The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 144 True Monarch!

The voice was gentle and calm, with a slightly familiar tone.

Zhou Yan composed himself and looked at the [Teaching Platform] that was radiating light. He was now wearing a cloud-patterned Daoist robe, but it was no longer a treasure of the Canxia Pavilion. It was just Yuan Danqiu's spare clothes, with finer stitches but otherwise ordinary.

With a long sword at his waist and an air of nonchalance, he took a few steps forward, his discerning eyes scanning the [Jiaojia Platform] from top to bottom, and said, "This is... the God of Agriculture?"

Ripples spread across the void, and the moonlight unfolded before them, transforming into a man dressed in simple clothes. His figure was slender and had a transparent quality. He sat beside Zhou Yan and said in a gentle voice, "It is I."

Zhou Yan said, "You've been resurrected?"

The god of agriculture chuckled and said, "Originally, this time the odds were against us, but you restored life to the earth in the end, and I awoke from my slumber. The life of this land for thousands of miles around is all thanks to you in this great calamity."

The god of agriculture gazed upon the young Taoist before him and said:
"Mount Tai...Lord of the Prefecture."

"On behalf of all living beings within this vast area, I thank you."

The God of Agriculture bowed deeply, and Zhou Yan raised his hand to help him up, saying casually, "What 'Lord' or not? That's just a set of clothes. I'm just a minor Taoist priest of the eighth rank, with a few skillful swordsmanship and some Taoist cultivation by chance."

That's about it.

"You address me as Lord Prefect, and I'm starting to feel a little uncomfortable!"

The God of Agriculture looked at Zhou Yan and said with a smile, "Isn't that so?"

Zhou Yan patted the knife at his waist and smiled.

His eyebrows were raised, and although he had not practiced martial arts and swordsmanship for long, the battles and fights he had experienced had surpassed the vast majority of swordsmen. He had an aura that had been tempered in the fire. He said, "Then, please ask."

"What is 'I'?"

This question has been a constant theme at Wat Pho from the beginning of the 2000s to the present day, and will likely continue to be raised in the future.

His first tribulation was with the reclining Buddha; Zhou Yan saw the Weaver Girl's persistence, the Abbot's longevity, and Manjushri Bodhisattva's compassionate return to the world. He also saw the Tang Dynasty Xuanzang's composure and ease. All these experiences, as well as the relationship between him and the Duke of Taishan and the Lord of Taishan, finally brought him enlightenment.

What is "I"?
This tempering and refinement of his Dao heart far outweighed any benefits he gained!

The sword breaks through the Buddhist tribulation, and the heart establishes the foundation of the Way!

Slay the Buddha and come to me!

Zhou Yan ultimately did not become obsessed with the title of Lord of Mount Tai.

The young Taoist priest asked the question with a smile, and in the eyes of the God of Agriculture, he truly had already attained Taoist cultivation and a Buddhist heart. The God of Agriculture gazed at him deeply and laughed, saying, "So, the title of 'Lord of the Land' cannot restrain you."

"It's a bit impolite of me to address you like that."

"No, no, no, don't say that."

Zhou Yan waved his hand, smiled sheepishly, and said, "What's with all this talk about being reserved? I'm just an unregistered martial arts practitioner who's finally got a title. The ears of grain you gave me are very useful. God of Agriculture, is there anything else?"

The God of Agriculture pointed at Zhou Yan and chuckled repeatedly.
"My friend, you have a really thick skin."

"Compared to Yu the Great and his contemporaries, they are about the same."

Zhou Yan scratched his head.

Hou Ji was the agricultural official of Emperor Yao during the Three Sovereigns and Five Emperors period. Considering the timeline, it's possible that he witnessed the achievements of King Yu. Zhou Yan, curious, couldn't help but ask, "So, are you the real Hou Ji from ancient times?"

The God of Agriculture shook his head gently: "Is this yet another question about the concept of 'me'? If so, then forget it. The individual named Houji has been dead for thousands of years."

"What I am now is merely a shadow formed by his achievements and people's longing for him. I have some of Hou Ji's memories, but they are also mixed with too many other things."

"If you say that I am the spirit of Houji."

"It is more accurate to say that I am the life force of all living beings, the result of thousands of years of agricultural aspirations mixed with some elements of Houji. After all, that human named Houji was really just a mortal."

Zhou Yan said, "But he has made contributions that will last for generations."

The god of agriculture smiled and said, "But he doesn't think so himself."

