Chen Shi felt uneasy. Ever since he woke up from near-death, he dreamed of cultivating again, shedding his useless identity, and gaining a new Divine Fetus. He wanted to become a scholar, pass the exams, become an official, and let his grandfather enjoy his old age in peace.
But now, his grandfather had gone to the underworld, and his own Divine Fetus seemed to have a big problem.
It was supposed to be a blessing from a True God, descending as a Divine Fetus. But now, whenever he encountered wandering spirits or divine apparitions, they would be absorbed into the temple as a Divine Fetus!
With other Divine Fetuses on the altar, would the True God still bless him during the grand ceremony for scholars?
"I've been praying to my godmother for over two years, finally receiving her blessing and protection, but I don't know if this blessing is good or bad."
Just as he thought this, he saw the yellow tiger peeking out from the temple door, curious about the outside world.
This small temple seemed to have a mysterious effect, allowing divine apparitions that couldn't stabilize elsewhere to gather here.
The tiger, which couldn't maintain its form before, found stability in Chen Shi's small temple.
The bull-headed, human-bodied divine apparition on the altar also stopped disintegrating. It hadn't fully formed yet, but it was much better than before.
Chen Shi used a mirror to observe the temple, noticing the incense smoke rapidly flowing toward the divine apparition.
The yellow tiger was also curious about the mirror in Chen Shi's hand, seemingly interested in its reflection.
The tiger was a full-grown adult, appearing quite gentle as it approached.
Suddenly, a massive head emerged from the small temple behind Chen Shi, casting a shadow over the mountain, spreading a terrifying pressure across the peaks of Heavenly Yang Mountain!
In front of the temple, Heiguo was startled and unsure, thinking the young master had lost control. Seeing the enormous tiger head, it immediately lay down pretending to sleep.
"The world of the living is too dangerous," thought the dog.
At the same time, all over Heavenly Yang Mountain, spirits of all sizes, including godmothers from nearby villages, felt the presence of the yellow tiger—ancient, long-lasting, powerful.
Behind the yellow tiger, another presence loomed like the majestic Heavenly Yang Mountain, solemn and compassionate.
In Rapeseed Village, Granny Sha was visiting the Hu family, discussing with Hu Xiaoliang how to expel the evil spirit from Chen Shi's body. Suddenly, the bearded man across from her stood up, looking toward the mountains with uncertainty.
"Granny, did you feel that?"
Granny Sha asked, puzzled, "Feel what?"
She suddenly sensed a powerful presence from the mountains, even more wild than the ancient serpent of Mysterious Mountain!
The ancient serpent had become peaceful over time, but this presence held a violent power!
"A new presence as strong as the ancient serpent has appeared in the mountains!" Granny Sha was amazed.
The ancient serpent, like the spirit of Heavenly Yang Mountain, was unfathomable in its cultivation, the strongest she had ever seen.
In that moment, a presence from the mountains rivaled it, making Granny Sha marvel.
"It's not just that powerful presence!"
The bearded man was still shocked, saying, "It's what's behind this presence, Granny, did you sense it?"
Granny Sha was confused, "What's behind it? Old Hu, stop speaking in riddles!"
The bearded man said, "It seems the king of Heavenly Yang Mountain has awakened!"
"What?" Granny Sha's face changed.
The Mountain Lord of Heavenly Yang Mountain had awakened.
The bearded man immediately got up, "As a citizen of Heavenly Yang Mountain, I must go pay my respects to the Mountain Lord!"
"I'll go with you!" Granny Sha followed him.
In the mountain village, a green sheep stood on two legs, leaning against a tree with a teacup. Suddenly, its hand shook, dropping the cup, as it looked up in shock.
Ordinary people couldn't see the giant tiger head, but the green sheep could see the massive head casting a shadow over the village.
"Mountain Lord..." it said, uncertain.
It went on all fours, heading toward Heavenly Yang Mountain.
As the green sheep left the village, a massive old turtle emerged from the forest, shaking off the heavy rocks on its back, snorting smoke, and heading toward the Mountain Lord's temple.
"Boom!"
The stream suddenly surged, flooding the land, but then shrank into a wide river.
