"Um? Are we opening the mountain?" Zhao Xing, who had been listless, perked up upon hearing the commotion among the crowd and looked up.
To discuss the Opening the Mountain Technique, one must first mention the Sealing the Mountain Technique.
During the Spring Equinox, Zhao Xing had witnessed Chen Shijie perform the Sealing the Mountain Technique. Both of these techniques require the use of incantations.
At that time, the incantation Chen Shijie recited was: "The river wishes not to cease its flow to the four seas, the mountain wishes to endure naturally for eternity, I follow the command of the Great Ancestor, please protect this mountain, divine spirits."
"First, command the Mountain God to guard the five elements, harmonizing to give birth to all things. Second, command the Earth Mother to adjust yin and yang, merging to nurture true spirit. Third, command the True Lords of the eight directions to protect the path, allowing passage, while not harming the grass and trees. The mountain may be entered, and no beasts shall be seen; thus, seal the mountain immediately!"
Zhao Xing was quite familiar with the Sealing the Mountain Technique, but this version of the incantation was somewhat different from what he knew, lacking the first segment.
In fact, whether the first segment was present or not made no difference; it merely served to explain to the populace and to mention that this technique was decreed by the Great Ancestor.
The first segment was meant to inform everyone why the mountain needed to be sealed, adhering to sustainable development principles, as one could not hunt, gather herbs, or chop wood all year round.
The truly effective part was the second segment.
Because the Yin Spirits were invited to guard, after sealing the mountain, travelers could still traverse the mountain path, but they could not harm a single blade of grass or tree. If hunters sneaked in, they would see no wild beasts at all.
This was the Sealing the Mountain Technique.
"The version of the Sealing the Mountain Technique from the Fortune Dynasty requires the assistance of Yin Spirits, but the revival version does not, and it is even more advanced, with an additional function to capture evil spirits and filth."
"There is also a type of Sealing the Mountain Technique called 'Snow Mountain Command,' which is an absolute extermination technique, but it should not be effective at this time."
Zhao Xing recalled the incantation for the Snow Mountain Command he had used in his previous life:
"In the first watch, mist and dew fall; in the second watch, thick frost descends; in the third watch, heavy snow falls; in the fourth watch, frost adds to the snow."
"In the fifth watch, I hear the rooster crow; the trees in the mountains resonate with the azure."
"Dragons retract their claws, tigers shed their skins, and the mysterious birds lose their feathers."
"If there are ancestral Yin spirits scattered in the mountains, only white snow remains upon the earth."
The Snow Mountain Command is known as an absolute extermination technique because it can kill a spiritual mountain; even true dragons must retract their claws and devolve into flood dragons, while white tigers must shed their tiger skins, and the fated mysterious birds lose all their feathers.
If there are Yin spirits of kings and ancestors in the mountains, they too will be scattered, leaving only white snow on the entire mountain.
Under the Snow Mountain Command, everything is an illusion!
This Sealing the Mountain Technique could be said to be the revival version, the strongest killing move of the Agricultural Affairs Bureau.
Zhao Xing reminisced about the past, and when he came back to his senses, Chen Shijie had already begun casting the spell.
Sealing the mountain was relatively complex, while opening the mountain was much simpler.
"…The five elements and yin-yang are reversed, the technique reveals true spirit, the True Lords of the eight directions scatter, the Mountain God and Earth Mother return, I respect the command of the Great Ancestor, and immediately open this mountain!"
Chen Shijie held the official seal, reciting the incantation once, and a beam of golden light flew into East Lake Mountain.
The others from the Ninth Rank Agricultural Affairs Bureau repeated the incantation four or five times before golden light appeared.
At this moment, Zhao Xing could tell that Old Chen's rank was certainly not as simple as it appeared.
"He must be hiding his strength or has fallen in rank; otherwise, there wouldn't be such a large gap for someone at the Ninth Rank." Zhao Xing thought to himself.
After the golden light fell into East Lake Mountain, a hidden wave of energy spread from the mountain.
Zhao Xing cast the Bright Eyes Technique and immediately saw specks of starlight emanating from the mountain, accompanied by illusory phenomena.
