The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 357 Paying Homage to the Lord!

The True Lord of Mount Heng was skilled in divination.

Before the desk, purple auspicious clouds overlapped with jade-colored wisps of cloud. During divination, the layers of auspicious clouds swirled into a semi-circular halo.

He didn't actually try to consult the Lord of Mount Tai; he simply divined the reason why Mount Tai had fallen into silence. This way, he could avoid directly confronting the Lord of Mount Tai, who was suspected to be an ancient being.

Moreover, he is one of the Five Sacred Mountains, and he is also within his own Daoist temple.

At this moment, the pines and cypresses in the temple grounds were imbued with spiritual light, and the mountain breeze, carrying the scent of incense, surrounded him, bestowing upon him various blessings. In this temple, he was comparable to a third-grade immortal.

Using this foundation, a little divination is nothing to worry about; just then, Zhou Yan, having already collected the treasures, strolled outside and encountered Ying Yinman, the owner of the antique shop.

Ying Yinman stood behind the antique wooden counter, her slender, pale fingers gently tapping the wooden table, tap, tap, tap, slowly as if counting fragments of time. Her eyes were lowered, her eyelashes casting faint shadows beneath them, and she didn't even notice Zhou Yan approaching.

Zhou Yan said, "Shopkeeper."

Ying Yinman looked up at him, her expression aloof, but Zhou Yan could sense the gentleness in her eyes. Zhou Yan said, "All matters in Langzhong have been settled. We will be leaving soon and bidding farewell to the manager."

Zhou Yan took out Madam Xu's sword from his waist and placed it on the table.

"This sword, I thank you for it back then, shopkeeper. Now it is returned to its rightful owner."

Although the sword had been completely transformed by the killing of Prince Teng, Li Yuanying, Zhou Yan still remembered that the sword belonged to Ying Yinman, not to him. He was willing to part with it openly and honestly.

Ying Yinman paused, her fingers pressing on the short sword. After a long silence, she said, "Leave, yes, you will eventually leave. So, where will you go after that?"

Zhou Yan thought for a long time before answering:

"First, send Miss Li back to Mount Li. As for what happens next..."

"Don't know yet."

After arriving in Sichuan, they went through many adventures. Sichuan was the place where Zhuge Liang and Shi Xiangru confronted each other for five hundred years. Shi Xiangru laid out many contingency plans here, and Langzhong was just one of the nodes.

It has already brought out heavyweight characters such as [True Immortal of the World], [Remnant of Gonggong], and [Ancient Dragon Turtle]. Those involved also include agents of history, the Three Yang Calamity Annihilation Sect, and the Thousand-Year White Ape.

Who knows how many similar places there are in Sichuan?

Before his death, Ding Liu mentioned the flooding of Sichuan and the sacrifice of a million people. It seems that this so-called "sacrifice of a million people" is basically consistent with the "blood sacrifice" that appeared in Langzhong.

In this light, Shi's plan here is basically linked to the revival of Gonggong; and at present, he either pursues An Lushan, kills An Lushan, seizes the Taishan Gongdao Fruit, or cuts off one of Shi's major arms.

Oh, right……

Zhou Yan glanced sideways at the three-legged golden crow that was dozing on his shoulder.

An Lushan planned to use the Bronze God System to revive the Three-Legged Golden Crow and make the sun shine brightly in the sky. This link also needs to be cut off. So, whether it's for the sake of the Taishan Justice Fruit's perfection, to disrupt Shi's plan, or for Uncle Shen's hatred.

An Lushan was a highly desirable and tempting target.

At this very moment, An Lushan's place in Zhou Yan's notebook had already surpassed that of Fuxi.

Must kill!

The second option was to go to Chengdu to find Su Xiaoshuang.

Mr. Su Xiaoshuang is Xu Zhilan's teacher and an old friend of Shen Cangming. It seems that he has some untold connection with Uncle Shen. This Mr. Su Xiaoshuang is an extraordinary mechanic who found a bronze relic that is suspected to be related to history and the three-legged golden crow.

The third option—

We're going to Chang'an.

