Castle of Black Iron

When it was raining overnight, Zhang Tie kept cultivating until midnight in the mountain cave. Finally, he visualized and manifested the last layer of the shell of that 7-layer gold egg with his spiritual energy and battle qi. This indicated that he had accomplished the second step of planting the gold seed rune of "King Roc Sutra". What he needed to do then was to visualize and manifest 987 special runes on the shell of the golden egg.

Zhang Tie found that the number of surge points in his body and the special runes that he needed to visualized were both 987. He knew that there must be some mysterious connection between the two aspects although he didn’t know why.

If Zhang Tie couldn’t understand something, he would drop it. Like the moon always being round, somethings weren’t worth consideration. What is rational is actual and what is actual is rational. Therefore, Zhang Tie would not concern himself with it at all.

Compared to these illusory concerns, those concerns that he needed to face and those which could influence the fate of himself and his relatives and friends counted most.

After one night, the spiritual energy and battle qi that he had consumed had completely recovered the next morning after Zhang Tie drank some mouths\\fuls of all-purpose medicament.

If not necessary, Zhang Tie would not exhibit the special ability that was gifted by the Castle of Black Iron in such a shocking way. Therefore, even if he could put away the glider in the Castle of Black Iron, he would not do that at the risk of exposing the secret of Castle of Black Iron.

At this moment, Zhang Tie could only use the Castle of Black Iron as a portable wallet or kettle so that he could take out some gold checks or transfer two mouthfuls of spring water or all-purpose medicament into his mouth. It was no longer necessary for him to disguise as a damn priest like what he did in the Ice and Snow Wilderness. Neither would he do that.

Some pits on the stones outside the mountain cave were filled with rainwater after one night’s heavy rain. Zhang Tie found two water willows outside the mountain cave. After fetching two water willow twigs, he added some salt in one pit and mix it with the rainwater using the water willow twigs. After that, he started to clean his teeth.

After doing this, he ate two pieces of dried pies and put on a camouflage raincoat. After that, he cleaned all the traces in the mountain cave and left.

It was sunny today. Soon after he left the mountain cave he saw a fiery sun rising up.

Zhang Tie quickly ran through the woods and sought for those dubious regions that he marked on the map.

...

At noon, Zhang Tie stopped on one side of a river which passed through the Misty Moon Woods. Because of the heavy rain, the water level had risen too much today. Squatting by the riverside, Zhang Tie watched a corpse with a gloomy look which was flushed onto the rubble of the river rapids by the surging river.

That male corpse wore a set of shabby commoner’s clothes. Given its skin, it hadn’t stayed in the water too long as it was not bloated yet. However, the corpse was a bit terrifying because its half head and neck were gone as if having been gnawed by some animal. After being soaked in water, the exposed wounds made Zhang Tie uncomfortable.

As it was sunny today, the corpse started to release a stench.

Zhang Tie checked those wounds carefully while enduring the disgusting stink.

Besides wild animals, demonized puppets could also cause similar wounds. However, as the teeth structure of demonized puppets was different than that of wild beasts, they would cause different wounds. After being gnawed by humans, grinding marks were usually seen. In contrast, after being gnawed by wild beasts, there were always marks caused by penetrative and forceful dragging of sharp teeth on the wounds.

After observing it carefully, Zhang Tie made a conclusion——the wounds of this corpse were not caused by wild beasts but demonized puppets.

After making such a conclusion, Zhang Tie was excited. After looking at the upper reach of the river, he ran towards the upper reach along the riverside. On the way, he saw odd-looking rocks and towering trees everywhere. There were also many cliffs that could not be easily passed by commoners. Thankfully, Zhang Tie was agile and passed by them all the way along the riverside.

After 2 hours, Zhang Tie had already walked over 70 km towards the upper reach of the river. However, he found no target. Therefore, Zhang Tie frowned. If hundreds of thousands of demonized puppets were hiding here, they would definitely leave some clues.

When he was doubting his judgment, he heard a sound "Duo...duo...". Raising his head, he found a that woodpecker was knocking at the trunk of a big tree.

At the sight of the bird, a thought flashed across Zhang Tie’s mind. He heavily patted his forehead, ’Idiot, you forgot that you’re a powerful animal controller. You’re in the woods. How could you be troubled by such a small problem.’

