The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 172 The Prefect Should Possess Supreme Majesty
Forty-eight thousand...?

How many? !
Zhou Yan's thoughts froze for a moment as he looked at the tall, strong, but obedient, innocent, and timid giant kneeling below. He hadn't expected that such a guy could command monsters that were almost on par with the troops of the Nine Camps of the Western Mountain.

No, are you that strong?
Born of nature and nurtured by the earth, this spirit has become a deity, possessing a fifth-rank background, and has even acquired a large territory near Mount Tai.

Upon careful consideration, this guy's stats on paper do seem to be quite impressive.

Looking at the Earth Soul Skyfall in his hand, and recalling the way it devoured the Three-Pointed Double-Edged Blade, Zhou Yan could understand why this guy had so decisively chickened out back then.

That three-pointed, double-edged sword was forged by Huashan Jinpo.

The Stone Star is the transformed form of the Heavenly Star Golden Soul.

In other words, when Shi Xuanxing saw the Earthly Soul and the Sky Collapsed, he felt like a mouse seeing a cat.

However, this guy is just a coward, not a noob.

Zhou Yan clenched his fist. He could feel that if he combined the power of the 48,000 soldiers with the power of the beacon tower, he would probably be able to cultivate to the fifth rank.

Shi Xuanxing said embarrassedly, "Isn't this too little, Lord?"

It's not too little, it's too much.

Zhou Yan sighed inwardly.

However, he was now the Lord of Mount Tai. Zhou Yan, a wandering knight from Chang'an, might think this was too much, but the Lord of Mount Tai could not think so. Thus, on the divine throne, the Lord of Mount Tai, who was transformed by gathering purple energy, simply nodded indifferently.

He casually remarked, "It's a little less, but it's fine."

Shi Xuanxing said respectfully, "My lord, I..."

Old Tu jumped up and struck Shi Xuanxing's knee hard with his cane.

"What do you mean, small or big? Are you setting it up as a gambling den?!"

"It is Your Excellency, you should refer to yourself as your subordinate."

"Oh, haha, I got promoted! I didn't even realize it."

Shi Xuanxing suddenly realized, scratched the back of his head, picked up a handful of pebbles, and said, "I have actually lived in this area for a long time, so I have gradually collected a lot of spiritual beings. Although many of them died, quite a few have survived."

Zhou Yan said, "It's rare for stones to be imbued with spirit, and it's truly remarkable that you've found so many."

Shi Xuanxing said, "Yes, only a few are collected every few hundred years. I've been saving them up for a long time."

Zhou Yan realized a problem: "How long have you existed?"

Shi Xuanxing said, "Ah? Well, let me count them..."

"Back when I first gained sentience, humans didn't dress like this. I even encountered a guy wearing animal skin pants urinating here, and he almost peed on my face."

"Back then, I remember there was an extremely towering mountain called Buzhou Mountain. That mountain was so tall and majestic that I thought the mountain god must have a very good life with such a mountain supporting him."

"Oh dear, I originally wanted to be born."

"Then I saw that guy riding an Yinglong and fighting a strong man with eighty-one brothers. The sky and earth were collapsing. The drought demons were their subordinates. I was terrified. I realized that I was not good enough, so I continued to take root in the earth's veins."

Zhou Yan's lips twitched.

The great battle between the Yellow Emperor and Chi You?
"Not long after, I opened my eyes again and felt that those humans who were as powerful as monsters had disappeared. Then I saw a human covered in water who knocked down the strongest mountain god with a bang."

"I see that the humans of this era are still so fierce, so I think it's better to stay put for a while longer."

"And then there was this guy who chopped down the Heavenly Ladder Tree!"

"Then, there was water everywhere, and it flooded me badly. I saw a man with a cook and a nine-tailed fox wandering around. He would cut through mountains and rivers, and he would kill and eat any evil spirits he encountered."

"Isn't this how we ended up here after hiding all this way?"

"Over the years, I've accumulated some spirituality."

Looking at Shi Xuanxing, Zhou Yan suddenly understood why this monster, with his extraordinary background, possessed a fifth-grade cultivation level yet was so cowardly. It was because of the location of Mount Tai in the Central Plains.

He had basically read about all the most powerful figures in human history.

In particular, the collapse of Mount Buzhou was a devastating event. To the spirits of mountains and rocks, Mount Buzhou was so majestic, yet it was knocked down by someone. This was a devastating blow to the hearts of the mountain gods and earth deities.

Zhou Yan sighed and said, "You've worked hard too."