First, we should retrieve one-third of the Imperial Seal from that old rascal Li Longji and see if restoring it to two-thirds completeness allows us to directly deduce a perfect foundation for the Dao and use this divine object to predict the path ahead.

These three paths each have their own emphasis, so Zhou Yan said he didn't know.

Or we could use Fuxi's ingenious little tool, shake that tortoise shell that even mortals can use to discern the traces of immortals and gods.

If I had this, wouldn't I have swept all the exams in my past life?
Ying Yinman remained silent for a long time. She pressed her fingers on the Xu Furen sword, and then handed this transformed sword, which was designed for [King] attacks, to Zhou Yan, saying, "Take it."

"Firstly, it was with your help that the calamity in Langzhong was resolved."

"Secondly..."

Ying Yinman twirled a strand of hair at her temple and said softly:
"I'm much older than you, so I'm considered your..."

"elder."

Zhou Yan heard the weight, regret, and complexity in Ying Yinman's words about the elders. After a long while, he smiled and said, "In that case, it would be rather inappropriate for this humble Taoist not to accept it."

He tucked the sword into his waistband.

The three-pointed double-edged sword is far more powerful than this sword, but against certain special opponents, this sword can unleash extremely incredible power.

Ying Yinman's fingers moved across the abacus, her gaze then falling on the Qin-Han style bronze mirror on the wooden counter. Looking at the phoenix carved on it, its wings clearly defined, she suddenly said:

"Didn't you want to ask me before why I've been able to live for over a thousand years?"

“I said I am Ying Yinman, the daughter of the Qin Emperor, but in reality…”

"I am not her."

Zhou Yan paused slightly, and Ying Yinman said, "As you know, how can the soul of an ordinary person live for more than a thousand years? Even General Wang Jian could not do that, let alone me."

"The story I told you last time about the princess and the sorcerer, there's a third part to it. Would you like to hear it?"

The third paragraph...

Zhou Yan thought to himself, the first part was what she said, the second part was what Fuxi said, so this next part must be the end and the final chapter.

Zhou Yan sat to the side, extended his hand, and said, "I'm all ears."

Ying Yinman's fingers gently moved the abacus, the abacus beads clinking crisply. Beside the bronze mirror, she told ancient stories buried in the dim light of history.

The story begins with the sorcerer Xi Fu fleeing Xianyang City.

Before leaving, Xi Fu made a promise to Yin Man that he would come to find her once the storm had passed.

Ying Yinman did not believe that Xi Fu would abandon her, but she also feared that he might encounter misfortune while he was away.

Later, she found a piece of meteorite iron from outer space and copper from Shou Mountain. She secretly summoned skilled craftsmen from the palace and poured her own blood and sweat into the furnace to forge this phoenix-shaped mirror. She had heard from a Taoist priest that phoenixes sing in harmony and are deeply in love. This mirror contained her most sincere wish: that no matter where Xi Fu was, his image would be reflected in the mirror, protecting him and ensuring his safety.

But what she ultimately awaited was not the return of her lover, but the collapse of the Qin Dynasty and her own demise. She perished in the chaos of war, gazing at the bronze mirror until her death, hoping to see Xi Fu one last time.

This intense longing and resentment of being abandoned, along with the Empress's fortune and the remaining spiritual power of the sorcerer, were poured into the mirror, transforming it into a rare treasure.

"That must be this ancient mirror."

"And I am not the Ying Yinman that Xi Fu knows, but merely the Mirror Spirit who inherited her last regret and obsession."

Ying Yinman's voice was clear and pleasant as she recounted the story in detail. Zhou Yan held a cup of tea and looked at the bronze mirror. The bronze mirror was simple and unadorned, but its surface was smooth and clear, reflecting the outside world clearly.

However, it failed to reflect the presence of Ying Yinman standing right next to her.

Zhou Yan stared at the mirror, speechless for a long time. Ying Yinman saw him off, and Zhou Yan didn't ask any further questions. He simply walked out with a sigh, lamenting that this love from a thousand years ago had ultimately ended with both sides losing everything.

