Naturally, Zhang Ergou did not believe the old man's good intentions.
This old man was a venerable being who had taken ten thousand years to mature from the essence of heaven and earth. He had indeed walked on more bridges than Zhang Ergou had ever walked roads.
If he were to scheme against this old man, he would surely be outwitted.
Even though he knew the old man was not as benevolent as he appeared, Zhang Ergou decided to feign ignorance. He would not ask any questions until the old man revealed his true purpose.
Seeing that Zhang Ergou's body had recovered to its optimal state, the old man, with his two unusually prominent eyes, spun them around.
This brat is a bit tricky. He's not being proactive, which makes things difficult for me.
Just as the old man was racking his brain for how to start, Zhang Ergou, who had regained his mobility, stood up and leaped off the high platform.
"Little fellow, where are you going?" the old man asked in surprise.
"What nonsense! Where else can I go? I don't even know how to open the door to this secret chamber!" Zhang Ergou rolled his eyes, believing the old man was intentionally being obtuse.
"Hehehe!" A lecherous expression spread across the old man's face. "Little fellow, do you want to leave here and see the outside world?"
His tone was full of temptation.
Zhang Ergou froze. How could he have forgotten this? If, as this old man claimed, he was an ancient spirit born from the snowy mountains,
Then couldn't he easily traverse all the places here?
However, the old man's lecherous demeanor clearly indicated hidden intentions. He absolutely could not fall for this trap.
Zhang Ergou thought this to himself, secretly vowing not to be deceived by this old man.
Seeing Zhang Ergou remain silent, the old man grew anxious.
"Little fellow, outside my snow mountain, there are countless treasures. Don't you want to go out and see them?"
The old man continued to tempt Zhang Ergou, but offered no tangible sincerity.
Having experienced so much, Zhang Ergou was not easily fooled.
Even though the old man had just rescued him from the bone-chilling cold, he still needed to be cautious. Otherwise, he might be sold without even a place to weep.
"Senior, do you have something you need my help with?"
Seeing that the old man was still not revealing his true purpose, Zhang Ergou blurted it out directly.
Upon hearing this, the old man was momentarily embarrassed. His expression shifted through several stages before finally returning to normal.
"Little fellow, how did you figure that out?"
The old man resumed his jovial demeanor, but his tone now carried a hint of flattery.
Zhang Ergou smiled slightly, pretending to be mysterious. In his opinion, this old man likely hadn't interacted with many people and was quite naive.
Didn't he understand such a simple principle? Offering kindness without cause often hid malicious intent.
Even a three-year-old child knew that being nice to others got them candy. This old man had started by converting spiritual energy for him and then tried to lure him outside.
"Senior, just tell me, is it true?"
Zhang Ergou did not answer the old man's question, continuing to press.
The old man was utterly cornered by Zhang Ergou's questioning. Although he was a spirit born from heaven and earth, he had never dealt with humans in such a manner.
His only prior interaction with a human had been being deceived by the shameless Lu Tianqi, a fact that still irked him.
This time, he had devised a new plan: to offer Zhang Ergou some benefits and then trick him into working for him.
He hadn't expected this little brat to be so sharp.
Both the old man and Zhang Ergou harbored their own schemes, each with their own agenda. However, Zhang Ergou was currently in a state of confinement here.
He couldn't leave anytime soon and, as long as his life wasn't in danger, he had no other pressing needs.
But it was different for the old man. He had been trapped by a formation within the inner sect of the Misty Sect for over ten thousand years. As the spiritual energy on the Yin Zhou Continent grew increasingly scarce, if he remained trapped like this, how could he ever return to the Kunlun Immortal Realm?
Zhang Ergou, unaware of the old man's predicament, was now free to roam the secret chamber, which was more than ten feet wide. He hadn't had a chance to observe the surroundings when he first entered.
He had been confined to the high platform then. Now that he had the opportunity, he naturally wanted to take a good look.
Furthermore, Zhang Ergou's strategy was to stall the old man, confident that the old man was more anxious than he was.
Just as Zhang Ergou had predicted, before he could complete a full circuit of the secret chamber, the old man spoke.
"Little fellow, I do indeed have something to ask of you. I can offer you benefits, what do you say?"
"Benefits?"
Zhang Ergou's eyes lit up. The benefits offered by a spirit nurtured for over ten thousand years in the Immortal Realm would surely not be ordinary items.
However, his current cultivation was only at the early Golden Core stage. He feared he might not be able to digest the benefits the old man offered.
Zhang Ergou thought this, assuming the old man was offering treasures or medicinal herbs.
But the old man's next words made Zhang Ergou's mind explode.
"Little fellow, if you agree to help me, I will accompany you for a thousand years. This snow mountain will be at your disposal, and you can take any treasures or medicinal herbs within it anytime."
Zhang Ergou's eyes widened, staring at the old man in disbelief. He had never imagined the old man would offer such a generous condition. This was unheard of and unprecedented.
If, as the old man claimed, this snow mountain was at his command, then if he encountered an unbeatable enemy, he could simply throw the entire snow mountain at them.
Damn, just thinking about it was thrilling.
The old man noticed Zhang Ergou's lecherous expression, realizing that his offer had piqued the young man's interest. He felt a sense of relief.
As long as this brat was interested, he wouldn't refuse to help.
"Senior, are you speaking the truth?" Zhang Ergou was clearly very interested in the offer.
With his current cultivation, he stood no chance against cultivators at the late Golden Core stage. Jin Yuan and his ilk didn't take him seriously at all.
It was all because his strength and cultivation were insufficient, and he lacked the means to contend with them.
With the help of this snow mountain, firstly, his cultivation could greatly improve in a short period. The old man had previously stated that one year of cultivation here was equivalent to ten years outside.
Secondly, this snow mountain had fallen from the Kunlun Immortal Realm, and the spiritual energy it contained was far purer than that of the outside world.
In addition to these two advantages, the most crucial aspect was the scenario Zhang Ergou had just imagined: encountering an invincible opponent and simply hurling the snow mountain at them, crushing them to death.
"I naturally speak the truth, and I will not deceive you, little child."
Hearing Zhang Ergou's words, the old man readily agreed, his face filled with sincerity.
"Then, how can I be connected to you?"
Zhang Ergou was no fool. His Ghost Spear Tianwen had initially connected with his mind after he spat out a mouthful of blood.
This snow mountain must have a similar method to establish a connection with him.