Shi Xuanxing: "Huh?"

Zhou Yan said, "So, this is how these 48,000 spirits and souls came about?"

Shi Xuanxing said, "It is very slow for stone spirits to become spirits, so I have several thousand of them. The remaining forty thousand are the souls of people after they die. The souls of ordinary people disappear after they die, but those who died in war have more resentment and thus remain."

Zhou Yan's expression froze slightly.

The chaos of war and the devastation of battle diluted the sense of ancient mythology recounted by the people involved. Zhou Yan thought of what he had seen and heard along the way, and his expression became somewhat complicated: cannibalism, human flesh markets, rat gambling dens, and insect demon temples.

This world is in chaos. When a human dynasty is at its peak, it can sweep away all evil spirits and demons. But once a human dynasty begins to decay, the demons and monsters that have been hiding will come out and wreak havoc on the human world.

Even a powerful being like the Duke of Mount Tai can collapse and become weak due to the decline of human fortune, making it difficult to suppress other evil spirits.

If only there were something that could suppress these demons, unaffected by human fortune.

Zhou Yan thought to himself.

Zhou Yan said, "Go and summon those 48,000 soldiers."

Shi Xuanxing immediately accepted the order and stepped back. General Flying Eagle followed closely behind, looking at Shi Xuanxing with envy. Shi Xuanxing stretched out his hands, and a semi-transparent mountain god's decree appeared in his palms, slowly rotating.

Crimson fire, mixed with purple energy and the power of the earth's veins, transformed into a set of armor on Shi Xuanxing's body. It was a set of crimson gold chainmail, inlaid with purple patterns. Shi Xuanxing, who was already over three meters tall, looked even more majestic, awe-inspiring, and imposing.

Purple aura, noble and auspicious, bestowing divine decrees.

Shi Xuanxing completely shed his original monster appearance and gained the demeanor of a righteous god.

General Flying Eagle was filled with envy, circling Shi Xuanxing for a long time before reaching out to touch the armor on Shi Xuanxing's body, saying, "Is this the [True God], the [True Fruit]? How amazing, Your Majesty!!"

Shi Xuanxing, full of vigor, swept his arm and said, "Don't call me King."

"You must call me General!"

General Flying Eagle respectfully reminded him, "However, General."

"You're not human."

Shi Xuanxing's triumphant expression froze, and he flew into a rage. He slapped the bald Flying Eagle General so hard that he was sent flying two and a half times. He said, "Do you think I don't know? If you keep babbling on and on, how will you ever achieve enlightenment?!"

General Flying Eagle was not angry but delighted: "Your Majesty... no, I mean, General, can I also attain enlightenment?!"

Shi Xuanxing said, "You've rendered meritorious service, so maybe it's possible? However, the Prefect first asked me if I had any troops, and then he ordered me to bring all these juniors with me. What are the Prefect's people thinking?"

Shi Xuanxing looked somewhat worried.

After the old man's guidance, Shi Xuanxing understood.

Lord Taishan is unfathomable!
I heard that this is how the Duke of Taishan was back then. So, the more powerful and ancient Lord of Taishan must be even more formidable. Every move he makes is governed by rules and has its own purpose.

General Flying Eagle said, "Could it be that he just wanted to check out your men?" General Flying Eagle received another tap on the forehead.

Shi Xuanxing shouted, "Impossible! Absolutely impossible!"

"The Prefect has his own reasons for doing things!"

"Think about it carefully!"

General Flying Eagle racked his brains, trying to think of something profound and unfathomable, something incomparable, like a supreme deity. After thinking for a long time, he clenched his left fist, slammed it down, and said, "Your Majesty, I mean, General, I've figured it out!"

"What have you realized?!"

“General, look, the area around Mount Tai is teeming with monsters. Of course, I’m not talking about us. All thirty-six caves and seventy-two peaks are occupied by monsters, not to mention the spies sent by the Four Sacred Mountains True Lords.”

"It's a complete mess here."

"Now that the Prefect has returned, it is only natural to sweep away the gloom and restore order. Although your troops are not powerful enough, at least they are numerous enough. This is the Prefect's way of displaying his authority!"

Shi Xuanxing suddenly realized: "You mean, you want us to show off our skills?"

"Then how about we send 48,000 men in, advancing from various routes along the eastern peak of Mount Tai?"

"But, isn't forty-eight thousand a bit too little?"

"This does not conform to the majesty of the Lord of Mount Tai, an ancient and supreme being!"

