Biyun had come to rely heavily on his "golden finger," which had saved him from more than one tight spot.
It had dodged Nezha's deadly arrows and now seemed poised to help him evade the vengeful pursuit of Great Sage Taiyi. He was convinced this golden finger was his lucky charm.
As he opened the mission prompt, Biyun's expression turned solemn.
[The Demise of the Stone Ridge Lineage]
[Option One: Head straight for Golden Turtle Island, seek out the Sage of Ultimate Penetration, and report today's events. Reward: A top-tier primordial spiritual treasure, the Yin-Yang Mirror.]
[Option Two: Return to Skull Mountain immediately, lie low, and ignore the message-passing. Reward: A mid-tier primordial spiritual treasure, the Six-Chen Mountain Whip.]
[Option Three: Return to Skull Mountain, slip away in the opposite direction, and head to Mount Emei's Luofu Cave to enlist Zhao Gongming's help for Stone Ridge. Reward: Three hundred years of basic cultivation!]
Biyun's face lit up with a grin. "A basic reward this time? Looks like Luofu Cave is the way to go."
He scrutinized the options. Going straight to Golden Turtle Island was a dead end, riskier than returning to Skull Mountain.
"Skull Mountain's clearly under enemy surveillance. Without my golden finger, I'd have been ambushed for sure."
Biyun's earlier complacency vanished, replaced by caution. He followed the plan and headed back to Skull Mountain. A figure in the sky watched and frowned.
"Huh? Why's Biyun heading back to Skull Mountain? He should be off to Golden Turtle Island for backup. My direction's the quickest to the Four Seas."
The figure pondered, then concluded, "Maybe he forgot something. I'll keep an eye on him from afar. Once he leaves Skull Mountain's territory, I'll strike. A mere Earth Immortal can't kick up much fuss."
Skull Mountain was shrouded in gloomy clouds and malevolent energy. The spy hesitated to get too close—both to avoid exposure and out of aversion to the malevolence.
Back on Skull Mountain, Biyun returned to his cave and, with a pinch of a spell, vanished into the earth. Earth-gliding was slower than flying, but Biyun prioritized stealth over speed. He left Skull Mountain in the opposite direction.
The cultivator hidden in the clouds grew impatient. "Where's Biyun? Not showing up?"
He revealed himself and edged closer to Skull Mountain.
This was Huanglong Zhenren, one of the Chan Sect's Twelve Golden Immortals from Magu Cave in Two Immortals Mountain.
Huanglong Zhenren, with dragon blood in his veins, wasn't in the Saint's favor despite his status. He'd volunteered to monitor the Stone Ridge lineage to impress the Saint.
"If I can't even keep tabs on Biyun, I'll have no face before the Saint. Nezha's dead—if Biyun slips away too, how do I explain this to my master?"
But Biyun was long gone, having earth-glided hundreds of miles away. Once clear of Skull Mountain, he surfaced and rode a gust of wind toward Mount Emei.
"Zhao Gongming's the Jie Sect's master disciple—upright and generous. Might swing by to help. Pity my master has no ties with him. And the Sage of Ultimate Penetration ordered all disciples to stay in their caves to avoid the disaster. Not sure this will fly."
Biyun frowned, determined to try everything for his master. A spiritual bead materialized in his hand. "Legend says the Sage gave Zhao Gongming twenty-four Stabilizing Pearls. If I gift him one, maybe he'll come down the mountain to help."
With this thought, Biyun sped toward Mount Emei. It was no short distance from Skull Mountain. Even at full speed, Biyun was exhausted by the time he spotted a majestic mountain piercing the heavens, shrouded in mist and radiating an ethereal aura.
The mountain was dense with towering trees and teeming with wildlife.
"Must be Mount Emei!" Biyun wasn't adept at divination; he'd found it through fragmented memories and hearsay, a stroke of luck.
At the foot of the ten-thousand-foot mountain, the air was thick with spiritual energy. A gentle breeze caressed his face. Zhao Gongming's abode, Luofu Cave, was on the sunny side of the mountain, in plain view.
Biyun's heart leaped as he saw the golden characters outside the cave: Mount Emei, Luofu Cave. He hurried to pay his respects.
A figure swooped down from the mountain and barked, "Who goes there? Halt! This is my master's sanctuary!"
Biyun approached, bowed deeply, and announced, "Senior brother, I'm Biyun, a disciple of Stone Ridge Fairy from Skull Mountain's White Bone Cave. Having slain the Chan Sect's Nezha, I fear Great Sage Taiyi's retaliation. I've come to ask Senior Uncle Zhao to aid Skull Mountain!"
After stating his sect and identity, Chen Jiugong recognized the name Stone Ridge Fairy as a senior aunt. Chen Jiugong, Zhao Gongming's chief disciple, had been posthumously appointed as the Wealth Summoner, a respectable divine position.
"So you're Brother Biyun. My master's meditating, but your timing's perfect. We'll need to inform him first. Follow me," Chen Jiugong said, leading Biyun toward Luofu Cave. Biyun thanked him repeatedly.
Before they reached Zhao Gongming, a melodious song echoed through the air:
Emerald bamboo, golden shoots, and ivory sprouts,The scholar's hat, the Taoist's path, yet the lotus blooms devout.Crimson petals, ivory roots, jade leaves in play—The three teachings, in essence, are one in their way.
Biyun listened, captivated by the song's profound meaning. It seemed Zhao Gongming was telling him the two sects were one, and he wished to stay out of it. But Zhao Gongming was Biyun's last hope. He had to try.
Inside Luofu Cave, Biyun found a sage seated on a prayer mat. Tall and broad-shouldered, with a square face and black beard, he exuded an aura of power, a steel whip lying before him.
Biyun bowed deeply, saying, "Disciple Biyun, paying respects to Senior Uncle. May your Daoist path be boundless and your immortal journey ever prosperous!"
Zhao Gongming opened his eyes, nodded, and gestured, "Nephew, you've come far. Sit!"