Chapter 45: Reunion in front of the Purple Cloud Palace

  This time going to the Purple Mansion, there's no need to be as anxious as last time. After all, the seats are already set, and a hundred years is enough to get to the Purple Mansion. Zhuang Xiong was allowed to let Ziyu take the lead, feeling the wind and electricity speed, his heart couldn't help but think: "My ride is also Ferrari in the vast wilderness? Can the cars of later generations compare to my Qilin? In the vast wilderness, I'm afraid that even my own mount is a first-class thing. I've led the fashion trend in the vast wilderness!"

  In the midst of his self-absorption, Zhuang Xiong suddenly found himself in front of the Zixiao Palace. However, to his surprise, the palace gates were still closed, and a large crowd had gathered outside, chatting and gossiping among themselves. They were discussing their past adventures in the vast expanse of the Hongyuan wilderness. The group had already begun to split into smaller factions. The most eye-catching figures were undoubtedly Emperor Jun and Taiyi. For 30,000 years, they had traveled extensively throughout the Hongyuan, fighting for the survival of the demon tribe, earning them the respect of many powerful gods. Some people were even inspired by their stories and joined their cause, gathering a large following of powerful demons. At this moment, Emperor Jun was calmly discussing matters with those around him, exuding an air of confidence and leadership, as if he had already become the leader of the group. Taiyi, although not as wise or charismatic as Emperor Jun, possessed higher cultivation levels and wielded the Xuanhuang Bell, now known as the Donghuang Bell, which gave off a powerful and majestic aura, making him another prominent figure in the crowd.

  And on the other side, Kunpeng also formed his own small circle. Kunpeng was also invited by Emperor Jun Taiyi, but he was not willing to be inferior to others, so he politely declined Emperor Jun Taiyi's invitation. However, he yearned for the glory of being surrounded by stars and moons, which is why he spent 30,000 years selflessly teaching the demon tribe, earning him the title of "Demon Master". In the northern part of Honghuang, it can be said that no one did not know him, no one was unaware of him. However, he still had a bit of self-importance and was proud of himself. At this time, seeing Emperor Jun Taiyi's demeanor, with his entourage surrounding him, Kunpeng couldn't help but feel envious, jealous, and resentful in his heart. Although he was talking to the people around him, his eyes kept staring at Emperor Jun Taiyi and his companion, his small eyes rolling around, wondering what they were thinking.

  In a corner not far from Kunpeng, Minghe sat alone, looking at Kunpeng with an expression of disdain, his whole body exuding a strong and intimidating aura that warned people to keep their distance. It was said that this Minghe was also a famous expert, but since arriving at the Purple Mansion, he had never spoken a word, and no one knew what kind of person he really was. Although he was surrounded by an aura of death, Zhuang Xiong knew that it was only because he was born from the Blood Sea, and one should not judge a person by their appearance. However, looking at Minghe's aloof face, Zhuang Xiong couldn't find an excuse to strike up a conversation for the time being, so he gave up.

  Zhuang Xiong's gaze shifted, and he saw that Emperor Jiang and Hou Tu had also formed a small circle in another corner, but they didn't see any other ancestral witches. It seemed that others couldn't bear to listen to such dull lectures, so let Emperor Jiang and Hou Tu come and take a look at the situation first. Although the witch tribe doesn't cultivate their yuan Shen, the witch tribe's aura had already taken shape in the vast wilderness of Hong Huang. At this time, the vast wilderness of Hong Huang was already filled with witches everywhere, and many great gods who traveled through the wilderness couldn't avoid interacting with the witch tribe. The witch tribe was originally a simple and lovely group of people, and after getting along for a long time, they also had a group of good friends. At this time, acquaintances were all gathered together discussing the interesting stories of the Hong Huang continent.

  At this time, Red Cloud was also very active. Since leaving Kunlun, he thought he had found a new path and traveled throughout the Hongyuan, helping people solve their problems. He even thought that his title of "Yao Shi" was due to his previous speech, and sometimes he would boast about it. However, he didn't realize that Hongyuan's gods were already wary of him, and now they hated him even more. The cultivation level of the gods in Hongyuan was roughly the same, and most of the dangers came from internal conflicts. Red Cloud couldn't simply help one side fight another, so he usually tried to mediate. However, those who had reason would blame him for not taking sides, while those without reason would think of him as a fool. At this time, Hongyuan was relatively peaceful, and there were few conflicts between the gods. The difficulties they faced were mostly embarrassing situations that couldn't be shared with outsiders. Although Red Cloud helped them, it was hard for them to face him openly. Zhuang Xiong didn't know the details, but he saw Red Cloud walking around with a red glow on his face, greeting people as he passed by. However, everyone else would smile awkwardly or reluctantly, and some even looked at him with a fierce gaze. Zhuang Xiong couldn't help but shake his head and sigh. Although he didn't know the details, he could guess roughly what was going on. He thought to himself, "This guy really thinks he's become the good person of Hongyuan?" But in reality, he had already been entangled in a web of cause and effect, trapping himself within it.

