Yellow Dragon Temple...
After Mao Ba revealed his identity,
except for Wu Dao and two other Divine Power Realm experts, who already knew his identity, the remaining Jianghu Travelers were all taken by surprise.
An Immortal Family force like the Yellow Dragon Temple.
Although these low-level Loose Cultivators of the Jianghu had heard of such places, it was always like trying to see flowers in a fog—elusive and mysterious.
It was only natural they didn't recognize him at first.
But now that they understood, they couldn't help but break out in a cold sweat.
The methods of an Immortal Family were mysterious and unfathomable.
Rumor had it they could take a life from a thousand miles away with miraculous abilities. Even the most hardened and fearless scoundrels harbored a sliver of undeniable dread for such powers.
They had only dared to attack Mao Ba earlier because they'd been counting on their luck, assuming he was just another Loose Cultivator. They thought they could kill him and rob him without any repercussions.
Who could have imagined...
At this thought, the Jianghu Travelers, drenched in cold sweat, hastily returned his salute with cupped fists. "You are too kind, Daoist. It was we who were blind, our hearts clouded by greed. We hope you will not take it to heart."
Being attacked and threatened for no reason at all, it would have been a lie to say Mao Ba felt no resentment.
But Mao Ba was surprisingly magnanimous. He just sighed, waved his hand, and said, "The world below the mountain has its own rules. This humble Daoist broke them, so it's only right that I faced such a trial.
However..."
His tone shifted, and he warned them seriously, "Regarding the creature you are all hunting, this humble Daoist heard about it on my way here.
If I am not mistaken, it should be a Flesh and Blood Tai Sui that has gained spiritual awareness, with a cultivation approaching five hundred years.
Demonic creatures have always been innately ignorant from birth, lacking the roots of wisdom. Only after five hundred years of arduous cultivation can they gain the right to transform into human form and awaken their minds to the ways of the world.
To cross this threshold, aside from self-cultivation and absorbing nature's spiritual energy, they must use humans as medicine to compensate for their own deficiencies.
The reason it devours human skeletons and dispatches a Chong Ghost to harm people is that a Tai Sui has flesh and blood, but no bones. As long as it makes up for this deficiency, its transformation will be imminent.
But even without having transformed, it is not something cultivators below the Breaking the Cocoon Realm can contend with. So, if you'll heed a word of advice from this humble Daoist, you should give up now."
"Five hundred years of cultivation?"
"Hiss... Isn't that equivalent to a cultivator who has surpassed Foundation Establishment and is undergoing the Breaking the Cocoon transformation?"
"You can't calculate it that way. Demons are... well, they're demons—devious and strange. Their methods can't be measured by the standards of the Human Dao."
...
As soon as Mao Ba finished speaking, the faces of most Jianghu Travelers present showed a clear desire to retreat.
However, a few with shrewd glints in their eyes chose not to leave.
This made Wu Dao a little curious.
'If it's really as Mao Ba says,' he thought, 'then cultivators at the Inner Strength Realm should be as useless as clay chickens and pottery dogs before this so-called Flesh and Blood Tai Sui.'
'Are they really willing to risk their lives for a treasure?'
"This young Daoist isn't being entirely honest,"
Zhao Wei noticed the confusion in Wu Dao's eyes and, assuming he was unaware of certain secrets, leaned in to whisper:
"The first part of what he said was spot on. Demons are different from the Human Race; their strength is categorized by their years of cultivation.
One hundred to four hundred years is equivalent to Foundation Establishment.
Five hundred to eight hundred years is Breaking the Cocoon.
And while their strength, built up over centuries of bitter cultivation, is greater than that of humans at the same stage,
they also have a fatal flaw: during each critical stage of transformation, their strength is drastically weakened.
If you time it right, even someone in the Divine Power Realm has a good chance of killing it. For someone at the Inner Strength level, however, the risk is enormous!
That Daoist deliberately concealed this part. It's hard to say if he was being merciful or just trying to scare off some competitors."
'Five hundred years just to take human form?'
Wu Dao listened, marveling inwardly. It reminded him of some legends from his past life.
It was said that humans were the paragon of all creation, born with the equivalent of five hundred years of cultivation and fully endowed with the roots of wisdom. They were naturally better than other races at understanding the world and the principles governing heaven and earth.
Demonic beasts, on the other hand, were born ignorant and without wisdom. Only after five hundred years of arduous effort could they awaken their intellect and become no different from a person.
That was why, in the legends, when demons harmed and devoured people, they were consuming a person's "cultivation"—using humans to supplement their "humanity."
In his past life, such stories were mostly just tall tales and rumors.
He never expected that in this world, they would turn out to be real.
It was certainly an eye-opener for Wu Dao.
But he felt no fear. 'In my eyes,' he thought, 'whether it's demons or Immortals, they're all just more powerful Hunters in the end.'
'As long as I can defeat it,'
'then I can eat it like any other 'meat.' I wonder what kind of benefits a nearly five-hundred-year-old demon would bring me if I were to devour it.'
At this thought, Wu Dao's mouth began to water. He unconsciously licked his lips, a ravenous hunger stirring within him.
In the end, the young Daoist's warning still had an effect. Some of the Jianghu Travelers, unaware of the full story, were unwilling to risk a bitter end and chose to withdraw.
