Wet viviparity

Chapter 716 Black Owl, Paying Homage in the Mountains
"Black Owl!"

Jiang Shenhu uttered two words heavily, addressing the black infant in swaddling clothes: "The owl is an evil bird, fierce in nature, and adept at hiding at night. You are named after it, and I hope you can transform the fierce nature of metal into your own and become a hero among owls."

"Jiang Heixiao".

The five sons of the Jiang family pondered the name, each with a different expression.

"Father, when Black Owl grows up, he will surely follow the orthodox path of the Xuanmen and cultivate the orthodox methods of our Jiang family's Yinhu. So what should we do with his two treasures?" Among the five sons, one with a rather strong appearance and physique asked.

As soon as he finished speaking, he seemed to remember something and added, "According to the family rules, he received a spiritual tiger remnant from the ancestral remains in the ancestral hall. He should have been included in the collateral branch and entrusted to a small family for care."

Now that he possesses many supernatural abilities, is he to be included in the clan's Taoist register?

"Si Lang's question is correct."

Jiang Shenhu nodded, his gaze sweeping over each of his five sons.

His gaze finally settled on Jiang Zhao, the eldest son, who was dressed in a red robe, wearing a gold fish-tail crown, with a precious jade pillow hanging above his head, and who always kept his eyes closed. Even though he was Jiang Zhao's biological father, he dared not treat this first tiger of the Jiang family casually.

"What's your opinion, Da Lang?"

With his eyes closed, Jiang Zhao was completely relaxed, his body seemingly floating, yet not quite. His voice came from all directions through the walls, "That precious banner is quite nice. I'll study it for a while, and return it when it grows up."

The fourth son, who had spoken earlier, was anxious. He hadn't expected that he would have to lay the groundwork, while the eldest brother had gone straight for it. So he said, "I think that yellow gourd is quite nice and suits me well. Why don't I keep it for now? I'll definitely compensate you when I return it later."

Jiang Hubiao said indignantly, "Is your family short of money? Why do you have to make up for it by taking advantage of your own brother!"

Jiang Neng was particularly surprised by Jiang Hubiao's rare outspokenness, but at the same time, he didn't think that these words would change anything. Since Jiang Zhao, the most righteous man in the family, had spoken up, his father would most likely not openly object.

Because protecting Jiang Zhao is protecting his father himself.

Without Jiang Zhao's support, her father's plan to cultivate the Bu clan wouldn't have gone so smoothly.

Jiang Shenhu, his face expressionless, asked again, "So, will your younger brother join the main family, or a minor branch?"

"The ancestral laws cannot be changed. In any case, one can only enter the Dao after the body's foundation has fully developed at thirteen, and one must cultivate a Qi Flower in the Qi Nourishing Realm before sixteen to plant the 'Wood and Stone Restriction.' He still has plenty of time to prove himself."

"Very good."

Jiang Shenhu nodded.

"This child should not appear in public at the moment. He should be kept in seclusion in a secluded mansion and no one is allowed to have contact with him."

As he spoke, he looked into the cave and saw that the woman inside remained silent. He couldn't help but sneer, knowing that a woman who could suppress her maternal instincts would find it difficult to achieve anything even if she gained freedom in the future. So he left with the swaddled black baby in his arms.

In the swaddling clothes, the baby's narrow eyes were half-open, its pupils darting left and right, its breathing carrying a specific rhythm.

Jiang Shenhu seemed to notice the black baby's gaze, glanced into the crook of his arm, saw the shocking face, and then looked away.

On this face, the bridge of the nose is almost sunken, the lips are thin and twisted, and when they are parted, they reveal fine, sharp baby teeth that gleam with a dark, dim light. This appearance is so ugly that it is not only ugly to humans, but also extremely ugly to animals.

Ji Ming peered through the black infant's body to observe the people present and also to explore the peculiarities within this physical form.

The trace of Western metal elemental ferocity from the Enlightened Beast had long since merged with this body's very being, becoming inseparable. As a result, the violent and uncontrollable rage within him was always there, an unquenchable desire that he had to release.

Although he is quite aggressive, there's no need to worry.

Benefiting from the decades of Buddhist cultivation of the second primordial spirit, it began to follow the cultivation habits as soon as it was born, spontaneously circulating the Avici Hell Qi cultivation method.

What's even more amazing is that although this body is an infant, it is extraordinary. Its physique is as strong as an ox or a tiger, far surpassing that of ordinary people. It is only slightly inferior to the physical body of a mirage dragon. Therefore, the two energies of Avici Hell can circulate freely in this body.

After Jiang Shenhu settled the black infant in the swaddling clothes, the baby was already sitting cross-legged, its two small, hairy hands forming a mudra in front of its chest. Its face was downcast, half compassionate and half vicious. Seeing the black infant in this state, Jiang Shenhu did not investigate or stop it.

It is normal for Hei Ying to have shown Buddhist attainments since childhood after receiving the Rainbow Body Initiation and Dharma Transmission. He can be corrected after he understands the principles and studies the Tao.

With this Buddhist teaching now in his possession, the Black Infant can also dispel the malevolence in his mind and spirit, which can temporarily appease the many elders in the clan who opposed the birth of the Malevolent Infant.