  Three Pure Ones and Zhenyuanzi were also a small circle, but the few people basically only communicated with each other, or if outsiders came, they just exchanged pleasantries. However, Zhuang Xiong saw that Laozi's expression was calm and his eyes seemed like a dry well, without any ripples. He couldn't help but think to himself: "Laozi has indeed walked the path of supreme indifference." Perhaps it was because he had seen the inevitable conflict between Yuanshi and Tongtian, and being in the midst of it all was too frustrating, so it's better to be indifferent.

  Yuanshi's body emitted an even more arrogant aura, and his gaze at others was full of inquiry, occasionally furrowing his brow as if evaluating others with his own framework. Tongtian seemed even more imposing, but the wild arrogance in his eyes was even more frenzied, making those who saw him feel a little intimidated.

  Zhenyuanzi, on the other hand, remained unchanged, perhaps the only thing that wouldn't change about him. He was forever warm and gentle. Zhuang Xiong knew that Zhenyuanzi wasn't without temper, nor was he really that kind of good person, but he had his own set of standards for measuring friends in his heart. And when it came to friends, Zhenyuanzi was always very magnanimous.

  What puzzled Zhuang Xiong was how Hongyun could fit into Zhenyuanzi's strange theory about friends and be so well-maintained by him?

  There were also a few small circles, but Zhuang Xiong was not familiar with those people and couldn't guess who they were, so he didn't pay attention to them. After all, the ones who had made a big name for themselves in the vast and chaotic world were probably just these people. Zhuang Xiong stopped investigating and looked at the various circles, and he couldn't help but think maliciously that Hong Jun was also intentionally not opening the Zi Xuan Palace, just to see through the door clearly. He searched his gaze around, but didn't see Zhun Ti or Nü Wa either, so he lost interest in guessing and lightly patted the back of the purple jade, pointing out the direction of San Qing and Zhen Yuanzi.

  Zi Yu had seen Zhen Yuanzi at Wuzhuangguan back then and knew he was a good friend of Zhuang Xiong's. He also knew that this was the Zi Xiao Palace, so he couldn't cause any trouble. He remembered what Zhuang Xiong had said earlier and realized that this was an opportunity for him to gain favor with the master. If Zhuang Xiong was in a good mood, he might even bring him into the palace as well. What a great opportunity that would be! There were countless living beings in the Hongyuan, but compared to it, the three thousand guests at the Zi Xiao Palace were actually just a tiny fraction. If he could enter the palace with his current beast form, how many Hongyuan creatures would envy him?

  Zi Yu thought clearly about the door, and suddenly let out a low growl. His whole body was surrounded by a purple glow, truly like Zi Yu's crystal clear transparency, but with a hidden violent energy. With one step forward, the ground rumbled in response, and his momentum was indeed extraordinary. The crowd in front of the Purple Cloud Palace couldn't help but be drawn to look over. Zhuang Xiong was initially startled by Zi Yu's actions, but later thought about what he had said and relaxed, not taking it seriously. What's wrong with being a bit showy? Wasn't he still afraid of being showy now? If he practiced beforehand, it would be even more impressive when the time came for him to apologize.

  Zhuang Xiong, who had just come to his senses, couldn't help but greet the stunned San Qing and Zhen Yuanzi with a wave of his hand. He patted Zi Yu on the back, calling him over, when suddenly he heard a bright, clear voice from behind him: "Well done, you big lummox! I knew it had to be you who would pull off something so astonishing! Three thousand years without seeing each other, where did you find such a cool steed? The silhouette really does look like that. Don't turn your head yet, let me savor the moment... As soon as I see that lecherous face of yours, my dream will shatter."

  As soon as Fuxi's familiar and refreshing laughter was heard, Zhuang Xiong also couldn't help but reveal a charming smile, first waving his hand at the Three Pure Ones, then patting Ziyu's head to signal him to stop. He turned around, looked at Fuxi, shook his head and laughed: "Three thousand years without seeing each other, I don't know what progress you've made, but this mouth is still so stinky." As he spoke, Zhuang Xiong lightly jumped off Ziyu's back, looking at the refreshed and majestic Fuxi and the slightly thinner Nüwa. He went up to Fuxi and patted his shoulder, laughing: "Not bad, you've got some meaning now. Let's try again another day? I've been fiercely practicing my martial skills in the Wu tribe and have long wanted to find someone to test them on."

