Venerable Sage Gong Temple

Flower Fox was still somewhat puzzled. "We have the Immortal Ape Qi Cultivation Chapter, but without a teacher, we still won't be able to learn it."

As Su Yun flipped through the Immortal Ape Qi Cultivation Chapter, he continued onward. His mind could not help recalling his experiences in the other world beyond the Heaven Gate, and a surge of heroic spirit rose in his chest. "Then I'll be that teacher and teach you the Immortal Ape Qi Cultivation Chapter."

The little foxes all looked worried.

Not just anyone could be a teacher.

If one misunderstood the cultivation method, not only would one practice it incorrectly, one would pass those mistakes on to the scholars, leaving behind calamity beyond measure!

Yet Flower Fox and the others understood Su Yun's meaning as well. Yuanjia Ridge would sooner or later discover Yuan Wu's corpse, and they would certainly come hunting them down.

Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win every battle. Learning Yuanjia Ridge's cultivation method now meant being prepared for any eventuality!

Snow had piled up along the road ahead, making it difficult to travel. Su Yun dressed himself properly and, together with Flower Fox and the others, waded swiftly through the snow. After only a few miles, they were already panting from exhaustion.

The snow came up to their waists. As they walked, Su Yun could not see Flower Fox, Qingqiu Yue, and the others at all.

And snow had actually begun falling from the sky again.

The weather had been clear just moments ago, but now snowflakes whirled through the air. Worse still, the sky was growing darker and darker.

"Now that it's snowing, we won't have to worry about being caught."

Su Yun let out a breath of relief. He took out the Immortal Rope and tossed it into the air. The four little children in the snow leaped up one after another, seized the rope, and were carried into the sky.

Su Yun grabbed the rope as well and rose into the air.

The Immortal Rope was an extraordinary treasure, but the crucial thing was how to use it. So far, Su Yun had only figured out one use: tossing the rope into the air.

The rope could carry them across the distance of one rope's length—once it flew high into the sky, it would stretch forward.

When contracted, it was merely a hanging rope, no more than seven feet long, barely long enough to hang from a tree and tie a loop for suspending someone. Yet when extended, it reached seven hundred zhang. Thus, one rope's length was a distance of seven hundred zhang.

Su Yun and the others stepped onto the rope and walked forward for seven hundred zhang before grabbing its end and sliding down along it.

The high altitude was even colder. They were frozen so badly that they could barely hold on to the rope. Qingqiu Yue nearly fell, but Su Yun caught her in time.

Once everyone landed, Su Yun said solemnly, "The snow is vast, and it's still falling. The sky is dark and overcast too. The ape demons of Yuanjia Ridge definitely won't be able to find our tracks!"

They braved the wind and snow and continued onward. Hu Buping felt that walking in human form was too slow, so he took off his clothes, packed them into his bundle, and transformed back into a fox.

But after the little fox demon burrowed through the snow for a while, he transformed back into a little demon child and silently put his clothes back on.

Li Xiaofan asked in a low voice. After a moment of silence, Hu Buping said, "Cold. My butt freezes. My ears freeze."

Flower Fox teased, "Easy to go from frugality to luxury, hard to go from luxury back to frugality. You used to wear nothing at all in winter, but now that you've started wearing clothes, they're hard to take off."

After another six or seven miles, the sky grew ever gloomier. Su Yun was taller than the rest, and as he looked around, he spotted a low-hanging gate lintel through the dim wind and snow.

Snow had buried the temple. From afar, only its white roof could be seen, blending into the surrounding snow. The lintel was free of snow and could barely be made out.

They pushed through the wind and snow toward the temple. When they arrived, Su Yun looked up and saw that snow covered the words on the plaque, making them impossible to distinguish.

He blew a breath at it, sending the snow on the plaque flying away and revealing the three words: "Venerable Sage Temple."

Su Yun relaxed. "The Venerable Sage Temple worships a sage of the Confucian school. Confucian sages conduct themselves uprightly. We should be safe staying here for the night."

