The Immortal’s Poison

Wen Leyang felt a sense of uneasiness rising in his heart.

To find a blade of grass on the Shiwan Mountains was a feat so ridiculous and almost impossible, but Grand Master Chang Li had insisted in all seriousness. Even the cold Hanba wanted to go on the search with him.

Chang Li saw through Wen Leyang’s thoughts, “The centipede grass can return from the dead. If we find it, we’ll have a much greater chance of defeating that immortal master teacher, Kong Nuer.” A peculiar smile was seen on her delicate face as she spoke, “It’s best if we can find it, but if we can’t, then that’s that.”

Hanba also spoke up and said drily, “There are a lot of dead spots in the Shiwan Mountains. Once we arrive, follow my instructions, but if you can’t, there’s no point in going.”

His voice had barely faded when Red Pot chuckled oddly underground, “This young lad is still in his wedding mood; he can’t bear to leave his new brides behind!” Wen Leyang coughed and chuckled. He pretended not to hear the toad’s words and blushed, without saying a word.

Chang Li’s intentions were clear. This journey to Shiwan Mountains was all they could do and the rest would be left in God’s hands. It would take some time to determine whether or not they would be successful. Wen Leyang said no more.

Early the second morning, Wen Leyang began to pack up. He carried the sack filled with carrots by Xiaoyi and Mumu. He embarked on the journey with Hanba and Xiaowu. They rushed towards Shiwan Mountains on the southwestern border. Before they left, Chang Li made them a promise that their journey would only take a maximum of sixty days. Regardless of whether or not they succeeded in finding the centipede grass, they must return and regroup with the others within two months.

The whereabouts of the golden monkey and Qin Zhui were unknown. The little supreme leader, Liu Zheng, held a memorial service for the three enlightened persons, while Cone Nail went on a hunt for clues left behind by her past life. Guo Huan cultivated a human form in the depths of Mount Hua, and Red Pot was at a crucial point of his wicked soul cultivation. Wen Leyang went in search of the immortal grass with Hanba. His daughter, Chang Li, stayed back on Nine Peaks Mountain to coordinate the rest. The group of elites seemed busy.

Hanba had lost both his feet and an arm, but he did not need Xiaowu or Wen Leyang to carry him. He cast his Art of Ghost and summoned a shiny black palanquin. Two skinny, fragile small ghosts yelled, hoisted the palanquin and ran towards the southwest.

Wen Leyang never thought that Hanba still had such an extravagant ability within him. Stunned, he carried Xiaowu and chased after Hanba. He had only taken two steps when he heard Wen Buzuo shout behind him, “I’ve prepared the carriage for you at the base of the mountain!”

Wen Leyang pondered for a bit. He carried Xiaowu and went into the car… Four days later, when Hanba, Wen Leyang, and the little darling gathered near Shiwan Mountains, the two little ghosts turned ghastly pale. They were panting so heavily that it looked like they could spit their lungs out.

Shiwan Mountain was located in the southwestern region. From a bird’s vantage point, it looked like ten thousand elephants on a stampede. Although it was not too tall, it was fierce and had sharp angles. In the depths of the mountain, there were vile swamps and dangerous caves, but no signs of human life.

The little darling, Xiaowu, was on Wen Leyang’s back. She looked up at the layers of mountain ridges in front of her which seemed like they could move, run and jump out any second. She stuck out her tongue and smiled, “The last place to break through Chaos in the world is here. In primordial times, the barbarians and wild beasts in the great mountain would frequently come out and harass the mortal realm. Legend has it that there were two incidences where the monsters on the mountain had come out of their lair for unknown reasons. Each time it happened, the human race was almost annihilated.”

Wen Leyang had also heard of this. Not long ago, the descendants of the Chaos cone nail led the monsters from the mountain and appeared on Mount Hua. Eventually, they activated the magic circle and was passed down by Kong Nuer. They also started a series of deathly battles, pursuits and flees.

Shiwan Mountains had been a land of pure evil since the primordial times. Even profound cultivators would not set foot onto it, let alone regular people. However, Wen Leyang’s cultivation base had now almost reached a level of perfection. No matter how humble and cautious he was, the pride within his young bones could not be wiped away. He still felt secretly excited and looked forward to seeing some amazing peculiarity in the mountains.

Xiaowu was not worried. She rested her chin on Wen Leyang’s shoulder and giggled, “That two bastard brothers of the Chaos cone nail had called themselves the masters of Shiwan Mountains. Although the cultivation bases of the two brothers were not shabby, they might not even stand a chance against you, even if they went at you together…” She meant that although this great mountain was menacing, they need not think too much of it. The little darling criticized the world as she smiled. Her tone and mannerism were akin to that of a first-class world elite.

With a crisp snap, Wen Leyang broke a carrot in two and shared it with the little darling.

Hanba waved as he cast a spell. He changed the two little ghosts who hoisted the palanquin and said coldly, “We’re going into the mountain. You two, follow the palanquin. I’ll not be saying anything. No matter what you see, you mustn’t speak, let alone strike out!” His voice had barely faded when the two little ghosts carried the palanquin. They giggled sharply and plunged headfirst into the great mountain. Wen Leyang carried the little darling and ran like the wind as they followed closely behind the palanquin.

