Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 390 Pine Trees Covered in Snow, Righteous and Demonic Paths Diverge

The Dragon Kings of the Chinese seas each have their own unique characteristics.

For example, the one in the Yellow Sea calls himself "Lord," the two in the East Sea call themselves "Saint," and the one in the South Sea privately prefers to call himself "Ancestor."

For example, Huang Hailongjun built a palace at the bottom of the sea, Fu Hai Dasheng built a palace on an island, Tuo Tian Dasheng built a palace on a reef, and Lü Pao Lao Zu built a palace on land.

For example, the Dragon King of the Yellow Sea prefers to bestow titles with two-character names, and these titles are based on the sea frontier. For instance, the King of Huainan is bestowed upon the Huainan region, and the King of Huaibei upon the Huaibei region—simple and easy to understand. The two kings of the East Sea prefer to bestow titles with one-character names, and these titles have nothing to do with the sea frontier. Instead, they are bestowed based on the demon king's own characteristics. For example, the Cold Dragon of the Qiantang Sea is bestowed the title of Cold King, and the Crocodile Dragon of the Big Belly Sea is bestowed the title of Crocodile King.

The South China Sea is different. This ruler seems to act on a whim, bestowing titles with one or two characters, sometimes based on a territory, sometimes on a surname. For example, Xin Chenzi, who remained to guard the old territory of Baiman Mountain, was named Barbarian King; the most recently promoted demon ancestor of Wumeng Mountain, Xiao Youshi, was named Wumeng King; and the leader of the Ailao Mountain sect, Venerable Poison Dragon Mu Longzhang, was named Mu King. It seems entirely arbitrary, leaving people baffled.

But in any case, regardless of whether it's a single word or two, or what the specific title is, these four True Dragon Kings all conferred titles upon the four realms, without exception.

Until today, an exception has been made.

The Green-Robed Ancestor bestowed the title of King upon a third-realm Emei disciple—no, it should be said that it was a former Emei disciple, Yan Renying, and named him the King of Dianning.

The meaning of this name is easy to guess: peace and tranquility at Dianchi Lake. With peace and tranquility at Dianchi Lake, the Green-Robed Ancestor's heart is at peace with the Dian script.

Is a traitor from the Emei Sect at the third realm worthy of being granted the title of king?

Anyone with a bit of knowledge knows that this is absolutely worth it. Even without considering the "Immortal Raft" sword and Biji Mountain, just the identity of the head disciple of the Emei Sect and the current senior disciple of the Seven Swordsmen is enough.

The question is whether this traitor from Emei would still be willing to accept the imperial decree, given that the Emei sect leader himself is welcoming him back.

Everyone who rushed over upon hearing the news was watching intently.

Qi Shuming, the leader of the Emei Sect, stopped reciting his oath and, like everyone else, looked at the imperial edict.

After reading the imperial edict, the silver-robed warrior behind the green-robed patriarch released the crimson silk dragon edict in his hand. The crimson silk was no ordinary object; it grew longer in the wind after being released and quickly transformed into a red glow, drifting towards Biji Mountain, with the golden dragon emblem on it clearly visible.

The rosy clouds flew over Dianchi Lake, getting closer and closer to Biji Mountain.

Finally, a hoarse voice echoed from the long-silent Biji Mountain.

"Yan Renying accepts the order."

A beam of mysterious light flew out from Biji Mountain, then condensed into a giant hand, which went to catch the red glow.

At this moment, Qi Shuming, who had been standing in the void, suddenly turned cold, his disappointment evident. He pointed, and a sword light flew out, shattering both the crimson clouds and the giant hand. Then he turned and pointed again, sending out another sword light that struck the two figures on the pillar of the Nanpan River.

"Ha ha ha ha--"

The green-robed patriarch burst into laughter, then shoved aside the warrior behind him. At that moment, a sword flashed, shattering the green-robed patriarch's body into a burst of water vapor. But in the next instant, another water dragon emerged from the column, transforming into another green-robed patriarch, exactly like the first, even continuing his laughter without pause.

