Chapter 50

Chi Ling replied, "I once saw one of my kind suffer unbearable pain while giving birth. After delivering her young, she died from complete exhaustion of her blood and qi."

"Snakes shouldn't be like that, should they?" Vanguard Hu asked in confusion.

"She mated with a rhinoceros and bore six rhinoceros spirits in one litter. It drained her life away." As Chi Ling explained, Zhuang Yan had already entered the cave mansion with Lu Hanzhi.

Five or six flower spirits were tending to the mother. Lian'er lay on a wooden couch with her swollen belly, her lower body covered in blood. Upon seeing Zhuang Yan, an elderly flower woman hurried forward to drive him away. "Men are not allowed inside!"

"I'm here to examine her," Zhuang Yan said.

The flower woman shoved at him. "If you want to look, go home and look at your own wife! Lu Hanzhi quickly introduced him, "This is the Spirit Platform Divine Lord."

The flower spirits hastily knelt in worship. After paying her respects, the flower woman still insisted on sending him away. "The bloody fiendish aura of childbirth may offend the Divine Lord." She forcibly pushed Zhuang Yan out the door.

Zhuang Yan could only remind her, "Be extremely careful with the delivery." The flower woman teased, "The Divine Lord is so concerned. Could this be your child?"

"I care for all living beings under my rule," Zhuang Yan said sternly. "If it were a boy giving birth, I would be equally concerned."

"Oh my~" The flower woman blushed furiously and said coyly, "How improper~" With that, she swayed her hips and ran back into the cave mansion. Zhuang Yan wiped away a cold sweat and asked Lu Hanzhi, "Where did that bizarre old woman come from?"

Lu Hanzhi smiled. "She's Flower Granny, a flower spirit from the mountains. She is the most skilled at delivering babies." At that moment, Fire Spirit True Immortal suddenly pointed outside the courtyard. "Divine Lord, look!"

Two Underworld Officials, holding soul-binding chains and ghost-beating rods, were walking into the courtyard.

The two Underworld Emissaries entered the cave. The instant they saw Zhuang Yan, their expressions changed drastically, and they hurried forward to bow. "Greetings, Spirit Platform Divine Lord."

Zhuang Yan smiled and waved a hand. "No need for formalities. Whom have you come to take today?"

The Underworld Emissary on the right answered, "Reporting to the Divine Lord, the mother in the cave has reached the end of her allotted lifespan. By the command of the Lord of Hell, we have come to reap her soul."

Zhuang Yan pondered briefly. "Wait until she gives birth."

The Underworld Emissaries lowered their heads in acknowledgment and stood motionless like statues. Lu Hanzhi looked around curiously. "Divine Lord, whom are you speaking with?"

"Soul Reaping Emissaries from the underworld." Before Zhuang Yan had even finished speaking, Lu Hanzhi's hair stood on end in fright. Chi Ling pointed beside her. "There, right next to you."

The Deer Spirit leaped three feet away in terror. The Underworld Emissaries swept a cold glance over her and continued standing like puppets, their bodies emanating a chilling aura.

As the wails inside the cave gradually weakened, the Underworld Emissaries gripped their chains and grew eager to act, but they still remembered to seek Zhuang Yan's permission first. When an infant's cry rang out, Zhuang Yan nodded. Two black shadows immediately darted into the cave.

Before long, they emerged escorting Liu Lian'er's soul. Her soul repeatedly looked back, gazing longingly toward the cave. Zhuang Yan said solemnly, "You know full well this child's origins. This calamity was fated from the moment you conceived him. Go peacefully into reincarnation. Under my care, this child will surely achieve greatness."

Liu Lian'er knelt and kowtowed three times, then drifted away with the Underworld Emissaries. No one present pitied her—the sin of harming her entire family to nurture a Demonic Fetus did not deserve sympathy.

Flower Granny rushed out excitedly with a swaddled infant in her arms. "It's a fair, chubby boy!" She handed the infant to Zhuang Yan, then pointed disdainfully at his brow. "It's just that this purplish-black pattern ruins the look."

Vanguard Hu leaned closer to inspect him. "He's passable, though not as handsome as my tiger cubs." Zhuang Yan stared at the Moluo flower pattern, knowing that it was the sign of Moluo's reincarnation.

A startled cry suddenly came from inside the cave. "Miss Lian'er has stopped breathing!" Flower Granny hurried back inside. Zhuang Yan took the infant and instructed, "Fire Spirit, Vanguard Hu, Chi Ling, stay and handle the aftermath. I will return to the Divine Manor first." The three accepted in unison.

Zhuang Yan turned to Lu Hanzhi and instructed, "Once the remaining matters are settled, follow Fire Spirit True Immortal and the others to the Divine Manor."

Lu Hanzhi bowed. "As you command."

