It was said to be wreathed in clouds and mist, but to Zhong Bai, it looked much more like a haunted house.
After all, that wispy chill that made one's hair stand on end threatened to swallow him at any moment.
Taking a deep breath, Zhong Bai continuously bolstered his own courage.
"You had all better think this through. As you can see, this is a haunted house, sealed away by this old Daoist three years ago.
Those who do not enter face zero threat.
Those who enter forfeit all guarantees of life or death!"
The group kept swallowing hard, and several among them had already developed thoughts of retreating. Their families were relatively well-off, and they had originally just come to Mount Mao to try their luck, not truly intending to risk their lives.
Zhong Bai glanced around and, seeing the hesitant expressions on everyone's faces, felt no contempt.
After all, not everyone could carry the bloody vendetta of both parents on their shoulders as he did, and understand that this was his sole chance!
Without hesitation, Zhong Bai stepped inside.
Following Zhong Bai's lead as the first to step into the residence, a few people among the crowd behind him quickly followed.
In any era, there was ultimately no shortage of fearless and undaunted souls...
Entering the dwelling, an eerie ghost qi struck, and Zhong Bai felt a sudden jolt course through his entire body. That fear originating from the depths of his soul was magnified infinitely at this moment.
His reason told him that this place was intensely ominous and he should leave swiftly.
Yet... Zhong Bai gritted his teeth, ignoring the terror that came from the depths of his soul.
However, just as Zhong Bai gradually grew accustomed to this bitter cold, a sharp feminine voice arrived abruptly.
"Why!
On our wedding night, why slander me for illicit and unchaste behavior with another?
Hahaha, now that matters have reached this point, you want to use this to force me to hang myself? No, I am going to drag your entire clan down to hell with me!"
In an instant, the sound of shattering vases and shrill, cursing shouts, accompanied by a towering wave of fire, seemed ready to engulf everything.
Zhong Bai fell into a profound sense of powerlessness at that moment.
He wanted to stop all of this, wanting to tell himself that it was all an illusion.
Yet when those raging flames surged over, Zhong Bai still felt the burning pain!
That pain defied verbal description: watching alive as his own clothes were burned to ashes, watching as his skin split apart, watching as he was charred black and stained with blood...
After only a moment, Zhong Bai plunged into unconsciousness.
It was unknown how much time had passed when Zhong Bai woke up from his blackout; the setting sun was already casting its slanted rays.
Around him, there were no other people left. Of the youths who had ascended the mountain together, only he alone remained on Mount Mao.
"Awake?"
Dazed and groggy, Zhong Bai heard the Dao-imbued greeting of True Immortal Qianyuan.
His eyes snapped open in an instant. What entered his vision was no longer the mountain gate, nor was it inside that haunted house, but rather a grand hall.
Inscribed above the main hall: Hall of the Three True Lords Mao!
Slowly standing up, Zhong Bai found that everything that had happened inside the mansion felt like a lifetime away.
He raised his head.
The atmosphere inside the main hall was solemn.
Seven old men sat facing each other in two rows, while an empty seat sat upon the high platform.
"Tsk tsk, Senior Brother Qianyuan, this year it is your Law Enforcement Lineage's turn to take in disciples. Who would have thought that after sifting through the great waves, you would encounter a lad with such temperament.
This junior brother of yours in the Corpse-Driving Lineage is truly feeling more than a bit envious. I really want to snatch him away from Senior Brother!"
"Junior Brother Changsheng speaks incorrectly. Didn't you also take in a rather decent little fellow two years ago?
What was his name... Four-Eyes, right? The rest of us didn't muscle in on it back then.
This old Daoist's Law Enforcement Lineage is naturally prone to offending people and has very few successors, so I cannot yield."
"Rest assured, Senior Brother Qianyuan, with Junior Brother Changsheng's meager tricks, he wouldn't dare to butt heads with Senior Brother."
"Sigh, still, Senior Brother Lin of the Talisman Lineage understands this junior brother's sorrow!"
While the few of them exchanged jests, Zhong Bai, standing within the hall, was likewise somewhat at a loss.
He understood that he had gambled right this time and should have secured the opportunity to enter Mount Mao to learn arts.
However...
