Rebirth of Nezha in the Investiture of the Gods

"I'll go take a look!"

About fifteen minutes later, the female Bā finally returned with this message after bringing Ao Yu to an unknown location.

This delighted Li Mingzhu greatly—if the female Bā agreed to visit Chentang Pass, Li Mingzhu would naturally have his ways to make her stay.

With a Quasi-Sect Leader overseeing, as long as no Saints intervened, Chentang Pass would surely be safe and secure.

This would be the greatest aid to anything Li Mingzhu intended for the future; even if the female Bā didn't act, her mere presence would be intimidating enough.

The deterrent power of a Quasi-Sect Leader is not to be underestimated. While Daluo Golden Immortals are rare in the Primordial World, they are not unheard of—but Quasi-Sect Leaders are truly exceptional.

Apart from those ancient beings who listened to the Way with the Saints in the Purple Cloud Palace, the second-generation disciples of the Three Sects include only a scant few Quasi-Sect Leaders, most of whom belong to the Jie Sect.

More importantly, within the Earthly Realm, Quasi-Sect Leaders are unrestricted by Heaven and Earth Rules—no matter how many Daluo Golden Immortals come forth, they cannot rival a single Quasi-Sect Leader.

Furthermore, due to the female Bā's prestigious lineage, even another Quasi-Sect Leader causing trouble must tread carefully. Otherwise, the karmic repercussions involving the Holy Emperors would not be trivial, especially since there are three Holy Emperors.

Having instructed the Nine-tailed Fox to act as a protector, Li Mingzhu began taking out elixirs to heal his injuries—after all, he had been seriously hurt earlier.

Thanks to his Nine Revolution Profound Skill's remarkable recovery power and the potent elixir pills from the Dragon Palace, he managed to fend off the injuries that could have been overwhelming otherwise.

Once Li Mingzhu healed, his first action was to retrieve the Qiankun Circle. At this moment, the Qiankun Circle no longer appeared golden yellow as before but had transformed into an interwoven pattern of red and blue.

When unactivated, it seemed no different from earlier, but once fully unleashed, its imposing might rivaled that of the Treasure Lotus Lamp!

Innate Supreme Spiritual Treasure!

Without doubt, with the Water and Fire Origin Power now restored, the Qiankun Circle had ascended to the rank of Innate Supreme Spiritual Treasure!

Just as Li Mingzhu prepared to test the full prowess of the Qiankun Circle, the Water and Fire energy within the circle unexpectedly began transferring into his body!

Startled, Li Mingzhu quickly attempted to sever his connection with the Qiankun Circle—he had no intention of becoming another female Bā.

Yet at that moment, the Qiankun Circle sent him a thought, reassuring him not to worry since the energy was purely excess—the kind that the circle could no longer contain and was now returning to him.

Though the situation suggested he was receiving leftovers, Li Mingzhu decided to seize the opportunity and began absorbing the energy—it was better than nothing.

Pure and refined power surged continuously into his body. Li Mingzhu opted not to use this energy directly to boost his cultivation but instead employed it first to temper his physique, then to refine his mana, reserving its use for cultivation only as a last resort.

Cultivation has never been a process of instant gains. Li Mingzhu had understood this profoundly during his tribulation in the realm of delusion.

If one's foundation lacks solidity, the magnificent edifice they build atop it will collapse in an instant.

Though this insight should be common knowledge, few are truly able to resist the temptation to ascend in realms when the opportunity arises.

However, Li Mingzhu managed to do so this time, although his cultivation was still propelled upward to the Taiyi Profound Immortal Realm, despite his constant suppression of his mana.

Fortunately, having just experienced a life-or-death battle with the female Bā, his state could be said to be stable enough to avoid any foundational instability.

After advancing to Taiyi Profound Immortal Realm, Li Mingzhu did not rush to leave seclusion; instead, he began stabilizing his realm.

