The prehistoric infrastructure maniac

Chapter 191 Star-Picking Mansion

"Brother Zhurong, what brings you here?" Shi Mo asked, somewhat surprised to see Zhurong's sudden arrival.

Zhu Rong retorted, "What? Don't you want me to come?"

"How could that be? Brother Zhurong, come, come, try my newly brewed wine," Shi Mo warmly invited Zhurong into the Babao Yunguang Cave.

“Actually, I arrived earlier, but Jiufeng said you were entertaining Sanshou and Jiuyang, so I didn’t come over directly. I didn’t expect that the three of you drunkards would chat for so long,” Zhurong said, shaking her head slightly.

Seeing Shi Mo's embarrassed expression after hearing this, Zhu Rong continued, "You really have a big heart. You killed Kunpeng and the others and they fled in a sorry state, yet you still dare to stay here. Aren't you afraid that Gonggong will come? Or are you reluctant to give up your cave?"

“However, you have indeed arranged this place very well,” Zhu Rong said, nodding repeatedly.

"Gonggong is coming? Will he attack me?" Shi Mo frowned.

Zhu Rong remained noncommittal, saying, "What's so strange about that? You're my right-hand man, with such great potential. Gonggong might not be able to sit idly by and watch you grow. If I hadn't come, do you really think you could have leisurely drunk wine with San Shou and Jiu Yang?"

Shi Mo felt a slight sinking feeling in his heart. He realized that he had underestimated the intensity of the struggle between the gods and demons within the Pangu World.

Several of the ancestral gods perished in their internal strife, so what's so strange about him, a true god, being killed?

Although he was confident that he could protect himself and escape from Gonggong, once he escaped from Gonggong's clutches, the strength and methods he would reveal would probably shake the entire Pangu World, and even Zhurong would suspect that he possessed a Chaos Treasure.

"Brother Zhurong, do you want me to go back to the capital of the Fire Kingdom with you?" Shi Mo asked, frowning.

"Whatever you say," Zhu Rong said noncommittally. "With your current strength, even if Gonggong himself came down, you could at least hold your own against him for a while, which would be enough for me to get back in time."

“If he is really determined to kill you, even if you are in the capital of the Fire Kingdom, he may spare no expense to ask other ancestral gods to help restrain me and directly kill his way to the capital of the Fire Kingdom,” Zhu Rong’s words left Shi Mo speechless.

After a moment's hesitation, Shi Mocai said, "Then I'll stay here and cultivate."

“Very well, with you here, as long as Gonggong doesn’t come personally, this border between the Fire Kingdom and the Water Kingdom is secure,” Zhurong nodded slightly.
"However, you'd better stay here and cultivate quietly, and strive to comprehend the Dao of Heaven as soon as possible to become a Dao Ancestor. That way, when your strength increases again, your ability to protect yourself will be stronger."

"Also, it's best not to leave here easily unless it's absolutely necessary, or to travel around in an avatar, lest Gonggong notice and plot against you in secret," Zhu Rong couldn't help but remind you again.

Feeling Zhu Rong's concern for him, Shi Mo nodded and said, "Brother Zhu Rong, don't worry, I will be careful."

“Yes, cultivation is important, but you can also learn more about and exchange ideas with other true gods and Dao ancestors, and occasionally spar and discuss the Dao, which will help you progress faster,” Zhu Rong said with a smile.

After giving some instructions, Zhu Rong left Jiuding Iron Fork Mountain.

After Zhu Rong left, Shi Mo had Jiu Feng summon the water gods he had previously captured.

Of the dozens of powerful celestial beings, only three comprehended the Great Dao, and only one, Yinglong, cultivated Qi to become a Pure Yang True Immortal.

"From now on, just stay here and cultivate with me! I will occasionally give you lectures and guidance," Shi Mo said, which immediately made Yinglong and the others, including Jiufeng, light up.

“Yinglong, you are a water-attribute divine beast, right? You should be naturally good at storing water. From now on, I will entrust the gardens around my Nine Cauldrons Iron Fork Mountain to you for irrigation and management,” Shi Mo said to Yinglong, who was dressed in white robes and had a handsome and refined appearance.

"Huh?" Yinglong was taken aback. Shi Moze said, "What's wrong? You look down on watering? I'm giving you a chance to temper your mind! If you calm down, you'll be more likely to gain something, whether it's enlightenment or cultivation."

"You all should stop thinking about fighting and killing. Find other fun to pass the time. Those who are too idle should go and cultivate in peace," Shi Mo then said to the other gods.

Upon hearing this, the dozens of gods, somewhat helpless, could only exchange wry smiles and respond.

After watching them leave with Yinglong, Jiufeng couldn't help but laugh and said, "They probably can't stay idle."

"I see you can't sit still either, can you?" Shi Mo said. "You've been cultivating for quite some time and have even comprehended the Great Dao, but you haven't yet reached the Pure Yang True Immortal level in Qi Refining."

“Qi cultivation offers no advantage whatsoever, and I’m too lazy to spend the time cultivating Qi,” Jiu Feng said.

