Chapter 134: Dragon's Pool and Tiger's Den

"What is it, so gloomy, still thinking about that secular world of glitz and glamour?"

High in the air, riding atop an exotic giant white crane like an immortal, an elderly man asked the young boy beside him.

The young boy drooped his head and forced a smile. "No, Master, this disciple wouldn't dare."

Having once been a youth himself, the elder naturally knew what his disciple was thinking and sighed, "Very well. If I simply suppress you blindly, it will only become a mental barrier in your cultivation. We still have some time on the road, so today, the two of us master and disciple will lay everything out in the open. Tao'er, you may speak your mind; your master will not blame you."

Hearing this, the young boy raised his head, glanced at the elder, took a deep breath, and asked, "Really? Then this disciple will ask: Master always talks about cultivation, but what is the ultimate purpose of cultivation? Is it just to be forever trapped in the narrow cage of the mountain gate, only to turn into a handful of dust a hundred years later?"

"That is a fine question. When I was young, I was plagued by the same confusion, believing that cultivation was merely a means to gain power, roam the mortal world, and acquire status, fame, wealth, and beauties. If not for these, who would have the drive to cultivate? If I tell you now that these are all fleeting clouds, you will surely scoff at them in your heart. The less one has obtained something, the more one desires it. Our founding master of the Divine Medicine Mountain anticipated this long ago; not everyone is born a ascetic monk. Therefore, the master provided us with two choices. First, when a disciple reaches the mastery of the Hua Jin realm, they may choose to remain within the sect to continue cultivating, or request to leave the mountain. In the latter case, the sect uses secret arts to erase their internal memories, allowing them to branch out in the outside world and become an affiliated family of the sect."

Upon hearing this, the young boy's eyes lit up. Seeing through his thoughts, the elder continued, "However, as you know, sect disciples grow up entirely within the mountain. Although they reach the Hua Jin realm, their worldly sophistication and other practical skills leave much to be desired. Once outside, they basically end up as hired muscle or bodyguards. Some fare well, while others die without even knowing how it happened."

The young boy seemed a bit startled, sticking out his tongue.

"As for the second choice, it is what I mentioned to you earlier: attain the level of a Grandmaster, after which you may descend the mountain to hone your skills. If you wish to stay outside longer, you can even contend for the position of an Exterior Affairs Elder."

The young boy nodded, then asked, "Then Master, why must we always close off our mountain gates and cut ourselves off from the world?"

"Can you not see the reason for this? It is precisely because we close our mountain gates that the Divine Medicine Mountain has weathered countless calamities and been passed down for several hundred years. As the saying goes, 'A common man is innocent, but harboring a treasure is a crime.' Our Divine Medicine Mountain possesses vast amounts of spiritual herbs, which are coveted treasures of all factions. If we did not seal the mountain, we would have been swallowed up eight hundred times over! Enough said. Just remember this: if you want to experience the outside world of glitz and glamour, you must cultivate even harder. Do not fail to appreciate the fortune you have. Have you not noticed that the outer sect and handyman disciples in our sect have never stepped a single foot outside the mountain gate since birth? If your cultivation progress cannot keep up, you will become one of them!"

The young boy shook his head, then nodded, and said, "This disciple understands and will not let down Master's expectations!"

"Good. Go back and copy the Cleansing Heart Scripture ten times for me first."

With that, the elder closed his eyes to rest his mind.

To speak of this giant white crane, it was truly remarkable, having already stepped into the realm of a demonic beast. Not only was its flight speed extremely fast, but it could also shield against the fierce gales generated during flight. Sitting upon its back, one could not feel the slightest bump.

Over an hour later, the giant white crane flew past China's famous mountain, Qingcheng Mountain, and then veered toward the southwest.

I know not how much time had passed when the giant white crane finally flew into a remote, primeval forest in Tianfu Province. At first, the moonlight was as clear as water and the visibility was decent, but soon, they entered a dense, boundless sea of fog.

"We have arrived."

Accompanied by a cry from the giant white crane, the elder opened his eyes, glanced at the surroundings, and patted the crane's body. The crane suddenly accelerated, transforming into a streak of white light that plunged straight toward a medium-sized waterfall ahead!

The miraculous happened: the giant white crane, along with the two men, plunged headfirst into the waterfall, disappearing without splashing a single drop of water. It turned out to be an illusionary spell.

Beyond the waterfall, the view suddenly opened up into a world of its own.

There was no heavy white fog, only scattered starlight, countless mountains and valleys, and a refreshing spiritual aura rushing toward them, carrying the fragrance of plants. Darting through it all, one could occasionally hear the calls of various animals, pristine and entirely free of pollution.

After flying a little longer, the giant white crane slowed down and hovered beside a small river. The elder grabbed the young boy's shoulder, leaped down, and waved at the crane. "Biyun, go play! Just remember to return to the mountain gate on time!"

Giving two human-like cries in response, the giant white crane flew away joyfully.

"Tao'er, we must be off too!"

Taking the young boy up into the air, the elder stepped across the treetops and vanished rapidly into the jungle. On the other side, they arrived before a tall, smooth cliff. Then, the elder casually flicked a streak of red light, and the pitch-black cliff under the night sky transformed into a hazy white passageway.