Wisps of azure clouds slowly rose above Li Mingzhu's head, subtly displaying the phenomenon of Five Qi Chaoyuan—a truly astonishing sight.

It must be known that the Five Qi Chaoyuan phenomenon generally only manifests after reaching the Golden Immortal Realm, or fully unfolds at Taiyi Golden Immortal Realm.

Yet Li Mingzhu, merely at Taiyi Profound Immortal Realm, was already showing such signs, reflecting his immensely solid foundation.

After consolidating his cultivation, Li Mingzhu once again retrieved the Qiankun Circle to examine its new changes following its ascension to Innate Supreme Spiritual Treasure.

Quietly extending his Divine Sense toward the Qiankun Circle, he began to carefully sense and comprehend its advancements.

It turned out that upon ascending to Innate Supreme Spiritual Treasure, the Qiankun Circle could now be referred to as the Yin Yang Qiankun Circle. Though Li Mingzhu still preferred calling it the Qiankun Circle, the intricate subtleties within it had multiplied exponentially.

Previously, the Qiankun Circle, as a mid-tier Innate Spiritual Treasure, provided limited functionality. Its main uses included being thrown at enemies from afar—though its weight was impressive, its effectiveness was mediocre—and serving as a melee weapon inferior to Spiritual Treasures such as swords, spears, and staves.

In short, the former Qiankun Circle could be described in two words: "chicken ribs"—of little use but a pity to discard.

Now, however, things were different. The upgraded Qiankun Circle could fully serve as Li Mingzhu's primary Spiritual Treasure, surpassing even the Treasure Lotus Lamp.

The quality enhancement brought by its ascension to Innate Supreme Spiritual Treasure was indisputable, but more importantly, the newly incorporated Water and Fire Origin transformed into Yin and Yang poles capable of trapping and annihilating foes—an overwhelmingly effective tactic!

After all, who would expect a seemingly melee-centric Innate Spiritual Treasure to primarily function as a long-range binding and annihilation tool?

At times, it's precisely these unexpected factors that can catch people off guard!

"Let's go!"

Li Mingzhu stowed the Qiankun Circle and, with a calm demeanor, addressed the Nine-tailed Fox.

The two slowly stepped out of the Xuanyuan Tomb and stood once again under the Taiyang, with Li Mingzhu feeling as though he was reborn. Although he had successfully emerged in the end, he had truly been on the brink of death inside.

Had it not been for the Qiankun Circle, he would have perished for certain!

"Stay here at Xuanyuan Tomb to cultivate. Now that the female Bā and Ying Long have departed, and Senior Shi Ji has gone to Chentang Pass, you have nothing to worry about," Li Mingzhu advised the Nine-tailed Fox.

"Thank you for your great grace, Daoist! Your kindness is immeasurable—please, Daoist, allow this humble demon to stay under your protection," the Nine-tailed Fox pleaded earnestly, kneeling before Li Mingzhu.

"Troublesome! If you so desire, then you may serve as a maid!"

Though Li Mingzhu initially intended to refuse, he feared that without supervision, the Nine-tailed Fox might cause harm. Thus, he spoke in this manner.

"Thank you for your generosity, Daoist!"

Delighted, the Nine-tailed Fox bowed deeply in gratitude, her eyes full of mischief, though devoid of malice. What she truly pondered remained unknown.

"What is your name?"

Despite the Nine-tailed Fox's fame, her name seemed unrecorded—she was always referred to simply as Daji.

With Daji still alive and the Nine-tailed Fox not having taken over her body, Li Mingzhu couldn't very well address the fox as Daji either.

"My lord, this humble demon's name is Hu Mei!"

Hu Mei softly replied, quickly adapting to her new role—even her form of address had changed.

"Hu Mei it is, then. Let's go back to Chentang Pass!"

After a moment of contemplation, Li Mingzhu swiftly decided what to do next. With a sweep of his wide sleeve, he brought Hu Mei along as they headed toward Chentang Pass.