Chapter 410: Oh, Master Jiu Mie
After letting Xiao Ai go back to explain things to her disciples, Lu Heng then departed with the young girl.
Although referred to as a young girl, Xiao Ai had long since grown into adulthood, yet her physical appearance remained forever frozen in the stage of childhood.
Lu Heng took her along, with the intention of allowing Xiao Ai to become acquainted with Candle Dragon and Jiu Mie.
In this way, if he left in the future, Jiu Mie and Candle Dragon should also be able to take care of her to some extent.
Moreover, Lu Heng's discussions on the path of cultivation, along with the other two individuals, are also beneficial for Xiao Ai, who is also a cultivator.
Of course, the most crucial aspect is that during this appointment, Lu Heng must undoubtedly engage in discussion about ancient secrets with Candle Dragon. Xiao Ai, who is by Lu Heng's side, will also have the opportunity to glean a deeper understanding of the truths in this world.
This time, they didn't leisurely stroll in the mortal realm, but instead rode on clouds and headed south. Although the Dragon Falling Mountains are thousands of kilometers away from Hanyu Mountain, for cultivators, this distance cannot be considered far.
Previously, when Lu Heng descended from the mountain into the mortal realm, it took him several months to traverse the path. But now, in less than an hour, he laid eyes upon the Dragon Falling Mountains nestled amidst the vast plains.
When viewed from high above, this mountain range is truly magnificent and majestic, unlike ordinary mountains.
After descending on clouds into the midst of the mountain range, the figures of Lu Heng and Xiao Ai maneuvered through the treacherous and mysterious cliffs of the mountains, occasionally catching sight of the colossal Kun, soaring through the clouds within the mountains.
Eventually, the Cliff of Dao emerged in Lu Heng's field of vision, and he, accompanied by Xiao Ai, descended upon the Cliff of Dao.
The rock on which Lu Heng, Jiu Mie, and Candle Dragon once engaged in philosophical discourse is, in fact, nothing more than a larger boulder situated near the road. It stands out conspicuously on the edge of the cliff, appearing rather striking in its solitary and prominent presence.
When Lu Heng arrived, there were already figures present on the Cliff of Dao.
The other person was dressed in a long robe of grayish-blue color, with a slightly sinister expression on their face, yet they wore a smile. In front of them, there was a massive mahogany tea table, upon which hot tea was brewing. The fragrance of tea wafted along the gentle breeze.
Indeed, this Candle Dragon, surprisingly arrived even earlier than Lu Heng, and had already set up tea sets and a chessboard here in advance.
Upon witnessing this scene, Lu Heng shook his head and chuckled, remarking, "My good friend, you arrive remarkably early." And quite well-prepared.
In addition to the tea sets, there were also several barrels of aged fine wine placed nearby. If someone unaware of the situation were to witness this scene, they might mistake it for stumbling upon a roadside tea house.
It seems that this time, Candle Dragon has no intention of ending the discussion easily; it is estimated that it will last even longer than the previous occasion…
After Lu Heng descended, Candle Dragon, dressed in a grayish-blue robe, stood up with a smiling face and said, "Who do we have here? Isn't this the Wolf God of Hanyu Mountain, who commands the heavenly thunder to eliminate all evil and wields the ancient sword to protect the world? The supreme god Lu Heng… Please, have a seat. I have prepared some simple tea and light wine as a humble offering. I hope the Wolf God will honor us with his presence."
Lu Heng couldn't help but laugh and cry, saying, "Why do you have to mock me, my friend… Because of this wretched reputation, my disciple was abducted by demons, and it took me nearly half a year to retrieve him. I almost caused trouble with the Lord of the Nine Phoenix Palace from the Arctic Skyark Palace. It can be said that false fame is truly burdensome. Friend Jiu Mie has caused me so much trouble."
Candle Dragon laughed heartily and said, "Your exceptional charm resembles the sparkling stars in the night sky, destined to shine in this world. Even without Friend Jiu Mie, you are destined to become renowned across the four seas. No amount of concealment can hide that."
After Lu Heng took his seat, he looked around and said, "Has Friend Jiu Mie not arrived yet?"
Candle Dragon smiled and said, "He has not arrived yet. We may have to wait for some time. Shall we make use of this opportunity to play a game of chess?"
Candle Dragon pointed to the chessboard in front of him.
