This place is fun

Chapter 189 Tea House
Su Daoshan continued on his way.

Guided by the gyroscope compass, we wandered around, fighting monsters and picking fruit, and before we knew it, we had reached the edge of Shijing Town.

As Su Daoshan stood on the shoulders of the giant ape-shaped Xiao Hei, looking down at the spiritual veins shimmering with spiritual light through the gaps between the towering trees of the primeval jungle, he felt incredibly relaxed.

Starting from Xianlai Town and eventually arriving at Shijing Town, the journey involves traversing over eighty miles of chaotic territory deep in the mountains. Each of these chaotic spaces is a veritable maze.

Ordinary people can't even find their way out of a single maze, let alone mazes that are interconnected and nested within each other. The consequence of daring to venture deep into them is that one might never be able to find their way out in their entire life.

But I just traveled through time so smoothly.

Although he had figured out the nature of these chaotic spaces and had the gyroscope compass in hand, successfully traversing them was to be expected. But when the moment actually arrived, Su Daoshan could not suppress the joy and excitement in his heart.

Su Daoshan's gaze passed over Shijing Town and looked into the distance, wondering, "I wonder if going north through Shijing Town will allow me to enter the Fifth Spirit Realm."

Looking at the map, above Xianlai Town is Shijing Town, and above Shijing Town is the Fifth Spirit Realm.

What will the intersection between the outer realms and the Fifth Spirit Realm be like...? Is it merely the barrier of the Chaotic Lands that prevents people from passing, or is there some other insurmountable barrier...?

If there's a barrier, then there's nothing more to say. He can just stay put and wander around the outer realms. He can go to the Fifth Spirit Realm after he reaches the second level of Heavenly Dao Mountain and meets the requirements for the middle stage of the Human Realm.

But what if there were no barrier...

The thought of this possibility made Su Daoshan's heart race.

It should be noted that the five spiritual domains not only possess spiritual resources that are ten or even a hundred times richer than those outside the domains, but also offer all sorts of opportunities.

Since the opening of the Spirit Realm, no one has ever been able to bypass the restrictions of the mountain path and enter the Fifth Spirit Domain as a novice. Once one successfully navigates this path, not only will it be the first time in history that such a feat has been achieved, but the benefits it brings will also be immeasurable.

Putting everything else aside, just the large fruits containing a thousand coins' worth of spiritual energy, let alone just pick a few of them...

Furthermore, if one could enter the Fifth Realm, then the Fourth Spirit Realm, the Third Spirit Realm...

The more Su Daoshan thought about it, the more itching he became. He decided that after contacting Song Xier tonight, the next time he entered the Spirit Realm, he would leave Shijing Town and head north to the Fifth Spirit Domain.

Just then, Su Daoshan suddenly turned his head to look into the forest to his left. His spiritual sense detected an aura emanating from afar that was similar to, yet distinct from, the Spirit Essence Fruit. It possessed a wondrous and captivating allure.

Su Daoshan reached out and patted the giant ape. Xiao Hei, connected to him by telepathy, immediately and silently took to the air, hooking one hand onto a towering tree, and with a swing, leaped again. After a few leaps, it was already hundreds of meters away, the mountains and valleys below flashing by.

It has to be said that Su Daoshan was extremely satisfied with Xiao Hei's ghost ape form.

After transforming into its giant ape form, Xiao Hei was over five meters tall, with shoulders alone measuring a meter thick and over a meter wide—essentially two small platforms. Standing or sitting on the giant ape's shoulders was comfortable and carefree.

More importantly, this behemoth with a wingspan of nearly seven and a half meters is not only fast, but also stable. Whether it is running on all fours on the ground or leaping between trees and cliffs, it can always keep its shoulders in a stable position, so that you can't feel any bumps or vibrations.

Su Daoshan even doubted that if a basin of water were placed on it, it wouldn't spill.

However, what pleased Su Daoshan the most was the Ghost Ape's ability to change color and disguise itself...

As it got closer to the location of the aura, Xiao Hei slowed down, landing on the ground from its swinging mode among the trees, and began to slowly and silently approach its destination.