Xi Fu regained his memories and transformed back into Fuxi. His experiences as a sorcerer traveling in the mortal realm were but a fleeting moment for a great god who had lived for tens of thousands of years. Ying Yinman burned her memories; she was already dead, and only her remaining thoughts gathered on the mirror, transforming into the shopkeeper who now lingers here.

It is neither a god nor a human.

But after Kaiming learned the whole story, whether to comfort him or to sigh, he told him:

"Who knows? That's just what the two of them are saying. That's Fuxi, after all. How can you be sure that Xi Fu will completely lose his memory after returning?"

"And that woman, how do you know that it wasn't Ying Yinman's own mind that gathered in the ancient mirror, transformed into a mirror spirit, and survived as a soul and primordial spirit?"

"But whatever the truth is, and whether they still remember each other or not, in this day and age, which is full of crises, this is all they can do now."

With a hint of regret in his open-minded tone, he said, "In the end, what's missed is missed. People from a thousand years ago have turned to dust. Now, only the Mirror Spirit is left guarding the antique shop. The great god has forgotten the past. It's better to forget everything and forget it cleanly, so as not to have any regrets."

“Xi Fu has passed away, Yin Man is now a spirit.”

"Is that right?"

Zhou Yan thought that if both sides lost their attachment and memory of each other, it might be a good thing. If both sides still remembered each other but it was still like this, it would be rather sad.

Regardless, the grudges from a thousand years ago were over. When Zhou Yan returned to his residence, he suddenly felt a stinging pain between his eyebrows. Golden ripples spread out from the tortoise shell he wore at his waist.

Zhou Yan raised his eyebrows slightly:

"Who's promoting fortune telling and involving me in this?!"

----------

The True Lord of Mount Tai is indeed quite insightful and skilled in the art of divination. He bypassed the true form of the Lord of Mount Tai in a precise way, trying to find out the reason why the Lord of Mount Tai had not responded for a long time.

He vaguely sensed a major battle was about to unfold.

Nanyue Zhenjun carefully stepped into it, but suddenly stopped. He felt as if he had fallen into an endless abyss. He heard a roaring sound like a dragon's cry, and his blood and qi churned like waves. His heart pounded like thunder.

My mind suddenly became clear!

Nanyue Zhenjun saw a colossal, boundless being appear there, seemingly supporting the heavens and earth. Its burning blood and qi were like a sun, and it roared with boundless, terrifying, and powerful aura!

A third-grade realm, a colossal giant turtle supporting the heavens?!
The Primordial Dragon Turtle is a clan that supports the heavens, possessing immense and boundless power. A simple collision with it is enough to shatter mountains and rocks. It is a subject of the water god Gonggong and possesses an extremely standard third-grade immortal god realm!

Nanyue Zhenjun felt his heart pounding wildly and his vision going black.

At the same time, it finally realized why the Lord of Mount Tai had not existed or appeared for so long. Then, a layer of raging flames suddenly exploded on the ancient dragon turtle. The golden flames surged and spread out, as if illuminating an entire long night.

The golden flames transformed into a great sun!
A three-legged golden crow with golden feathers and an ancient, divine aura danced in the midst of the sun. As it flapped its wings, clusters of feathers containing terrifying power that could burn the heavens and earth crashed down.

The Great Sun's True Fire?! A Three-Legged Golden Crow?!
Then he saw the fallen King Jintian, the True Lord of the Western Peak.

Seeing that arrogant and domineering fourth-grade True Monarch, his soul scattered, Nan Yue's expression gradually froze, and his heart trembled.

"The Western Peak... has fallen?"

boom! ! !
In the next instant, everything that had been divined turned into a stream of azure light. Nanyue Zhenjun struggled to glance at the six ancient copper coins he had divined, and saw that the six ancient coins were actually spinning continuously in the void.

Suddenly they all stopped and lined up in a row.

Then, they broke in half and crashed to the ground!
The True Lord of Mount Heng was struck by the backlash, spitting out a mouthful of blood. At the same time, he saw the reason he had divined: the towering, incomparably powerful blue figure, and sensed the fear that made the mountain god tremble. Blood continued to flow from his mouth—

"Water God, Gonggong!!"

