Wangwu Mountain was where Yuan Tianzong had lived in seclusion throughout the Dharma-ending era.
A branch of the Taihang Mountain range, it was blessed with the finest of nature's beauty, shrouded in ethereal light. Since ancient times, it had been one of the favorite retreats of countless cultivators.
Racing through the starry night, Yuan Tianzong's hair had long since shed the frost unique to Kunlun.
Back in his "homeland," Yuan Tianzong stood atop a mountain peak, gazing down at the undulating ridges that stretched like a dragon. His heart was filled with emotion.
From the Dharma-ending era to the present day, more than a thousand years had passed in the blink of an eye.
Vital energy surged through the world, nurturing all things and making the changes wrought by time ever more dramatic.
Wangwu Mountain, too, had undergone astonishing changes in this transformation of heaven and earth.
The vital energy here was purer and denser than elsewhere. Peak after peak rose taller than before, and the entire Wangwu Mountain region had expanded considerably.
Yuan Tianzong closed his eyes and sensed that the mountains and earth seemed to breathe faintly.
"I wonder if the place I used to live is still here."
The place Yuan Tianzong meant could not possibly have been the thatched bamboo hut he once lived in.
Long ago, the Foolish Old Man had dug at the mountains with his hoe, while the Wise Old Man laughed at his foolishness.
But the Foolish Old Man had said, "My sons and grandsons will continue without end." In the end, he moved the Heavenly Emperor, who sent the two sons of the Kuafu clan to carry away the mountains, leaving behind only a valley with a sheer cliff on one side.
A bamboo grove had once stood in that valley. It was where Yuan Tianzong had lived in seclusion and cultivated.
Though the landscape had changed greatly, the lay of the mountains and waterways remained faintly recognizable. After searching for a while, Yuan Tianzong finally found his old home.
To Yuan Tianzong's surprise, this familiar yet strange valley beneath the sheer cliff was brimming with vital energy.
The bamboo grove of old was gone, replaced by a lush green forest. Pines and cypresses twisted like dragons atop the cliff, and a waterfall plunged down, bringing the valley to life.
Stepping once more into the familiar valley, Yuan Tianzong's gaze fell on the pool beneath the waterfall. He walked over and stopped at its edge, looking down at the rippling water.
One second, two seconds, three seconds...
Suddenly!
A gaping maw burst out of the water!
"I've been waiting for you."
Water surged skyward, and white mist steamed into the air.
A black python as thick as a barrel rode the water's momentum and lunged at Yuan Tianzong with terrifying ferocity.
Splash!
Yuan Tianzong didn't move. His true energy instantly formed a protective barrier around him, blocking both the spray and the python's enormous jaws. The force rebounding from the barrier made the python feel as if it had bitten down on a rapidly vibrating vajra ball. Its fangs snapped at once, and its massive body was flung backward, crashing heavily into the water.
That single blow was enough for the Molting Beast to recognize the strength of the being before it. It didn't dare attack a second time. After splashing down, it twisted its body and tried to dive to the bottom, intending to escape through an underground river.
To its horror, a huge hand formed of true energy burst through the water, seized it tightly, dragged it straight out of the depths, and slammed it onto the ground.
Dizzy and in agony, the black python paid no mind to its injuries. It hurriedly bowed and begged Yuan Tianzong to spare its life.
Seeing this, Yuan Tianzong was somewhat surprised. "I didn't expect a beast like you to be so-so, yet so intelligent. You must be unusually gifted. How interesting."
The black python was indeed different from ordinary Molting Beasts. It had been exceptionally intelligent from birth, on par with a human prodigy blessed with an outstanding talent for cultivation. It even understood the praise in Yuan Tianzong's words. Its heart finally eased, and it bowed and begged all the more fervently.
"Hmm. With intelligence like yours, you must taste even better."
???
The black python froze mid-bow, its body stiff as stone. It stared at Yuan Tianzong in disbelief.
The next moment, it suddenly sprang into action, throwing all its strength into a desperate bid for survival.
The night was cool, and the moon hung high.
Beside the pool in the valley, a roaring fire blazed. Sections of python were skewered on bamboo poles and hung above the flames to roast.
Nearby, a pot simmered with delicious snake soup, its rich fragrance drifting on the breeze.
Yuan Tianzong's physique was formidable. He could go for months without food or water, yet eat several oxen in one sitting. His digestion was astonishing.
