Chapter 164: Black Whale Mountain
Chapter 164: Black Whale Mountain
Chapter 164: Black Whale Mountain
In a gloomy room, a shadowy figure sat upright with their brows furrowed.
A figure in white robes could be seen right across the shadowy figure. There was a serious expression on his face, devoiding any hint of a smile.
He was using the Immortal Art: Roaming the World.
It was clear that he had crossed vast distances through divine arts and celestial methods to meet the shadowy figure.
"Jiang Yuebai is not the only one of Mount Shu who has achieved Perfect Qi Circulation. There was another third-realm disciple who stood out." The white-clad figure spoke with a deep tone, remarking, "The Mount Shu Sect is still nurturing talented youngsters, proving that this sect is still destined for great things."
"Heh?" The shadowy figure sneered and said, "The Mount Shu Sect is like a centipede that will never really die. With the size of the Mount Shu Sect, they are bound to nurture a few gifted cultivators in every generation. What's so strange about that? As long as they lack a legendary artifact, they are bound to perish."
"There are gaps between geniuses as well," the white-clad figure said. He paused for a moment before adding, "You may not understand, but the reality is that geniuses who are able to achieve Perfect Qi Circulation are extraordinary."
"You..." the shadowy figure was somewhat irritated but he couldn't come up with a sound argument. In the end, he could only express his indignation. "I admit that your cultivation level is higher than mine. If not, you wouldn't have been selected to infiltrate the Mount Shu Sect back then."
Upon hearing this, the white-clad figure's expression turned grim.
The two then stopped talking for a while.
After a brief pause, the shadowy figure finally spoke up, saying, "Come on. Don't be upset."
"Hmph," the white-clad figure snorted coldly.
"I understand your concerns. You fear that the Mount Shu Sect still possesses formidable luck and a destined path for greatness. You are worried that our plan will go wrong. But rest assured, our intention isn't to deliver a fatal blow. Instead, we aim to gradually diminish their strength and good fortune. We'll start by targeting and eliminating their exceptionally talented disciples, then strip away their status within the Divine Nine. Over time, their influence in the world will wane."
"I cannot intervene again," the white-clad figure declared in a decisive voice.
"Naturally, I won't allow you to intervene; it's too risky on Mount Shu," the shadowy figure responded. "Your task is to keep a close eye on these exceptional disciples. If any of them decides to leave Mount Shu, promptly report the news to me. I will then arrange for someone to intercept and eliminate them."
The shadowy figure continued saying firmly, "Since the Mount Shu Sect prefers sending their disciples out to gain experience, we'll ensure they face the repercussions of venturing into the world." As he spoke, he gestured his right hand with determination.
"Handle it with caution," the figure dressed in the white robes instructed.
"You don't have to worry when I am the one handling it," the shadowy figure said with a smile. "Take that disciple at the third realm as an example. I will hire cultivators at the fifth realm or sixth realm to kill him. We won't fail."
"When I urged you to be careful, I wasn't talking about the possibility of failure. How could the assassination of a cultivator at the third realm fail?" The figure in the white robes remarked. "What I meant was for you to be meticulous in your actions and ensure that no information slips through. Since the descent of the True Dragon, Old Man Sikong has been relatively idle. I've heard that he attempted to read the fate of Mount Shu several times. If I didn't have an artifact that could hide my presence from divination, I would have been exposed for what I have done."
"I understand," the shadowy figure nodded and said, "We will make bold moves on the day of the Mount Shu Summit, which is happening soon. Until then, I will be very careful with every move I make."
"That's good," the white-clad figure said. "By the way, I heard there's some unusual activity with the Violet and Azure Twin Swords. If you decide to take action, it's best to bring a legendary artifact. Otherwise, I fear there might be changes."
"Big bro, you are asking me to bring one of the most renowned legendary artifacts in the world. It's not some cabbage I can pick up from the fields..." the shadowy figure revealed a hint of pain in his voice as he spoke. "If you want the Dark King Sect to bring the True Body of Ksitigarbha, it will come at a different cost!"
"Heh, I don't care," the person in white robes shook his head. "That's something you need to figure out. Anyway, I've given you the information. The way you handle it has nothing to do with me."
"You..." The shadowy figure was once again left speechless.
The white-clad figure waved his sleeves, and his illusionary figure vanished with a whoosh.
Somewhere a thousand li away on Mount Shu...
A white-clad figure sitting cross-legged suddenly opened his eyes, revealing a radiant gleam within their gaze.
...
The Black Whale Mountain.
In the local Li tribe, there was a legend about the origin of this mountain.
A long time ago, this place was originally a flat land, located close to the East Sea. The hardworking and courageous Li tribe people lived by the sea. They were cheerful and hospitable people with tanned skin, making a living as fishermen.
However, one day, a terrifying demonic creature, a Black Devil Whale, emerged from the sea. It roamed the ocean like an island, ferocious and dreadful, frequently attacking fishing boats and devouring everyone on board.
