The Whereabouts of the Five Spirit Orbs! Explaining Science to Moon Worshipper!

Chu Yang left behind the stunned Drunken Sword Immortal and descended the mountain with Xu Changqing.

At this time, Shu Mountain had also dispatched nearly ten thousand disciples down the mountain to slay demons.

The two of them seemed to be surrounded by countless streaks of sword light.

Whenever a streak of sword light swept past them, Chu Yang could feel someone examining him.

All kinds of gazes came one after another—astonishment, suspicion, admiration, and fear.

The scene of Chu Yang single-handedly destroying every demon soul had left a deep impression on countless disciples.

Those Shu Mountain disciples who had once mocked Chu Yang’s talent would gradually become consumed by fear as he grew ever stronger.

This was also a kind of karma spoken of by the Sword Saint.

Perhaps some would grow under this pressure, while others might vanish without a sound.

Chu Yang remained calm, as though none of it had anything to do with him.

The Shu Mountain disciples filling the sky streaked across Yuzhou like meteors. Many households in Yuzhou City opened their windows, their faces brimming with excitement.

Demons had run rampant in Yuzhou, yet Shu Mountain had sent down only some of its disciples to eliminate them. The common people had mistaken this for Shu Mountain abandoning them.

But now, they could finally rest easy.

Li Xiaoyao and the others also witnessed the grand sight of ten thousand people riding swords, and they were deeply shaken. Shi Gonghu in particular gained a clear understanding of Shu Mountain’s strength for the first time.

"The Shu Mountain Sect truly deserves its far-reaching reputation. With such strength, there are probably few forces in the world capable of standing against them. Dealing with the Moon Worship Sect would be effortless."

"No wonder Shu Mountain never interfered in worldly affairs. Since ancient times, they have regarded slaying demons, eradicating evil, and saving the people as their duty. They simply have no opponents in the mortal realm."

Shi Gonghu gazed up at the sky, his fists clenched as he murmured to himself.

If Shu Mountain decided to help the Nanzhao Kingdom, wiping out the Moon Worship Sect would be no challenge at all!

"I saw female disciples!"

Lin Yueru suddenly grabbed Liu Jinyuan’s arm in excitement, waving her hands as she said, "Cousin! Shu Mountain has female Daoists! I can go up the mountain now!"

Liu Jinyuan looked embarrassed.

Could it be that Cousin wants to become a Daoist just to avoid me?

It’s fine. I’m going up the mountain too, anyway.

He silently comforted himself.

Some of the Shu Mountain disciples riding swords landed in Yuzhou City, while even more flew toward the endless mountain ranges in the distance to search for escaped demons.

The Shu Mountain disciples who entered Yuzhou City went door to door distributing pills for healing illnesses and injuries, then began searching everywhere for demons hiding in the city.

Each of them carried a strange-looking compass. So long as its needle moved, there was an eighty to ninety percent chance they would catch a demon.

Liu Jinyuan sighed. "It seems there’s nothing left for us to do here…"

Shi Gonghu nodded. "Catching demons is the Shu Mountain disciples’ specialty. There’s no need for us to show off our meager skills before experts."

Li Xiaoyao scratched his head and asked, "With so many disciples coming down the mountain, Shu Mountain should be fine now, right? When will Brother Chu and Brother Xu return?"

This was what everyone cared about most. Unfortunately, they had no way to contact the two men and could only wait obediently.

Before long, two streaks of sword light landed directly before them. They were Chu Yang and Xu Changqing.

"Brother Chu! Brother Xu!"

Li Xiaoyao hurried forward happily and asked impatiently, "Can we go up the mountain now?"

Lin Yueru was even more anxious than Li Xiaoyao. She directly shoved him aside and said in an almost pleading tone, "Daoist Masters, I want to join Shu Mountain too. With my talent, there shouldn’t be any problem with entering Shu Mountain, right?"

Xu Changqing’s head began to ache. He hurriedly tried to calm them down.

However, this group was far too excited, all talking at once and giving him no chance to speak.

Chu Yang shook his head and cast a Silencing Charm. Lin Yueru and the others instantly lost their voices.

Xu Changqing cast Chu Yang a grateful glance before explaining, "Everyone, Shu Mountain is currently in a special situation. Your matters concerning apprenticeship will likely have to be postponed."

Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru’s expressions changed.

Shi Gonghu revealed a worried expression. "Daoist Xu, does Shu Mountain not intend to help the Nanzhao Kingdom?"

"That is not the case."

Xu Changqing sighed. After hesitating briefly, he decided to tell them the truth. "Shu Mountain’s situation is not optimistic. After my junior brother and I descended the mountain, Demon World Supreme Lou suddenly appeared at Shu Mountain for some unknown reason and damaged the Demon Imprisonment Tower."

