Path of Alchemy Mastery-Chapter 316 - 317: Intelligence

Thus, the three heads of the creature staged an internal conflict right before Mu Can’s eyes, leaving him utterly dumbstruck. Eventually, the middle head capitulated under the siege of the heads on left and right.

"You can ask, as long as the questions do not break the rules, I’ll answer them," said the middle head of the three-headed lion, sounding dejected.

If it weren’t for the fact that the young man’s strength was excessively terrifying, it would be loathsome for it to engage in battle without showing some guts.

After all, it’s hard to obstruct someone with superior ability, especially a young Intermediate Martial Saint like him; an ordinary Gatekeeper simply couldn’t stop him.

Given the situation, it preferred not to fight, but Mu Can’s requests were indeed a bit over the top. Usually, for those facing the three-headed lion, it would cost them a painful price to pass, and how the tables have turned, the lion never anticipated their turn would come.

But from past experiences, every Intermediate Martial Saint who came before had, at the minimum, passed through two trials.

"Oh? So I can really ask? What about your principles, then? If I’m not mistaken, you should be a Gatekeeper, correct? Is it really okay to divulge secrets like that?" Mu Can was only tentatively asking and did not expect that the three-headed lion would actually be a cowardly lion, deciding to answer his query.

"Don’t take this too far," upon hearing Mu Can’s words, the heads on both sides stayed quiet, but the middle head seemed like it was about to explode.

"Alright, alright, I’ll ask quickly, and you answer quickly. I’m in a hurry to move on." Mu Can did not know about the others and assumed all Gatekeepers were as easy to talk to.

"What exactly is Tongshen Mountain?" Time was pressing, and Mu Can hurriedly asked his few questions.

"I can only tell you that Tongshen Mountain holds a special place in the Immortal Ancient Secret Realm, preserving a vast number of Cultivation Techniques. Beyond that, I cannot say more; you’ll have to explore on your own."

"That’s as good as saying nothing; I already knew Tongshen Mountain was a place that preserved Cultivation Techniques," Mu Can muttered.

"What did you say?" Although Mu Can spoke softly, the three-headed lion still heard him.

"It’s nothing. Second question, how many Gatekeepers are there like you?" Mu Can didn’t want to argue too much with the lion, as offending it would only bring unnecessary trouble.

Although Mu Can wasn’t afraid of the three-headed lion, he was someone who disliked hassle quite a bit.

"This I can tell you, there are three trials in Tongshen Mountain, and passing each one grants different rewards. However, the difficulty of each subsequent trial increases exponentially. I can tell you very responsibly that so far, only a handful of people have managed to pass the third trial," the three-headed lion answered.

"What is your ranking among the Gatekeepers?" Mu Can was already about to leave, but then he turned back to ask.

"I’m just a no-name Gatekeeper, not yet qualified to be a Gatekeeper," the three-headed lion suddenly seemed a bit downcast, its status as a mere doorman was not enough to qualify as a Gatekeeper.

"Don’t be discouraged, with your thick skin, you’ll certainly have a seat among the Gatekeepers in the future," Mu Can said in encouragement, yet the the effect of his words might as well have been nil.

"Scram!" the three heads of the lion cursed in unison.

Knowing he was at fault, Mu Can left without looking back, continuing up the stone staircase.

"This kid, he’s not simple," the three heads communicated after Mu Can disappeared from their sight.

"Being an Intermediate Martial Saint at such a young age is certainly not ordinary. Was it necessary for you to point that out?" It was apparent that, although the three heads shared one body, the heads on the left and right had a better relationship than with the middle one.

"You non-dominant heads wouldn’t notice his uniqueness, which is no surprise. This young man is shrouded in a mist that I cannot see through," said the middle head, not taking issue with the tone of the heads beside it.

They were originally one entity, with independent thoughts but interconnected, making up a whole.

"Mist?"

"Yes, when observing him with the Eye of Truth, I couldn’t see through his strength at all, which means the Martial Saint strength he has shown is far from his limit," the middle head explained.

Mu Can had no idea that his secrets had already been seen through by the three-headed lion, and he continued onwards.

Even though he didn’t get any useful information from the three-headed lion, the few questions he asked allowed Mu Can to infer a lot.

First, the existence of Tongshen Mountain was as ancient as the Immortal Ancient Secret Realm itself and might have been established by the Great Power who founded the Secret Realm. For any faction, the inheritance of Cultivation Techniques is of utmost importance.

After all, not everyone is a genius capable of creating their own Martial Skills. A high-grade Martial Arts Secret Manual could revive an entire power.

Second, Mu Can gathered from the lion’s response that there were indeed Gatekeepers in later stages, and they were no less formidable.

In fact, Mu Can didn’t want to battle the three-headed lion, knowing well that although he didn’t fear an early-stage Martial Saint lion, anything could happen along the way. It was essential to conserve both strength and stamina.

Winning without fighting was the best strategy.

"Wang Cai! Wang Cai! Can you hear me?" Mu Can then called out for Wang Cai, feeling that Wang Cai might have encountered a doorman just like him.

"Woof! Woof! Are you okay, lad?" This time, Wang Cai responded to his call.

"Dammit, where did you run off to?" As soon as Mu Can connected with Wang Cai, he immediately asked.

If he had known earlier, he wouldn’t have separated from Wang Cai. Even though he knew Wang Cai had his own trump cards, Mu Can was still worried about him. Plus, if Wang Cai had been by his side, with Wang Cai’s knowledge, he surely would have been a great help to Mu Can.

"Don’t get me started. I just ran into a fellow clan member who insisted on blocking my way. I gave him a solid thrashing, and he tucked tail and got in line. After that, he started behaving and even answered a few of my questions," Wang Cai recounted the incident with a hint of excitement.

"You encountered a Gatekeeper too?" Upon hearing Wang Cai’s words, Mu Can confirmed his own guess that at the same time, everyone had probably come across a Gatekeeper.

"Yeah, a Hellhound who was adamant about stopping me. I gave it a good beating, and now it’s playing nice," Wang Cai seemed exhilarated by the memory of thrashing the Hellhound.

"What information did you get?" Mu Can knew that, given Wang Cai’s personality, the excitement wouldn’t be there without some benefits gained.