Starting as pearl divers, they have endless jobs.

Chapter 162 The Mountain God Manifests His Power, Job Upgrade (10,000 words, seeking subscriptions)

As Jian Wuchen listened to Elder Jian's story, his heart began to pound uncontrollably.

He couldn't imagine what a horrific scene that must have been.

Do you need to know who Elder Jian is?

An elder of the Enforcement Hall, one of the top combatants of Tianjian Manor, his Tianjian Technique is superb, and his sword heart is as firm as a rock.

Even he said he felt a deep unease before the incarnation of the mountain god.

Just how powerful must this mountain god be?

“From then on, I knew that the Southern Wilderness Mountains were a forbidden area that we could not easily set foot in,” Elder Jian continued. “Later, I reported this matter to the Manor Lord, who told me some secrets about the mountain god.”

"It is said that the mountain god has been entrenched in the Southern Wilderness Mountains for nearly a thousand years, living in peace with the world and rarely showing his face. Therefore, most people do not know of his existence. The reason why our Heavenly Sword Manor can coexist peacefully with it is because the successive manor lords have strictly ordered their disciples not to provoke it or the mountain people under its protection."

"So that's how it is..." Jian Wuchen murmured to himself, his heart filled with turbulent emotions.

He finally understood why those mountain people dared to be so arrogant, and why Tianjian Manor had established such rules.

After all that, it turns out they have a powerful demon at the Core Formation stage standing behind them as their backer!

No wonder the mountain people's mountain magic is so strange and difficult to deal with, and its power is amplified in the mountains. With such a great god backing them up, how could they not be powerful?

At that moment, a trace of regret suddenly surfaced in Jian Wuchen's heart.

I regret making this matter so big back then.

But it was too late to say anything now. He was caught in a dilemma and could only ask, "Elder, what should we do now?"

Elder Jian nodded slightly as he looked at his humble and eager-to-learn attitude.

Knowing fear is a good thing, because only by knowing fear can one avoid ruining oneself and the entire resort due to arrogance and conceit.

"There is only one way to find Chen Ye now," Elder Jian said. "That is to lower our stance, treat him with courtesy, and take the initiative to communicate with those mountain people."

“We’re not going to arrest anyone, but to visit them and ask for their help. We can even bring generous gifts to explain our purpose and ask them to do us a favor and let us in to find the person. As for whether they will agree, that depends on our sincerity and their mood.”

"Unless absolutely necessary, we must not have any conflict with those mountain people."

"If we really can't find Chen Ye, I have another way. We can find a scapegoat and then announce to the outside world that the person has been caught and executed on the spot. Anyway, not many people have seen Chen Ye, so as long as we can save face, this matter will be resolved."

As he finished speaking, a ruthless glint appeared in Elder Jian's eyes.

After listening to Elder Jian's words, Jian Wuchen suddenly understood as if enlightened, and nodded with admiration.

"Elder, your insight is brilliant. I will do as you say."

"Go and prepare." Elder Jian waved his hand. "Remember to give valuable gifts and be humble. You will lead the team this time, so I won't go. I will wait for your news in Qingzhou City."

"Yes, Elder," Jian Wuchen replied with a bow.

He knew that Elder Jian was testing him.

Let's see if he can really humble himself and handle this tricky situation well.

After all, to take charge of the vast Tianjian Manor, strength alone is not enough; one must also possess superb interpersonal skills.

"Don't send too many people, just three to five, and they must be disciples who are steady and adaptable in their actions," Elder Jian added. "If there are too many people, it will only arouse the vigilance and resentment of those mountain people."

"Disciple noted it down."

Jian Wuchen bowed again, then turned and left the room.

Meanwhile, deep in the Southern Wilderness Mountains, hundreds of miles away from Qingzhou Prefecture, lies Kawa Village.

Unlike the turbulent outside world, this place remains peaceful and serene.

The mountain people work at sunrise and rest at sunset, leading a simple and pure life.

Inside the ancestral hall in the center of the village, incense smoke curled upwards.

The statue enshrined here is not the Buddha or Taoist deity commonly seen in the outside world, but a deity carved from a single piece of black stone.

The face of the statue is blurry, and it can only be vaguely seen that it is the image of a majestic man with a pair of prominent horns on his head.