When walking on the ground, Gigantopithecus typically moved on all fours. A pair of thick arms, with knuckles planted firmly on the ground, propelled the body and lower limbs forward.

However, at this moment, Xiao Hei was only supporting itself on its right arm, while its left arm was bent, shielding Su Daoshan in front of it. At the same time, its fur began to change with the surrounding environment.

When it came to rest in the dense forest on the mountaintop, its body had already blended into the environment as if it were wearing camouflage. As for Su Daoshan, who was hidden by its arm, it naturally disappeared along with it.

Su Daoshan peeked out and looked ahead.

He was currently halfway up a mountain. Beyond the woods ahead, the sun shone brightly, and the mountain slopes were steep. On the right side of the mountain, a waterfall cascaded down from the summit, carving a pool in a relatively flat area halfway up the mountain.

The water in the pool overflows dozens of meters away, flowing into the river below as it follows the mountain's contours.

On the pebble beach beside the pool, a fissure brimming with vibrant, multicolored spiritual energy appeared. Within the fissure, a base for a Spirit Essence Fruit, woven from countless rays of spiritual light and resembling a bird's nest, extended out like a flower calyx.

However, this time, when the base of the Spirit Fruit was formed, what appeared in the center of the spiritual light was not the Spirit Fruit, but a red pill the size of a tennis ball.

"Battle Spirit Reincarnation Pill!"

Upon seeing the unusual size of the pill, along with its color and shape, Su Daoshan immediately recognized it and his eyes lit up with excitement.

Su Daoshan had heard Niu Er and others mention this kind of pill when they introduced the Fifth Spirit Realm before.

It is said that the Battle Spirit Rebirth Pill is a natural treasure of the Spirit Realm. Feeding one to a Battle Spirit can not only directly increase the Battle Spirit's level, but also has an extremely magical use - that is, as a harmonizing agent to fuse two different forms of Battle Spirits.

Once the battle spirits are successfully fused, they may create a new, more powerful form of battle spirit.

These new forms of battle spirits often possess the characteristics and skills of the fused spirit beast. They might combine the physique of a bear with the speed of a leopard, or possess strength comparable to an elephant while also having the binding abilities of a spider's silk...

They are incredibly varied and impossible to guard against.

This is why, in the Spirit Realm, lower-level martial artists might still use a single spirit beast as their battle spirit. High-level experts, however, have long been cultivating and fusing battle spirits. It's said that people are not only experimenting with various different spirit beast fusion combinations, but also fusing three at a time, or even fusing three after a successful initial fusion… As a result, the Battle Spirit Reincarnation Pill is widely known and in extremely high demand. Even in remote towns like Xianlai Town, teahouse notice boards are constantly displaying messages seeking to purchase it.

Su Daoshan never dreamed that he would discover a wild Battle Spirit Rebirth Pill in the outer realms.

"Isn't it said that such rare treasures only appear in blessed lands within the five great spiritual realms?"

Su Daoshan was initially confused. However, when he looked up and saw Tiandao Mountain in the distance, he immediately understood:

"It is said that every time the Heavenly Dao Mountain opens, the blessed lands within the five spiritual domains will experience a major eruption, causing the spiritual energy of these blessed lands to overflow and form spiritual energy cracks, resulting in the treasures within scattering out..."

"I just didn't expect that the spiritual energy rifts in the five major spiritual domains would also affect the outer domains..."

Thinking of this, Su Daoshan saw that no one was around, so he immediately sent Xiao Hei to swing over and scoop up the fist-sized red pill the instant the spiritual light base took shape.

Taking the pill from Xiao Hei's hand, Su Daoshan looked at it with delight and smelled it before finally putting it in his pocket with satisfaction.

This was the first time Su Daoshan had obtained such a treasure in the Spirit Realm, and a thought flashed through his mind.

In the real world, it would be uncomfortable to carry something the size of a tennis ball in your pocket. However, the avatar in the spirit realm is a manifestation of the spirit realm's will, so the pocket is like a bottomless pit. Even a hundred Battle Spirit Reincarnation Pills can be put in there without feeling any weight or inconvenience.

However, if this avatar dies an unnatural death and dissipates into spiritual light, the items it carries will also fall off.

In other words, it exploded completely!

