Chapter 69: Awakening
Hua Changxi looked at the Mountain Spirit, who was still trembling slightly in her embrace, and said helplessly, “Don’t be scared. Didn’t you say the Monkey King died a long, long time ago? The power of that Buddha’s Hand should have dissipated by now.”
“I just touched it, and the Buddha’s Hand is already loose. I don’t think it has much power left.”
Hearing this, the Mountain Spirit suddenly raised its head and asked anxiously, “Fairy, you touched the Buddha’s Hand?”
Hua Changxi: “I didn’t know what it was, so I just wanted to get a closer look. Although the Buddha’s Hand doesn’t look very big, it’s as heavy as a mountain. I used all my strength to move it a little.”
The Mountain Spirit propped its chin on its hand, lost in thought, and its expression slowly relaxed. “Since the Fairy could move the Buddha’s Hand, its power must indeed be almost gone.”
Hua Changxi: “Right? I want to go up and take it down.”
Upon hearing this, the Mountain Spirit was startled. “Fairy, why do you want to take down the Buddha’s Hand?”
Hua Changxi: “I took a closer look just now and found that the Buddha’s Hand is very mysterious. I want to take it down and study it carefully.”
The Mountain Spirit frantically shook its head. “Fairy, you can’t do that.”
Hua Changxi asked in confusion, “Why?”
Mountain Spirit: “Although the Monkey King is dead, his bones have merged with this stone cave. Now that Spiritual Energy has revived, it has activated the Monkey King’s Domain, which requires the continued suppression of the Buddha’s Hand.”
Hua Changxi: “What will happen if the Buddha’s Hand is no longer suppressing it?”
The Mountain Spirit shook its head. “I don’t know, but I think there might be big trouble.”
Hua Changxi looked up at the ceiling of the stone cave. She just felt that anything capable of suppressing the Monkey King must be extraordinary, and she wanted to observe it. If she were to move the Buddha’s Hand, she might not even be able to do it.
“Alright, I won’t move the Buddha’s Hand. I’ll just take advantage of being here now to look at it a few more times and see if I can figure anything out.”
Seeing that Hua Changxi was about to start practicing the Somersault Cloud again, the Mountain Spirit quickly grabbed her. “Fairy, it’s time for breakfast.”
Hua Changxi looked at him, picking up a Spiritual Fruit as she spoke, “Your meal times are quite punctual.”
The Mountain Spirit took the Spiritual Fruit. “Because I need to take good care of myself, Fairy. You haven’t been taking good care of yourself, you haven’t been sleeping well.”
Hua Changxi chuckled. “I have no choice. If I don’t seize the time to cultivate, how can we get rid of that Old Daoist?”
The Mountain Spirit tilted its head. “But as long as we stay in the cave, that Old Daoist won’t dare to come in, Fairy. You’re pushing yourself too hard.”
Was she pushing herself?
Perhaps.
Hua Changxi could actually feel her anxiety. This anxiety stemmed from the unknown of the cultivation world and from her own lack of self-confidence. She didn’t know if she could adapt to the cultivation world.
She could only continuously improve her Strength to deal with and resist those potential dangers.
Afterward, Hua Changxi continued to practice the Somersault Cloud, while the Mountain Spirit leisurely ate Spiritual Fruits.
As noon approached, a large amount of smoke suddenly filled the stone cave.
“Fairy~”
The Mountain Spirit was startled. Hua Changxi, who was on the cloud looking at the Buddha’s Hand on the cave ceiling, quickly flew down.
“Fairy, it’s the Scruffy Old Daoist! He’s setting a fire outside the cave, trying to burn us to death.”
Looking at the pile of Tree Branches stacked at the cave entrance, the Mountain Spirit jumped with anger.
Hua Changxi’s brows furrowed. “He’s not trying to burn us to death, he’s trying to smoke us out.”
“What’s that smell? It’s so stinky~” The Mountain Spirit pinched its nose and quickly moved away from the cave entrance.
Hua Changxi’s expression turned grim. Poisonous smoke, that Old Daoist actually used poisonous smoke!
“Fatty, come here, eat this Pill.”
The Mountain Spirit took the Pill. “What is this?”
Hua Changxi: “Detoxification Pill.”
