Chapter 531 - 530: A Steady Jaw-Dropper

Chapter 531: Chapter 530: A Steady Jaw-Dropper

Ximen Chuihuo was the most peculiar person in the entire Spiritual Control Sect. Despite being seen as someone who had strayed from the correct path, he was completely oblivious to this fact.

Not only did he steal Spirit Beasts, he also hoarded their meat and even snatched the young of some rare species.

Of course, he never intended to eat one whole.

After all, stealing them wasn’t easy.

So he raised them, keeping them in a place others couldn’t reach and would never think to look.

It was a mountain peak on the very edge of the Spiritual Control Sect.

He had never seen anyone go to that peak.

To learn more about the peak, he had gone out of his way to research it.

But due to his low status, the information available was very limited. He only learned that it was a peak left behind by the ancestors and that ordinary people were forbidden from entering.

’If others can’t enter, doesn’t that make it the perfect place for me to raise Spirit Beasts?’

Back when he was younger, he staked out the edge of the peak for an entire year. In all that time, he never saw a single person go in.

Later, he bribed the Spirit Beast guarding the entrance and learned that no one had ever entered.

This news made Ximen Chuihuo ecstatic for a good while. He then cautiously went up the mountain to scout it out, hoping to find a suitable place to raise his Spirit Beasts.

Once a Spirit Beast grew large enough, he would carve off a piece and let it grow back.

And when he got tired of the taste, he’d release it.

’The plan was absolutely perfect.’

He had executed it perfectly over the years, never once being discovered.

Until today...

With something this big happening, he had to go. Otherwise, wouldn’t the longest-running cold case in the Spiritual Control Sect finally be solved?

It usually took him a few months of effort to get caught just once. If he was caught this time, he’d be grounded for months straight.

Ximen Chuihuo quickly arrived before the peak, but the moment he did, his expression turned grim.

’Dad’s actually here! Did the matter with the weakened Spirit Beasts lead them to discover the other ones I’m keeping here?’

While Ximen Chuihuo was nervous, his father was surprised.

There was an Array here that ordinary disciples could never discover. One shouldn’t be fooled just because the peak appeared to be sitting there motionlessly.

Only a handful of people in the entire Spiritual Control Sect even knew the peak’s true location.

’So, how did my son get here?’

’And his expression is off.’

Just then, Ximen Chuihuo walked over, having already forced himself to calm down.

"Dad, why are you here? Is there a problem on the mountain?" Ximen Chuihuo asked, feigning curiosity.

Sect Leader Ximen, however, was inwardly suspicious. Something about that question felt off.

He didn’t let it show, however, and asked sternly, "Do you think there’s a problem on the mountain?"

Ximen Chuihuo shook his head. "That, I don’t know. How about I go up and take a look?"

’From my point of view,’ Ximen Chuihuo thought, ’Dad is standing here either waiting for someone, guarding the entrance, or trying to stop people.’

’If he lets me go up now, I might have a chance to get to the Spirit Beasts before anyone else.’

’And move them.’

’That way, I can get through this disaster safely.’

’The main thing now is to not let Dad suspect that my Spirit Beasts, which I’ve been raising for years, are up there.’

But upon hearing his son’s words, Sect Leader Ximen felt that things were getting stranger and stranger.

’I feel like my son has some kind of misunderstanding about this mountain,’ he thought.

’Or is there something I don’t know?’

’Also, since when does my son ask for my permission to do something as simple as climbing a mountain?’

’Something’s wrong. Something is very wrong.’

With a placid expression, Sect Leader Ximen said, "Go ahead."

Ximen Chuihuo immediately agreed. A smile crept onto his lips as he walked forward.

’I’ve successfully broken through the first line of defense.’

’All that’s left is to move the Spirit Beasts. Shouldn’t be too hard.’

Although Ximen Chuihuo was anxious, he didn’t rush. He calmly stepped into the Array and steadily walked up the peak.

And just as calmly, he made his father’s jaw drop.

Sect Leader Ximen couldn’t believe his eyes. ’The Array must be malfunctioning.’

But he didn’t foolishly go try it himself. He wasn’t an idiot.

