Mythology

Chapter 368 Believe and it exists; disbelieve and it doesn't.
Yang He's four ghosts vanished completely, but they did not lose their vitality. Instead, their consciousness became hazy, and the heavenly tribulation quietly eroded their bodies and souls.

He looked bewildered, still pondering the strangeness of Jiepai Pass.

eccentric!
Could it be that there are really gods or immortals protecting us?
Logically speaking, it's not impossible, since although it has a very low profile in Investiture of the Gods, the story itself revolves around a job fair.

But Yang He felt it was impossible. The so-called immortals who possessed the three demons of Xuanyuan Tomb had paid a great price to secretly descend to the mortal realm. At the same time, according to the Dragon King of the East Sea, the evil nature of the Heavenly Court far exceeded that of the mortal realm.

Yang He forced his eyes open, and the city was filled with scenes of singing and dancing.

"Damn it, if they really are celestial beings from heaven, are they doing charity work here?"

"There's definitely something wrong!"

Yang He's once plump flesh was now withered and shriveled, his fingernails were tinged with a murky yellow, and his skin was covered with crisscrossing grooves.

In a short time, he has transformed from a middle-aged man into an elderly man in his twilight years.

"My tribulation is probably an enhanced version, relying entirely on my immortal body to suppress it. If the Integration Realm is already this powerful, the Tribulation Transcending Realm would probably be reduced to bones in no time. It's difficult to deal with."

He had already reached the peak of the Integration Realm and had never attempted to break through the bottleneck.

It is because those who have transcended the tribulation realm must go all the way to become immortals in one go, otherwise no matter how many lives they have, it will not be enough. The opportunity lies in this story.

"Cough cough cough."

Yang He was too weak to get up and silently waited for his consciousness to return to the main world.

I could faintly hear rustling sounds and heard hurried footsteps approaching.

"How did the old man end up collapsed on the main road? Carry him to the Immortal Lord!!"

"Be careful, the old man is frail and probably not a local. Let him catch his breath before bringing him into Jiepai Pass. May the Immortal Lord protect him."

"May the immortals protect you."

Yang He was in a state of half-sleep and half-awake. He didn't know how much time had passed. When the dazzling morning light began to appear, the heavenly tribulation did not intensify any further.

He woke up instantly and found himself leaning against the tangled roots of a banyan tree.

To be precise, it's at the base of the mountain god's tree.

A dozen or so temple keepers carefully hung the heads of three animals on the tree.

Among them were both old and young people. From their conversation, we learned that the young temple priest who had helped Yang He carry the boy to the banyan tree was named Yu San.

They removed the three shriveled animal heads from the previous night and neatly piled them on the open ground.

"The old man is awake?"

Yu San smiled and squatted down, handing over a section of green bamboo tube. "Old man, drink some spring water blessed by the Water Deity Star Lord. Although it's just ordinary water, it's blessed by the Star Lord and can cure all diseases."

Yang He took the bamboo tube and took a small sip. He immediately felt the warm medicinal power coursing through his limbs and bones, and three yang fires ignited. The wrinkles at the corners of his eyes smoothed out a little.

real or fake?

He examined the bamboo tube, and the information revealed by his spiritual vision was indeed ordinary water.

"I have always adhered to the practice of refining pills that enhance Yang fire, but I have been refining pills for several years and have never done anything that only adds Yang energy without paying a price."

Is this...scientific?

Yu San nodded and added, "Old man, this clear water is everywhere in Jiepai Pass, and every household's well is blessed by the Water Deity."

Yang He felt a chill and was really not used to the kind looks people were giving him. Why did he suddenly feel like the world of classical stories had returned to normal?
That shouldn't be the case. Could it be that the Tongtian Sect Leader set up the Immortal Slaughtering Formation to benefit all people?

"Do you change the offerings for the Immortal Lord every day?" Yang He asked in a hoarse voice.