The Mountain Spirit quickly swallowed the Pill and then ran to the cave entrance, shouting at the Old Daoist outside, “You old scoundrel, you’re too wicked! You actually want to poison us to death! Just you wait. When I become powerful, you and your descendants will never set foot in Five Finger Mountain again.”
Jiang Guanyun’s expression turned very ugly upon hearing the Mountain Spirit’s shouts.
His voice was so strong, it didn’t seem like he was poisoned at all.
This Mountain Spirit was born not long ago and its cultivation was still very low. It couldn’t resist the poisonous smoke. The only possibility was that the little girl who snatched his Mountain Spirit had a Detoxification Pill on her.
“Very well, let’s see how long you can last.”
Jiang Guanyun increased the amount of poisonous smoke being released. At this moment, a Communication Talisman from the Jiang Family arrived.
Upon learning that the Demon Suppressing Army had joined forces with the Qingzhou Army and had begun to pressure other forces to withdraw from Five Finger Mountain, Jiang Guanyun, who had originally planned to slowly force out the Mountain Spirit with poisonous smoke, decided to speed things up.
“Eldest Brother, Second Brother, rush to Third Peak immediately.”
Jiang Guanyun had never imagined he would fail to capture a newly born Mountain Spirit. If it weren’t for that wild girl who suddenly appeared and interfered, he would have refined the Mountain Spirit long ago, and Five Finger Mountain would have belonged to the Jiang Family.
The Jiang Family could not confront the Imperial Court head-on yet. He had to quickly capture the Mountain Spirit and occupy Five Finger Mountain.
To prevent that wild girl from causing trouble and creating further complications, he needed to have his eldest son, who was in the Core Formation Realm, and his second son, who was in the Qi Sea Realm, come and stop her. Once he captured the Mountain Spirit, he would deal with that wild girl.
Inside the stone cave, Hua Changxi and the Mountain Spirit, having taken the Detoxification Pill, were no longer afraid of the poisonous mist. However, the cave was still filled with smoke and heat from the poisonous mist, making it very uncomfortable.
“Fairy, what do we do now?”
Hua Changxi looked at the Mountain Spirit. “How is your Somersault Cloud practice going? If we rush out, do you have the confidence to escape the Old Daoist’s pursuit?”
The Mountain Spirit shook its head. “I don’t know.”
Hua Changxi didn’t have much confidence either. They had only practiced the Somersault Cloud for one day. Although they could control the cloud, their speed was definitely not fast.
However, they couldn’t stay trapped in the stone cave forever.
“Let’s seize the time to practice the Somersault Cloud again. Once our speed increases, we’ll rush out.”
This time, the Mountain Spirit didn’t dare to be lax and, with great seriousness, practiced the Somersault Cloud repeatedly with Hua Changxi in the poisonous mist-filled stone cave.
Outside the stone cave, the poisonous vines burned for three days and three nights. Seeing that Hua Changxi and the Mountain Spirit had not appeared, Jiang Guanyun’s expression was a little grim, but he wasn’t too anxious.
The Communication Talisman on his waist lit up, and Jiang Guanyun knew that his eldest son and second son had arrived.
Jiang Guanyun did not let his eldest and second sons approach the stone cave. Instead, he used the Communication Talisman to instruct them to hide in the left and right positions outside the stone cave.
Then, Jiang Guanyun began to throw Tear Gas Talismans and Foul Smell Talismans into the stone cave.
As soon as the talismans flew into the stone cave, they dissolved into light spots and disappeared into the air.
Hua Changxi had never seen this before and was stunned for a moment.
“Ah, Fairy, my eyes hurt so much!”
“Ugh~”
Within a few breaths, Hua Changxi and the Mountain Spirit’s eyes became swollen and red. Tears flowed out like water from an opened valve, and they kept vomiting.
Hua Changxi used her Wind Control Technique to try and expel the foul gas from the cave, but every time she cleared the air a little, another talisman would be thrown in.
Hua Changxi could deal with the poisonous smoke with the Detoxification Pill, but against the Tear Gas Talismans and Foul Smell Talismans, she was truly helpless.
“That Old Daoist is too wicked!”
At this point, even though Hua Changxi and the Mountain Spirit knew that the Old Daoist was blocking them outside the cave, they had no choice but to rush out.
