Chapter 477: Yuanzuo Wang Zhi

The bare-chested giant who stepped forward to shout stood sixteen feet tall, burly as a bear or boar, with two steel sabers slung at his waist and a massive emerald-scaled serpent, coiled from condensed cloud-qi and nearly solid, coiled atop his back, its head swaying and tail lashing, radiating ferocity!

As the bare-chested giant cast a sidelong glance their way, a crushing pressure surged like a mountain collapsing and sea overturning, causing several of Yu Xiaoyu’s weaker demonic cultivators to choke on their breath, beads of cold sweat breaking out on their foreheads, their knees nearly buckling as they teetered on the verge of collapsing to their knees.

“Huang Xiong, what are you up to? Do you dare defy your superiors?!”

Manager Ren glanced at Chen Hang’s expression and dared not delay; he swiftly seized his weapon and stepped forward, barking sharply:

“You—”

Before Manager Ren could finish, a thick black mist suddenly erupted from behind Huang Xiong’s head; hundreds of thousands of skull heads, each the size of a cartwheel, leapt from the mist, howling and scattering through the air like flying arrows, spewing foul smoke nonstop.

In the blink of an eye, the sky above Huang Xiong’s head was darkened into a thick, ink-black haze!

The distant howl struck like a shockwave; not only did most of the demonic cultivators near Chen Hang grow dizzy and nauseous, their condition worse than before, with many collapsing with a thud, but even Manager Ren’s forehead veins throbbed violently, his face twisted in pain.

Seeing Huang Xiong show such blatant disrespect—even implicating himself—

Manager Ren abandoned all pretense of dignity, spat on the ground, and roared:

“Huang Xiong, you’re a generations-old horse-slave, born into servitude! Only by the grace of Yongwang’s court did you rise to your current position—what right do you have to strut around here like a tyrant?!”

“Do you truly think yourself the master of this mountain? We came to Fish Lake Mountain with Yongwang’s explicit permission—how many lives do you have to defy orders? If you don’t immediately clear a path for our lord, we’ll go straight to Yongwang’s court! See how you explain yourself then!”

Manager Ren’s first few words were sharp and satisfying, but his later ones carried noticeably less conviction.

Huang Xiong had climbed from a lowly household slave to his present status—he certainly possessed no shortage of supernatural arts, and his cultivation base was profound.

In Manager Ren’s eyes, if Huang Xiong suddenly flew into a rage, every cultivator present might be crushed beneath his bear-paws—including himself.

As Manager Ren felt a flicker of dread, the other demonic cultivators near Chen Hang, emboldened by the provocation, began to clamor loudly; foul insults poured forth without end. Huang Xiong’s followers, unwilling to yield, immediately fired back with equal venom.

In an instant, the two sides erupted into furious shouting, many even stripping off their outer garments to stand naked in the clouds, displaying obscene postures to taunt their foes—leaving no humiliation untried.

After a while, Huang Xiong seemed to find the spectacle dull, especially since his own side had lost the verbal battle, deepening his boredom.

“Since it’s the will of the royal household, I, Huang Xiong, shall of course comply. What I did just now was merely a jest. I recall back at Iron Peak Mountain, Brother Yu, didn’t you also send a few old dogs to play this same trick on me?”

Huang Xiong raised his hand sharply; his subordinates instantly fell silent, bowing their heads. He paused, then continued:

“But it seems Brother Yu hasn’t changed much—have you made little progress lately?”

He finished speaking, but the opposite side offered no reply. Huang Xiong felt a pang of frustration, as if his fist had struck empty air, yet he dared not press further, only saying:

“It seems Brother Yu has been cultivating inner peace. Very well. If you wish to enter Fish Lake Mountain to gather herbs, abide by the agreement we made before—I trust you, as a scion of a noble clan, won’t break your word?”

Manager Ren’s heart tightened at this; he glanced at Chen Hang tentatively: “My lord?”

Yesterday, when he delivered the message to Huang Xiong, he had barely forced Huang Xiong to agree by invoking Yongwang’s letter.

But Huang Xiong had also laid down his own condition, explicitly stating that if it wasn’t accepted, there would be no negotiation—even if they invoked Yongwang’s name, he had his own arguments.