The three animals are cattle, sheep, and pigs, and their deaths are incredibly bizarre, with their mouths wide open, their expressions blissfully welcoming death.

Morning dew still clung to the sheep's eyes and the cow's tongue, reflecting eerie iridescent light.

He bowed to the banyan tree at three o'clock and said, "It is the Immortal Lord's mercy that only three animal heads are needed to protect travelers along the way. We will naturally protect them every day."

Yang He tried to elicit a few more questions, but failed to obtain any useful clues.

When asked about the origins of the immortal lord or the other immortals and deities of Jiepai Pass, the temple keeper would give somewhat evasive answers, not because his intelligence was somehow affected, but because he himself did not know the reason.
It was as if... immortals and gods appeared out of thin air at Jiepai Pass.

The temple keeper wrapped the heads of the pig and sheep and buried them in the soil not far away, while he lifted the ox head high above his head, preparing to take it back to Jiepai Pass.

“Old man, let me help you into the city. You can live with us. Jiepai Pass is protected by the immortals, so the young will be cared for and the old will have someone to rely on.”

Yang He felt increasingly awkward, but he didn't say anything in order to sneak into Jiepai Pass.

A paradise on earth?

Damn it, even if there really is a paradise on earth, it shouldn't be something set up by a sage.

Although sages do not target ordinary people, they are indescribable in themselves, and even a slight outward manifestation of their aura is enough to destroy an area within a hundred miles.

"There must be something wrong with this Immortal Slaughtering Formation."

"Perhaps the story has only just begun. We haven't seen any immortals from either sect yet, so we must find out the truth."

Yang He drank the spring water in one gulp, and his immortal body regained some of its functions. He staggered to his feet and limped towards Jiepai Pass.

Along the way, some pilgrims had already left the city to worship the mountain god.

The worshippers looked devout, with satisfied smiles on their faces, exchanging only goodwill, which made Yang He... shudder.

Yang He glanced at the bull's head casually; despite the sweltering heat, it showed no signs of decay.

However, the fur shrank and hardened, pulling the entire bull's face backward into an exaggerated arc. If the newly replaced bull's head was a benevolent smile, then the bull's head that had been worn overnight was a savage grin.

"Could the ox-headed creature be related to Laozi?"

Not long after Yang He left the banyan tree, the heavenly tribulation began to wreak havoc again. His eyes suddenly became dry, and he felt a strange oily sheen on the skin of the bull's head.

"Is the old man looking at the ox head?"

Noticing Yang He's gaze, Yu San explained softly, "Legend has it that when Laozi rode an ox westward, he bestowed upon it spiritual power. That's why we bring the ox's head, which was offered to the immortal lord, home to worship, hoping it will protect our home." "Our Jiepai Pass is a place blessed by the gods," the old temple keeper couldn't help but sigh, "Life is getting better and better these days."

"Yes, I have already written to Lingang's relatives, and they are preparing to move here."

"You should come to Jiepai Pass, but be careful of the chaos of war."

"It's alright. I've already offered sacrifices to the mountain god and sent the Immortal Tree leaves to the village. No evil spirits will harm them."

As the temple keeper spoke, the bull's head suddenly blinked, the bull's hide made a creaking sound, and a long, narrow bull's tongue slowly extended out.

He licked the white-covered eyeballs.

Yang He felt a tightness in his back, but the other temple priests seemed to be used to it.

"Look, sir, the ox's head has become incredibly lifelike."

Yu San was not afraid at all. Instead, he gently wiped the ox horns with the white cloth he carried with him. "The ox head that Granny Li's family worshipped last month can now recite the Tao Te Ching."

Yang He did not believe that the ox-headed creature was an incarnation of Laozi.

But since Taiyi Zhenren mentioned the banyan tree and the green ox, if one wants to make contact with Taishang Laojun, perhaps it is indeed necessary to start with the ox's head.

"A bull's head reciting the Tao Te Ching? If this continues, won't it become a spirit?"

"Are the immortals and gods of Jiepai Pass right or wrong?!"