A purple miraculous flower bloomed, a large tree bore crimson fruits, and there was a faint golden glazed lamp.
He only managed to capture these three phenomena; he could not see any more clearly.
"With Bright Eyes at full level, there are indeed benefits; at least if I encounter them, I won't fail to recognize them as treasures."
After the ritual was completed, Minister Li appeared again, announcing that the government would send the first batch of people to explore the mountain, clearing the path for the common people and eliminating threats.
Climbing the mountain was also part of the assessment for various officials.
"Charge!"
"Climb the mountain to gather spiritual essence!"
"Don't fight with me!"
As soon as the ban was lifted, many people rushed into the mountain eagerly.
It was clear they were rough and uncouth warriors.
Zhao Xing did not rush but leisurely carried his bamboo box as he walked.
East Lake Mountain was vast, and thorough exploration could not be completed in just three days.
It wasn't about who was faster; it depended on luck.
Zhao Xing felt somewhat confident in his luck.
"Zhao Sanjia, why aren't you rushing?" A familiar colleague ran over, curious.
"I'm just here to join the excitement; I have no hopes of anything. You all can go ahead first." Zhao Xing smiled, appearing as if he was merely there to watch the fun.
His voice was not small, and many gazes that had been focused on him immediately shifted away.
"I heard he is the recent rising genius of the Agricultural Affairs Bureau in Grain City; is this all he can do?"
"This time, there are many experts at Gathered Essence Eighth and Ninth Levels; he is said to only be at Gathered Essence Third Level, so it's normal he doesn't dare to compete."
"He does have some self-awareness."
"Hmph, maybe he's just pretending? Look at that bamboo box; it’s not light. If he were really just here to join the excitement, who would carry such a big thing?"
"Who cares if he's pretending? His strength is evident; there's no threat."
"Let's go, hurry up the mountain."
The whispers included voices from outside the county and from within; some thought Zhao Xing was pretending, while others believed he had self-awareness and was merely going through the motions.
Gradually, the crowd surpassed Zhao Xing, and soon he fell to the very back.
As he walked, Zhao Xing unexpectedly encountered a familiar face.
"Young Master Zong, why are you sitting here?"
He saw Zong Shichang had just reached a pavilion at the mountain's entrance and was resting.
"I got up too early and forgot to eat; I'm hungry."
Zong Shichang was also carrying a bamboo box, but his was mostly filled with food. He even pulled out a bowl of hot noodles!
Are you here for an assessment or a picnic?
Seeing Zhao Xing staring, Zong Shichang thought he was hungry too and generously offered another bowl: "Want some? It's excellent beef soup paired with fine rice noodles; it's delicious."
Zhao Xing initially didn't want to eat, but upon smelling the aroma, he changed his mind and sat down at the pavilion's edge to eat.
A rich man should not refuse a good meal.
"Ha~" After taking a bite, Zong Shichang asked with satisfaction, "How is it?"
"Indeed, it's quite good." Zhao Xing nodded.
"Want some wine?" Zong Shichang pulled out a bottle and uncorked it.
"I'll pass on the wine."
"Then forget it; drinking alone isn't fun." Zong Shichang crossed his legs, "Why are you lagging so far behind?"
Zhao Xing wiped his mouth: "There's no rush; climbing the mountain isn't about who runs faster. What about you, Young Master Zong?"
Zong Shichang laughed: "Do I look like someone lacking in spiritual essence? If it weren't for my father insisting I come, I wouldn't want to be here."
You really are overdoing it, jumping around like a fool in a toilet.
Is it really necessary to show off in front of a poor person?
"Then Young Master Zong, feel free; I'll take my leave first." Zhao Xing, carrying his bamboo box, intended to leave.
"Let's go together." Zong Shichang also stood up, "At least there’s someone to talk to; otherwise, it would be boring."
"I'm not bored alone." Zhao Xing politely declined.
Zong Shichang added: "Don't! My father has some influence in Nanyang County; if we encounter experts from outside the county, having me around gives you more assurance."
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(End of Chapter)