The barrier was removed, and Zhuang Yan transformed into a streak of light and returned directly to the Divine Manor. Inside the Mountain God Hall, he set up a new barrier and retrieved the Primal Golden Body from the void. The infant in his arms suddenly opened his eyes. Demonic Energy churned within his pitch-black pupils, and the Moluo flower bud on his brow slowly bloomed—yet its center was hollow.

The golden body suddenly shone brightly, while golden light also emerged from within the flower bud. The instant Zhuang Yan released his hand, the golden body became a streak of light and entered the bud. As the petals closed, a lifelike demonic flower of gold patterns against black was branded onto the infant's brow. In an instant, demonic voices filled the air. Towering demonic flames burst from the infant's eyes, plunging the entire Divine Manor into a demonic realm as countless demons howled and lunged at Zhuang Yan.

His expression did not change as One Thought Capture unfolded. The demonic flames and Demonic Energy all collapsed inward, instantly refined into a single gourd of Demon Poison. The Demonic Energy around the infant dissipated, leaving only the dark gleam of the demonic flower on his brow before he fell into a deep sleep.

Just as the barrier was withdrawn, Fire Spirit True Immortal returned with the others. After everyone had paid their respects, Zhuang Yan ordered Vanguard Hu to summon Lan'er and asked about the aftermath. Learning that each flower spirit had received fifty Purple Coins and that the deceased had been buried, he nodded slightly.

Chi Ling suddenly laughed and said that the Divine Lord looked strange holding a baby. Zhuang Yan instead handed her the swaddled infant. Seeing her receive him in a fluster, he summoned Lu Hanzhi before him and bestowed a Nine-Turn Golden Elixir upon her. "Take this, and in three days you may ascend to the immortal path. Consider it a reward for your service."

Smelling the elixir's fragrance, Lu Hanzhi asked in shock, "Is this a Nine-Turn Golden Elixir refined by Laojun?"

"It is." Zhuang Yan confirmed with a smile. "Refine it well. In three days, you will become an Earth Immortal."

Lu Hanzhi looked utterly stunned. With trembling hands, she accepted the golden elixir and respectfully said, "Divine Lord, I have rendered no real service. How could I dare accept such a generous reward?"

Zhuang Yan waved a hand indifferently. "I have my own principles. What I grant you is yours. Say no more. You may leave."

Lu Hanzhi hurriedly tucked the golden elixir into her robes, prostrated herself, and kowtowed three times before withdrawing. The moment she left Lingtai Divine Manor, her heart pounded like a drum. She raced all the way back to her cave mansion, tightly shut the stone doors, immediately sat cross-legged on the stone couch, and impatiently swallowed the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir.

Inside the Mountain God Hall of Lingtai Divine Manor, Vanguard Hu arrived with his wife Lan'er to pay respects. Having known one another for a long time, everyone was already familiar with each other. Lan'er smiled and asked, "Divine Lord, why have you summoned me?"

Zhuang Yan nodded slightly and pointed to the infant in Chi Ling's arms. "Fellow Daoist Lan'er, would you be willing to care for this child on my behalf?"

Lan'er followed his gesture. When she saw the infant in the swaddling clothes, surprise appeared on her face. "Divine Lord, do you want me to raise this child?"

"Precisely." Zhuang Yan smiled. "If you find it difficult, I will seek someone else."

Lan'er hesitated slightly. "Raising him would not be a problem, but... I no longer have milk to feed him."

Zhuang Yan said calmly, "That is no concern. Feed him the juice of Spirit Fruit from the mountain."

"This..." Lan'er was doubtful. "Can that truly work? I have never heard of such a method."

Zhuang Yan laughed heartily. "This child possesses an extraordinary fate. Let alone Spirit Fruit, he could survive even on tree bark."

Upon hearing this, Lan'er no longer declined and readily agreed. "In that case, I will certainly raise him with the utmost care."

Zhuang Yan nodded in satisfaction, then took out another Nine-Turn Golden Elixir and sent it floating before Lan'er. "This elixir will serve as your compensation."

As the golden elixir floated in the air, Lan'er was still in shock when Vanguard Hu's face changed in alarm. He hurriedly accepted it for his wife and said in a trembling voice, "Quickly thank the Divine Lord! This is a Nine-Turn Golden Elixir! Take it, and in three days you can ascend to the immortal path!"

Lan'er was greatly startled. She hastily knelt and kowtowed in thanks, then accepted the golden elixir and took the infant from Chi Ling's arms. Just as she was about to withdraw, she suddenly turned back. "Divine Lord, have you named this child?"

Zhuang Yan pondered briefly, then smiled. "Call him Moluo."

After entrusting Moluo to Lan'er, the burden on Zhuang Yan's shoulders gradually lightened. Now all matters within Lingtai Divine Manor were managed by Fire Spirit True Immortal. She truly possessed an innate talent for administration, handling both immortal and mortal affairs with perfect order. Zhuang Yan was greatly reassured, and he also assigned the matter of visiting Sun Wukong to Fire Spirit True Immortal and the other two in rotation, ordering them to visit Five Finger Mountain once every year.

