Wet viviparity

Chapter 741 Obtaining the Mansion, Cold Mountain Thoughts

Tens of thousands of fine, hair-like cinnabar veins have climbed onto the surface of Black Owl's body, resembling soft, sticky tiny blood vessels adhering to his exterior, layering and covering him to form a blood-red garment. Cold smoke swirls around his body, as if rising from the heat.

The voice of the Taoist Hanshan shifted from left to right as he said, "Young friend, you do indeed have some skill."

He did not disturb Black Owl; instead, he was showing goodwill.

In order to use this divine ladder to reach Ziding Mountain, the Taoist of Hanshan spent a great deal of effort keeping a close eye on Ma Ling's whereabouts.

To ensure everything went smoothly, he invited his fellow disciple Huang Sang from Huanglong Temple within the sect to come here together. He knew that his fellow disciple wanted to settle in Ziding Mountain and had once come to the mountain through connections, but he had no spiritual abode to shelter him, so he could not stay in Ziding Mountain.

The original intention of Hanshan Daoist on this trip was to go to the peach grove first to retrieve the Jiazi Pan Peaches that he had been longing for.

Ma Ling, that demonic ape, loves to show off his divine powers to the world. He uses Ziding Mountain as a tool to flaunt his magical abilities. Anyone who climbs the ladder into the mountain can search for treasures and explore wonders within. However, if an outsider actually obtains a valuable treasure, Ma Ling will be the first to object.

For example, in the peach grove, Ma Ling would definitely keep a close watch on that area.

If anyone climbs the ladder into the mountain and takes more than two Jiazi Peaches, Ma Ling will definitely intervene.

Although Hanshan Daoist found this kind of extravagance extremely distasteful, he had no choice but to use the other party's "Immortal Ladder" as an excuse to search for treasure. However, when he arrived at Ziding Mountain, his senior brother Huangsang wanted to try again at Fengyan first.

Huang Sang, the senior brother, tried again without success. When the boy from the True Spirit Sect arrived unexpectedly, Han Shan Dao Ren concealed himself and hid to the side to observe.

This was a good habit he had developed since he mastered the Outer Realm: Void Travel Cold Stone Pool. Even those whose primordial spirit cultivation was superior to his could not detect his movements for a short time.

Seeing that this True Spirit Sect disciple was pretending to be stupid in front of Senior Brother Huang Sang, and was burning and chiseling at the sealed rock, which angered his senior brother and made him leave, Daoist Hanshan became even more certain that this kid must have come prepared.

When the seal was easily broken and the person entered the mansion, he actively stimulated the protective spells within the mansion to make the spirits within the mansion recognize him as their master. At this moment, Daoist Hanshan realized that this person's understanding of the wondrous construction of the spiritual mansion must be due to guidance from a master.

He had no particular thoughts about this spiritual palace.

He already knew from his senior brother Huang Sang that entering the spirit palace required a predestined connection, and could not be forcibly taken.

What is the affinity with the Spirit Mansion? To put it simply, whoever finds this place and breaks the seal is naturally destined to have a deep affinity with the Spirit Mansion.

Furthermore, as a member of the orthodox Xuanmen sect, even if he had some ideas in his heart, he could not openly seize them, especially the opportunity of a righteous junior. If this matter were to spread, he would surely be disgraced.

The veins were still attached to Black Owl's body, and his blood-stained clothes had turned into blood cocoons.

This change was a sign that Shuhanju had recognized its master. Heixiao did not resist and actively responded to the spiritual energy within the spirit palace.

In his senses, the entire Shuhan Residence became familiar, as if he had lived there for many years. The jagged icicles on the dome, the icy crystals inside the window frames, and the sandalwood pillars made of agarwood—everything was as familiar as a treasure.

Slowly, the blood cocoon faded, and the meridians returned to the icy ground.

The wisps of cold smoke once again passed through the mansion, condensing into frost and mist between the eighteen columns of sweet dew in the chaotic pool of the spiritual mansion, drifting and dispersing.

Amidst the swaying mist, strange lights shimmered within each water column, revealing the treasures sealed within. Records within the Crane Hall of the Longevity Palace state: "Of the thirty-three spirit dwellings bestowed by the Grand Master, the small waterfall spirit dwelling 'Shuhanju' was once expanded into a side hall alchemy chamber, storing alchemical materials, cauldrons, and two cooling fans."

Black Owl didn't rush to take the treasure. He focused on thoroughly refining the spiritual energy of Shuhanju before paying attention to Daoist Hanshan.

By this time, he was very familiar with every brick and tile in Shuhan Residence and quickly noticed something amiss: a faint shadow, resembling shimmering water, clung to the ice surface, almost indistinguishable from the icy brilliance within the residence.

"Congratulations on obtaining this spiritual abode, young friend. However, I suggest that you return to the mortal world as soon as possible."

"Senior, what do you mean?"

"The Immortal Ladder was set up by Ma Ling, who was in charge of guarding the peach orchard. He was just a minor official in charge of the orchard, but he built this ladder to show his divine power because of his connections."

But he was not a foolish demon. On the contrary, he possessed extremely high magical power, which was rare in the world. He knew that as long as the person climbing the ladder did not harm the spirits in the mountain, then this game would be harmless and no one would expose him or be accused of making a mountain out of a molehill.

