Chapter 147: The Legend of the Mountain God, Temples Across the World
Under the sunlight, the vast clouds of dust and debris lingered, refusing to dissipate. The leaders of the Nine Dynasties' sects gathered atop the massive tree roots, staring at the surrounding scenery, speechless.
Lü Baitian stood there, still in shock, even though the high-ranking members of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect had perished some time ago. The sense of awe in his heart had not faded.
They had fought for so long, unable to break through the defenses of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect. And yet, in just a few short breaths, the Sect's leader and all its Grandmasters had been completely wiped out?
What exactly had happened?
These figures, who stood at the pinnacle of the Nine Dynasties' cultivation world, now all shared a mix of complex emotions—fear and unease.
Surviving this catastrophe brought relief, but after the initial calm, a chilling terror set in.
The mysterious force that had so effortlessly annihilated the Ephemeral Blossom Sect—could it also just as easily wipe them out?
Liang Canghai, the Sect Leader of Cangtian Sect, turned to Tianshu Daoist from Three Purities Mountain and asked, "Tianshu Daoist, do you know what kind of power this was?"
All eyes turned to Tianshu Daoist, their gazes filled with hope.
As one of the oldest sects within the Nine Dynasties, Three Purities Mountain undoubtedly had a deeper understanding of the world's mysteries than anyone else.
Tianshu Daoist's face was complex. He took a deep breath and responded, "Even I do not know which entity intervened. Perhaps it was the heavens punishing the Ephemeral Blossom Sect."
The heavens?
The expressions of the various sect leaders shifted.
Zhong Wuji, the Sect Leader of Jue Mountain Sect from the Tai Cang Dynasty, gazed off into the distance and sighed, "If the heavens have a spirit, why did it take so many deaths for them to act?"
Following his gaze, one could see disciples from various sects helping the captives who had been used as sacrifices. Their figures were as numerous as stars in the sky, yet they seemed so insignificant amidst the vast sea of trees.
No one answered Zhong Wuji's question. This battle had shattered their pride.
Having witnessed such terrifying power, they now understood that the Body Fusion Realm was insignificant, and even Grandmasters of the Profound Heart Realm were little more than slightly stronger ants.
The Grandmasters of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect had died without the slightest chance of resistance. Their despair before death was something no one present could forget.
"It was the Mountain God! The Mountain God took action!"
A voice suddenly rang out, startling everyone. They turned to see Xuanmiao Zhenren flying swiftly toward them.
Lü Baitian recognized him—second on the Golden Ranking, the only person who had forced An Hao to fight with his full strength.
Xuanmiao Zhenren landed before Tianshu Daoist and bowed.
An elder from Three Purities Mountain quickly asked, "Xuanmiao, what Mountain God? Do you know what happened?"
Taking a deep breath, Xuanmiao Zhenren looked at the sect leaders and said, "It was the Mountain God who destroyed the Ephemeral Blossom Sect. The Mountain God hides deep in the mountains, hard to find. I was fortunate enough to meet him. Earlier, the Mountain God gave me a wooden figure, instructing me to use it to save the world. Everything that happened was because of that wooden figure."
As he spoke, reverence filled his expression.
The sect leaders began bombarding him with questions, making the area suddenly lively.
Liang Canghai of Cangtian Sect seemed to think of something and waved toward the distance. Soon, a disciple flew over, holding a wooden figure in his hand.
Liang Canghai gestured, and the figure floated into his hand. He then asked Xuanmiao Zhenren, "Is this the wooden figure?"
Xuanmiao Zhenren immediately nodded. "Yes, this is the Mountain God's statue. You must not offend it."
All eyes fell on the wooden figure in Liang Canghai's hand, making him feel as though it was burning hot.
Despite some doubting Xuanmiao Zhenren's words, Tianshu Daoist suddenly cast a spell, freezing Xuanmiao Zhenren in place. He waved his horsetail whisk over Xuanmiao's forehead, extracting a fragment of memory.
