Chapter 29: Dragon Pearl

In the darkness, a sobbing sound gradually began to rise.

It resembled a wolf's howl, and also the roar of tigers and leopards.

The many brave warriors also felt a sense of imminent disaster.

Zhang Jian's expression was solemn, his spiritual power surging all around him, while countless yellow talismans flew from his hand, forming a talisman array before the earthen temple.

If any aberrant creature dared to step forward, he would directly blast it to death.

At the same time, Zhang Jian noticed that the pearl in his hand was faintly heating up.

Each time he circulated his spiritual power to activate thunder arts, the spiritual essence on this gold pearl would faintly fluctuate, as if it might run wild at any moment.

Within it, a mysterious spiritual essence seeped out.

In Zhang Jian's extraordinarily keen innate spiritual sense, this layer of mysterious spiritual essence was extremely heavy and vast, exuding an overbearing, unmatched aura.

This change nevertheless truly aroused Zhang Jian's curiosity; he intended to study this gold pearl thoroughly after the current situation ended.

Meanwhile, Zhang Jian noticed that the surging, gloomy spiritual essence deep in the forest suddenly, for no reason, ceased its movement and gradually dissipated.

Relying on the miraculous nature of the Myriad Realm Spirit Pearl, he faintly heard several whispered voices from the woods.

"It's the aura of a dragon!"

"We must leave this place!"

……

Zhang Jian's brow twitched; he suddenly realized something, and glanced at the golden treasure pearl in his sleeve.

"Is this a dragon pearl?"

Zhang Jian felt somewhat incredulous.

Myriad beasts facing the azure, these ghostly beings naturally dread the true dragon's majesty and dare not approach.

Yet Zhang Jian still felt somewhat strange, with a hint of fortune; without this dragon pearl, today's consequences would be unpredictable.

The news he obtained from Gu Xiu'er actually helped him greatly; however, had he not been delayed in the Mian King's Tomb, he might not have encountered such trouble.

But regardless, the retreat of these monsters allowed Zhang Jian to breathe easier, though a strangeness lingered in his eyes.

How could there be so many yin ghosts in Fengchao Mountain?

At the same time he glanced into the depths of Fengchao Mountain; the gloomy spiritual essence spewing from the wells suddenly ceased as well.

Deep within, another obscure change surfaced, but Zhang Jian could not see that layer clearly.

This inevitably caused a change in his gaze.

He also harbored speculation in his heart.

Returning to the small temple, the many brave warriors turned their tense gazes toward him.

Zhang Jian waved his hand; this group of brave warriors relaxed, and some even staggered on the verge of collapse, for the rustling sounds outside the temple earlier had frightened them greatly.

Seeing the crowd's expressions, Zhang Jian's heart also arose a sense of reverence for heaven and earth, while simultaneously strengthening his resolve as a strong one.

Fear is also a source of motivation.

Yet Zhang Jian did not relax his vigilance afterward, lest he be taken advantage of by demonic entities.

Meanwhile, his heart was placed upon that dragon pearl.

If that golden treasure pearl could indeed be a dragon pearl, then it ought to possess more than just a single evil‑warding function.

……

At this moment, deep in Fengchao Mountain, the night was dark and cold; two figures stood towering in the void, one surrounded by flowing golden light, his spiritual power surging.

The other wore a Daoist cap, dressed in a purple robe, and bore a lotus flower crown.

They gazed into the mountain's depths, at the countless wells exhaling yin qi, their expressions unusually solemn.

At this moment, the green‑clothed middle‑aged man whose body flowed with golden light sighed:

"Truly a sin, this place has practically become a demon's lair!"

The purple‑robed Daoist shook his head and said: "We've swept it clean many times, yet some slip through the net, affected by the Phoenix Spirit! Just sweep a few more times!!"

The green‑clothed middle‑aged man said solemnly:

"Truly fearsome!"

