Weird Cultivation, I have a five-organ temple

Chapter 656 Wuzhiqi's Attention
A man, a ghost, and a black fox rode their paper horse, swaying and staggering along the official road.

Before long, it was noon. The pokeweed rode on a paper horse and gathered the essence of the sun.

The scorching heat emanating from the pokeweed made the black fox very uncomfortable.

Its thick fur made it unable to withstand the heat wave. It immediately jumped off the paper horse, stuck out its tongue, and followed with small steps. At the same time, it was also puzzled: how come the paper horse didn't catch fire in such heat?

After the pokeweed finished consuming the essence of the sun and gathered its energy, the black fox jumped back onto the paper horse.

At that moment, a wide river came into view.

From a distance, the river appears calm and undisturbed, with a misty fog swirling around it. Fishing boats and small boats cut through the waves and fog, moving back and forth between the two banks, creating a picturesque scene.

Shang Lu took out a map from his pocket and glanced at it.

After crossing the river ahead, you will enter Dongzao County, and from there the plains stretch out before you into Qinglin Prefecture.

Upon reaching the riverbank, Shang Lu did not intend to dismount but instead urged his horse to go directly into the river.

Although this horse is a paper-torn ink painting, it is covered with witchcraft. Shang Lu also used Confucian maxims to give it the blessing of "water and fire invulnerability". Even if it cannot withstand water magic or fire magic, it can still be soaked in water or cross a river without any problem. There is no need to worry about it falling apart and sinking halfway across.

Actually, it doesn't matter if it really sinks.

Back in that strange water palace, Shang Lu mastered the art of water manipulation, allowing him to navigate even the most turbulent rivers without hindrance.

Just as he was about to enter the water, Shang Lu suddenly noticed that someone was performing a ritual sacrifice on the riverbank.

There were quite a few, four or five people, and without exception, they were all cultivators.

Their offerings varied, including sacrificial animals, blood and savory food, as well as spiritual liquids and elixirs.

Everyone on the bank chanted incantations, then pushed the sacrificial offerings of blood, food, and elixirs into the river. Only after they were swallowed by the current did they use their own methods to cross the river.

Some people with lower cultivation levels and no magical artifacts chose to pay money to travel by boat.

But before embarking on the boat, they all offered sacrifices to the river.

On the contrary, ordinary people traveling between the two sides of the strait did not do this. They went straight to the ferry and boarded the boat, cautiously observing the cultivators on the shore with curious and envious eyes.

Is there something fishy about this river?

Shang Lu's heart stirred, and a guess arose in his mind.

Instead of urging his horse down to the river, he found a Taoist cultivator on the bank who had just finished a sacrifice and called out, "Brother Taoist, please wait a moment."

Shang Lu had honed his eloquence to perfection; even a simple sentence possessed a certain magic, causing the man to stop and turn to look at Shang Lu.

After seeing his attire clearly, he asked, "What guidance do you have, fellow practitioner from the Legalist school?"

"I wouldn't dare," Shang Lu bowed respectfully and asked, "I wanted to ask you why you performed a river-crossing ritual before crossing the river?"

"Brother Legalist, you just arrived here, right? Luckily you asked me before crossing the river rashly."

The Taoist cultivator raised his hand and pointed to the great river beside him, shaking his head and saying, "I am not offering sacrifices to this river, but to Wuzhiqi."

"Wuzhiqi?"

Shang Lu was stunned. Immediately, the image of the water monkey, bound by countless dragon chains and filled with madness and murderous intent, appeared in his mind.

Back in Yunmengze, it was only with Wuzhiqi's help that they were able to escape the pursuit of the King of Chu.

However, he was almost devoured by the crazed Wuzhiqi. Fortunately, at the critical moment, Wuzhiqi was dragged back into the cage, and he was sent into the Water Mansion Secret Realm by Xiangjun and his wife.

Unexpectedly, I heard the name Wuzhiqi here again.

But what does this river have to do with Wuzhiqi?
Seeing Shang Lu's confusion, the Taoist cultivator explained, "This river is a branch of the Huai River, but that's not why we're offering sacrifices to Wuzhiqi. The reason we're offering sacrifices is because Wuzhiqi's divine power shrouds this area, and only by offering sacrifices can we pass safely."

"Such a thing is true." Shang Lu was very surprised.

Since embarking on the path of cultivation, he has had many encounters with various deities, but this is the first time he has seen a deity who sits there and collects tolls.

As expected of Wuzhiqi, only someone with his bandit-like nature could do something like "This road is mine, leave your toll."

But... Shang Lu raised his hand and pointed to the ordinary people on the ferry: "I don't see any of those people offering sacrifices."

