Young Jiang Ziya

The reconstruction of Winterfell is barely on track.

But the aftereffects of the Nightmare's corruption spread like a plague among the survivors.

The medical tent was packed with people.

Some cases involve abnormal changes in the limbs—black veins grow under the skin, fingers twist into claw shapes, and joints bend in the opposite direction.

Some are mentally unstable—shouting at the air all day long, or curling up in a corner muttering to themselves, repeating the whispers they heard in their nightmares.

Shi Yuan wearily removed his blood-stained gloves and said to Ji Fa, "Yesterday, the old soldier only had blackened fingers, but today the young man next to him is starting to show the same symptoms."

Ji Fa looked at the people struggling in pain inside the medical tent and clenched his fists: "What can be done?"

Shi Yuan shook his head. "Perhaps only... divine protection."

"God's blessing?"

"Nightmare originates from the Azure Sky and is essentially a condensation of negative emotions."

Shen Gongbao walked over. He had been studying cases of demonic possession for the past few days. "To purify them, you need extremely pure spiritual energy—the blessing of the gods."

Daji, who was bandaging a child's wound, looked up upon hearing this and asked, "Are there true gods in this world?"

"Where there is faith, there are gods," Shen Gongbao said. "Even if the gods themselves do not exist, the 'power of will' accumulated over thousands of years of faith can produce an effect similar to divine blessing."

Ji Fa pondered for a moment, then suddenly asked, "Are there any related legends in Beichong? About purification, about divine protection?"

Han Ling, who had been silent all along, spoke up: "Yes. The legend of Goddess Peak."

"Goddess Peak?"

"Two hundred miles northwest of Winterfell, a side peak of Frostbite Snow Mountain."

Han Ling pointed to the northwest, "Legend has it that hundreds of years ago, the remains of a saintess, Yao Ji, were buried there."

"Yao Ji..." Daji repeated the name softly, "I think I've heard of her before. She is..."

"The holy woman of Nanyue, the most devout believer of Nuwa."

Han Ling slowly recounted, "About five hundred years ago, the Shang Dynasty army marched south, intending to annex the entire continent. Nanyue was just a small country and was powerless to resist."

But then Yao Ji appeared—claiming to have received a revelation from Nuwa, she led the people of Nanyue in a fierce resistance, repeatedly repelling the Shang army.

"And then?" Lu Shang asked.

Han Ling's voice turned low, "The old Shang Kingdom bribed Yao Ji's husband—the ruler of Nan Yue."

That man betrayed her, leading his troops to surround the temple while Yao Ji was praying, and captured her alive and brought her back to Chaoge.

The Shang king ordered a pyre to be erected in the square of the capital city of Chaoge, and she was burned to death in public.

Daji covered her mouth.

"But Yao Ji's faith did not die," Han Ling continued. "During her lifetime, she claimed that she had received a revelation from the goddess Nuwa, believing that only when all living beings on the continent sincerely worshipped and submitted to Nuwa would the gods forgive the sins of the world and end all suffering."

After she was burned to death, this belief spread even more widely.

Many people began to worship Nuwa and called Yao Ji the "Holy Maiden," and even the Shang Dynasty was no exception. In the following years, it even became their state religion.

They believed that as long as Yao Ji's remains were found and Nuwa's divine blessing was received, all impurities could be purified.

Ji Fa's eyes lit up: "The remains are on Goddess Peak?"

"It's true, according to legend."

Han Ling nodded. "After Yao Ji was burned to death, her closest servants secretly collected her ashes and unburnt remains, crossed the northern border, and finally buried them deep in the Goddess Peak."

For centuries, people have gone to search for it, but they have either returned empty-handed or...never returned.

Why?

Han Ling's expression was serious. "That place is close to the main ridge of the Frosty Snow Mountain, covered in snow all year round, with an extreme climate. Moreover... it is said that dragons roam there."

"A dragon?" Shen Gongbao frowned. "Does that legendary creature really exist?"

"I don't know. But those who have been there say they've heard dragon roars and seen huge shadows moving in the clouds."

Han Ling said, "Moreover, in recent decades, a sect that worships dragons has emerged, calling themselves 'Dragon Servants.' They operate in the Goddess Peak area, driving away anyone who gets close."

Ji Fa and the others exchanged glances.

"It's worth a try, no matter what," Ji Fa decided. "If Yao Ji's remains can truly offer divine protection... we must go."

"I'll go with you," Han Ling said. "Goddess Peak is close to Frosty Snow Mountain, which is on the edge of the Crimson Eyebrow Watchers' territory. I'm quite familiar with the terrain there."

"I'll go too," Shen Gongbao said. "If it's a problem of psionic contamination, warlocks are more useful than warriors."

