Tianmu Daoist, Impostor Once More

In the sweltering summer heat, the blazing sun bakes the earth, and one can almost see waves of air rising from the mud and rocks, making one feel that the sunlight is full of malice towards all things in the world.

The flowers and grasses in the flower field had long since become listless, their branches and leaves drooping. The chirping of insects in the grass seemed to be venting their discontent with the intense heat.

The flower fields, now past their blooming season, are devoid of bees and butterflies. However, the lotus flowers by the lake are beginning to display their charm, one after another taking center stage.

Wu Chu wielded a hoe, turning over several acres of land, removing the weeds, and using the scorching sun to eradicate them completely.

Now he truly understood what it meant to "hoe the fields under the midday sun, sweat dripping onto the soil."

Just then, a figure appeared silently in the sky above Purple Jade Mountain.

Wu Chu hadn't noticed the person's arrival at first, but when he saw the dark shadow cast on the ground by the sunlight, and then saw Little Moon Spirit's figure suddenly appear beside him, his heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, 'This is bad!'

Sure enough, Yibao's voice echoed in his mind, "An old guy has arrived!"

Wu Chu reached out and placed his hand on Little Moon Spirit's head. Although he was nervous inside, he remained calm on the surface, using the stroking motion to cover up the fact that his hand was trembling.

He couldn't let anyone see his trembling hands, lest he frighten Little Moon Spirit and allow the old man to see through his true abilities.

"Now that you've arrived, why not come down and have a chat?" Wu Chu said calmly as he wielded his hoe, weeding the grass with unhurried movements.

But in reality, he was discussing something with Yibao in his mind. "Yibao, if that old guy is immoral and secretly throws a brick at me, you have to catch it!"

The figure in the air glanced at Wu Chu, a hint of wariness flashing in its fierce eyes. Its gaze shifted from Wu Chu to the hoe in his hand, then to the Main Hall atop the tree, and finally to the azure Azure Dragon hanging on the mountaintop not far away.

The pervasive aura of Merit Power filled him, making him hesitant. What unsettled him even more was whether this guy had killed the azure Azure Dragon.

The aura of Golden Immortal emanating from the Azure Dragon couldn't fool him.

As for Little Moon Spirit, he completely ignored her.

"Mountain Recluse Who Never Leaves? I wonder where you come from, my friend? And where is the Purple Jade Daoist?"

A powerful voice rang out not far in front of Wu Chu, and the figure that was just in the air had now appeared not far in front of Wu Chu. However, he did not land, but remained suspended in the air, as if he did not want to dirty the soles of his shoes.

Wu Chu smiled, planted his hoe on the ground, and looked at the figure. "Tianmu King?"

This old fellow didn't look old at all. He had a dark complexion, looked middle-aged, had a short beard, wore a black and red robe, and a golden crown. He didn't look like a Daoist priest. His face was somewhat fierce and sinister, and his eyes were full of domineering savagery, as if he wanted to kill with his eyes.

"This title is merely flattery from my subordinates. Fellow Daoist, you may call me Tianmu Daoist."

Tianmu Daoist couldn't help but show humility, as if he felt that for beings like Wu Chu to call him 'King' was a mockery of him.

Wu Chu casually planted the hoe in the ground, dusted off his hands, and gestured for Tianmu Daoist to enter, saying, "If you don't mind, fellow Daoist, please come and sit in my humble abode."

Upon seeing this, Tianmu Daoist paused, seemingly worried that Wu Chu might have set up some kind of formation in the cave, making it a dangerous place once entered.

Wu Chu smiled and said, "Then shall we go sit on the dam over there?"

Tianmu Daoist gritted his teeth, feeling that Wu Chu's smile was mocking him, and the fierce aura in his eyes seemed to be barely suppressed.

An invisible aura permeated the surroundings, giving them a sense of darkness and confusion, and within this darkness, a gigantic monster was looking down upon them.

This invisible aura made Little Moon Spirit tremble slightly, as if she was about to kneel down before him; it was domineering, tyrannical, and powerful.

Seeing this, Wu Chu said, "Ling'er, go and fetch some spirit wine. I'll chat with Fellow Daoist Tianmu here. Go!"

Little Moon Spirit felt as if she had been granted a pardon. She turned around and ran towards the Sacred Tree, then soared into the clouds.

Wu Chu smiled and said, "Please, fellow Daoist, restrain your divine power. My little Daoist disciple cannot withstand the aura emanating from you."

Little Moon Spirit couldn't take it, but he was perfectly fine.

On the surface, it seemed that Tianmu Daoist was using his power to intimidate others, while Wu Chu remained calm and composed, completely disregarding this imposing presence.

Tianmu Daoist was unaware that Wu Chu was walking a tightrope, each step fraught with anxiety. He only knew that the immense Merit within Wu Chu was surging like a vast ocean, easily blocking his power.

This made Tianmu Daoist even more unsure about Wu Chu's cultivation level. After all, if his cultivation was insufficient, how could he obtain such a vast amount of Merit from the Heavenly Dao?

Tianmu Daoist gritted his teeth, silently withdrew his divine power, and said, "Fellow Daoist should understand the purpose of my visit!" As he spoke, he looked up at the sky, seemingly unconcerned about the blazing sun, not even bothering to shield his eyes with his hand.

Heavenly Eyes! It seems his eyes possess some special power!

Wu Chu silently sighed in his heart, then smiled and nodded.

But then Tianmu Daoist said, "Why don't you complete the protective formation of Purple Jade Mountain? Leaving it like this, it's no wonder my men carelessly broke in."

These words sounded like he was making excuses for his subordinates, but Wu Chu understood that the old man was testing his strength. If he wasn't careful, the old man might test him again.

If that really happens, then he'll be in danger.

Wu Chu smiled without looking up, stepped onto the embankment, put his hands on his hips, looked at the vast lake, and admired the beautiful pink lotus flowers on the shore and the duckweed drifting in the wind.

"If we complete it too early, wouldn't we miss out on the chance to meet Fellow Daoist Tianmu?"

Wu Chu smiled and turned to look at Tianmu Daoist. There seemed to be an inexplicable meaning in his smiling eyes, which made Tianmu Daoist wary.

In an instant, Tianmu Daoist understood the implication. "So that's how it is! But aren't you worried about encountering someone with a stronger cultivation level than yourself?"

Wu Chu was taken aback for a moment, then smiled and said, "Fellow Daoist Tianmu must have misunderstood me. I enjoy making friends and have always been kind to all living beings. Even if I encounter an uninvited guest, at most I will sit down and discuss the Dao with him, exchanging and verifying our understanding. Why would I risk my life against him?"

"..."

Tianmu Daoist narrowed his eyes, becoming even more uncertain.

Although this situation greatly displeased Tianmu Daoist, he still restrained the urge to attack. He was actually afraid that his attempt to show off would backfire and he would end up getting humiliated instead.

After thinking for a moment, Tianmu Daoist said, "Since you know my purpose, I would like to ask you to do me a favor and return the Fu Zhu Fuzhu to me!"

Wu Chu smiled and looked at Tianmu Daoist, saying, "How about we change the terms, Fellow Daoist Tianmu? For example, how about we exchange it for the pair of Azure Dragon?"

P. S.: It's Monday, need a ticket to perk me up, thanks!