Huang Xiong’s condition: only Yu Xiaoyu himself could enter Fish Lake Mountain—no attendants or servants permitted.

Manager Ren knew this was deliberate provocation, but after several rounds of argument, Huang Xiong refused to budge. Fortunately, upon returning, their lord, though furious, had reluctantly agreed.

“Please don’t back out now—don’t turn hostile! If a fight breaks out, this old man’s bones won’t stand a chance against Huang Xiong…”

Manager Ren trembled inwardly, constantly studying Chen Hang’s expression, his heart clenched tight.

Fortunately, before all eyes, Chen Hang’s disguised Yu Xiaoyu merely spat a few threats, then sneered and nodded.

This caused the uninformed demonic cultivators to exhale in relief, yet also left them bewildered.

“Could this bastard have truly changed his nature? After provoking him like this, he still gritted his teeth and agreed—before, he’d have already roared for blood!”

Huang Xiong, too, felt a flicker of surprise, but since he had already gained the upper hand and made the other side suffer a hidden loss, his satisfaction was complete—he saw no need to press further. He cleared his throat and feigned a laugh:

“I’m not trying to make things hard for Brother Yu—it’s just that the mountain’s herbs are precious, and I’ve been ordered to deliver fixed quotas to several high officials. If your entire retinue entered and gathered six or seven tenths of the herbs, my guilt would be immense.”

Huang Xiong glanced at Chen Hang, then signaled a deer-horned elder to step forward, instructing him:

“I must remain to guard the mountain and cannot spare time—Brother Yu wishes to gather herbs, so you, old man, lead him in and explain the terrain.”

Huang Xiong finished speaking but did not leave; his gaze remained fixed on Chen Hang.

Only when Chen Hang was led into the formation gate by the deer-horned elder, and Manager Ren and others did not follow, did Huang Xiong finally smile in satisfaction and withdraw his gaze.

“Rest easy—this man is, after all, the son of Duke Leyang. I merely made him swallow a bitter pill; I wouldn’t dare lay hands on him. We’re all ministers of the realm—we’ll cross paths again someday!”

Seeing Manager Ren and the others exchange uneasy glances, Huang Xiong tossed out this truth and then refused to linger further, letting out a loud, booming laugh before leading his horde away in a noisy swarm, leaving Manager Ren and his group staring at each other.

“Why are you all staring at me? Are your brains addled? I doubt he has the guts!”

At this moment, seeing all the demonic cultivators fix their eyes on him, Manager Ren shrugged:

“Let’s go. Avoiding a fight is a blessing—let’s return to camp and drink!”

Meanwhile, as Manager Ren and the demonic cultivators returned to camp in noisy chatter, another scene unfolded within Fish Lake Mountain.

The deer-horned elder assigned to escort them clearly understood his position.

Though he treated Chen Hang with due respect, he showed no warmth whatsoever—merely unrolled a map and, in a perfunctory manner, pointed out several locations with his finger.

But when he marked another peak on the map, the elder seemed to recall something and suddenly mentioned that the mountain’s herbs had recently been growing poorly; compared to five hundred years ago, giant Yuanzhi plants over a zhang tall had become exceedingly rare, their spiritual efficacy greatly diminished.

For this reason, Huang Xiong had summoned several pharmacists to enter the mountain to regulate the earth’s qi and drain away dampness—so now, besides Chen Hang, other cultivators were present.

This was an ordinary remark, and even the elder himself didn’t care much—he merely mentioned it as idle chatter.

His intent: to imply that the pharmacists’ locations were unlikely to yield good herbs.

But Chen Hang heard it—and a flicker of unusual color passed through his eyes.

Lü Rong, who had been absorbed into the Five Qi Qiankun Ring, suddenly stood up. He paced back and forth within the inner realm, deep in thought.

“Yuanzuo Wangzhi benefits Xiao Lingji’s cultivation. Though I don’t know how she obtained this information, she won’t miss this chance—and yet, in these past days, I’ve found no trace of Xiao Lingji or Tan Su the monk. Could they have entered Fish Lake Mountain ahead of me?”

Lü Rong’s mind churned, and a sliver of killing intent slowly leaked from his eyes.

Wang Zhi of Yuanzuo would benefit Xiao Lingji’s cultivation; though I know not how she obtained this information, this person would surely not miss the opportunity—and yet in these past days I have not found Xiao Lingji or Tan Su the monk’s whereabouts; could it be that these two have already preceded me into Fish Lake Mountain?