"The elders, including the Sect Leader and Sword Saint Martial Uncle, are doing everything they can to maintain the Demon Imprisonment Tower and prevent its complete collapse. They cannot leave its vicinity even for a single step, much less spare energy for anything else."

Concerned for the people’s safety, Liu Jinyuan asked, "Is the situation truly that serious?"

Xu Changqing answered, "You should have encountered some demons in Yuzhou City as well. I can responsibly tell you that those demons are merely the tip of the iceberg compared to what lies within the Demon Imprisonment Tower."

"The Demon Imprisonment Tower contains demons captured by the Shu Mountain Sect from the ancient era until now. Their number is astronomical, impossible to estimate. If the Demon Imprisonment Tower falls and so many demons enter the world, it will be the end of the mortal realm."

Only then did everyone realize the gravity of the situation.

"Daoist Changqing, is there anything we can do to help Shu Mountain?"

As a Descendant of Nüwa, Zhao Ling’er did not see only the citizens of the Nanzhao Kingdom as people she had to protect. The countless lives across the Central Plains were the same.

Xu Changqing said, "The Sect Leader said that only the Five Spirit Orbs left behind by Lady Nüwa can repair the Demon Imprisonment Tower. But there are few people left on Shu Mountain who can be sent out, so my junior brother and I have been entrusted with this task."

Zhao Ling’er hurriedly said, "Then we’ll help search for them too!"

"Princess, you must not!" Shi Gonghu immediately objected. His expression was grave as he said, "Since Shu Mountain cannot act, remaining here will only increase our danger. We should return to the Nanzhao Kingdom as soon as possible."

"Though that is the Moon Worship Sect’s stronghold, at least His Majesty the Witch King’s army can protect you there."

"How can I care only about my own safety at such a critical time?" Zhao Ling’er rejected Shi Gonghu’s proposal without a second thought, shaking her head. "Elder Shi, I absolutely will not leave."

Shi Gonghu turned to Li Xiaoyao and said solemnly, "Prince Consort, only you can persuade the Princess to leave now. Without Shu Mountain’s assistance, if Moon Worshipper appears, the Princess will be in great danger."

With Zhao Ling’er’s safety at stake, Li Xiaoyao fell into hesitation.

Zhao Ling’er anxiously said, "Xiaoyao Gege, what are you thinking? Even if Shu Mountain does not help me, what about Daoist Chu and the others?"

"We came all the way from Yu Hang Town to this place relying almost entirely on Daoist Chu and Daoist Xu. How do you plan to repay such a debt of gratitude?"

Li Xiaoyao shuddered and was left speechless.

Though such thoughts were somewhat ungrateful, Zhao Ling’er’s safety outweighed everything else in his heart.

"There is no need to be so nervous." Chu Yang smiled. "There is one thing Senior Brother did not mention just now. Sword Saint Martial Uncle promised that if Moon Worshipper appears here, he will not stand by and do nothing."

"Everyone might as well find a place to stay first. We can discuss things at length."

The largest inn in Yuzhou City was a Shu Mountain property named the Drunken Immortal Inn. Its name had been chosen by the Drunken Sword Immortal, and its brewed wine was famous far and wide.

The inn’s shopkeeper immediately put on a fawning smile upon seeing Xu Changqing.

At Xu Changqing’s request, the shopkeeper arranged a long-term stay for Li Xiaoyao and the others. It was not an ordinary guest room, but an independent courtyard.

Such treatment was normally reserved only for elders descending the mountain or special disciples like Xu Changqing.

Even Shi Gonghu, who had been clamoring to return to the Nanzhao Kingdom, was quite satisfied with this arrangement.

The group sat down in the courtyard and discussed their future plans.

Xu Changqing was the first to suggest, "Miss Ling’er is pregnant, so she is truly not suited to travel with us in search of the Five Spirit Orbs. It would be better for her to stay at the foot of Shu Mountain and wait for our return."

Zhao Ling’er had just opened her mouth to speak when Chu Yang interrupted her.

"Moon Worshipper’s target is you, not us. On the contrary, if you keep staying by our side, you will only make us more vulnerable."

Chu Yang’s blunt words made Zhao Ling’er lower her head silently.

"Ling’er, stay here. That way, I’ll be more at ease too."

Li Xiaoyao could not help joining in to persuade her.

There was even less need to mention Shi Gonghu. More than anyone, he did not want Zhao Ling’er to put herself in danger.

Lin Yueru said with a grin, "Ling’er, don’t worry. We’ll be back soon. We won’t let you feel lonely!"

Zhao Ling’er blushed. "Sister Yueru, that’s not what I meant."

Liu Jinyuan mocked himself, "I most likely won’t be able to go with them either. The two of us are in the same boat."

