After walking for an hour, they reached the Human Hour, and Wang Huan finally descended into a mountain hollow, the group behind him also restrained their tunneling light magical artifacts and followed him down.
Wang Huan looked around, satisfied, and said, "Everyone, this is the place."
He took out a thorny cage from his sleeve bag, and everyone, with sharp eyes, immediately noticed the few white-bearded rats jumping inside.
Someone exclaimed immediately, "It’s truly the White-bearded Rat!"
Wang Huan laughed heartily, saying, "Of course, Brother Daoists, did you think Wang Huan was just boasting?"
Zhang Yan realized, initially puzzled by how Wang Huan intended to capture the demon bird, known for its brave and fierce, cruel and cunning, and most suspicious nature, while not afraid of others finding out? It turned out to rely on this cage of White-bearded Rats.
He nodded slightly, remembering that back when he was on Cangwu Mountain, he read many travel notes and fairy tales, knowing that the White-bearded Rat was one of the favorite prey of the demon owl, which could also enhance its cultivation. No wonder Wang Huan was so confident.
It should be known that although the demon owl is called a demon, before it transforms, it hasn’t shed its animal nature. With this cage of delicacies before it, it can inevitably lure it to take the bait. As long as it comes to this mountain hollow, with the people present, there’s an eight or nine out of ten chance of capturing this bird.
Once the trick was unraveled, there wasn’t anything special about it anymore.
However, these White-bearded Rats are extremely difficult to find, adept at burrowing and hiding, who knows how much effort Wang Huan spent to capture this cage.
Someone asked, "Brother Wang, where did you get this cage of White-bearded Rats?"
Wang Huan loudly said, "Let me tell you all, I didn’t find this cage of White-bearded Rats. A Loose Cultivator came to Jade Treasure Tower that day, borrowed many magical artifacts to seek a chance encounter in a Cave Mansion. However, he didn’t have enough Spiritual Shells, so he used this to offset. But he never returned, and it fell into my hands. Later, I learned from the writing he left behind that this person was good at raising these White-bearded Rats."
The Wu Mei Daoist standing beside him couldn’t resist asking, "May I ask Brother Wang, the method of raising these rats..."
Wang Huan laughed heartily, saying, "To be honest with you, fellow Daoist, I’ve studied hard for twenty years and have learned the method. Once I solidify the pill in the future, I will surely assist you all."
Everyone was delighted to hear this, showering praises, and Wang Huan was also pleased with himself.
Yet at this moment, the White-bearded Rats suddenly became frantic and squeaked in chaos. His face lit up, he stopped speaking and hastily said, "Everyone, scatter quickly, the demon bird is coming."
The crowd realized the demon owl was here, they all fell silent, each finding a suitable place according to the previous arrangement to hide, covered their mouths, noses and the hair pores over their bodies, not letting out a single breath.
Zhang Yan also went under a green pine, activated the Dharma technique from the Carefree Chapter, and vanished from sight. The source of thɪs content is novel⚑fire.net
Before long, a grey-black shadow about three feet in size flew in like a ghost from the underworld.
Zhang Yan opened his eyes and saw the bird with sharp beak and claws, catlike eyes on a monkey face, tufted ear tufts, a body full of soft brown spots, and a tail like steel quills, surrounded by black aura, fierce eyes like lightning, flying silently.
This demon bird was attracted by the cage of White-bearded Rats, yet upon arrival, it circled in the air endlessly, not descending.
Wang Huan remained composed without any impatience. This demon owl is only adept at night flying, weak during the day. Even if it avoids the trap, as long as it’s lured into lingering, they can still capture it.
After patiently waiting for two hours, as dawn broke, the demon owl finally couldn’t resist. Suddenly, a dive brought its sharp claws, like steel hooks, to easily pry the thorny cage open, grabbing a White-bearded Rat in each claw intending to fly away.
Wang Huan chuckled, he pinched the spell, suddenly the thorny cage split into several vines, entwining the demon owl, binding it and dragging it to the ground, forcing it to let out a piercing screech.
Wang Huan rejoiced, leaping out excitedly, but at this moment, a wisp of white smoke approached, upon it stood a Mystic Robed Daoist. With a wave, the demon owl along with the thorny cage was taken into his hand.
Wang Huan was alarmed, shouting, "Who are you..."
But before he could finish, upon meeting the other’s cold gaze, he shivered all over, seeing the flying smoke around the person, stammering, "A, a Hua Dan Cultivator?"
The Mystic Robed Daoist glanced at him casually, saying indifferently, "This owl is desired by my Jizhang Tan Family, here, this is your reward."
He casually tossed a Heron of indeterminate time of death and didn’t bother further, turned, and rode a cloud away.
Wang Huan looked grim, but it’s a common thing for a great clan to bully loose cultivators, it’s already lucky they didn’t kill them, what could he do?
Moreover, he couldn’t understand, with Shendu Peak being so vast, how could this Tan Family Cultivator appear here at just the right time?
If any experienced person were here, they would surely know that someone among the group leaked the news beforehand, however
Wang Huan, despite being a Xuan Guang Third Realm Cultivator, was nurtured by decades of accumulation from Zhenyu Building, he traveled smoothly along the way, never experiencing any adversity, did not understand the deception of human hearts, and was not very cautious with fellow cultivators he usually associated with. Despite Manager Wang’s repeated warnings, he agreed at the time but soon forgot.
At this moment, the surrounding people remained silent, the Wu Mei Daoist flashed a look, approached and patted Wang Huan’s shoulder, sighed, "Brother Wang, don’t lose heart, there’s always a next time."
Wang Huan’s spirit lifted slightly, he raised his head saying, "That’s right, as long as I have this method of raising rats, I can always make a comeback, that’s the foundation of my survival."
Zhang Yan shook his head incessantly. Others can rob you today, why can’t they rob you tomorrow?
He glanced at the group, then silently turned into a light and left.
He gazed at the void, on the path to the Great Dao, only cultivation is fundamental. What method of raising rats? That’s abandoning the fundamental for the trivial!
The Wang Family’s Jade Treasure Tower can create superb golden plates, but they left family instructions to never share with anyone but close friends, because if they spread it, it won’t only fail to protect them, but also bring disaster to the family.
But if their clan had a Great Power Expert guarding, even if it were spoken out, why fear others coming to rob?
Just like Master Shi knew the method of seeking the mushroom, even a Transformed Medicine Mushroom could be found, but what was the outcome?
After spending decades of painstaking effort learning that craft, he himself became old and frail, without attaining the Great Dao, eventually perishing with everything he worked for all his life for naught, and in the end, having to ask others to introduce the clan disciples to Xuanmen.
Though a cultivator steps into Xuanmen, they also have limited lifespan, a few hundred years pass in a flash, how can they afford distractions?
Without valuing cultivation, without achieving immortality, all painstaking efforts are but castles in the air, an illusion!
Zhang Yan raised his head towards the towering Heavenly Vault, if he wants to be unshackled, he must remain undistracted, press forward with courage, and mercilessly push down, crush anything blocking the path to the Great Dao! Until he breaks through this heaven!
...(To be continued. If you enjoy this work, please visit Qidian (qidian.com) to vote with recommends and monthly tickets. Your support is my greatest motivation.)