Who is spreading rumors that my filial piety towards them has changed?

Yun Nongyu agreed with Chu Mingkong's statement, while Chu Mingkong, under the pretext of leaving Yun Nongyu a quiet space to think, left the room first.

The system girl first disappeared from the spot, and then reappeared on one of Chu Mingkong's shoulders after he walked out of the room.

The mysterious woman sat on his broad shoulders, the curves of her beautiful calves faintly visible. Beneath her white dress swayed a pair of smooth, jade-like feet, her skin as delicate as a flower bud, seemingly exuding a subtle fragrance.

Sometimes she doesn't even show up in person; she's always elusive.

Considering that the system had been watching him throughout the conversation, Chu Mingkong didn't beat around the bush and asked directly:

"System Girl, do you have any connection with the Queen Mother of the West?"

"Take a guess~?"

Chu Mingkong felt that at this moment, the system girl was probably looking down at him, but unfortunately she wasn't.

When he looked up, what came into view was that proud side peak, with a full body and a snow-white cloth covering it. If he took a big step, he could see a considerable "wave".

The imposing mountain range almost completely blocked Chu Mingkong's view, leaving only a glimpse of his thick, dark hair.

"If I could guess, I wouldn't ask. And even if I did guess, I would still be confused and want to hear a definite answer. The answer itself won't change anything, but it will help me understand you, System Girl, a little better."

Otherwise, even after calling you "Mom" and "Grandma" for so long, I still haven't been able to come up with a nicer name for you.

"You can address me as you like~"

See, with these words, she's circled around the topic and skipped over the issue of her true identity.

But things are not bad now. In the past, we would have been subjected to passive-aggressive treatment.

Chu Mingkong racked his brains, trying to find some clues in his memory. He remembered that he had suspected her of many things before.

But after thinking about it, he decided against it. No matter how many doubts there were, they all ultimately led to a speculative conclusion. He was still curious and wanted to hear a definite answer with his own ears.

Speculation was useless to him; otherwise, Chu Mingkong wouldn't have been so enthusiastic about playing with blind boxes. What he wanted was the irresistible allure of the unpredictability.

Even knowing that the system was manipulating things behind the blind box, he still played it tirelessly.

To be honest, if you can't figure things out to the extent that the system girl does, that's torture...

"Mom, can I ask you something?" Chu Mingkong looked at the pair of beautiful feet swaying in front of him.

Guess~

"That's too much! Now you won't even listen to my questions and just expect me to guess?" Chu Mingkong complained, then changed his tune, "If you don't tell me, I'll just bite your toes, System Girl!"

Having said that, Chu Mingkong lowered his head like a dragon, opened his wolf-like mouth, and with a "slurp," nibbled at the woman's white jade foot.

Although I still felt a bit resentful, I instantly felt much better and my mood improved.

......

The day of departure is drawing closer, and the time available to stay is dwindling.

Yun Nongyu selected a propitious location within the Jinghuan Spirit Palace to prepare for the cultivation of the Yaochi Immortal Bathing Technique.

She took out the white jade porcelain bottle and poured the water from it into the large pool in front of her. The bottle was only the size of a palm, yet the water flowing out of it was endless, as if the spring itself had been moved into the bottle.

The water flowed swiftly, filling the pool in just a few breaths.

For a moment, those who had been to Jianmu felt a familiar aura. The unique spiritual charm of Jianmu back then was similar to that of this temporary Yaochi.

"Could it be that the spiritual essence of Jianmu is all rooted in Yaochi?" Zuo Qiuchi was already sitting by the pool soaking her feet. Afraid that her behavior would seem too abrupt, she also pulled her younger sister Zuo Donglu over to soak her feet as well.

Of course, she also understood the importance of this temporary Jade Pool to Yun Nongyu, so she did not absorb its essence at will, but simply soaked in it.

"Spiritual energy I've never heard of before..." the great white fox exclaimed, filled with envy yet daring not to absorb it.

The flower girl, Tuberose, also stood to the side, silent; this was the place she had helped choose.