Yang He had previously been able to confirm the level of existence behind any historical anecdote by observing the increase in spiritual vision.

It failed at Jiepai Pass.

As Yang He stepped into the city, he saw that all the people in the streets and alleys were in high spirits, with lanterns and decorations everywhere, and gods and immortals worshipped in the houses.

The gods and immortals are all kinds of strange and wonderful, most of them are mountain gods, or the Three Immortals of Fortune, Prosperity and Longevity.

There are also many bull heads, constantly looking out from the altar.

“Old man, you see, in our Jiepai Pass, as long as you worship the gods, everyone can live without worry and no longer have to fear demons and monsters.”

Yu San pointed to a family cooking.

The woman respectfully kowtowed three times to the deity statue on the stove, muttering incantations.

She lifted the empty pot lid, and suddenly a steaming pot of four dishes and a soup appeared out of nowhere!
Yang He found no trace of a sage's dojo. It didn't seem like the Nine Turns Yellow River Formation. No matter how bizarre the encounter was, it was still influenced by a sage, so it was acceptable that it was extraordinary.

"This is the Kitchen God manifesting his divine power."

Yu San's face was full of reverence. "As long as you pray sincerely, the gods will provide you with food and clothing."

Just as Yang He was about to examine the magical food that had appeared out of nowhere, he was suddenly interrupted by a mournful wail as a funeral procession approached.

The thin coffin carried by eight strong men swayed continuously, scattering paper money at the same time.

"Zhang Chunhan, Zhang Chunhan!" The middle-aged man, dressed in mourning clothes, beat his chest and stamped his feet. "He never enjoyed a single blessing in his life. He was taken away by the King of Hell as soon as he arrived at Jiepai Pass?"

As onlookers gradually gathered, some began to wipe away tears.

"It's such a pity. I suffered from demonic attacks while I was away, and of my seven family members, only I survived. Life is really hard. Sigh."

The child with his hair in a topknot chimed in, "Grandpa Zhang always shares his pancakes with me."

Yang He's pupils contracted sharply, and for the first time since entering Jiepai Pass, his spiritual vision fluctuated, and it was not a gradual increase in spiritual vision.

It reaches its peak in an instant!
It's unclear who spoke first, but a wail rang out from the crowd.

"Please, King Yama, have mercy!"

The shouts were like a fuse being lit, and the people on the street knelt down one after another, repeatedly chanting in a deafening voice, "May the King of Hell have mercy!"

Yang He's mind was buzzing, and a strong feeling of nausea welled up inside him.

vomit! !

He leaned against the wall and vomited a lot of acidic liquid.

Yang He gasped for breath, his life force waning, but his gaze remained fixed on the coffin, from which a faint yang energy emanated.

dong dong dong! !

The coffin delivered a dull thud, each strike seemingly striking the hearts of everyone present. The burly men who carried the coffin quickly set it down.

The leading man trembled as he lifted the coffin lid.

Old Zhang actually sat up on his own, patting his chest with his withered hands.

His face was unusually rosy, and he murmured as if in a dream, "Am I back?"

After a brief pause, the crowd erupted in thunderous cheers.

"The King of Hell has appeared!"

"The King of Hell has appeared!!"

Yang Helian took several steps back, almost falling to the ground with a thud.

Because he realized that there would be one more deity worshipped at Jiepai Pass in the future, a deity created right under his nose.

"If you believe, it exists; if you don't believe, it doesn't?!"

"Damn it, as long as most mortals believe in the existence of the King of Hell, the King of Hell will appear in the world. Is Jiepai Pass going against the heavens?"

"If gods are created from nothing, wouldn't the mortals of Jiepai Pass never die again?"

Taking advantage of the fact that no one was paying attention, Yang He quickly left Jiepai Pass, then picked up a random rock by the roadside and smashed it hard on his forehead.

[Your character, the Three Corpses Taoist, has died; the story has ended.]

(End of this chapter)