The god of agriculture stretched out his palm, and the earth's vital energy gathered and transformed into a stream of light: "I am different from Yu. Even in my current form, I am not good at fighting, so I can only entrust my hopes to you. The ears of grain return to the earth."

"But there's one more thing I want to give you..."

The streams of light converged.

Zhou Yan reached out to borrow it, and the object slowly fell into his palm. It slowly dispersed its light and transformed into a seed. Almost the instant it landed in his palm, Zhou Yan felt a surge of vitality flow into his body.

Increased mana regeneration speed.

The God of Agriculture said in a gentle voice, "All things cycle and life changes. Crops will wither and ears of grain will disappear, but new seeds will remain. These seeds will be planted on the earth again, and one day, new ears of grain will grow."

"The previous ears of grain only had supernatural powers within the vicinity of Wugong Town."

"This is a seed born from the cataclysm of the earth, containing the potential for new life. Although its efficacy is not as great as the previous ears of grain, it may give rise to new possibilities in the future..."

"Consider it as a token of gratitude from all the living beings across the land."

Zhou Yan looked at the seed.

Zhou Yan began to think.

Seeds are equivalent to food; food is equivalent to rice.

Zhou Yan opened his mouth wide and put the seed into his mouth. The God of Agriculture paused, losing his previous composure. He quickly stepped forward, grabbed the guy's wrist, and said with a mix of laughter and tears, "Wait, wait!"

"To eat as a meal?"

Zhou Yan then took the seed down. The God of Agriculture said, "If you eat this, at most it will replenish your vital energy and increase your cultivation by thirty to fifty years. It's a complete waste of resources."

"Do you remember? There are many treasures in the world that, if you eat them, they will only be digested into vital energy; or you can wear them or make them into spiritual objects, which will give them all sorts of wonderful uses. Don't eat them all at once."

Zhou Yan thought it was probably the influence of the Hungry Ghost Jade Talisman.

He glanced at the jade book.

Ok? !

wrong!

The Hungry Ghost Jade Talisman didn't even light up. Isn't Zhou Yan, the Daoist, just a good-for-nothing?
The God of Agriculture invited him to sit down. Knowing that he was going to Louguan Dao, he agreed, saying, "The world is in turmoil these days. You have attracted too much attention this time because of your efforts to break the Sleeping Buddha Tribulation. For now, you should go to a major sect and cultivate in seclusion for a while."

"Peace of mind."

Zhou Yan said, "Yes."

Seven stone tablets, seven major lineages, representing seven different paths.

Military strategists excel in force, while Taoists excel in magic.

In Louguan Dao, at least he should heal his physical injuries. Xuan Zhuzi said that it would take at least three hundred days for Zhou Yan to fully recover. With the seeds given by the God of Agriculture, the recovery speed should be increased and much faster.

After reaching the sixth rank, I will go to Mount Tai to retrieve that set of armor.

The God of Agriculture smiled and said, "You said you'll be leaving soon, and we don't know when we'll meet again. Why don't you eat some fruit here?" The God of Agriculture clapped his hands.

As the earth's energy circulated and the earth's veins rose, figures emerged from the ground—old men, young men, men and women, young and old, rich and poor, all carrying a profound aura.

There seemed to be as many as several dozen of them, and they first bowed to the god of agriculture.

He then respectfully paid homage to Zhou Yan, addressing him as "Lord Zhou."

The God of Agriculture raised his hand to stop these figures and said to Zhou Yan, "These are all lands spanning thousands of miles, some a hundred miles in size, others thirty to fifty miles in size. They are not skilled in any fighting or killing techniques. My friend, you stopped the reclining Buddha calamity this time, and they are all grateful to you."

"That's why I used magic to lure you here, and also to let them express their gratitude properly."

Then he looked at the dozens of lands within a thousand miles and said gently, "This person is not the Prefect, but the founder of the Louguan Dao. You need not address him as the Prefect, so as not to cause any trouble."

"The Tao is called the Master, and the Buddha is called the Teacher."

"Just call him Master Zhou."

The various landowners looked at each other, speechless: "This, this..."

They witnessed Zhou Yan's final flick of his finger, which brought life back to the land for miles around. These lands, each with its own unique spirituality born by chance, may have some wonderful uses in their respective places, but they are simply not suitable for actual combat.

The man in front of them swung his knife and managed to cut a gash in the Qinling Mountains.

Beneath that enormous lake lies the remains of a mountain spider that has been spurred to the fourth rank. With its corpse transformed into primordial energy and nurtured, it may not be long before a new lake god emerges.

They simply couldn't bring themselves to call him "Taoist Master".

