Chapter 325: Meeting the Hundred-Eyed Centipede Spirit on the Road, Bathing with a Beauty in Zhuogou Quan

Having passed Jingji Ridge, the journey westward was smooth and boundless, yet at this time the Journey to the West had not yet begun; places like Xiaoleiyin Si or Zhuzi Guo were not even shadows yet.

After traveling for a distance, Fang Longye tilted his head, just about to say something to Yang Chan.

Suddenly sensing something, he looked up and saw thousands of golden rays bursting forth in the distance, spreading in all directions.

The edges were like silk and threads, as fine as needles.

Just by looking, there was a stinging pain as if pricked by needle points; it was bloated and very uncomfortable.

Then, the golden light retracted, transforming into a person wearing a bright red golden-inlaid crown, draped in a pitch-black robe, shod in a pair of green cloud-topped shoes, and tied at the waist with a yellow-flickering Lu Gong sash.

His face was like melon-iron, his eyes like bright stars.

"I have met Dragon Lord Yuanlong and the Three Holy Mothers; I did not expect that having only just met at Cuiyun Mountain, I would see you both again so soon!"

The person stood still and greeted Fang Longye and Yang Chan, who were on the cloud carriage.

"That's right, Zhuogou Quan is not far ahead, and further back is Huanghua Guan from the original story~"

Fang Longye suddenly realized—he recognized the person; they had first met at the Niu Mowang's mansion-opening banquet.

It was precisely that centipede spirit with great divine abilities from Journey to the West, Duomu Guai, the Baiyan Mojun.

"It seems you have already entrusted Niu Mowang to find a dojo?" Fang Longye pushed aside the bead curtain hanging on the cloud carriage, signaling for the other to come forward and talk.

This centipede spirit did not know where he had studied; he had also just arrived in Xiniu Hezhou to attend Niu Mowang's banquet, having heard of Niu Mowang's reputation for being worldly and generous, and intended to ask him to help find a suitable dojo.

Before, when they took their leave, this centipede spirit had not yet departed, but because they had been traveling leisurely, the other had actually arrived ahead of them.

One could only say that Niu Mowang was indeed righteous, having helped this centipede spirit find a dojo so quickly.

"Two fellow Daoists~"

The centipede spirit, dressed as a Daoist, arrived before Fang Longye and performed a Daoist salute in a loose, relaxed manner, looking quite at ease and unrestrained.

The person himself truly had an air of immortal grace, yet the Dharma robe he wore had patterns of a thousand eyes, half-open and half-closed, which felt indescribably eerie.

It did not match his personal temperament at all.

"It seems you have indeed chosen a dojo; I wonder where you have selected?" Fang Longye did not mind, speaking to him in a very amiable manner.

Although this centipede spirit was currently only at the Golden Immortal Realm, he was a formidable character on the road to the West, with a thousand eyes under his ribs that could shoot out golden light, which was extremely powerful.

It could dazzle the heavens and cover the sun and moon, shrouding people in a hazy, explosive aura; in Journey to the West, even Sun Wukong could not withstand it at the time and had to go fetch reinforcements.

Unfortunately, the other was already at the Golden Immortal Realm and had his own ideas; trying to recruit him as a subordinate would likely be extremely difficult.

But even if recruitment failed, it would be good to associate and interact with him.

After all, when traveling, one relies on friends!

This centipede spirit's use of poison was peerless; in Journey to the West, he had poisoned Tang Seng, Zhu Bajie, and Sha Heshang, and even Sun Wukong would likely not have escaped disaster had he not been alert.

Perhaps he would be of use in the future.

"The Dali Bull Demon King is indeed as the rumors say, worldly, generous, and righteous. With his help, this poor Daoist has indeed found a dojo."

Facing Fang Longye's inquiry, the centipede spirit did not hide anything, praised Niu Mowang profusely, and pointed ahead with a smile: "It is just not far ahead. This poor Daoist also just arrived and has not set up anything yet, so when I saw you two, I came over to say hello~"

"It seems we won't be able to have a cup of tea~" Fang Longye teased.

This was just a joke.

