The ability of the celestial city in the Celestial Realm to float in the air is closely tied to the environment of the Celestial Realm itself.
This place, however, is somewhat different. Here, the chaotic qi is thick, and the air density is even greater than in the Mortal World. Forging a supreme artifact capable of swift flight is indeed quite challenging.
Fortunately, the Ancient King already has ample Yuan stones at his disposal. Yang-element and Water-element Yuan stones are ideal materials for crafting flight artifacts. Shui Miao made use of the resources available from the Ancient King, creating on-site a massive tray-like platform spanning hundreds of meters in diameter. It was embedded with intricate and profound flight formations. Though the formation structure was complex and mysterious, its usage was simple—requiring only the Ancient King to channel his spiritual energy into it.
Soon, the circular tray was completed, becoming a supreme Saint artifact.
“What is this?”
The Ancient King stared in awe at the pure white floating tray, his voice filled with excitement.
Shui Miao exhaled, saying, “This is a special artifact I forged for you using a massive amount of Yuan energy, Emperor energy, spiritual energy, magical power, and even my mental strength. It allows you to fly wherever you wish. You can move, right? Stand up, place this tray beneath you, and try activating it. If it doesn’t work, I can forge more.”
Shui Miao intentionally made it sound difficult, hoping to make the Ancient King feel indebted to him.
The Ancient King immediately shook his head. “This is too small. It can’t possibly support me…”
As he spoke, he placed a massive tree root onto the tray, only to see it effortlessly held in place.
“Underestimating me?” Shui Miao smirked coldly. “Don’t waste my time. I’m the Saint King of Yin-Yang Forging—I’ve already accounted for your weight. This artifact should be able to support you.”
“Alright then! I’ll give it a try…”
The Ancient King became excited. He uprooted himself, flipping over the land within dozens of miles around him.
His roots were complex and extensive, spreading across fifty miles, some even stretching up to a hundred miles. Over the years, these roots had evolved into hand-like forms.
As Shui Miao observed the Ancient King, he was secretly astonished. This creature was simply too monstrous. He hadn’t expected the roots to be so numerous, even more terrifying than a celestial city!
“Boom!”
The Ancient King stood up. After establishing a spiritual connection with the tray, he placed it beneath himself and slowly shifted his weight onto it. Surprisingly, the tray actually supported him.
“Amazing! God! I’m actually flying!”
“Brother Shui, you’re incredible! You’ve saved me countless millennia. I, the Ancient King, swear from this moment on to follow your command, devote myself to you wholeheartedly, and never change my loyalty.”
“Hahaha! I’m flying!”
The Ancient King was ecstatic. He couldn’t believe that such a small tray could bear his monstrous weight.
Shui Miao’s power deeply impressed the Ancient King.
Being able to follow such a mighty being naturally thrilled the Ancient King.
Shui Miao, however, remained silent, carefully sensing the situation. He noticed that the tray was already struggling to support the Ancient King. He then said, “Give me the remaining Yuan stones. I’ll forge you an even larger tray. This one can support you, but it won’t allow you to fly swiftly across the world. Also, you can release some of the chaotic qi or hand over those heavy chaotic Yuan stones for safekeeping.”
“Alright, I’ll listen to you. From now on, I’ll obey everything you say…”
In his excitement, the Ancient King’s previous doubts vanished, replaced entirely by unwavering trust.
The tree elves were simple by nature, and even the Ancient King was no exception.
With that settled, Shui Miao no longer hesitated.
Half a day later, Shui Miao forged an even larger tray—three times the original size—enhanced with additional flight formations. Once the Ancient King obtained it, he transformed into a flying ancient tree monster, capable of rapid movement at speeds nearly matching Shui Miao and his companions.
The Ancient King was overjoyed, revering Shui Miao as a god and a second father.
His excitement was beyond words.
Shui Miao and the others perched on the Ancient King’s body, continuing their flight eastward.
Shui Miao also collected more Yuan stones from the Ancient King, which were transferred into his artistic planet.
From a distance, the Ancient King resembled a gigantic flying terror, like a monstrous octopus.
His roots had evolved into hands, spread across his body, forming a natural defense.
To reduce weight and protect the tray, the Ancient King not only severed some of his roots but also released a large amount of chaotic qi from his body. He also summoned numerous small black tree demons, allowing them to fly outside as a natural barrier.
For Shui Miao and his companions, this was akin to possessing an excellent mobile celestial city.
With the Ancient King’s immense power combined with the strength of Shui Miao’s group, this formidable alliance undoubtedly made them capable of rivaling any great being from other races.
※※※
Further east, the region transformed into a paradise filled with Water-element energy.
“Let’s turn north. My friends have already turned north.”
Shui Miao held a magical artifact called the Light-Chasing Mirror, which allowed him to track the direction of Xuankong’er and the others.
