Volume One: The Cloud Temple Chronicles Chapter Seventy-Seven: The Rogue and Luo Tianyi (Part One)

Chapter Seventy-Seven: Deng Tu Lang and Luo Tianyi (Part I)

“The story begins with my arrival in the Immortal Realm. At that time, I had just ascended from the mortal world, having achieved the rank of Golden Immortal, and was filled with a strange sense of novelty and excitement at this unfamiliar world of deities. I wanted to realize my ambitions here…” Deng Tu Lang stood with his hands clasped behind his back, slowly opening up.

“So you’re just like me, also from the mortal realm!” Zhou Hao nodded and smiled.

“Oh? You’re also a cultivator from the mortal world?!” Deng Tu Lang’s eyes lit up, surprised and delighted.

“No, I was guided here by it.” Zhou Hao shook his head, shifting his gaze to the stone sword in his hand.

“I see. In that case, your fate is deeply entwined with this stone sword! To be able to ascend to the Immortal Realm with its help is a heaven-sent opportunity. Though I don’t recognize this sword, I can say with certainty that it is a supreme treasure. In the future, you must be extremely cautious—it will bring you a series of deadly calamities. Just like how I once carried this yellow gourd!” Deng Tu Lang also looked at the stone sword, his expression grave as he solemnly warned Zhou Hao.

“Thank you for the warning, senior.” Zhou Hao nodded, then lowered his raised right hand, causing the stone sword to vanish.

“Well, lad, only now do you drop your guard against me. It seems you do have some experience wandering in the world.” Deng Tu Lang was at first slightly stunned, then burst out laughing.

“My earlier rudeness was for a reason, senior. One must be wary of strangers; I hope you won’t take offense.” Zhou Hao cupped his fists.

“It’s nothing, nothing at all. I am already dead—how could I blame anyone? But my time is short; this wisp of immortal thought must hold out until I have safely sent you, the gourd’s successor, out of this cave. Next, I shall tell you the whole story from the beginning.” Deng Tu Lang waved his hand and returned to a serious demeanor.

“After arriving in the Immortal Realm, I vowed to become an immortal among immortals, to prove my own path—the Grand Dao of Yin and Yang Convergence!” At this, Deng Tu Lang seemed quite pleased with himself, clearly satisfied with the path he had chosen. Zhou Hao, by his side, could not help but chuckle inwardly: such an innuendo-laden Dao… truly original!

“So I began to ponder how to create my own method of cultivation, how to step by step achieve the union of yin and yang. Every beginning is shrouded in confusion, but my period of doubt was short-lived. I soon discovered that dual cultivation not only helps both parties grow stronger, but also brings the cultivator closer to the balance of yin and yang. Thus, my path became clear. Yes, by using the method of dual cultivation to harmonize yin and yang, transforming one’s immortal power into both masculine and feminine energies, then merging them anew, I took the most crucial step toward the ultimate convergence of yin and yang.” Deng Tu Lang recounted.

At this, Zhou Hao inwardly scoffed: “What nonsense—this so-called Dao of Yin and Yang Convergence is just dual cultivation! This immortal is quite the character…”

Deng Tu Lang went on, “In fact, I was already passionate about dual cultivation back in the mortal world. At that time, I was handsome and charming, naturally attracting the admiration of many female cultivators. As the saying goes, ‘A gentleman seeks a fair maiden.’ But though I was amorous, I was never wanton, so I let any woman who fancied me approach as she wished. At most, those days were but a shallow sampling—drawing on yin to reinforce yang, never truly entering the proper stream!”

Zhou Hao: “…”

Deng Tu Lang glanced at Zhou Hao, who looked at him with an indifferent expression. With an awkward laugh, he said, “Don’t be impatient, young man, the main point is coming soon!”

“After entering the Immortal Realm, I truly understood what it meant to be surrounded by beauties. I was enraptured—was this not the perfect place to realize my Grand Dao? So I wandered the Immortal Realm, hoping to win the hearts of all the fairies under the heavens. Indeed, fortune favors the bold. With my talent and looks, noblewomen and goddesses from all directions fell at my feet. Life could not be more exhilarating!” Deng Tu Lang raised his head at a forty-five-degree angle, adopting an air of lonely mastery.

“Mm-hmm, and then?” Zhou Hao yawned, sounding bored.

“And then? Then I incurred a mountain of romantic debts. The families and factions of those fairies and noblewomen all sought me out, demanding marriage—or else, threatening to kill me. Alas, all I ever wanted was to pursue my Dao, never to marry or have children. Of course, I could not agree! Besides, I am a man of devotion—how could I marry so many? My love must be pure, belonging only to one.” Deng Tu Lang spread his hands.

Zhou Hao could only roll his eyes at this.

