Chapter 168: Mountain

Niu Hong knew he could not decline further, so he accepted the item and put it away.

The group entered the VIP lounge, where everyone fell silent. To their astonishment, the two sides were now conversing amiably, as if they were old friends meeting for the first time yet regretting not knowing each other sooner. They chatted animatedly, completely devoid of the sharp hostility they had displayed just moments before.

The VIP lounge of the banquet hall was actually a grotto-heaven, built in an open-plan style. From the inside, one could see towering, picturesque peaks shrouded in vibrant mist and auspicious clouds, alongside pavilions, terraces, golden waterfalls, and silver springs—a magnificent and breathtaking sight.

All these sublime landscapes were contained within a single room, truly transcendent, harboring its own inner universe and distinct creation beyond the imagination of ordinary mortals.

This was merely a single floor, yet many of its rooms were entirely different, independent grotto-heavens.

"Where was Brother Shengmo roaming about these past few days?"

Zhang Yu spoke at the appropriate moment, raising his wine glass. The wine within, which he had brought himself, rippled slightly, as translucent and lustrous as honey-fat.

"I returned to the Nine Provinces to handle some matters," Shengmo replied indifferently, making no particular effort to conceal it.

"Since you've returned to the Astral Realm, I assume those matters have been resolved?"

"More or less."

Shengmo gave an ambiguous answer.

"Ah."

Zhang Yu's gaze flickered, as if he were deep in thought.

...

Zhou Tian, Zhang Kun, and Niu Hong sat together. Zhang Kun raised his cup in a gesture of toast, apologizing to Zhou Tian for the recent incident.

"Brother Zhang was merely misled by a villainous schemer; there is no need for apologies," Zhou Tian replied, well-versed in conventional pleasantries.

"Ha, Brother Mu truly is a talented youth with a remarkably lucid mind. He must undoubtedly come from a noble background," Zhang Kun said sincerely, gazing at Zhou Tian's strange, heavily bearded face and bizarre facial features.

"Not at all, not at all. Brother Zhang is the true youthful prodigy, and in the end, you stood on the side of righteousness," Zhou Tian bantered effortlessly.

Niu Hong's expression was peculiar, unsure of what to say, so he simply drank continuously.

By the end, the two of them nearly embraced to become sworn brothers, even trying to pull Niu Hong into their pact. Had Niu Hong not adamantly refused, they likely would have ranked themselves as elder brother and younger brothers on the spot.

Before long, regardless of what Shengmo and Zhang Kun had discussed, this reunion came to an end.

"Brother Zhang, until we meet next time—we must get thoroughly drunk together then," Zhou Tian said, cupping his fists.

Zhang Kun looked at the untouched wine in Zhou Tian's cup and laughed as well, "Most certainly, most certainly."

After seeing off Shengmo, Zhou Tian, and Niu Hong, Zhang Yu stood motionless for a long time, the opening and closing of his eyes seeming to mirror the flashing of endless starry skies.

"What is the background of that Mu Su?"

He spoke with a steady expression, the smile from earlier completely gone.

"Reporting to Grandfather, this fellow tells people what they want to hear and ghosts what they want to hear. His lips are sealed tight, and nothing can be pried out of him," Zhang Kun replied from behind him.

"At a juncture like this, why has Shengmo come here?"

Zhang Yu muttered to himself. A moment later, he added, "Stay away from that kind of person. He's merely a collateral branch descendant—why bother paying him any mind?"

"Yes, Grandfather."

Zhang Kun managed a bitter smile. In truth, the invitation had never been intended for that Chen fellow in the first place, but rather delivered to the Chen family household; for reasons unknown, however, it had ended up in Mu Su's hands. Still, there was no need to voice such details.

Meanwhile, news of this event spread rapidly through those present. Photographs of both Shengmo and Mu Su instantly circulated among various intelligence-vending organizations, subsequently purchased by interested parties.

