Liaozhai: Immortality Begins with Becoming Yan Chixia's Apprentice

Chapter 63 Black Mountain Demon

"You've finally arrived."

The man's voice was hoarse and deep, as if it came from the deepest hell.

Zhou Ning stood up, looking at him warily: "Who are you?"

The man lifted the hood of his cloak, revealing a pale face.

He was a middle-aged man with a thin face, deep-set eyes, and a sinister smile on his lips.

"My name is Mo Yan, and I am the Left Protector under the Black Mountain Demon."

Zhou Ning felt a chill run down his spine.

Left Protector?

That must be an important figure around the Black Mountain Demon.

"What are you doing here?"

Mo Yan said, "My master sent me to greet you."

"Welcome?" Zhou Ning sneered. "They're here to kill us, aren't they?"

Mo Yan shook his head: "Master said that the fact that you were able to get this far means you are not ordinary people. He is giving you a chance: join Black Mountain, or die."

Zhou Ning gripped his Qingfeng sword tightly: "I choose the third path."

Mo Yan smiled.

There is no third way.

He raised his hand, and a black beam of light shot out from his palm, heading straight for Zhou Ning.

Zhou Ning was prepared and dodged the beam of light with a swift movement.

At the same time, he slashed out with his sword, and the cyan sword energy pierced through the air.

Mo Yan snorted coldly and raised his hand to block the sword energy.

His palms were covered with a layer of black scales, and when the sword energy struck them, it left only a faint white mark.

"Your strength is weaker than I imagined," Mo Yan said calmly.

"Your master thinks too highly of you."

He formed a mudra with his hands and chanted incantations.

The ground began to tremble, and countless black tentacles surged from the ground, coiling towards Zhou Ning.

Zhou Ning used his lightness technique to weave and dodge among the tentacles.

But the whiskers grew more numerous and denser, quickly blocking his escape route.

Xuanzhenzi made his move.

He waved his whisk, and a beam of silvery-white light shot out, shattering several of the whiskers.

"Young Master Zhou, let me help you."

The two stood back to back, locked in fierce combat with Mo Yan.

Mo Yan's strength far surpasses that of any demon general he has encountered before.

His magic was bizarre, his attacks were fierce, and each strike carried a strong aura of death.

Although Zhou Ning and Xuanzhenzi joined forces, they were still at a disadvantage.

"No, we can't hold out much longer like this."

Zhou Ning gritted his teeth, took out the token given to him by Judge Lu from his bosom, and threw it at Mo Yan.

The token lit up with a black light in the air, transforming into a giant ghostly hand that reached out to grab Mo Yan.

Mo Yan's expression changed: "The Underworld's token? You're one of Judge Lu's men?"

He didn't take the blow head-on, but instead dodged the ghostly hand with a swift movement.

The ghostly hand grasped at nothing, fell to the ground, and vanished.

Mo Yan looked at Zhou Ning, a hint of apprehension flashing in his eyes.

"It seems I underestimated you."

He turned around, transformed into a wisp of black mist, and disappeared into the darkness.

Zhou Ning, panting heavily, picked up the token and put it away.

"He's gone?" Xuanzhenzi asked.

Zhou Ning nodded: "We're leaving. But we won't let this go."

The two sat down again to regulate their breathing and recover.

The next morning, Zhou Ning and Xuanzhenzi continued their journey north.

After walking for about two hours, a huge castle appeared ahead.

The castle is built at the foot of Black Mountain, constructed of black stone, and is tall, sturdy, and magnificent.

Many men in black robes stood on the city wall, carrying black flags, patrolling back and forth.

The castle gates were tightly shut, and two burly demon generals stood at the entrance, each holding a large black sword.

"Is this the Black Mountain Demon's castle?" Zhou Ning asked.

Xuanzhenzi nodded: "It should be."

"How do we get in?"

Xuanzhenzi took out two invisibility talismans from his sleeve and handed them to Zhou Ning: "Put these on and sneak in."

Zhou Ning took the invisibility talisman and stuck it to his chest.

The two figures gradually blurred and disappeared into the air.

They quietly approached the castle and scaled the wall to enter.

The interior of the castle was even more eerie than the exterior.

Black flags hung on the wall, embroidered with hideous demon heads.

The ground was covered with black stone slabs, which were engraved with strange runes.

Zhou Ning and Xuan Zhenzi walked along the corridor deeper into the castle.

At the end of the corridor was a huge stone door.

The stone gate was engraved with complex runes and emitted a faint black light.

"This should be the Black Mountain Demon's bedroom," Xuanzhenzi said in a low voice.

Zhou Ning reached out and pushed the stone door.

The stone gate remained completely still.

"There's a restriction," Xuanzhenzi said. "It requires a specific key to open."

Zhou Ning thought for a moment, then took out the token given to him by Judge Lu from his bosom and stuck it on the stone door.

The token glowed with a black light, the runes on the stone door began to flicker, and then it slowly opened.

The two walked through the stone gate.

Behind the stone gate was a huge stone chamber.

In the center of the stone chamber, there was a black stone bed, and lying on the bed was a person dressed in a black robe.

The person's face was blurry; only a pair of blood-red eyes could be seen, gleaming eerily in the darkness.

"You've come." The man's voice was deep and authoritative, carrying an undeniable power.

Zhou Ning gripped his Qingfeng sword tightly: "So you're the Black Mountain Demon?"

The man sat up, looked at Zhou Ning, and smiled.

"My name is Black Mountain. But I don't like the nickname 'Old Demon'."

He stood up, walked up to Zhou Ning, and looked down at him.

"You destroyed several of my strongholds and killed several of my demon generals. Logically, I should kill you."

He paused, then continued, "But I changed my mind."

Why?

"Because you have what I want."

Zhou Ning's heart skipped a beat: "What is it?"

Heishan stretched out his hand and pointed at Zhou Ning's chest.

"Your integrity."

The Black Mountain Demon's words sent a jolt through Zhou Ning.

"My righteousness?"

He gripped the green-edged sword tightly, looking at the other person warily: "What do you want it for?"

The Black Mountain Demon stood with his hands behind his back, his blood-red eyes gleaming eerily in the darkness.

He didn't answer directly, but turned around and walked back to the stone bed, where he slowly sat down.

"You cultivate the 'Innate Qi', right?" he asked.

Zhou Ning did not answer, but the Black Mountain Demon seemed not to need his answer either.

"The 'Innate Qi' was created by an extraordinary person in ancient times who practiced both Confucianism and Taoism. It is based on the righteous energy of heaven and earth and rooted in the righteous qi. The progress of cultivating this method is slow, but the foundation is solid, and it has a natural restraining effect on demons and ghosts."

He paused, then continued:

"And the righteous energy within you is purer than that of ordinary people who cultivate the Innate Qi. This is because your Dao heart is more steadfast than theirs."

Zhou Ning said coldly, "You investigated me?"

The Black Mountain Demon laughed:

"No investigation is needed. From the moment you stepped into the Black Mountain Wasteland, I sensed the righteous energy within you."

"That pure, fervent, and protective aura was like a beacon in the darkness of this filthy place."

He stood up and walked towards Zhou Ning.

"The cultivation method I practice is the exact opposite of yours. I absorb the yin energy, resentment, and death energy of heaven and earth and make it my own. Although these powers are strong, they have a fatal flaw: they can backfire."