Volume One: The Soul-Guiding Gourd and the Flame of the Spirit Lamp Chapter 68: Elder Chu Pays a Visit

Once again, the cold, silvery moonlight poured down from above.

(The moon: Damn it, am I not supposed to have any dignity? This is the third time tonight that clouds have obscured me. If I’m unwanted, then I’ll just hide behind the clouds and never come out again!)

Xiao Yulou stood amid a patch of earth still smoking faintly, surveying the chaos around him. He let out a heavy sigh and strode toward the corpse of the flood dragon.

By the time Xiao Yulou reached the body, the strange crimson glow on Gu Mo’s chest had completely vanished.

Dressed in a black Daoist robe, Xiao Yulou swept his right hand over his left sleeve, formed a sword-gesture, and pressed it to Gu Mo’s nostrils.

The barely perceptible breath and the momentarily halted pulse told Xiao Yulou that the "Three Pure Five Thunder Curse" had worked—so thoroughly, in fact, that death had nearly claimed its victim!

He rose and looked over the unconscious Gu Mo, then formed a Daoist seal and exhaled deeply.

"Boundless Divine Venerable~ As expected, I am the foremost master of the Jade Void Peak’s Wuzhuang Temple!"

No sooner had he finished boasting than Xiao Yulou’s gaze landed on the “sea urchin” clinging to the outside of Gu Mo’s leg.

Startled, Xiao Yulou reached out and gave it a gentle poke.

The black “sea urchin” leapt up at once, baring four rows of sharp teeth and fixing Xiao Yulou with eyes as vast as galaxies.

"Gurgle gurgle gurgle gurgle!"

Xiao Yulou could only smile sheepishly.

"Sorry~ I forgot about you..."

He coughed discreetly into his fist and continued,

"Greedy Ghost, how about I buy you a whole box of potato chips when we get back?"

At the mention of snacks, the Greedy Ghost—now bristling and transformed into a sea urchin—grinned wide, drooling a large puddle of clear, glistening saliva. Satisfied, it bounced around happily.

Xiao Yulou smiled at the sight and turned toward the massive flood dragon’s corpse.

"Greedy Ghost, I’ll need you to swallow both this dragon’s body and the skeletal remains of that white-scaled python."

Upon receiving the order, the Greedy Ghost swept its long tongue over the ground.

With a whoosh, the two monstrous bodies—each as long as a train—were swallowed whole. Witnessing this, the ethereal Xiao Yulou broke out in a cold sweat.

‘This Greedy Ghost is truly extraordinary—the otherworldly space inside its mouth is astonishingly powerful!’

A dull thud sounded.

Now completely unclothed, Gu Mo tumbled into the mud.

Just then, faint breathing could be heard from nearby.

Xiao Yulou swiftly formed another Daoist seal and spun around, shouting,

"Three Pure Fire of Zhu Rong!"

In a flash, a huge fireball roared to life above his palm.

Looking over, he saw that the scorched, white-furred Yellow Immortal was coughing and trembling.

Xiao Yulou darted over, swept his robe aside, and crouched next to the immortal.

"Immortal!"

At the soft call, the disfigured Yellow Immortal coughed violently and struggled to speak,

"Liu... Liu the Great Serpent... where?"

At this, Xiao Yulou’s expression darkened as he delivered the news of Liu Kunsheng’s death.

The immortal’s eyes lowered, knowing he had little time left. He gazed toward the nearby bloodstains, then lifted his eyes to Xiao Yulou.

"Daoist... I have... one last... request!"

Seeing the immortal’s labored breaths, Xiao Yulou nodded slowly.

"Please, speak."

The Yellow Immortal licked rainwater from his lips and said,

---

"I… I don’t wish to die here. Could you preserve my and Guangji’s golden bodies?"

Xiao Yulou, hearing this, felt a pang of sympathy and nodded gently.

A faint smile crept onto the Yellow Immortal’s lips, and his jewel-like eyes faded into the color of ashes.

In his final moments, the immortal seemed to see three figures beneath the setting sun: a yellow weasel, a gray mouse, and a young white snake.

Though their cultivation was arduous and dangers abounded, they had been so happy then…

With a whoosh, a green soul shot into the Soul-Gathering Gourd.

Seeing this, Xiao Yulou stretched his neck and addressed the corpse,

"Immortal, preserving your golden body will cost extra! Hey, could you spare a few more gold bars?"

Left with no choice, Xiao Yulou had the Greedy Ghost swallow the golden bodies of both the Yellow Immortal and the immortal Guangji.

Who could have expected so many horrifying events to unfold in what should have been a peaceful night?

After finishing his tasks, Xiao Yulou hoisted the unconscious Gu Mo, grabbed the three sinister underworld artifacts, and departed.

Time turned, and by the time Xiao Yulou returned to the courtyard with Gu Mo slung over his shoulder, the neighbor’s rooster was crowing.

Cock-a-doodle-doo~

With dawn breaking, Xiao Yulou fetched water from the well to wash the mud from Gu Mo and the Greedy Ghost.

...

Time passed swiftly, and soon it was daybreak.