To prevent you from mistakenly acquiring a valuable treasure, violating taboos, and implicating him, he must be closely monitoring your movements. He most likely already knows about your acquisition of the Spirit Mansion.

After saying this, the Taoist Hanshan emerged from the faint, floating shadow.

Seeing that the young man before him showed no fear upon hearing these words, but instead wore a look of resentment and hatred towards Ma Ling, he thought to himself that this young man might truly be as Senior Brother Huang Sang had said, spoiled and fearless in the Jiang family. "If the demonic ape dares to steal my opportunity, the entire True Spirit Sect will surely grind him to dust."

Black Owl's forehead rippled with murderous aura, and his face darkened. In his anger, he revealed his true form.

"What an ugly brat."

Hanshan Daoist was secretly startled. He was a man of great knowledge and knew that this was not a demonic phenomenon. However, due to his different innate talents, he remained calm and said, "Young friend, why should you be angry? I am Hanshan Zhenren of Huangting Palace. The reason I am hiding to the side is to observe the methods of that demonic ape with my primordial spirit when you obtain the treasure."

It seems he dares not cause any trouble here on Purple Peak Mountain; he must be waiting for you to return to the mortal realm before secretly plotting his attack.

"Thank you for your kindness, senior.

"Haha, I know you're still wary of me, but that's alright."

My senior brother Huang Sang and I have retrieved the peaches from the peach grove, and we're waiting for you at the gate. If you need our help on your way back, just call out to us.

The Taoist Hanshan spoke these words in the tone of an elder, and as he was about to leave, he solemnly added, "The three sects of the orthodox religion are of one mind and are closely connected. If we encounter danger, we will naturally defend against external aggression. We must not harbor any doubts when facing the enemy."

"Yes, senior."

Black Owl said, looking embarrassed.

Without showing any sign of greed, the Taoist Hanshan left and, once outside, told his senior brother Huangsang about the Shuhan Residence.

As for Master Huangsang, seeing that his junior brother Hanshan had lingered behind the waterfall for so long, he knew that the boy possessed a special destiny. He felt a little regretful, but he didn't have any particular emotions. Instead, he was worried about his junior brother Hanshan's mindset.

He knew that his junior brother had invited him to Ziding Mountain with the intention of obtaining the peaches of immortality to prolong his life.

However, if no peaches of immortality are found in the peach grove, this spiritual abode, which was once an alchemy chamber of the old star lord, may be one of his hopes for prolonging his life.

As a righteous cultivator, Junior Brother Hanshan naturally cannot seize by trickery or force. Even if Junior Brother Hanshan had such evil thoughts, Emperor Huangsang would not allow it. This concerns the reputation of the righteous sect of Huangting Palace, so how could he allow Junior Brother Hanshan to act recklessly?

Therefore, Hanshan's attempt to curry favor with that young Taoist was to forge a good relationship in the future, hoping to obtain a longevity elixir from that spiritual mansion. Huang Sang naturally chose to acquiesce to this.

When a person's lifespan is nearing its end, their mind becomes clouded and their actions become chaotic; even the most righteous and enlightened cannot escape this.

He agreed to accompany Hanshanzi here for two reasons: first, to re-examine the matter of the sealed cliff in the Spirit Mansion; and second, to obey his superior's orders and judge whether Hanshanzi had gradually lost his composure and fallen into evil ways.

In Huangting Palace, the elders and the sect leader would never allow a true man who worries about his aging body and declining health, whose words and actions gradually lose their gentleness, and who becomes eccentric and opportunistic, to corrupt the righteous spirit within the sect at some point in the future.

After hearing about the matter of the spirit palace, Master Huangsang did not say much to his junior brother Hanshan. Everything was understood without words, and he believed that Hanshan understood his situation.

Inside the cold dwelling, Black Owl sat cross-legged on the ground, not in a hurry to explore the place.

Outside him, a ball of silver light wriggled, gradually solidifying into the shape of a rat. Its pointed nose twitched, and it crawled to the back of the black owl's neck. With a bite of its small mouth, it plucked a strand of hair, slurped it up, and chewed it carefully.

Black Owl reached out his hand toward the treasure rat, and the little mouse spat out a tuft of white fur.

This white hair was clearly left by Ma Ling in secret, with the purpose of monitoring his every move and ensuring that he did not do anything out of line in the mountains.

Whether it was due to overconfidence, negligence, or some other reason, even though he discovered a spiritual abode, Ma Ling did not intervene. Could it be as Hanshan Daoren said, that Ma Ling would only make a move after he left the mountain?

He raised his palm and released the talisman without hesitation.

Immediately behind him appeared a tall, thin shadow, like an ink stain, a shadow that did not belong to him. This was the demonic servant that Da Qing Gu had left on him.

"When I left the mountain, I told my elder sister that I had a chance encounter outside the city and climbed the Immortal Ladder to enter Ziding Mountain. However, I was targeted by an old demon. This 'shape-changing' old demon wanted to take advantage of my return to the human world from the mountain to steal the treasures I had obtained."

This old demon is named Ma Ling. She is a white ape from Zhongyi Mountain who attained enlightenment and has reached the stage of marrow transformation in her transformation technique. She must not be fought head-on. Please send a letter to the Jiang family of Jinjing Mountain seeking powerful reinforcements.”

(End of this chapter)