Chapter 96: The Spirit Garden, Welcomed by Plain Silk

"Whether it is difficult or not, it is certainly safer than that shortcut of reverse cultivation you are practicing."

As he spoke, Li Muru leaned in closer and said, "I find the banquet at the Yin Heaven Palace quite dull anyway. Why don't I take you to the Spirit Park to see something more interesting? Who knows, we might just stumble upon a stroke of good fortune there."

Ji Ming kept his gaze fixed forward, ignoring Li Muru. He was currently carrying the Soiled Gold Bottle; how could he possibly wander off?

Up ahead, a palace floating amidst the clouds had come into view. On its glazed roof, a dim, grayish-white light radiated, swirling in clusters. Within the ghost-like aura, a majestic and divine presence flickered, evoking a sense of dread in all who beheld it. Small bells hung from the eaves, chiming in the gale. The sound filled Ji Ming with a sense of agitation, as if an ill omen were impending.

"These ghosts and gods are always fond of such ostentatious displays," the Fire Dragon Daoist, sitting in front, muttered sullenly.

"Brother Fire Dragon, do try to be more mindful of your words. Many fellow practitioners from the South will be attending the banquet shortly; we must not tarnish the reputation of the Great Pure Yang Palace."

The Master maneuvered the Yellow Cloud Scarf to land in front of the palace. Ji Ming followed behind, curiously observing his surroundings. Outside the Yin Heaven Palace, many figures had already arrived, mounted on various exotic beasts, descending gracefully from the sky.

As Ji Ming looked around, his eyes suddenly locked onto a familiar face. The sight caused his pupils to contract.

"Suluozi!"

His heart skipped a beat, and he silently cursed the irony of their meeting. In front of the palace, Suluozi stood as if he were the host, his two pairs of arms pressed together in greeting, bowing constantly to the arriving guests.

Ji Ming quickly averted his eyes, his mind racing. Why would Suluozi be here? What was his connection to Zhong Chengzi, the master of the Yin Heaven Palace? Now was not the time to ponder this; he absolutely could not enter that palace. If Suluozi possessed any means to detect celestial beings, and a conflict were to arise, the Master might not be able to protect him.

He turned to Li Muru and smiled, "I've changed my mind. The immortal banquet is indeed boring; I’d rather go with you to the Spirit Park to have a look."

Seeing Ji Ming change his mind, Li Muru didn't mind his indecisiveness and signaled for him to follow quickly.

"This..." Ji Ming looked at the Soiled Gold Bottle in his arms and said to Li Muru, "I need to tell the Master."

"Give it to me!" Su Su reached out suddenly.

Ji Ming hesitated for a moment, glancing at the Master, who had already entered the palace. While this action would certainly displease his Master, his own life was far more important than that.

The mere thought of sharing a palace with Suluozi made his skin crawl. After handing over the gold bottle, Ji Ming followed Li Muru around the palace to a quiet, walled-in Spirit Park, where everything was deathly silent.

Ji Ming was still thinking about Suluozi, so he asked Li Muru, "Who was that monk hosting the guests?"

"Isn't he your fellow sect member?" Li Muru replied casually. "I heard he was born with four-armed dharma bones, but he exhausted his lifespan by cultivating both Daoist and Buddhist arts, forcing him to extend his life with heterodox Buddhist methods. It’s quite the sensation here in the South. I heard that if not for Zhong Chengzi’s strong support, he would have been suppressed by Taiping Mountain long ago."

"Can the ghosts and gods of the Earth Court influence the laws of Taiping Mountain?"

"It depends on the circumstances," Li Muru said, sounding like an expert. "Zhong Chengzi is, after all, one of the ghosts and gods of the South, overseeing this region, and he is also a registered disciple of Lady Huode of Nanhua. That carries a lot of weight. Besides, for us cultivators, extending one’s life is merely an unspoken matter; it’s just that he shouldn't have used heterodox Buddhist methods to do it—he broke a certain taboo."

The taboo Li Muru spoke of must have been the celestial beings sent down by the Heavens to obstruct his path. Ji Ming pondered, "So, Suluozi's life extension is a matter that can be grave or trivial, but because Zhong Chengzi covered for him, no one pursued it."

"Exactly, that’s how it is," Li Muru confirmed.

