Mountain Suppressor

The campfire licked at Zhang Xuan's robes as he rested the back of his neck against the rough tree trunk. The night breeze swept through the hollow, carrying the low murmur of distant pines. Mingled with the crackling fire, it sounded especially clear in the stillness.

"Monk, you take the first watch. I'll relieve you halfway through the night." Zhang Xuan stirred the fire with a branch, sending sparks flying.

The monk broke dry branches into even lengths and fed them into the fire. "No need. I took a short nap while you were bathing earlier. Let me keep watch tonight. You and the young benefactor are both injured. Get some proper rest."

Zhang Xuan eyed the monk suspiciously. "Say, big monk, are those bones of yours forged from iron? I haven't seen you get a single full night's sleep these past three days..."

The monk wore the same cheerful smile, his weathered face showing no trace of fatigue. "I practice martial arts, so my constitution is naturally stronger than most. Besides, I served in the army before taking my vows. Going a few days without sleep does me little harm."

Since the monk put it that way, Zhang Xuan stopped insisting. He leaned against the tree, found a comfortable position that would not dig into his old back, and slowly closed his eyes.

As Zhang Xuan silently intoned, [Inner Landscape], the world spun around him, and he stepped into the Inner Landscape once more.

When his vision cleared, the same Blood Moon hung high overhead, and the same bottomless, ink-black lake lay beneath his feet. With every step, ripples glowing faintly red spread in rings.

Zhang Xuan frowned up at the Blood Moon. "Why did it change back?"

When the earlier notification announced the upgrade to the celestial master's ordination, it had clearly been a full moon. Why had it turned back into a new moon afterward?

"Nothing's changed. Seriously, did you upgrade absolutely nothing?" But before he finished speaking, his complaint caught in his throat.

Zhang Xuan's expression abruptly froze, his mouth opening wide enough to hold two eggs at once. He had to admit that this time, the celestial master's ordination had given him a "billion little bits" of shock.

In the distance, a pitch-black tower rose from the ink-black lake and pierced the heavens—3,600 black iron chains coiled around it, each engraved with bronze incantations of the same origin as the Blood Moon. Beneath the uncanny crimson moonlight, they writhed eerily like living creatures entwined around the tower.

Boom!

A dull impact sounded from within the Black Tower, as though some strange beast were imprisoned inside. The entire ink-black lake suddenly churned, and the surging waves nearly swept Zhang Xuan off his feet.

Just as Zhang Xuan's astonishment reached its limit, the [nether candle mystic eyes], whose duration had yet to expire, supplied an answer.

An eerie light rippled through Zhang Xuan's left eye...

[Name: "Mountain Suppressor" (incomplete)]

[Category: Immortal artifact]

[Quality: Spirit Treasure]

[Threat level: Deep black]

[Description: A projection of a Black Tower formed from a fragment of the ancient Mountain Suppressor Immortal Cauldron. Nine layers of Dark Underworld Chains coil around its body, forbidding as the abyss of the netherworld. The tower has nine levels, each corresponding to a Star Constellation Formation Diagram and giving rise to a ninefold Ten Thousand Hells Killing Formation. Its oppressive might dominates the present age and suppresses the calamities of all eternity. Its force is like the heavens collapsing, its power like hell descending; all living beings cower, and gods and Buddhas flee.]

[Immortal spiritual law one: Soul-devouring, bone-eroding—When the "Mountain Master" slaughters mighty gods and Buddhas, totems of their skeletons appear in the blood pool at the tower's base. The netherworld chains devour their remnant souls and refine them into Prison Suppressors, imprisoning them forever within the "Mountain." (Note: In its current incomplete state, it can only suppress targets within the lower six realms.)]

[Immortal spiritual law two: Stealing the heavens and switching the sun—Activate the Heaven-Stealing Seal to strip "Prison Suppressors" of their divine abilities for the "Mountain Master" to wield.]

[Immortal spiritual law three: Incomplete immortal artifact. Unable to analyze.]

Zhang Xuan stood on the ink-black lake for a long time without saying a word, staring blankly until the lines of tiny text in his left eye vanished...

"Son of a bitch. Did I clean out the Celestial Master's Mansion's entire stock of treasures?"

Zhang Xuan had never imagined that the two objects he had so easily taken from the Celestial Master's Mansion would each be more heaven-defying than the last.

