The night breeze was gentle, and the pine trees sounded like waves.
The bamboo forest behind the temple swayed with the wind, rustling as if a Fierce Beast was hiding within.
Wen Zhong sat cross-legged on a cushion, staring intently at the large cauldron in the courtyard.
The cauldron, a gift from his senior brother, was tall enough to require climbing on top using stones.
Ever since his senior brother gave him the Mo Qilin, Wen Zhong felt many "uninvited guests" around his humble hut at night, and the Mo Qilin kept staring fixedly towards the bamboo forest, its round eyes often filled with intense reluctance and sadness.
Wen Zhong thought it might be the parents or companions of the Mo Qilin looking for it, which made him almost release the Mo Qilin on the spot.
However, considering it was a gift from his senior brother, he held back, and the next day, he asked his senior brother if he could release the Mo Qilin.
Unexpectedly, his senior brother reached out, grabbed the Mo Qilin from Shoujing Temple, and slammed it harshly to the ground, creating a huge pit about a zhang deep.
Before Wen Zhong could cry out in distress, the foot-tall Mo Qilin suddenly expanded more than tenfold, transforming into a ferocious and terrifying black Fierce Beast, enveloped in a wild aura, and pounced towards his senior brother.
Then... there was no "then."
By evening, his senior brother brought over the large cauldron and a new Exotic Beast.
The new beast was no longer a Qilin, but a Dangkang.
This was also an Auspicious Beast, resembling a pig, six feet long, four feet tall, with a blue body, large ears, and four long tusks protruding from its mouth like ivory.
Compared to the Mo Qilin, this Dangkang naturally lacked majesty.
This made Wen Zhong somewhat doubt the purpose of his senior brother catching this Dangkang.
Although not majestic, the Dangkang was much more docile, constantly shifting its small eyes as if filled with immense fear.
Wen Zhong then placed it in the bamboo forest behind the temple, instructing it not to wander off as he would not be responsible if it fell into the cauldron.
Hearing this, the Dangkang grew even more terrified, walking unsteadily as if its legs had gone soft.
Remembering how the Dangkang trembled like a sieve, a smile involuntarily appeared on Wen Zhong's face.
Although the Dangkang was not as majestic as the Mo Qilin, it was clearly more suitable for him now.
Obviously, his senior brother had also considered this point when choosing to give him this Dangkang.
As for the Mo Qilin...
It dared to attack his senior brother despite benefiting from him... It deserved its doom, death was too kind!
Hmm, it did have some redeeming features though.
At least it was quite fragrant when stewed.
Much better than those Satiety Pills.
Time hurried by, and several days passed in the blink of an eye.
After finishing the cauldron of Qilin soup with the Dangkang, Wen Zhong fetched water from the Spiritual Spring to clean the cauldron, planning to have the Dangkang carry it back to Tian Yuan Palace, but the Dangkang was too unreliable and collapsed to the ground in fear when it heard it had to carry the cauldron to Tian Yuan Palace, unable to get up for a long while.
It was unclear what terrifying thing it had witnessed, leaving such a deep trauma.
Unable to move the heavy cauldron himself, Wen Zhong had no choice but to go to Tian Yuan Palace and ask his senior brother to retrieve the cauldron, while also expressing his gratitude.
Speaking of which, he had been here for such a long time but had never entered Tian Yuan Palace.
That vermilion door was always closed, inevitably arousing curiosity about what was inside.
Shoujing Temple was very close to Tian Yuan Palace, and it didn't take long before Wen Zhong reached the palace gates, knocked on the door, and the vermilion door opened in response.
Such a heavy door wouldn't budge even if he pushed hard, but it opened with a gentle knock.
Wen Zhong was intrigued, surely this was akin to 'telekinesis,' another form of Immortal Law.
As the palace doors swung open, he also saw the inside of Tian Yuan Palace: connected halls and chambers, layered pavilions and terraces, blending colors and reflecting splendidly, adorned with beautiful flowers and noble trees.
It was a sight of delicate beauty, magnificent and splendid.
Wen Zhong took a while to admire before he remembered his purpose, and bowing through the doorway, he said, "Wen Zhong seeks an audience with senior brother."
After waiting for a moment with no response,
Wen Zhong figured his senior brother simply didn't want to bother with him.
This is a common occurrence.
His senior brother behaves eccentrically; if he chooses not to deal with you, even if you shout at him face-to-face, he'll just ignore it as if he's heard nothing.
Wen Zhong was about to leave, yet faint human voices came from a Treasure Hall in front, albeit too distant to clearly discern.
Could it be senior brother calling me?
Thinking this, Wen Zhong stepped into Tian Yuan Palace and quickly walked towards that Treasure Hall.
Throughout Tian Yuan Palace, not a single person was in sight, yet as Wen Zhong walked, he felt as though countless eyes were intensely watching him.
This feeling made his heart pound, conjuring numerous terrifying thoughts.
However, he eventually reached the front of the Treasure Hall and looked up to see a plaque hanging above the door that read "Gym."
Wen Zhong murmured to himself and knocked on the door.
With his knocking, the doors opened once again, and a scorching breath along with a pungent sulfur smell burst out from the gap.
"Is senior brother inside?"
As Wen Zhong asked, he curiously peeked inside.
What he saw left him stunned.
Instead of the glorious and splendid decor he expected, it was a red, subterranean magma world.
Below, the magma spewed hot air, spreading extremely heated fluctuations throughout this magma world.
And in the magma, there were numerous metal mountains glowing red, all covered with sharp blades or spikes, resembling giant maces.
There's an underground lava world in senior brother's room...
This discovery deeply shocked Wen Zhong, once again filling him with awe and anticipation for the powers of Immortals.
He closed the Palace door and turned to look at the other resplendent halls nearby.
Plaques on these halls read names such as "Swimming Hall," "Tennis Court," "Cinema," and "Chinese Restaurant"...
Looking at these ambiguous hall names, Wen Zhong's curiosity swelled to its limits; he was eager to discover the secrets within these halls.
As he was swiftly heading towards the "Swimming Hall," a piercing voice from a distant hall intercepted him:
"Damn Yu Yuan! If you dare, don't run away; I will tear you apart alive!"
Senior brother is in danger!
Wen Zhong quickly changed his route and ran towards that hall.
On his way, he clearly saw the plaque reading "Zoo" and as he reached the doors of the "Zoo," he saw them open from the inside, and a towering, oppressive figure stepped out.
Dressed only in black trousers, his muscular and well-proportioned upper body exposed to the air, his bronze skin marred with savage, horrific wounds; flesh torn as if clawed. Keep us going by reading on *.
He stared blankly at Yu Yuan covered in blood, his mind going blank.
Yu Yuan slightly frowned and began to close the door.
At that moment, Wen Zhong clenched his fists tightly, stopping even his breath.
Because in the instant the door closed, he vaguely saw a magnificent world.
It had dense forests, dry deserts, perilous canyons, and profound oceans... all sorts of environments bizarrely fused together, not interfering yet coinciding with each other.
Most importantly, in that vast world, there were countless fierce beasts and demons.
A demon spider as big as a hill, an evil dragon with nine heads, and a two-headed, four-tailed demon wolf...
Wen Zhong glanced at the wounds on his senior brother, then remembered the scene he saw in the "Gym," and a bold thought suddenly struck him.
Is this how senior brother practices every day?
Absolutely outrageous!
No wonder master didn't allow me to learn from him!
With such a method of cultivation, I'd probably die instantly, wouldn't I?