She could only sigh with regret. This spiritual energy all came from the water of the Jade Pool, but it was water without a source. Before long, the spiritual energy would be depleted and it would not be able to remain in the Palace of Illusion.

The little fox Zhu Yan tugged at Chu Mingkong's clothes, asking if she could play in the water. After receiving his permission, the little one happily splashed around in the pool.

The fox slipped and fell into the water.

Wearing a thin white bathrobe, Yun Nongyu stepped into the pool with her soft, beautiful feet. The water from the Jade Pool dampened her skirt, and the fabric clung to her jade-like legs. Her plump, fair skin was faintly visible under the thin bathrobe, with an alluring rosy hue.

She sat with her legs bent and began to practice the Jade Pool Immortal Bathing Technique.

The water of Yaochi, like a spirit, rose from the surface and swirled around Yun Nongyu. Every drop of Yaochi water shimmered with light, and the reflected light seemed to show countless worlds and the changing of countless suns, moons and stars.

These clear, flawless water droplets, like stars surrounding the moon, encircled Yun Nongyu, making her appear like a banished immortal. Her otherworldly aura became even more ethereal at this moment, and the Daoist charm that had been affected by alienation seemed to return to its original harmony with the Great Dao.

Zuo Qiuchi asked, "Is there any further preparation?"

Chu Mingkong shrugged:

"I actually hoped to have it too, but it's not possible now. We need to start advancing immediately and can't delay any longer. We also need to find a good place in the forbidden area later to avoid affecting the Jinghuan Spirit Palace."

Chapter 173 The Ultimate Freedom

Although this technique is called the Jade Pool Immortal Bathing Technique, its cultivation is not something that can be accomplished simply by taking a bath.

After watching for a while, everyone dispersed, not wanting to disturb Yun Nongyu's continued cultivation. Judging from her focused gaze, it was probably time to see when the spiritual energy in the Yaochi water would disappear.

During this time, Chu Mingkong didn't stay idle either.

Aside from practicing with his master, his darling, and Aunt Donglu, he would occasionally water the flowers, spray a face mask on Big White, and spend the rest of his time practicing his cultivation techniques.

Back then, he was still in Xiling. He managed to plunder quite a few things from the small treasure trove of those three "delivery monks," including the Yaochi Immortal Bathing Technique, which was one of his spoils of war.

At that time, there was also a cultivation technique that had been stuck with him for a long time.

"This thing should be able to be cultivated by now, right? Back then, they said it was missing a self-path and was difficult to control, but now there's no reason for it to be stuck again. I've got nothing else to do, so I'll try cultivating it."

Placed in front of Chu Mingkong was a mummified hand in a gesture of plucking a flower, with fingers and palm intact, but severed at the wrist.

The whole hand looks dark yellow, probably due to the dull color after drying. The skin is like dried fish skin, but the sensory feedback when touched is inconsistent with the visual experience, as if you are touching the small hand of a beautiful young woman.

This feeling is awful!

"Don't let your touching lead to me getting curious about the female corpse, then I'll blame it all on your hands... Sigh, Buddhist artifacts are really hard to handle, you could get caught in a trap at any moment!"

Joking aside, Chu Mingkong also wanted to know who the original owner of this item was, and how could the cultivation technique look like this?

Alright, I'll stop daydreaming and get back to my cultivation.

"《Freedom and Ultimate Intent, Demon and Self are Both I》......"

Chu Mingkong murmured to himself, his consciousness immersing itself in the experience, savoring its wonders.

There is a saying that a flower is a world, and it seems that a whole world is hidden in the flower-picking fingers of this mummy's hand.

A blurry figure, neither male nor female, stood in the vast天地 (heaven and earth). Suddenly, countless mantras and Sanskrit characters fell from the sky. The golden and black mantras, with their earth-shattering power, caused the earth to collapse and the sun and moon to turn upside down.

Those mantras contained the mysterious person's insights into cultivation, including enlightenment and the evil thoughts that arose when inner demons surged. Those deviant thoughts that should have been eradicated became His weapons at this moment.

