Chapter 637: First Meeting

Chapter 632: First Meeting

He Lingchuan, seeing clearly through the puppet's eyes, realized that the Great Return Sect's establishment of a cave dwelling here was no accident.

So-called "Blessed Lands" or "Heavenly Grottoes" don't always refer to places abundant in spiritual energy, with pleasant spring weather and clear skies. Ancient immortals established cave dwellings atop snow-capped mountains and in volcanic worlds precisely to experience the might of heaven and earth, and to fathom the natural creation of the cosmos.

Ancient immortals might have been able to jump into lava for a hot mud bath, but modern people would never dare.

It was too hot ahead, so the puppet stopped moving forward. It pulled out Shao Ling ore from a sack and threw it piece by piece into the lava pool.

With each piece thrown, it also shouted, "Xu Mountain's Mountain Spirit, appear at once!"

The cave chamber was vast, and its shouts echoed, lingering over the lava for a long time.

The Shao Ling ore was brittle and had been broken by He Lingchuan with a hammer; the largest piece was only about four or five catties, perfectly suited for a normal person to throw.

As they fell into the lava, a few bubbles quickly appeared.

The puppet maintained its rhythm, throwing a piece every dozen or so breaths. Rather than an offering – no, not feeding, but rather a tribute – it felt more like a nuisance.

Decades ago, the Mountain Spirit would have disdained such frequent offerings and, if in a bad mood, might even have thrown lava at people:

"Are you feeding fish? Get lost!"

However, since the Spirit Gathering Array became active, the offerings received by the lava monster had decreased year by year, leaving it perpetually hungry.

Even a tiny fly is still a piece of meat.

So, as the Shao Ling ore in the sack was about to run out, the lava in the pool suddenly began to churn, and something arched up from the center, radiating an intense red light.

The heatwaves were oppressive, and the puppet immediately closed its eyes and stepped back a few paces.

As the viscous lava flowed downward, the monster rising from it finally revealed its true form.

It looked like a giant bear, with a thick, stubby body and limbs, but a very long tail that whipped and crackled on the lava surface.

As soon as it appeared, the brightness of the entire rock cavern increased severalfold, and the creature itself glowed so intensely that it was impossible to look at directly.

He Lingchuan had attended public lectures in Panlong City and knew that these lava-fire monsters, like wind demons, actually had no fixed form and could change at will. Its current form was that of a Huoyu, a fire-rat-like creature capable of surviving in a lava world, but it might appear with a different appearance next time.

The creature was entirely composed of fiery red flames, lava, and hard black rock. As soon as its front claws touched the edge of the lava pool, there was a hiss, and wisps of green smoke rose from the ground.

"Mortal?" It scoffed at the puppet, its booming voice echoing within the mountain. "A mere mortal dares to summon me? Hand over more ore, and I'll spare your life!"

These few pieces of Shao Ling ore weren't even enough to fill a tooth gap. If this weak mortal couldn't produce more ore, they would have to use their life to appease Lord Zu Ju's awakened wrath!

The puppet, following He Lingchuan's will, spoke, "Lord Zu Ju, I represent my master to meet with you."

"Your master? Who in the world is that?" Zu Ju seemed to glare at the puppet and sneered, "Puppetry? Ha, a hidden, sneaky fellow, do they really think they're worthy of negotiating with me?"

It saw through the trick instantly, and He Lingchuan didn't beat around the bush. "If you kill the puppet, there will be no more offerings. Haven't you been starved by the Heavenly Palace for so long?"

He continued, "Look closely at our location. When was the last time someone entered this cave dwelling?"

"Several hundred years ago. What, did you obtain relics from some old Great Return Sect member?" Zu Ju shook its neck, causing lava to rustle down. "Or are you a disciple of the Great Return Sect?"

The Mountain Spirit of Xu Mountain clearly understood the procedure for opening this cave dwelling. It hadn't been violently opened, which meant someone had found the right key for the right lock.

He Lingchuan was able to lure it out with just a few dozen catties of ore largely because the feeding spot – no, the offering spot – was within this secret cave dwelling. This was unprecedented, and it wanted to see what was going on.

"Disciple of the Great Return Sect?" He Lingchuan noted the phrase, his heart stirring slightly.

Was Zu Ju implying that the Great Return Sect's lineage had not been severed, and that its disciples were still active in the world?

Hmm, thinking back, the Northern Demon Kingdom hadn't reached its peak when it destroyed the Great Return Sect. Perhaps their methods weren't as cruel as those of later generations. The Great Return Sect, as a Daoist sect, may have perished, but perhaps its members retreated and fled, not being completely annihilated?

Zu Ju had participated in that battle from beginning to end and should know more about it than anyone.

"Before Venerable Wood Spirit passed away, he specifically left me a message, inviting me to come down and see you."

He Lingchuan didn't say Venerable Wood Spirit had guided him, but rather that he had been "invited" down, thereby elevating his own status. For a natural spirit like Zu Ju, being overly polite or humble was useless; it would only see him as weak and easily bullied.

Such creatures only recognized strength.

If He Lingchuan wanted to converse with it as an equal, he needed the identity of a strong person.

The mortal puppet he sent, of course, wasn't impressive enough. Therefore, he had the puppet take out a branch and throw it towards Zu Ju.

It didn't catch it. The branch landed in the lava on its body, emitting a wisp of green smoke but not immediately vaporizing.

"Oh?" Zu Ju seemed a bit surprised as well, raising a claw to retrieve it and bring it closer to its eyes.

What was a large branch to a mortal was merely a small toothpick in the Mountain Spirit's palm.

