Train Snacks

This is it.

Lu Qi flew on his sword, carrying Zheng Zetian, to a 'private room' used for suppressing demons, and landed there.

Zheng Zetian could see that outside the 'window' directly opposite this Demon-Sealing Land was a swirling white hole like a galaxy. On the other side of that 'window,' lightning flashed, and magnificent lightning bolts roared and shrieked like White Dragon, shooting out from the world opposite in the void.

On the other side, the entrance to the 'private room' was surrounded by twelve layers of precious clouds and golden light, forming a sealed door.

The Demon-Suppressing Gate of the Immortal Palace has six layers, with twelve enormous bronze pillars, each twenty feet high, carved with the Thunder Department. Behind them are three more gates, forged from some kind of gleaming white metal, with the Lei Marsh Gods, Thunder Beasts, and Thunder Birds that I have seen before engraved on the gate towers. Further inside are three more gates, which are the three forbidden wooden gates of the Mysterious Sect, with the inscriptions on the gate towers: Nine Heavens Responding to the Origin of Thunder Universal Transformation Heavenly Venerable, Xuan Girl of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden Purple Mansion Mysterious Ancestor Great Heavenly Venerable, and Supreme Divine Firmament Jade Pivot Cave Mystery Great Heavenly Venerable.

This carriage door wasn't sealed by the Divine Cult's Ten Ultimate Formation, but that's normal, since thunder magic is a natural counter to the Divine Cult.

"The founder of Qingting Peak cultivated in this cave. Although he suffered a qi deviation and is no longer human, since you are our disciple, it shouldn't be a problem to go in and say a few words. So, do you want to go in, junior brother?"

Lu Qi gathered his sleeves, put away the sword lotus, and looked at Zheng Zetian with a smile.

Zheng Zetian squinted and looked at him.

"Thank you for your leniency, Senior Brother. As a disciple of Qingting Peak, it is only right that I come to pay my respects to our Grandmaster. However, as an Outer Sect Disciple, won't it cause trouble for the senior brother guarding the gate if I just go in like this?"

Lu Qi chuckled and waved his hand.

"It's just taking care of my junior brother, what trouble is there? Quickly, prepare for battle."

Lu Qi drew the ink-lettered plaque from his waist, held it in his hand, and with a flick of his wrist, the twelve gates opened one after another, flying straight into the void and disappearing without a trace.

Soon, a dense, purplish-black aura and mist surged from the carriage like a rolling tsunami, rushing towards the carriage like an avalanche or a torrent.

"Oh, by the way, there are some meals prepared for the passengers in the carriage. Well, I mean, snacks and the like, hehe, they're free. Be careful though."

Then Zheng Zetian felt a push from behind, and involuntarily took a step forward. Instantly, his feet lost their footing, as if he had fallen into an abyss and into the billowing smoke and void!

Was he ambushed? No, if he wanted to kill him, there would be no need for such a complicated plan. Is he still testing him, or perhaps stalling for time...?

It was said to be falling, but after floating for a while, it landed.

Judging from the faintly visible scriptures and incantations on the ground, this place should still be inside the 'carriage', or rather, this place was originally the prison used by the Grand Master to temporarily seal the demon god.

Zheng Zetian didn't draw his protective smoke shield. He could sense that the environment of the baleful aura was now similar to that of the Void Abyss Devil Domain. If there really was a demon god-level being hiding in the mist, the protective smoke shield, which could only withstand Nascent Soul Realm cultivators, would be of little use. He would still have to revert to his previous state if he took a hit, so there was no need to waste his magic weapon in such a baleful aura.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Suddenly, from the distant smoke and clouds, a thunderous sound like war drums rose up, approaching from afar and hitting overhead.

Is that Qingtingzi...?

"Ah--!!!"

In the blink of an eye! A bolt of lightning suddenly struck him from mid-air! Before Zheng Zetian could even take a step, something lunged straight at him from above!

Zheng Zetian suddenly opened his eyes, and surprisingly, without flinching or dodging, he looked directly at the other person!

Reflected in Daozi's pupils was a strange creature that was neither human nor dog nor bird!

This monster was a full two zhang in size! It was humanoid, with a blue face and fangs, wings on its back, a sharp beak, and a fierce claw that lashed out like wind and thunder, aiming straight for Zheng Zetian's head! It seemed to have not tasted fresh flesh and blood for a long time, and was the first to rush up to tear off his head and drink his blood!