To be on the safe side, Jiang Shenhu separated three old servants with over a hundred years of cultivation from the talisman above his head and sent them to the body of the black infant Jiang Heixiao. Together with the two originally on his body, there were a total of five old servants to take care of his daily life in the secluded mansion.
Outside the old house deep in the mountains, the steward erected a ring of stone pagodas, each with a talisman affixed to prevent outsiders from spying.

As time passed, a plaque was later hung above the entrance of this house, with characters as vigorous as iron strokes and silver hooks, which read "Yun Shen Jing She" (Cloud Retreat).

Several years later, Jiang Heixiao lived in seclusion behind his house, where he carved a cave into a shrine and worshipped himself as if he were a Buddha. He sat cross-legged in the shrine, as hard as iron and stone, refusing to eat grains or meat, and only accepting the flower dew offered by the five old men.

The secluded house remained unchanged from then on, except for several giant pine trees in front of and inside the house, their branches leaning and their needles dripping with dew, their sound clear and melodious, which only accentuated the surrounding tranquility.

Beneath the pine shade, the stone path is spotless, where one occasionally sees an old man in yellow robes, straw sandals and a bamboo broom, sweeping leaves as if sweeping away the dust of his heart, his steps light and undisturbed, not disturbing the roosting birds. Outside the window, spring flowers have all fallen, and the long winter snow has already blanketed the mountains twelve times.

The Taoist sat within the azure sword light. Even though he was surrounded by sword light from all sides, he still felt a fierce wind in front of him, which was like a knife scraping his face. The chill penetrated through his thin Taoist robe and went straight to his bone marrow.

The Cangshan Mountains beneath our feet receded like surging waves of ink.

The Taoist pursed his lips, trying his best to keep his body steady, and looked at the back of the figure in front of him—his master was unusually calm today, his usual charming demeanor was completely restrained, only the wide sleeves behind his back fluttered in the wind.

The master was usually quite talkative and amiable, so his unusual solemnity only fueled the Taoist's curiosity about the uncle he was about to meet.

The higher they went, the thicker and more viscous the clouds became, like wet, grayish-white cotton wool, wrapping around them layer by layer. The sword light struggled to tear through the cloud barrier, and suddenly, the view opened up before them: above the clouds, a majestic immortal mountain appeared!
The mountain peaks, sharp and smooth like jade, float serenely above the vast sea of ​​clouds.

Several white cranes flew by leisurely, their clear cries carrying a metallic quality, the lingering sound clear and resonant, penetrating straight to the mind.

The master paused almost imperceptibly, as if the crane's cry had cleansed his mind. He gently straightened his slightly disheveled clothes and smoothed out the wrinkles in his sleeves, his movements exuding a solemnity that the Taoist had never seen before.

There are many senior uncles and grand-uncles in the sect. Take, for example, the senior uncle Tianhe Peak who had been cultivating diligently on Xiaolang Mountain by the East China Sea and returned to Shangfu a few years ago.

With the help of the Dragon Palace of the East Sea and the water spirits of the Lijiang River in the East, he has completed the "Three Bends of the Spirit River" in the "Nine-Bend Heavenly River True Method" after thirty-six years of dedicated effort.

Within this spiritual river, every drop of true water is refined by the monsters that navigate through the waters of turtles, tortoises, and crocodiles. It appears to be tangible but intangible, yet it weighs over a hundred pounds. Once unleashed, it is like the Milky Way cascading down from the sky to form a waterfall in Zhexiong Prefecture when the sky tilted to the southwest. No matter how great the obstacle, it is instantly swept away.

Such immense magical power is truly the pinnacle of the righteous path and a renowned figure in the world. As soon as that senior master returned, the sect's morale soared.

He had heard that forty or fifty years ago, there was a group of people in the sect who were as famous as this senior master of Tianhe Peak. However, as their magical power increased and their studies became more profound, they could not stay in the world for long and all went into seclusion, each disappearing to their own corner of the world.

As the Taoist was lost in thought, the sword light finally landed on a peak of the immortal mountain and stopped on the blue stone platform.

The stone surface beneath my feet was slightly cool, and a winding path disappeared into a sparse bamboo grove ahead, the bamboo leaves appearing hazy green in the mist.

Deep in the forest, two thatched huts lay quietly, their wooden doors half-closed and eaves drooping, as simple and unpretentious as those of an ordinary woodcutter in the mountains.

In front of this thatched hut stands an ancient willow with gnarled branches, seemingly breathing in and out clouds as if it were alive. Within the clouds coil some small, dragon-like beasts, each one reaching down from the branches, looking towards the old man and the child.

"Is Junior Brother Jin Tong here? Please forgive me for disturbing your peaceful meditation chamber."

The master stopped about ten feet away from the wooden gate. His robe sleeves moved without wind. Just as he was about to bow, suddenly ten thousand golden hairs outside his body burst into light. The master's body stiffened. When the golden hairs disappeared, the master had straightened up.

"Brother Xinghua, you flatter me. We haven't seen each other for many years. Why are you bothering me?"

Given our friendship, if I were to make you bow at the gate, wouldn't that shorten my lifespan? Senior brother, are you trying to harm me?

(End of this chapter)