If I become a saint, a celestial official will summon me to raise horses.

Chapter 139 The Mountain God Descends, Punishment

The autumn wind was bleak as Zhen Qin and the others followed Master Xuanmiao through the mountains and forests.

Master Xuanmiao walked at the front, leaving a trail of blood, which greatly worried the people behind him. However, they knew that comforting him was futile, and they could only try their best not to disturb Master Xuanmiao.

boom--

A deafening explosion echoed from afar, and a fierce wind howled, flattening the trees. Everyone mobilized their spiritual power to resist the storm.

Xuanmiao Zhenren raised his sword to defend, and his Nascent Soul Realm cultivation blocked most of the pressure.

He couldn't help but spit out a mouthful of blood, making the Tai Xuan Sect's Enforcement Hall disciples behind him sweat with worry.

A few breaths later, the wind and waves stopped, and Xuanmiao Zhenren knelt down, planting his sword on the ground to steady himself.

The surrounding trees were almost all knocked down, and grass clippings were flying everywhere, creating a very messy scene.

Zhen Qin and the others gathered around, concerned for the safety of Master Xuanmiao.

Since Master Xuanmiao rescued them, they have been engaged in several fierce battles almost every day, which has prevented Master Xuanmiao from recovering from his injuries and has instead made them worse.

Master Xuanmiao raised his head, his pale face filled with resentment. He gritted his teeth and said, "The enemy is coming. Everyone, meditate!"

Upon hearing this, everyone quickly sat down. After spending several days together, they had developed an unconditional trust in Master Xuanmiao. Without Master Xuanmiao, they would have been dead long ago.

Master Xuanmiao took a deep breath and whispered, "Let's all call upon the Mountain God in our hearts and pray for his help!"

He had no other choice; his spiritual power was insufficient to perform the Divine Path Technique. The only thing he could think of was the Mountain God.

Although this place is far from the location of the mountain god, it is believed that the mountain god can sense it.

Everyone was taken aback by his words, and some disciples became even more anxious.

"If we don't run now, what's the point of praying to the mountain god!"

"That's right. The world is in chaos right now, and there's fighting everywhere. We might be able to escape while the chaos is at its worst."

"We'll take turns carrying you as we escape; we're sure we'll get to safety!"

"We can't just sit here and wait to die!"

"What mountain god is there in this world? If there were, how could the Ephemeral Flower Sect be allowed to run rampant?"

The disciples became more and more excited as they spoke, for they too felt a powerful aura approaching.

The Mysterious Immortal said, "There is no escape. The enemy has already locked onto us. Quickly sit in meditation and do as I say. There is still a glimmer of hope. If we delay and are caught by them, we will be unable to live or die."

Upon hearing this, the disciples could only grit their teeth and sit down.

Zhen Qin sat in the crowd, closed her eyes, and began to call upon the mountain god in her heart.

She doesn't want to die here!

In an instant, everyone sat down on the ground, silently calling upon the name of the mountain god.

……

Inside the inner city, Gu An was selecting seeds of high-grade medicinal herbs in the alchemy hall when he suddenly sensed something, and his expression turned strange.

It seemed as if someone was calling his name from the depths of his being.

This feeling is amazing; I've never experienced anything like it before.

He extended his divine sense, covering the land of the Nine Dynasties, and quickly locked onto the Mysterious True Man.

The one who called out to him was none other than the Mysterious Immortal!
Although there were other people meditating beside Master Xuanmiao, Gu An could clearly feel that only Master Xuanmiao was calling him. He could not hear Master Xuanmiao's inner thoughts, but he could feel Master Xuanmiao's strong desire to see him.

Could it be because of his identity as a mountain god?
Gu An was curious and suspected it was related to the Nirvana Realm. He had known Xuanmiao Zhenren for some time, and had never had such a feeling before his breakthrough.

Gu An noticed Zhen Qin's presence as a group of Tan Hua Sect cultivators approached them.