However, a loud "clang!" rang out! Zheng Zetian took the heavy blow head-on! But strangely, despite taking this blow that could tear an ordinary person to pieces, Zheng Zetian was completely unharmed!

Well, he wasn't completely unharmed. Although it was slow, spiderweb-like red lines spread across the boy's head, like earthworms crawling along his scalp and cheeks, as if cracked glass was about to shatter at any moment!

But Zheng Zetian showed no fear whatsoever; there wasn't even a trace of the anxiety of someone about to die in his eyes.

What is that? Just Golden Core level demon, a mere snack.

So Zheng Zetian suddenly grabbed the strange bird's claw with his right hand and pinched its neck with his left. At the same time, the golden characters and incantations all over his body, from his arms to his face to his back, lit up!

'The divine incantation speaks of the unobstructed flow of heaven and earth, illuminating all directions with its radiant light, shattering the universe. Its true power endures, even mountains and rivers crumble, and I find peace and tranquility...'

The bird-like monster let out a miserable scream upon seeing 'Shifang', its eyes bulging with blood, its mouth and nose spewing forth liquid, and its entire body crackling with lightning, flesh, and malevolent energy, pouring out and being absorbed into Zheng Zetian's meridians! At the same time, the bloody sores on the boy's face began to heal at a speed visible to the naked eye! No, not heal! They were transferred to the head of this strange bird!

By the time 'Antai' was lit, the strange bird had already had its flesh and blood drained and its magic power absorbed. It also seemed as if an invisible claw had dented a piece of its head. With a soft 'poof', it exploded into a bloody dance in the smoke and clouds, turning into a bloody pulp!

"Pah. You might as well send some dried fruit."

Zheng Zetian tossed aside the bird's claws and spine, wiping the blood splattered on his face and mouth. He reached into his robes with his left hand, took out the Supreme Thirty-Six Divine Thunder Fire Banner, and raised it high above his head. He activated it with the azure Dao Breath, Wood Correct Thunder shone like a bright pearl. He directly poured all the Dao power absorbed from the strange bird into the magic weapon, igniting four thunder pearls. A several-foot-long lightning whip appeared in his hand, which he swept straight into the thick smoke around him.

A series of crackling explosions followed! A cacophony of shrill cries filled the air! Within the smoke and clouds, many strange birds were clearly visible, their skin torn open and flesh and feathers, severed fingers and eyeballs falling to the ground after being swept by the lightning whip.

These strange birds were also protected by lightning, allowing them to dash and attack rapidly amidst the malevolent energy, arriving in an instant with a clap of Thunder Roar. They possessed sharp teeth and claws, and immense strength, making them quite formidable monsters. However, no matter how fast they flew, they could not outrun lightning, and no matter how fiercely they cried, they could not outrun thunder. The protective cloud of lightning was shattered and dispersed by a single whip strike. Zheng Zetian simply flicked his wrist a few times, sending the flock of strange birds fleeing in terror, disappearing into the thick smoke of the deep sky.

Zheng Zetian swung his lightning whip a few more times, producing a few thunderclaps. Seeing that no Fourth Department snacks were rushing towards him, he dispersed the lightning, erased the incantation from his face, concentrated his Dao power, raised the lightning pearl and lit it like a searchlight, and stepped into the thick fog.

When those strange birds scattered and fled, not a single one flew in this direction, so this must be where Qingtingzi is in seclusion.

However, the area ahead was empty, filled with a misty haze, stretching as far as the eye could see like a desolate wilderness. This kind of forbidden land was probably beyond human traversal, and who knew how many more hidden dangers lurked in the shadows? So Zheng Zeta thought for a moment and decided to take the gamble. He stopped and called out loudly,

"Zheng Zetian, a disciple of Ink Bamboo Mountain Lou Guan Dao, was ordained by my master, Master Song Dayou, and is now practicing and observing the precepts at Qingting Peak. I have come to pay my respects to my master, Qingting Sou of Qingting Peak, and request that my master ordain me and transmit the scriptures!"

What is meant by a Daoist child with a karmic connection to the immortals, and what is meant by a mortal being without affinity to the Dao?

They were all seeking immortality and learning from masters, even using almost identical phrases. Some people would shout around the mountain for three days and three nights, which the immortals found annoying. If they hadn't nearly been slapped to death in a ditch and happened to fall in front of someone and been saved, thus creating a huge karmic connection, they would never have been given the opportunity to learn the Dao.