Not long after they entered the mountain, the little darling laughed as she thought the world her was too peaceful. The skies were clear, the sunlight was complemented by the lush branches and leaves, scattered and mottled. The air was filled with birds chirping and bugs buzzing. Occasionally, tiny creatures would scurry past. It sounded and looked like a normal mountain ridge. However, amidst their leaps and sprints, the sensations of the invaders’ bodies were constantly changing!

It had always been moist and full of warmth. Occasionally, an inexplicable bone-chilling cold would be felt. The first part of their journey was still windy as if walking along a beach, but the next step they took suddenly became dry and blazing hot, akin to a desert. Their surroundings, which were previously filled with a mesmerizing fragrance, had suddenly turned into a foul stench, one that could only come from rotting lard.

However, no matter how affected they felt, the mountains and forest before their eyes showed no signs of change whatsoever. The birds flew, the bugs buzzed, the little beasts frolicked, while the plants bloomed silently…

A scornful sneer could be heard from the palanquin ahead of them. Hanba’s voice still sounded half alive, “The Chaos here has been broken. Nature’s law has been established but the human presence could not be formed. That was why everyone experienced haphazard sensations in the great mountains, with our senses all over the place. The telegnosis ability of an average cultivator is useless here.”

Ever since they entered the mountain, Wen Leyang’s pores grew bigger, and his telegnosis ability had spread out like water. There was not much of a difference compared to normal times. After hearing what Hanba had to say, he furrowed his brows with confusion.

Hanba was inside the palanquin, but he could see Wen Leyang’s face, “Our method of practice detaches us from the world. We must be an exception!”

Hanba’s palanquin seemed weightless. The two little ghosts who hoisted it were taking light steps. They were so stealthy that they seemed like they could float at any second. It was needless to describe Wen Leyang’s pace. The group traversed the mountain ridges and gradually made their way deep into the great mountain.

The deeper they went, the stranger Wen Leyang’s expression became. His telegnosis ability was spread wide. It relayed the conditions of his surroundings back to him in great detail. Ever since they reached the side of Shiwan Mountains, everything around them seemed to come to life. The mountain rocks breathed, the trees squinted their eyes, while those little beasts watched them as they bared their fangs, revealing a sinister smile.

Gradually, some monsters that Wen Leyang had never seen before had also appeared silently. Some of them were savage, while some of them only bared their fangs. They surrounded them ever so stealthily. When the skies got darker, all sorts of monsters grew in numbers. Wen Leyang could only feel his hair standing on its ends. It was not how frightening or tough these monsters were, but they were outnumbered. The scan of his telegnosis ability proved that they were heavily surrounded by at least a few thousands of them. One would already feel uncomfortable being surrounded by a few thousand ducks, let alone by monsters.

The little darling, Xiaowu, had a demon’s body, and she also cultivated in heaven’s path. She only noticed the strange phenomenon now. She yelled in a low voice, flailed, and lifted her Mourning Stick out of the air. Her plump body stuck closely to Wen Leyang’s back, while her alert eyes scanned the mountain range.

Xiaowu brandished her weapon, but the monsters did not conceal their hostility. A strong wind brought about a sickening stench around them without warning. Then, a cacophony of strange noises began – footsteps, howls, grinding, clawing and more. Large numbers of monsters suddenly revealed themselves from all directions and surrounded them without restraint.

Wen Leyang did not think much. His body shook and he ran up to the palanquin. He wanted to bring Hanba along to break out of the encirclement when the latter suddenly grunted, “Don’t act rashly!” Then, a wave of shrill howls like a ghost’s cry suddenly shot towards the heavens from the palanquin!

The two little ghosts’ bodies stopped. They put the palanquin down and walked no further. They sat on the ground and licked their claws. They occasionally let out a guttural laugh, one that sounded like the hooting of an owl. They conversed in their ghost-language, which no one could comprehend.

With Hanba’s mad howl, a dozen dark green lanterns appeared in the skies without warning. They formed a circle a dozen meters away and protected the palanquin, the little ghosts, the little darling, as well as Xiaowu. (Wen Leyang maybe?)

Wen Leyang frowned. It would be fine if it were to be any other day, but now that Hanba was gravely wounded, he could not sit and idle away as Hanba takes on these monsters of the great mountain alone. Just as he was about to help, Xiaowu suddenly pulled him from behind.

The little darling’s eyes flickered. Excitement and fear intertwined in her gaze. Her little mouth moved closer to Wen Leyang’s ear as she instructed him in an extremely low voice, “Don’t move! Daddy has his ways!”

“Piggy!” After the long howl, Hanba suddenly spat out a word from the palanquin. His voice erupted like shocking thunder and reverberated through the evil mountain. A dozen dim lanterns suddenly lit up brightly right after. In an instant, the mountain they were on was illuminated in dark and peculiar green. The eerie atmosphere enshrouded the mountain in an instant.