After hesitating for a moment, Gu An put down the seeds in his hand and turned to walk towards the gate.

……

In the mountains of Beihai, amidst a landscape of fallen trees, Xuanmiao Zhenren, Zhen Qin, and others sat cross-legged, all with their eyes tightly closed, as if facing death with equanimity.

A group of black-robed cultivators flew in from the horizon. The leader was an old man holding a wooden staff. He had a full head of white hair, his face was covered with brown spots, and a large python was coiled on his shoulders. He looked evil and terrifying.

He looked down at Xuanmiao Zhenren and said, "Xuanmiao Zhenren, are you surrendering?"

He did not act immediately. According to the information he had received, the Mysterious Immortal possessed a divine power that could summon the power of great cultivators, and several great cultivators of the Ephemeral Flower Sect had already died under this divine power.

Master Xuanmiao ignored him and continued to chant silently in his heart.

The old man with the wooden cane glanced at the others, his eyes flickering, hesitant.

The disciples of the Enforcement Hall were extremely nervous. Most of them had cold sweat on their foreheads. They dared not open their eyes and could only frantically call out to the mountain god in their hearts, or pray for a miracle to happen.

After a while, the old man with the wooden staff snorted coldly. He raised his wooden staff and slammed it in the air. In an instant, a torrent of demonic energy burst forth from the bottom of the staff, quickly covering the sky within a ten-mile radius.

The disciples of the Tai Xuan Sect's Enforcement Hall sensed something and opened their eyes. In their vision, it was as if they had suddenly entered the darkness, and the Tan Hua Sect cultivators floating in the air were like vengeful ghosts, looking down upon them. Everyone was extremely tense, their faces showing despair and fear, including Zhen Qin.

Master Xuanmiao also opened his eyes. He sighed, looked up at the sky, and his expression became calm.

"Very disappointed?"

A voice entered the ears of the Mysterious Immortal, causing him to subconsciously turn his head to look. Immediately afterward, his eyes widened, and a look of surprise appeared on his face.

"Mountain God!"

Upon hearing these two words, everyone else turned to look, and when their gazes fell upon the shoulders of the Mysterious Immortal, they all widened their eyes.

On the left shoulder of the Mysterious Immortal stood a small figure in white, wearing a theatrical mask. The figure's head was not even higher than the Mysterious Immortal's ear, which made the disciples think they were seeing things. Some even couldn't help but rub their eyes.

The old man with the wooden staff in the sky frowned, and he also saw the little man in white.

The other cultivators of the Ephemeral Flower Sect began to whisper among themselves. It was the first time they had ever seen such a small person. When they used their divine sense to investigate, they could not see the true face of the white-robed little man, nor could they sense any evil aura from him.

Gu An leaped off Xuanmiao Zhenren's shoulder and landed on a crooked tree next to him.

Master Xuanmiao immediately knelt before Gu An and said, "Please, Mountain God, save us! The Ephemeral Flower Sect has committed numerous evils and even attempted to sacrifice people from nine dynasties. This is truly outrageous and immoral. Please, Mountain God, save all living beings!"

The disciples of the Enforcement Hall came to their senses and turned around to kneel before Gu An.

Zhen Qin was also kneeling in worship, and looking at the little figure in white, she felt inexplicably close to him.

"Mountain god? What nonsense! I advise you not to meddle in other people's business!"

The old man with the wooden cane stared at Gu An and threatened him in a cold voice.

Ignoring the threat from the Nascent Soul Realm cultivator, Gu An turned to look at Xuanmiao Zhenren and said leisurely, "The mountain god does not save the common people, but only protects one piece of land. You are not people of this place, yet you want me to save you. This is against the rules of the immortals."

The Mysterious Immortal quickly replied, "After you make your move, we will naturally offer you our respects!"

"Yes, sincerity is key!"