"It might not be a big deal outside the realms, but once you enter the Five Great Spirit Realms, you'll have to be careful. Inside, whether it's for spirit seals or treasures, the first thought that comes to mind when people meet is probably how to kill each other—it's a complete law of the dark jungle!"

"Hmm, now that I can freely enter and exit the depths of the Chaotic Lands, I might be able to find a secluded place to hide my treasure. Otherwise, if I accumulate too much stuff and get killed, it would be a huge loss."

Su Daoshan pondered this in his mind, patted Xiao Hei, and with a leap from the giant ape, they left this area.

Soon, Su Daoshan returned to the edge of Shijing Town. After recalling Xiao Hei back to the Dao Seed Space, he deliberately took a detour and entered the town from the main road on the eastern outskirts.

Unlike towns located on major spiritual veins, Shijing Town is located on a minor branch spiritual vein. Because it is not a major transportation route, the town is small and somewhat deserted.

The busiest teahouse on the main street had only seven or eight martial artists at the moment. Compared to the bustling teahouses of Xianlai Town, it was a world of difference.

Su Daoshan first ordered a cup of tea at the teahouse, sipping it while listening to the idle chatter of the waiter and other customers to pass the time. From the spiritual perceptions of the others, this guy was a typical newcomer. He hadn't even entered the first level of Tiandao Mountain, so naturally he didn't arouse much interest.

About half an hour later, Su Daoshan saw that it was almost time, so he got up and walked to the message tree, throwing ten coins of spiritual energy into the tree hole.

The giant human face on the tree trunk turned around, glanced at Su Daoshan, and then cast a wave-like halo of light from the tree canopy, enveloping him.

"Huh?" The martial artists in the teahouse exchanged surprised glances upon seeing this.

One of them shook his head and said, "Tsk tsk, we misjudged him. I wonder which great sect or family he is again..."

Su Daoshan's vision blurred for a moment. When his vision returned, he found himself in a small stone chamber. In the center of the chamber was a stone platform engraved with various mysterious symbols and shimmering with the light of an array. In the middle of the platform was a sheet of white paper, with writing brush and ink beside it.

Su Daoshan picked up his pen and drew three symbols on the white paper, following the contact book that Song Xier had given him.

As the symbols were successfully combined, a flash of white light appeared, and the next second, Su Daoshan found himself teleported to the front of an ancient and secluded teahouse.

However, at this moment, Su Daoshan could clearly realize that his avatar in the spiritual realm remained in that stone house. What appeared here was merely his divine soul.

"Is this the teahouse of the Message Tree?" Su Daoshan looked around curiously.

The Message Tree Tea House is a virtual space constructed by all the Message Trees in the Spirit Realm, where people who have arranged to meet can communicate.

Unlike the public message board system of the message tree, each teahouse is private. Only those who correctly draw the correct combination of symbols are sent to the corresponding teahouse. Inside, people can conspire on anything without fear of leaks. However, the price to pay is also much higher.

Creating a permanent teahouse requires 1,000 spirit essences. Each gathering requires 100 spirit essences. Moreover, each member must contribute 10 spirit essences to attend.

Such a level of energy expenditure would deter most extraordinary martial artists from even attempting it.

It's fair to say that without sufficient financial resources, you can't even afford to attend an organization's daily meetings, let alone create one.

"I'll have to build a teahouse for Shangqing Palace later," Su Daoshan thought to himself.

Although Shangqing Palace has only fooled one member, Ke Lizhi, so far, it still possesses all the essential qualities that a powerful and financially strong organization should have.

As for putting on a show, Su Daoshan knew all too well what it was all about in his past life, whether he was following the old Taoist priest to swindle people or studying cases during his internship at a law firm.

The teahouse has a bamboo gate at its outer entrance, leading to a courtyard. Passing through the pond in the center of the courtyard, filled with koi, lotus leaves, and stone carvings, you reach the teahouse's porch adorned with wind chimes.

A table stood in the porch, displaying many colorful animal dolls of various shapes and sizes. There were rabbits, monkeys, pigs; some were solid-colored, some were patterned, some were carved from wood, some were sewn from cloth, some were woven from straw, and there were even paper cutouts…

(End of this chapter)