“If these two are truly in this mountain, it’ll save me a great deal of trouble!” Lü Rong had already decided; he sent a mental message to Chen Hang: “Chen True Person?”

Chen Hang understood Lü Rong’s intent. He subtly probed the deer-horned elder, extracting the appearance and location of the pharmacists, then said nothing more—only gestured for the elder to leave.

Though puzzled, the elder dared not associate closely with Chen Hang anyway; this outcome suited him perfectly. He bowed deeply and immediately flew away in haste.

Almost the instant the deer-horned elder vanished beyond the horizon—

The Five Qi Qiankun Ring trembled in midair, and Lü Rong materialized.

He spoke no word, but for once, his expression was solemn. He straightened his robes, then bowed deeply.

“Lü True Person has already shown sincerity with the Red Pan Zhen—how could I break my word? The Dasa Sutra, Tan Su the monk…”

Chen Hang returned the bow with a smile, gazing toward the distant, mist-shrouded mountains: “Before we proceed, let us first test the skill of this Chan lineage disciple.”

Meanwhile, above a mountain peak shaped like a giant fish’s dorsal fin, Xiao Lingji gazed at the golden esoteric inscriptions densely woven across the mountain’s body, and smiled softly to Tan Su the monk: “Brother, no wonder you’re called ‘First in Marvelous Dharma’ within Dasa Sutra—your marvelous power is perfectly refined, truly unfathomable!”

Chen Hang smiled and returned the greeting, his gaze turning toward the endless distant mountains, saying:

Chen Hang returned the bow with a smile, his gaze fixed on the distant, boundless mountains, and said:

[68] “Before attending to matters of importance, let us first test the methods of this Chan lineage disciple.”

Naturally luminous and soft, it only grows where vegetation thrives, born from the transformation of earth’s qi; it cures heart ailments, hysteria, and steadies the spirit. Its form resembles a human palm; red is superior, blue inferior.

These are the defining characteristics of the great herb, Yuanzuo Wangzhi.

Because Fish Lake Mountain abounds in this herb, Yongwang’s court guards this incomplete famed mountain with extreme vigilance, strictly preventing outside cultivators from stealing the herbs.

Should any anomaly occur and trigger the mountain-guarding formation—

Not only would Huang Xiong and his subordinates prove difficult to deal with, but Yongwang’s court would dispatch a great cultivator personally to prevent disaster!

Yet Xiao Lingji and Tan Su the monk had entered Fish Lake Mountain openly—not by force, but through clever means.

In response to Xiao Lingji’s praise, Tan Su the monk shook his head humbly: “My title ‘First in Marvelous Dharma’ applies only within Dasa Sutra—other Chan temples of Liangguang Heaven may not recognize it. But you, little sister… your ‘All Beings Are Illusory Dust Dhāraṇī’ grows ever more refined and seamless—even Huang Xiong failed to detect a trace.”

“Too bad Wen Zhao Yin attained her path before you—if not, the position of Daozi of Zhuihuan Palace might still have been contested?”

Xiao Lingji laughed: “Brother, you’re too modest. My Dhāraṇī fooled Huang Xiong only because he pays no mind to these pharmacists—not because my power is great. As for the Daozi of Zhuihuan Palace…”

Xiao Lingji sighed: “Wen Zhao Yin’s Dao-nature far surpasses mine. But she is arrogant, obsessed with stirring Yun Jie the monk’s worldly desires so she may become the true ‘Six Directions Demoness.’ If she succeeds, Wuxiang Heaven may soon birth another true great adept.”

“For now, I only seek to seize the Yuanzuo Wangzhi, enhance my cultivation, and as for competing with Wen Zhao Yin… that will depend on future fate.”

As she finished speaking, Xiao Lingji gazed down at the mountain peaks below, truly moved.

When Xiao Lingji first arrived in Moyu Continent, she casually captured a tiger demon enchanted by her beauty—only to discover he was of some lineage, serving as Huang Xiong’s personal steward with thousands of subordinates under him, a formidable force!

Worse, from the tiger demon’s spiritual memory, she learned that while patrolling the mountain for Huang Xiong, he had, by chance, glimpsed a trace of Yuanzuo Wangzhi deep underground.