Now that he had some leisure, Zhuang Yan began organizing the golden elixirs he carried with him. Inside his quiet room, forty-nine gourds were arranged in order. Based on their labels, they were sorted into categories as follows:

Before Zhuang Yan lay various golden elixirs: ten gourds of Taiyi Purple Gold Pill, five gourds of Strength-Promoting Vajra Pill, six gourds of Jade Lotus Purple Gold Pill, seven gourds of Jiangzhen Great Returning Pill, five gourds of Mystic Spirit Seven Treasures Pill, five gourds of Yin-Yang Great Returning Pill, five gourds of Nine-Turn Soul Returning Pill, and six gourds of Nine-Turn Golden Elixir. Each gourd contained thirty-six golden elixirs, for a total of one thousand seven hundred and sixty-four pills.

He used his Heaven-Eye to inspect the effects of the golden elixirs one by one:

Taiyi Purple Gold Pill could avert calamity and extend one's life by a thousand years; Strength-Promoting Vajra Pill could forge an Indestructible Vajra Body; Jade Lotus Purple Gold Pill enhanced cultivation and awakened spiritual intelligence; Jiangzhen Great Returning Pill added three thousand years to one's lifespan; Yin-Yang Great Returning Pill healed all injuries and illnesses; Mystic Spirit Seven Treasures Pill instantly restored magical power and physical strength; Nine-Turn Soul Returning Pill brought the dead back to life and extended life by thirty years; Nine-Turn Golden Elixir allowed one to attain the Earth Immortal Fruit Position in three days.

They were all treasures. Zhuang Yan's eyes shone brightly. Among all these golden elixirs, the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir was actually the most ordinary. He suddenly thought, Grand Supreme Elder Lao displayed these elixirs openly. Could there be even more precious ones hidden elsewhere? This thought convinced him that treasures placed in plain sight were often not the finest.

The Dao Ancestor was truly unfathomable. Zhuang Yan silently marveled, then stored all the gourds in Infinite Space. Once he had finished organizing them, he decided to begin cultivating. He first took one each of Taiyi Purple Gold Pill, Strength-Promoting Vajra Pill, and Jade Lotus Purple Gold Pill, then circulated the Epoch Cleansing Heart Art and entered a state of deep cultivation.

Time flowed on, and a hundred years passed in the blink of an eye. During this time, Moluo, raised by Vanguard Hu and Lan'er, displayed astonishing talent. He became an Earth Immortal at ten, advanced to Profound Immortal at fifty, and reached the Heavenly Immortal realm another fifty years later. By the one hundred and seventeenth year of Zhuang Yan's seclusion, Moluo had already broken through to the Golden Immortal level.

Moluo inherited Moluo's dharma form and innate dharma body, so his cultivation naturally increased without deliberate practice. Only Moluo's memories had been completely lost. He was extraordinarily handsome, forming a sharp contrast with his two tiger spirit brothers.

That day, Moluo was sparring with Hu Lailai and Hu Ququ. Before long, he was subdued by his two brothers, whose cultivation was only at the Refining Void into Dao realm. Watching from the side, Bai Yulan laughed. "Stop bullying your younger brother all the time." The two brothers smiled and pulled Moluo up. Hu Lailai explained, "Mother, we can only gain a slight advantage in physical combat. In terms of divine abilities and magical power, how could we compare to our little brother, who is a Golden Immortal?"

Moluo smiled broadly, instantly looking radiant and heroic.

He had not used any divine abilities or magical power just now. Had he employed even a little, Hu Lailai and Hu Ququ would not have been able to withstand a single move. Yet in a contest of physical martial arts alone, he was quickly subdued by his two older brothers.

"My brothers possess extraordinary martial skill. I willingly admit defeat," Moluo said with cupped fists and a smile.

Hu Lailai draped an arm around Moluo's shoulders. "Stop talking so politely! Look at your second brother and me. Every day, we roar through the mountains and forests—how imposing is that? Look at these muscles, the markings on our foreheads, these sharp tiger fangs, and these abs—" As he spoke, he threw back his head and roared, startling birds and beasts into scattering in all directions.

"Well? Impressive enough, right?" Hu Lailai laughed as he patted Moluo's shoulder.

"Truly imposing." Moluo's eyes were filled with longing. "It's a pity I was born looking like this. I cannot learn to be like my brothers..."

Hu Ququ stepped forward. "Even without a tiger's form, you can cultivate a tiger's majesty. Change your temperament, and your bearing will naturally become different."

Moluo solemnly agreed.

From afar, Lan'er watched her three sons talking and laughing, happiness mingled with hidden worry.

On a night when the stars and moon shone together, the three brothers drank and made merry in the peach grove. When they were half-drunk, Hu Lailai turned serious. "Little brother, tomorrow your second brother and I will be leaving the mountain to travel."

Moluo's drunkenness instantly vanished. "Brothers, you are leaving Spirit Platform Mountain?"