Chapter 360
Chapter 360
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 361
Chapter Title: Horn-Locking Bulls
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Chen Shi and Wen Wuyu rode the winds, drifting along with the lake and mountain scenery of Heavenly Pool beneath their feet. Though it was the underworld, the vista held its own unique beauty.
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They couldn't fly too high—doing so would draw the gaze of demons lurking in the shadows—nor could they stray from the path, lest they trespass into the domains of other lord-level powerful ghost gods.
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These were exceedingly dangerous entities in Yin Mountain; a single misstep could cost them their lives. They wouldn't care if you were a country lord or not.
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"Are there really immortals in this world?" With a beauty at his side, Chen Shi sank into thought instead.
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Immortals who sipped dew and dined on breezes, aloof from the world—they existed only in the writings of scholars and poets, unseen by anyone.
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If no one had ever seen immortals in the阳间, how could such beings truly exist in a place like the underworld?
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Compared to those ethereal legends, Chen Shi felt the white-clothed woman in the little shrine was more like an immortal.
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She neither ate nor slept, and carried a refreshing aura that cleared the mind and spirit. Whenever she sat upon the Divine Shrine in the little temple, Chen Shi always felt an inner peace, his cultivation becoming incomparably pure.
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"And she can even draw out the evil qi from my body, delaying my corruption," Chen Shi thought to himself.
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Some days prior, he had commissioned the Red Mountain Hall Talisman Masters' Association to inquire across various places for the white-clothed woman's kin, but no news had come.
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Chen Shi and Wen Wuyu departed Heavenly Pool, flying past Boundless Cliff, gradually drawing farther away.
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Suddenly, Wen Wuyu descended, her form shifting. In a short time, the youthful maiden transformed into a little ox-head imp, two blunt little ox horns sprouting from her head.
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She stood no taller than two feet, striding briskly ahead of Chen Shi.
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A cow tail trailed behind the girl, fine and dense fur at the tip, coarser and longer toward the base.
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She arrived at a village of the Ox-Head Ghost Clan and asked a big ox-head woman for directions: "Gua ji, gua ji?"
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The ox-head auntie lifted a hoof, pointing toward a distant ravine: "Gua ji."
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Wen Wuyu bowed deeply to the ox-head woman in thanks, then walked with Chen Shi toward the ravine, whispering, "She says the place where the immortal light emanates is just ahead!"
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Chen Shi followed her and curiously touched her swishing cow tail.
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Wen Wuyu halted, shooting him a warning glance, both shy and furious: "Touch it again and I'll gore you dead!"
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Chen Shi mumbled awkwardly, "I saw it swishing around, so I just wanted to touch it——"
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Wen Wuyu huffed and continued forward.
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Seeing that tail swish back and forth, Chen Shi inexplicably reached out and touched it again.
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Wen Wuyu flew into a rage from embarrassment, whirling to charge at him: "I'll fight you to the death! I'll gore you with my horns!"
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Chen Shi hurriedly seized her two horns, pleading repeatedly: "Sister Wuyu, spare me!"
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Wen Wuyu finally relented, her eyes rolling as she suggested, "You're the lord of Heavenly Pool Country and have offended many. There are enough people in your Heavenly Pool Country who want you dead to line up from here to the palace. With the immortal revealing themselves this time, plenty will come seeking them. You should transform into a little ox-head too—it'll make things easier for us."
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Chen Shi considered it. Indeed, whenever he went out, ghosts and gods would shout to slay the tyrant lord before rushing to their deaths—quite troublesome.
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He promptly activated his transformation art, becoming a little ox-head imp as well.
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His ox-head imp form was also just over two feet tall, with a cow tail trailing from his rear.
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Upon completing the change, Chen Shi marveled at it, feeling as if he'd gained an extra limb—this tail that he couldn't help but want to swish a couple times.
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Wen Wuyu reached out and grabbed his tail, laughing: "Made you touch my tail! Now I've got yours!"
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Chen Shi felt his tail immobilized, an inexplicable discomfort surging through him, so he reached for hers in turn.
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Wen Wuyu twisted aside hastily. Chen Shi lowered his head and charged, his blunt ox horns flipping the girl over onto the ground.
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Wen Wuyu yanked his tail, pulling him down too.
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The two little ox-head imps tumbled to the ground, groping for each other's tails in a deadlock.
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Chen Shi, stronger in might, pinned her beneath him. Wen Wuyu strained to gore him with her horns, and Chen Shi countered with his own.
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Their heads collided. Chen Shi held her down and freed a hand to grab her tail.
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"Got it!"
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Chen Shi seized her tail with a triumphant cheer. Wen Wuyu suddenly ceased resisting. Chen Shi froze, seeing the little ox-head beneath him looking shy. Their four ox eyes met, and Chen Shi felt his mouth go dry, his heart pounding fiercely with a strange sensation.
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The corpse god Peng far away in Immortal Capital must be working his sorcery to disturb my mind again. So he thought to himself.
