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Chapter 34: The Baize Youngling

Five hundred years had passed by since the pagoda had disappeared, and this place was now a scenic paradise covered in lush green hills, verdant forests, and cascading waterfalls.

Mount Shu's current generation of disciples hadn't even been born yet when the pagoda had been on the Treasured Pagoda Peak, so they hadn't seen the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda in person. Nevertheless, they had seen drawings of it.

The drawings depicted an incredibly majestic and massive bronze pagoda standing tall between the heavens and the earth. A chilling wind raged around it, and a wave of demons stormed overhead. Nevertheless, the pagoda managed to suppress it all. It was just like a miracle.

That massive bronze pagoda had brought glory to Mount Shu for thousands of years. However, the Treasure Pagoda Peak was now a place filled with birdsong and fragrant flowers, and Mount Shu was no longer the same as before.

While Chu Liang gazed at the scenery around him, he couldn't help but feel moved.

As for why Xu Ziqing had invited him here, he didn't think much about it. He didn't know the reason why, but of course, he had to come meet her purely out of courtesy.

Nevertheless, he thought there was something odd about the letter she'd sent him. It was quite possible that Xu Ziqing hadn't written it. Perhaps it was someone else playing a prank. In that case, coming here meant he'd be able to find out who was behind it.

Chu Liang wasn't behaving recklessly. He just wasn't particularly worried that someone would want to harm him. After all, he didn't have any enemies among the immortal sects.

Besides... this was Mount Shu, and his teacher was Di Nufeng. She didn't do much for him, but she did make him feel really safe. There was a general consensus among those at Mount Shu that Di Nufeng's disciple was a pretty decent guy as he didn't torment others. So, who would dare change that by provoking him?

With these thoughts in mind, Chu Liang landed on the ground and surveyed his surroundings.

Suddenly, he heard a series of hasty footsteps from the forest ahead. It didn't sound like the footsteps of a human but rather some kind of wild beast.

"Hmm?"

Chu Liang observed that area with some vigilance. Soon after, he saw a majestic white figure darting out of the forest!

This figure was about seven and a half chi tall, with a completely silver-white body. It had a head like that of a dragon, antlers like that of a deer, and a neck covered in a pure white mane. It also had a long tail like that of a tiger and hooves like that of a horse. The white scales all over its body glistened in the sunlight.

"Hreeooorrh!" the creature cried out.

Its scream was similar to that of a deer. The creature ran out from the forest at an incredibly fast speed like a streak of silver lightning!

Chu Liang paused for a second to get a good look at the creature.

He uttered bewilderedly, "Baize?"

Indeed. This creature was a youngling of Baize, Mount Shu's guardian celestial beast.

He had no time to react. The streak of silver lightning charged straight at him! There was no way he could evade it in time!

Bang!

...

"Yeah!"

On a large tree in the distance, there were three figures covered in leaves and tree bark quietly letting out cheers. They were Shang Ziliang and his two lackeys.

Upon seeing the celestial beast Baize collide with Chu Liang, Shang Ziliang grinned triumphantly.

"Hehe. Even if Di Nufeng is powerful, would she dare to provoke Baize?" he said.

"Boss, be careful," Lackey A whispered as he crouched down. "It could be dangerous if Baize picks up on our trail."

"Of course, I know," Shang Ziliang replied in annoyance.

They had decided to lure Chu Liang to this place because of the great defeat they had suffered recently.

Every major immortal sect had a guardian celestial beast. These celestial beasts were manifestations of the Great Dao of the world. They were devoted and powerful, and they had long lifespans. Once they established an agreement with a sect, they usually protected it for thousands of years.

For the Mount Shu Sect, their guardian celestial beast was Baize. Of course, it wasn't the one before them now. An adult Baize understood human language, knew the balance of yin and yang, could communicate with supernatural beings, and possessed celestial power. It was an entity that was quite similar to a deity.

The ancient Baize guarding Mount Shu had been responsible for overseeing the Demon-Suppression Pagoda. When the pagoda went missing, the ancient Baize was ridden with guilt. It had been cultivating in seclusion for many years since then, without ever emerging.

The one they were looking at now was Baize's offspring, a youngling that was almost six hundred years old.

That's right. For celestial beasts that had extremely long lifespans, a hundred years was likely equivalent to just one year for humans. So, this youngling was indeed just a child.

Guardian Peak was a peak that Mount Shu had specially assigned as an abode for its celestial beasts. Disciples were prohibited from visiting and disturbing the celestial beasts, and the celestial beasts generally would not leave that peak.

Despite that...

A few days ago, Shang Ziliang and his two lackeys were bored, so they went to Treasured Pagoda Peak for fun. However, the moment they arrived, they faced a frenzy of attacks from the Baize youngling.

Even if they dared to retaliate against this creature that Mount Shu greatly valued and protected... they wouldn't be able to do so at all because all Baize were born with a level of power that was almost equivalent to that of the fifth realm.

Consequently, what came next became a painful memory...

The Baize youngling violently trampled on the three of them and sent them flying with a hit from its antlers.