The area immediately became much quieter.
Those who remained were Wu Dao, Zhao Wei, and three Boxers from the White Whale Martial Arts Hall, all at the Peak of Internal Strength.
In terms of both numbers and quality, their group was now the strongest force in Pan Shui Town.
The others remaining were:
the Sword Cultivator, Cloud Heaven Flow, who was at the Divine Power Peak and possessed immense killing power;
the somewhat mysterious Daoist from Yellow Dragon Temple, Mao Ba;
and,
four Jianghu Wanderers who had not retreated and had decided to band together—all of whom were experts at the Peak of Internal Strength.
But regardless of which party it was, everyone present tonight was determined not to leave until they had achieved their goal.
However, everyone knew that the key to finding the Flesh and Blood Tai Sui within Canyun Mountain lay with Mao Ba—or more precisely, with the Chong Ghost inside his Red Gourd.
And so, all eyes focused on Mao Ba, waiting for him to make a decision.
But no one spoke first.
After all, the situation had evolved to a point where they were essentially trying to take a piece of the prize from Mao Ba's hands. To be the first to speak would be an offense.
This left Mao Ba in a bind. He didn't know whether to stay or go, and an awkward expression crept onto his face. He seemed unaccustomed to handling the complicated affairs of the world outside his temple.
Fortunately, the silence didn't last long.
Cloud Heaven Flow broke the awkward atmosphere. With a gentle smile that easily put others at ease, he cupped his fist and said, "Slaying demons and upholding righteousness is the undeniable duty of cultivators like us.
Though you possess Mighty Divine Power, Daoist, you are ultimately alone and outnumbered..."
Finally, he announced his name and lineage. "This humble one is Cloud Heaven Flow. My master is Yang Wufeng. I have learned a few meager skills, and if you would not be offended, Daoist, I would be happy to lend my sword to your cause."
It just goes to show that no one who navigates the Jianghu is simple.
With those words, he had given Mao Ba plenty of face while also making a substantive offer.
It also gave Mao Ba an easy way out of his awkward position.
"I wouldn't say I have Mighty Divine Power, and there's no need for you to be so humble either, brother."
The young Daoist Mao Ba actually blushed and waved his hands dismissively before returning the salute. "Hero Yang Wufeng of Guangqing Prefecture is a great hero of both virtue and talent, one who cares deeply for the common people. Even On the Mountain, this humble Daoist has often heard of his esteemed name.
Seeing his prized disciple today, I can see that reputation is well-deserved. With your help, brother, this undertaking is sure to be a success."
One good turn deserves another, as they say.
Everyone enjoys exchanging pleasantries. Both Yellow Dragon Temple and Fangcun Sword Hall were prestigious and well-respected institutions in the Guangqing Prefecture region.
After this exchange, Mao Ba and Cloud Heaven Flow immediately seemed like kindred spirits. They stood together, forming a subtle counterbalance to Wu Dao and the others.
"White Whale Martial Arts Hall, Zhao Wei."
Seeing this, Zhao Wei also chuckled and offered a cupped-fist greeting, but his words held none of the warmth of Cloud Heaven Flow's.
It was to be expected.
After all, the White Whale Martial Arts Hall had its origins in the once-infamous Giant Whale Sect.
Even though it had since gone legitimate, in the eyes of the orthodox factions, it still carried the taint of a sinister power. They were naturally biased and wouldn't give him a warm reception.
Rather than shamelessly trying to cozy up to them only to lose face, it was better to remain neutral—neither too friendly nor too distant.
"Wu Dao."
Wu Dao's introduction was even simpler, just a name spoken with a grin.
Compared to Zhao Wei, his recent massacre had earned him the genuine disgust of both Mao Ba and Cloud Heaven Flow. There was absolutely no need to try and curry favor where it wasn't wanted.
"Ah, a pleasure to make your acquaintance."
As expected, Mao Ba was nowhere near as friendly to Wu Dao's group as he had been to Cloud Heaven Flow. He offered a merely polite reply and said nothing more.
As for the four Jianghu Wanderers, they didn't dare to speak up and introduce themselves. At the end of the day, their status was low and their words carried little weight. They were lucky not to have been driven away; there was no need to invite embarrassment.
"In that case, we mustn't delay. Every day we allow that abomination to live is another day it will claim innocent lives. I only hope that when the time comes, all of you will stand united against our common foe."
Seeing that his earlier warnings were useless, Mao Ba wasted no more breath, simply emphasizing that they must remain united against the external threat and not turn on one another.
Then, he let out a soft breath, once again took the Red Gourd from his waist, bit the tip of his middle finger, and dripped a single, fragrant drop of blood onto the Gourd.
The Red Gourd once again began to glow with a hazy, blood-red light.
A pained scream of "AHH!" echoed from within the Gourd, and a wisp of green smoke drifted out from its opening.
The wisp of green smoke coalesced, not dispersing.
As Mao Ba closed his eyes and began an Incantation, it transformed in mid-air into a palm-sized, miniature Cyan Crane. It was astonishingly lifelike as it flapped its wings and circled, once again drawing gasps of wonder from the onlookers.
After circling a few times,
the Cyan Crane seemed to fix its direction, its head pointing toward the vast expanse of Canyun Mountain, illuminated in the distance by the starlight and moon.