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Chen Shi hesitated, then released her cow tail and rolled off to sit on the nearby earth.
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Wen Wuyu pushed herself up with both hands, her clothes disheveled. She hastily sat up straight, straightened her garments, and hung her head in silence, stealing a glance at him while quietly smoothing her own cow tail.
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Chen Shi's heart thumped wildly, unsure how to break the silence.
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"You two little ox hooves, frolicking under the broad daylight!"
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A gruff voice shattered the quiet. Chen Shi and Wen Wuyu flushed crimson and scrambled to their feet. A group of over a dozen ghost gods approached, led by none other than Crown Prince Xiangkun.
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Crown Prince Xiangkun stood about three zhang tall, burly and imposing, with an elephant trunk on a human body and two small tusks white as jade.
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Traveling with him were young elites from other ghost clans, including a woman from the Asura Clan—an unparalleled beauty about one zhang six or seven tall, clad in scant attire with colorful cloth wrapped around her chest.
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A colorful cloth skirt hung at her waist, bells dangling from her wrists and ankles. A hole pierced the left wing of her nose, adorned with a small silver bell.
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Her navel too bore a hole with a slightly larger silver bell.
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This woman was named Right Consort.
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Another hailed from the Ghost Mother Clan—a four-legged, eight-armed woman cradling several ghost infants, trailed by a horde more.
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This woman was named Enchanting Witch.
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Besides them were Gou Xi of the Blade Labor Clan, You Huan of the Ancient Dragon Clan, Chi Zun of the Fire Clan, and others—all outstanding young experts from their respective clans.
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"These little ox hooves are right in the throes of spring heat."
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Gou Xi glanced at Chen Shi and Wen Wuyu, chuckling lewdly. "A bit of tumbling on the ground, and soon they'll be mating in the wilds—little calves next year."
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Right Consort giggled. "These two little bulls are still calves themselves—how could they birth little calves?"
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Wen Wuyu, abashed, hid behind Chen Shi, peeking out.
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Crown Prince Xiangkun said, "Birthing little ox-heads is a good thing—one more taxable beast next year. Little ox-head, do you know if any immortals have appeared nearby?"
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As Chen Shi hesitated, Wen Wuyu bobbed her head vigorously, chirping crisply: "I do!"
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"Lead the way," Crown Prince Xiangkun commanded.
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Wen Wuyu winked at Chen Shi. The two little ox-heads took the lead ahead. They heard Chi Zun of the Fire Clan say: "Is there really an immortal appearing here?"
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"There is."
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Crown Prince Xiangkun replied, "My royal father went seeking this immortal and met an untimely end. The immortal light on his corpse was a kind of immortal art.
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That immortal art holds inconceivable power—even someone as mighty as my father couldn't resist it in the slightest!"
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He shuddered at the memory of Lord Xiang Fu of Heavenly Pool Country's corpse.
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Lord Xiang Fu, the mightiest being in Heavenly Pool Country, had died like a gutted beast—most wretchedly!
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Enchanting Witch cooed at the wailing ghost infants in her arms, then laughed suddenly: "Your Highness, your purpose in seeking the immortal this time isn't so pure, is it?"
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Crown Prince Xiangkun's eyes flickered as he smiled: "What purpose could I have?"
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Enchanting Witch drawled leisurely: "A few days ago, you saw Chen Shi battle that woman over Heavenly Pool. After that, you grew keen on finding the immortal. I thought you'd been frightened by Chen Shi."
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Crown Prince Xiangkun snorted lightly. "His strength is nothing special—how could he frighten me? My bloodline power has already awakened to the sixth layer. With six layers of bloodline power, aside from clan elders and patriarchs, I fear no ghost clan expert!"
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The group of over a dozen, all top young powerhouses from various clans, sneered coldly upon hearing this, unconvinced.
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Crown Prince Xiangkun continued: "Chen Shi lacks bloodline power. His strength isn't weak, but he's far beneath me! If I ascend the throne, with the most precious divine blood offered by the clans, my bloodline can awaken to the ninth layer—then I'll be invincible under heaven! What does Chen Shi have? He doesn't even have a true fleshly body. What right does he have to be country lord?"
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You Huan said: "Did Your Highness witness his battle with that woman and not see the blood lake behind his head? That's the Blood Lake Hell! He cultivates our ghost clan's lost technique. For that alone, he's fit to be our ghost clan's country lord! I've heard our patriarch mention offhand that Chen Shi is the savior spoken of in our orally transmitted poems!"
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Crown Prince Xiangkun burst into laughter, cutting him off: "An outsider, our saving hero? You Huan, once we find the immortal and they teach us our lost tongue, we'll be the heroes saving the ghost clan—not some foreigner like Chen Shi!"
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The crowd nodded in agreement upon hearing this.