’Would I really be mistaken about whether the Array is working or not?’

’So... my son can actually go up the mountain?’

’And he’s very likely the first person from the Spiritual Control Sect to do so in many, many years.’

’Heavens, and I’m only finding out about it now.’

’And from the way he’s acting, this isn’t his first time, is it?’

’Heh, he hid this deep. If his attitude hadn’t seemed a bit strange today, I might have been completely duped, losing all my dignity as a father.’

"Shocked, aren’t you? I was shocked, too, the first time. I was hoping to see him make a fool of himself, but instead, it completely shattered my worldview. Turns out you really *can* go up there," the Spirit Beast said, lying on the ground.

It seemed to find the Sect Leader’s astonished expression particularly amusing.

Sect Leader Ximen looked at the Spirit Beast. "You knew? When was the first time he went up?"

The Spirit Beast replied, "The first time was probably six years ago."

Sect Leader Ximen: "..."

’It’s been going on for that long... I’m such a failure as a father.’

’Though, his mother is just as much of a failure.’

’She definitely doesn’t know either, or she would have been bragging to me about our son long ago.’

After all, they’d spent no small amount of time being angry with Ximen Chuihuo over the years.

They were so used to stringing him up for a beating.

But there was one thing he didn’t understand. What had his son been doing on that mountain for the past six years?

’Could this be why his Cultivation is so far beyond his peers?’

He didn’t quite understand, but he didn’t plan on asking, nor did he intend to let anyone else know.

’Sometimes, the less you know, the greater the future possibilities.’

He would just have to keep an eye on him from time to time.

He was suddenly filled with an odd sense of pride.

————

Jiang Zuo had now arrived inside a mountain cave, where he saw several Spirit Beasts.

These Spirit Beasts were decent, all at Tier Two Cultivation, and none of them were weakened.

However, they all stood quietly to one side the moment they saw Jiang Zuo.

Not a single Spirit Beast dared to show the slightest hint of resistance after seeing him.

They all lowered their heads, allowing Jiang Zuo to walk past them.

After passing the Spirit Beasts, Jiang Zuo couldn’t help but touch his face. ’Looks like something really is wrong. An after-effect of the forging?’

Jiang Zuo didn’t believe a mere smile could have scared these Spirit Beasts. It had to be something else.

But he couldn’t sense what it was.

It was probably something he had long since grown accustomed to.

Jiang Zuo didn’t dwell on it. He was getting closer to the Jinling Loach and couldn’t afford to be distracted.

This cave was not shallow; there was likely another world hidden within.

And these Spirit Beasts had likely been left behind by the Jinling Loach to stand guard.

After walking for a while, Jiang Zuo stopped.

He hadn’t reached his destination, but he had sensed a hint of danger.

"Is it keyed to a specific person?" Jiang Zuo muttered to himself.

Yes, he had detected a powerful Restriction: unauthorized personnel were forbidden from entering.

This Restriction was powerful; completely deciphering it would take time.

It was just like the threshold of the Holy Land’s Grand Array, which also required authentication.

But the Jiang Zuo of today was not the same man he was back then, and he had no need to break it.

The Restriction’s lethal mechanism wasn’t powerful enough to kill him.

So, Jiang Zuo walked straight toward the Restriction.

As Jiang Zuo stepped into the Restriction, a contemptuous voice echoed from within: "You’re really asking to die. I have no idea how you even made it up this mountain."

Jiang Zuo wasn’t surprised by the voice. The Jinling Loach’s level was so high, it was no wonder it could talk.

＊＊＊＊＊＊

Adding extra Chapters is really difficult, please forgive me.

Then, as for book recommendations, forget those little 6-Chapter or 24-Chapter stories. This time, I’m recommending another one. Take those numbers, add four zeros to the end of them, and then multiply by two. (Let’s try something different.)

A masterpiece from a top-tier author (someone I practically worship): "Cultivation Method Modifier".

Also, I didn’t get paid a single cent for this, by the way.

I’m not that kind of person (at most, I’ll let some of you introduce me to a girlfriend). (The word count above does not factor into Chapter fees.)

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