The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 178 The Divine Throne Hangs High, Awaiting the Common People

Demolishing mountains and ruining temples?

As the Lord of the Prefecture's calm and indifferent voice fell, even someone as shrewd and cunning as the True Lord of Zhongyue momentarily paused in thought.

They cut down mountains and destroyed temples, attacking mountains that refused to submit and destroying temples used for sacrifices.

Even these four words carry a strong stench of blood.

I just witnessed the Lord's compassion, and now I see his methods.

So bloodthirsty!
The expression of the Great General of the West Mountain Soul-Suppressing Camp paused slightly.

Thus, the kindness and compassion of the Lord of Mount Tai transformed in an instant into a domineering force as powerful as thunder.

Pardon sins and grant extra life, but also destroy mountains and temples.

Is this what it means to have divine grace as vast as the sea and divine might as towering as a mountain?
The general of the Soul Suppressing Camp became solemn, far more so than when the Lord of Mount Tai had shown his compassionate side. He considered it for a moment, originally intending to leave immediately, but at this moment he suddenly thought of everything that had just happened.

He was particularly thoughtful when he thought about the words of the Dragon Slayer.

No, that's not right!

He displayed both martial prowess and compassion, saving countless wronged souls with a single thought. He also issued an edict to cut down mountains and destroy temples. Even when the Central Peak True Lord intervened, he simply used the art of wind manipulation to easily and effortlessly handle the situation without revealing his true strength.

The Prefect's methods, combining kindness and severity, how could someone of such a level not have noticed him?
They cut down mountains and destroyed temples, then revised the Black Laws.

When they do act, it is earth-shattering, a display of power to reclaim lost territories.

Moreover, both events occurred precisely when he arrived here. Recalling the words of the Dragon Slayer Envoy in Xiyue, the general of the Soul Suppressing Camp felt even more strongly—

Could this ritual of deliverance and the declaration of destroying mountains and temples be a prelude to my death?
It would have been better if this thought hadn't come to mind, but once it did, he felt that every action he took seemed to correspond to it, and the general of the Soul Suppressing Camp felt an indescribable pressure.

Given the rank of the Prefect, the destruction of mountains and temples is not limited to the surrounding demons. At least, the spirits of these demons are not worthy of the Prefect's personal order. So, to whom is this order to destroy mountains and temples addressed?
Could it be that they actually intend to attack the Four Sacred Mountains True Lords?!
The terrifying thought had barely crossed his mind when the general of the Soul Suppressing Camp felt the hairs on the back of his head stand on end. He was startled and remained silent for a long time. Between ignoring the gaze of the Lord of Mount Tai and showing himself, he made his choice.

With such a magnanimous air from the Prefect, how could I possibly leave without revealing my true form?!

That's incredibly rude!

This mountain god, whose strength was comparable to that of the Cloud Platform Giant Spirit General and the Jinghe Dragon Lord, slowly raised his hand and revealed his true form.

A torrent of vital energy converged, rumbling like the tide.

A majestic divine general rose solemnly, clad in heavy armor, and stood in the west.

This true form of the Dharma looks as big as a small mountain.

Clouds gathered around his arm, seemingly transforming into ribbons. His left arm, draped with a battle robe, draped over the sleeves of both civil and military officials. He bowed deeply, his voice booming like a raging storm: "Now that the Central Peak True Lord has revealed himself, the Western Peak Soul-Suppressing Camp, by order of the Western Peak True Lord, has come to offer our congratulations to the Lord."

The poor and stingy True Lord of the Northern Peak sent General Ruoshui.

Seeing that both the Central Peak and the Western Peak had appeared, the General of the Weak Water had no choice but to transform into his true form and bow, saying, "The Northern Peak Weak Water, by the order of the True Lord, has come to congratulate the Lord on restoring order."

The appearance of Zhongyue Zhenjun originally seemed to indicate a confrontation.

When the general of the Soul-Suppressing Camp of the Western Peak appeared, and the commander-in-chief of the Weak Water of the Northern Peak appeared, the atmosphere changed immediately. The subordinate gods sent by the True Lords of the other two peaks remained silent for a moment, but they had no choice but to show themselves and present their treasures.

The gods of the Four Sacred Mountains pay homage to Mount Tai!

They also revealed their enormous true forms as mountain gods, surrounding all directions. Shi Xuanxing, seeing this, felt a surge of competitive spirit and transformed into a giant. The Welcoming Pine was merely an ornament on its sleeves, and the Mountain Top Stone was simply a jade pendant at its waist.

On the other side, one bows with arms bent.

The Flying Eagle General transformed into his true form, circled twice, and landed in my arms.

The Great General of the Soul Suppression Camp: "…………"

He glanced at Shi Xuanxing and General Feiying, who were gathering to watch the commotion, and glared at the mountain gods like Beiyue Ruoshui, silently demanding, "I came out to pay my respects, and you all came out to do what?!"