“Because I refused to marry those who admired my talent and beauty and had been intimate with me, I was relentlessly hunted by their families. You cannot imagine what it was like to flee from such a vast pursuit—nets cast both high and low, nowhere to escape. Several times I was nearly caught. If not for the secret aid of those women, who still cherished old feelings, I might have chosen to end my life. I remember once I was actually captured by a noble family; they locked me in a dark cell, subjecting me to brutal torture. At that time, I was only a newly ascended immortal, while they belonged to a great family. I was beaten beyond recognition, my handsome features ruined. Fortunately, the lady in question secretly visited me that night, bringing healing pills and treasures, and even proposed to elope with me. But how could I let her suffer with me? So, with gentle persuasion and a final act of desperation—threatening suicide—I convinced her to stay behind and wait for me to achieve my Dao and return for her.”

“What the— This actually worked?!” Zhou Hao was dumbfounded as Deng Tu Lang spoke with such conviction, showing no sign of deception. In the end, Zhou Hao could only cover his face in speechless resignation: perhaps this is what they mean when they say ‘bad boys win women’s hearts’.

With a sigh, Deng Tu Lang lamented, “Alas, that noblewoman waited in vain. What I told her was a gentle lie. In the end, I never saw her again. It was my fault, my mistake!”

“Senior, can we get to the point? You said yourself time is short—shouldn’t you tell me about Luo Tianyi?” Zhou Hao, now mostly immune to Deng Tu Lang’s airs, simply wanted to know why the Lady Dragon King had ended up entombed with the Crystal Palace in this immortal’s cave.

“Well then! I’ll skip ahead to when I met Luo Tianyi.” Deng Tu Lang took a deep breath, his eyes flashing as memories surfaced.

“Over the course of countless years cultivating in the Immortal Realm, I engaged in dual cultivation with many women. Eventually, I decided to compose a classic—gathering my insights into a manual, the ‘True Scripture of Salvation for Yin’! This scripture was the culmination of dual cultivation techniques and my cumulative experience. Man embodies yang, woman embodies yin—each incomplete alone, requiring the other. The scripture outlines the proper theory of harnessing yin from women to temper the excess yang in men. This achieves a perfect balance of yin and yang. Unlike the simple act of drawing yin to supplement yang, my theory turned dual cultivation into a true win-win. It not only avoided harming women, but in fact, after being drawn upon, their yang increased, offsetting their innate physical weakness. Hence, I named it the ‘Salvation for Yin’. Through repeated practice, I confirmed that this scripture could swiftly elevate one’s cultivation and greatly transform the body. Yet, I never imagined the first person to test the scripture would be Luo Tianyi. I regret it deeply to this day.”

“It was a stormy night. Thunder roared and lightning like silver waterfalls illuminated the mountains and valleys. I was in a cave, racing to finish that labor of love. I had spent a hundred years there, which for someone as lively as me was near torture. But my ambition kept me going. That night, I was completing the final chapter of the scripture—when disaster struck…”

“Composing such a work is an act of enlightenment and must not be disturbed. I’d chosen a hidden cave, never expecting that on that very night, a great attack would take place. The target was none other than Luo Tianyi, younger sister of the Dragon King of the Luo Sea. She was being hunted by over a hundred powerful immortals. If not for the Sea-Guarding Pearl her brother had given her, she’d have been captured already! These immortals were mysterious, all cloaked in black, ruthless, wielding a strange black chain tipped with an iron hook that could bind the soul.”

Before Deng Tu Lang could continue, Zhou Hao, visibly stirred, clenched his fists and exclaimed, “Those in black cloaks must have been Night Envoys from the Night Palace!”

“Indeed. I only learned afterward that they hailed from the Night Palace—a secretive, troublesome organization spread throughout the Immortal Realm. Their headquarters is said to be in the Great Luo Immortal Domain, the most prosperous of the nine domains, a grand metropolis where all manner of immortals and treasures gather. I’d hoped to visit once I reached the Immortal King realm, but… alas.” Deng Tu Lang’s expression grew regretful.

“And then? You must have heroically saved the beauty, defeating those hundred Night Envoys!” Zhou Hao pressed him eagerly.

“Heh, I wasn’t thinking like that at the time. Their battle was so fierce that my secluded retreat was reduced to scorched earth. Forced to emerge early from seclusion—suffering internal backlash—I saw the hopeless disparity between the two sides and my first instinct was to run. Unexpectedly, Luo Tianyi broke through the encirclement and fled straight toward me. When I looked back, I was nearly scared to death and ran even faster, but she saw me, grinned, and in the next instant… ‘kidnapped’ me!”

“Thanks to the Sea-Guarding Pearl, Luo Tianyi couldn’t defeat all the Night Envoys, but dispatching a few was easy enough. She dragged me into an unfamiliar valley, a place of blooming flowers and falling petals, hidden from the outside by a powerful barrier. Fortunately, the Sea-Guarding Pearl pierced the barrier and allowed us entry.”

“And it was in that valley that I found the yellow gourd and became its new master!”