Daji stood up: "I...I want to go too."

Lü Shang silently stood behind Ji Fa—this was his way of showing his stance.

The final decision was that Ji Fa, Lü Shang, Shen Gongbao, Daji, and Han Ling would travel to Goddess Peak.

He Xu and Shi Yuan remained in Winterfell to oversee the overall situation and continue treating the wounded.

After a day of preparation, the six set off.

---

It took four whole days to travel two hundred miles across the desolate land ravaged by the demonic invasion.

The further northwest you go, the more desolate the scenery becomes.

"The impact of the Nightmare Contamination is wider than we imagined."

Han Ling squatted down to examine the carcass of a deer. "Its spiritual energy has been drained, and its life force has been depleted... This is completely different from the way the blood plague erodes."

"These are all consequences of the Azure Sky's leak," Shen Gongbao said. "The celestial canopy is unstable, and all sorts of negative energies will find gaps to seep in. The blood plague is one, and the demonic nightmare is another."

On the fifth day at noon, they finally saw Goddess Peak.

It was an extremely steep mountain peak, with the upper half covered in snow and the lower half consisting of bare black rock.

The summit was hidden in the clouds, with occasional flashes of lightning streaking through them.

Most peculiarly, the entire mountain peak exudes a faint "pressure".

"This is it." Han Ling stopped in his tracks. "I can sense... there really is something in the mountains."

Just then, a figure appeared in front of them.

It wasn't one person, but a group of people.

There were about twenty of them, all dressed in dark blue robes embroidered with winding dragon patterns.

Holding long staffs, they spread out in a semi-circle, blocking the only path up the mountain.

The leader was a middle-aged man with a thin face and sharp eyes.

"Halt." The man spoke, his voice hoarse. "Goddess Peak is a forbidden area; outsiders are not allowed to enter."

Ji Fa stepped forward, clasped his hands in greeting, and said, "I am Ji Fa from Xiqi. I have come to Goddess Peak to search for Yao Ji's remains in order to save the people of Beichong who are being corrupted by the demonic nightmare, and to pray for the protection of the goddess Nuwa. Please grant me this favor."

"Yao Ji's remains?" The man laughed, a mocking laugh. "You're too late. Yao Ji has already been reborn; she has no need for those withered bones."

"Reborn?" Daji exclaimed in surprise.

"Not bad." The man opened his arms, his voice becoming impassioned. "Three hundred years ago, the saintess Yao Ji sacrificed herself for her faith."

But Nuwa was merciful and granted her the chance to be reborn. Now, she has returned and is cultivating herself on this Goddess Peak.

We, the "Dragon Attendants," are her most devout followers.

Shen Gongbao narrowed his eyes: "Since Yao Ji has been reborn, her remains should be useless. Could we go up the mountain to pay our respects to the reborn Holy Maiden and ask her to use her divine power to heal Beichong?"

The man shook his head: "No. Lady Yao Ji is in seclusion and does not see outsiders. Besides... the remains are now an obstacle."

"Obstacles?"

"The remains preserved Yao Ji's attachments and obsessions from her previous life."

The man explained, "It is these obsessions that prevent her from fully integrating into this world and from exerting her full divine power."

"If you really want to save Beichong... why don't you do us a favor?"

"What kind of help?"

"Destroy the remains." The man looked directly at Ji Fa. "As long as the remains are destroyed, Yao Ji can be completely reborn. At that time, she will have complete divine power. Not to mention purifying the demonic nightmare, even ending the blood plague will be no problem."

And you... will become benefactors of the Dragon God Cult, receiving the protection of Nuwa and Yaoji.

Ji Fa exchanged glances with the others.

This proposal is highly suspicious.

"How do we know you're telling the truth?" Lu Shang suddenly spoke, his tone as casual as if he were chatting. "What if you're planning to destroy the sacred artifact to achieve some ulterior motive?"

The man looked at Lü Shang, his eyes narrowing slightly—he sensed an unusual aura emanating from this servant.

"You may not believe me," the man said, "but you can witness it with your own eyes—witness the existence of Yao Ji."

He turned to face the Goddess Peak, formed a complex hand seal with his hands, and began chanting ancient and obscure incantations.

As the incantation was chanted, the entire mountain began to tremble slightly.

The clouds surged and billowed, and from the clouds at the summit came a deep, long... dragon's roar.

It's not a hallucination.

Everyone heard it—that soul-stirring sound, like a call from ancient times.

Immediately afterwards, a huge shadow appeared in the clouds.

Its long, slender body was covered with bluish-black scales, and four sharp claws were faintly visible.

It did not fully appear; only part of its body was revealed as it slowly moved through the sea of ​​clouds.

But it was indeed a dragon.

Or rather, a dragon.

