Where Immortals Once Walked

Chapter 606: Mount Xu’s Guardian Spirit

If the gods had confirmed that the Generous Pot was in Panlong City, their probing would never have been so limited.

He Lingchuan secretly let out a breath. So, with the divine bone shielding me, I’m safe?

No, that doesn’t seem right either. Panlong City was ultimately destroyed, meeting almost the same fate as the State of Yuān.

In other words, the gods have most likely closed in on the Generous Pot’s whereabouts again.

Mitian had once mentioned a key term: aura.

The Generous Pot’s aura.

Under what circumstances would the Generous Pot’s aura leak out and be sensed by the lid?

He Lingchuan remembered the great terror he had felt before the white jade steps of Star-Plucking Tower.

Is it because the lid is inside Star-Plucking Tower that the divine bone amulet had conveyed the Generous Pot’s urgent, almost ravenous impatience?

These two divine artifacts had originally been one, so it naturally longed to be whole again.

No wonder... No wonder why despite it having been Zhu Erniang who asked me to go to Mount Xu, the divine bone necklace had reacted so much more violently than expected. To the Generous Pot, even if it devoured every treasure under heaven, which one could compare to its original lid?

“Does the key to resonance between these two treasures lie in distance? The closer they are, the stronger the attraction and the stronger the sensing?” Zhong Shengguang was also speculating, then shook his head to reject his own idea. “Clearly not. It can’t be that simple.”

Right, it can’t be that simple. The Twilight Plains and Lingxu City were separated by over a thousand kilometers, yet when the second scene appeared in the ruins of Qianxing City, the gods immediately sent Bai Ziqi to investigate. Northern Chiyan and Lingxu City were separated by hundreds of kilometers, yet not long after the giant red figure inside the Generous Pot devoured the Hundred-Faced Nightmare, Bai Ziqi rushed to Baishajue.

That means that the gods’ detection of the Generous Pot doesn’t rely only on changes in distance.

“Then think about it the other way around,” Zhong Shengguang murmured. “When can the divine bone amulet no longer conceal the Generous Pot’s aura?”

“When the Generous Pot releases energy in great quantity, or when it interacts strongly with the outside world.” Another suddenly sounded at the scene.

The Red General arrived gracefully, wearing a thin suit of leather armor and no mask.

She had vaulted straight over the wall, not even needing the guards to open the gate.

“At that time, Tianluo Star will light up.”

He Lingchuan’s heart stirred.

Shao Jian immediately stood to face her. Zhong Shengguang looked at Mitian with a frown. “You knew this all along, but didn’t tell me?”

“If the other gods can sense the Generous Pot, then through the Generous Pot, I can also sense that the lid is in Lingxu City. The divine artifacts were originally one. Of course, they resonate with each other across distance.” Mitian said plainly, “You can’t use the Generous Pot anyway. What benefit would there be in knowing more?”

She believed Zhong Shengguang had no need to know.

“Your last defeat came from arrogance.” Zhong Shengguang raised his cup toward her. “Do you want to repeat the same mistake?”

Mitian was displeased, and the atmosphere inside the room abruptly grew heavy.

Zhong Shengguang slowly drank his wine, showing no panic.

Mitian looked at him and Shao Jian in turn. “Spread the Dragon Punishment Pillars as quickly as possible. Only then can we proceed to the next stage.”

Facing this god, Shao Jian did not dare act as casually as Zhong Shengguang. He immediately bowed and acknowledged the order.

Mitian turned and strode away.

For a while, the room fell silent. No one spoke.

Zhong Shengguang downed two more cups of wine in silence.

Shao Jian estimated that the Red General had gone far enough not to hear them. Only then did he lean close to Zhong Shengguang and whisper, “Is that child Wuhan... still here?”

Zhong Shengguang did not answer. Instead, he set down his cup. “You’ve drunk too much. You still need to leave tomorrow morning.” He beckoned He Lingchuan forward. “Help him back to his courtyard to rest. Make him drink more sobering soup.”

“Yes.” He Lingchuan moved to help Shao Jian, but the man waved him off.

Shao Jian said, “No need. I’m not that drunk.”

He stood and staggered outside.

* * *

Early the next morning, at the post station in Panlong City’s southern outskirts.

Shao Jian was leaving the city with another merchant caravan. There was no special treatment.

Many people had gathered at the long pavilion to send him off.

Zhong Shengguang wore ordinary clothes and a veiled hat. He had also come to see his old friend away.

The two men patted each other on the shoulder and looked at one another without words.

The road ahead was long and obstructed, mountains high and rivers endless. Who knew when they would meet again?

Each had his own ideals, each his own heavy duty.

Each had his own convictions, each his own dangers.

A thousand words finally became only one.

“Return!” After riding more than thirty meters, Shao Jian turned and saw Zhong Shengguang still standing there unmoving. He could not help but wave and laugh. “In a few years, I’ll definitely come back and drink with you!”

His figure gradually receded into the distance. Zhong Shengguang watched his friend leave, standing there like a statue.

From somewhere, a flute sounded—clear, lingering, and melodious.

Shao Jian likely heard it too. He turned toward the low hill beside the post station, as though raising a hand in farewell to someone. He Lingchuan saw the crow’s feet at the corners of his eyes as he smiled.

Who’s there?

On the return to the city, Zhong Shengguang remained silent the entire way.

After entering the government office, he turned to He Lingchuan and said, “Your mission has been successfully completed. Go back. The Bureau of Bright Prospects will have a record of it.”

All these days, He Lingchuan’s mission had been to guard Shao Jian’s safety.

Now that the guest had left Panlong City, his mission ended here.

“Yes.”

Zhong Shengguang left on his own and soon vanished into the crowd.

