Chapter 319: The Mount Mo Tian Master

【Mount Mo Tian Nine Sons Statue (Seven-Rank)】

【……A Blood Sha Stone that has long received offerings, tempered by the Mount Mo Tian Master through the purest of incense and consecrated by the blood of a hundred spirits and a thousand lives, used to bear one of nine divine statues of its god……】

【Conditions of Mastery: Bai Shen Fa Wu Zhong, Bai Shen Fa Si Zhong, blood of a hundred lives】

【Effects of Mastery: Eight-Rank (Black-Red): Mount Mo Tian Divine Blessing

Seven-Rank (Deep Red): Conceal Form, Conceal Qi, Blood Escape】

【There…… a god dwells within this dwelling, walking the world through it】

Damn, a god actually slipped into the inner sect—has that broken furnace fallen dead asleep?

Gazing sidelong at that flash of black-red, Li Yuan's hair stood on end. The 'god' sealed within Chu Shan Xuan Kong's Thousand Spirits Salvation Stele could not emerge, but the one before him now was a living Mount Mo Tian Master—one of the proper gods formally canonized by the imperial court. Though its incense was not as thriving as that of the Thousand-Eye Bodhisattva or the Hundred-Arm Daoist, it was still one of the famous 'gods' on the Divine Ranking.

A wandering ghost, a wandering ghost……

Li Yuan muttered inwardly, forcefully suppressing his pounding heart as he dealt with the old ghost before him.

"This old man is Mo Tian, of the Wang Jingyun Sect."

The grey-robed elder sized up Li Yuan. His features were aged, yet his eyes were deep and bright, sending a chill down Li Yuan's spine:

"I only just arrived at Dragon Tiger Temple today. I wonder if my young friend has the time to accompany this old man on a stroll?"

A ghost that won't leave!

Li Yuan gritted his teeth inwardly. He didn't even need to think—the old ghost from the Xieshen Sect before him was surely after the Rift Sea Mysterious Whale Hammer, just like the last one.

"So it's Senior Mo." Li Yuan raised his hand with tepid politeness:

"What a coincidence, but this junior still has important matters to attend to. Why doesn't Senior take a look around on his own?" Li Yuan only wanted to leave—when would he have the mind to chat with this old ghost?

"This old man was Tang Tu."

The grey-robed elder did not press him to stay, watching Li Yuan's retreating back and frowning almost imperceptibly: "Not him?"

He paced along the mountain path, neither approaching the Dragon Tiger Pagoda nor the Dragon Stele, only observing from a measured distance, sensing.

"The aura of the Thousand Spirits Salvation Stele cuts off beneath Dragon Roar Peak—could it have been suppressed by that Furnace of Preservation?"

Mo Tian muttered to himself, then couldn't resist another glance in the direction Li Yuan had gone, his fingers trembling unconsciously: "A top-grade dwelling, what a pity—the place is wrong……"

"Even something like this can sneak into the inner sect!"

Rounding the mountain path, Li Yuan couldn't help but wipe a cold sweat, inwardly grumbling: "The Dao Lord really shouldn't have thrown the mountain gates wide open."

The Dragon Tiger Furnace of Preservation blanketed the inner sect. Even a Grandmaster who infiltrated would find it hard to escape suppression once he struck; even if that evil god had snuck in, he likely wouldn't dare act rashly.

But it was still too dangerous.

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Mm, that's fine too.

"This disciple wholeheartedly agrees—Dao Lord, you are wise and mighty……"

Words of praise flowed from Li Yuan's mouth without effort.

"Stop!"

Long Long Yingchan frowned and called a halt, somewhat curious:

"That old ghost was hiding so well that, had this old man not been constantly…… ahem, had this old man not been constantly watching the mountain gates, I wouldn't have noticed him either. How did you notice?"

"Er, this disciple doesn't know either."

When Li Yuan scratched his head, unable to explain, it was best not to explain at random.

"Your five senses are quite sharp."

Long Long Yingchan guessed inwardly that it was probably the Rift Sea Mysterious Whale Hammer giving warning, but he did not expose the boy who clearly meant to conceal it, and said softly:

"Are you afraid?"

"Ahem, what has this disciple to fear?" Li Yuan immediately straightened his back.

"We're all flesh and blood; being afraid is normal. Back in my day, when I met these old ghosts, my heart went cold too." Long Long Yingchan admonished him with measured weight:

"Saying one thing and thinking another is hardly the attitude one should have when speaking with an elder."

"Your Ninlao Sect's teaching is correct; this disciple will keep it firmly in mind."

Li Yuan lowered his head sheepishly, his heart growing rather Solemn.

This old man is hard to read—the Dao Lord has met his match.

"Holding reverence in one's heart is no vice; sweep it away in time, and it will cause no harm."

Long Long Yingchan spoke pointedly: "When the spirit is unsettled, Wu Gong will also decline."

"What do you mean, Elder?"

Li Yuan's heart gave a sudden thump — he'd been startled, where did this unease come from?

"This disciple didn't…"

"Kill him? Hm, worthy of a Dragon Tiger disciple indeed, plenty of spirit, this old man is greatly comforted!" Long Long Yingchan cut off his words.

"It's not that this disciple is afraid, mainly afraid his strength falls short and ruins your grand plan, Elder."

Li Yuan's face was full of a bitter smile — that old ghost was at the very least a Grandmaster; even if he wanted to, he'd need the ability.

"Enough."

Seeing his face full of misery, wanting to refuse yet not daring, Long Long Yingchan couldn't help but laugh — if this were Long Long Xinglie or some other True Transmission disciple, even if afraid inside they'd grit their teeth and tough it out.