"Do you see that?" The man stopped chanting. "This is the incarnation of Lady Yao Ji. With him as witness, don't you still believe me?"

Ji Fa took a deep breath: "Even if Yao Ji is truly reborn... why should we destroy her remains?"

"I told you, the remains are an obstacle." The man was getting impatient. "If you want to save Beichong, you only have two choices: either leave now and wait for Lady Yaoji to overcome her obsession on her own—but that might take years or even decades."

"Either help us destroy the remains, and Yao Ji will be able to unleash her divine power in a few days."

"How do you destroy it?" Shen Gongbao asked.

The man took out a small jade bottle from his pocket. The bottle contained a dark red liquid that emitted a faint, sweet, fishy smell.

"This is the blood of the Holy Dragon," he said. "By using this blood to contaminate the remains, the dragon's energy within will neutralize the obsessions within the remains, allowing them to dissipate naturally. This way, the remains will be destroyed without harming Lady Yaoji's present life."

He handed the jade bottle to Ji Fa: "The remains are hidden in the 'Saintess Tower' deep within Goddess Peak. The tower has seven floors, and the remains are on the top floor."

"Take this blood up there and drip it onto the remains, and your mission will be complete. After you come down, I will take you to see Lady Yao Ji."

Ji Fa took the jade bottle; it was icy cold to the touch.

He could sense the powerful energy contained in the liquid in the bottle—it was indeed dragon blood, or at least the blood of some top-tier spirit beast.

"What if we don't agree?" Lü Shang asked doubtfully.

The man laughed, a cold laugh: "Then you'll never get up the mountain. My sect has been operating here for decades; the entire Goddess Peak is our territory. If you try to force your way in... you can try."

Han Ling whispered to Ji Fa, "These people's spiritual energy fluctuations are not weak. If a real fight breaks out, we may not have the upper hand."

Ji Fa considered it for a moment and nodded: "Okay, we agree."

"A wise choice." The man smiled with satisfaction. "The path up the mountain is over there."

Remember, go straight to the Tower of the Virgin Mary; don't linger anywhere else.

After walking quite a distance, Shen Gongbao whispered, "He's lying."

"I know," Ji Fa said calmly. "Yao Ji's rebirth? What a coincidence."

And the look in his eyes when he mentioned the remains... wasn't piety, it was greed.

"Then why did you agree?" Daji asked.

"Because this is the only chance to go up the mountain." Ji Fa looked at the jade bottle in his hand, "And... I also want to see what's hidden inside the Saintess Tower."

Shen Gongbao chuckled: "Interesting. But Ji Fa, have you considered... what if there really are Yao Ji's remains in the tower, what if that blood can really destroy them? Should we do it?"

"Of course not," Ji Fa said firmly. "If those are truly the remains of the Holy Maiden, the hope that can save the people of Beichong... we must not only not destroy them, but also protect them."

"How will we explain this to the Dragon God Cult?"

"Let's go up the mountain first and see how things go." Ji Fa looked at the mountain path that was getting closer and closer. "I have a feeling... this trip to Goddess Peak will be more complicated than we imagined."

The mountain road was steep, and the snow was getting deeper and deeper.

The higher you go, the stronger that pure sense of rejection becomes.

Lu Shang silently followed at the back of the group, his spiritual vision fully activated.

In his perception, the entire Goddess Peak resembled a giant, inverted lighthouse.

Deep within the mountains, there is an extremely bright source of light—pure, warm, and full of life.

That should be where Yao Ji's remains are located.

Lü Shang raised his head and looked at Ji Fa, who was walking ahead of him.

Should he remind him?

How should I remind him? Should I say he "senses" it?

Just then, the clouds and mist in front of us began to disperse.

A tower appears on a platform halfway up the mountain.

The tower is seven stories high and made of white stone. It has remained intact despite hundreds of years of wind and rain.

The tower is covered with ancient runes and the Nuwa totem—a goddess with a human body and a snake tail holding five-colored stones, mending the sky and creating humans.

The tower gate opened slightly.

A musty yet clean scent wafted over me.

The first floor of the tower was empty, except for a stone tablet standing in the center with inscriptions on it:

"The Holy Maiden Yao Ji, carrying on the will of Nuwa, saved the people from suffering. Though she perished, her spirit lives on. Her remains lie here, awaiting a destined one."

Below the inscription is a line of smaller characters:

"To ascend the seven stories of the tower, one must pass seven trials. Sincerity will be rewarded, and evil thoughts will be punished."

Everyone looked at each other.

"Seven trials?" Han Ling frowned.

Before the words were finished, the tower gate slammed shut.

At the same time, the walls of the first floor began to glow, and countless flowing runes appeared.

The trial has begun.