Upon returning to Cloud Horizon Peak, all they could do for a good four to five days was sleep on their stomach.

Afterward, Shang Ziliang asked his father about it and found out that recently, the Baize youngling had been going to Treasured Pagoda Peak every month, where it would run around for a few days. Additionally, when it was on the peak, no one could approach the peak, as the youngling would become extremely aggressive.

Shang Ziliang could only accept that he had been unfortunate. That was why he and his two lackeys were so elated to see someone else experience the misfortune they had gone through.

However... the three men's joyous expressions only lasted a moment before slowly stiffening and then... turning into expressions filled with astonishment and disbelief. They seemed to have seen an unfathomable scene.

Shang Ziliang's eyes were filled with confusion as he muttered, "Did something go wrong?"

Flabbergasted, Lackey A said, "I don't understand."

Lackey B didn't say a word, but he too had a confused gaze.

All three of them wore baffled expressions.

...

"Baize..."

The moment the Baize youngling pounced on him, Chu Liang felt that something was amiss.

This was his first time encountering this celestial beast, but every disciple of the Mount Shu Sect had been taught from a young age that the celestial beast Baize was the sect's most precious friend and that they should never harm it.

So, even if the youngling were to attack Chu Liang, he could only suffer in silence. Moreover, the youngling's speed and strength far surpassed his own. So, there was no way for him to fight back anyway...

Chu Liang fell to the ground. He even closed his eyes in preparation for the painful experience that was to come.

Yet, there was no pain. Instead, he felt something hot and sticky on his face.

Lick, lick...

When Chu Liang opened his eyes again, he saw a long pink tongue.

That incomparably majestic Baize... is licking my face?

Moreover, at close range, he could see that the youngling had an unconcealable sense of excitement in its eyes, as well as a strong sense of familiarity. It was as if the youngling knew him.

"Huh?"

Chu Liang was a bit puzzled.

It can't be that the youngling is just pretending to be close to me... but I've never met it before. Moreover, even if I did encounter it by chance, what could I have possibly done to earn the favor of a celestial beast?

Chu Liang pondered for a moment and came up with the most likely possibility.

Could it be because... I'm quite handsome?

"Hreeooorrh!" the youngling let out a cheerful cry.

It seems like it's trying to talk to me...?

Nevertheless, Chu Liang didn't understand the language of beasts, so it was hard for him to grasp the youngling's intentions. The only response he could give was to rub its neck with his hand.

"Hreeooorrh!"

The young Baize happily ran around Chu Liang twice. Then it approached him and lowered its head and upper body.

"Hmm?" Chu Liang murmured, furrowing his brows.

Could it be that it wants me to ride on its back?

Celestial beasts rarely allowed humans to ride them. If a celestial beast permitted a human to do so, then it meant the celestial beast had acknowledged them as worthy.

Faced with this rare opportunity and the youngling's enthusiasm, Chu Liang couldn't refuse. So, he got up and slowly approached it.

Fearing that he might have misinterpreted the youngling's intentions, he moved slowly and cautiously. This way, he could immediately retreat... if the youngling suddenly turned hostile.

I'll just pet it. I won't get on.

Fortunately, it seemed that he had understood the youngling's intentions correctly.

Chu Liang eventually climbed onto the youngling's back, and once he was seated properly...

"Hreeooorrh!" the youngling cried out cheerfully again.

It stood up and straightened its legs, immediately breaking into a run!

Whoosh—

In an instant, the youngling was running as fast as lightning. Its speed surpassed that of Chu Liang's flying sword at full power several times over. In the blink of an eye, they had already charged into the dense forest ahead.

The surrounding trees appeared as if they were rushing past them, heading in the opposite direction. The passing scenery was just a blur in Chu Liang's eyes.

Then he suddenly felt like he was leaping, and a silver waterfall appeared before him! This was the enormous waterfall on Treasured Pagoda Peak!

Legend had it that after the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda went missing, it left in its place a massive crater, which later turned into a lake.

The waterfall Chu Liang was looking at cascaded vertically into the middle of that lake, producing a powerful rumble like that of thunder.

The lake was now within Chu Liang's sights, but the youngling was still showing no sign of slowing down. Instead, it suddenly charged straight toward the waterfall ahead.

"Hey!" Chu Liang couldn't help but call out.

Rumble—

As the sound of the waterfall drowned Chu Liang's ears, the youngling carried him straight into the waterfall. What he saw beyond the curtain of water was not a mountain wall but an empty cave.

It turned out a whole other world was hidden here!

So, it's a waterfall cave?

They had passed through a dense forest and entered a water-curtain cave, but the journey wasn't over yet... It appeared that the youngling wanted to take Chu Liang to the end of the cave.

The pitch-black cave before them seemed like an abyss. Nevertheless, the youngling moved speedily, continuing to charge forward with Chu Liang on its back.

They traversed countless li in the blink of an eye. Then they saw a gap in the cave wall. The youngling leaped once more.

Chu Liang finally saw the end of this waterfall cave. It was a cavern, and within it was...

A woman?