Everyone held the same position. They simply did not want Zhao Ling’er traveling about and risking her life. She could feel it too, so she finally abandoned the idea.

"Ling’er understands. Ling’er will stay in Yuzhou City and wait for everyone!"

Zhao Ling’er forced out a smile, hoping everyone could leave with peace of mind.

Shi Gonghu and his subordinates, along with Zhao Ling’er and Liu Jinyuan, as well as Tang Yu and A Nu, who had yet to reach Yuzhou, would remain behind for the time being.

Li Xiaoyao asked excitedly, "Where are we going for our first stop?"

Xu Changqing pondered. "My junior brother and I found the Earth Spirit Orb on the Red Ghost King. There are still four Spirit Orbs remaining, and their whereabouts are unknown."

Chu Yang was also deep in thought.

The distribution of the Five Spirit Orbs was entirely different in Chinese Paladin 1 and Chinese Paladin 3.

The Earth Spirit Orb had been found in the General’s Tomb, but that did not mean the other Spirit Orbs would also appear where they had in Chinese Paladin 1.

After all, this was a mishmash world. Even the characters had been blended together, much less treasures like the Five Spirit Orbs that ran through the entire Chinese Paladin worldview.

Chu Yang felt that things were most likely mixed together as well.

In Chinese Paladin 1, the Thunder Spirit Orb had appeared in the capital.

According to the original plot, Liu Jinyuan felt that he could not help Li Xiaoyao and had also completely given up on Lin Yueru. So he returned to the capital and continued pursuing an official career.

However, he accidentally saved a butterfly trapped in a spiderweb and was bitten by a spider. He contracted a strange illness and nearly died. Later, Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru saved him. The spider that had bitten Liu Jinyuan was a spider demon with a thousand years of cultivation, and the Thunder Spirit Orb was on her.

In Chinese Paladin 3, however, the Thunder Spirit Orb was inside a man named Yun Ting in Lei Zhou.

He had been born with the Thunder Spirit Orb in his body and gained the power of lightning. Yet on his wedding night, he lost control of his spiritual power and killed the woman he loved most. After that, the power of lightning became uncontrollable every night.

In the end, Xu Changqing used a spell to extract the Thunder Spirit Orb from his body, turning him back into a normal person.

Whether it was Chinese Paladin 1 or Chinese Paladin 3, obtaining the Thunder Spirit Orb would not be difficult. They could split into two groups. Chu Yang could go to the capital to find the spider demon and, while he was at it, use the Demon Devouring Gu to gain some cultivation.

Yun Ting could be left to Xu Changqing. It had been his job in the first place.

In Chinese Paladin 1, both the Wind Spirit Orb and Fire Spirit Orb were in the Miao Territory. The Wind Spirit Orb was on the Golden-Winged Phoenix in the Divine Tree Forest, while the Fire Spirit Orb was on a Qilin. Both might require battle.

The difficulty of those battles was unknown. After all, the Four Sacred Beasts of an immortal cultivation world could not be compared to the Four Sacred Beasts of the Wind and Cloud world. Those were genuine divine beasts.

However, judging by Li Xiaoyao’s combat strength in the later stages, they probably had not surpassed the major realm of Refining Spirit to Emptiness.

If they were in their Chinese Paladin 3 locations, things would become very troublesome.

The Wind Spirit Orb was in the God Realm, controlled by Xi Yao, the female official who guarded the God Tree. To enter the God Realm, they would first have to go to the Well of Gods and Demons. They would most likely encounter some extremely powerful demons there and might even run into the Demon Lord.

With their current strength, that would be somewhat difficult.

As for the Fire Spirit Orb, it was in the Demon Realm, under the control of the Fire Ghost King. The Fire Ghost King was not someone easy to provoke either. He had existed since ancient times, and even Yama could do nothing about him.

He just did not know whether this version of the Fire Ghost King was male or female.

If it was female, they could take another route and trick her with a handsome-man scheme.

Speaking of handsome-man schemes, Chu Yang felt it was time to bring Jing Tian into the team.

As the reincarnation of Fei Peng, the God Realm’s greatest general, his talent was even more absurd than Li Xiaoyao’s. His leveling speed was like riding a rocket, and he might remember his main account password at any moment.

Keeping him by their side would make for an excellent life-saving card. Even if they truly encountered the Demon Lord, there would be no need to panic.

As for the final Water Spirit Orb, Chu Yang felt it was very likely not on Zi Xuan, but something Li Xiaoyao would need to obtain through time travel.

Otherwise, the time loop could not be completed, and there was a very high chance this world would collapse.

Given the current situation, searching for the Thunder Spirit Orb first was undoubtedly the safest choice.

Just as Chu Yang was about to remind Xu Changqing, the Flying Thunder God formula he had left behind for Tang Yu and the others suddenly reacted.

