Chapter 518: Beidou Rejects the Spirit Formation

The next morning, when Yin Xu awoke from her slumber, the person beside her was already gone. Though she felt a pang of loss, she was accustomed to it. That person was always like this, their time together always brief, never willing to linger longer with her.

She knew she was merely one of their lovers, and that she had no right to demand exclusive devotion. Yet, she had to depend on them to live. Of course, she wouldn't perish without them, but this arrangement allowed her to live better. It was a path she had chosen herself. Life was quite good, enabling some of her accompanying clan members to also live comfortably.

The Qingqiu Fox Clan is considered the progenitor of all foxes under heaven. For one of her Qingqiu lineage, choosing this path might not sound honorable, but for the fox clan, it was hardly a source of ancestral shame. The fox clan, generally, held little concern for such matters.

Furthermore, within the clan's limited territory, the direct lineage always takes precedence. Those who become side branches are destined to beget further side branches, and when the land can no longer sustain too many, these distant branches, unable to find a foothold, are forced to leave their homes. Those who depart must make their own way. If they succeed, the clan might take pride in them. If they fail, they are not even significant enough to bring the clan shame. The clan would simply state that with so many branches spread across the vast world, it's impossible to look after every single one.

Her skin was truly fair as she rose to bathe, and her alluring figure, like a lotus emerging from water, was exquisitely beautiful. She had barely settled at her dressing table when a knock came from outside.

She asked, "What is it?"

Tian Shen's voice replied, "Sister Hong, Supervisor Lou has sent Assistant Director Tu Bicheng to meet the guest in Room Ding on the fifty-fifth floor. He says Divine Mountain has been contacted, and they can proceed up. The guest has already gone downstairs, and there are movements suggesting some other guests are attempting to follow."

Yin Xu, who was arranging her hair, paused. She hadn't expected Lou Xiu to act so swiftly. It was too late to rush down and see them off. She calmly replied, "Understood. Also, send word that the fifty-ninth floor will not be open for guests for the time being."

Regular guests are accommodated up to the fifty-eighth floor; the fifty-ninth floor is reserved for those involved in illicit dealings.

Tian Shen naturally understood the implication, but this was their most lucrative business. He confirmed, "Are we not accepting them at all?"

Yin Xu replied, "Suspended."

Outside Zhulang Pavilion, Tu Bicheng personally accompanied Shi Chun and Wu Jinliang into a carriage, and they departed.

The carriage headed directly towards the city guard. Upon reaching the Inner Court's territory, after Wu Jinliang and Lou Xiu exchanged pleasantries, Tu Bicheng personally activated his Wind Scale, whisking both Lou Xiu and Shi Chun into the air. With Lou Xiu present, flight within the city was naturally permitted, as it fell within the Inner Court's jurisdiction. Whether they could fly or not was Lou Xiu's decision.

This sudden maneuver, however, thwarted those who had planned to follow. Some quickly ran towards the city's outskirts, hoping to catch up. Others swiftly climbed to nearby tall buildings to get a better view. Fortunately, they immediately spotted Shi Chun and his companions heading directly towards Divine Mountain.

The vast land remained an endless expanse of Heart-Binding Grass territory. In fact, the Heart-Binding Grass region stretched as a long, narrow strip of land. All areas covered by the Heart-Binding Grass belonged to Divine Mountain's domain. This elongated territory contained three cities: Yaoshan City in the middle, with one city at each end.

The entire Divine Mountain spanned dozens of miles, comprising not just one peak, but countless rolling mountains beneath its main summit. Within its myriad large and small ranges, unique peaks and scenic wonders were too numerous to count. From various vantage points, one could frequently glimpse cascading waterfalls, while spiritual birds soared through the mountains. Occasionally, sounds resembling dragon roars and tiger growls would emanate, and scattered pavilions and towers dotted the landscape, making it resemble an immortal realm.