He reached out and knocked on the door. After no one answered for a long while, he pushed it open and entered.

The courtyard of the Venerable Sage Temple was not large. Aside from the main hall, there were east and west wings. The east wing was where the temple keeper stored firewood and cooked, while the west wing was for visiting guests to lodge and rest.

Su Yun led Flower Fox and the others into the main hall first. There, they saw a Confucian sage being worshipped. He was bent slightly at the waist, holding a book in one hand and pointing at the words in it with the other. It was impossible to tell whether he was asking someone for guidance or explaining the text to someone else.

Su Yun found incense beneath the altar, lit it, and placed it in the incense burner. Everyone bowed to the Confucian sage before leaving the hall.

He and Flower Fox went to the east wing and carried back some dry firewood, while Qingqiu Yue, Hu Buping, and the others cleaned up the room in the west wing. There were no blankets there; they merely tidied the place and swept away the dust.

Su Yun built a small bonfire and lit it. He then set up a simple rack over the fire and placed a small pot on it.

Flower Fox carried over a large clump of snow and put it into the pot. The snow slowly melted.

Su Yun took out Luomou from his bundle and toasted it beside the fire. The fragrance of flour and egg drifted out, and he divided it among everyone.

They wolfed it down. Soon the water boiled, and each of them drank some. Hu Buping opened the door to check the weather outside and saw that night had already fallen, while the wind and snow were gradually dying down.

Yet the sky after the snowfall was not dark. Instead, they could vaguely see into the distance.

"Close the door, close the door!"

Everyone urged him from behind. "It's freezing! Don't let the cold wind in!"

Hu Buping stood in the doorway and turned back. "It's so lively outside!"

Everyone was startled. Su Yun stepped forward and looked beyond the crumbling wall toward the outside of the temple. Sure enough, it was brightly lit and bustling beyond the temple grounds.

A little over a hundred steps from the temple stood a grand estate occupying more than ten mu of land. It blazed with lights, and sounds of stringed instruments, pipes, and merry laughter came from within, as though people were holding a nighttime feast and drinking themselves into delight.

Not far away stood another luxurious residence like a palace, filled with even more singing and laughter. Figures moved to and fro in the distance, while carriages and horses flowed like dragons.

Farther away, amid the snowfields and mountains that had been utterly desolate by day, palace after palace and grand residence after grand residence had risen from the ground out of nowhere. Their lights shone brilliantly, and they were incomparably lively.

There were also maidservants, young masters, and the like coming out beneath the night sky to admire and play in the snow. Mischievous children were having snowball fights, stirring up the foxes beside Su Yun until they wanted to rush into the snow and frolic.

Yet during the day, none of this scenery could be seen. None of these houses had existed. By night, they had appeared from nowhere, making the sight exceptionally eerie.

"They're the great tombs we saw during the day."

After looking around, Su Yun guessed, "Most likely, their Spiritual Natures have come out to play at night."

Just then, a steady knock sounded outside the temple. Someone called from beyond the gate, "Venerable Sage Gong, Venerable Sage Gong! Are you home?"

"What is it?" a voice came from the east wing.

The fur of the four little demon children beside Su Yun all stood on end. Flower Fox said in a trembling voice, "There was clearly no one in the east wing..."

Faintly, they heard the sound of a door opening. Someone outside the temple said, "I have come from the East Mausoleum. My master says that such beautiful snowy scenery is rare, and invites Venerable Sage Gong to honor us with his presence. My master has prepared fine wine and delicacies and left a seat vacant in anticipation. Please trouble yourself to announce me."

"Wait a moment. I shall go report it."

Footsteps sounded, drawing closer and closer. They passed in front of the west wing, yet Su Yun and the others saw no figure. They only heard the footsteps gradually move away toward the main hall.

The main hall's door opened, and it sounded as though people inside were whispering to one another.

After a moment, footsteps sounded again. They gradually approached and went toward the temple gate.