This is the mountain god worshipped by the mountain people of Kawa Village, and even the entire Southern Wilderness Mountains, for generations.

The old clan chief, dressed in clean hemp clothing, knelt solemnly on a prayer mat before the statue of the deity.

He first respectfully lit three incense sticks, and then kowtowed three times.

This is something he does every day, without fail for decades, rain or shine.

After doing all this, the old clan chief did not get up, but sat cross-legged on the prayer mat, closed his eyes, and began to silently recite the ancient sacrificial text.

His voice was hoarse and deep, as if carrying some mysterious rhythm, echoing in the empty ancestral hall.

As he chanted, the three sticks of incense seemed to burn faster, and the rising smoke did not disperse as usual, but gathered in the air, gradually forming a blurry vortex.

The old clan chief seemed to be used to this, and continued chanting with his eyes closed and his mind focused.

He didn't know how much time had passed, but just when he felt his spirit was about to merge with the ancestral hall.

In a daze, he felt that the scene in front of him had changed.

It was no longer a dimly lit ancestral hall, but an endless mountain range.

At the end of the mountain, a majestic figure slowly emerged.

The figure was exactly the same as the statue in the ancestral hall, with two horns on its head and unparalleled majesty.

He simply stood there quietly, as if he were the sole ruler of this world, causing the old patriarch to feel a shiver and awe from the depths of his soul.

"Mountain...Mountain God!"

The old clan chief was so excited that he trembled all over. He immediately prostrated himself on the ground and worshipped the god before him with the utmost devotion.

"Get up." A calm yet authoritative voice resounded directly in his mind.

"Yes, Mountain God."

The old clan chief stood up respectfully, but kept his head bowed deeply, not daring to look directly at the face of the deity.

I don't know how much time has passed; it may have been just a moment, or it may have been as long as thousands of years.

That majestic voice echoed in his mind once more.

"Aka, you did a great job."

This unexpected praise startled the old clan chief.

Aka is his real name.

For many, many years, no one has called him that.

Since he took over as the clan chief of Kawa Village, everyone, including his descendants, has only called him the old clan chief.

Over time, even he himself almost forgot his name.

I never expected that the Mountain God would still remember.

A warm feeling instantly welled up in his heart, and even his eyes became a little moist.

"Mountain God, this old servant is unworthy of such praise," the old clan chief said, his voice choked with emotion.

"You have protected the mountain people, passed on the incense, and fulfilled your duties. What is there to be ashamed of?" The mountain god's voice remained calm. "What I asked you to see, you saw; what I asked you to do, you did. That is your merit."

"This old servant is merely following the guidance of the mountain god and upholding the village's rules," the old clan chief said humbly.

"Rules are rigid, but people are flexible," the mountain god said calmly. "You were able to see through the outsider's disguise, but instead of driving him away, you accepted him. Your magnanimity and vision are better than many others."

The old clan chief's heart skipped a beat.

It turned out that his every move was being watched by the mountain god.

He did have his own reasons for keeping Chen Ye in the first place.

On the one hand, he couldn't stand the domineering behavior of the people from Tianjian Manor and wanted to cause them some trouble.

On the other hand, although he saw a strong killing intent from Chen Ye, he also sensed an indomitable will and pure sword intent.

He had a gut feeling that this young man was no ordinary person and would surely achieve great things in the future.

Keeping him might be a good thing for Kawazhai.

Little did he expect that his little scheme would be completely seen through by the Mountain God.

"Mountain God, please bear witness, this old servant..."

“No need to explain,” the mountain god interrupted him. “I know what you’re thinking, and what you’ve done is exactly what I wanted you to do.”

Upon hearing this, the old clan chief finally felt relieved.

It seems I did the right thing.

"I have summoned you here today because there are two things I need to tell you," the mountain god said, his voice becoming serious.

"Mountain God, please speak!" The old clan chief immediately became extremely attentive.

"First, we need to be prepared for unpleasant visitors who will be coming to our door in a few days."

"This old servant understands. This old servant will make arrangements for the warriors in the village, and make sure they never return!" A ruthless glint flashed in the old chieftain's eyes.

"No need for that. The people who came are just a few juniors. The leader may have some talent, but that's all. There's no need for you to make a big fuss."

"You just need to guard the village and show our attitude. If they dare to be unreasonable, it's not too late to teach them a lesson."