The mountain gate was situated on a birch-spire-shaped protrusion at the foot of the mountain. It resembled a small town more than a mere gate. The ancient and massive mountain gate archway stood prominently in the center of the small town. Its size was somewhat exaggerated, likely dozens of zhang in both length and height, making people appear like ants beneath it. The archway was inscribed with four large characters: "Heavenly Feathers, Lasting Fragrance."

As if to confirm those words, the moment Shi Chun and his companions landed, they perceived a faint, refreshing fragrance. The spiritual energy on the mountain was even visible to the naked eye, appearing as drifting mists in concentrated areas—truly a blessed land of spiritual essence, ideal for cultivation. With just a single glance upon their arrival, Shi Chun understood why Jin Zhan had seized this territory years ago.

Beneath the archway, a man with a delicate, almost feminine face, dressed in silk robes, was pacing back and forth, fanning himself. Upon seeing Lou Xiu's group clear the inspection and approach, he closed his fan and stopped, waiting for them.

Even before they drew close, Shi Chun, who had been surveying his surroundings, fixed his gaze on the man. Shi Chun couldn't help but stare; his right eye's special ability couldn't detect the protective aura of the grand array, yet he saw a trace of demonic energy emanating from Jiang You'er. A demonic practitioner was nonchalantly strolling in front of Divine Mountain's gate — what was going on?

"Brother Jiang." Lou Xiu arrived at the mountain gate and first greeted the man with a cupped-hand salute, then turned to introduce Shi Chun's group: "This is Jiang You'er, or Brother Jiang, one of Divine Mountain's fifteen Mountain Patrols, active in the Northern District."

Wu Jinliang immediately cupped his hands and saluted, saying, "A pleasure to meet you, a true pleasure."

The two brothers had studied the catalog provided by Bai Qiru and knew that Divine Mountain was divided into five districts—East, South, West, North, and Central—with three so-called Mountain Patrols assigned to each. Lord Poyuan, who had previously appeared in Dazhi City, was one of the three prominent Mountain Patrols of the Central District. The Huang Yingying clan, coincidentally, was enslaved at the foot of Zhongshan Mountain.

"Brother Jiang, this is Brother Gao." Lou Xiu then introduced Wu Jinliang and Shi Chun. "I've just arrived in Yaoshan City and have many matters to attend to, so I'll leave these two in your capable hands, Brother Jiang."

Jiang You'er, holding his fan, cupped his hands and returned the bow to Wu Jinliang, saying, "Brother Lou's friends are my friends. Please, Brother Lou, attend to your affairs; I, Jiang, will certainly not neglect them."

"Much obliged, much obliged." Wu Jinliang chuckled, repeatedly bowing his thanks to both sides.

Having delivered the two, Lou Xiu then departed with Tu Bicheng.

Shi Chun watched them depart for a long time. He was now almost certain that this individual, transferred from Dazhi City, was also a demonic practitioner. At last night's banquet, after some discussion, it seemed clear that Lou Xiu did not know their identities in Dazhi City. So, his proactive attachment to them must have been due to their true identities. Having finally managed to forge this connection, was he truly confident entrusting them to this demonic practitioner simply because they were heading to Divine Mountain? Based solely on their subtle glances and gestures, he wouldn't believe it if someone claimed Lou Xiu wasn't a demonic practitioner.

Moreover, he immediately ruled out them being from Xiang Lan'er's lineage. If they were, there would be no need for others to establish new connections; simply informing Xiang Lan'er and her group would have sufficed. Otherwise, it wouldn't align with the demonic path's modus operandi. Demonic practitioners always prefer to remain hidden; exposing one less individual is their usual practice. He wondered which lineage they belonged to.

He was convinced they were after something he possessed, but what was the point of making friends in such an indirect manner? Such veiled actions were always difficult to fully decipher. While he couldn't completely unravel the mystery, one thing was clear: they surely wanted to know his true purpose in coming here under a false identity.