Never mind that the centipede spirit had not yet set up his dojo; even if he had, Fang Longye would feel disgusted to drink this centipede spirit's tea.

"I am truly sorry, I cannot host you both!" The centipede spirit naturally did not know what Fang Longye was thinking, and seeing him say this, he could not help but apologize.

"Haha! I was just joking with you, fellow Daoist!" Fang Longye laughed heartily and said, "Then I will not disturb you in setting up your dojo~"

"Many thanks for your understanding, fellow Daoist. Once my Huanghua Guan is built, I will certainly invite you to visit."

After some polite exchanges, the centipede spirit retreated gracefully, leaving Fang Longye and Yang Chan hovering in mid-air.

Fang Longye watched him leave, the smile on his face gradually fading, and turned to look at Yang Chan, asking: "Miaojun, you are knowledgeable and experienced; could you discern the lineage of this centipede fellow Daoist?"

Yang Chan's beautiful eyes shifted, and after some contemplation, she said uncertainly: "There are shadows of Pan Wang's Daoist arts, but it looks somewhat ambiguous."

Pan Wang's Daoist arts?! Fang Longye raised an eyebrow; no wonder this centipede spirit was dressed as a Daoist. If one really spoke of it, Pan Wang, as a former guest of Zixiao Gong, was definitely a legitimate member of the Profound Sect.

"It seems this era will not be lonely~"

Fang Longye thought to himself.

He was no stranger to this Pan Wang; he was a great divine being of the Leftist Path—no, to be precise, he was the founding patriarch of the Leftist Path lineage.

In Honghuang, he was known as Pan Wang Laozu, an existence who established his own sect and became an ancestor.

"That's right," Yang Chan mused, her brows relaxing as she confirmed: "It is indeed Pan Wang's Daoist arts~"

"It is just unclear whether this centipede fellow Daoist is a disciple under his tutelage, or a spirit insect he raised that stole the Dao Scripture and ran away~"

She smoothed her hair and giggled, "Speaking of which, this Pan Wang Laozu is truly unwilling to be lonely!"

"Others learn from their mistakes, once bitten by a snake, they fear the rope for ten years." Yang Chan's beautiful eyes were full of smiles.

"But he is different; he has only just returned to the world, and he actually dares to get involved in the Great Calamity?"

"After all, he was once mentioned alongside those two from the Western Brahma gate as the 'side-door and leftist path', so naturally he is unwilling to be lonely~" Fang Longye also laughed.

This Pan Wang Laozu, although he had fallen in a Great Calamity and seemed like a failure, was not that simple.

He was a powerful being born at the creation of the world and had the good fortune to go to Zixiao Gong to listen to Hongjun preach, making him one of the guests of Zixiao Gong.

Especially after listening to the Dao, he combined his own cultivation to create the Leftist Path lineage, using his own poison arts and gu arts as a foundation, attempting to attain the Primordial Dao.

As the saying goes, there are three thousand Great Daos and eight hundred side-doors. Within the Leftist Path, there are also boundless divine abilities; if one cultivates to the peak, it is truly possible to attain the Primordial Dao.

Otherwise, he would not have been mentioned alongside those two from the Western gate as the "side-door and leftist path" back then.

Although both "side-door" and "leftist path" were derogatory terms used by some powerful beings for the two.

But regardless, having been mentioned alongside those two from the Western gate, this Pan Wang Laozu still had some real skills.

He had single-handedly started from scratch and developed the Leftist Path lineage into six Great Daos: Witch, Curse, Poison, Gu, Corpse, and Ghost.

He even possessed the supreme treasure of the Leftist Path—the Six Soul Banner, to suppress the fortune of the Leftist Path.

It could be said that he was peerless for a time.

Of course, supernatural powers cannot overcome the number of Heaven.

This Pan Wang Laozu, for the sake of his own Great Dao, had to frequently participate in the Great Calamities.

For instance, during the Lich War, he befriended the Witch Clan and even went so far as to slaughter the Demon Clan, all just to obtain the Witch Clan's masterful methods of the Witch and Curse paths.

During the great war between Xuanyuan and Chiyou, he helped Hanba subdue her internal fire, all to comprehend the path of Corpse transformation.

