Entry

The black wind swept across the sky and reached Skull Mountain before much time had passed.

The summit of Skull Mountain had been painstakingly cultivated by several generations of Mountain Lords. Tempered with great magic power, scourged by sinister winds, and refined by ghostfire, it had long since become a precious material that could not be shaken even by knife or sword.

A palace towered atop the mountain, surrounded by interconnected pavilions. Vaguely, they seemed to form some kind of formation. From a higher vantage point, one could especially see the enormous bones of a Flood Dragon winding around the entire mountaintop.

The Flood Dragon's head faced directly down the mountain, as though ready to choose someone to devour.

The Flood Dragon's bones encircled the mountain, while the palace and pavilions formed a formation. This was the place where the disciples of Skull Mountain cultivated.

Quite a few disciples were cultivating and refining techniques there. Black wind howled, spell-light shot into the heavens, and fierce beasts roared while sinister ghosts wailed, sending chills through the body.

Man Xiongmu brought Wu Tian down before the mountain gate. The gate was actually the vicious skull of a Flood Dragon, its hideous maw wide open. Its sharp teeth stood taller than a man, grotesque and terrifying.

"Skull Mountain is the name of the mountain. Our sect descended from a disciple under Bodhisattva of White Bones. Later, he entered the Dao from Buddhism, calling himself White Bone Daoist, established a sect on Skull Mountain, and passed down the Hundred Barbarian Lineage."

"When the first patriarch established the sect, he was a loose immortal. Using Dharma Form Divine Abilities, he slew a Flood Dragon and coiled its body around the mountaintop, laying the foundation of our sect."

"After several generations of patriarchs painstakingly developed it, it has been passed down to this day. The sect master is the third generation, while the disciples under him have already reached the sixth generation."

Man Xiongmu did not hurry to take Wu Tian through the mountain gate. Instead, he stood quietly before it and looked at the Flood Dragon skull as he said, "The current sect master is a True Person of Nascent Soul. His eight disciples each possess profound cultivation. In addition, the successors of the third-generation elders are all pillars of our sect."

"Now, the fourth generation all serve as elders and stewards and have begun accepting disciples. That makes them the fifth generation. I am a fifth-generation disciple, apprenticed to Elder Yunbao and cultivating at Qiyun Cave."

"My lineage is not directly descended from the sect master, so our status on the mountain is not high. On top of that, my master was injured in her early years, causing her cultivation to stagnate. She is now advanced in age, and her end is not far away."

"Since I received that senior's decree and am bringing you into the mountain, you will belong to my Qiyun Cave lineage. Once you become a Spiritual Beast and later take human form, I can grant you a place as a disciple under my tutelage."

"However..."

He pointed at the Flood Dragon skull and said, "Our Hundred Barbarian Mountain has two great True Disciple inheritances: the Hundred Beasts Yin Soul Path and the White Bone Demon God Path."

"The White Bone Demon God Path is directly inherited from the sect master. The Hundred Beasts Yin Soul Path, on the other hand, uses the fierce beasts, spirits, and demons of the mountains as materials for refining techniques. Within a thousand li of Skull Mountain, nearly all the Mountain Spirits and Wild Monsters have been deliberately raised by the sect."

"When the disciples' cultivation matures, they descend the mountain to hunt the spirits and monsters and collect their beast souls. Those capable of becoming demons are even more excellent cultivation materials to us."

"If you enter through the mountain gate, the higher your cultivation, the greater the trouble you will face. One day, you may well be skinned and have your soul extracted, then refined into the Hundred Beast Banner."

His tone paused slightly before he said, "Since you can cultivate the Tongyou Spell, you must already possess human understanding and should be able to understand my words."

"I will ask you one last time..."

Man Xiongmu turned and stared at Wu Tian, his tone solemn. "If you change your mind now, I can take you down the mountain. With your talent, if you remain in the stockade, you will surely live out your life in peace."

"But if you step through this gate, I fear you will die without hope of survival."

"Now, are you still willing to enter this gate?"

Only then did Wu Tian understand Man Xiongmu's intentions. Unless he saw the Flood Dragon's bones with his own eyes and felt the shock brought by that colossal creature, along with the vicious, baleful resentment left behind after its death, he would never understand Skull Mountain's hostility toward demons, monsters, ghosts, and spirits.

