Chapter 29: Changes in Spirit Runes, the Eternal Sea of Fire!

Another great boon! Through this, Luo Zhou obtained two powerful Strengthmen and a set of Strengthman Golden Armor.

"Great boon" is quite a significant term!

All of these were unintentional acts on his part.

They had all indirectly changed the fates of many people!

But, wasn't what he did simply a part of fate itself?

How could it be considered "changing" it?

Was he not within the bounds of fate?

He couldn't figure it out, so he decided to note it down and study it slowly.

Over the past two days, the weather had shifted, and cloudy skies began to appear.

Heavy rain was likely imminent.

*Old Crocodile Dragon, your time is coming!*

In truth, there was one thing that had been weighing heavily on Luo Zhou's mind.

That was the potential future scenario he had glimpsed in a flash of inspiration.

If fate was unchangeable, then no matter how many Moth Demons he killed, he would still encounter that most terrifying Moth Demon in four days.

If so, what was the meaning of his struggle, his efforts?

Was death inevitable and unalterable?

If fate could be changed, if he killed the nine great Moth Demons and that future ceased to exist, he would live!

But if fate could be changed, would his attempt to ambush the Old Crocodile Dragon succeed?

The methods of a Golden Core True Person were immeasurable.

Fairy Nanchun could create something from nothing, giving birth to all sorts of strange existences.

Could she even give birth to the Nine Heavens and Ten Lands Blood Parrot, a Demon Lord's spiritual pet?

It was simply unimaginable!

Fairy Nanchun felt much weaker than True Person Cuiling.

If Fairy Nanchun was already this terrifying, just how terrifying must True Person Cuiling be?

If fate could be changed, and his assassination failed, he would be dead for sure!

So he prayed fervently that fate was unchangeable, but...

Luo Zhou shook his head. *Why am I thinking about him? Change, damn it!*

In an instant, Luo Zhou transformed into the River-Overturning Strengthman.

In a trance, he felt as if his entire body's strength had surged, as if he could overturn and push down everything!

With another transformation, he became the Sea-Treading Strengthman, and his strength increased once more.

The two could transform simultaneously, merging into one.

This was the Combined River-Overturning Sea-Treading Strengthman!

He didn't need to maintain it specifically; once he transformed, he would remain in this state forever unless he chose to cancel it.

With this, Luo Zhou's strength increased by a full three thousand catties, reaching a total of fourteen thousand catties.

Unknowingly, he had truly become a Great Strengthman, prioritizing raw power.

The River-Overturning Strengthman focused on rolling, churning, and overturning. He obtained a movement technique, the River-Overturning Steps, and a palm technique, the River-Overturning Palms.

The Sea-Treading Strengthman focused on treading, destruction, and heavy strikes. He also obtained the Sea-Treading Steps and the Sea-Treading Fists.

But to be honest, these two sets of palms and fists were incredibly common.

They held the same status as the mortal world's Grand Ancestor Long Fist or Mantis Boxing; manuals for these palms were sold everywhere, often bundled with movement techniques.

Ultimately, this "Strengthman" was merely the most basic immortal profession. Many people had spread these palm and fist techniques far and wide after being promoted.

They weren't even as impressive as Li Haitian's five sets of Constable Kung Fu.

The most valuable part of this promotion was actually the powerful water affinity brought by the River-Overturning and Sea-Treading Strengthman.

His water affinity was now exceptionally strong; he could roam rivers, seas, and lakes, and could hold his breath for half an hour without drowning.

As for the final Strengthman Golden Armor, it was simple: one only needed to buy a piece of yellow cloth, drape it over one's head, and use this method to manifest a suit of golden armor.

It provided some defense, but at most, it was equivalent to wearing an extra layer of leather armor—better than nothing, I suppose.

Crucially, after manifesting the golden armor, he looked exceptionally majestic and handsome. It had a strong sense of ceremony and covered his face, serving a certain purpose for concealment.

However, anyone who saw this golden armor would definitely not forget it; if anything, it might make him even more recognizable.

Luo Zhou studied it repeatedly, but there wasn't much point. The River-Overturning Sea-Treading Strengthman was truly not as economical or practical as the Pine Strengthman; it was just "so-so."

After a period of cultivation, it was getting late, so Luo Zhou went to bed.

Lying in bed, he fell into a deep sleep. In a trance, he felt as if someone was calling to him.

The tattoo on his back seemed to be heating up. Upon the tattoo, five dark shadows mysteriously appeared.

Four were the Crocodile Dragons he had killed during the day, and one was that spying scout.

They seemed to come alive, turning into specks within the tattoo, struggling desperately, but they soon became part of the tattoo itself!

Then, in his trance, Luo Zhou was pulled into a certain realm.

In a half-dreaming, half-awake state, he felt he was in a specific place!

Heaven and earth were chaotic, all things were one breath, and there was no distinction between Yin and Yang. Suddenly, eighteen beams of light descended from the sky, scattering around Luo Zhou.

Each beam of light was a magnificent Dharma Image!