General Flying Eagle said, "I have heard that in human military strategy, there are methods such as having brooms tied to the back of warhorses to sweep up dust, and using dummies to disguise the situation, so that one soldier can be used as ten."

“We’re not ordinary people. You can just use some stone-transformation magic or illusions, and that will do the trick, right?”

Shi Xuanxing asked, "Won't this be discovered?"

General Flying Eagle chuckled.

This fellow was somewhat clever, so he said, "The Four Sacred Mountains True Lords have only just been forced to retreat. Think about it, who would be so bold as to open their Dharma Eye and supernatural powers to spy on the Lord of Mount Tai?"

"Even if you're full and have nothing better to do, this isn't how you court death!"

"They can only use their own eyes."

A large rock, and a bald eagle with its arm around the other's shoulder.

Big Stone lowered his head and nodded repeatedly. Flying Eagle spread its wings and put them on Big Stone's shoulders. Eagle said timidly, "Listen to me, boss, let's change our form. Hehe, if those big shots use magic powers, we won't be able to do anything."

"But we have to fool those who can only see with the naked eye."

"Hehe, then there are many more ways, aren't there?"

"Oh, I see, I see."

"Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful!"

"The Lord of Mount Tai entrusted this matter to me because he knows the current situation. He wants to see how I, the newly appointed General of Mount Tai, can maintain my position and prestige with a mere 48,000 little demon souls!"

Shi Xuanxing clenched his fists and struck his heart:

"pledge--"

"I will certainly not disappoint you, Lord!"

"Let's follow the same rules as that brother who rode the Yinglong and fought a great battle with eighty-one brothers!"

"Was it called Xuanyuan?"

"And Chi You!"

"Their discipline and military style are really impressive!"

"Brilliant, boss!"

"That's the way to do it, it's perfect!"

The stone and the eagle looked at each other and smiled: "You truly possess the talent of the ancient Crouching Dragon."

"Not at all, General, you also possess the magnanimity of a phoenix chick."

“Wahahahaha!”

"My lord, you will surely be satisfied!"

………………

Zhou Yan pressed his temples and dismissed Shi Xuanxing and the other two. The old local earth god stood respectfully by his side as Zhou Yan pondered what he needed to do next—it was inevitable that he would antagonize the other four Yue tribes.

The path of the Great Way is one that will not be abandoned until death.

Regardless of the personalities of the four True Lords, whether they are kind or valiant, as long as Zhou Yan still holds the position of the head of the Five Sacred Mountains and the supreme ruler of all mountains, the Four Sacred Mountains will never let him off the hook and will inevitably fight him to the death.

The Four Sacred Mountains Gods, including the Dragon Slayer, have already left.

The mountain gods' edicts of the Four Sacred Mountains were passed down through generations, and it took a great deal of time to refine the treasures. For Zhou Yan to dismiss and take them away like this was a devastating blow, making him so angry that he almost bit his teeth until they bled.

Especially the poorest of the Northern Mountains.

We need to increase our strength and find ways to intimidate all sides.

Zhou Yan already had a vague idea in his mind. With the help of the position of the Lord of Mount Tai, he could vaguely sense the existence of [Stone Suspended Star]. This Stone Suspended Star could easily kill a mountain god of the level of a Giant Spirit General.

So, after the imperial decree, could you kill that peacock with a single blow?
Zhou Yan's eyes flashed with a sharp light.

At this moment, however, we must proceed step by step. Looking down at the old earth god, we said, "Earth God."

The old man stepped forward respectfully and said, "Lord."

Zhou Yan said calmly, "You are in charge of calming down Shi Xuanxing. He can call me again when he has gathered his troops."

"Yes, I accept the Lord's decree."

As Zhou Yan's consciousness departed, the altar before him came to an end.

Erase the traces of the altar and burn all traces to ashes with the fire of the drought demon.

Zhou Yan raised his hand, and the Imperial Seal of the State appeared in his palm. The small seal slowly rotated, resonating with Zhou Yan himself and emitting streams of light. Zhou Yan exhaled a breath of turbid air, his gaze firm.

The Buddhist community possesses the relics of Xuanzang, and the fires of Manjushri, the Eight Legions of Heavenly Dragons.

The Taoist sect has the Mysterious Altar on Mount Tai, and sword immortals and guardian deities.

The military strategist had a divine general under his command, Shi Xuanxing, with forty-eight thousand spirits.

Thus, the matter has been resolved.

A crisis looms ahead, and turbulent waves surge.

"It's time to break through."

(End of this chapter)