With the forests within a thousand li serving as a hunting ground and spirits and monsters being raised as materials, while sinister souls were nurtured and refined for cultivation, this place was practically a forbidden zone for demons and monsters.

If he entered Skull Mountain, he would simply be a sinister soul delivering himself to their doorstep.

At this moment, Wu Tian felt a deep malice. He understood that Man Xiongmu's words were no falsehood. Even if Man Xiongmu could protect him at first, as his cultivation grew higher, more people would begin coveting him.

Man Xiongmu had deliberately pointed out that his lineage was not directly descended from the sect master, and that his master had little life left. He was saying that he could not protect Wu Tian...

"If that is the case, then why did that senior ask me to enter Skull Mountain and cultivate?"

Countless thoughts flashed through Wu Tian's mind. He was not truly a Spiritual Communication white dog. Reborn for the second time, the wonders of his experience were beyond the imagination of ordinary people.

He had completely understood Man Xiongmu's words and grasped the profound meaning contained in every sentence.

To him, Skull Mountain was certainly a place of doom. This was no cultivation ground, but a slaughterhouse where everyone coveted his pelt and sinister soul.

Yet a trace of doubt still remained in his heart.

"If that senior wanted me dead, she would have countless methods at her disposal. There would be no need to go to such lengths."

"Then why did she make me enter Skull Mountain to cultivate?"

These thoughts flashed past one after another. Wu Tian knew very well that he differed from the other spirits and monsters. He possessed the System Panel. Even without Skull Mountain's cultivation methods, he would merely cultivate more slowly; it was by no means a dead end.

But was he really supposed to leave the mountain like this?

"No!"

Wu Tian suddenly remembered something that senior had said at the time.

Our sect does not forbid accepting Spiritual Beasts. You simply do not qualify yet.

His eyes shifted, and his thoughts raced. "If I leave the mountain now, it will be one thing if my cultivation fails to advance even an inch. But once I become a Spiritual Beast or a spirit, I will probably be discovered by Skull Mountain's disciples sooner or later."

"By then, who will be able to protect me at the foot of the mountain? As long as I am weaker than them, I will inevitably be hunted down on the spot and have my sinister soul extracted."

At this thought, Wu Tian broke into a cold sweat. With the Flood Dragon's bones before him, he did not believe he could truly oppose all of Skull Mountain by himself.

"Leaving the mountain now would be the true path to death."

"On the contrary, if I remain on the mountain, the Qiyun Cave lineage will be enough to protect me while my cultivation is weak."

"Once my cultivation becomes powerful, if I can win that senior's favor, I may instead have a thread of survival."

"So the key is whether I can gain that senior's acknowledgment before the elder of Qiyun Cave passes away."

Wu Tian immediately sorted out his thoughts. "This is probably that senior's test. According to her words, Chili Mu and I share a slight bond, so she is giving me an opportunity."

"If I can pass the test, then even if that senior does not accept me as her disciple, I should still have some other opportunity."

He drew a deep breath. Although he did not know how much truth his reasoning and guesses contained,

he knew that he did not have many choices to begin with.

Cultivating at the foot of the mountain would not only leave him without an advanced cultivation method, but would also make him a target for Skull Mountain's disciples to hunt.

Cultivating on the mountain placed danger within arm's reach, yet it also offered a thread of survival.

The choice was self-evident!

"Hopefully, that elder of Qiyun Cave will be blessed with good fortune and longevity and live a little longer."

Wu Tian mocked himself inwardly, then approached Man Xiongmu. He lowered his forelegs, pressed his head to the ground, and gave a soft bark.

"Woof, woof~"

His voice was firm and clear, echoing through the mountain forest.

Seeing Wu Tian act with such human understanding, a smile appeared on Man Xiongmu's face. "Since you have made your decision, then follow me into the sect."

"Once you shed your demon body, you can become a disciple under my tutelage."

"Rest assured. As long as I live, I will protect you with everything I have."

"Come with me!"

He raised the black wind, swept Wu Tian up, and passed through the Flood Dragon's enormous jaws.

The black wind crossed the land, and the white dog entered the sect.

From this day forth, another world awaited.