Gu An turned to look at the old man with the wooden cane. He was too lazy to waste words, so he raised his right hand with his palm facing up.

As he raised his hand, the earth trembled violently, moving everyone present.

boom! boom! boom……

One after another, enormous tree roots burst forth from the earth, rushing towards the sky like a swarm of pythons. The old man with the wooden staff was so frightened that he hurriedly dodged, while the other cultivators of the Ephemeral Flower Sect were unable to dodge in time and were pierced through the flesh by the tree roots, their bodies shattered and their blood splattered in the sky.

The demonic energy in the sky dissipated instantly, and sunlight shone down. When Zhen Qin and the others saw the magnificent scene before them, they were all dumbfounded. Even Xuanmiao Zhenren was moved by it.

Towering trees stretched into the sky, lined up side by side, seemingly endless, like a green mountain suddenly rising and soaring into the clouds, stunning everyone's eyes.

The old man with the wooden staff quickly dodged and weaved. He brandished his staff and unleashed a powerful spell, with demonic energy surging and shaking the heavens and the earth. However, in less than three breaths, he was entangled by vines. He was horrified to discover that his spiritual power was suppressed within his body and could not leave.

"How could this be... Could it really be the mountain god?"

The old man with the wooden cane stared wide-eyed, thinking in despair, when his face was suddenly covered by vines, and his figure disappeared into the tangled branches, becoming one with the trees.

From high above, the area within a hundred miles was covered with dense, enormous trees. These trees intertwined to form a mountain of trees, a sight that shocked all living beings who witnessed it.

The Mysterious Immortal looked up at the tree mountain, and even with his eyesight, he couldn't judge how tall the trees were.

A series of prompts began to appear in front of Gu An's eyes.

Let's make a small profit!
Well, all these people combined didn't even live more than five thousand years!
Gu An stopped, and the terrifying and majestic tree mountain melted away, turning into countless green stars of light that scattered and disappeared in a very short time.

The enormous fissure in front of them, resembling an abyss, proved that what they had just witnessed was real!
The disciples of the Enforcement Hall looked at Gu An again, their eyes filled with awe and disbelief.

Such a small body can display abilities comparable to ghosts and gods, it truly is a mountain god!
And it's even stronger than the legendary mountain god!
Gu An looked at Xuanmiao Zhenren, stroked his chin, and pondered, "I already told you not to reveal my existence, so I have to punish you."

Upon hearing this, the Mysterious Immortal took out a square wooden box from his storage bag and said, "This junior is willing to accept the punishment, and this treasure is to repay the mountain god for his kindness in saving me."

Gu An raised his hand and moved the wooden box in front of him, then threw it into his storage bag. He had many storage bags, but he had specially exchanged them for one to avoid Zhen Qin finding out.

He leaped up and flew to Xuanmiao Zhenren, gently patted his forehead, and said, "As punishment, your cultivation level will drop by one year!"

In an instant, Xuanmiao Zhenren's expression changed, and his realm rapidly declined, his cultivation level plummeting all the way to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

It was Gu An's divine power, the Returning to Origin Divine Path!

This is a supernatural power awakened by the Innate Reincarnation Technique, which can seal the cultivation of others!

Zhen Qin and the others also sensed the rapid decline in Xuanmiao Zhenren's cultivation aura, and their expressions all changed drastically.

When Gu An looked at them, they all took out their treasures to offer to Gu An and promised never to reveal the existence of the mountain god to anyone else.

Gu An waved his sleeve, accepting all the things they offered. Then, with another wave, a gentle breeze arose, carrying them all towards the horizon, including the Mysterious Immortal.

"There is a difference between immortals and mortals. If you break your promise, even if you hide at the ends of the earth, I will find you."

Gu An's voice reached the ears of every disciple in the Enforcement Hall.

Update begins!
The weather is fluctuating between hot and cold; be careful not to catch a cold when using air conditioning.
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(End of this chapter)