“Alright! Then focus on comprehending the Dao. If you can comprehend the Dao of Fire, your soul will undergo a transformation and you should be able to break through and become a true god,” Shi Mo said.

Upon hearing this, Jiufeng was speechless: "Comprehend the Heavenly Dao of Fire? Then it might be easier for me to break through to become a True God."

Shi Mo couldn't help but laugh. Indeed, it was not easy to comprehend a Heavenly Dao. Among those Chaos True Gods, only a small number of them comprehended the Heavenly Dao and became Dao Ancestors.

Even the ancestral gods like Zhu Rong didn't necessarily become Dao Ancestors.

For them, even if their Qi Refining reaches the Dao Ancestor level, their magical power is far less powerful than that of the Ancestral God. Some of them, like Jiu Feng, simply do not want to be distracted by Qi Refining.

While continuing his quiet cultivation in his cave, Shi Mo, eager to comprehend the Heavenly Dao of Earth as soon as possible, also separated a divine power avatar, changed his appearance, concealed his aura, and quietly left Jiuding Iron Fork Mountain to begin traveling around the Pangu World.

On one hand, Shi Mo was genuinely curious about the Pangu World and wanted to understand it. On the other hand, he also hoped to use his travels and the experiences he had along the way to aid his enlightenment.

As the saying goes, "Reading ten thousand books is not as good as traveling ten thousand miles." If you want to understand the way of heaven, you can't just shut yourself in seclusion and meditate all the time.

Shi Mo disguised himself as an incarnation of an ordinary god and used the Great Teleportation Technique to leave Jiuding Iron Fork Mountain, appearing in a desolate mountain hundreds of thousands of miles away.

"Ah, this Pangu World is not only larger than the Primordial World, but its mountains are also much taller and more majestic!" Shi Mo, who was flying in mid-air and gazing into the distance, looked at the vast plains and the undulating peaks in the distance and couldn't help but exclaim with a pleasant feeling.

Although the Pangu world today appears to be a wild and desolate place, it is still teeming with life. In addition to a large number of gods, demons, divine beasts, and ferocious beasts, there are also many monsters.

Most of the demons in the Pangu world are innate beings born from heaven and earth, and their talents and bloodlines are far more powerful than those of the demon races born in some large and small worlds during the Three Realms period.

However, the Pangu World is still a world dominated by gods and demons. Although some powerful beings have emerged among the demon race, compared with the gods and demons, they are merely at the bottom of the Pangu World.

Compared to gods and demons, the demon race actually possesses a greater talent for Qi cultivation. The combined cultivation of gods and demons with Qi cultivation has allowed the vast demon race to grow rapidly, resulting in the emergence of more and more powerful individuals.
As Shi Mo traveled through the Pangu World, he witnessed battles and conflicts almost everywhere he went. Gods and demons fought each other, and demons and monsters fought each other, revealing to Shi Mo a savage, bloody, and survival-of-the-fittest ancient Pangu World.
In the blink of an eye, Shi Mo had spent hundreds of years traveling in the Pangu World.

With the divine strength he displayed, ordinary gods, demons, and monsters would naturally not dare to provoke him. Occasionally, when he discovered some spiritual materials and treasures and encountered a divine being, Shi Mo, who had just revealed a little of his strength and methods, could deal with it calmly and escape easily.

It must be said that the vast Pangu World truly lives up to its reputation as a vast and unique chaotic world, nurturing a far greater variety of spiritual materials and treasures than the primordial world.

In just a few hundred years of travel, Shi Mo even acquired two innate spiritual treasures. Although they were only ordinary low-to-mid-grade innate spiritual treasures, they were still something that many gods did not possess.

On this day, Shi Mo was leisurely riding on a cloud, comfortably drinking the newly brewed wine he had collected along the way from spiritual materials and fruits. The aroma of the wine wafted through the air.
"Hmm?" Suddenly, as if sensing something, Shi Mo sat up, frowning as he looked at the black wind sweeping in from afar: "A demon celestial being? Trying to rob us on the road?"

In the blink of an eye, the black wind arrived, transforming into a man in a tiger-striped robe with disheveled hair.

The man swallowed hard, his eyes fixed intently on the gourd of wine in Shi Mo's hand.

"You want to drink?" Seeing his expression, Shi Mo couldn't help but laugh and cry. He had encountered people who wanted to kill him on the way, but this was the first time someone had blocked his way and begged him for a drink.

The man scratched his head and chuckled, "Hey brother, could you share some of your wine with me? I'll trade you something."

"No need for that," Shi Mo shook his head and smiled, flipping his hand to take out a new wine gourd and tossing it to the man.

The man hurriedly reached out to take the wine, and after eagerly opening the lid and taking a few sips, he exclaimed with shining eyes, "Good wine! I haven't had such good wine in a long time."

"By the way, my name is Tiger Fang. May I ask how you should address me, brother? You don't seem to be a demon. Are you also going to the Star-Picking Palace to listen to the Dao?" the big man asked.