Lu Heng smiled and said, "As long as you don't mind my inadequate chess skills, my friend."
Like this, the two of them, one playing white and the other playing black, began their game of chess.
Although Lu Heng had countless questions in his mind that he wanted to ask Candle Dragon, he also knew that those questions were too weighty. If he were to speak them out now, it would spoil the atmosphere of this philosophical discussion, and both Candle Dragon and Jiu Mie might lose interest in further discourse.
So Lu Heng decided to wait until the end of the philosophical discussion before bringing up those questions.
And their game, in fact, was just a way to pass time when they were bored.
In general, cultivators, especially those at higher levels, with the expansion of their thoughts and the transcendence of their souls, rarely encounter weaker opponents in chess matches.
At the level of Candle Dragon, even if he had just learned to play Go, as long as he grasped the general rules of Go, he could quickly transform into a master of the game, effortlessly overwhelming all mortal chess saints.
After all, there is a significant gap in computational power.
Not to mention mortal chess saints, even the computer AlphaGo that once dominated everything in Lu Heng's previous life, its computational power is vastly different from that of a top-tier cultivator like Candle Dragon, belonging to completely different realms.
However, Lu Heng and Candle Dragon's chess matches were not about winning or losing, but rather a casual pastime accompanied by conversations. Therefore, both of them were too lazy to calculate ahead, taking each move as it came. With frequent mistakes and poor moves, they played worse than beginners.
If someone with a slight understanding of the way of chess were to witness their match here, they would likely be infuriated to the point of spitting blood, marveling at how such extraordinary "talents" could gather at the same table in this world.
On the bustling avenue not far away, there was a lively scene. Occasionally, passing merchant caravans would appear and then quickly fade into the distance.
However, in Lu Heng's secluded abode, there were no mortals coming to disturb.
Eventually, however, the commotion here was discovered by a passing merchant who had come out to relieve himself.
"Huh? How come there's a sound at the edge of the cliff?" murmured the merchant in a low voice, feeling somewhat anxious.
He dared not approach on his own, but quickly turned around and ran back to the group to report the situation, fearing that it might be an evil demon passing by.
Regarding the rocky cliff, both Lu Heng and Candle Dragon heard the anxious murmurs of the merchants, despite the considerable distance between them.
Upon hearing that the group of merchants intended to approach and investigate, Candle Dragon shook its head and said, "Mortals are always endlessly curious."
After saying that, he picked up the tea cup in his hand and lightly splashed it towards the sky.
Boom!
The resounding thunder and lightning suddenly appeared in the sky. Although there were no dark clouds shrouding, a torrential downpour instantly descended upon the Dragon Falling Mountains.
Those merchants who had initially intended to come this way were caught off guard by the sudden downpour, causing them to panic. They hastily rushed to appease their pack animals and used rain covers to shield their goods from the elements, leaving them with no time to investigate the situation at the edge of the cliff.
After all, the rain was so heavy, and the area near the cliff was slippery and treacherous. Who would dare to venture there without caution? One wrong step, and one would perish without a trace.
Meanwhile, amidst this torrential downpour, not a single drop of rain fell on the rock.
Lu Heng exclaimed in astonishment, "So this is the fabled celestial raincloud technique of the Dragon clan… Today has truly broadened my horizons."
Amidst the torrential downpour, another voice resounded.
Wearing a tattered gray robe, the old ascetic cultivator carried a worn-out travel bag on his back as he walked gracefully through the void. With a cheerful smile, he spoke, "Even I, an old ascetic cultivator, have had my horizons expanded today."
On the rock, Lu Heng and the Candle Dragon exchanged a synchronized glance as they witnessed the arrival of the old ascetic cultivator.
Subsequently, they both stood up with smiles, expressing their warm enthusiasm as they gracefully bowed.
"So it is the peerless, ethereal Jiu Mie who shines above all in the mortal realm… What a fortunate encounter. With the arrival of the master, the Cliff of Dao is adorned with even greater brilliance."
The Candle Dragon and Lu Heng smiled and spoke in unison.
Jiu Mie, who was walking towards this direction, suddenly paused for a moment, displaying a sense of astonishment.
"Uh…" Jiu Mie looked vigilantly at the two individuals on the Rock of Discourse and said, "Is this some sort of new prank? I hope I'm not falling into a trap by coming over now?"
Jiu Mie prepared himself to flee at any moment.