  Fuxi seemed to have not heard what Zhuang Xiong was saying, and looked at him with a surprised and uncertain expression: "Are you really still the silly bear? You've just become a bit more serious, how can you change so much for someone? It's also considered elegant and handsome, and with this hint of evil smile, it makes you look even more uninhibited. I suppose you're worthy of being my sister's partner, but of course, that's only to a small extent."

  Zhuang Xiong couldn't help but slap him hard, slapping Fu Xi to stumble, almost falling to the ground. He glared at Zhuang Xiong with anger, while Zhuang Xiong pretended not to see, laughing: "I knew you'd say that, you're such a siscon. What you said is actually quite right, I'm very satisfied with this answer."

  Fuxi's eyes rolled, and he smiled: "Dumb bear, you're not planning to bring your mount in like that, are you? I know it's not your habit to leave him outside, but he's so big, if you really bring him in, even if you don't care about causing a commotion, Master Hongjun won't let it slide."

  Zhuang Xiong's smile stiffened at the corner of his mouth, and he laughed indifferently: "What is this? I naturally had preparations long ago." As he spoke, he hastily crawled to Zi Yu's ear and asked: "I haven't even asked you yet, don't tell me you can't shrink, okay? You have to be small enough, or else it won't just be a loss of face for Old Master, but also for the entire Purple Cloud Palace. You'd better not let me down."

  When Zi Yu heard Zhuang Xiong's voice, he naturally knew that this matter was not only related to Zhuang Xiong's face but also had a direct relationship with his own listening to the Taoist grand event. Perhaps even if he shrunk down, there would still be people talking about it. However, since the master had agreed, he must have a way to deal with it. But for himself, with such a huge body, it was definitely impossible. So he hurriedly used all his might to operate his magical powers and actually slowly shrank into a small Qilin about four feet long, similar to a large dog. Although it couldn't be said that it was very small, basically, it could also go in now.

  Zhuang Xiong couldn't help but furrow his brow, although the four-foot-long body was already quite small, he feared it would still not meet Hong Jun's liking. Just then, Tong Tian happened to be standing next to the Original Old Master, feeling a bit stifled, and saw Zhuang Xiong walking over to greet him. Seeing Zhuang Xiong's distress, Tong Tian couldn't help but smile and patted Zi Yu on the back, and in an instant, Zi Yu transformed into a small beast less than one foot long, its entire body sparkling like purple jade, with shiny scales that made it even more adorable.

  Zhuang Xiong saw Tongtian's move and hastily expressed his gratitude, but in his heart, he secretly sighed, no wonder Tongtian later gathered a group of demons, it turned out that he had extraordinary insight and means when dealing with demonic creatures. Fuxi saw Tongtian approaching and also went forward to greet him. Zi Yu suddenly shrunk down and was somewhat unaccustomed, not knowing where she should settle, circling around Zhuang Xiong for half a day, before suddenly jumping onto his shoulder.

  Zhuang Xiong was furious and slapped his hand, but Zi Yu had already jumped to the other side. Zhuang Xiong hastily stretched out his hand to hit her, but Zi Yu stepped on a small auspicious cloud and circled around him, occasionally jumping onto Zhuang Xiong's head. Zhuang Xiong couldn't help but angrily shout: "You dead Ah Zi, quickly get down! You are my mount, I am not your mount, how can you ride me back and forth? Your nonsense is making me lose face, be careful or I'll throw you outside and not let you in, quickly get down!"

  That purple jade wouldn't listen, still jumping around, Zhuang Xiong couldn't bear to be harsh, momentarily busy and flustered, tangled with Purple Jade in a heap. Fu Xi on the side couldn't help but laugh loudly, Tong Tian just smiled without speaking. Nüwa by the side, looking at the lovely Purple Jade, felt a surge of kindness, calling out: "Ah... Bear friend, I think that little thing is still in its young age, you shouldn't blame it too much. Wait for it to grow up slowly and teach it well, it will be fine. For now, don't be too harsh."

  Zhuang Xiong stopped his actions and looked at Nüwa with a strange gaze, causing her to lower her head in dismay. He then smiled slyly and tightly hugged Nüwa into his arms, whispering softly in her ear: "Three million years without seeing you, you've lost so much weight, I'm not blaming you, after all, it's also my responsibility inside. What should I call you now? You actually called me Xiong Daoyou? Good fellow Dumb Brother isn't called, yet you call me Xiong Daoyou? When did we become so estranged? Must be punished. Are you saying I'm hitting your butt or what?"

  Zhuang Xiong's actions had already stunned Nu Wa, and when Zhuang Xiong whispered in her ear, she suddenly felt a tickle in her ear, or perhaps thought of something, and her eyes turned red. She didn't even notice what Zhuang Xiong was saying, and her face buried deeper into his chest, with faint sobbing sounds coming from her. Fuxi, the brother who doted on his sister, couldn't help but sigh as he watched from the side, yet he neither stepped forward to stop them nor said anything.