Everyone saw Xuanmiao Zhenren kneeling in the woods, and there, perched on a branch, was a small figure clad in white.
Seeing this white-robed figure, Liang Canghai was so startled that he dropped the wooden statue.
It looked exactly the same!
The fact that the Mountain God appeared so small only made the gathered crowd more convinced of his divine nature.
"Nine Dynasties will face extinction. When the people perish, and demons invade, there will be none left to worship you!"
"Who says only humans can worship me? And who told you I only protect the human race?"
"If you want me to intervene, it's not impossible, but..."
"But what? What do you want?"
"I want you to serve me as my eternal servant, to build and guard my temple, and never again taste freedom!"
Hearing the Mountain God's words sent chills down everyone's spine.
His earlier words had been mysterious, impossible to decipher. But this final demand showed the Mountain God's fearsome nature—capricious and merciless.
Dealing with deities was never without an unbearable cost.
As they continued to watch, the crowd became even more shaken when the memory showed Xuanmiao Zhenren raising his head and speaking words that would forever resonate within their hearts.
"Very well, I am willing to serve as the Mountain God's eternal servant. I only ask for the Mountain God's aid in saving the world!"
"Take this, and go save the world."
The Mountain God tossed the wooden figure to Xuanmiao, who accepted it reverently before departing.
At this point, the vision suddenly cut off.
Tianshu Daoist's face paled, and he coughed up a mouthful of blood. His complexion grew even more ashen.
Xuanmiao Zhenren, now released from the spell, frowned as he glanced at Tianshu Daoist.
The sect leaders now looked at Xuanmiao Zhenren with a newfound complexity.
His willingness to sacrifice himself for the sake of the world had earned their deepest respect. He truly lived up to being the sole inheritor of the Taiqing Lineage from Three Purities Mountain.
With the existence of the Mountain God now confirmed, a collective sense of relief washed over the group.
Compared to the notion of Heaven's Will, the existence of the Mountain God gave them more reassurance.
Moreover, based on the Mountain God's words, it seemed he cared little for the affairs of the mundane world.
"The Mountain God... cannot be predicted or divined..."
Tianshu Daoist, still weak and supported by his fellow disciples, spoke these words with a tone of deep reverence.
Taking a deep breath, Liang Canghai said, "Everyone, we must not offend the Mountain God and risk bringing disaster upon the Nine Dynasties. But we also cannot forget the Mountain God's great deeds. We must remember his image and build temples and shrines in his honor. Let the world know of the Mountain God's grace!"
Upon hearing this, all the sect leaders nodded in agreement.
Xuanmiao Zhenren walked over to Liang Canghai and reclaimed the wooden figure floating in the air.
He then turned toward the members of Three Purities Mountain, bowing deeply. "Elders, please tell my master that I am no longer a disciple of the Taiqing Lineage of Three Purities Mountain, and I will not be returning. I hope the sect can forgive my disobedience."
The elders of Three Purities Mountain sighed but did not stop him.
"A man without trust has no standing. Serving the Mountain God may not be a punishment, Xuanmiao. No matter what happens in the future, you must never defy the Mountain God's will. Do you understand?" Tianshu Daoist spoke solemnly.
Xuanmiao Zhenren nodded and turned to leave.
Several of the sect leaders considered whether to send someone to follow him, but after glancing at the terrifying sight around them, they decided against it.
At least for now, it was best not to provoke the Mountain God.
In the distance...
Lu Lingjun stood atop one of the enormous trees, the White Spirit Demon Emperor having shrunk and now coiled around her shoulder.
"The Mountain God... Truly, the Heaven-Spirit World has celestial beings!" the White Spirit Demon Emperor exclaimed excitedly.
They had witnessed the entire discussion among the sect leaders from afar, even seeing the memory Tianshu Daoist had extracted.
It wasn't just them; the Profound Heart Realm cultivators from every sect had also been watching, witnessing each scene unfold.
The existence of the Mountain God shook the very foundation of what these cultivators knew to be true.
