Of the thirty-six peaks of Shu Mountain, they only refer to the peaks with inheritance, and if you count the desolate ownerless peaks, there are over a hundred peaks amidst the boundless sea of clouds.
Bao Ta Peak is one of these desolate and uninhabited peaks.
Although it's uninhabited now, it was once one of the most famous peaks of Shu Mountain. Because in ancient times, it was the location of the top-ranked artifact in the world, the Town-Demon Tower, as recorded in the Thousand Treasures List!
Five hundred years have passed, and now it's a picturesque place, with green hills, lush forests, and flowing waterfalls, as if it's a paradise on earth.
Though none of the current Shu Mountain disciples have experienced it, they have seen images from that time.
A colossal bronze tower stood between heaven and earth, suppressing everything with its howling winds and raging waves.
Like a miracle.
The bronze giant tower bears the glory of Shu Mountain for thousands of years, but now, although the place is full of natural beauty, it is not the same as before.
Chu Liang looked at the scenery around him and couldn't help but feel a little emotional.
As for Xu Ziqing, he didn't care too much. Although he didn't know why he was invited here, he naturally had to come out of politeness.
However, the letter he received felt quite suspicious, probably not written by Xu Ziqing himself, maybe a prank by someone else.
But it didn't matter, it was a good opportunity to see who was behind it.
Chu Liang wasn't being complacent, he wasn't too worried about his personal safety. After all, he didn't have many enemies inside the mountain gate, and...
This is Shu Mountain, and his master is Empress Feng.
Perhaps this master was not useful for anything else, but it certainly gave him a sense of security.
Generally speaking, the people of Shu Mountain believed that if Empress Feng's disciples didn't bully others, that was already good enough. Who would dare to provoke him?
With this in mind, as soon as Chu Liang landed, he surveyed the surroundings.
Suddenly, he heard a hurried footsteps coming from the woods ahead. It didn't sound like a person, more like some kind of wild animal.
"Hmm?" Chu Liang was slightly on guard.
Then, a splendid white figure dashed out from the woods!
This figure was about seven feet tall, all silver-white, head like a dragon, antlers like a deer, mane covered in pure white fur, tail like that of a tiger, hooves like a running horse, and a body covered in white scales reflecting the sunlight.
"Huoluo—" The creature made a sound reminiscent of a deer's cry, and rushed out of the woods, as fast as a silver lightning bolt!
Chu Liang slowed down to get a clear look and exclaimed, "Bai Ze?"
Indeed.
This was a cub of the mountain beast Bai Ze, the guardian beast of the Shu Mountain sect.
Before he could react, the silver lightning bolt charged straight at him, and he couldn't dodge it at all!
Bang!
...
"Hey!"
On a large tree on a distant mountain peak, three figures covered in leaves and bark cheered sneakily.
These three were none other than Shang Ziliang and his followers.
Witnessing the collision between Chu Liang and the divine beast, White Ze, Shang Ziliang revealed a smile of satisfaction. "Hehe, even if that Empress Phoenix is formidable, would she dare to cause trouble for White Ze?"
"Boss, be careful," his follower Jia cowered, whispering, "If White Ze finds our tracks, it could be dangerous."
"Of course, I know," Shang Ziliang impatiently replied.
The reason they wanted to lead Chu Liang here was precisely because they had suffered a great loss not long ago.
Every large immortal sect will have its own guardian divine beast, loyal, powerful, and with a long lifespan. Once an agreement is made, they can often protect an immortal sect for thousands of years.
The guardian divine beast of the Shu Mountain Sect is White Ze.
Of course, it's not the one in front of them. The adult White Ze understands human speech, knows yin and yang, and communicates with ghosts and gods. It can control the essence of the heavens, approaching divine existence.
The ancient White Ze that guarded the Shu Mountain was originally responsible for managing the Demon-Sealing Tower. Since the tower was lost, it seemed to feel guilty and has not appeared in many years.
The one in front of them is just its child, a White Ze cub less than 600 years old.
Yes, for a divine beast with a long lifespan, a hundred years is perhaps equivalent to just one year for humans, so this White Ze is indeed just a child.
There is a dedicated peak on Shu Mountain where the guardian divine beast resides, and disciples are forbidden to disturb it. Normally, it does not leave the area.
However, a few days ago, Shang Ziliang and his friends, while bored, came to play at the Pagoda Peak, and as soon as they landed, they were fiercely attacked by this White Ze cub.
Not to mention that they dared not fight back against this super-protected animal of Shu Mountain... in fact, White Ze divine beasts are born with almost fifth-level power, so they cannot resist at all.
