Chapter 610: He Lingchuan's Opportunity

The audience was quiet, everyone imagining how powerful a hundred-zhang-tall monster would be.

He Lingchuan, however, recalled the Wind Demon of the Misty Sect, which had once been the immortal sect's guardian spirit beast. Yet, it had been defeated by King Baoshu several hundred years ago.

"For a natural elemental creature to be blessed by creation and grow into an intelligent monster, it was one in a billion even in ancient times. Otherwise, with so many breezes, volcanoes, and vast lakes and rivers in the world, why are the powerful monsters they birth so few?"

He Lingchuan immediately thought of the continuously churning magma within the Tianzhu Peak volcano.

It seemed his initial assumption was correct: a colossal beast lurked within.

Was the warning from the Fusheng Blade directed at it?

Fortunately, he hadn't taken another step forward back then.

Someone in the audience immediately asked, "Why would such a powerful monster submit to Beijia?"

It was acting as their guardian spirit beast, essentially a gatekeeper. Wasn't that submission?

"It's the same reason it submitted to the Dahuan Sect back then," Xu Shichu slowly replied. "The opponent was stronger."

He continued, "According to historical records, after the fall of the Dahuan Sect, this rock-fire monster was also subdued by the Heavenly Gods and the Demon Emperor. It continued to serve as the mountain spirit of Shouan Mountain, also known as Xu Mountain, and attended to its new masters. However, the details of how the Northern Demon Nation defeated the Dahuan Sect and how Jujiu was subdued are vague."

"The entire Xu Mountain is Jujiu's territory," He Lingchuan suddenly interjected. "Could the Northern Demon Nation defeat the local master here?"

A small Wind Demon, after sleeping for many years, returned to Wind Demon Mountain and, by merely absorbing the Divine Wind for a few days, inflicted heavy casualties on the Baoshu Kingdom's seed protection team. This illustrated the advantage of fighting on home ground. If the entire Xu Mountain was Jujiu's territory, or rather, if Xu Mountain and Jujiu were one, how did the Demon Emperor manage to defeat it?

Moreover, the Dahuan Sect was no pushover. Could they have stood by and watched their own guardian spirit beast be defeated?

"Many factors contribute to victory on the battlefield, not just a simple comparison of strength," Xu Shichu stated solemnly. "Furthermore, although Jujiu has survived since ancient times and its intelligence hasn't faded, its power has also weakened. It is no longer the mighty demon it was three thousand years ago."

"As a creature of this realm, it thrives and suffers along with humanity. To try and remain aloof, or to profit at the expense of others, is to defy nature," Xu Shichu slowly said. "Ultimately, there will be no good end."

He Lingchuan felt he was implying something.

Moreover, Beijia had divine beings supporting them, which was the Demon Nation's confidence and trump card.

When the Northern Demon Nation attacked the Dahuan Sect, they hadn't yet reached the peak of their power. Although the Dahuan Sect might have suffered from numerous long-standing problems and had already weakened, the Northern Demon Nation likely needed the help of the Heavenly Gods to conquer it.

Xu Shichu was subtle and didn't explicitly state this implication.

He Lingchuan directly asked, "Does this giant monster have any inherent weaknesses?"

If all went as expected, he might have to go to the Star-Plucking Tower later to find that divine artifact. To get up the mountain, would he first have to get past the guardian spirit beast?

The people nearby laughed. "What, you want to spar with it?"

"Broken Blade, we know you're formidable, but do you really want to challenge it to a one-on-one fight?"

He Lingchuan chuckled. "It's always better to over-prepare for your enemy. If we know the weaknesses of this fire monster, it might not be difficult to deduce Beijia's capabilities and methods. Don't we need such valuable information?"

The laughter around them quickly subsided.

Xu Shichu nodded. "Well said, well said. Every piece of intelligence, every correct inference, could be crucial to defeating the enemy. Before the Northern Demon Nation launched its surprise attack on the Dahuan Sect, they must have done everything possible to prepare. It was the Dahuan Sect's apathy and arrogance that led to their downfall."

He said sternly, "According to the historical facts I've verified, Jujiu was not seriously wounded in that ten-day and ten-night battle. After the Northern Demon Nation captured Shouan Mountain, it even obeyed its new masters' requests and moved two mountain peaks."

This creature could move mountains? Everyone was moved.

Xu Shichu saw their expressions and knew what they were thinking. "Jujiu was born from earth fire, a son of Kunmu, and served as a mountain spirit. Moving one or two mountain peaks there is not surprising. Have you heard of the Misty Sect's guardian spirit beast, the Wind Demon?"

Everyone shook their heads, except for He Lingchuan, who nodded.

"That Wind Demon was born from the Divine Wind. During the Misty Immortal Sect's prime, the Wind Demon could even sculpt mountain shapes, carve terraces and riverbeds into high mountains, and even transport hundreds of thousands of catties of heavy objects up the mountain without human effort. Altering terrain is even more of Jujiu's specialty."

He Lingchuan exhaled softly.

No wonder Beijia could reshape the Spirit Gathering Array, aligning the main peaks on the ground with the celestial stars, even closely matching their shapes and positions. It turned out this mountain spirit had helped!

"However, at that time, it only moved two small hilltops, taking over half a year. This task likely consumed a lot of energy and time," Xu Shichu returned to the main topic. "According to the Dahuan Sect's documents I've studied, Jujiu's intelligence is very high, comparable to humans. It even haggled with the Dahuan Sect. This is distinctly different from other elemental monsters of wind, earth, fire, and water."