Due to the presence of the Black Devil Whale, the Li tribe people could no longer find food in the sea, and during that era, they were almost left with no options.
At this critical moment, a mighty giant wanderer arrived at this place, and his name was Fang Yi.
Upon hearing about the tragic plight of the Li tribe people, he decided to help them. However, the Black Devil Whale was almost invincible in the vast sea, and no one could defeat it.
And so, Fang Yi went to the Southern Regions to cut a branch from the ancient tree on the Azure Falling Peak. He then went to the Western Regions and killed a flood dragon to harvest its tendon. After that, he went to the Northern Regions and located the best artificer[1] in the world. With these materials, the artificer forged an exceptional fishing rod of unparalleled quality for the mortal realm.
Fang Yi had indeed planned to lure the Black Devil Whale onto the shore.
Nevertheless, even with the fishing rod ready, there was still a need for bait.
Luo Sha, the most beautiful and melodious singer of the Li tribe, stepped forward willingly, volunteering to be the bait in the sea.
So the next day, Luo Sha sailed out to sea on a small boat. Standing at the bow, she sang loudly, and indeed, her beautiful voice attracted the Black Devil Whale.
This terrifying giant beast immediately swallowed Luo Sha in one gulp, only to be caught by the fish hook entwined on her.
The giant Fang Yi began to exert all his strength to drag the fishing rod. After three days and three nights of struggle, he finally pulled the Black Devil Whale onto the shore.
Once the fierce Black Devil Whale was out of the water, it could no longer unleash its ferocity. While Fang Yi kept it under control, the Li tribe people rushed forward and killed the Black Devil Whale on the shore.
Its carcass transformed into this mountain later on.
To this day, atop Black Whale Mountain stood a giant statue, and below the giant statue was a woman singing with all her might.
This was what the Li tribe people crafted to commemorate the giant Fang Yi and Luo Sha.
...
"This legend..."
Chu Liang pondered after hearing it.
In this world, any legend should not be taken lightly because it might very well be true. He nervously tapped on the black rocky ground beneath his feet as he wondered if this mountain would suddenly come to life.
In front of him stood the towering giant statue that looked vivid and full of heroic spirit.
"Forget about the legends for now..." Lin Bei, standing beside him, said as he admired the Big Head playing with the black rocks on the side, "Can't you lend me a ride on this big guy later?"
"No," Chu Liang refused without any hesitation. "I can already guess without thinking that you want to use it for something. Are you planning to pretend to be some aristocrat or a genius cultivator from Mount Shu to deceive naive girls?"
"How can you see through me like that, bro!" Lin Bei protested indignantly. "You're way too accurate, aren't you?"
Chu Liang: "..."
"Haaa." Lin Bei shook his head and sighed again. "You took the spotlight at Sister Jiang's lecture, and now the junior sisters at Mount Shu probably all admire you. You won't have any worries in the future. But as for me, I still don't have my future secured. Can you bear to see me lonely every day?"
"I can't bear it." Chu Liang said, "Didn't I advise you to cut off the root of the problem long ago?"
"Uh..." Lin Bei resisted, arguing, "I can remove the grass, but cutting the root is out of the question."
"If you're doing something legitimate, I'll definitely help you. But if you're going to deceive people for pleasure, how can I help you?" Chu Liang said as he patted Lin Bei on the shoulder. "Stop thinking about these crooked ways. Let's go find the spirit herb."
Lin Bei hummed twice, shrugged helplessly, and then led the way forward.
After passing two statues and walking quite a distance, they arrived at a narrow path within the towering mountain wall. The place was covered with trees and hidden by weeds, making it almost impossible to see. Looking up, there was a vast mountain wall, with only a faint line indicating the expansive sky.
"How did you even discover such a small path?" Chu Liang laughed. "How did you manage that?"
"Don't mention it. At that time, I got separated by accident and was chased relentlessly by a water demon. I couldn't fly into the sky as it would notice me. So, in my panic, I dodged and hid under this cliff. I thought I was about to be cornered... but unexpectedly, I found this crack here," Lin Bei recounted.
"Weren't you talking about a thrilling battle with the water demon?" Chu Liang recalled what Lin Bei said earlier.
"It did scare me to death!" Lin Bei said with a confident expression.
It turned out that this thrilling battle was more of a one-sided thrilling experience.
Since Chu Liang still needed to rely on his brother to locate the spirit herb, he didn't dare to delve too deeply into the matter. Otherwise, it would be quite embarrassing.
This journey proved challenging for the Big Head. The crack in the mountain was just wide enough for its body, forcing it to squeeze through the entire way. As they finally emerged from this narrow opening, the surroundings suddenly brightened, unveiling a vast mountain valley adorned with exotic flowers and plants that filled the air with fragrance!
The path was narrow, allowing only one person to pass through at a time.
After taking a dozen or so steps, the space suddenly broadened.
1. Artificers are inventors and craftspeople. ?