Chapter 272 - 135: Black Mountain’s Arrival

Chapter 272: Chapter 135: Black Mountain’s Arrival

In truth, Jiang Mu didn’t even realize what he was doing.

It was a habit he had picked up in Lady Peach Blossom’s Grotto Heaven Dao Mansion.

After boldly remodeling Shangguan Luoxue’s Grotto Heaven Dao Mansion to his liking, he’d developed a sort of compulsion.

Now, sensing Si Rumeng’s Demon Pill...

He found it felt somewhat familiar, so he subconsciously manipulated his Demonic Qi and began to purge its impurities, remodeling it.

His specialty was "renovations on the fly."

The Tree Demon was currently pouring all her effort into opening the pocket dimension and was in no position to resist. She could only grit her teeth and silently endure the bizarre sensation, all while cursing Jiang Mu to high heaven in her mind.

But to her utter astonishment, as Jiang Mu’s Demonic Qi continued to remodel and refine it, complex and mysterious golden patterns slowly began to appear on the surface of her Demon Pill.

Dao Patterns!

These were the textural patterns of Dao Rhyme that only Cultivators from the Human Race could manifest.

Demons cultivated their physical bodies and Demonic Power, making it exceedingly difficult for them to comprehend the Celestial Dao, let alone manifest Dao Patterns.

But once a Demon possessed Dao Patterns, it meant they had a physique that was "close to the Dao."

Not only would its cultivation speed multiply, but it could also conceal its demonic aura. When it came time to achieve its Star Position, the repulsion from the Celestial Dao would be drastically weakened.

This was an opportunity countless Great Demons could only dream of!

As time went on, the golden light emanating from Si Rumeng’s lower abdomen grew ever more brilliant. The Dao Patterns not only contained profound Dao Rhyme but were even tinged with a trace of the hallowed incense aura from the Buddha Lamp.

Meanwhile...

Dao Patterns had also formed on the skin of Si Rumeng’s lower abdomen.

If one were to look closely, they would discover that right in the center of the sacred Dao Patterns, a domineering "Jiang" character was twisted into form.

It was like a personal seal, arrogantly stamped upon her.

The brand was deep, never to be erased.

A declaration of ownership.

Finally.

RUMBLE—

A soft sound echoed.

Through their combined efforts, the rudimentary pocket dimension was finally established.

A screen of light flashed, and Meiruo Temple, which had been standing in the wilderness, vanished without a trace, taking its foundations and a patch of the surrounding forest along with it.

It was as if a giant hand had cut and pasted it into the new space.

Jiang Mu stood his ground, and with a mere thought...

RRRIP!

The air before him tore open like a bolt of silk, revealing a glimpse of the quiet, deep temple within.

"Success!"

Jiang Mu nodded in satisfaction, retracting his hand. "Not a bad base at all."

Across from him, Si Rumeng was completely drained.

She was panting heavily, her clothes soaked with sweat and clinging to her body, revealing her dramatic curves.

She stared at the entrance to the pocket dimension, an entrance she could pass through but which was completely controlled by Jiang Mu’s will, and was so angry she thought her lungs would explode.

’I slaved away for hours, contributing my Demonic Power and my expertise, only for him to waltz in and reap all the rewards! What the hell was this? Was I expected to bring my own tools to be the landlord’s serf?’

"What did you do?!"

Si Rumeng lifted her head, her beautiful eyes blazing with anger as she bit out the words.

Jiang Mu looked perfectly innocent. "I was helping you fix it. Can’t you feel how much sturdier your Demon Pill is now?"

"I’m asking about the pocket dimension! Why did you seize control of it?!"

Si Rumeng’s chest heaved with anger.

Jiang Mu said,

"I saw you were about to collapse, so I just lent a hand. I didn’t expect to become an owner, too.

But don’t worry, I left an imprint for you so you can come and go as you please. It’s no different from you being in control, right?"

"Like hell it is!!"

Si Rumeng barely stopped herself from cursing.

’Is a landlord the same as a tenant?’

But just as she was about to fly into a rage, she suddenly noticed something different about the Demon Pill inside her.

The Dao Rhyme now flowing through her entire body.

The unprecedented sense of affinity with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi...

She froze.

"This is... Dao Rhyme?"

With the boon of this Daoist Intent and Dao Rhyme, if she ever went ahead with her plan to "forge a Bodhisattva’s golden body," her chances of success would increase severalfold.

In an instant, she was overcome by a storm of conflicting emotions.

She hated the man’s domineering shamelessness, yet she couldn’t deny the enormous favor he had just done her.

She wanted to curse him out but couldn’t bring herself to open her mouth, so she just stood there, cheeks puffed out in frustration.

"Alright, stop glaring at me."

Jiang Mu dusted off his clothes.

"You all can stay here to recuperate and make repairs. I’ve been away too long and have business to attend to, so I can’t stay. Once I’m done in Yan City, I’ll come find you."

"Wait."

Si Rumeng stopped him.

She turned her face away and said sullenly,

"If you run into any trouble you can’t handle out there, you can summon me through the Buddha Lamp. As long as you’re not too far away, I’ll be able to sense it."

Jiang Mu smiled and nodded. "Alright. I’m off, then."

With that, his figure flickered and vanished into the night.

After the man had left,

Si Rumeng immediately teleported into a room in the temple inside the pocket dimension.

She hurriedly untied her sash, let her robes fall away, and looked down at her own body.

There, a faint layer of golden patterns glowed on her skin.

It really was Dao Patterns!

The woman’s beautiful face lit up with joy.

But when she looked closer and saw the large "Jiang" character right in the middle of the Dao Patterns, she was utterly dumbfounded.

Si Rumeng’s vision went black; she nearly fainted.

"Jiang Mu, you bastard!!"

But as she felt the majestic Dao Rhyme and the peculiar righteous aura flowing within the Dao Patterns, she fell silent once more.

Though the Dao Patterns were a shackle, they also presented her with an unprecedented opportunity.

For a time, her contradictory feelings left her speechless.

—

"Achoo!"

Jiang Mu rubbed his nose and let out a loud sneeze.

By the time he arrived, travel-worn, back at the small courtyard Tian Wenjing had been using as a command post, the sun was already dipping toward the west.