At the same time, accompanied by the laughter of the Green-Robed Ancestor, the Nanpan River surged and churned, with countless water columns rising up. Then, a water dragon flew out from each water column, and they all transformed into the Green-Robed Ancestor. In an instant, countless Green-Robed Ancestors appeared, all laughing loudly to the sky, their laughter echoing in one place.

"Great Sword Immortal Qi, this is Yunnan, this is the Nanpan River, do you think you are in your Emei Mountain?"

Countless green-robed elders pointed at Qi Shuming and burst into laughter.

Qi Shuming remained expressionless, knowing that the green-robed man's magical power had improved again, but he didn't show it on his face. After testing him once, he didn't attack the green-robed man again, but instead looked back at Biji Mountain and said,

“Renying, one wrong step leads to another. The Demonic Sect is skilled at using flattery and manipulating people. You are still young and easily deceived by unrealistic favors. But I don’t blame you. In front of the world, what I say still stands. When you understand things, Emei will still welcome you. Your family will be fine. You can come home anytime.”

As he spoke, he unleashed another beam of mysterious light, which descended upon Biji Mountain, and said,

"You killed the Black-Clad Commander of Fuxian Lake just a few days ago. I had already prepared a gift for you—the 'Capturing Light and Shadow' technique—but unexpectedly, this turn of events occurred. Today, you have been bewitched, but your years of merit in conquering Yunnan cannot be denied. I will still give you this gift."

Seeing this, the Green-Robed Ancestor also pointed, unleashing a beam of black light that struck Dianchi Lake. The azure light barrier above Dianchi Lake did not impede the black light; upon impact, it created a towering column of water. This column, after leaping out of the lake's surface, transformed into a snow-white dragon, which then attacked the beam of light.

With a loud bang, both the Xuan Guang and the white dragon vanished.

Immediately, the waters of Dianchi Lake surged and spewed forth again, transforming once more into a green-robed patriarch, standing in mid-air, extremely close to Qi Shuming. A sneer escaped his lips.
"Alright, Great Sword Immortal Qi, stop with the sarcastic remarks. Renying is highly skilled. Back then, we were on opposing sides, so it was only right that he killed my men. My sect also killed many Emei members. However, Renying has been driven to despair by you and has come to the south, joining forces with me to fight against your Emei. The past is naturally irrelevant. I can still make the decisions on this matter, so don't waste your energy trying to sow discord."

"As for your things, it's hard to say whether they're good or bad, and Renying doesn't care about them."

Qi Shuming ignored the green-robed man, uttered a single sentence towards Biji Mountain, and then turned and left.
"Renying, take care of yourself."

The Green-Robed Ancestor was truly delighted today. Seeing Qi Shuming return to Western Shu, he burst into another long, unending laugh. Then, he looked towards Jade Chicken Mountain, summoned an object, held it in his palm, and said…
"Renying, receive the royal seal."

With a flick of his wrist, the object in his palm slowly flew out. It was a jade seal, the knob of which was a jade rooster with its head held high, pecking at a purple ribbon. It seemed that the green-robed man had specially crafted it for Yan Renying.

Wang Yin slowly flew closer to Biji Mountain. At this moment, a beam of mysterious light flew out from the mountain and transformed into a human figure, which was Yan Renying.

Cheng Xinzhan and Feng Jihu both had their pupils shrink and their expressions changed drastically when they saw the figure flying out.

His hair turned white overnight!
That man, who was as slender as a pine tree leaning against a jade mountain, suddenly turned white-haired overnight, his pine tree covered in snow!

The grieving man took the royal seal; his face was deathly pale, his eyes bloodshot, his lips cracked, and he spoke in a hoarse voice.

"Renying accepts the seal and thanks the Great Sage."

Those who had gathered around Dianchi Lake to watch the spectacle felt a pang of regret upon seeing the former Emei Sect's senior disciple and Pavilion Master Zhuanxu reduced to this state overnight. At the same time, everyone realized that while the Emei Sect leader had spoken at length without the man responding, the man had first received the decree and seal through his magical powers, and now he was personally accepting the seal. His actions clearly demonstrated to the world that Yan Renying was no longer a disciple of Emei, but rather a demon king of the Southern School!