"Fortunately we have half a volume of the Jade Saint Hand Scroll to suppress it, keeping this land safe, but now it seems the power within that half‑volume cannot last much longer—after all, it is merely a fragment, its power limited!"

"Fellow Daoist Yuhe, when will your sect's exalted masters arrive?"

He gazed at the purple‑robed Daoist, a hint of reverence in his eyes.

The purple‑robed Daoist's whisk fluttered in his hand; he spoke calmly.

"There will always be a way! The National Teacher will not neglect these vicious ghosts and evils; when the time comes, exalted masters will naturally come to perform salvation upon these ferocious spirits!"

As he spoke thus, the purple‑robed Daoist's heart was also extremely heavy.

The Phoenix Spirit howling in this mountain is a ghost phoenix born from a failed phoenix egg in the Twin Phoenix Mountain Range; its resentment is vast, truly a born vengeful spirit.

It periodically cannot contain itself, summoning all manner of evil to attempt to burst forth from the mountain's belly.

To say it could be exterminated is actually not that difficult.

The Cavern God Sect is not lacking in demon‑slaying weapons, but the problem is that this Phoenix Spirit was conceived by the Twin Phoenix Mountain Range; its foundation is linked to the range, making it akin to a mountain god born of heaven and earth. If violently slain, it would surely provoke the earth dragon to overturn, damaging the ley lines, which would affect one's own cultivation.

Most of the sect's exalted masters cherish their reputations; who would willingly involve themselves in such trouble?

And to resolve this Phoenix Spirit's vengeful ghost, the only way is to help her be reborn and perform salvation upon her.

Achieving that is exceedingly difficult.

In the Cavern God Sect, those skilled in salvation are already few, and those capable of salvaging a being akin to an innate ghost king are even fewer.

Moreover, it is far too perilous.

At this moment, seeing the valley below gradually covered in golden patterns, with countless runes fully revealed, the two hastily departed, not wishing to linger long here.

After all, wandering about in the domain of a ghost king is quite dangerous.

And after the two left, however, a sudden intense golden gleam appeared deep in the canyon below, flying out of the canyon in an instant, then vanished without a trace.

……

The next day, as the sky just began to brighten, the many able-bodied youths in the small temple hurriedly set off on their wagons.

But there was now an extra patient.

The young able-bodied youth called Xiao Xie had fallen ill since last night, his body limp on the flatbed cart, his complexion deathly pale.

"He was frightened! His soul was startled!"

Zhang Jian was somewhat speechless; this able-bodied youth's sharp tongue was formidable, yet he still got frightened yesterday.

In the folk, this is called 'losing one's soul'; upon reaching the prefectural city, one must find a Daoist to summon the soul and calm the spirit.

Or take medicine to calm the spirit!

Although he possesses a soul-purifying incantation, that is a method for subduing evil used in conversion, but he does not know the art of pacifying souls.

At the same time, a thought arose in Zhang Jian's mind: although he had embarked on the path of longevity, he was currently still fumbling like a beginner, lacking much knowledge; this trip to the prefectural city could be an opportunity to visit one or two nearby Daoist temples and study the scriptures.

The journey over the next two days was calm and smooth.

Not long after, the prefectural city came into view.

In the prefectural city, the Qi family on this side had already early received news of Zhang Jian's imminent entry into the city; however, regarding the Zhang family's 'external grandson,' the Qi family's reaction was rather indifferent.

This involves an old case from years past, and the Qi family, up and down, are fully aware of it.

Simply, they merely sent an inner household steward to greet him.

On the contrary, deep within the Qi family's inner quarters, things are rather unsettled at the moment; this Zhang family relative came early to offer birthday congratulations, and the ladies inside the Qi family's inner quarters have some idea of his intentions.

Their reactions to this are also completely different.

"At fifteen, having already passed the provincial examination and become a recommended candidate, he is indeed a prodigy; although the rank of licentiate is nothing much in our families of generations of officials, his future is bright……"