NOVEL NEXT Chapter 41 The Mount Shu Incident
"I need your assistance with something," the man in the green robe said, smiling.
"Please give your instructions, sir."
"I originally came here to collect the Spiritual Charm from you, but to my surprise, you've achieved Spirit Communication. If I were to rashly collect the Spiritual Charm, it might damage your foundation. Therefore, I sought an opportunity to enlighten you. Now that your sentience has greatly expanded, I will impart to you the method of breath control to replenish your damaged foundation."
"Your compassion is immense, sir!" the old tea tree said with its aged voice. Its branches swayed incessantly as if bowing to the man in the green robe.
The man in the green robe took out a small branch and waved it gently. Instantly, the old tea tree felt a unique aura spreading throughout its being, recognizing it as the Spiritual Charm hidden within its body, which could greatly advance its cultivation if refined when its own practice was accomplished.
Yet, there was little reluctance in its heart. The simple gesture from the man in the green robe had vastly opened its wisdom, saving it countless years of arduous cultivation—something that might have never happened without ample luck, as remaining unenlightened for a lifetime wouldn't have been unusual.
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To repay the great kindness with its own Spiritual Charm was not a difficult decision for it.
The essence of the Spiritual Charm emerged from the old tea tree and slowly gathered on the branch held by the man in the green robe. Suddenly, a radiant light shone from the tiny branch, bathing the old tea tree in warmth as if in the most tender sunlight, its body relaxed and invigorated with a surge of Life Force.
It could feel the vanished Spiritual Charm restoring at a rapid pace, and this newly acquired charm seemed even more in tune with itself.
"Sir, what is this?" it asked curiously.
"This is a gift from the Innate Tea Tree; accept it," the man replied.
As the old tea tree watched, the man in the green robe slowly turned and left the place. He seemed to walk slowly, but in the blink of an eye, he had already disappeared from the old tea tree's sight.
Many years later, when the old tea tree had become the Demon King of the forest, it still often reminisced about the fleeting visit of the man in the green robe.
In a place unseen by the old tea tree, the esteemed figure whom the tea tree saw as a sage was joyfully inspecting the branch in his hand. The quantity of Spiritual Charm contained within the old tea tree had exceeded his expectations, and he figured it wouldn't take many uses for the Enlightenment Tea Tree to regain its former glory.
"At last, my mission is complete. It's time to find Yan Dan. I wonder what this world's Mount Shu is like," Lu Yu said, smiling.
Following the direction Yan Dan had left, Lu Yu rode the clouds. Soon after, he felt a powerful Sword Qi blocking his path.
Upon closer inspection, he realized he had arrived at the location left by Yan Dan. Mana surged as he opened his Dharma Eye and indeed, he saw a steep mountain concealed in the depths of a misty valley, emitting an astonishing Sword Qi.
The towering mountains stood tall like a sharp sword thrust into the earth, with pavilions and towers barely visible among the cliffs and precipices. A winding stone staircase led from the foot of the mountain to the peak, where a tall tower soared into the sky. Lu Yu guessed that this must be the legendary Mount Shu Demon Tower.
At the end of his gaze seemed to be a depression, from which astonishing Sword Qi emanated. Lu Yu could vaguely see that the depression was filled with densely packed swords, and he knew in his heart that this was the Mount Shu Sword Tomb mentioned by Yan Dan.
However, Lu Yu had been waiting at the entrance of Mount Shu for quite a while and saw no one coming to greet him, which puzzled him greatly. When he had first arrived, he had already activated the Jade Talisman left to him by Yan Dan. In theory, Yan Dan should have come to meet him without delay, yet such a long time had passed with no sign of anyone.
He calculated with a pinch of his fingers, only to find out that Heaven's Secret was in a state of Chaos. He couldn't help but complain to himself, "This Golden Cicada, always up to no good, has stirred Heaven's Secret into a tangled mess, leaving nothing calculable."
But at this moment, he already felt that something was amiss and couldn't bother about being rude. He brought his middle finger and index finger together and gently called out to the Mount Shu Grand Array: "Open!"
Formidable Sword Qi burst forth from the tips of his fingers, striking the invisible barrier formed by the Mount Shu Grand Array.
The ground shook and the mountains quivered as the transparent barrier, in front of Lu Yu's sword-tipped fingers, began to wobble and was soon riddled with cracks until it disappeared without a trace after a while.
Even so, at this very moment, no one from within Mount Shu had come out to investigate, and Lu Yu's heart suddenly sank, knowing that something serious must have happened.
Breaking the Sect's Mountain Protection Array was, in a sense, similar to declaring war on a Sect. Yet now the Array was shattered and still no one came to investigate, which could only mean that the situation was dangerously grave.
Lu Yu soared into the sky, flying rapidly towards Mount Shu. His peripheral vision caught the surroundings – indeed, something serious had happened at Mount Shu. Countless Disciples wearing white robes with small sword patterns embroidered on their sleeves were being besieged by numerous Demons, some already lying in pools of blood.
"Where did all these Demons come from? With the Mountain Protection Array intact, how did these Demons get here?" Lu Yu wondered in his heart, but his speed did not decrease in the slightest. He was eager to find Yan Dan and learn the full story.
"Haha, run! Why aren't you running now? Aren't you Mount Shu Disciples always dedicated to slaying Demons and eliminating evil? Today, your grandpa tiger is standing right in front of you. Why don't you hurry up and slay the Demon? What are you waiting for?" A Demon with a human body and tiger's face, wearing a cruel smile, said.
In front of him were several young Mount Shu Disciples who by now were petrified by the fearsome appearance of the Demon, shivering and hiding behind a young girl.
The girl standing in the front, holding a treasured sword, her face smeared with blood, stood firm protecting the others behind her, though her eyes already held depths of despair.
Mo Chou knew she was no match for the Demon in front of her; her seniors, far stronger than she, had all perished at the hands of this Demon. But she did everything in her power to not show any signs of fear because the sisters behind her still needed her protection. The look of determination on her face, now devoid of any earlier youthful naivety, resembled that of Yang Wen before her.
"Such tender flesh, it's been years since I've had human meat. Today is a good day to feast," the Demon said with a wide open bloodthirsty mouth, drool constantly dripping from the corners of his mouth. His eyes were filled with craving, a yearning for food.
Gathering all her courage, Mo Chou faced the attacking Demon and thrust her sword fiercely. A flash of sword light followed, and the Demon's huge head flew into the air, spilling blood everywhere. The once unbeatable Demon had no chance to fight back under the sword light and was instantly slain, leaving the Disciples, who had witnessed the Demon's rampant slaughter, utterly astounded.