General Ruoshui said, "Now that you've come out, why shouldn't we?!"

The general of the Soul Suppressing Camp remained silent, and in the end could only manage a bitter smile.

"But wouldn't that be..."

"Is it like the Four Sacred Mountains deities paying homage to the Eastern Sacred Mountain?"

Zhou Yan watched this scene, a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth, a numb feeling creeping over him.
"...Did you two make a plan?"

Such an atmosphere and spirit almost brought tears to the eyes of the old folks.

But for the other thirty-six caves and seventy-two peaks, everything went black, and the sky seemed to be collapsing.

The Five Sacred Mountains pay homage to Mount Tai!
This is the true Lord.

Zhongyue Zhenjun gazed upon Mount Tai.

Zhou Yan used only the Wind Control technique to parry his charged attack.

This method was so effortless, it didn't even utilize the Taishan earth veins itself. He couldn't discern the other party's background or methods, which made him somewhat uncertain. So he could only laugh and say, "Lord, what a skillful method, what a skillful method."

A thought flashed through his mind, and he realized that the Lord of Mount Tai was indeed domineering.

There must be discontent among these seventy-two peaks and thirty-six caves; some will either flee or hold fast, unwilling to submit easily.

Zhou Yan's resentment was not yet appeased.

This generation of the Zhongyue Mountain God appears kind and gentle, but his cunning and methods are stronger than the others. Zhou Yan knows that he is not the true Lord of Mount Tai. With Shi Xuanxing leading six thousand Mount Tai guards, it is not certain that they can win in a direct confrontation with the thirty-six caves and seventy-two mountains.

Given Zhongyue Zhenjun's shrewdness, the old man wouldn't let him off the hook if he showed even the slightest weakness, unleashing a whole combo attack. And once Zhongyue made his move, the other three Five Mountains Zhenjun would follow suit.

The six paths of Taishan Gongdao Guo would not hesitate.

Being in the center of such a vortex and storm, every move has a great impact. One can save tens of thousands of souls and attract purple energy and merit through a good deed; or one can be surrounded and killed by heroes because of a wrong step, resulting in death, destruction of the body and soul.

One must maintain a cautious and prudent mind, and act with courage and diligence.

After a slight pause in his thoughts, Zhou Yan tapped his fingers on the armrest of the altar, then spoke slowly:

"land."

The old landowner of Mount Tai was overjoyed that the Mount Tai lineage had regained its former glory as the foremost of the Five Sacred Mountains, and was almost moved to tears. Just as he was about to burst into tears, he heard the indifferent voice of the Lord of Mount Tai and was slightly taken aback.

But after all, he had followed Taishan Gong for a long time.

Even back then, the power of the Duke of Taishan was so great that he could not be trusted to use him, but at least he had witnessed a lot. So he took two steps forward, wiped away his tears, cupped his hands and bowed respectfully, saying, "Lord, this humble god is here."

Zhou Yan had already swept his fingers together.

Of the three edicts, one flew out and landed in front of the Earth God. It slowly rotated, its entire body translucent, carrying a majestic purple aura, magnificent and imposing, possessing an incredible aura. It was an edict from the Mountain God of the Taishan lineage.

Of course, this originally belonged to Zhongyue.

The smile on Zhongyue Zhenjun's face finally disappeared. To use the mountain god's decree of his lineage to confer a title upon a minor local deity right in front of him was almost a public humiliation!

His face was in pain.

Zhou Yan mobilized the original 'memory' of the Taishan spiritual vein.

So I know what to do.

The local earth god has quietly guarded Mount Tai for many years and has made great contributions. The current earth god is called Dizhi, but in reality, he is just a minor figure with incense offerings, just like Mudegong of Ganquanyuan. As for the three blank edicts in Zhou Yan's hands, each one is almost on par with the level of the [Yuntai Giant Spirit General].

For an ordinary local earth god, this is already an incredible opportunity!
If you miss this opportunity, you may never have another chance in this lifetime.

The land seemed to realize something, his face tightened, and without needing to say more, Zhou Yan knew what the old land was thinking.

The Lord of Mount Tai pointed his finger, and the edict slowly descended.

The Lord's ethereal and expansive voice said:

"You, the Land God, are hereby appointed as the [Manifest and Response God of Fortune and Virtue], in charge of the order of mountains, rivers, plants, and trees, and overseeing the abundance of people's homes and crops."

"To patrol the territory and bring peace to the people, to observe good and evil and report back to the Eastern Mountain."

"To drive away plagues and evil spirits, and to protect the people in order to receive the grace of Heaven."

"Sildan's Talisman, forever guard this realm!"

Fortune God!

The old landman's mind was buzzing. When Shi Xuanxing saw that the old landman who had been giving him pointers had lost his composure, he stepped forward with his right foot and conjured a palm on his stone leg, slapping the old landman on the lower back.

That silly stone, he doesn't know his own strength.

Fortunately, the old land did not suffer the same fate as Buzhou Mountain.