He had thought that the Divine Path—Compendium of Daoist Arts volume, which contained a complete method for cultivating spiritual power, was already worth a fortune. Now, however, it seemed that the broken jade pendant engraved with the word "Suppress" was the truly heaven-defying treasure.

"Immortal... artifact..."

"Spirit... Treasure..."

His lips trembled uncontrollably as he uttered those words.

Then, as though afraid Zhang Xuan still did not understand, the Blood Moon hanging high above suddenly changed...

[Detected that the esteemed inheritor carries "Mountain Suppressor" (incomplete). The celestial master's ordination will consume one of the inheritor's question allowances to absorb the power of "Mountain Suppressor" and reinforce its foundation. Following this upgrade, the esteemed inheritor may expend daily question allowances to begin a trial. The esteemed inheritor may set the duration of each trial, up to a maximum of twenty-four hours.]

[Would the esteemed inheritor like to expend all three of tomorrow's question allowances to begin a trial?]

"How... how many?"

Thinking his eyes were playing tricks on him, Zhang Xuan reread the tiny crimson words on the Blood Moon.

Only after reading them over and over did he dare confirm that he had not misread them. To absorb Mountain Suppressor, the celestial master's ordination had not only used up his last question for today, but also demanded that he borrow against tomorrow's allowance just to begin a trial...

"What a rip-off."

After muttering a curse, Zhang Xuan settled his emotions. Rather than deciding immediately, he paced back and forth across the ink-black lake, sending out overlapping ripples that glowed faintly red...

"This Mountain Suppressor is interesting."

Among the information provided by the [nether candle mystic eyes], Zhang Xuan had noticed something worth pondering...

—Slaughtering gods and Buddhas!

Its targets were not demons and ghosts, but gods and Buddhas?

His lips pressed tightly together, he did not dwell on the matter. At his present level, there was no need to consider such things. He merely buried that piece of information in his heart.

"Is this trial dangerous? And why hasn't the celestial master's ordination explained Mountain Suppressor's immortal spiritual law of stealing the heavens and switching the sun?"

Compared with the unfathomable "trial," Zhang Xuan was clearly more interested in the law of "stealing the heavens and switching the sun."

He thought of the Corpse Buddha's divine ability to pluck people's heads off out of thin air, and of the "followers' flesh and blood," which could both create illusions and extend the range of perception...

"The Mountain God's Ghostly Domain is good too. Perfect for shutting the door and beating the dog."

"Damn it, I want them all!"

His only technique at present was Palm Thunder, and using it several times in succession would deplete both his qi and blood. At the thought of having all his essence, qi, and spirit wrung dry—that sickening sensation of cold spreading through his entire body, as though even his three ethereal souls and seven corporeal souls had grown lighter—Zhang Xuan shuddered...

[Insufficient authorization to activate stealing the heavens and switching the sun. The esteemed inheritor is asked to continue working hard to acquire spiritual resonance.]

[Rest assured, esteemed inheritor. The trial poses absolutely no danger...]

"Spiritual resonance. Spiritual resonance again?" Zhang Xuan murmured.

As long as there was no danger, that made things simple.

Whatever happened, safety came first!

From what he had seen so far, Zhang Xuan was rather eager to try the new function unlocked by the celestial master's ordination's upgrade...

"But spending all three of tomorrow's chances is too extravagant..."

After pondering for a long time, Zhang Xuan gritted his teeth. "I'll take the gamble. The bigger the wind and waves, the dearer the fish!"

"Celestial master's ordination, begin the trial!"

The next instant, Zhang Xuan's vision blurred. The black tower, which had been so far away, suddenly appeared right before him.

Before Zhang Xuan could react, two blood-red doors several dozen feet tall, carved with hideous ghosts, slowly opened before him...

Zhang Xuan drew a deep breath, focused his gaze, and strode inside!

"Huh, wait. Didn't that message from the celestial master's ordination end with an ellipsis? Are you hiding something you haven't finished telling me?" Before he could think further, a brilliant azure light flared beyond the blood-red doors, instantly enveloping him and swallowing him inside.

A short while later, another line of tiny text appeared within the Blood Moon...

[However, pain is unavoidable. Wishing the esteemed inheritor an enjoyable trial.]