A silver dragon, still young but capable of controlling the water, leapt from the river, roaring like a bull in the mountains, its voice deafening.
The green sheep had seen her a century ago, and thought she was gone, but she was still alive.
On the way, large spirit beasts seemed summoned, heading toward the Mountain Lord's temple, their numbers growing.
In the carriage heading to the provincial capital, Li Xiaozheng, the governor of New Township Province, was surrounded by Li family experts. Suddenly, he called out, "Stop the carriage."
The driver quickly halted.
Li Xiaozheng lifted the curtain and stepped out, looking toward the mountains.
"This presence..."
Behind him, his spirit rose into the sky, standing among the clouds, looking into the mountains.
Amidst the mist, he could only see a gigantic tiger head, roaring in the forest, awakening countless spirits.
Li Xiaozheng, uncertain, withdrew his spirit.
"Father, what's happening?" Li Jun asked, stepping forward.
Li Xiaozheng looked serious, "A powerful figure has appeared in Heavenly Yang Mountain, recklessly revealing their presence. This might not be good for our Li family."
He was worried. The Li family had worked hard to get him appointed as the governor of New Township Province for the wealth in Heavenly Yang Mountain. But they wanted others to think their goal was the True King's Tomb, while their real target was the Great Ming Treasure Ship.
While other families focused on the tomb, the Li family planned to seize the treasure ship. By the time others realized, it would be too late.
But the changes in Heavenly Yang Mountain worried him.
The ancient serpent exchanged a glance with the yellow tiger, feeling dazed.
When the tiger head emerged, not only the serpent but all spirits in Heavenly Yang Mountain felt a call from the ancient True King era.
This call was not just a bloodline suppression but a reverence from the people's hearts. It was the fear and uncertainty of the Great Ming soldiers and migrating people as they crossed the vast dark sea to the new continent.
They needed a deity to help them stand firm, fight diseases, and repel evil spirits. This call led them to bring a guardian statue from the ship, establishing a temple in Heavenly Yang Mountain, placing the statue in the shrine.
Since then, a deity has watched the sea, guarding the mountains, protecting this new land of Great Ming.
He is not only the guardian of the mountains but also a healer, curing the diseases brought by the long migration.
He is a descendant of Shennong, healing the yellow tiger, saving the green dragon, mastering medicine, and helping all beings. He also controls the Nine Yang Thunder Fire, giving mortals the power to slay gods and destroy immortals.
He is called the Medicine King of the Three Realms, the Heavenly Doctor of the Open Source, the Heavenly Lord of Universal Salvation, the Spirit of Gunpowder, the Great Real Person Sun!
His invention of gunpowder allowed mortals to shatter cultivators' golden cores, disperse nascent souls, and crush primordial spirits!
In the True King era, he traveled to the Western New Bull Continent, healing people, with the yellow tiger guarding the mountains, repelling evil spirits, maintaining order.
Many spirits in Heavenly Yang Mountain are medicinal plants planted by this Mountain Lord, now protecting the mountains and the people.
The ancient serpent looked toward the Mountain Lord's temple, silently wondering, "Mountain Lord, why did you sleep? Why have you awakened?"
His spirit descended, becoming a man in black, holding incense, offering a distant tribute, "You are the master of Heavenly Mountain, I am a child of Heavenly Mountain. You gave me life, nurtured me, I must offer my incense."
Chen Shi also noticed the changes in Heavenly Yang Mountain, as extraordinary power drifted from the mountains to his small temple.
It was the incense offered by the mountain spirits, forming extraordinary power, flowing into his temple, helping the deity's apparition form.
Among them were young spirits like the stream maiden and ginseng doll, as well as large trees, vines, and exotic beasts not yet fully formed, and village guardians like godmothers, and powerful spirits like the ancient serpent and Granny Zhuang.
They are the guardians of Heavenly Yang Mountain, and also its people, benefiting from the mountain's grace.
Receiving the mountain's grace, they must repay it.
This is the simple value of spirits.
Chen Shi used the mirror to see the Mountain Lord's apparition stabilizing in the temple.
It seemed that in two or three days, the Mountain Lord's apparition would be fully stable, without fear of destruction.