However, he liked befriending Jiang You'er. The demonic energy within this demon was far denser than that of Elder Xia Fuli from Wukang Mountain. It was his first time seeing such abundant demonic energy up close. This demon's cultivation should be roughly at the Minor Attainment of Earth Immortal realm, he thought. Such potent demonic energy made his eyes gleam, and his Adam's apple bobbed.

Jiang You'er's subtle gaze swept over Shi Chun several times. Lou Xiu had, of course, informed him that Shi Chun was the principal person, and since the principal didn't wish to reveal himself, Jiang You'er had to play along. But why was this person constantly staring at his abdomen? While he was indeed slender, it wasn't to the extent of making someone's eyes gleam, was it? He vaguely suspected if this fellow had some peculiar habit.

After seeing Lou Xiu off and exchanging a few polite words with Wu Jinliang, he addressed the guard on the other side of the archway: "They've been verified; you may let them pass. Open the gate."

The guard walked to a black gong, the size of a tabletop, and struck it hard with a mallet. Instead of the expected clang, a silent, shimmering, ethereal wave rippled across the gong's surface. Concurrently, a similar ethereal ripple emanated from a smaller entrance located to one side of the archway.

Jiang You'er extended his hand, inviting them in. "Please excuse us, gentlemen. The main gate is not easily opened unless a particularly special guest arrives. Even we do not have the authority to open it for our friends; we typically use this side entrance ourselves."

Shi Chun and his companion were not foolish; they understood that "special guests" referred to esteemed visitors, and that they themselves were not yet privileged enough for such an entrance. Of course, their standards could be quite flexible; for them, practicality was paramount. They cared little for such superficial displays, as long as they could gain entry.

With that, the two passed through the ethereal ripple. As they did, Shi Chun nudged Wu Jinliang with his elbow, giving him a meaningful look.

Wu Jinliang immediately understood, realizing that Shi Chun's special right eye ability could not detect the grand array. He promptly spoke up, asking, "Mr. Jiang, is this archway located at the very edge of Divine Mountain's protective array?"

Bai Qiru was unaware of their desire to sneak in and out, and thus hadn't considered such details. Therefore, the catalog he provided did not specify the exact protective edge of Divine Mountain's grand array. The Bai clan would certainly not bother to provide such meticulously detailed information without a clear reason.

Jiang You'er didn't think much of it. After seeing the ethereal ripple subside, he pointed into the distance along the archway. "That's correct. The grand array's protective range is circular, and this archway marks the outermost point of the entire Divine Mountain region. One could say the array's protective boundary is defined by the mountain gate itself."

Shi Chun now had a clear idea. He planned to take the map later and draw a circle, using the mountain gate as the starting point, to estimate the boundary. That way, no matter which direction they approached from, the distance would be roughly consistent.

Wu Jinliang then asked, "This grand array is typically invisible. What happens if someone accidentally runs into it?"

Jiang You'er smiled. "They're generally repelled." As he spoke, he extended his hand once more in invitation, gesturing for them to follow him.

Wu Jinliang chuckled as they walked, probing, "Being repelled isn't so bad; it's getting killed after alarming the people of Divine Mountain that would be truly unfortunate."

Jiang You'er shook his head. "Unintentional collisions won't alert anyone, unless someone forcefully breaks in and causes a major disturbance. This grand array is called the 'Big Dipper Spirit Repelling Array.' Wind can pass through, water can flow, and unintelligent objects can enter and exit freely. Only those with intelligence will be stopped by the array."

Inside Zhulang Pavilion in the city, Zhu Xin urgently knocked on his master's door. He nodded to the senior brother who opened the door, then quickly stepped inside. Cupping his hands to Qiu Ben, who had turned to look at him, he reported, "Master, it's confirmed. Those two have indeed entered Divine Mountain. It is unknown when they will emerge."

Qiu Ben turned back to the window, gazing at the distant mountain range in contemplation for a moment, then muttered to himself, "It seems I too must become a guest on Divine Mountain."