"Yes, this old servant obeys," the old clan chief replied.

"The second thing," the mountain god paused, his tone becoming more solemn, "is to protect that young man named Chen Ye."

"Protect him?" The old clan chief was somewhat surprised.

“That’s right.” The mountain god’s voice left no room for doubt. “This child has a great opportunity with me and with our entire Southern Wilderness Mountain, so we must not let anything happen to him.”

Big opportunity!
The old patriarch's heart skipped a beat. He wanted to ask more questions, but the majestic figure began to blur. "Remember my words."

The mountain god's voice left a final echo in the space before the majestic figure vanished completely into the endless mountains.

The scene before the old clan chief shifted, and he returned to the dimly lit ancestral hall.

He remained seated cross-legged on the prayer mat, as if everything that had just happened was merely a dream.

But the three sticks of incense that had already burned out, and the crystal-clear divine message in his mind, both told him that everything that had just happened was real.

The old clan chief sat quietly on the prayer mat for a long time, digesting the information left by the mountain god.

Unfriendly guests from outside...

Chen Ye's great opportunity...

Finally, he slowly opened his eyes and walked out of the ancestral hall.

The council stone house is the most important place in Kawa Village besides the ancestral hall.

Only the strongest and most prestigious person in the village is qualified to enter here.

When the old clan chief entered the stone house, there were already seven or eight people sitting inside.

These people are the backbone of Kawa Village.

There was a captain in charge of the hunting team, a commander in charge of the village's defense, and the village's most skilled shamans and warriors.

Among them was Ashan, the burly man who was the first to welcome Chen Ye into the village.

Although he is young, his abilities are second to none among the younger generation. He is also generous and righteous, and has won the trust of everyone. Therefore, he was exceptionally allowed to participate in the council.

"Clan leader!"

Upon seeing the old clan chief enter, everyone stood up and bowed respectfully.

The old clan chief waved his hand, gesturing for everyone to sit down.

He then walked to the main stone chair, sat down, looked around at everyone, and then spoke in a deep voice:

"I've called everyone here today because there's something important I need to discuss with you."

Upon hearing this, everyone's expressions turned serious.

They knew that anything that could elicit such a tone from the old patriarch was definitely not a trivial matter.

"Just now, the Mountain God appeared to me in a dream," the old clan chief said slowly.

He didn't say that he saw the mountain god appear in the ancestral hall, but instead used the more acceptable explanation of appearing in a dream.

Sure enough, upon hearing that the mountain god had appeared in their dream, everyone's faces showed reverence and piety.

Ashan asked excitedly, "Chieftain, what did the Mountain God say?"

The old clan chief glanced at him before slowly saying, "The mountain god said that things are not peaceful outside recently, and there may be some ignorant and unruly guests who want to break into our Southern Wilderness Mountains."

"Unwelcome guests?" A gaunt old man with blue face paint sneered. "Clan leader, is the Mountain God referring to those guys from Heavenly Sword Manor?"

This old man was the village's shaman, and the oldest person besides the clan chief, named Agui Gong.

The old clan chief nodded: "Most likely."

"Hmph! They actually dared to come!" A burly man with a full beard and a physique as big as a bear slammed his hand on the stone table and roared, "Do they really think we mountain folk are easy to bully? Last time their men sneaked in, we broke their legs and threw them out. It hasn't been that long, and they still haven't learned their lesson!"

This is Ah Niu, the captain of the hunting team.

"That's right! Others may fear Tianjian Manor, but we Kawa Village are not!"

"If they dare to come, let them know just how powerful the mountain magic passed down by the Mountain God really is!"

"Let them never return!"

In an instant, the crowd inside the stone house was filled with fervor, shouts of fighting and killing erupting everywhere.

These mountain people have a fearless and indomitable spirit in their bones.

They revere the mountains and the mountain gods, but they are never afraid of powerful outsiders.

The old clan chief didn't speak, but listened quietly, letting them vent their emotions.

He knew that this fighting spirit was the foundation of their ability to thrive and multiply in these perilous mountains.

Once the noise subsided, he tapped his pipe and said in a deep voice, "Quiet down."

The stone house fell silent instantly.

The old clan chief held supreme prestige in the village, so no one dared to utter a sound when he spoke.