“They are all ordinary people without cultivation, and Wuzhiqi looks down on their offerings. But cultivators who want to cross this river must first offer sacrifices, otherwise…”

Before the Taoist cultivator could finish speaking, he and Shang Lu saw a cultivator riding a crane flying over the river.

Before the person even reached the middle of the river, a surging torrent suddenly rose from the calm surface.

Like a ferocious water dragon, it opened its blood-red maw and swallowed the cultivator and the crane whole in one gulp.

"boom--"

The water jets crashed heavily onto the water's surface, creating countless splashes and waves.

The cultivator and the crane that were swallowed by the water dragon disappeared without a trace and never resurfaced.

"That cultivator...was he eaten?"

This series of unexpected events took Shang Lu by surprise.

At the same time, he was glad that he had noticed the strangeness on the riverbank and had not rashly gone into the river. Otherwise, he didn't know if he would have been able to withstand the water dragon's devouring power.

If that water dragon was indeed released by Wuzhiqi, then the odds are against him.

"Whether it was eaten or not, I don't know."

The Taoist cultivator shook his head and told Shang Lu, "But the cultivators who crossed the river without offering sacrifices were swept away and never appeared again. The imperial court and Tai Mo Academy also sent people to investigate the matter, but in the end they only erected a monument on the bank to remind passing cultivators to offer sacrifices before crossing the river."

Shang Lu was secretly amazed. This Wuzhiqi was indeed a fierce god from ancient times. His methods were truly extraordinary!
As the god of floods, Wuzhiqi has few temples, and his incense and offerings are not plentiful. He is often only worshipped when floods occur.

So He simply came out to cause chaos, using this behavior to plunder offerings and sacrifices?
To be honest, based on the madness Wuzhiqi had shown before, Shang Lu felt that this was indeed something He was capable of doing.

"Thank you for telling me, fellow Daoist." Shang Lu bowed in thanks.

After returning the greeting, the Taoist cultivator made a hand seal and used a wind-climbing technique to float to the other side.

After the Taoist cultivators had gone far away, Shang Lu took out a bottle of spiritual liquid from the Impermanence Token, thought for a moment, lit an incense stick, and chanted incantations towards the now calm river surface:

"The Huai River, a deep and secluded place, is the master of the surging waves. Now, a traveler wishes to cross its mighty waters. With devout offerings, I beseech you to grant me a smooth path..."

After reciting the sacrificial inscription, Shang Lu threw the spiritual liquid along with the lit incense into the seemingly calm but actually dangerous river in front of him.

The incense didn't go out even after being put into the water; it emitted bluish smoke and sank to the bottom of the river along with the spiritual liquid.

at the same time.

Deep within a pool of water, unlike anything in the human world.

It was pitch black here, except for a pair of eyes that emitted a crimson light, reflecting the outline of the bottom of the pool—countless heavy chains engraved with witchcraft patterns, like giant dragons, tightly wrapped around Wuzhiqi's body, and constantly tightening, as if to strangle and crush Wuzhiqi.

Compared to these giant dragon chains, Wuzhiqi's figure appeared extremely weak.

Even so, the countless giant dragon chains only restricted its movements, unable to cause it further harm. The various blood offerings and elixirs that the cultivators had sacrificed by the river were mysteriously transported here, where Wuzhiqi opened its blood-red maw and devoured them all.

His breath was still weak.

These offerings of blood and elixirs were like a drop in the ocean to Him.

But He is now extremely weak and can only recover through these offerings that He previously looked down upon.

As he ate the offerings, Wuzhiqi couldn't help but think of the incense he had tasted before.

The incense offered there was different from what others offered; it carried an unusual power and flavor. It not only accelerated the recovery of His divine power but also had a restorative effect on His delirious consciousness and chaotic memories.

Unfortunately, He was unable to taste the incense offerings during this time.

Although He knew that the strange boy would light an incense stick for Him every night when he performed the ritual to communicate with the gods, and even made a tablet for Him.

However, that tablet did not contain His divine thoughts; it was just an ordinary wooden tablet. He could not enjoy the incense offered on it at all; it was all intercepted and divided up by the other guys.

"I wonder when I'll be able to enjoy that incense offering again..."

Even in his delirious state, Wuzhiqi couldn't help but reminisce.

Suddenly, He flared His nostrils as He smelled a familiar scent.

"This is……"

Wuzhiqi opened his crimson eyes wide and looked in the direction of the scent. Sure enough, he saw a stick of incense burning with starlight in the deep pool where he was imprisoned.

"What you wish for comes true."

Wuzhiqi was overjoyed and took a deep breath of the incense, which instantly diminished significantly.

"That's the smell."

Wuzhiqi closed his eyes, his face showing ecstasy. Even his frantic and chaotic mind regained some clarity and rationality in that instant.

