Chapter 133 - 85: Innate Spirit Root and the Divination Pact

Chapter 133: Chapter 85: Innate Spirit Root and the Divination Pact

Zhong Shenxiu chuckled, brushing aside the faint sense of regret. He retracted the Gangyun, and his dazzling, sharp aura instantly vanished. He then suddenly bowed to the open air with clasped hands and said, "Zhenren, won’t you show yourself?"

Xuzhuang saw a sparrow fly down from out of nowhere. It beat its wings rapidly, hovering in the air. Its tiny beak opened, and out came a grating, cackling voice. "Zhong the Kid, when did you realize I was hiding on the sidelines, enjoying the show?"

Xuzhuang was slightly taken aback, but a familiar image surfaced in his mind. ’The Immoral Taoist?’

Zhong Shenxiu said, "It was merely a wild guess."

The sparrow scoffed. "How about it, you two? Care to join me for a cup of tea?"

Zhong Shenxiu replied, "Zhenren, your invitation must be primarily for Fellow Daoist Xu. I have gained some insights from my discussion of the Dao with him today, and I also just so happened to form my Nascent Soul. I must return to my sect to cultivate and stabilize my new realm, so I won’t impose on you, Zhenren."

The sparrow squawked, "Zhong the Kid! So you won’t give me any face, huh? Then scram!"

Zhong Shenxiu gave a slight smile and nodded to Xuzhuang. Then, with a flicker of his body, he transformed into a streak of purple light and shot toward the heavens. In a moment, he vanished into the dense clouds, leaving no trace.

The sparrow seemed to mutter a couple of curses, then turned to Xuzhuang. "Xu the Kid, what about you? Coming for tea?"

Xuzhuang pondered for a moment, then raised his sleeve in a bow. "It would be disrespectful to refuse. I would be honored to join you for a cup of Immortal Tea, Zhenren."

The sparrow chirped twice more, then flapped its wings and flew up into the clouds. Xuzhuang immediately summoned a ray of light and followed.

Xuzhuang couldn’t tell if the sparrow was empowered by the Daoist arts of a Primordial Spirit True Man or was simply a rare breed, but it covered several miles in an instant before descending toward a mountain peak.

Xuzhuang followed suit, dispelling his light as he descended. Passing through the clouds and mist, he saw that atop this forested mountain, which bore no trace of human life, a simple pavilion had appeared out of thin air. Inside, two men were drinking tea at a set of white stone table and chairs, upon which a tea set was placed.

One of them was stern-faced, wearing a foot-high crown, with a Duster draped over his arm. He sat ramrod straight, the very picture of a venerable Daoist. The other man, however, had graying hair and a scraggly beard, wore ragged clothes, and slouched with terrible posture. In his mouth was the same strange cigarette roll that Xuzhuang found so peculiar. It was the Immoral Taoist, whom Xuzhuang had met once before.

Xuzhuang landed on the peak, strode into the pavilion, and cupped his hands in salute. "Greetings, Zhenrens."

The Immoral Taoist grunted and pointed to a chair. "Sit!"

Xuzhuang straightened his robes and sat down. He then heard the Immoral Taoist say, "This is my senior brother, Jide Taoist."

Jide Taoist flicked his Duster. The faintest, almost imperceptible hint of a smile touched his stern face as he nodded at Xuzhuang.

’Another Primordial Spirit True Man.’

Xuzhuang was startled. Not daring to be disrespectful, he quickly returned the gesture before asking, "May I ask why you’ve summoned me, Zhenren? Do you have instructions for me?"

The Immoral Taoist snorted. "Didn’t I say I was inviting you for tea?" Just then, the sparrow fluttered over, picked up the teapot from the stove with its beak, filled an empty cup, and gently pushed it in front of Xuzhuang.

Xuzhuang raised an eyebrow, his gaze falling upon the cup. It was a clear tea, with nothing seemingly amiss. Without a second thought, he picked up the cup with both hands and drank it down. Suddenly, a bone-chilling cold shot down his throat and instantly suffused his entire body. His face turned white, and a layer of frost appeared on his eyebrows and hair. His whole body froze as if dead, completely motionless.

The Immoral Taoist cackled. "Senior Brother, how long do you think it’ll take Xu the Kid to dissolve the Ice Extreme Essence?"

Jide Taoist replied, "An ordinary cultivator at the peak of the Golden Core realm would need at least a year to dissolve this cup of Ice Extreme Essence. Although this boy’s cultivation is profound, I imagine it will still take him about a month."

But the Immoral Taoist said, "It only took Zhong the Kid twenty-one days. And let’s not forget, Xu the Kid bested him by a single move."

"The tide of battle can turn in an instant. If they were to fight again, the outcome would be uncertain," Jide Taoist said. "Besides, this is a test of one’s cultivation foundation. What does it have to do with martial prowess?"

The Immoral Taoist said, "It seems you still favor Zhong the Kid, Senior Brother."

Jide Taoist said, "That’s right. Why don’t you let me have Zhong Shenxiu, then?"

The Immoral Taoist took a few leisurely puffs of smoke before suddenly saying, "If you give me the Five Qi Heroic Spirit Pouch, Senior Brother, I’ll let you have Zhong the Kid."

Now it was Jide Taoist’s turn to be surprised. He asked, "Really? Junior Brother, you have that much faith in Xuzhuang?"

The Immoral Taoist chuckled. "I don’t think Xu the Kid’s foundation is any worse than Zhong the Kid’s. In fact, when it comes to dissolving this Ice Extreme Essence, I bet it won’t even take him twenty-one days."

But Jide Taoist countered, "Even so, Zhong Shenxiu is already a step ahead, having formed his Nascent Soul. He’s about to enter a period of explosive growth. I don’t see Xuzhuang being able to catch up."

The Immoral Taoist rolled his eyes and snapped, "So, do you want to make the trade or not?"

Jide Taoist quickly replied, "I do! Of course I do! Then it’s a deal." Perhaps fearing the Immoral Taoist would go back on his word, he immediately pulled an object from his sleeve and handed it over, a visibly pained expression on his face.

Seeing his senior brother’s expression, the Immoral Taoist flashed a grin, revealing a mouthful of crooked teeth. "What’s wrong, Senior Brother? If it pains you that much, it’s not too late to take it back."

Jide Taoist snorted. "Take it! How can a mere Five Qi Heroic Spirit Pouch possibly compare to a fruit from an Innate Spirit Root?"

At these words, the Immoral Taoist immediately tucked the Five Qi Heroic Spirit Pouch into his sleeve and shook his head. "I wouldn’t celebrate too early, Senior Brother. If Xu the Kid and I come out on top... Hehe, the look on your face then will be a sight to behold."

The Ancient Taoist couldn’t stand the sight of his gloating, winking expression after getting the better of the deal. He promptly closed his eyes and fell silent.

The Immoral Taoist paid him no mind. He took out a palm-sized booklet and began to read the Daoist Scripture, leisurely puffing out clouds of smoke.