In the small house, Xiao Yulou sat cross-legged at Gu Mo’s bedside, meditating.

Suddenly, a vigorous cough echoed from outside the courtyard gate.

Hearing it, Xiao Yulou slowly opened his eyes and strode to the door.

A familiar figure in training clothes stood beyond the wooden gate.

Xiao Yulou hurried forward, respectfully opened the gate, bowed, and said,

"Senior Chu, what brings you here this morning?"

The elder’s lined face darkened as he replied gruffly, "A demonic wind!"

At that, Xiao Yulou’s heart clenched, and a cold sweat broke out.

After all, last night had been earth-shattering and soul-stirring.

Though the emerald lake was half an hour’s drive away, the commotion hadn’t escaped Elder Chu’s keen senses.

With things as they were, Xiao Yulou invited Elder Chu straight to the bedroom.

A few steps later, they entered the house, and Elder Chu examined the unconscious Gu Mo.

He extended his callused hand, checked Gu Mo’s breath and pulse, then glared at Xiao Yulou.

"Fools rush in! Can’t you two settle down? Why are you even more reckless than your master? All three immortals perished in one night!"

Xiao Yulou bowed his head, smiling apologetically.

"Yes, yes, you’re right. I’ve been reckless and caused you concern…"

As he spoke, Xiao Yulou sensed something amiss and wondered inwardly,

‘Boundless Divine Venerable!

Senior Chu just mentioned my master—he must mean the old immortal of Jade Void Peak’s Wuzhuang Temple! Could they too…’

Just as he was pondering, Elder Chu coughed, lifted Gu Mo’s eyelid, and examined him.

Seeing the elder’s reaction, Xiao Yulou refrained from asking further.

---

After all, if Elder Chu wished to speak, he would do so. If not, no amount of questioning would pry the truth from him.

Glancing sideways, Xiao Yulou caught sight of Gu Mo’s pale, deep-set eyes. There was no trace of black pupils.

He was shocked, staring wide-eyed.

Those pale, hollow eyes were not those of the living! At this moment, Gu Mo looked more like a breathing corpse.

"Senior Chu, what’s wrong with Brother Gu?"

Xiao Yulou had barely finished speaking when Elder Chu sighed heavily and fixed him with a stern gaze.

"What happened last night? Why has Mo turned mad again?"

With nothing to hide, Xiao Yulou recounted everything that had transpired in detail.

After a long silence, Elder Chu looked at Gu Mo and sighed deeply.

"Sigh… What’s destined will come, sooner or later!"

This ambiguous remark sent Xiao Yulou into deep thought, but true to his cultivation, he didn’t press further.

Elder Chu then looked at Xiao Yulou, snorted, and said,

"Young man, haven’t you wondered why Mo turned out this way?"

At this, Xiao Yulou shuddered, rubbed the back of his head, and thought quickly before speaking,

"Senior Chu, I dare not presume in your presence. I’ve studied every ancient text in Wuzhuang Temple, but the strange talisman on Brother Gu’s chest remains a mystery to me…"

Elder Chu coughed, refusing to give away any secrets. Yet inwardly, he mused,

‘Hmph! If these youngsters were to discover the secret of the Soul-Severing Seal, would I have to reveal eighty years of fusion?’

After a brief pause, Elder Chu spoke, evasively,

"Mo cultivates ghostly energy, but this path is fraught with peril. The cold yin accumulating within him grows daily, and so does the risk of madness."

He paused, then continued,

"You, as a disciple of the Jade Void Daoist, must ensure Mo moderates his cultivation. Pay close attention to his yang energy—this is crucial!"

Xiao Yulou nodded gravely at this advice.

Elder Chu then clasped his hands behind his back, gazed at Xiao Yulou, and said,

"Besides, you… you could have used your Daoist skills to prevent the three immortals from slaughtering each other, yet stubbornly clung to your own path!"

He suddenly fixed Xiao Yulou with a fierce glare and demanded,

"Are you trying to acquire a powerful artifact for yourself?"

Caught out, Xiao Yulou could only grin sheepishly and nod.

"Hehe~ Senior, you see through everything. I truly feel ashamed!"

To his surprise, Elder Chu sighed in an unexpectedly gentle manner.

"Enough~ Enough! Leave the flood dragon bone with me. In less than two weeks, I’ll craft a set of equipment for you."

At this, Xiao Yulou’s joy was boundless. He saluted respectfully.

"Is that true, Senior Chu? I never expected this!"

Elder Chu’s face grew peculiar as he replied,

"Don’t be too pleased yet. My craftsmanship may not rival that of ‘Not-Three the Blacksmith,’ but it’s not far behind!"

Xiao Yulou laughed and readily agreed, his mind drifting into reminiscence.

‘Not-Three the Blacksmith truly is a legendary recluse, often mentioned by the old immortal. Who would have thought Elder Chu was so closely connected to them both?’

Thinking of the new artifacts soon to be his, Xiao Yulou felt as if he were soaring into the heavens.

Without delay, he took the Greedy Ghost and followed Elder Chu to his villa.

...