"The Mountain God doesn't mean for us to go looking for trouble," the old patriarch said slowly. "Tianjian Manor's visit this time is most likely related to that young man who came from outside some time ago."

"Brother Chen Yuan?" Ashan was taken aback.

The others also showed thoughtful expressions.

"Clan leader, do you mean the people from Tianjian Manor are here to capture Brother Chen Yuan?" Ashan asked.

"Very likely." The old patriarch nodded. "That young man has something on his mind."

“Then we absolutely cannot let them take him away!” Ashan immediately said. “Brother Chen Yuan is now a guest of our Kawa Village! Anyone who dares to touch him is going against the entire Kawa Village!”

“That’s right! Ah Shan is right!”

"In our Kawa Village, there is no rule of handing over guests!"

The crowd joined in again.

Looking at their united front against a common enemy, the old patriarch's cloudy old eyes flashed with a barely perceptible hint of satisfaction.

This is the effect he wants.

He couldn't explicitly say that the mountain god wanted to protect Chen Ye, but he could use the village rules and everyone's goodwill towards Chen Ye to achieve the same goal.

“Alright.” The old patriarch nodded. “Since everyone agrees, then this matter is settled.”

“Starting today, strengthen the security around the village! Ah Niu, send more men out of your hunting team to keep an eye on all the roads leading into the mountains. Ah Gui Gong, check and reinforce the defensive formations in the village again.”

"Remember, we don't provoke trouble, but if they dare to force their way in, we'll make sure they don't leave alive!"

When he spoke the last four words, the old patriarch's voice became cold and sinister.

"Yes!"

Everyone inside the stone house responded in unison, their voices shaking the roof tiles.

Meanwhile, Chen Ye, who was on the mind of the old patriarch, was completely immersed in a wonderful state of cultivation.

Only after he began practicing the Star River Qi Refining Technique did he truly experience the joy of cultivation.

Compared to the domineering and dangerous Golden Toad Devouring Qi Technique, the Star River Qi Refining Technique draws upon the gentle and continuous power of the stars.

Each time he circulated his energy, he felt as if his meridians were being washed by cool spring water, feeling incredibly refreshed.

And the true essence in his dantian and dantian became more and more solid and pure under this daily tempering.

Especially in these remote mountains, far from the hustle and bustle of the world, the air is pure and there is not much obstruction from the dust and turbidity of the world, which makes his perception of the power of the stars even clearer.

He could even feel the sea of ​​qi in his dantian expanding at a visible speed.

He was so engrossed in the feeling of his rapidly growing strength that he couldn't extricate himself from it.

Aside from hunting in the mountains with Ah Shan and the others to familiarize himself with the forest environment, he spent almost all his other time cultivating.

And life in the mountains did indeed benefit him greatly.

They drink mountain spring water imbued with a touch of spiritual energy every day and eat dishes cooked with various mountain delicacies and wild game.

These things are subtly nourishing his body, making his physique stronger and more resilient.

He even felt that his physical strength was now probably no less than that of those body-training martial artists of the same level who specialized in physical training.

Time passed day by day in this peaceful yet fulfilling life.

Chen Ye almost forgot about the troubles of the outside world, and forgot that he was still a fugitive wanted by the entire Tianjian Manor.

He began to truly integrate into the village and into the mountains.

He would join Ah Shan and the others around the campfire, eating meat heartily, drinking wine from large bowls, and singing loudly.

In his spare time, he would also teach some simple fighting techniques to the teenagers, and seeing their admiring eyes gave him a great sense of accomplishment.

All of this brought Chen Ye an unprecedented sense of peace and tranquility.

On that very day, when he awoke from another period of deep meditation, a prompt suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[The Asura class level has been increased to lv3]

Chen Ye had a sudden thought and immediately opened the panel.

Name: Chen Ye

[Cultivation Realm: Sea Condensation]

[Class: Assassin Asura Lv3]

[Talent: Eye of Asura]

[Techniques: Star River Qi Refining Technique Lv2, Golden Toad Qi Absorption Technique Lv3]

[Martial Arts: Needle Blade Technique Lv4]

In addition to leveling up my profession, my Star River Qi Refining Technique also leveled up from lv1 to lv2.

This means that the speed and efficiency of drawing upon the power of the stars will be improved to a new level in the future.

(End of this chapter)