For the sake of the Ghost path within the Leftist Path, he frequently used Ghost path cultivators as test subjects, in order to comprehend the method of ghost-cultivation through Yin-devouring.

It can be said that the development of the Leftist Path today, and even the legendary flourishing of the Leftist Path in the Age of Dharma Decline, is all thanks to this founding master, Pan Wang Laozu.

However, as the saying goes, "If you walk by the river often, how can you not get your shoes wet?" Pan Wang Laozu, being as he was, naturally became stained with a body full of karma.

When the Tribulation arrived at his doorstep, he had no choice but to face the Calamity and depart.

He left behind a vast lineage that fell into pieces, and even the Six Soul Banner, the supreme treasure of the Leftist Path in his hands, ended up in the possession of Tongtian Jiaozhu.

Fortunately, he still had some destiny; by the era of Di Ku, he returned to the world and even seized a portion of the Human Race's fortune, rooting his own lineage within the Human Race.

But regardless, it was far from what it once was. The Spirit Treasures he once possessed were lost to others, and the Leftist Path, which once stood shoulder-to-shoulder with the Brahma path of the side-doors, was reduced to a minor, inferior path.

Therefore, Yang Chan felt astonished that Pan Wang Laozu still dared to meddle in the Great Calamity.

He truly is one who becomes more courageous with every setback!

"Alright!"

Fang Longye pulled Yang Chan over, interrupting her deep thoughts, and laughed: "Let's not talk about these irrelevant matters! Come, I will take you to a good place!"

"It wouldn't be Zhuogou Quan, would it!"

Yang Chan tilted her head, thought for a moment, and spoke.

Eh? Fang Longye was stunned for a moment.

"She who knows me, is Miaojun!"

"I'm warning you!" Yang Chan seemed to have thought of something, broke free from Fang Longye's embrace, and said with a vigilant look on her face: "Before we are married, don't you dare have any ideas about me!"

"I am not one of those warblers and swallows by your side that you can manipulate at will! In any case, before the two of us are wed, you are not allowed to cross the line by even half a step!"

"Alright then~" Seeing that his intentions had been seen through, Fang Longye said with no small amount of regret: "Then are we still going to Zhuogou Quan or not?"

"We are, why wouldn't we~" Yang Chan said with great interest: "Of these Nine Sun Springs, I have only soaked in Xiangleng Quan; I have only ever heard the name of Zhuogou Quan."

It was just that she was only a Golden Immortal before, and Erlang Shen had never been at ease with her; things like running off to soak in a Spirit Spring were even more strictly forbidden.

After all, how many female immortals had fallen because of this, and one had to take it as a warning.

The location of Zhuogou Quan was not some secret place; it was just sitting there quite openly on a Blessed Land of a mountain.

It was called Wuchen Shan.

At this time, the Centipede Spirit had only just arrived in Xiniu Hezhou, and the seven Spider Spirits were not even on the horizon yet!

Therefore, this Wuchen Shan was unoccupied.

Oh, that's not right either.

To be precise, this Zhuogou Quan did have an owner; it was occupied by the seven fairies under Wangmu Niangniang, and it belonged to their exclusive bathhouse.

However, hindered by the heavenly rules and precepts, those seven fairies probably wouldn't even be able to descend to the mortal world once every three to five years, so it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call it ownerless land.

In any case, when Fang Longye and Yang Chan arrived at this Wuchen Shan, what they saw was an empty mountain villa.

They saw a stone bridge spanning the river, ancient trees looming all around, and birds of unknown species hopping back and forth on the treetops, hopping back and forth, occasionally letting out a light cry.

Reflected by the water and trees, several thatched cottages looked as elegant and refined as an immortal's hermitage; even though there was no one there, the tables were bright and the surfaces clean, unstained by dust.

Since Zhuogou Quan was the bathhouse of the seven fairies under Wangmu Niangniang, it naturally could not be an open-air pool, aside from the villa built for resting.

There were also Restrictions laid out all around, sufficient to block any prying eyes from those below the Great Luo.