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Gou Xi sighed: "I too saw Chen Shi's battle with that woman that day, and realized I probably can't vie with him for the country lord position. His strength already nears that of clan elders with seven layers awakened. And I'm only at six."
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The group fell silent.
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Crown Prince Xiangkun grew glum too. The day after Chen Shi defeated Wen Wuyu, the experts of the Eastern Palace had scattered like rats deserting a sinking ship. These ghost gods might support him as country lord, but only if he possessed the strength to bear the title. In the ghost kingdom, strength ruled supreme. Since his strength fell short of Chen Shi's, these ghost gods scorned him and fled.
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Suddenly, Crown Prince Xiangkun bellowed: "You two little things, move faster!"
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Chen Shi and Wen Wuyu quickened their pace.
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Wen Wuyu whispered: "They admire you a lot."
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Chen Shi lowered his voice: "I beat you—do you admire me?"
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Wen Wuyu sneered: "Not at all. I just made one wrong move. I didn't use my full strength, that's why I lost to your Spirit Banner Ten Absolutes Formation. If I'd used everything, hmph——"
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Chen Shi smiled without a word.
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Seeing his expression, Wen Wuyu grew both angry and anxious, reaching to yank his tail. Chen Shi wrapped his tail around his waist, foiling her grasp.
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Wen Wuyu lunged for it. Chen Shi dodged, reaching for hers in retaliation.
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Wen Wuyu tucked her tail between her cheeks, laughing: "You can't get it!"
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The two frolicked and tussled onward.
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Crown Prince Xiangkun and the others watched the scene, smiling yet shaking their heads.
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Right Consort smiled with pursed lips: "Spring must have arrived—even the breeze carries the scent of rutting."
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Soon after, Wen Wuyu led them to the ravine. Passing through it, a split mountain peak came into view ahead, an immortal palace floating within, emanating beams of gentle light. Thick black chains bound the palace fast.
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Even Chen Shi stood stunned: "So immortals truly exist!"
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The immortal palace hovered, as if belonging to another world altogether. Release the chains, and it would soar away.
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"Got your tail!"
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Wen Wuyu yanked his tail, crying out triumphantly.
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Crown Prince Xiangkun, Right Consort, and the other ghost gods looked over with odd expressions.
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Wen Wuyu flushed scarlet. Even in her little ox-head form, she couldn't hide her embarrassment. She slowly released Chen Shi's tail, head bowed, thinking: "Good thing I'm a little ox-head imp, or I'd have to silence them all."
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Right Consort couldn't help laughing: "Your Highness, no need to kill them to silence them. They're quite amusing."
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Crown Prince Xiangkun softened too: "Very well, spare them. Let's go—the immortal comes first!"
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The dozen-odd ghost gods hurried ahead toward the cleft mountain.
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Chen Shi still gazed up at the resplendent immortal palace shrouded in immortal light, his tail unconsciously slapping his own rear. Suddenly, he said: "Wuyu, I've seen something similar in the阳间."
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Wen Wuyu asked: "You mean how a mountain can sprout overnight on a plain in the阳间, complete with a temple atop it? You've seen such things?"
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Chen Shi nodded: "Exactly. I've also seen a mountain split open to reveal a divine hall inside."
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Wen Wuyu's eyes gleamed: "Those are rebels—precisely the targets Despair Slope wants eradicated! If you encounter such things again, tell me, and I'll destroy those temples!"
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Chen Shi shook his head: "You're mistaken. They are gods and deities from Hua Xia, guardians of the people—not rebels."
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Wen Wuyu met his gaze, arguing: "They disrupt the people's faith, confound their minds, and under the guise of false gods, foment rebellion! They are rebels!"
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Chen Shi held her eyes: "Heaven and earth are vast, but the people's hearts matter most! Those who shelter the populace, answer their pleas, and win their hearts are no rebels!"
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Neither yielded.
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After a moment, Chen Shi sighed in disappointment, murmuring: "Maybe it's because we've both become little ox-heads that I mistook us for kindred spirits. Sorry—I forgot you're from Despair Slope. You and I were never the same. I'm a rebel in your eyes."
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They averted their gazes.
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Wen Wuyu stood beside him, staring at the immortal palace in the distant cleft mountain, silent for a beat before saying: "After returning to Despair Slope with my master, I haven't made any friends. Chen Shi, you're my last friend."
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Chen Shi too gazed at the immortal palace in the mountain cleft, his tail unconsciously slapping his rear.
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Wen Wuyu stealthily hooked the tip of her tail around his. Chen Shi flicked it away.
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She hooked it back again. He flicked once, failed to dislodge it, and gave up struggling.
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At that moment, a furious roar echoed from near the distant immortal palace: "Damn their mothers! Feather Country's got an ambush! Fight them to the death!"
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Chen Shi's heart stirred. He whispered urgently: "Let's go take a look too!"
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Wen Wuyu nodded. Their tails quietly parted, and the two little ox-heads bounded like the wind toward the immortal palace.