Desiring the herb’s myriad benefits, the tiger demon wrestled with himself, then chose to conceal the discovery from Huang Xiong, even casting spells to obscure its location.

Just as he pondered how to claim the Wangzhi for himself, he encountered Xiao Lingji—a celestial disciple from beyond.

Not only did his secret leak, but his very life became forfeit—he became Xiao Lingji’s herb slave.

Xiao Lingji and Tan Su the monk’s entry into Fish Lake Mountain was the tiger demon’s deliberate scheme: he first ruined the herbs’ growth, then, leveraging his position and Huang Xiong’s trust, summoned a group of pharmacists to regulate the earth’s qi.

Xiao Lingji and Tan Su infiltrated among them, and after searching, Tan Su finally activated a Buddhist supernatural art, sealing the fleeing Yuanzuo Wangzhi within the mountain, trapping it so it could not escape—hoping to force it to reveal its true form for easier capture.

“I wonder what change the elder predicted with his karma insight… and Lü Rong…”

Xiao Lingji’s eyes grew cold; she sneered inwardly: “Once I seize the Yuanzuo Wangzhi, my cultivation will advance. Lü Rong—someday, I will take your primordial yang!”

Soon, another half-hour passed. Suddenly, a plume of mist erupted from a rock cave within the mountain, unable to contain itself any longer, attempting to ascend—but was blocked by layers of golden light.

The mist then plunged downward, only to be repelled again.

Xiao Lingji was unsurprised. Yuanzhi herbs naturally possess ghostly, dragon-like concealment—ordinary cultivators struggle to harvest them, let alone Wangzhi.

Not only had Wang Zhi’s whereabouts been leaked, but even their own lives were no longer their own, becoming Xiao Lingji’s medicinal slaves.

Xiao Lingji and Tan Su’s arrival at Yu Hu Mountain was also a deliberate scheme by the tiger demon—he first ruined the growth of the mountain’s zhi grass, then, leveraging his authority and Huang Xiong’s trust, invited a group of herbalists in to regulate the land’s qi.

Xiao Lingji and Tan Su naturally blended in with the herbalists, and after a thorough search, Tan Su finally activated a Shaumen spiritual power, sealing the Yuanzuo Wang Zhi—then in the act of fleeing—within the mountain, trapping it so it could not enter or exit, hoping to force the Wang Zhi to reveal its true form for easier capture.

“I wonder what variable Brother’s karma-seeing prophecy foretold? And Lu Rong…”

Xiao Lingji’s beautiful eyes grew cold, and she sneered inwardly:

“Once I take the Yuanzuo Wang Zhi, my cultivation will surely advance—Lu Rong, one day, I will take your primordial yang!”

Soon another half-hour passed, when suddenly from a rock cave in the mountain, a plume of flying smoke erupted—as if it could no longer hold back, attempting to flee upward, only to be blocked by layers of golden light.

The flying smoke then dove downward, but was likewise repelled.

Xiao Lingji saw this without surprise—the Yuanzuo zhi grass naturally possesses the ability to vanish like a ghost or hide like a dragon; ordinary cultivators find it nearly impossible to harvest, let alone the Wang Zhi.

Originally, the tiger demon had clearly encountered Wang Zhi but did not move immediately.

This was partly because the tiger demon was uncertain how to take Wang Zhi away, and partly because it feared its preparations were insufficient and might scare Wang Zhi off.

But now that Tan Su had taken personal action.

No matter how extraordinary Yuan Zuo Wang Zhi might be, it was now doomed to be a bird trapped in a cage.

Seeing how the flying smoke struggled for a long time without yielding, and having already forced it to reveal its true form, Tan Su grew impatient and let out a mighty lion’s roar, shattering the smoke like rotten rags and erasing Wang Zhi’s spiritual awareness within it.

Before Xiao Lingji could reach out to take it, a piercing shriek suddenly erupted from midair—countless blood shadows smashed through the atmospheric Gang wind and surged forth!

Tan Su frowned slightly; he had just begun

to move and intercept, when a sudden chill surged down his back, like a razor-sharp blade descending to split him in two!

“This sword intent… is there another swordsman here like Yun Jie the Monk?”

Tan Su instantly grew alert.