It was a painful memory...
The three of them were trampled by the White Ze cub, and then they were sent flying by its horns... They could only lie in bed for four or five days after returning to the Cloud Remote Peak.
After asking his father, Shang Shuwen, he learned that the White Ze cub would come to this side of the Pagoda Peak every month, and when it was on the mountain, no one was allowed near the Pagoda Peak, or its attack would be extremely strong.
Shang Ziliang had to admit his bad luck.
Today, seeing someone about to experience the same bad luck as he had that day, the three of them couldn't help but feel elated.
But...
The joyous expression on their faces only lasted for a moment, then slowly stiffened, turning into astonishment and disbelief.
It seemed as if they had seen an incredible scene.
Shang Ziliang's eyes were full of confusion as he murmured, "Is there something wrong?"
Follower Jia was dumbfounded, "I don't understand."
Follower Yi did not speak, but his eyes were filled with the same confusion.
All three were bewildered.
……
"Byakko..."
At the moment when he was tackled by this Byakko cub, Chuliang sensed that something was amiss.
Although he had never seen this divine beast before, as a disciple of Shu Mountain, he had received education since childhood. Byakko is the most precious friend of Shu Mountain, and absolutely cannot be harmed.
Even if he got beaten by it, he could only swallow his pride.
Moreover, the speed and strength of this divine beast far surpassed his own, leaving him with no room to retaliate...
But as Chuliang fell and closed his eyes, the anticipated pain did not arrive. Instead, there was a sticky sensation on his face.
Slurp, slurp...
Upon opening his eyes again, Chuliang saw a tender, pink tongue from the incredibly majestic Byakko divine beast... licking his face?
In the close confrontation, its eyes revealed an undisguisable joy and a strong sense of familiarity.
As if it knew him.
"Huh?" Chuliang was slightly puzzled.
The close approach of the Byakko cub couldn't be a pretense, but he had never seen it before, and even if he had by chance, how could he be worthy of gaining the favor of a divine beast?
Chuliang pondered for a moment and thought of the most likely possibility.
Is it because...
He is handsome?
"Huoluo Luo—" the Byakko cub emitted another joyful chirp.
It seemed like it was trying to communicate with him?
But as Chuliang couldn't understand the language of the beasts, it was difficult for him to comprehend the intentions of the Byakko cub. In order to respond to it, he could only use his hand to pat its neck.
"Huoluo Luo—" the Byakko cub happily ran around Chuliang, then leaned its head towards him, lowering its body.
"Hmm?" Chuliang furrowed his brows.
Could it be asking him to ride on it?
Divine beasts rarely allow people to ride them, and if they do, it signifies considerable approval.
Encountering this rare opportunity, and with its fervent demeanor, Chuliang didn't feel right refusing. So he slowly tried to get up and approached it cautiously.
His movements were very slow, for fear of misunderstanding, in case the Byakko cub suddenly turned hostile... then he could immediately retreat and explain himself.
I just don't go up.
Fortunately, it seems that he understands it correctly.
It wasn't until I sat firmly on the back of the Baize cub that it happily made a "hulu" sound, stood up straight, and then suddenly spread its hooves.
Run wild!
Phew—
Suddenly, like the wind and lightning, this speed is several times faster than Chu Liang's full-force swordsmanship. In the blink of an eye, it rushed into the dense jungle ahead.
The surrounding trees flew backwards, and Chu Liang could hardly see the scenery on the side of the road with his naked eye. He just felt a sudden leap, and a silver waterfall appeared in front of him!
This is the waterfall on the Pagoda Peak!
It is said that after the Tower of Suppressing Demons left, it left behind a huge pit, which later became a lake. And this waterfall falls vertically into the lake, with a thunderous roar.
As I looked at the lake, the speed of the Baize cub did not diminish at all. It leaped forward and slammed into the waterfall in front of it.
"Hey!" Chu Liang couldn't help but shout.
Bang—
With a muffled sound in his ears, the Baize cub carried him straight into the waterfall, and passed through the water, and behind it was not a cliff, but a hollow cave.
It turned out that there was a hidden paradise here!
The Water Curtain Cave?
Passing through the dense forest, drilling into the Water Curtain Cave, it's not over yet... It seems to be heading all the way to the end?
The cave in front was pitch-black and seemed bottomless. The Baize cub rushed all the way, taking Chu Liang forward to continue running wildly. In the blink of an eye, it had flown out for several miles. Finally, there was another fault ahead, and it leaped again!
It was at this point that Chu Liang finally saw the end of this Water Curtain Cave.
It was a cave, and in the cave there was...
A woman?