Even so, regarding his own destination, he still possessed zero right to speak.
He could only wait for these Mount Mao immortals seated here to decide with a single word!
"Lad, you heard all of what was just said. This old Daoist's Daoist name is Qianyuan, and I am the chief Law Enforcement Elder of the Mount Mao Law Enforcement Hall.
Your temperament is passable, and today this old Daoist intends to take you in as a disciple. Do you have anything to say?"
Zhong Bai was stunned. Immense joy surged to the top of his mind, and he kowtowed respectfully three times.
"Disciple Zhong Bai pays respects to Master!"
"Not bad at all. You know when to advance and retreat, and you have perseverance. The Law Enforcement Hall is precisely in need of your kind of personality. Since you have already taken me as your master, come with your master to the Law Enforcement Hall."
True Immortal Qianyuan stood up and casually waved a hand. A stream of light instantly landed upon Zhong Bai.
With a whoosh, True Immortal Qianyuan vanished from the spot, taking Zhong Bai with him.
Inside the Mount Mao Law Enforcement Hall.
After Zhong Bai returned alongside his master, True Immortal Qianyuan, his gaze fell upon a purple battle drum enshrined in the center of the main hall.
It was not that Zhong Bai was prone to making a fuss over nothing, but rather that the purple drum before him possessed an extraordinarily divine and unusual aura.
wisps of purple thunder coiled around the drum, suspended in the void. Even with Zhong Bai's currently lacking knowledge and experience, he could understand that this item was definitely a remarkable treasure!
True Immortal Qianyuan naturally noticed his disciple's gaze.
He chuckled softly. "Your eye for things isn't bad, Zhong Bai. Do you know what this is?"
Zhong Bai shook his head. "Zhong Bai does not know. I ask Master to resolve my doubts."
"This item is called the Kui Niu Drum!
Legend has it that the Yellow Emperor took the skin of a Kui Niu to forge a drum, using its bones as drumsticks. A single beat shook eight hundred miles, with rolling heavenly thunder and peerless divine might."
"Hiss!"
Hearing such a legend all at once and seeing the physical object besides, one could imagine Zhong Bai's shock.
"However...
This Kui Niu Drum before you now is not the one forged by the Yellow Emperor.
Although the Kui Niu is precious and hard to find, the Kui Niu captured and slain by the Yellow Emperor was the ancestor of all Kui Niu, which is why it could shake eight hundred miles.
This Kui Niu Drum of our Mount Mao was forged from a Spirit Transformation Realm Kui Niu slain by the thirty-sixth-generation grandmaster of the Law Enforcement Hall a thousand years ago.
Though vastly inferior to the Yellow Emperor's Kui Niu drum, it can still shake several dozen miles!
The strength of its might is such that none below a Nascent Soul Dao Lord may wield it."
Hearing this, Zhong Bai grew thoughtful.
"Master, then... does Mount Mao possess any Nascent Soul Dao Lords?"
True Immortal Qianyuan's gaze suddenly stalled. He swallowed a mouthful of saliva and cast a somewhat disgruntled sideways glance at Zhong Bai.
"Your master knows what you are thinking; do not aim too high and fall short.
Nowadays, the heaven and earth spiritual Qi is thin, and the grand environment for cultivation is already far inferior to a thousand years ago.
Let alone Nascent Soul Dao Lords, even Golden Core True Monarchs are rare sights in this world. Your master has cultivated for a hundred years and has only barely reached Foundation Establishment Peak.
Of course, within the Mount Mao blessed land, there might perhaps still be surviving Nascent Soul Dao Lords...
However, who can say for sure?"
Zhong Bai nodded. Indeed, thinking too far ahead right now was useless. His master's talent should not be poor, yet even so, he had cultivated for a hundred years just to reach Foundation Establishment Peak, while he himself... cough, it was laughable.
"All right, you will slowly come into contact with these things later on. Since you have already taken a master, you should begin your cultivation early.
Today, your master will first teach you the Body Tempering Technique to strengthen your physique and cleanse your physical flesh, otherwise you won't even possess the qualifications to inhale and exhale heaven and earth spiritual Qi..."
"Disciple understands. I ask Master to bestow the technique!"
Before you continue