Each bore the likeness of a Supreme Heavenly Emperor, yet possessed the form of an invincible god or demon!

Luo Zhou immediately knew: these were the Great Spirits!

The Ancient Great Spirits were no weaker than demons, gods, or Buddhas. Each Great Spirit possessed infinite magical power and endless life.

The eighteen Great Spirits looked at Luo Zhou, as if asking him to make a choice.

Then, the Great Spirits began to decompose, transforming from their Great Spirit forms into eighteen different world forms.

Some were silent, massive tombs; some were cloudy skies; some were endless flames; some were underground nests; some were boundless deserts; some were towering giant trees; some were infinite palaces; some were steel caves; some were holy seas of light...

The silent tomb was called the Netherworld Daoist Temple; the cloudy sky was the Taishang Pavilion; the endless flames were the Eternal Flames; the boundless desert was the Primordial Element; the towering tree was the Emerald Forest; the holy sea of light was the Heavenly Realm; the steel cave was the Divine Weapon Abode; and the infinite palace was the Jellyfish Heavenly Palace...

Each magnificent world was infinitely great, but then the worlds began to wither and decay, becoming simpler.

The towering tree turned into a large tree, then a small tree, then a sapling.

The infinite palace vanished layer by layer, until only a thatched hut remained.

The eternal flames continuously diminished until only a single flame remained.

Then, these transformed into the simplest, most extreme landscapes, only to change again, gradually becoming prosperous once more!

Finally, they returned to their original magnificent world forms, and in a sudden shift, the entire world transformed back into the original Demon God!

Worlds could evolve; one world, one god or demon.

Luo Zhou immediately understood: this was asking him to choose.

Graveyards, stone manors, immortal realms, cloud houses, dungeons, forests, golden caves, weapon abodes, water palaces, flames...

Luo Zhou frowned. Which one to choose?

He couldn't help but ask, "Which one is most suitable for me?"

The various landscapes vanished one by one, leaving only the last one: the infinite palace, the Jellyfish Heavenly Palace...

Luo Zhou knew his dantian contained Heavenly Water Qi, Heavy Water Qi, and Tide Water Qi, and he possessed the River-Overturning Sea-Treading supernatural power, so this was the most suitable for him!

However, Luo Zhou did not want this.

What kind of Jellyfish Heavenly Palace was this? Luo Zhou didn't want to be too closely tied to it.

If he kept going like this, he might end up becoming a disciple of the Jellyfish Heavenly Palace, only to be killed by the Heaven and Earth Dao Sect as a double agent later.

"What about the second most suitable one?"

The Jellyfish Heavenly Palace vanished, replaced by the steel cave, the towering tree, the endless flames, and the boundless desert.

These were Metal, Wood, Fire, and Earth!

Combined with the Water of the Jellyfish Heavenly Palace, they formed the Five Elements.

In an instant, Luo Zhou made his choice!

The endless flames—water and fire clash.

He had too much water in his body, so he chose Fire!

Actually, Earth should control Water, but looking at that vast desert, it felt too lonely; he didn't like it!

Once the choice was made, all the landscapes vanished.

The tattoo on Luo Zhou's back quietly changed, transforming into endless flames.

Then, more options appeared: Fire Hell, Fire Plain, Fire Pillar, Fire Sun, Volcano, Sea of Fire, Fire Cellar, Fire Abyss, Fire Furnace...

A total of twenty-eight options appeared.

He had a vague feeling: the Sea of Fire could give birth to various spiritual fires; the Fire Sun could erupt with infinite fire energy; the Fire Hell could nurture various fire essences; the Fire Furnace was skilled at refining weapons and pills; the Fire Cellar could produce various spiritual materials...

Every source of fire had its own special ability.

In his dream, a dazed Luo Zhou said, "Give me the one most suitable for me!"

Instantly, the Sea of Fire appeared!

The Endless Flames of the Eternal Sea of Fire!

Then, the Crocodile Dragon he had killed during the day and the spying scout were thrown into it, instantly turning into five streaks of flame to be refined!

And then, there was no "then"!

Nothing else appeared. Luo Zhou slept until dawn before waking up.

Sensing carefully, he realized it really had just been a dream; he had thought some miraculous encounter had occurred.

In truth, the tattoo on his back had quietly changed, but since he couldn't see his own back, he knew nothing of it.

June 30th, cloudy. Three days left!

On this day, Luo Zhou actually had nothing to do. He planned to eat, drink, and relax today, and visit the Spirit Market to buy some useful talismans just in case.

He specifically sought out a piece of yellow silk to buy for his transformations.

If something happened tomorrow and he died, there would be no use in keeping his spirit stones.

After running a circuit and gathering everything he needed, he thought for a moment and headed to the Daoist Academy to cultivate.

In the classroom, only about a dozen people were present—some persisting in their cultivation, others playing around...

Today wasn't important; tomorrow, the first day of the seventh month, was the big day.

Tomorrow, the Immortal Elders would pass on their power, and everyone in the class must be present!

Tomorrow would be the day Luo Zhou killed Liu Changlong!