Some people, before they could even finish a sentence and repeat the important part three times, would suddenly appear from the smoke and clouds, carrying a stack of scriptures and rushing in front of them.

"Hey, here it is! Thunder magic, mental cultivation techniques, escape techniques—take them all!"

Zheng Zetian, "..."

Zheng Zetian looked closely and saw that the figure was wearing a shadow cloak, and the ticket clearly said 'demon'. However, beneath the cloak, there were no legs, but rather long, thick, sticky, and slippery fleshy strips that resembled a snake's body. The other end of these strips was coiled in the thick fog, and it was unclear what they were connected to. The two 'hands' extending from under the shadow cloak were also sticky and slippery upon closer inspection, and it was impossible to tell what they were made of.

But the scrolls he held in his 'hands' were probably real; they were a stack of jade slips that looked quite old, though they were damp, and it was unclear where they had been hidden before. But what was recorded in the scrolls was clearly the orthodox method of the Xuan Gong Zheng Lu. As soon as they were revealed, precious light and thunderous fire suddenly burst forth, dispelling a large area of the surrounding evil aura and thick fog.

"Thank goodness for the Profound Maiden! I was so sure we were doomed, turning into a ghost or a human! I was a hero for a time, a dashing young man, one of the most handsome men in the world! And now I've turned into this grotesque mess! Ugh, that kid really screwed me over!"

And Dayou is such a fool! All this training he still met with disaster! Sigh, teaching a fool is truly a miserable fate. If he can't even reach the Nascent Soul Stage, my lineage is definitely doomed! But unexpectedly, heaven never closes all doors; at this time, he can still throw a Dao Child to me! Ah, what a relief! Profound Maiden protect me!"

The 'demon' threw a large pile of scriptures into Zheng Zetian's hand, almost knocking him over. Then, the wet strips of meat rolled up Zheng Zetian and sent him into the sky.

"Alright, alright, let's go, let's go. Even if you're talented, don't stay in a place like this for too long. Besides, who brought you to the inner room? Why aren't you wearing any protective gear? Are you showing off or courting death?"

Forget it, forget it. If you have good aptitude, go back and cultivate properly. If you haven't reached the True Person realm, whatever you do, don't go to study at their Mo Shan's "University"! That bigwig is a complete swindler! It's a bottomless pit! It'll kill you! Ugh!"

"Wait, wait a minute! Grandmaster Qingting!"

Zheng Zetian hurriedly hugged the scriptures and cried out,

"Can you receive telegrams here? I have so many questions I'd like to ask you!"

"Telegram? I've sealed it all up here, how could it possibly receive? Alright, alright, I appreciate your kindness, but don't waste your money. Everyone has their own tribulations, just consider me in seclusion. Don't worry about me. If there's anything important, just ask the Guardian Master to relay the message. Don't worry, there are many people ahead of me in line for drinks, it's not my turn yet. Go!"

Then, with a flick of his wrist, he tossed Zheng Zetian out the door.

Zheng Zetian carried the large pile of scriptures back to the carriage corridor, frowned for a moment, and squatted down to pick up the scattered scriptures.

Are you not receiving telegrams?

At that moment, a flash of purple light appeared, and Zheng Zetian arrived just in time. The air around him froze, and a gust of sword wind and whistling sound came down towards his neck.

"Oh my, junior brother, I didn't expect you to have mastered the true teachings so quickly. You truly deserve to be called the Dao Child."

Zheng Zetian wrapped the scriptures in a light blue gauze cloth, carried it on his back like a bundle, and turned to look at Lu Qi.

"How dare I! I was almost eaten as a snack! Senior brother was just on patrol, wasn't he?"

Lu Qi smiled, raised the ink tablet, and twelve layers of sealing doors descended.

"Yes, yes, all the seals are secure, there's no problem. This suspect is really well hidden."

That's for sure.

Zheng Zetian then asked, "I heard from Grandmaster Qingting that we need to wear some kind of protective gear to enter the inner room?"

Lu Qi laughed heartily.

"Look at me, I actually forgot about this. It's mainly because you, Junior Brother, are exceptionally talented, able to come and go freely in the Void Abyss. I was careless for a moment. My fault, my fault."

As he spoke, he pulled out a strange object from his sleeve that Zheng Zetian had never seen before.

"This is equipment designed by the Grand Master for the disciples of Moon Worship. It's called an earpiece, and it can protect them from those Devil Embryo that bewitch their minds."