"Venerable Sage Gong says that guests are lodging in our west wing. If the master leaves home to attend a banquet, it would be neglecting the guests and contrary to propriety. Therefore, he can only decline. Please ask the East Mausoleum Master to forgive him."

"What a pity. This time, my master has invited several other venerable sages as well."

"Which venerable sages?"

"What other venerable sages could there be nearby? Nothing more than Qinqi Shuhua."

"Allow me to report this once more."

Not long afterward, another voice came from before the temple gate. "Please trouble yourself to inform the East Mausoleum Master that Venerable Sage Gong will arrive shortly. The guests in the west wing can only be asked to bear with it a little longer."

"As long as the fire does not go out, could anyone possibly dare cause trouble at the Venerable Sage Temple?"

"That is true."

In the west wing, Su Yun and the four little fox demons stared at one another.

At that moment, the main hall's doors opened. Su Yun hurriedly shut the west wing's door. The footsteps came to a stop outside it. Inside, one human and four foxes felt their hearts race, and they sat motionless beside the bonfire.

A deep, gentle voice came from outside. "When guests lodge here, the host should not leave to attend a banquet. But these are invitations from close friends, and I cannot refuse them. Guests, do not extinguish the bonfire tonight. So long as the flames remain, I will be able to discern the temple's direction in the night and return in an instant."

Footsteps sounded. The temple gate opened, then closed again.

By the bonfire, one human and four foxes stared wide-eyed at one another, and no one spoke for a long while.

Su Yun said, "I studied the Immortal Ape Qi Cultivation Chapter on the road, and I'm nearly done figuring it out. You sleep first. I'll read a while longer, and in the latter half of the night, whoever wakes up can take over for me."

Qingqiu Yue, Li Xiaofan, and Hu Buping each transformed into foxes and slept beside the fire. Flower Fox looked after them. After a while, the three little fox demons fell asleep, and Flower Fox gradually drifted into dreams as well.

The bonfire occasionally crackled, spitting out a spark.

Taking advantage of the firelight, Su Yun finally finished reading through the Immortal Ape Qi Cultivation Chapter. His heart stirred, and he mobilized his vital qi, cautiously controlling his qi and blood as it flowed into his eyes.

Ever since he had cultivated the sixth level of Great Furnace Transformation, his qi and blood had forced apart the Immmortal Sword and Tianmen Town imprints blocking his pupils. Yet neither the Immortal Sword nor Tianmen Town had disappeared; they still remained within his field of vision!

Without close inspection, the abnormality in his eyes could not be seen. But in Su Yun's sight, besides the world around him, there was also the flying Immortal Sword, the vast and surging North Sea, and Tianmen Town, which had never been destroyed!

And, of course, the eight towering Chao Tian Ques that stood propping up the heavens!

"The other world—I'm coming!"

Su Yun drove his qi and blood, sending it surging toward the Eight-Sided Facing Heaven Palace.

Last time, he had failed to see the form of Chao Tian Que clearly, and he had not seen how it opened the Heaven Gate. This time, he finally saw it clearly.

The Chao Tian Que was covered in reliefs of divine beasts and strange creatures. When his qi and blood reached them, the reliefs absorbed it, and those reliefs actually began transforming bit by bit into flesh-and-blood bodies!

Before Su Yun could examine them more closely, the Eight-Sided Facing Heaven Palace was activated!

The various strange beasts and divine beasts atop the Chao Tian Que came back to life. They soared into the air one after another and landed upon the Heaven Gate of Tianmen Town!

The Heaven Gate underwent a transformation. Light streamed from each of its doors and converged upon the central gate.

Buzz!

Su Yun felt a strange tremor. His vision turned completely white, and when his sight gradually recovered, he discovered that he had once more arrived in the other world beyond the Heaven Gate!

In the distance, the Immortal Mountains stretched vast and boundless. Immortal terraces floated amid the clouds, while long stone bridges wound and rose through the skies like dragons.