From Chu Mingkong's perspective, the idea of ​​mantras falling down and hitting people seemed a bit comical. He didn't understand Sanskrit or Buddhist languages, but he could sense things like willpower.

Within that earth-shattering aura lies an arrogant and domineering spirit that cannot be defined, limited, or restrained. To be the supreme controller of one's own heart means to control even the demonic nature that secretly arises within, turning it into a force.

"I understand a bit why the cultivation requirements for this thing are so high. If one's own path is not firm and one has not attained the 'great fruit,' then one will mostly only learn the madness within it, and eventually go astray and become a demon. Then it will not be 'the demon and I are both me,' but rather 'the demon has become me, and I am finished.'"

It is important to understand that the emphasis on purification and eliminating inner demons in righteous cultivation is not wrong. Only what can be controlled can be called one's own power, while the inner demons are clearly not.

"In this technique, every Sanskrit character that falls from the sky seems to come from Buddhist scriptures. This is a bit too much for me. I wonder if I can borrow from Taoist scriptures, or even swear words would be fine?"

Chu Mingkong began to imitate the mysterious man, standing in place and mimicking him.

Around him, curses like "fuck" and "your horse has flown away" fell from the sky, all formed by Chu Mingkong's inner will.

Aside from its somewhat peculiar art style, its power is decent, comparable to some mid-level combat techniques in auction houses, but this level does not meet Chu Mingkong's requirements.

He could casually throw a fireball using the power of extreme Yin, and the destructive power would be far greater than this.

"It seems that we still need to use some classic phrases to have any effect; just swearing is useless."

......

After cultivating for a long time, Chu Mingkong stopped. He sensed someone coming to find him, opened the door, and found it was the little white fox.

"Did you need something from me?"

Chu Mingkong noticed that Xiao Zhuyan looked nervous and anxious. This little one had not yet taken human form, but her expressions were truly rich.

"Yes, yes, it's extremely urgent!"

The little white fox was so anxious that it spun around in circles at an incredible speed, emitting exhaust fumes and dust. It seemed that it couldn't relieve its restless anxiety unless it kept spinning like this.

It wasn't until Chu Mingkong grabbed her by the scruff of her neck and comforted her for a couple of minutes that she finally began to explain things properly.

"I took my mother and Sister Wanxiangyu with me to search for a suitable place in the forbidden area for Sister Yun to undergo her tribulation..."

They discovered that a large number of people had arrived outside the forbidden area, and the once quiet temple was now bustling with activity. It seemed that some former members of the demon tribe had also been captured.

Who was leading whom? How did it become you leading two other adults?

Chu Mingkong found the little fox's words amusing, but the second half of her sentence made him wary.

Who is this person?

"I don't know, there were just a lot of people!"

“I see…” Chu Mingkong muttered.

Could it be that the Buddhist sect has come to seek revenge, and they are here at that time to appear in that temple?

The two monks who were killed at the time, Puxin and Dabian, were clearly of high status, so it's understandable that they were brought to justice.

Chu Mingkong wanted to ask more questions, but then he thought it was unnecessary. Wouldn't it be easier to just go and take a look?

Zuo Qiuchi, who was passing by, saw Chu Mingkong carrying the little white fox and walking away, and quickly called him to stop.

"Hey, Mingkong, where are you going? Nongyu's preparations are almost finished, and it's time to start the advancement ceremony. We don't have much time left; we only have half a day left."

Incidentally, Zuo Qiuchi was able to say the remaining time so accurately because he had just lifted Donglu's skirt to check the condition of her mark.

Comparing the condition of the mark when I first arrived in the Heavenly Realm, the mark is now almost gone.

Chu Mingkong told Zuo Qiuchi about what the little fox had mentioned, and then added:

"Then have Wanxiangyu lead the way. I'll go check the entrance to the forbidden area first. If there's nothing important, I'll come and meet up with you. If there is, I'll have Xiaozhuyan go back and inform you so you can come and reinforce us."