wang Dong) slowly saw through a complex formation. The silver eyes, which appeared after his soul split, granted him a special divine ability. When he controlled the body, his eyes turned silver, and when he focused his mental energy, he could partially see through illusions and perceive the essence of things.
The true self waved a few times, and his mighty magical power swept over several formation nodes. The entire Penglai Island appeared before him. His eyes slowly shifted back to black as the true self meditated on the Dao, while Wang Dong resumed control of the body.
When the true self manifested, Qing Jiao felt an intense chill run through his body, especially from those eyes—cold and indifferent, as if the true self were a god, disregarding the mortal world.
Qing Jiao was curious and asked, "Master, what happened just now? You were quite terrifying."
Wang Dong smiled. "You will understand in the future," he said, not elaborating, and continued flying toward the center of the island.
Although Qing Jiao was curious, he knew better than to ask any further. He followed Wang Dong closely, knowing there must be a reason for his silence.
Penglai Island, the first of the three great immortal islands, lived up to its reputation as a holy land for the cultivation of scattered immortals from overseas. The island was shrouded in immortal energy, with bizarre and wondrous stones scattered throughout. The main peak of the island was tens of thousands of feet high, and it stretched over 3,000 kilometers. Towering trees blocked the sky, and several rivers wound through the island.
What most surprised Wang Dong was the abundance of spiritual plants. There were plants over a million years old, such as He Shou Wu, Seven-leaf Silver Flowers, Flowerless Meditation Fruit, and Curved Stalk Purple Sun Flowers. Even more remarkable were the many spiritual creatures, like the Ginseng Babies and Lotus Root Children, that frolicked on the ground.
In Wang Dong's eyes, Penglai Island was a treasure trove, rivaling Kunlun and Emei as a heaven-like realm. But from now on, everything on this island would belong to the Li family.
Wang Dong happily flew toward the center of the island. As he approached, a greater surprise awaited him. From afar, he spotted a twelve-petal Green Lotus standing proudly in a small lake, exuding an aura of purity and elegance.
This was no ordinary lotus—it was a top-tier Heavenly Spirit Treasure. Wang Dong's excitement couldn't be contained. During the Primordial Chaos Era, the thirty-six-petal Chaos Green Lotus had shattered, and its petals had transformed into four supreme Heavenly Spirit Treasures. These included the Destroyer Black Lotus, Purifier White Lotus, and Fiery Red Lotus, among others.
What thrilled Wang Dong the most was that this Green Lotus still had its root, stem, and leaves intact, with abundant life force. It was the perfect choice for his divided soul's vessel.
"Ha, ha! Now the problem of a vessel for my divided soul is finally solved!" Wang Dong thought to himself. For a long time, he had been searching for a suitable vessel for his soul's division. His journey through the Eastern Sea, though tedious, was precisely to find such a vessel. While his divided soul would not dominate his body, it still needed a vessel with potential for future growth. He had been waiting for just such a find.
Wang Dong didn't immediately claim the Green Lotus. He still had to think about it carefully and prepare a place to settle down. After all, he didn't want to live in a humble hut while cultivating and understanding the Dao.
As Wang Dong hovered in the air, he continually formed hand seals, and the ground trembled. Spirit Fire emerged from thin air, gathering and refining the essence of various earth and stone elements, as well as materials he had collected from the Primordial Continent.
Soon, an ancient and majestic palace began to take shape on Penglai Island—one main hall and four side halls. The main hall was inscribed with the name Green Lotus Hall, clearly intended for the vessel of his divided soul. The four side halls were left unnamed for now.
"Qing Jiao, stay here and cultivate well. I am going into seclusion for a while," Wang Dong said to Qing Jiao.
"Yes, Master," Qing Jiao replied, although he was a bit puzzled as to why Wang Dong would go into seclusion so soon after arriving on the island. But he didn't ask further, simply following his orders.
Wang Dong's purpose in seclusion was to carefully consider the division of labor between his true self and his divided soul. This was a critical step that would affect his future path to the Dao.
"My current situation is: I have attained the Grand Dao status; besides the Green Lotus, I possess other top-tier Heavenly Treasures such as the Green Lotus Ancient Sword, Void Battle Armor, Black Demon Cauldron, and various materials. My divine powers include Silent Reincarnation, Nine-colored Tower, and Silver Eyes."
These were his strengths, Wang Dong thought to himself.
"However, there's a major flaw: I attained the Grand Dao too early. I lack real experience and even my Dao is unclear, merely the result of being catalyzed by the rhythms of the Great Dao. I understand many things, but I don't understand the reasons behind them. This will definitely affect my future path."
Wang Dong didn't shy away from acknowledging his own shortcomings.
"The best path is the one that suits me." Wang Dong continued to analyze his strengths and weaknesses, seeking the path that best suited him. "My strength lies in my body. I have the potential to break through to immortality, and my divine power, Silent Reincarnation, is also a powerful asset. Since my body is strong, I will pursue the path of physical immortality. I will base my Dao upon my divine power."
Finally, after years of contemplation, Wang Dong arrived at a decision:
"The true self will focus on refining the demon body and understanding the laws. The divided soul will focus on the Sword Dao, using the sword to break silence and reincarnation, and to enter the Dao through the sword."
This was an essential step in his cultivation, and Wang Dong remained in seclusion for fifty years, refining his path.
After fifty years, Qing Jiao, who had been waiting patiently, heard the sound of the palace door opening. He knew his master had emerged from seclusion.
"Roar!" Qing Jiao cried, flying over to greet him.
"Ha ha," Wang Dong laughed, patting Qing Jiao. "Let's go to
the lotus pool."
Looking at the twelve-petal Green Lotus, Wang Dong's eyes sharpened. The soul of his divided self flew out from his right eye and entered the Green Lotus. The lotus trembled, and in an instant, it transformed into a second Wang Dong—his divided soul had taken form.
As soon as the soul left his body, Wang Dong's eyes turned silver, and his hair instantly turned white.