They simply couldn’t stay in the stone cave anymore.
“Fatty, we’ll fly out from left and right in a moment. If the Old Daoist chases you, I’ll help block him for a bit, and you can escape quickly.”
“Fairy, I don’t want to leave you.”
“Fatty, I came to Five Finger Mountain for experience in the first place, and I’ll have to leave sooner or later. I’ll come to Five Finger Mountain to see you in the future. You must take care of yourself.”
“Okay.”
Unable to bear the smell in the stone cave any longer, Hua Changxi and the Mountain Spirit prepared themselves and rushed out of the stone cave at the same time.
Jiang Guanyun felt the fluctuation of Spiritual Energy the moment they emerged. With a ‘boom,’ he struck towards the left, where the Spiritual Energy fluctuation was stronger.
“Bang~”
Too close, Hua Changxi couldn’t dodge and took a direct palm strike to her back, spitting blood.
Thinking the Old Daoist was chasing her, Hua Changxi ignored her injuries and rushed forward rapidly.
However, after flying only a few hundred meters, a giant Spirit Net emitting Spiritual Light was cast out.
Not good, that Old Daoist has helpers!
Hua Changxi’s face changed drastically. She condensed a Fire Lotus in her hand and directly swung it at the giant net.
“Boom~”
As soon as the giant net encountered the Fire Lotus, it immediately ignited and quickly broke open a large hole.
Seeing this, Hua Changxi breathed a sigh of relief and quickly passed through the large hole, escaping the net’s coverage.
Before she could relax, a Cultivator emerged and launched a fierce attack at her.
Hua Changxi’s only offensive method was the Fire Lotus, so she could only condense another Fire Lotus and attack the Cultivator.
This was her first time facing a Cultivator head-on, and Hua Changxi dared not be careless, fearing that the opponent would use some unknown techniques against her. She continuously unleashed Fire Lotuses.
With one Fire Lotus, the Cultivator could barely resist its assault, but as the number of Fire Lotuses increased and surrounded him, he could only watch helplessly as the flames consumed him.
“Father, save me~”
Jiang Gaoyou was extremely unwilling. He was the eldest son of the Jiang Family, a cultivator with an exceptional single earth Spiritual Root. While others were just beginning their cultivation journey, he had already become a Core Formation Cultivator.
Now, with the Spiritual Energy Revival intensifying, it was the time for the Jiang Family to expand their territory. At this moment, he was about to die.
No, he couldn’t die. The Jiang Family still needed him.
Hua Changxi unleashed a total of eight Fire Lotuses, surrounding Jiang Gaoyou layer by layer. No matter how unwilling Jiang Gaoyou was, with no ability to resist, he could only let the Fire Lotuses burn him to ashes.
On the other side, Jiang Guanyun, who was pursuing the Mountain Spirit, heard his eldest son’s desperate cry for help, his face filled with disbelief.
That wild girl was a Core Formation Realm cultivator, but so was his eldest son. Even if the wild girl’s cultivation was above his eldest son’s, she shouldn’t have killed him so quickly.
“Eldest Brother~”
Jiang Gaoheng’s expression changed drastically upon sensing his elder brother’s death.
“Don’t get distracted, capture the Mountain Spirit first.”
Although Jiang Guanyun was also saddened by his eldest son’s death, it seemed insignificant compared to capturing the Mountain Spirit.
Jiang Gaoheng dared not disobey his father. He glanced in the direction where Jiang Gaoyou was hiding. “Eldest Brother, I will avenge you.” After saying that, he went to chase the Mountain Spirit.
After killing a Core Formation Cultivator, Hua Changxi realized that the Old Daoist was not pursuing her.
She breathed a sigh of relief.
“Fatty, good luck to yourself.”
After being struck by the Old Daoist’s palm, Hua Changxi was severely injured. Her Dantian Qi Sea vibrated, and her Spiritual Energy circulation was not smooth.
She had just condensed a Fire Lotus, which had consumed a lot of Spiritual Energy. Walking in the unfamiliar terrain of Five Finger Mountain while severely injured was too dangerous.
After much hesitation, Hua Changxi returned to the stone cave.
The Old Daoist had gone to chase the Mountain Spirit and would not be guarding the stone cave. Compared to other places, the stone cave was the safest for her.