Zhou Yan sat cross-legged, and a local earth god poured him wine, which was spirit wine.

Zhou Yan thought of bringing some back to Shen Cangming. It tasted very good. He tilted his head back and drank the wine with a carefree demeanor. But in the eyes of the local earth god, the sword on the Taoist's back was like a long wind from the heavens, and the knife at his waist was like a mountain.

The dragon that accompanied him was the Water Lord of the Jing River.

The strongest water system within a thousand miles is the Jing River. The fact that the Dragon King of the Jing River can carry someone on his back, whom they call "Taoist Master," makes these local earth gods feel a little uneasy.

The God of Agriculture thought for a moment and said, "Then, shall we summon a True Man?"

In Taoism, the fourth rank is called "True Person." At this point, many local deities finally spoke up, bowing and saying, "Greetings, True Person..." They couldn't finish their sentence.

The brains of the Earth God in Guhuai Village are fighting inside the bodies of the real people and the Prefect.

For this final meal, he couldn't reveal the true identity of the Lord of Mount Tai, but he also couldn't very well call him a "real person," so he spoke:

"Greetings, True Lord!"

Many landowners breathed a sigh of relief, as if they had finally found an acceptable title. They all called him True Lord. Zhou Yan himself, on the other hand, felt that the title was a bit awkward. How could someone at the eighth rank be called that?

The God of Agriculture comforted them, saying, "They are all earth deities who have received your kindness and have mistakenly believed that you are the God of Mount Tai. Mount Tai is the head of the Five Sacred Mountains and the most revered of all mountains and earth veins. The fact that they have refrained from calling you Emperor or Lord of the Prefecture is already a great act of restraint."

"Besides, didn't you already say that the so-called Lord of the Prefecture or Mount Tai are just clothes, let alone just a simple title of True Lord?"

Zhou Yan relaxed and said, "Then do as you please."

The local earth gods from all around came together, addressing him as the True Lord, offering wine and medicine, presenting immortal peaches, picking exotic fruits, digging up yams, and placing Solomon's seal around Zhou Yan, presenting him with all sorts of things neatly and orderly.

These things all exude a rich, vibrant energy.

It was the local deities from all around who offered a portion of their treasured possessions as a token of gratitude. In the Battle of Wofo Temple, if Zhou Yan had not ultimately returned life to the earth and severed the thread that led him to heaven, all the spiritual beings that coexisted with the land would have been annihilated.

Zhou Yan can be considered their direct savior.

Zhou Yan was naturally carefree. First, he had a drink at the Hedong Beach where spirits gathered, and now he's here again, eating Solomon's Seal and drinking spirit wine. These things are too much for a mortal body to eat for long before feeling full.

However, after Zhou Yan activated the Hungry Ghost Jade Talisman, he did not have this worry.

Corresponding to the ancient god of agriculture, after getting drunk and losing track of time, he casually pushed the table aside and fell asleep. The god of agriculture looked at the Taoist who was fast asleep on the stone table and smiled gently. The earth god holding the cup and the mountain god holding the fruit also smiled.

"Gentlemen, please leave."

"Yes."

"We bid farewell to the God of Agriculture and the True Lord."

The god of agriculture has awakened, though his divinity has weakened slightly. However, as long as farming and sericulture continue on earth, and the seasons cycle, he will awaken again. Let us meet again then.

He placed a glass of wine on the stone table and said gently:
"Today's meeting is over, and the good night is over. We will meet again another day, True Lord."

The wind blows through the locust tree, and a leaf falls. The warm morning light descends. Previously, immortals were all gathered around. The fallen leaf lands beside the sleeping Taoist. The surroundings are empty, except for the [Teaching Farming Platform]. At sunrise, a Taoist falls asleep.

I'm drunk and want to sleep, so you may leave.

He intends to bring his zither in the future.

As the warm morning light fell, Zhou Yan slowly opened his eyes, still feeling drunk and sleepy. But at that moment, a faint, almost imperceptible whooshing sound came from the wind. Behind Zhou Yan, a sharp gust of wind pierced through the air, aiming for the back of his head.

when! ! !
This sure-kill move was blocked.

A dark, horizontal sword appeared calmly at the path the swordsman would inevitably take. The Taoist held the sword in reverse, his posture languid. In one night, he had eaten the treasured spiritual fruit of the local earth god within a thousand miles, and the wine of the god of agriculture and the jade talisman of the hungry ghost circulated throughout his internal organs.

As Zhou Yan's injuries fully healed, wisps of fire rose in his eyes.

"Or... couldn't resist?"

(End of this chapter)