Otherwise, when the seven fairies were bathing, with a bunch of people staring, how could they possibly wash~

However, these could not stop Fang Longye and Yang Chan; after some spell-casting, the two of them quickly found the concealed Zhuogou Quan.

This Zhuogou Quan was not large, about five zhang wide and over ten zhang long, with a depth of four chi.

The water was extremely clear, and at the bottom, water beads were rolling about like jade pearls, bubbling up; there were six or seven orifices on all sides for the water to flow through.

Fang Longye discovered that the description in the original Journey to the West was truly apt~

It could truly be said: The hot waves are like a boiling cauldron, the heat like fresh soup. Bubbling pearls rise in tears, rolling jade masses surge. The lubrication is not from brewing, the clarity and peace are naturally warm.

Above the pool were three pavilions; inside one pavilion, near the back wall, sat an eight-legged bench and two gold-painted lacquer clothes racks.

On the other side stood a stone tablet, upon which were fiery ancient characters, looking like birds yet not quite birds.

They were exactly three large characters:

"Zhuogou Quan."

"Hoo~"

Feeling the heat of Zhuogou Quan, Yang Chan could not help but let out a breath and smile: "I had heard my few convenient cousins mention this Zhuogou Quan before."

"It's a pity that Second Brother wouldn't let me get too close to them. I never had the chance to come play at their Zhuogou Quan."

Fang Longye thought to himself, your Second Brother truly had foresight.

Otherwise, the clothes that Dong Yong stole might not have been the seven fairies', but the Three Holy Mother's. And then there would have been nothing for Liu Yanchang later on~ After sighing with emotion, Yang Chan swept her eyes over Fang Longye and said: "Get out!"

"Miaojun, there's no need for that! We are going to be married soon, why fuss over this~"

Fang Longye's eyes darted around, fixed on Yang Chan's curvaceous figure, and he said with a grin.

Yang Chan rolled her eyes and said: "I don't trust you~"

Seeing her insist, Fang Longye let his eyes dart around, stripped himself completely bare, and with a splash, dove headfirst into Zhuogou Quan.

He was playing the rogue, acting first and reporting later, jumping into Zhuogou Quan ahead of her.

This made Yang Chan stomp her feet in anger.

"Miaojun, what is there to be worried about. Sss~ it feels so comfortable! Hurry up and come down!"

He was not actually deceiving Yang Chan with these words.

After entering Zhuogou Quan, he felt a warm, gentle current continuously drilling into his limbs and bones; it was truly comfortable.

To describe it in one word, it was: blissful~

It was so blissful that he could not help but moan.

Through investigation, he discovered that the heat flowing into his body was actually Sun True Fire.

Yet, this Sun True Fire was extremely docile, not at all violent, and possessed not a shred of the power to burn the heavens or destroy the earth.

It had been weakened countless times over, its inherent ferocity dissolved, leaving only the function of nourishing all living things and benefiting the world.

If a mortal were to bathe in this pool, they could shed their mortal coil and extend their lifespan.

Even for demons, immortals, and gods, soaking in this hot spring water was of great benefit, as it could purify the Dao body and strengthen the physical form.

Although the speed of improving one's constitution was very slow, it had the advantage of being effortless, and the process was also very enjoyable.

Of course, for him and Yang Chan at their current level, the effect was not significant, but the comfort was still worth praising.

"Miaojun, you should come down quickly too; soaking in this hot spring is so comfortable!"

Sharing joy is better than enjoying it alone, so Fang Longye beckoned even more enthusiastically~ Seeing Fang Longye's invitation and the earnest look in his eyes, Yang Chan's heart softened; she removed her outer garments, wearing only her undergarments, and lightly tapped her jade feet.

She entered Zhuogou Quan.

"Ah, blissful~"

She could not help but moan, and her face turned red, whether from the heat of the hot spring or from shyness, it was hard to tell.

Hearing the sound, Fang Longye could not help but tremble; he felt as if his very bones were turning to mush, and his heart felt as if it were being scratched by a cat's paw.

His hands immediately became restless, reaching out to touch the warm, fragrant, and soft curves before him.

(End of this chapter)