The elder and the young boy stepped forward and walked familiarly into the passageway.

The passageway was very short, no more than ten meters long, but beyond it lay yet another world!

Layer upon layer of mountains supported pavilions and platforms ablaze with lights, their magnificence several times greater than the headquarters of the Protectorate Dragon Villa!

"Junior Brother Tianci, please wait!"

As soon as the elder and the young boy stepped out of the passageway, the path behind them vanished. Just as he was about to leave, lights suddenly flared brilliantly, and dozens of people emerged from the surroundings, surrounding the two of them with various weapons drawn.

"Senior Brother Heishi? And Senior Brothers Hebiao and Hexiong, along with all junior brothers, why have you all come out? What is the meaning of this?" The elder was startled by this formation, instinctively shielding the young boy behind him.

Among the surrounding crowd, there were seven or eight Grandmaster experts. At the fore stood three elders with the most powerful auras: one thin and tall, one white-haired, and one sturdy. All three stared fixedly behind Tianci, each with a hand resting on the spirit beast pouch at their waist, looking ready to attack at a moment's notice. The white-haired elder in the middle, none other than Immortal Heishi, said expressionlessly, "Junior Brother Tianci, do not panic. We are not targeting you; we are merely welcoming a distinguished guest who has traveled from afar. Show yourself, Fellow Daoist Jiang!"

"Impossible!"

Tianci turned pale with fright, instinctively wanting to declare that he had definitely not brought any outsiders along. But just then, a light chuckle sounded from behind him, and a young, handsome man materialized. It was precisely Jiang An.

"Jiang came uninvited, yet I've troubled you all to line up and welcome me. How discourteous of me!"

Jiang An showed no trace of panic at being discovered and surrounded, saying instead with a smile.

Tianci was dumbfounded and blurted out, "You are Jiang An, the one who killed Senior Brother Heihu?! How did you follow me in? I was cautious the whole way, and those..."

"This is nothing strange. Junior Brother Tianci, you only know the half of it. It is rumored that this Fellow Daoist Jiang possesses a unique secret art capable of invading human minds, not only extracting memories but also controlling consciousness. Therefore, he must have learned the guard methods of our Divine Medicine Mountain and the location of the secret realm from Junior Brother Heihu's memories, and simply waited for Junior Brother Tianci to open the mountain-guarding formation to easily slip in behind you. Am I right, Fellow Daoist Jiang?" Immortal Heishi said coldly.

Tianci broke out in cold sweat upon hearing this, but his gaze shifted as he asked, "Since all you senior brothers knew about this, why was I the only one kept in the dark? Could it be that you don't trust this junior brother?"

Immortal Heishi's expression remained unchanged as he calmly replied to Tianci's inquiry, "Do not take it to heart, Junior Brother Tianci. This was the Sect Master's order. You have guarded the Scripture Pavilion year-round and paid no heed to outside affairs; we simply did not wish to drag you into this. Furthermore, as I just said, this Fellow Daoist Jiang's strength is unfathomable, and he can invade minds. Had we told you in advance, we feared Fellow Daoist Jiang might target you."

This explanation could not change the fact that the sect had used him as bait. Tianci's expression darkened, and he could only offer a bitter smile and say nothing more.

"It seems your esteemed sect has long known that Jiang was coming. Now that both sides have met, what is the plan? Do you gentlemen have something to say?" Jiang An asked, cupping his fists.

Immortal Heishi narrowed his eyes and said without a trace of emotion, "Fellow Daoist Jiang, you murdered someone from our Divine Medicine Mountain, yet you speak with such righteousness. Do you truly think we have no way to deal with you? The situation now is that we have you cornered like a turtle in a jar; no matter how extraordinary your abilities, you will still break your halberd here!"

With that, heavy and fierce auras erupted from the three of them, merging with the mountain-guarding formation and bearing down oppressively upon Jiang An. The other disciples of the Divine Medicine Mountain also shouted aloud to cheer them on and build momentum.

The battle seemed on the verge of breaking out. Tianci hurriedly pulled his disciple back to the side to avoid being caught in the crossfire.

A flash of cyan light flickered across Jiang An's body, and he nonchalantly withstood the mountain-like pressure pressing down from all directions. Instead, he laughed heartily, "Is this the hospitality of the Divine Medicine Mountain? Jiang came with sincerity, after all."

Seeing Jiang An's relaxed and effortless demeanor, Immortal Heishi's expression grew even uglier. He repeatedly pressed and released his hand on the spirit beast pouch a few times before suddenly withdrawing his aura. Gritting his teeth, he said, "Our Sect Master has given the order: invite Fellow Daoist Jiang to meet at the Canghai Hall on the main mountain. I wonder if Fellow Daoist Jiang dares to go?"

"Why would I not dare! Please lead the way, Fellow Daoist!"

Jiang An laughed nonchalantly. His poise made young Tao'er's eyes sparkle, feeling that such a figure was truly extraordinary.

"Please!"

Suppressing his anger, Immortal Heishi led the group as they surrounded Jiang An and headed toward the waist of a towering mountain directly ahead. Along the way, Jiang An strolled leisurely as if appreciating the scenery, while those around him remained immensely tense. Anyone unaware would have thought the roles of host and guest had been reversed.