The True Lord of Mount Heng trembled inwardly.

Fragments swirled and rolled in his mind, finally piecing together a truth. He murmured, "...So that's how it is. It was Lord Taishan who got involved in the struggle with the water god Gonggong."

"Ancient dragon turtle, water god Gonggong, and three-legged golden crow."

"What a terrifying battlefield this is!"

"Even the Western Peak has fallen, so it seems that even if the Lord of Mount Tai hasn't fallen, he has suffered immense damage..."

"That's it, that's it."

Just then, he suddenly heard a clear bell ringing in his ear.

when! ! !
The divine sense of the True Lord of Mount Heng was momentarily confused, and then he saw that all things in front of him had dispersed, except for the great sun, which was crystal clear. The three-legged golden crow flapped its wings and flew and circled within it, finally landing slowly on a palm.

Nanyue Zhenjun subconsciously looked over and saw a familiar figure appear. The face was blurry, but the aura was extremely majestic, like a pillar of heaven and earth, with an aura that made the mountain gods fear and submit.

The expression on Nan Yue's face gradually froze.

It is the Lord of Mount Tai!
Could it be that his divination was wrong? Could it be that the Lord of Mount Tai was not actually involved in the struggle with Gonggong and the others? But just as this thought crossed his mind, the eyes of the True Lord of Mount Heng swept across the front and saw the three-legged golden crow on the shoulder of the Lord of Mount Tai.

They saw the demon-binding rope at the waist of the Lord of Mount Tai.

I saw the tortoise shell that the Lord of Mount Tai was holding in his hand.

The eyelids of the True Lord of Mount Heng twitched wildly.

That belt... it looks like it was made from the tendons of a third-rank demon god! And that three-legged golden crow... it looks just like the one inside the sun, and... and that tortoise shell too.

Why does it look so much like the shell of the Primordial Dragon Turtle, a member of the Sky-Supporting Clan?!

The mind of the True Lord of Mount Heng was buzzing.

In an instant, another truth appeared in his mind: it was not that the Lord of Mount Tai did not fight Gonggong, but that the Lord of Mount Tai fought Gonggong, the True Lord of the Western Peak of the Mountain God lineage perished, and the Three-Legged Golden Crow submitted.

Meanwhile, Qingyuan Jun, the master of the ancient serpent, and the Primordial Dragon Turtle of the Sky-Supporting Clan, were controlled by the Lord of Mount Tai—

Kill on the spot!

Even their remains were refined into treasure!
That was a fearsome god with a notorious reputation since ancient times, and he just... fell like that?!
An immense fear gripped the Southern Peak True Lord tightly.

Zhou Yan praised the tortoise shell in his hand, saying it was really useful. Not only did it detect the opponent's divination, but it also had the option of "one-click backlash". He didn't expect that the one who made the divination was actually this True Lord of Mount Heng. It seems that the other mountains have been causing trouble again recently.

Zhou Yan lowered his eyes, his battle-hardened aura pressing down layer by layer.

The True Lord of Mount Heng felt a tremor run through his body, as if his own body were infinitely small and the Lord of Mount Tai were infinitely large. At that moment, his mind raced wildly—

With the Lord of Mount Tai gone, he could only strike Gonggong with empty hands.

Lord Taishan has slain two great water deities.

The Lord of Mount Tai has discovered that I came to his door on my own initiative... Oh no, oh no, oh no!
Zhou Yan spoke up: "What business do you have that you would use such a method to find me?"

Suddenly inspired, the True Lord of Mount Tai bowed down as if he were pushing a mountain of gold and overturning a jade pillar, cold sweat streaming down his face, and said, "The True Lord of Mount Tai pays respects to the Lord of Mount Tai."

"I have come here to pay my respects to the venerable deity, with only one matter to report!"

The True Lord of Mount Heng took a deep breath and said:

"Please execute Zhongyue!"

(End of this chapter)