The monsters that were closing in were stunned and slowed their pace in unison. The expression on their faces had also turned from one of fierceness and anger to one of lost and gloom.

The sound of someone panting ceaselessly came from inside the palanquin!

Wen Leyang had no idea what was going on. He turned to look at the little darling behind him, but she looked anxious. Her big eyes locked onto the palanquin, as she tightened her grip onto Wen Leyang.

Hanba’s panting grew heavier and heavier. The dull hums of his breath seemed to turn into the rhythm of the world. The confused Wen Leyang even felt that the one who sat inside the palanquin was not Fifth Brother, but a primordial evil beast swallowing and spitting the word out. It was so thick that it was hard for them to breathe while standing. The skies seemed to be pulled lower with every passing second, and the ground was pushed lower and lower!

The thousands of mountains and the ten thousand trees began to bend to the sides amidst the tremor. From a bird’s eye view, the vast mountain forest was slowly subdued by the thick breathing which penetrated the world. With a deep breath, the plants slanted but were restored upon exhale.

Even Wen Leyang did not notice that his heartbeat had been overpowered by the rhythm of Hanba’s breathing. The panting sounds finally stopped after an indefinite period. A dead silence which seemed as long as eternity broke the air but with a snap of a finger, a fine, gossamer-like voice finally came from within the palanquin, “Backing!”

A dull ‘bam’ was heard. The dozens of lanterns exploded at the same time. After a flash of glaring light, not even the ashes were left! The thousands of monsters around them wore looks of sudden realization. They slowly retreated and disappeared into the wilderness…

After a while, the cool moonlight filled the world once again. Everything around them finally returned to normal.

Xiaowu sighed in relief. She hastily leaped down from Wen Leyang’s back and ran up to the palanquin, “Daddy…”

Hanba’s laugh sounded tired, “It’s alright, let’s be on our way!”

The two little ghosts jumped to their feet. They hoisted the palanquin back up and started running.

That magic spell had left Wen Leyang puzzled. He carried Xiaowu and asked softly, “What happened?”

Xiaowu’s face was full of excitement. There was an insuppressible pride in her voice. She said in all seriousness, “If the netherworld piggybacks, every party gives way!”

The monsters on Shiwan Mountains had mostly inherited the nature of Chaos. They did not follow human ethics nor did they subject themselves to the ways of man. If an outsider entered the mountain, they would be mercilessly annihilated without exception.

The nether world was dissociated from heaven’s path and had an immense grudge against the mortal realm, but it had no ties to the monsters on Shiwan Mountains. Hanba had piggybacked in the name of the netherworld. The demons stepped back from their hostility and slowly retreated.

As they were talking, a light of sudden realization appeared on Xiaowu’s face, “That’s why daddy accompanied you into the mountain! Although Chang Li’s cultivation base was almost the same as daddy’s, she couldn’t invoke the name of the netherworld, nor could she hope to negotiate a piggyback with these monsters!” After she finished, she caught her breath before continuing, “With your cultivation base, naturally, there’s nothing to fear. Unfortunately, these monsters can’t be killed nor do they fear death. We only have slightly more than a month left and can’t be held up by them every day!”

Wen Leyang was also hit with a sudden realization. He nodded and chuckled.

Their group had the magic spell, ‘nether world piggybacking’ to protect them. As they traveled within the mountain, as expected, no other monsters dared to bother them. Over the next few days, Hanba led Wen Leyang and Xiaowu as they ran around the mountain. They had no direction, nor did they have an end-goal. Like finding a needle in a haystack, they started searching for the centipede grass in vain.

Hanba would sometimes leave the palanquin and walk with the support of the two little ghosts. He was expressionless, and could not be bothered to even glance at the plants around him. He seemed to be disinterested with the centipede grass. Wen Leyang dared not ask him anything. He merely ran aimlessly around the mountain out of boredom.

In a blink of an eye, they had almost spent half of their allocated time here. They only had twelve days to go. If they were still unable to locate that centipede grass, Wen Leyang and the others had to return home and regroup with the rest.

This day was the same as the others. Wen Leyang carried Xiaowu out of boredom, with his telegnosis ability still scanning their surroundings. He wanted to sense something different, but Hanba, who was ahead of them grunted all of a sudden. He walked out of the palanquin. After his fierce eyes did a quick sweep of his surroundings, he stopped on a molehill not too far away, “Let’s have a look there!”

This was the first time Hanba had pointed out a destination to go to. Even if the molehill was no larger than a grave wound, Wen Leyang and the little darling were still overjoyed. They agreed jubilantly, but just as they were about to move, a stifling howl echoed suddenly from deep within the mountains!

The howl sounded like an amplified cow’s moo, which caused a thunderous resonance and a buzzing vibration. Each sound was louder than the previous one, as it rumbled towards them from afar. A naked, burly man with shaggy hair and a curly beard, with only a rag around his waist, was towing a rundown stone car as he ran towards them from the edge of Wen Leyang’s telegnosis ability. The mooing came from him!