Then He suddenly opened His eyes.

"Why is this incense in the cage that's locking me up? Could it be that the brat is passing through the river system under my jurisdiction?"

Having regained some of his senses, Wuzhiqi suddenly made a judgment, and then opened his mouth and spat out a crystal-clear drop of water.

In the deep pool, the thick chains seemed to come alive instantly, frantically coiling up to destroy the water droplets spewed out by Wuzhiqi.

"Get out of my way!"

Wuzhiqi roared fiercely, and his powerful divine might caused the bottomless pool to boil instantly, also causing the thick chains that were sweeping towards him to pause for a few breaths.

Seizing the opportunity, the water droplet flew out of the deep pool during the brief pause in the chains and disappeared without a trace.

On the other side, after offering the sacrifices, Shang Lu once again mounted the paper horse to cross the river.

The black fox hesitated. Although it was an animal, it had opened its spiritual aperture; otherwise, it wouldn't have been possessed by the mountain spirit time and time again.

Therefore, it knew that paper should not be wet, and even whined to remind the pokeweed. However, it found that the pokeweed completely ignored its reminder.

In other words, the black fox cannot understand human speech, otherwise it would definitely be cursing and swearing.

However, the black fox soon discovered that the paper horse was not damaged at all after it went into the river and could still ride the water. So he gritted his teeth and jumped back onto the paper horse.

Shang Lu noticed the black fox trembling and couldn't help but tease it: "To cross this river, you have to offer sacrifices. Did you offer any? Aren't you afraid that you'll be swept away by the waves and fed to the fish halfway across?"

The black fox seemed genuinely frightened by his words, nervously peering at the river. Having no offerings to throw into the river, it thought for a moment and then simply stretched out its claws and grabbed the pokeweed tightly.

Although it cannot speak, it shows its meaning through its actions: even if I am swept away by the waves, I will take you with me.

"Isn't that just being a scoundrel?"

Shang Lu chuckled and took out a piece of unrefined spirit ore, resembling flesh and blood, from his Impermanence Token and gave it to the Black Fox, explaining, "This is a loan from me; you'll have to return it later!"

The fact that this black fox was chosen by the mountain spirit indicates that it has a special destiny, and its future prospects are sure to be great.

The pokeweed should seize the opportunity to make it incur more debt, so that interest can accumulate and it can repay more in the future.

Although the black fox had awakened its spiritual senses, it was still inexperienced in the ways of the world and knew nothing of the dangers of humanity.
Although Shang Lu said that the spirit ore was borrowed from it, it didn't think much of it. After opening its mouth and grabbing it, it released its two little paws that were holding Shang Lu.

Then, imitating a human, he stood up, bowed towards the river, and mumbled something, though it was unclear what he was saying. He certainly struck a pose.

After the ritual, the black fox threw the spirit ore it was carrying into the river, then completely relaxed. It stopped pawing at the pokeweed, stretched out its limbs, and lay down casually on the paper horse's rump.

Even in the river, the paper horse swam very smoothly, and the black fox wasn't worried at all about being thrown into the river.

However, it had barely settled down for a moment when waves suddenly surged up on the once calm river surface.

The black fox was so frightened that it immediately jumped up and opened its claws, grabbing Shang Lu tightly.

Shang Lu was also surprised; he hadn't seen any stubborn cultivator cross the river without offering a sacrifice as payment...

However, the next moment, his eyes widened.

The raging waves were coming straight at him!
"What the hell? Why is he coming after me?" Shang Lu was shocked. He had paid the toll, and this Wuzhiqi had no sense of martial ethics!

Shang Lu immediately took out the witch gourd and simultaneously activated the "Heart Sutra of Supreme Goodness Like Water" with all his might. If he were really swept into the river, he would use this method to break the water control. He also reminded the black fox, "Hold on tight!"

Funny as he may be, he would never abandon Black Fox if they were truly in danger.

Who knows if this guy is a messenger placed by the mountain spirit? If something goes wrong and the mountain spirit takes offense, it will be terrible.

At the same time, if this black fox is indeed the messenger of the mountain spirit, having it by his side might make Wuzhiqi give him face instead of his monk.

The pokeweed moved quickly, but the waves came even faster.

However, the imagined scenario of being swept into the river by the waves did not occur.

The towering waves, after striking the pokeweed, caused no consequences and simply disappeared.

"An illusion? That can't be right."

Shang Lu clearly sensed that within that wave just now, there was a violent and chaotic aura.

It was indeed the aura of Wuzhiqi.

But why didn't the wave sweep him into the river? Instead, it disappeared after hitting him?

Surely it couldn't have been implanted inside his body?

Huh... Holy crap?!

Shang Lu's expression suddenly changed.

(End of this chapter)