"The Star-Picking Palace? To hear the Dao?" Shi Mo was slightly taken aback.

Tiger Tooth Celestial nodded and said, "Yes! The Lord of the Star-Picking Palace often gives sermons, and gods, demons, and monsters can all go to listen. Didn't you know that, brother?"

"I really don't know," Shi Mo said with a shake of his head and a smile.

Tiger Tooth Fairy chuckled and said, "Brother, would you like to come with me? By the way, I still don't know your name!"

“My name is Xingyun,” Shi Mo said with great interest. “I’ve never heard a great master preach before! I’ll accompany you, Brother Huya, to see for yourself.”

As they spoke, Shi Mo and Tiger Fang Celestial headed towards the Star-Picking Mansion together.

Zhaixing Mansion is located on Zhaixing Divine Mountain and is a major power in the Pangu World, bordering the Fire Kingdom and the Water Kingdom.

Because the Lord of Zhaixing Mansion, Daoist Sanshou, often preached and was willing to guide and teach some powerful gods, demons, and monsters, many gods, demons, and monsters gathered in the territory of Zhaixing Mansion and even joined it.

San Shou led a group of powerful gods and demons under his command to conquer all directions and also conquered a considerable territory. He was known as the God King, so San Shou was a well-known and powerful figure in the entire Pangu World.

"What a magnificent Star-Picking Palace!" From afar, Shi Mo could see a huge immortal palace standing atop the highest peak of a mountain range that resembled a black dragon coiled on the earth.

Bathed in starlight, with its shimmering mist and flowing light, the Star-Picking Palace looked quite celestial, causing Tiger Tooth Celestial to stare in excitement: "Is this the Star-Picking Palace?"

"You're asking me? You haven't never been here before, have you?" Shi Mo turned his head to look at Tiger Tooth Celestial.

“I recently became a Celestial Immortal after my tribulation, so I’ve never been here before. I’ve only heard of the Star-Picking Palace before,” Tiger Tooth Celestial Immortal grinned. “Let’s go! Let’s hurry over there, or we’ll be late.”

Seeing his eagerness, Shi Mo shook his head and chuckled, and hurriedly followed him to fly towards the Star-Picking Mansion.

The gates of the Star-Picking Palace were as tall as mountains, with two ten-thousand-foot-tall gods and demons guarding the sides. One was bathed in flames, while the other was wrapped in a giant black python and surrounded by mist.

"Returning Void Gods and Demons guarding the gate? I thought it was a celestial being guarding the gate!" The two gods and demons did not stop Shi Mo, who had released an aura that was roughly at the level of a Returning Void God and Demon, and Shi Mo directly led Tiger Fang Celestial Immortal inside.

After entering the gate, there is a vast square. At a glance, a large number of gods, demons and monsters are sitting in groups of three or five. Almost all of them have a cultivation level of primordial spirit or above, including many Void Returning Gods, Demons, and even Celestial Immortals.

At the far end of the square, in a large hall, there were also many gods, demons, and celestial beings, as well as a few powerful celestial immortals and demon race warriors.

"So many powerful figures!" Tiger Fang Celestial, feeling the surging energy fluctuations across the plaza, held his breath as he watched Shi Mo continue forward, quickly approaching the main hall. He hurriedly pulled him aside to find an empty seat.

"Those who go inside to listen to the teachings are all celestial beings and immortals. Let's stay outside!"

Shi Mo casually smiled and sat down next to Huya Tianxian, listening to the lively discussions among the gods, demons, and monsters around him, which he found quite novel and interesting.

"I wonder what the Lord of the Palace will talk about." Tiger Tooth Celestial was already very nervous, like a student about to take an exam, even before the lecture had started.

Shi Mo, however, was relaxed and casual, waiting idly when suddenly a faint commotion arose, attracting many gods, demons, and monsters to turn their heads to look.

A handsome man in white robes entered from outside, attracting many demons and even some gods and demons to greet him.

"Senior Bai Ze?" Tiger Tooth Celestial, who had also seen the handsome man, became excited and quickly got up to greet him respectfully.

After exchanging a few casual words with Tiger Fang Celestial, and glancing at Shi Mo's handsome appearance, he went directly into the main hall ahead.

"Bai Ze? The most intelligent and powerful among the demon race? He had the cultivation of a Celestial Immortal. I wonder if he later broke through to become a True God Ancestor,"

Shi Mo raised an eyebrow, wondering to himself, "If even he can't become a True God Dao Ancestor, then who else in the demon race can become a True God Dao Ancestor?"

"But later, it seems he perished. Did he die in the ancient war of destruction? Or in a battle with gods, demons, or humans?" Seeing that Tiger Fang Celestial Immortal was still somewhat excited after returning, Shi Mo couldn't help but laugh and ask, "You know Bai Ze?"

Tiger Tooth Celestial nodded and said, "Senior Bai Ze gave me guidance; otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to transcend the tribulation and become a Celestial so easily."

(End of this chapter)