Path of Alchemy Mastery-Chapter 315 - 316: Three-Headed Lion

Dang! Dang! Dang!

Three bell tolls sounded, and under the gaze of countless eyes, Tongshen Mountain thus opened.

A stone staircase appeared before everyone, extending far into the distance, leading upwards to Tongshen Mountain.

The crowd surged forward, pushing and shoving along the way. No one wanted to fall behind. Getting to Tongshen Mountain first could mean an opportunity to gain fortunes. Such is human nature—despite knowing that some chances cannot be forced, when one presents itself right before their eyes, they all dash for it.

Mu Can, however, wasn’t in a rush. No one knew what the situation inside was like, but before he entered, Xuanyuan Mingkong had told him something: in the Immortal Ancient Secret Realm, being at the forefront wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

"Wang! Let’s head out too." Wang Cai didn’t rush forward to join the commotion, waiting for the right moment before instructing the followers of Wangcai Divine Sect to orderly step onto the staircase.

As the crowd gradually ascended the stone staircase, fortunately, it was wide enough to prevent any trampling accidents. People at the foot of the mountain were slowly disappearing from sight. Mu Can also slowly stepped onto the staircase. Just as he set foot on the stairs, he noticed a figure behind him. His heart stirred, wanting to look back, but then he discovered that the staircase only allowed for forward movement and not retreat.

"Donghuang, I didn’t expect to meet you here." Mu Can turned to the figure in an imperial robe and made a throat-slitting gesture at him, before striding up the stone staircase.

Donghuang obviously noticed Mu Can too. He knew Mu Can had entered the Immortal Ancient Secret Realm but didn’t expect to encounter him here. However, since they had met, it was time to settle matters here.

"I should have killed you back then. I thought letting you live out your life in that little place of yours would suffice. Unexpectedly, you managed to recover and even killed two of my men. Don’t think that some bizarre stroke of luck can cause a ripple. Even if you are a Martial Saint, how does that matter? The opportunities in the core region of the Immortal Ancient Secret Realm are mine, and mine alone."

Donghuang wasn’t the last to step onto the stone stairs. After he ascended with his people, an old man with a sneaky demeanor followed closely behind. If Mu Can were here, he would recognize this old man as Dongfeng Shuo, the one he had parted ways with.

Once on the stone staircase, Mu Can felt as if all his surroundings had disappeared, unable to see those who had stepped onto the staircase before him. The staircase seemed endless. Mu Can climbed in solitude, the silence so profound he could only hear his heartbeat.

Thankfully, Mu Can was still able to communicate with Wang Cai, for being in such an environment alone was a huge psychological test.

Like Mu Can, Wang Cai had lost contact with his followers as soon as he stepped onto the staircase. Walking alone on the stairs, the communication jade pendants he crafted for his people seemed to be blocked, rendered ineffective. If it weren’t for the divine sense connection with Mu Can, communication would likely be impossible.

"You need to be careful. The entire Tongshen Mountain is a Big Formation, but I haven’t figured out its effect yet," Wang Cai warned.

This further reinforced Mu Can’s determination to master Arrays in the future. The deeper he delved into the mysteries of Arrays, along with his Alchemy Technique, the more Mu Can decided to thoroughly study it and not waste his talents.

After walking for over an hour, a different scene finally emerged.

A three-headed lion lay across his path, listlessly wagging its tail as if waiting for Mu Can.

"Halt." The three-headed lion spoke as it saw Mu Can, directly trying to stop him.

Mu Can observed the three-headed lion. It was a Martial Saint Level lion, but although it seemed menacing, Mu Can felt no killing intent emanating from it.

So he stopped his steps and gave the lion a curious look.

"Do you want to ascend the mountain?" All three heads of the lion spoke simultaneously, creating a three-dimensional sound effect.

"Yes, I intend to ascend."

Nonsense. What else would I be here for if not to climb? Could this lion be an idiot, asking such an evident question?

Unbeknownst to himself, Mu Can’s thoughts had started to align more with Wang Cai’s due to spending too much time together.

While speaking, Mu Can gazed at the three-headed lion as if staring at an imbecile. After all, if this was just a Martial Saint Level lion, even if a fight broke out, Mu Can couldn’t care less.

"I’ve encountered a lion blocking the way here. How about you?" Mu Can contacted Wang Cai but received no response, unsure what the dog was busy with.

"If you wish to go up the mountain, you must defeat me. However, seeing as your strength is not bad, I can give you another option. If you answer a question of mine, then I can let you pass," the lion said, looking at Mu Can’s expression, somewhat confused. It felt it hadn’t done anything amiss, so why was this powerfully strong young man looking at it in such a way?

"Answer a question? Forget it, let’s fight." Mu Can had no patience for answering questions. If you block my path, let’s settle it with strength.

"Don’t be like this. We can talk things through. We’re civilized beings; why must we resort to fighting? Getting hurt is bad enough, and even if we’re not injured, it’s also bad to damage the flowers and grass, right? So, if you just answer my question, I’ll let you pass, okay?" As the three-headed lion spoke, it even began to whine, clearly not wanting to engage in a battle with Mu Can.

"I feel answering questions is too troublesome; let’s just fight and see your strength."

Mu Can shook his head, and since the three-headed lion didn’t want to fight, Mu Can insisted on it.

"Then go ahead, I won’t fight you," all three heads of the lion said in unison.

Though the three heads shared one body, they each had their own minds. Yet at this moment, they surprisingly agreed; they’d rather let Mu Can pass than confront him in a battle, even if it meant bending the rules.

"Oh? I’ve suddenly changed my mind. I have a few questions to ask you. If you don’t answer, then I’ll have to fight you," Mu Can said, his eyes gleaming with intrigue.

This strange three-headed lion could well be a part of the grand formation, and now that Mu Can had the chance to acquire some intel about Tongshen Mountain from it, he wasn’t about to let the opportunity slip by.

"No no no, I can’t answer your questions," the central head answered, directly denying Mu Can’s request.

"If you don’t answer his questions, do you think you can beat him?" The head on the left spoke up.

It seemed the heads on either side couldn’t reach a consensus with the central head.