Xuankong’er might have assumed there would be no islands ahead, so he changed course toward the north. Zixian followed closely behind, maintaining a moderate distance—seeming both to monitor and to harbor hidden intentions.
“Brother Shui, I’ve been in this world for a long time. I know the terrain well. You need various Yuan stones, right? I know there’s an island not too far ahead. On that island is a volcano, which contains not only Fire-element Yuan stones but also a large amount of Purple Fortune Yuan stones. Should we go there?”
Needless to say, the Ancient King’s memory was vast.
Although Shui Miao had previously explored the Ancient King’s memories, he had only accessed the parts he needed. There were still countless other details he hadn’t yet discovered.
“Of course we should go! Purple Fortune Yuan stones—I’ve always wanted those.”
Shui Miao was thrilled, his heart pounding with excitement.
This incident reminded Shui Miao that no matter what kind of being it was, it was always beneficial to make friends. Often, a casual remark could save one a tremendous amount of time.
The Ancient King had also long desired to collect Fire-element and Purple Fortune Yuan stones, but had never dared attempt it. Now that Shui Miao agreed, he continued cautiously, “But brother, there are two strange birds near the volcano. One is a purple bird capable of triggering volcanic eruptions. The other is a red bird that can summon fire clouds for attacks. They might attack us.”
“Such miraculous birds exist!?”
Shui Miao licked his lips, then smiled faintly. “Hehe, I’m actually hoping they attack me. Their bodies must be filled with a massive amount of Purple Fortune energy.”
“Exactly. One feeds on Purple Fortune energy, the other on Fire-element energy. Who knows how much Yuan energy they’ve accumulated over the years,” the Ancient King said excitedly. He had once sent hundreds of thousands of tree elves to seize the volcano, only for them all to be wiped out. Now, finally, the time for revenge had come.
Shui Miao nodded. “Alright then. For their sake, I’ll forge some artifacts first, just in case.”
Better safe than sorry. The more tools one had for victory, the better.
※※※
Three hours later, the Ancient King finally arrived at the volcano on the small island.
He plunged his roots into the crater, immediately beginning to absorb and refine the energies beneath the volcano.
For safety, Shui Miao and the others remained on high alert.
This sea area had many islands, filled with a faint presence of Purple Fortune energy. This energy was so potent that it could even purify the air, making the entire region unusually clear. From afar, the sunlight refracted across the shimmering sea surface, making Shui Miao feel as though he had returned to the Mortal World, except for the intense heat in the air.
Suddenly, a mass of fire clouds appeared in the distance, rolling toward them…
“They’re here!”
The Ancient King was thrilled and immediately raised a water shield to protect against the firebird’s attacks.
“This is a Fire Phoenix! But… it’s way too big!”
Holy Mother Shuitianyi saw the fire clouds expanding on the horizon. After a while, she realized that the clouds were actually the flames radiating from the giant red bird. The Fire Phoenix was at least a kilometer long, a terrifying sight indeed, yet it bore the appearance of a true Fire Phoenix.
“There’s no mistake—it’s a Fire Phoenix born from Fire-element Yuan stones. Capturing it will save us a tremendous amount of refinement time. But strangely, where is the purple bird that can trigger volcanic eruptions?”
As Shui Miao spoke, he raised his hand, sending out a newly forged artifact—the Water Jar. It flew into the sea, drawing up massive amounts of seawater, then soared into the sky.
“Screech!”
Seeing the Ancient King block the crater, the red firebird became furious. It immediately charged forward, spewing flames at the Ancient King, attempting to burn down the massive tree. The Ancient King quickly counterattacked, preventing the bird from approaching. Giant roots flew from the water, striking directly at the firebird. The bird dodged left and right, spewing fire at the roots while shrieking loudly. Its cries sounded like both enraged roars and desperate calls for help.
“Screech!”
“Screech! Screech!”
“Whoosh!”
Animals were still animals, lacking in combat experience. Seeing the firebird fully engaged with the Ancient King, Shui Miao acted. With a thought, the Water Jar suddenly poured a deluge of seawater from the sky, drenching the firebird like a heavy rainstorm. The firebird shrieked in alarm, then was struck hard by a root, crashing into the sea. It struggled violently, but a dense network of roots pressed down on it, pinning it underwater.
In this world, the natural law of water overcoming fire remained unchanged.
The flames on the Fire Phoenix were quickly extinguished. It became a massive red object shaped like a bird, still scalding hot enough to boil the surrounding seawater…
“Boom!”
Suddenly, the entire area shook violently…
A large amount of white smoke erupted from the crater, signaling an imminent volcanic eruption!
“Where is it?”
Shui Miao’s heart stirred. He quickly activated the Plate of Good and Evil Judgment, scanning the surroundings for the purple bird.
“Ahh!”
The Ancient King suddenly cried out, his entire body swiftly flying upward. “Brother, it’s inside the volcano…”
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage