Chapter 34: The Baize Youngling

Chapter 34: The Baize Youngling

There were many mountain peaks in Mount Shu, but only the thirty-six peaks with established history made it into Mount Shu's official list of peaks. Over a hundred more desolate peaks were hidden amid the endless sea of clouds shrouding Mount Shu.

Treasured Pagoda Peak was one of them. It was currently uninhabited, but it was actually one of Mount Shu's most famous peaks. This was because Treasured Pagoda Peak used to house the Demon-Suppressing Pagoda, the top-ranked divine artifact in the mortal realm!

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.

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?