Without the Old Daoist’s poisonous smoke and talismans, Hua Changxi quickly cleared the unbearable smell in the stone cave. She then quickly set up a Spirit Gathering Array, took a Rejuvenation Pill for healing, and began to meditate and recover.
After an unknown amount of time, as the Spiritual Energy in her Qi Sea slowly returned to calm, Hua Changxi heard a ‘bang’ sound. She suddenly opened her eyes and saw a Spirit Net covering the cave entrance. The Mountain Spirit seemed to be trying to rush in but was caught by the Spirit Net.
“Fairy, save me.”
The Spirit Net was retracted, and the Mountain Spirit was pulled away. Hua Changxi quickly ran to the cave entrance and saw the Mountain Spirit being grabbed by the back of its neck by the Old Daoist and held in his hand.
“Fairy, save me.”
The Mountain Spirit struggled in the Old Daoist’s grip, flailing its limbs.
Jiang Guanyun and Jiang Gaoheng also saw Hua Changxi.
Jiang Gaoheng glared at her fiercely. “Did you kill my eldest brother?”
Hua Changxi’s mood was not as panicked as she had imagined; instead, she was surprisingly calm, looking at them indifferently. “He wanted to kill me, and I killed him in self-defense. You should have expected this outcome.”
“You truly deserve to die!”
Jiang Gaoheng roared fiercely, then looked at Jiang Guanyun. “Father, kill this wild girl and avenge my eldest brother.”
Jiang Guanyun thought of his eldest son, whom he had painstakingly cultivated, and looked at Hua Changxi at the cave entrance as if she were already dead. “When I refine the Mountain Spirit, it will be her death day.”
The death of his eldest son made Jiang Guanyun, who thought he could control everything, feel a loss of control, making him dare not act carelessly.
Fearing further complications, Jiang Guanyun sat cross-legged outside the stone cave, preparing to refine the Mountain Spirit right there.
Hua Changxi saw through his intentions, and her expression changed.
The Mountain Spirit also knew what the Old Daoist was planning and looked at Hua Changxi, crying, “Fairy…”
Outside the stone cave, Spiritual Light gathered in the Old Daoist’s hand, and he plunged it into the Mountain Spirit’s chubby body.
“Ah~”
The Mountain Spirit let out a scream and twisted its body frantically. However, no matter how it struggled, it couldn’t break free from the Old Daoist’s grasp.
Soon, five-colored Spiritual Light began to drift out of the Mountain Spirit’s body.
As soon as this Spiritual Light emerged, it was quickly absorbed into the Old Daoist’s body.
“Fairy, hurry and leave. He can’t do anything until he drains me dry.”
The Mountain Spirit’s cry broke Hua Changxi’s last hesitation. She turned her head sharply towards the Buddha’s Hand on the cave ceiling.
Since she was not afraid of the Monkey King’s Domain, if she moved the Buddha’s Hand, no matter what happened, she probably wouldn’t be in danger. Since she had already formed a mortal enmity with the Old Daoist, it was better for them to die.
“Fatty, hold on. I’m going to move the Buddha’s Hand and release the Monkey King to kill that Old Daoist.” With that, she ‘swooshed’ and flew to the cave ceiling on her cloud.
Hearing Hua Changxi’s words, the Mountain Spirit was so scared it stopped crying. “Fairy, no! The Monkey King will kill all living beings on Five Finger Mountain.”
Unfortunately, Hua Changxi, who was using all her strength to push the Buddha’s Hand upwards, didn’t hear this.
“Screech~”
The Buddha’s Hand was moved slightly. Hua Changxi heard a grinding sound and pushed harder, moving the Buddha’s Hand little by little. At this moment, a gap slowly appeared in the cave entrance covered by the Buddha’s Hand.
Sunlight shone through the gap created by the moved Buddha’s Hand, illuminating the stone cave.
As the light in the stone cave grew more and more, a groan, filled with pain, suppression, and exhilaration, echoed like a whisper in the ears of all living beings on Five Finger Mountain.
At this moment, all was silent on Five Finger Mountain, and all living beings looked towards the direction of Third Peak in horror.
At this moment, a voice echoed in everyone’s hearts: an ancient existence had awakened from its slumber!