The branch slowly turned black, and its tip burned leisurely, appearing as though it would continue to burn for a long time.

"Is this a branch from the King of Treasure Trees?" Zu Ju seemed to savor it slowly. "No, that's not quite right. Why does it have a bitter taste, like a Dao Seeking Tree!"

"How does it taste?" A true gourmet, it recognized the subtleties immediately.

"Barely acceptable."

"Savor it slowly." He Lingchuan knew this creature was incredibly picky. If it said "barely acceptable," it meant the quality was top-tier. If it wasn't palatable, it would have simply refused it.

So, the puppet threw a few more Juluo branches over.

As a tree that originated within the Great Square Pot, besides possessing some characteristics of the King of Treasure Trees, it had recently consumed the Hundred-faced Nightmare and the golden leaves of the Dao Seeking Tree, naturally causing a great change in its properties. Even Zu Ju, who had tasted everything across the four seas, found an unprecedented flavor this time, and its mood instantly brightened, looking at He Lingchuan with renewed respect.

"This spirit wood—" The lingering aftertaste was indeed excellent, but it didn't want to praise the other party. "Where did you get it?"

"A completely new species, cultivated by myself." He Lingchuan comfortably took credit for the Great Square Pot's work. After all, the pot had no mouth and wouldn't protest. "However, the yield isn't high."

Zu Ju put the branch in its mouth, using it like a toothpick. "What do you want? Tell me."

"I heard you guard the Star-Plucking Tower for the Heavenly Gods." He Lingchuan went straight to the point. "I want the treasures inside the Star-Plucking Tower. Please be accommodating."

"Which treasure?"

"The one enshrined in the reliquary." He had set a trap in his words.

"The Map of Mountains and Rivers, or the Lid of the Great Square Pot?" Zu Ju tilted its head, and He Lingchuan felt as if it had rolled its eyes. "You're not the first; everyone before you has failed."

Indeed, the treasure enshrined in the reliquary was none other than the Lid of the Great Square Pot!

He Lingchuan secretly took a breath. He had no interest in any Map of Mountains and Rivers; as long as the location of the Great Square Pot could be confirmed, this piece of information immediately pinpointed the position for subsequent actions!

Zu Ju had no idea how significant its unintentional remark was, allowing He Lingchuan to gain a crucial piece of intelligence for free.

"Others want to steal it too? Why?"

"How should I know? Go ask them yourself."

He Lingchuan's heart stirred. "Was the Great Demon Chi Feng also here to seize these two treasures?"

Zu Ju chuckled, "Who can say? The Star-Plucking Tower holds many secrets, and external enemies don't come solely for treasures."

"Spirit Void City claims he was defeated by Fan Long."

Zu Ju scoffed, "If I hadn't intervened, Fan Long wouldn't have been able to defeat a thing!"

He Lingchuan asked, "I heard that before the Spirit Gathering Array was rebuilt, the Heavenly Palace was also very respectful towards you?"

Zu Ju laughed, "You don't need to provoke me. There are many who seek my leniency, but I have only one thing to say: as long as this Spirit Gathering Array remains, I cannot be accommodating!"

"How exactly does the Spirit Gathering Array suppress you?" Some questions only receive accurate answers from the aggrieved party themselves.

"This Spirit Gathering Array, created by Spirit Void, directly suppresses Xu Mountain's ley lines, thereby suppressing my essence!" Zu Ju spoke of this with indignation, and the entire lava pool began to boil. "They deceived me!"

To construct this great array, it had used immeasurable power to move peaks and mountains, only to receive this outcome. "Humans, heh, with their silver tongues!"

It pointed to its neck, and only then did He Lingchuan notice that a collar, wide and thick with complex patterns, was bound around its neck.

The Heavenly Palace was truly audacious, treating the Mountain Spirit entirely like its own guard dog.

The puppet had to step back a few more paces, dodging the splashing lava. Even a tiny splash would mean its end.

"What if the Spirit Gathering Array could be broken?" He Lingchuan asked it. "Would you then be able to escape?"

"Broken? Easier said than done!" Zu Ju snorted out a puff of white smoke from its nose, which He Lingchuan took as a sigh. "This array resonates with the stars in the heavens, drawing upon the combined power of heaven and earth. Even I cannot break it from within. Especially those few mountain peaks—as long as the mountains stand, the array remains. What can you outsiders do?"

"What about the array core?" He Lingchuan said. "I heard that the core of the Spirit Gathering Array corresponds to the Heavenly Net Star, and the exotic treasure placed within it serves as the bridge for the combined power of heaven and earth. If it were removed, would the array collapse on its own?"

"You mean the spider exuviae containing the star map?" Zu Ju grunted. "It's highly possible. But the entire Spirit Gathering Array has two most heavily guarded areas, and the array core is one of them. There's also a lightning pool set up there. How would you retrieve the star map?"

"I wouldn't mention the array core unless I had something to rely on. Otherwise, why would I come to you for such a futile endeavor?" He Lingchuan noted the words "lightning pool" and, at the same time, refrained from revealing his full hand. "Venerable Wood Spirit also foresaw the current situation, which is why he guided me to seek you out."

Venerable Wood Spirit had lived for eight hundred years and, during his lifetime, was the highly respected second-in-command of the Great Return Sect. Zu Ju was naturally very familiar with him and well aware that the old man excelled at divination and deduction.

"Which message did he give you?"

"The one that helped me enter this cave dwelling was: 'East Li enters Kan Water.'"

Zu Ju lay down on the surface of the lava lake, remaining silent.

Just moments ago, its very first question during the meeting had been a leading one.

(End of chapter)