Zhang Tie then connected his spiritual energy with that All-spirits Tower in his mind while sending a message towards that woodpecker. The woodpecker immediately stopped its movement as he turned around and watched Zhang Tie who was standing under the tree.

Zhang Tie stretched out a hand. The woodpecker then flew off the tree while flapping its wings and lightly landed on his hand. At the same time, it uttered, "Gulugulu". It seemed that it was curious as to why Zhang Tie could communicate with it.

Woodpecker was a common LV 0 living being. Coincidentally, there was one Great Wild Seal on the first floor of the All-spirits Tower which could work on LV 0 living being. That was a "Rest" seal that Zhang Tie produced at the beginning. It could not match seals in the "Defense" sect on controlling living being. It was mainly used to protect and drive creatures away, instead of controlling them. However, seals in "Rest" sect also had a benefit, namely, as long as this seal was applied on the creature, it would not suffer any harm from the others at the same level in a very long time. Additionally, animal controllers could control this animal in a short period with it.

With this "Rest" seal, Zhang Tie could control the woodpecker for 12 hours. Although it was not as powerful as the seals in "Controlling" sect which could allow the animal to be loyal to the controller for the rest of its life, Zhang Tie thought 12 hours were enough for him.

Additionally, it was wasteful if he didn’t use the great wild seal on the first floor of All-spirits Tower at this moment.

Zhang Tie’s heart pounded as he fondled the head of the woodpecker and applied the "Rest" seal into its body. Closely after that, Zhang Tie felt that he had established a close relationship with the woodpecker.

"Take me to the most populated place you’ve seen!" Zhang Tie sent an order to that woodpecker. After that, he raised his arm, sending that woodpecker flying in the air. After hovering above Zhang Tie’s head for two circles, it flew towards a direction.

Zhang Tie hurriedly followed after. After each distance, the woodpecker would rest on the twig and look back at Zhang Tie. When Zhang Tie drew closer, it kept flying forward.

The woodpecker, whose nickname was woods’ doctor, had a very wide range of movement. If this woodpecker had indeed met a lot of people, Zhang Tie believed in that it could take him there sooner or later.

After flying through the dense woods one hour later, the woodpecker reached above a misty valley and kept hovering there. Zhang Tie realized that it must have seen a lot of people here. Additionally, something terrifying must be hiding here.

"You can go now, you’re free..." Zhang Tie sent another order to the woodpecker. The woodpecker then flew towards another direction while flapping its wings.

Zhang Tie silently lay behind a huge rock and a patch of brushwood while watching this valley.

Even if it was a sunny day, the valley was still covered with a dense fog. Additionally, many places in the valley were covered by the towering, flourish trees on both sides of the hillside.

Zhang Tie took out the map and checked it carefully. He found this place was rightly in the dubious region of Misty Moon Woods that he marked on the map. He had passed here by glider several days ago. However, he could see nothing at all from the sky.

Due to the dense fog, even if it was on the ground, his visible distance was also limited to 100 m. Those outside 100 m were all buried in the dense fog.

"Is the demonized puppets corps hiding here?"

When this doubt flashed across his mind, Zhang Tie changed his face. At this moment, a gust of wind blew over, causing the dense fog rolling in the valley. Zhang Tie then smelt a faint bloody smell in the wind.

Zhang Tie immediately took two javelins from his back as he silently fumbled towards the source of the bloody smell.

There was a huge mountain cave leading to the hinterland of the mountain in a hidden place below the valley. The bloody smell came from that mountain cave, where Zhang Tie saw a squad of patrolling demonized puppets...

’There you are!’ Zhang Tie became thrilled while some questions came to his mind, ’Why would those demonized puppets hide here? What the hell are they doing there...’

Zhang Tie lay about 100 m away from that mountain cave.

Suddenly, a turmoil drifted from the entrance of the mountain cave. With wails and cries, some people were taken out. After that, Zhang Tie heard someone sneer, "Do you want to escape? Do you think you can escape?"

"Please, let us go, we dare not do that anymore!"

"Now that you don’t want to work, just be the food of sacred worms, eat them..." the man said mercilessly.

A lot of demonized puppets instantly charged at those people while uttering weird sounds. Closely after that, Zhang Tie heard disgusting sounds and miserable shrieks, causing goosebumps all over his body.