Shengmo was a figure of considerable prominence within the Astral Realm. In an era when Heavenly Supremes did not emerge, Dao Lords represented the pinnacle of combat strength. Shengmo's condition was quite peculiar, placing him a mere step away from a Dao Lord, which naturally drew the attention of many. Furthermore, Shengmo hailed from the Nine Provinces and maintained an intricate, indescribable relationship with Luotian Temple. His appearance here during such turbulent times elevated the level of attention he commanded to an even higher tier.

As for Zhou Tian, the Phoenix Bird, and Shengmo, the moment they returned to their room and closed the door, Shengmo coldly stated:

"You are not to step outside for the next few days. It has only been a short while, yet you've managed to provoke a Heavenly King. If I were to let you wander around again, I fear that before long, the entire Tongtian Corporation would place a bounty on our heads!"

"Am I really that formidable?" Zhou Tian muttered under his breath.

"And you—I told you to keep an eye on him, not to join in his foolish antics!" Shengmo scolded the Phoenix Bird next. The Phoenix Bird lowered her head slightly and remained silent.

Seeing this, Zhou Tian immediately grew anxious. Scold him if you must, but why start lecturing Sister Phoenix Bird? Displeased, he retorted angrily:

"Precisely! You told her to watch me, not to join in my antics. It's all your fault—don't follow me anymore!"

Shengmo and Phoenix Bird both turned to look at Zhou Tian at the same time, and the Phoenix Bird shot him a fierce glare with her pretty, large eyes.

"Look, look, she's glaring at me again! I'm injured, and I can only recover if I see a pleated mini-skirt. Hurry and make her transform into a pleated mini-skirt to wear." Zhou Tian clutched his chest and told Shengmo.

"Enough, stop fooling around. Dragons and serpents are mixed in this place. Don't be fooled by how cordially Zhang Yu and I were conversing just now; right now, he likely has people keeping watch on us," Shengmo frowned and said.

"How much longer until the opening of that so-called Heavenly Supreme's tomb?" Zhou Tian asked.

"Roughly three or four days."

"Very well. Considering that you just stood up for your 'big brother,' I won't go out for the next few days," Zhou Tian conceded. This place truly was a cesspool of dragons and serpents; at that small banquet alone, there were several factions holding heavyweight status in the Astral Realm, complete with Heavenly Kings presiding over them. If he went out courting death and exposed his abnormalities, drawing out some ancient Heavenly Supreme monster, calling it mere 'trouble' wouldn't even begin to cover it.

"I am, after all, a retainer of your Zhou family; it is only natural that I protect you," Shengmo said indifferently, his face neither red nor pale.

"Damn it, when you were threatening me back then, why didn't you remember you were a retainer of my Zhou family?" Zhou Tian glared at him and said.

"If you were unwilling to assist me, I would have had no choice but to act accordingly. If my condition were to persist, it would be no different from a Heavenly Supreme taking action against me, so I have no fear. But since you are willing to help me, I am naturally your Zhou family's retainer and must do my utmost to protect you," Shengmo said with a smile on his face.

"Your rogue logic is truly..."

Zhou Tian was left dumbfounded, not knowing how to evaluate it, and simply chose to ignore him.

...

Time passed quickly. In the blink of an eye, three days elapsed. Shengmo left the Tongtian Hotel with Zhou Tian and traveled via the teleportation plaza to an extremely remote spatial node, far beyond the five-thousandth coordinate.

From there, utilizing a one-time-use rare treasure, they directly opened up a spatial passageway that bypassed any artificially constructed spatial conduits, thereby minimizing the possibility of detection.

This was a region of the void where brilliant stars twinkled in the distance. To their astonishment, an unimaginably colossal divine mountain stood upright in the void, of unknown height and scale, radiating a hazy brilliance. An ancient and primordial aura drifted around it, as if it had existed for countless ages—virtually standing immortal within the flow of time itself.