Hm, but this is true temperament.

Long Long Yingchan's expression softened, and he relented:

"Just go ahead and do as you see fit — this old man is right behind you, what is there to fear?"

Hm, if you'd said that earlier, I wouldn't have been afraid long ago.

Li Yuan breathed an inward sigh of relief and immediately bowed to accept the order.

"This old man counted on his fingers — tomorrow night there will be rain, perfect for going out."

Long Long Yingchan looked deeply at Li Yuan: "Going out on a rainy night is most convenient, don't you think?"

There were hidden meanings in his words; Li Yuan's scalp prickled listening — what else could he say?

"You're right."

"Enough, go find your master. The people from your Divine Weapon Valley will be properly settled by others, no need for you to worry."

With a flick of his sleeve, Long Long Yingchan had already vanished from the spot.

By the time Li Yuan lowered and raised his head, he hadn't even seen how the man had left — his heart filled with awe, and with it a few more measures of reassurance.

But…

"Could that old fellow have seen through something?"

Li Yuan muttered uneasily to himself, thinking he'd hidden things pretty well.

Hum—

In the Mi Jing, behind the main peak's rear mountain, Long Long Yingchan sat cross-legged; on his hands folded before him, strands of qi wove together, and various scenes flowed past like water.

If anyone were present and looked closely, they'd find those scenes encompassed the entire Dragon Tiger mountain range — some unfolding in the present, some having already occurred.

Whoo—

A moment later, the qi dispersed; faintly, the shadow of a pill furnace could be seen flash past, and when he opened his eyes, Long Long Yingchan frowned slightly, somewhat disappointed:

"This old man has been keeping the gates open to catch thieves for so long, and only this one old ghost shows up?"

Whooosh!

Raising a hand to blow away the qi swirling around him, Long Long Yingchan stood up, overlooking the mountain range — his gaze seeming to pierce through the Mi Jing.

Whoo—

In an instant, a wisp of cloud and mist drifted over and merged into his body.

"This boy is rather interesting."

Slightly closing his eyes, a smile appeared on Long Long Yingchan's face: "A bit slippery isn't bad — Long Xinglie's temperament is too straightforward, overly rigid and easily broken… if it could be balanced out, that would be even better."

At that moment, a breeze blew along the mountain path; an unremarkable-looking old man strode over and bowed in greeting: "Senior Brother."

"Junior Brother Cang, no need for such ceremony."

Long Long Yingchan waved his hand: "Why stand on such formality between us?"

"Propriety cannot be discarded."

Cang Cang Xianzhi shook his head, but didn't dwell on it, and said with cupped fists:

"The Yangsheng Furnace has warned again. I searched and found that people from the Xieshen Sect have infiltrated the Inner Gate, intending to approach the Great Prison — perhaps to rescue Fang Chao."

"Mm."

Long Long Yingchan nodded, indicating he understood.

"I believe we should use Fang Chao and Lin Lin Chonghu as bait to net all the demonic cultivators of the Xieshen Sect who have infiltrated this time."

Cang Cang Xianzhi said in a low voice.

"What kind of bait are those two?"

Long Long Yingchan did not agree: "The Xieshen Sect has always disregarded human life, and even more so their own people — why would they mount a rescue?"

Xieshen Sect cultists do not fear death — this is commonly acknowledged in the martial world.

"They fancy that with the Living Soul Tablet and the Dead Man's Visage they can reverse life and death — pity…"

Long Long Yingchan had his own calculations in mind:

"You need not concern yourself with this matter — let things take their course, this old man has his own plans."

"Yes."

Cang Cang Xianzhi was inwardly puzzled, but did not ask — he merely set down the intelligence he had organized, then bowed and departed.

"Xieshen Sect…"

Long Long Yingchan stood with hands clasped behind his back, gazing into the distant clouds, as if seeing the storms to come:

"Hopefully, a bigger one comes along…"

……

"Such a fine dwelling, truly hard to part with."

After pacing along the mountain path for a long while, Mo Tian still did not approach the Dragon Tiger Pagoda; he leisurely mingled with the crowd going down the mountain and returned to Mount Hengshan City.

A moment later, he arrived at a quiet, secluded old temple in the east of the city.

The old temple was small, with only one main hall and two side halls containing three divine statues. The temple's incense offerings were sparse, and at this moment there were only a few scattered worshippers. A decrepit old temple keeper was wiping down the statues.

"The mortal world is foolish, unable to recognize the true god."

Mo Tian walked into the temple, examined his own statue, and found it rather dull.

Wouldn't a divine statue with eight arms and nine heads appear far more sacred and compassionate than that fellow covered in eyeballs?

"Await my rebirth."

After pausing for a moment, Mo Tian went to the rear courtyard. In the quiet little courtyard, a plainly dressed old man was drinking tea. At this sight, he hurriedly prostrated himself on the ground:

"Yu Yu Banzhou, greets my lord!"

Mo Tian looked at him without speaking. After a moment, a flash of blood-and-fire intertwined radiance surged out from within his body, and in an instant transformed into a tall figure entirely crimson in color.

Whoo—!

The Crimson Flame Dragon King stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the coldly expressioned Mo Tian. Invisible auras clashed between the two, stirring up gust after gust of wild wind.

Yu Yu Banzhou felt his scalp go numb. He wanted to leave but didn't dare, and could only kneel on the ground, not even daring to breathe heavily.

After a moment, Mo Tian spoke:

"Crimson Flame, I've taken a liking to a dwelling."