"Phew..." Ji Ming let out a long breath. One Suluozi was enough of a headache; he didn't want to cross paths with a Zhong Chengzi as well. He finally understood why the saying circulated among wandering cultivators: "Beat a small one, and a group of old ones comes; beat an old one, and there's an ancient, immortal one." If he were a rogue cultivator, he would be even more aggrieved.

Come to think of it, the old Daoist dared to take him, a celestial being, as a disciple—he must have weighed the background and backing of that Suluozi. Ji Ming felt he needed to give the old Daoist more surprises and more confidence so that he would support him wholeheartedly and unswervingly.

In the dim light, a furry claw reached out. As soon as it neared Ji Ming, an invisible force of energy violently flicked it away.

"Who's there?" Ji Ming asked, simultaneously unleashing a palm strike from within his sleeve.

The sound of an impact against rock echoed, and a monster covered in black fur bounced out, baring its fangs and praising, "What a powerful palm strike, kid."

The monster was a black-haired monkey-like creature with only one arm and one leg, its small eyes glinting with a cruel light.

Li Muru stepped forward and asked, "Mountain Raccoon, why are you the only one here?"

"Hehe!" The hideous creature stepped aside, scratching its body and grinning with its fangs, "Everyone else is inside playing!"

After Ji Ming and Li Muru left, the Mountain Raccoon quickly rubbed his chest, which was already bruised.

"This Spirit Park is where the mounts and pets of the immortal guests rest. While the immortals attend the banquet in the palace, they gather here to socialize and play games of chance."

"Games of chance?"

"Do you know how to play? Can you teach me?" Li Muru asked.

Ji Ming's expression stiffened. He didn't know how to play, but he knew how it felt to be played, and Li Muru likely wouldn't want to hear about that experience.

Inside the park, many exotic beasts had gathered, and other attendants like Li Muru were also present.

"If you ask me which technique in the South has the most power, it has to be the 'Formless Needle' of Taiping Mountain. This art has the potential for divine power, appearing and disappearing without a trace..."

An old turtle with a jade crown on its head sat cross-legged, pointing two fingers continuously as it spoke to a crowd of mounts listening to its tall tales.

"No, I say it's the 'Fire Serpent Divine Transformation' of Panhu Mountain." A winged snake coiled its body and said, "On the Guancai Cave battlefield, if Lord Chiyi hadn't relied on this technique, the war would have ended long ago."

"Makes sense." Li Muru nodded repeatedly as he listened, then asked, "Golden Boy, what do you think?"

Seeing no response for a long time, Li Muru turned his head and saw that the Golden Boy was standing in front of a meter-tall black crane, looking dazed, as if under a spell.

"Golden Boy." Li Muru called out again.

Ji Ming ignored the call and bowed to the black crane, saying, "I observe that your lower abdomen is drooping; are you pregnant?! I am a humble child, slightly versed in the healing arts, let me help you—"

Before Ji Ming could finish, the black crane flashed its dark wings and stirred up a great gust of wind, fanning Ji Ming away.

Ji Ming braced himself with his inner energy and landed steadily. Seeing the black crane depart with a white crane, he touched his forehead and thought to himself, "My Spirit Platform Treasure Eye clearly sensed its pregnancy. Could it be an affair..."

Ji Ming touched his forehead again and sensed that a dragon-like alligator was also pregnant. A smile returned to his face, and he hurried over, preparing to strike up a conversation.

Just as he reached the alligator, he was pulled away by Li Muru, who said sternly, "There are many exotic species gathered here, all mixed together. Don't go randomly pestering them."

As he spoke, he pulled him into the small circle where the old turtle and the winged snake were.

Li Muru pointed at them and introduced them one by one: "The one with the white shell is Old Moon-Shell, the snake with wings is Da Pan, and the green-feathered humanoid is Xiao Lingtong."

While Ji Ming examined the beasts, they also examined him, their attitudes neither warm nor cold.

Li Muru pointed at the green-feathered humanoid and said, "If you want to raise a mount or a companion pet, just ask Xiao Lingtong; he didn't get that name for nothing."

It seemed Li Muru had misunderstood Ji Ming's earlier behavior, but Ji Ming didn't bother to explain.

The bird tilted its head and said reservedly, "I just happen to know some of the immortals among the birds. They fly all over the world and are full of news. I hear so much that, naturally, I am well-informed. And believe it or not, I actually know some high-quality, exotic beasts looking for a master to form a bond of fate."