"If the Immortal Sect couldn't meet its demands, Jujiu would slow down its work or cut corners. Therefore, the Dahuan Sect even had to assign dedicated personnel to appease it and negotiate with it. One could say Jujiu was an anomaly."

"After the decline of spiritual energy in the world, Jujiu still demanded ample supply. In the early Middle Ages, the Dahuan Sect could grit its teeth and persist, but as time went on, providing for it became increasingly difficult," Xu Shichu said, taking a sip of water. "On one hand, Jujiu demanded too much, almost twenty percent of the spiritual energy the Dahuan Sect gathered. On the other hand, the Dahuan Sect's old rivals had vanished in the Great Cataclysm, and no new forces threatening the sect had emerged. It was no longer cost-effective for them to expend great effort supporting Jujiu."

Everyone fell silent.

Jujiu was simply too gluttonous. After the decline of the Immortal Sect, they naturally couldn't afford to support it any longer.

"Later, the conflict between Jujiu and the Dahuan Sect grew sharper. It often threw tantrums, sometimes even causing volcanic eruptions," Xu Shichu sighed. "The Dahuan Sect realized the mountain environment was no longer suitable for living, so most of its people simply moved back to the ground. It's imaginable that from then on, the relationship between the sect and the fire monster grew even colder."

If they no longer needed each other, did that mean they simply grew to despise each other?

"Furthermore, as mentioned earlier, the Northern Demon Nation's campaign to destroy the Dahuan Sect lasted ten days and ten nights, with heavy casualties on both sides, yet Jujiu seemed largely unharmed," Xu Shichu finally offered his deduction. "This shows that it wasn't deeply involved in the battle and didn't exert its full strength for the Dahuan Sect, or even..."

He didn't elaborate further, only sighed.

With insufficient evidence, he didn't say much more, but intelligent people understood his unspoken meaning. Jujiu might even have been swayed by the Northern Demon Nation, turning against its former masters at a critical moment!

Once both sides of a battle were exhausted, whoever received reinforcement from fresh troops would see their chances of victory greatly increase.

He Lingchuan's brows furrowed tightly.

Jujiu was indeed a formidable fire monster with a strong personality, but what use were these secrets to him?

Without a doubt, the Spirit Gathering Array completed in Lingxu City over a decade ago must have involved Jujiu, the local master. This meant that whether he sought Zhu Erniang's remains or the divine artifact on the Star-Plucking Tower, he would likely have to contend with this massive creature.

As the master of Xu Mountain, it might be even more sensitive to his intrusion than the Heavenly Gods or the Demon Emperor.

Was he going to try to persuade Jujiu again?

Between Beijia and himself, how foolish would Jujiu have to be to choose him?

"In the late Middle Ages, monsters like Jujiu were sustained by earth fire and thus didn't perish like other demon immortals. However, it also became increasingly difficult for it to acquire spiritual energy, otherwise, it wouldn't have slept for a century. The smarter it is, the more it understands the need to conserve its strength and avoid injury," Xu Shichu continued from the stage. "Regardless, it's a good thing that Jujiu possesses intelligence."

Someone couldn't help but ask, "Can intelligence also be considered a weakness?"

If that were true, who among those present wouldn't be full of weaknesses?

"With intelligence, one can converse, unlike other natural elemental beings that are unapproachable. The ability to converse and communicate opens the possibility of persuasion, defection, or even negotiation," Xu Shichu said with a smile. "Six hundred years ago, the Northern Demon Nation likely did just that, setting an example for us."

He Lingchuan stroked his chin.

So, gathering information on Jujiu's current situation would also be his mandatory task next?

This fire monster's appetite was so immense that its original master couldn't afford to feed it. Would Beijia find it easy to sustain?

In reality, at least a decade ago, Jujiu was still working for Beijia, contributing to the new Spirit Gathering Array. By now, the power of such a monster doesn't grow; it would be a blessing if it simply didn't diminish.

The conflict between Lingxu City and Jujiu was likely significant. If everyone was on good terms, why would they need a grand array to suppress it?

The vast Pianxiang Manor took a full three days to clean before it was basically fit for habitation.

The accumulated dust inside the buildings and the overgrown courtyards outside needed clearing. Guards bustled in and out, purchasing various daily necessities.

As a result, when He Lingchuan returned to Pianxiang Manor three days later, he found it completely refreshed.

Weeds on the exterior walls and spiderwebs in the corners were gone. Even the wild flowers in the garden had been ruthlessly cleared, leaving only bougainvillea cascading like a waterfall from the gable wall, blooming more exuberantly in autumn than in spring. Besides that, the manor retained several hundred ancient trees, including osmanthus, wutong, and camphor, all at least two hundred years old, with their branches and leaves swaying gently.

Pianxiang Manor was originally famous for its bonsai. After the Chunyu family was implicated, insiders moved all the bonsai away. Only seven or eight pots remained near the weasel's den; these were now trimmed and placed on both sides of the entrance to welcome guests. New flowers and plants would have to wait until next spring to be acquired.

Despite it being late autumn, the manor still exuded new vitality.

Even the back mountain had new occupants:

A hive of bees, with a signed contract.

What noble's backyard wouldn't keep a few beehives? Sweet and fragrant pastries demanded the freshest, first-hand ingredients.

"I'm telling you, this place is really good!" Fushanyue pulled him behind the beehives, pushing aside some bushes, and said, "Look."