Green Robe was also surprised that Yan Renying went out to receive the seal in person. He really couldn't understand why the Emei couple, who were such talented and knew when to advance and retreat, would push people away. Could it be that their cultivation method was also problematic, just like his own in his early years, that they had gone astray and damaged their brains?
He was increasingly pleased inside, but his face still showed a pained expression. He went to Yan Renying, patted her on the shoulder, and then said,

"Renying, from now on you can focus on your cultivation at Biji Mountain and take good care of Jiangxi for me. You don't need to worry about anything else. Take good care of your health and advance to the fourth realm as soon as possible. If there's anything you can't solve, go to Ailao Mountain to find King Mu, or go to Wumeng Mountain to find King Wumeng. Alternatively, you can contact me directly with the royal seal."

"Renying obeys."

After the Green-Robed Ancestor finished speaking, he didn't enter Biji Mountain. Instead, he turned around and left. As soon as he left Dianchi Lake, he transformed into a cloud of rain in the sky and fell down. His form scattered and his spirit flew away, and the Nanpan River returned to calm.

Yan Renying clearly didn't want to stay outside for long. Seeing the green-robed man turn and leave, he also turned and went back to the mountain without making a sound.

Dianchi Lake has regained its tranquility.

“Let’s go, let’s go back too,” Cheng Xinzhan said to Feng Jihu.

"Ah."

Feng Jihu nodded. The overall situation was settled; the righteous and the demonic paths diverged. No matter how much he felt sorry for Renying, now was definitely not the time to go over and reminisce. And after this, it was hard to say whether the group would ever have another chance to get together and catch up.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The two returned to Butterfly Valley and sat down for a long talk.

"It is estimated that the battle for Yuyang is about to resume."

Cheng Xinzhan said.

"Because of the west?"

Feng Jihu said.

Cheng Xinzhan nodded.
"Indeed, the Pearl River is too long. Once the Green Robe Sect secures the middle, it inevitably has to worry about the front and rear. Previously, there was little resistance when invading Yunnan, so the Green Robe Sect moved eastward to attack Yuyang. Later, the Xuanmen Sect gathered its forces in Xikang and moved south to Yunnan and Miao areas, so the Green Robe Sect had to focus on the front, and Yuyang turned from offense to defense."

"Now, he has subdued a fierce dragon to guard the Wumeng Mountains and protect the gateway to Miao territory. He has also won over the heroes of Renying and Biji Mountain to defend the west bank of the Nanpan River. In this way, Green Robe can free up manpower to attack Yuyang."

"Then why not continue westward to incorporate the Yunnan language, or head north to Sichuan and Kangding?"

Feng Jihu asked.

Cheng Xinzhan answered immediately upon hearing this.

"If Green Robe were smart enough—judging from his appointment of Renying as king, he is clearly smart enough—he wouldn't have done this. His base is in the Pearl River and the South China Sea. His campaigns against Yunnan and Miao regions are actually aimed at controlling the Pearl River basin. Even when his military force was aimed directly at Kangshu, that was also to prevent the Xuanmen from interrupting his process of absorbing the Pearl River."

“Look, with the four places of Xianren Cave, Qinglong Cave, Fanjing Mountain and Fuxia Lake closed off, he has controlled the Miao region, especially the area south of the Wujiang River. He has basically stopped making any moves against Sichuan and Chongqing. After setting up Wumeng Mountain and Loushan Pass as gateways in northern Miao, he immediately switched from offense to defense and focused his energy on eastern Yunnan.”

"Although Sichuan and Chongqing are a land of plenty, their foundations are too deep, making it virtually impossible to conquer them. Moreover, Green Robe is a member of the Dragon Clan, while Sichuan and Chongqing are surrounded by mountains, making them of little significance to him. The same goes for Xikang; it's too vast, a plateau on land, and directly borders the Northern Faction. What use would it have?"

"The same goes for western Yunnan. These places are all inland, with high mountains and treacherous terrain, so they're not very valuable to Green Robe. Apart from the Pearl River Basin, Green Robe can't even control the rest of the region if he takes too much, so there's no need to bother fighting for them. Take the Poison Dragon Venerable of Ailao Mountain, for example. As long as he nominally belongs to the Southern Faction, gets a king's title, and governs his own territory, he can remotely respect Green Robe. It's not much different from before. If there are others like the Five Poison Heavenly Kings who want to expand their territory and invade Xikang, Green Robe would be happy to see that. He'll help if he can, and if it succeeds, great; if not, it's not a big deal."