The formula had activated automatically, which meant Tang Yu and A Nu had encountered danger.

"Senior Brother, go to Yong’an Pawnshop first. The Sect Leader told me that after the Demon Lord left Shu Mountain, he went there and met someone. You must find that person!"

"After that, go to Lei Zhou. There is a heavenly anomaly there, which may be connected to the Five Spirit Orbs."

Chu Yang could only have Xu Changqing find Jing Tian first, then continue onward with another protective charm in hand. He rose to his feet, preparing to leave.

Xu Changqing asked in surprise, "Junior Brother, where are you going?"

Chu Yang said, "Tang Yu and the others have not arrived after so long. I’m a little worried, so I plan to bring them to Yuzhou first before meeting up with you."

Shi Gonghu frowned. "You have important matters to attend to. Why not let me…"

Chu Yang shook his head. "If you leave, who will take care of Ling’er? Given Yuzhou City’s current environment, it is hardly safe even if Moon Worshipper does not appear…"

Shi Gonghu immediately fell silent.

"Alright, it’s decided. We’ll split into two groups for now."

With that, Chu Yang directly rode his sword away, leaving them no room for discussion.

Xu Changqing could only smile wryly. Still, thinking of Chu Yang’s thousand years of cultivation, he felt slightly more at ease.

Before leaving, Zhao Ling’er gave all the Blood Bodhi Chu Yang had given her to Li Xiaoyao. She told him to keep a few for emergencies and consume all the rest.

An ordinary person could never absorb so much power at once, but Li Xiaoyao suffered no side effects at all. It was as simple for him as eating and drinking.

After doing this, Xu Changqing followed Chu Yang’s instructions and took Li Xiaoyao and Lin Yueru to Yong’an Pawnshop.

Meanwhile, Chu Yang had already used Flying Thunder God to travel to Tang Yu and A Nu’s side.

There was another person standing before him.

Moon Worshipper.

Facing the great final boss of Chinese Paladin 1, Moon Worshipper, for the first time, Chu Yang felt tremendous pressure. He had experienced a similar feeling from Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni before.

The difference was that the pressure Yamamoto Genryusai Shigekuni exerted was like fire—direct and clear, a frontal confrontation.

The pressure Moon Worshipper gave off was like water. At first glance, it did not seem apparent.

But by the time you noticed it, it had already surrounded you tightly from every direction, making you feel suffocated.

Tang Yu and A Nu had been buried in the ground with only their heads exposed. Judging by their appearance, they had been there for several days.

Due to the lack of food and water, their bodies had reached their limits, and their minds were in a state of confusion.

They did not notice Chu Yang’s arrival at all.

Moon Worshipper stood beside them, seemingly waiting for someone to appear. When he saw Chu Yang materialize out of thin air, his calm eyes finally rippled.

Moon Worshipper asked curiously, "Are you that star which has been constantly changing?"

Looking at Moon Worshipper, whose clothing resembled that of a Western philosopher, Chu Yang frowned. "What star?"

Moon Worshipper pointed at the sky and explained in an unfathomable tone, "Every star has a special meaning and corresponds to a person. Generally speaking, they do not change much."

"But the one representing you has broken that rule."

Listening to Moon Worshipper explain this to him, Chu Yang finally confirmed which version of Moon Worshipper this was and could not help sighing in relief.

The Moon Worshipper before him belonged to the scientist type.

He had his own set of behavioral logic, and every time he killed someone, he had a reason that made sense to himself.

For example, conducting experiments to prove love…

The source of Moon Worshipper’s original desire to destroy the world was that his Foster Father, Shi Gonghu, wanted to put him to death for the sake of several unrelated outsiders.

He believed that love did not exist in this world, that people themselves were sinful, and that the world was utterly filthy.

So he wanted to destroy the world.

The Moon Worship Sect, founded by Moon Worshipper himself, was one of his tools for destroying the world. Yet amusingly, Moon Worshipper never truly believed in the doctrines he used to fool the Moon Worship Cultists.

Claiming that he had brought back the Ends of the Earth Tree from the ends of the earth, Moon Worshipper ordered the cultists to worship the tree every day, so that it would grow a little each day.

Once it had fully matured, the Nanzhao Kingdom would become another ends of the earth in this world.

But the truth was that Moon Worshipper cast spells on the tree every day, making it grow continuously.

He treated the tree as a symbolic emblem, using the special meaning he gave an ordinary object to strengthen his ideological control over the cultists.

Yet this tree also held a different kind of meaning for Moon Worshipper.

When no one was around, Moon Worshipper once said to the Ends of the Earth Tree, "Who would have thought that someone as ordinary as you could transform overnight into a symbol of God, worshipped by all the people?"