As for Lu Lingjun, her thoughts were fixated on the small white-robed figure from the vision.
Back at Xuan Valley, inside his pavilion...
Gu An was in an excellent mood. This intervention had earned him a staggering 1.27 million years of lifespan.
Of that, the most significant contributor was Jing Tuxian, the near-Mahayana realm master, who granted him 649 years. The eighth-ranked Ephemeral Blossom Tree had given him 7,500 years, while the remaining Ephemeral Blossom Sect cultivators contributed only a few dozen years each. The Grandmasters of the Profound Heart Realm mostly gave less than forty years each.
In total, Gu An had slain nearly 30,000 cultivators from the Ephemeral Blossom Sect. While this wasn't the entirety of the sect, it was certainly their elite force. After this battle, the Ephemeral Blossom Sect would undoubtedly collapse.
Just the Grandmasters he had killed numbered seventy-two!
Gu An looked at his total lifespan, which now exceeded 3.3 million years. He was in an even better mood and pulled out The Adventures of Green Hero to enjoy a bit of leisure.
Now that the Ephemeral Blossom Sect was destroyed, there should be peace for a few decades.
Perhaps, he mused, he might even surpass a lifespan of ten million years before the impending calamity of the demon horde.
The battle at Wanji Forest hadn't yet reached Tai Xuan Sect. The sect was still on high alert, remaining tense and prepared for whatever might come next.
By nightfall, Gu An set out to gather Ephemeral Blossoms.
As before, each blossom only provided him with one extra year of life, but Gu An didn't mind at all. Every bit of life extension was precious.
Three days later.
Tai Xuan Sect was in an uproar!
The news of the destruction of the Ephemeral Blossom Sect had spread throughout the cultivation world.
At noon, Ye Lan came to visit Gu An, bringing news of the battle at Wanji Forest. As a disciple of the Law Enforcement Hall, her information was comprehensive and detailed. She even spoke of the Mountain God.
"The Mountain God's power was beyond compare," Ye Lan said with enthusiasm, her usual composed demeanor replaced by excitement. "The Ephemeral Blossom Sect was strong, but the Mountain God wiped them out in an instant! I can't believe such power exists. In those old legends, the Mountain God was only responsible for protecting small areas of land. But our Mountain God is extraordinary! If someone told me he was a celestial being from the heavens, I'd believe it!"
For cultivators, the revelation of a Mountain God's existence was truly invigorating.
It confirmed that deities and divine beings truly existed in the world.
Gu An pretended to be equally enthusiastic, asking question after question, stoking Ye Lan's excitement as she recounted every detail.
He had long anticipated that the Mountain God's legend would spread far and wide. Xuanmiao Zhenren was unlikely to reveal Gu An's true identity, but he certainly would praise the Mountain God wherever he went.
Gu An had even sensed when Tianshu Daoist had attempted to extract Xuanmiao's memories with his mystic arts.
This was the capability of a true immortal!
Gu An had retaliated by sending a distant divine sense to lightly punish Tianshu Daoist—a subtle warning to him and the other sect leaders.
Tianshu Daoist, unaware of what had struck him, thought he had suffered a backlash from the Mountain God's will, only intensifying his reverence.
After chatting with Ye Lan for two full hours, she finally took her leave.
Her fighting spirit had been reignited, emboldened by the existence of the Mountain God. After all, if celestial beings truly existed, what couldn't they accomplish?
However, Gu An had underestimated the impact of the Mountain God's legend.
In the following days, whenever he ventured to the outer city of the sect, he overheard numerous conversations about the Mountain God. Temples were already being constructed in the outer city, bustling with people burning incense and offering prayers to the Mountain God.
At the same time, the Nine Dynasties' sects were diligently working to eradicate the remaining Ephemeral Blossoms.
Within less than a month, ninety percent of the world's Ephemeral Blossoms had been eliminated, with only a few scattered remnants left behind. Gu An had no desire to spend time chasing them down.
Still, his harvest had been vast!