At this point, Cheng Xinzhan paused. When it came to understanding the dragon race, among the human race, he was definitely among the most knowledgeable, having a great karmic connection with dragons and having survived the dragon tribulation. His expression became serious. He continued...
"But the East is different. Yuyang is located along the coast, directly bordering the South China Sea. It has numerous waterways and rivers flowing into the sea. Such a place would be the greatest benefit to Green Robe. If he takes Yuyang, he will have two coastal areas connected to the South China Sea, linking the land and sea into one, with surging water transport. It wouldn't be impossible for him to become a True Immortal of the Heavenly Dragon."

"Even if the Heavenly Dragon is far and ethereal, he can still cultivate his trusted dragon descendants to travel along smaller rivers to the sea. For example, wasn't the demon dragon of Dinghu Mountain adopted as his son? And wasn't Cao Jin highly regarded by him? The Green Robe travels along the Gupan River, which is the Pearl River's West River to the sea. He can't allow it to flow into the sea, so excluding the North River and East River, there are other independent rivers flowing into the sea within Yuyang, such as the Crocodile Creek, Jian River, Moyang River, Tan River, and Rong River. Although these rivers are not as great as the major rivers, they could still potentially allow dragon descendants from the four realms to transform into dragons, especially the Crocodile Creek and Jian River, which are both large rivers. As for the other smaller rivers, even if they are difficult to transform into dragons, they can still greatly increase the magical power of dragon descendants from the four realms or allow third-realm dragons to advance to the fourth realm. That shouldn't be a problem, right?"

"Given this advantageous terrain, where do you think the Green Robe will strike after stabilizing the Nanpan River?"

After hearing Cheng Xinzhan's detailed analysis, Feng Jihu nodded in agreement.

"In that case, the possibility of the war in Yuyang restarting is indeed the greatest. If that's the case, we need to remind the sect and the alliance to prepare as soon as possible."

"Do not worry."

Cheng Xinzhan said,

"There are countless capable people in the Zongli Alliance, and the commotion at Dianchi Lake is so great, they must all know about it and have already made countermeasures."

"And what about you? Are you going over there? You shouldn't go over there, you're already pregnant."

"I haven't thought about it yet."

Cheng Xinzhan shook his head. He did want to take a break while he was pregnant, but if the war really raged, he doubted he would be able to stay still.

Over the next three or four days, the two brothers, who hadn't seen each other for a long time, sat down for a long talk, slept side by side, and talked for a long time.

He talked about his early cultivation, the current situation of his fellow disciples, the past of Xikang, and the current challenges of cultivation and exorcising demons. He also looked forward to his personal future and the general trend of the times.

In the past few days, Cheng Xinzhan also took the opportunity to upgrade and reinforce the array formations and restrictions in some important areas of Butterfly Valley. This place is well-connected, making it convenient for gathering information, but it is also very chaotic, so caution is still advised.

On the fifth day, Cheng Xinzhan suddenly received a message from the clan.

"The sect leader has summoned me back to the mountain."

He said.

"Did something happen?"

Feng Jihu asked.

"No, but it sounded a bit rushed, yet not that rushed, and the tone was strange."

Cheng Xinzhan said he felt a little strange.

"I guess they have something to discuss with you. You're a big shot in the sect now."

Feng Jihu said with a smile.

"I just hope it's not bad news anymore. Could it be that Yu Yang has already made a move?"

Cheng Xinzhan made a guess.

"Stop guessing, you'll find out when we get back. Hurry up and go, don't delay things. Oh, by the way, I've made a lot of medicine over the years, for internal and external injuries, for detoxification and healing, all kinds. Take some with you, just in case. Wait a moment, I'll go get it."

Feng Jihu seemed to have been prepared in advance. He went to the pharmacy and soon came out carrying large and small bags, which he handed to Cheng Xinzhan.

Cheng Xinzhan and Feng Jihu didn't stand on ceremony; they accepted the medicine, mounted their lions, and rode away.

It really comes in a hurry and goes in a hurry.

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(End of this chapter)