After devouring everything in short order, all that remained on the ground was a pile of python bones.
Yuan Tianzong stood, stretched, and walked toward the nearby woods. With several rumbles, one large tree after another crashed to the ground.
He circulated his true energy into his palms. As he swung them, they became powerful chainsaws, swiftly stripping away the tangled branches. Amid a shower of wood chips, round logs for building a cabin took shape, each carved with precisely fitted mortises and tenons.
By the second half of the night, a courtyard of three wooden cabins stood beside the pool.
One was for sitting in meditation, one for sleeping and resting, and one for storing odds and ends. The layout was perfect.
The path of cultivation called for both tension and release.
Cultivators might have boundless energy and be able to stay awake for long periods.
But sleep was a basic human need, and keeping to an early-to-bed, early-to-rise routine was ultimately more comfortable.
Yuan Tianzong lay down on the straw bed. When he turned over, his back bumped into something hard. He reached over, and the black square box appeared in his hand.
Yuan Tianzong brought it close and turned it over and over, examining it.
Unlike the hurried glance he'd taken before, now that he had finally had time to himself, he examined it with meticulous care.
The box was utterly ordinary, without the slightest trace of energy.
The withered seed inside was just as unremarkable.
But he had found the thing inside the Golden Lotus King, hidden in one of the holes in its seedpod. Yuan Tianzong absolutely didn't believe it was just an ordinary box and seed.
He took out the seed and pinched it between his fingertips.
After examining it closely, he did manage to notice something unusual.
The seed was shriveled and dead, leaving the patterns on its surface extremely faint and blurry. They were impossible to spot without close inspection.
The patterns held an indescribable quality, along with a kind of bewitching power that drew the mind in without one even realizing it.
Of course, Yuan Tianzong wasn't an encyclopedia. He knew there were plenty of things in the world he didn't understand. Besides, it was already a thousand years later. For one thing, he didn't even know what the Golden Lotus was, let alone why a pale flame had appeared inside his body.
"A seed, a seed... It's meant to be planted, right?"
"It looks dead, but I might as well try planting it."
"Maybe there'll be a twist and it'll grow into some kind of divine medicine. After all, it came from inside the Golden Lotus King."
With that thought, Yuan Tianzong got up again and went out to find a place to plant the seed.
He now regretted killing the black python. After all, once he planted the seed, he'd need to find someone to keep watch over it.
Beneath the moonlight, Yuan Tianzong suddenly stopped and turned to look at a dark corner.
The python bones left over from the day were piled there. Now, the faintest movement came from them, and the python's skull kept trembling.
If an ordinary person had seen bones twitching in these desolate mountains on a moonless night, they would have turned and run, their adrenaline surging.
But Yuan Tianzong wasn't ordinary. Bold thanks to his great skill, he suppressed his aura and drifted closer, hiding in the corner to watch. A trace of curiosity crept into his eyes.
What in the world was that?
In his field of vision, a strange skeleton sat on the ground, clutching the python's skull in both hands and strenuously trying to press it onto its own spine.
Was it trying to put on a head?
A skeleton that could move was already strange enough. But it was actually trying to attach a python's skull to a human skeleton. It was bizarre beyond belief.
It seemed the world really was transforming in a mysterious direction. Yuan Tianzong mused to himself that from now on, whatever strange things he saw, he ought to be able to accept them calmly and wouldn't be too surprised again.
A moment later, Yuan Tianzong tiptoed out of the corner and crept over.
Come on, let me see what kind of demon you are.
The skeleton was so focused on attaching its head that it didn't notice the light shift behind it.
In a flash, a face popped out from its side. Their eyes met.
The skeleton froze in fright. Then it suddenly leapt into the air, its bones scattering in every direction—as if, had it possessed hair, every strand would have stood on end. It had been scared to death.
Thud, thud, thud.
All its bones tumbled to the ground and scattered everywhere.
A moment later, the two leg bones sprang upright first.
Its ribs and spine jumped up right after them, hanging haphazardly from the legs.
Clatter!
The two bony legs spun wildly, racing forward as if their lives depended on it.
Behind them, the two skeletal arms seemed to have gained a will of their own. They chased after the rest of the skeleton. Wait for us, you dead legs! We haven't "gotten in the car" yet!
Yuan Tianzong looked down and saw the python's head rolling back and forth across the ground.
"Hey, hey! Aren't you taking your head with you?"
Before you continue