Zheng Zetian, "Earphones?"

Lu Qi put the earphone on Zheng Zetian's head, and it was completely closed off, so no sound could be heard from outside. But when Lu Qi pressed a button on the side of the earphone, music actually came out.

Zheng Zetian: "... Who sang this? It's awful."

Lu Qi smiled, silently attaining enlightenment, becoming a grandmaster.

Then Zheng Zetian saw the other person pull something out of his pocket, a palm-sized, iron pipe-like device, point it at his forehead, and then snap it shut.

Zheng Zetian was baffled.

Lu Qi narrowed his eyes, stared at the junior brother in front of him for a moment, then suddenly smiled, gestured for him to take off his headphones, and handed him the mechanical prop in his hand.

"This is a pistol."

Zheng Zetian took the pistol, stared at it into the iron pipe, and even pulled the trigger like Lu Qi, hearing a "bang".

Lu Qi, "... Junior Brother probably hasn't seen this before. It's a magic weapon from the Beyond Heavens, similar to a crossbow, capable of launching palm-shaped thunderbolts."

"A hidden weapon that fires palm-sized thunderbolts?" Zheng Zetian asked curiously. "What's the use of this thing? Is it used to destroy Devil Embryo?"

Lu Qi shrugged. "What kind of Devil Embryo can this destroy? This thing is just a tool for mortals. As long as you're prepared, it can't even harm someone at the Golden Core stage. See?"

He pulled out a pistol himself, took out six bullets from his pocket, put them into the pistol's magazine, rolled up his sleeves, and fired a shot into his own arm.

A bullet struck Lu Qi's arm, and a talisman was clearly imprinted on his body.

Zheng Zetian glanced at it and said, "The power is not bad."

Lu Qi smiled, then pulled the trigger repeatedly, producing six talismans in his hand, which seemed to form a flower petal-like formation.

"This is also the design of the Grand Master. If the body is corrupted by evil spirits or possessed by Devil Embryo, the mutated body can be quickly sealed. Different talisman bullets can be changed according to different types of evil spirits, or the pills in the magazine can be changed to quickly inject emergency medicine and strengthening medicine into the body. Directly injecting the pills into the wound is much faster than taking medicine or applying it externally to digest the medicine."

And it does hurt a little, the illusions are dispelled in an instant. It's good for refreshing your mind when you're tired of reading, junior brother, do you want to try it?"

Zheng Zetian squinted, looking at the gun barrel that the other party had just poked at his head.

"Thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother, but this... pistol, it can even leave marks on the body of Nascent Soul Stage cultivator. It would be enough to tear the skin and flesh, and split the skull of any cultivator below the Golden Core who hasn't cultivated their body."

Bored, Lu Qi put away his pistol and tossed a bag of bullets to Zheng Zetian.

"They're just toys. The Grand Master has spent too much time researching these devices and taking care of those mortals who lack the necessary skills. These things are of no value to people like us who are favored by the heavens."

"Junior brother, now that you've joined the sect and possess such potential to directly enter the Void Abyss, don't waste too much time on those mortals. It's not worth it."

Zheng Zetian remained expressionless. "Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother."

Lu Qi nodded repeatedly, "Yes, yes, but if we search like this, we won't be able to hand over the suspect. When the Discipline Institute arrives later, I'm afraid things will be difficult to handle."

Why don't we just grab a couple of ghosts and kill them? That'll solve the problem. Anyway, they'll just be food and wine for Mo Mountain. This way, you'll gain merit, and I'll fulfill my duty. It's a win-win situation. What do you think, Junior Brother Zheng?"

Zheng Zetian was silent for a moment, then nodded and said, "We'll do as Senior Brother says."

Lu Qi laughed heartily and pulled out a string of bloody human heads from under his robe.

"Great! I knew you'd agree, Junior Brother. Look, these are the ones who boarded the bus in Lou Guan City today. I think they must be them. What do you say, Junior Brother?"

Zheng Zetian examined the heads one by one, "These are them."

But it wasn't just them; the numbers were wrong. Besides the heads of those who led the way in Lou Guan City, there were five more. Although they were mixed in, they were all freshly killed, and the sword wounds were all new.

Lu Qi withdrew his hand, stuffing the string of severed heads into his sleeve, and then smiled as he lit up a purple lantern.

"Okay! So, if any cats ask, remember that you told them everything yourself."

... cat?

Then he blew on the lantern, and it became light.