His back looked somewhat bleak.

After guarding Shao Jian for several days, He Lingchuan had not been home all this time. He was planning to go out and call a donkey cart, but unexpectedly, someone came to post notices on the government office announcement wall.

He Lingchuan glanced over and saw that the Hall of Inquiry had updated its lecture schedule.

Public lectures had to be announced seven days in advance.

He hurriedly skimmed through it and discovered that the second session was titled “Selected Flute Pieces: Fingerings and Scores.”

Ah, well, I didn’t see it. I didn’t see anything.

His gaze continued downward, automatically skipping several more courses that did not interest him.

However, whoever had changed the schedule had been careless. They had torn off most of last week’s notice, but a small piece remained stuck to the wall.

On that scrap of paper, He Lingchuan found a lecture:

Standing Apart from the World — Where Are the Ancient Monsters Now?

Lecturer: Xu Shichu.

Hiss, this has to be about Zhu Erniang, right?

Besides, the lecturer’s name sounded familiar, as though he had heard it somewhere before.

He Lingchuan checked the lecture time.

What a coincidence, it’s happening right now. If I rush over, I might still make it.

He immediately went out and hired a donkey cart. “To the Hall of Inquiry. Quickly!”

* * *

The sinkhole where the Hall of Inquiry was located was packed today, with twice as many listeners as usual.

He Lingchuan arrived late and tried to squeeze in, but there was not even a place to stand. That alone showed how popular this lecture was.

He had no choice but to lean against a stone pillar.

Only this spot had a little space. In winter, no one wanted to stand beside a stone pillar. The cold pierced straight through.

He Lingchuan shivered too.

On the way, he had remembered who Xu Shichu was: Sun Fuling’s honored master, the headmaster of Shumin State Academy.

The white-bearded headmaster he had imagined looked, in reality, only about forty. He had handsome eyebrows, bright eyes, and the refined bearing of a scholar.

He Lingchuan often came to the Hall of Inquiry to listen to lectures, but this was his first time seeing Xu Shichu.

The headmaster did not often come, but he was very popular. One only had to look at how packed the sinkhole was to know.

This lecture had already been going on for two hours and was nearing its end. The theoretical portion had been finished, and now it was time for open questions. Someone at the front had likely brought up Zhu Erniang as a question, since she was a living example of an ancient monster immortal, and also Panlong City’s neighbor and trade partner—cough, though there had been a little unpleasantness between them before.

Xu Shichu’s view was largely similar to what Helian Chen had once said. He Lingchuan suspected that the two often exchanged ideas in private. In any case, Helian Chen frequently went to Shumin State Academy to teach.

As heaven and earth spirit qi declined, the once-mighty monster immortals were like whales stranded on shore. If they could not wait for the next tide, they could only die in bitterness. Very, very few ancient monster immortals had survived to the present. Even if they existed, they were probably like Zhu Erniang, using methods similar to snatching new bodies to extend their lives, while their cultivation could no longer be preserved.

If spirit qi never recovered, time would be their greatest enemy.

Taking another body carried risks. Many immortals had disappeared because of it.

Seeing that others were eager to ask questions, He Lingchuan did not wait for Xu Shichu to finish his last few words before interrupting, “Then are there no monster immortals who have survived from antiquity to the present without needing to shed their old bodies or seize bodies, while still retaining themselves?”

His behavior was somewhat rude, but Xu Shichu did not mind.

“To survive into the present age, such a greater monster would need a unique advantage bestowed by heaven itself, allowing it to continuously obtain more spirit qi even in the current environment, thereby sustaining its own needs.”

At this point, Xu Shichu fell into thought.

Finding an example in the present environment was not easy.

He thought for a bit too long, so He Lingchuan simply made his intention clear, “Headmaster Xu, does the guardian spirit of Mount Xu count?”

The moment the words “Mount Xu” appeared, Xu Shichu abruptly lifted his head and pointed at him.

“It counts. Of course it counts! Yes, yes, yes. The guardian spirit of Mount Xu is indeed an ancient greater monster still alive today! This example is excellent! Excellent!”

Everyone immediately grew interested. For such a major figure to live until now, how extraordinary must they be?

Xu Shichu said solemnly, “This mountain spirit’s name is Juju.”

He wrote the two large characters “岨炬” on the board beside him.

Not only did the soldiers and civilians of Panlong City not know it, even someone like He Lingchuan, who had traveled widely, found the name... Wait, haven’t I heard this somewhere before?

The name, Juju (岨炬), literally meant “the spark of flame within a rocky mountain.”

“This is an immensely powerful yet unusually low-profile monster. Very few in the current era have seen its true form, because out of every hundred years, it spends at least ninety-nine years and ten months in hibernation.” Xu Shichu continued explaining, “Its identity is also extremely special. Since the Ancient Era, it has been the mountain-guarding spirit beast of the Grand Return Sect!”

The moment he finished speaking, a buzzing wave of discussion erupted below.

He Lingchuan also straightened unconsciously.

Everyone knew that the site of Beijia’s Lingxu City had originally belonged to the Grand Return Sect. Was Headmaster Xu telling everyone that the mountain-guarding spirit beast of the Grand Return Sect was still alive?

If it were alive, whose mountain did it now guard?

“Yes, that’s right. Just as you are all thinking.” Xu Shichu said, “The present Juju is already the guardian god of Mount Xu!”

Mount Xu?

He Lingchuan’s heart tightened.

“Mount Xu was formerly called Mount Shou’an. Whether during the era of the Grand Return Sect or in the current era, it has always been the guardian spirit of Mount Shou’an.” Xu Shichu said, “It was born from lava. In the Ancient Era, it was a rock-fire aberrant creature that could reach more than three hundred meters in height!”