"But tomorrow is the announcement day, and the day after is the grand ceremony. Should I bring the Mountain Lord to the ceremony?"
Chen Shi was worried, closing the temple doors, leaving the Mountain Lord's temple, and heading down the mountain with Heiguo.
As they reached the foot of the mountain, Heiguo grew nervous, standing in front of the wooden cart, barking at the mountains.
Chen Shi sat in the cart, feeling it vibrate, the frequency and amplitude increasing.
As he wondered, he saw a flood of spirit beasts rushing toward them, like a torrent, sweeping over the hills, destroying the forest.
"So many spirit beasts, one step on me and I'd be crushed!"
Chen Shi was about to drive the cart away when the sky suddenly brightened. He looked up to see a blazing fireball hurtling toward Heavenly Yang Mountain, trailing a long black smoke, aiming for the Mountain Lord's temple!
"Little Shi, why are you here?" Granny Sha's voice called out.
Chen Shi looked and saw Granny Sha holding a small basket, standing on the head of a giant white fox. The fox had a black mane around its neck and nine tails, exuding a demonic aura, also heading for the Mountain Lord's temple.
"No—"
The white fox spoke in a human voice, sounding like the bearded man.
Chen Shi also saw a giant green sheep among the beasts, its front strong and muscular, with horns like sharp blades, but the blades were fifteen or sixteen feet long, claws like curved knives, intimidating other beasts.
"Uncle Green Sheep!"
Chen Shi wondered why they were here.
The green sheep leaped, stepping on clouds, lowering its head to intercept the incoming fireball, trying to deflect it!
But the fireball came fast and furious, accelerating, the green sheep unable to reach it in time!
The white fox howled, its tails waving, shattering the sky like glass, trying to block the fireball with countless sharp fragments.
But the fireball roared through the fragments, reaching the Mountain Lord's temple!
Many spirit beasts roared, some offering their inner cores, some using their innate abilities, some flying to intercept the fireball, but all too late.
In the temple, an ancient giant tree suddenly flourished, its crown expanding like a giant umbrella, trying to block the fireball.
It was an apricot tree, with its own spirit, trying to protect the Mountain Lord's temple, but the fireball pierced its crown, hitting the temple.
A blinding light erupted from the impact, followed by a fiery explosion, shattering the mountain, sending rocks flying into the sky.
Scorching hot winds expanded, carrying unimaginable power, blasting in all directions!
Many spirit beasts were ignited in the fire, instantly reduced to ash, leaving only bones standing, but the next moment, the bones turned red and burned to ash in the hot wind.
Chen Shi jumped from the cart, shielding Heiguo, holding the dog close, ready to resist the heat wave, when suddenly the surroundings became calm. He looked to see large trigrams spinning around him, blocking the hot wind.
Chen Shi released Heiguo, still shaken.
He saw stones falling from the sky, the surviving spirit beasts fleeing, dodging the falling rocks, some too slow, crushed to pieces, bloodied.
The hot wind passed quickly, and Chen Shi looked to the mountain top, seeing half of the peak gone, black smoke rising, the temple and giant apricot tree reduced to ash.
This scene was familiar.
When he and his grandfather went to the Moon Festival, a small mountain emerged from the ground, with a ruined temple. He practiced there, sunlight shining through the temple. As he descended in the morning, a fireball fell from the sky, a meteor, destroying the temple and the small mountain.
Now, it happened again!
Chen Shi suddenly remembered what his grandfather said when he returned home.
"Such things are as common as cattle on the Western New Bull Continent."
His grandfather had seen many similar events.
Now, he witnessed it again.
The explosion left Chen Shi's ears ringing, unable to hear Granny Sha, only seeing her anxious face, asking if he was hurt.
Uncle Green Sheep stood in the air, cursing, gesturing, but Chen Shi couldn't hear him.
The white fox staggered, looking lost, then angrily stared at the distant peak, shouting at the ancient serpent, seemingly blaming it for not stopping the fireball.
Chen Shi's ears still rang.
As his grandfather said, such events were indeed common on the Western New Bull Continent, but back then, they couldn't save the deities in those temples.
But...
"I saved it," Chen Shi thought, feeling inexplicably happy.
Chapter end.