However, it did manage to wake the old local deity. He respectfully accepted the decree, his emotions of sorrow and excitement were truly beyond words.

If it only goes this far, it's just a matter of rewarding those who have made contributions.

The key is the next step.

Just as everyone, even those monsters and mountain spirits who had secretly resolved to go back and pack their belongings and run away, were thinking that this old local earth god was really lucky, so lucky that with such a low level of cultivation, he could become a God of Fortune and Virtue.

Suddenly, two more streaks of light flashed by.

Two streaks of purple mist appeared in the sky above Mount Tai, slowly rotating.

It exudes an aura of unclaimed, earth-ley control!
These were two blank edicts from the mountain god!
Lord Taishan is going to...

While the other mountain gods and spirits were still wondering, Zhongyue Zhenjun realized what was happening and his expression changed slightly.

not good! ! !

Sure enough, the indifferent voice of the Lord of Mount Tai echoed:

“Those who are guilty will be punished, and those who are meritorious will be rewarded. All the spirits of the mountains and fields, and all the intelligent beings, whether they uphold the righteous path and establish meritorious achievements, or those who follow the laws of heaven and earth and cultivate themselves in purity, may come here to receive imperial decrees.”

"If one has committed a sin, one can atone for it with good deeds."

In an instant, the wind around Mount Tai seemed to freeze, and fervent gazes fell upon the two divine edicts, their eagerness almost igniting the air!
A surge of emotion rose within Zhongyue Zhenjun. The two mountain god edicts, equivalent to those of the Yuntai Giant Spirit General, were still blank. The divine positions of the righteous gods of the Taishan lineage were thus hung high above.

Those who have made meritorious contributions and cultivated their skills can receive an imperial decree from the prefect.

Zhongyue Zhenjun could easily imagine the terrifying reaction this news would cause, and the enormous waves it would stir up in the world. Even among the spirits who occupied the seventy-two peaks and thirty-six caves of Mount Tai, some would probably be tempted.

After all, when they first came here, they had cleared out some of the monsters in the area. Later, more spirits came. These newcomers were not the same evil spirits that had driven away the Taoists from the Taishan Temple.

The negative impacts that would have been caused by the domineering behavior of the Lord of Mount Tai were suddenly reduced.

If one is to atone for their sins with good deeds, then what kind of behavior qualifies as meritorious?

The saying goes, "Two peaches can kill three warriors." Now, the methods of the Lord of Mount Tai are enough to cause the spirits of the seventy-two peaks and thirty-six caves of Mount Tai to fight among themselves, and will attract cultivators from all directions to join them.

What is enlightenment?!
For many living beings, the two edicts from the God of Mount Dongyue represent the ultimate reward.

How could Zhongyue Zhenjun tolerate this? He gripped his cane, his heart filled with displeasure, but his face remained gentle and kind as he said, "Lord, this is inappropriate."

"How could a divine decree be sent out so easily? Or does the Prefect have ulterior motives? Heh, if that's the case, then I've spoken out of turn, and I deserve to be punished."

Zhou Yan knew immediately that the old man had no good intentions.

He cursed the old scoundrel in his heart.

However, while Zhou Yan, a wandering knight in Chang'an, could jump up and curse angrily, the Lord of Mount Tai could not do the same. Not to mention cursing, even if the Lord of Mount Tai just paid attention to him, it would be considered somewhat unusual.

So Zhou Yan simply lowered his eyes, composed himself, and the purple aura subsided.

The Taishan Guard gathered its troops, and the two blank mountain god edicts hung high above the summit of Mount Tai, exuding a vast and majestic purple aura, attracting the attention of countless living beings.

Zhongyue Zhenjun made a teasing remark, but only made a fool of himself.

The other three True Lords and their ministers looked at each other, not knowing how to bring up the matter. They simply paid their respects and then disappeared into the distance, filled with worry, and told the True Lords about the matter.

I know in my heart that what happened on Mount Tai today is like a huge boulder crashing down on me.

The long-dormant waves of the world are about to sweep across the land once more.

Zhou Yan calmed his mind, dismissed the earth spirits and the stone spirits, and transformed into a body of purple energy to sense the difference in the Taishan earth veins. After he had exorcised the vengeful spirits and obtained the purple energy, the feeling he got from the Taishan earth veins changed, as if the compatibility had increased.

At this moment, the blessing he received at Mount Tai was subtly even stronger.

This blessing and harmony is not merely a matter of power, but something far more mysterious. During Zhou Yan's time as the Lord of Mount Tai, the very existence of Mount Tai itself within the Mount Tai mountain range would naturally suppress evil spirits and nurture good people.

Because of Zhou Yan, the order and the great principles of this place have subtly changed.

Simply existing is already a supernatural power.

"He seems more like a real prefect."

Zhou Yan chuckled self-deprecatingly, then looked at the object on the altar.

Indeed, that was his most important purpose in coming here this time.

Four divine-grade garments!
(End of this chapter)