I was selling peach wood swords on a live stream, how did I become a Taoist ancestor?

The brief announcement released by the Great Xia Night Watchers headquarters was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, instantly creating a massive wave in the world's supernatural realm.

The announcement was very simple:

"Last night, the Tianshi Mansion of Longhu Mountain successfully handled an S-level abnormal incident, without causing any casualties or social impact. We thank everyone for their concern."

Just a few lines.

But the information contained within it sends chills down the spines of everyone who can understand it!

S-Class Incident!

Successfully resolved!

No impact caused!

The combination of these three words creates an unparalleled impact.

Europa.

The headquarters of the Church of Holy Light, the Cardinal Council Room.

Beneath the enormous circular dome, twelve ancient oak chairs are arranged in a circle.

Pope Gregory XVII sat in the main seat. He was over seventy years old, with silver hair but a ruddy complexion and deep blue eyes like the sea.

At that moment, he was holding a copy of the report from the East.

"...So, what do you all think?" The Pope's voice echoed in the empty hall.

Sitting to his right, Cardinal Rudolf, the chief cardinal of the church, spoke in a deep voice:

"Your Majesty, according to the records of our 'Holy Power Resonance Crystal,' the 'holy' attribute aura of that golden light last night reached an unprecedented peak, even..."

He paused, seemingly finding it difficult to speak: "It even surpasses the fluctuations recorded in our history when the last 'living saint' performed divine magic three hundred years ago."

A collective gasp filled the hall.

"Saints on earth" is an honorific title used within the Church of Holy Light to refer to certain exceptional individuals who can directly communicate with "the Lord" and perform miracles.

Since the beginning of the Dharma-ending Age, no true "living saints" have appeared for three hundred years.

Now, the aftermath of an incident in the East has surpassed the divine magic of saints in history.

This is a devastating blow to the foundation of the Holy Light Church's thousand-year-old faith!

"What's even more frightening is," another cardinal in charge of intelligence added, "that based on the scattered information from our 'friends' within Great Xia, and this understated report from the Night's Watch..."

He raised his head and looked at the Pope: "Your Majesty, this means that the cost for them to resolve this S-class incident may be negligible, or even... overwhelming."

The conference room was deathly silent.

What is the concept of an S-class event?

Three years ago, a group of A-level vengeful spirits appeared in a small town in northern Europe. The church sent three Templar Knights and twelve Inquisitors, who fought a bitter battle all night. In the end, they managed to purify the spirit at the cost of destroying a third of the town's buildings and sacrificing seventeen clergy members.

That was only Grade A.

silence.

A long silence.

The only sound was the crackling of the candlelight flickering on the wall.

After a long silence, the Pope spoke slowly, his voice carrying a barely perceptible hint of weariness:

"Longhu Mountain is just one of the various sects of the Great Xia Daoist sect. Slightly inferior to Longhu Mountain are Maoshan, Wudang, Qingcheng..."

"Such a big commotion has been caused by just Longhu Mountain."

"Just how many things are still hidden within the entire Great Xia Daoist sect that we don't know about?"

The crowd looked at each other, none of them able to answer.

Just then, the cardinal in charge of intelligence spoke again:

"Your Majesty, there is one more thing."

"explain."

"Our 'friend' mentioned that there has been unusually frequent energy activity in the Kunlun Mountains region of Daxia recently, and satellite monitoring also shows that there is a large-scale gathering of spiritual energy there."

"Many old organizations seem to have caught wind of this and are starting to stir."

"Kunlun..." the Pope murmured to himself.

He certainly knew what Kunlun meant to Great Xia.

That is the legendary "Ancestor of Ten Thousand Mountains," the birthplace of mythology, and its status in the Eastern transcendental realm is equivalent to that of Jerusalem in the heart of the Holy Light Church.

If there is any unusual activity there, it will inevitably affect the entire East and even the world.

"Can the intelligence be confirmed?"

"After multiple cross-verifications, the credibility is very high. The recent energy fluctuations in the Kunlun region are far more intense than the normal range of spiritual tide growth."

"Based on the analysis of ancient records and energy diagrams, the probability of a secret realm opening or ancient treasures appearing there is over 70%."

"Secret realm...treasure..." A glint of light flashed in the Pope's eyes.

"Your Majesty," Archbishop Rudolf said in a deep voice, "we cannot stand idly by."

"Whatever happens in Kunlun, we must get involved."

The Pope closed his eyes in contemplation for a moment, then slowly opened them.

"Rudolph".

"exist."

"Send a mission to Daxia under the guise of religious exchange to make contact with the Celestial Master's Mansion of Longhu Mountain."

"At the same time, you will lead the Third Battalion of the Knights Templar to the Kunlun region in secret, and act according to the circumstances."

"Yes, Your Majesty!" Rudolf bowed and accepted the order.

……

New World.

Bureau of Paranormal Phenomena Research, Underground Command Center.

Director Jensen stared at the energy comparison chart on the big screen, his expression shifting between light and dark.

On the left is the golden energy spectrum of Longhu Mountain in Daxia last night, and on the right is the energy record of the three S-level anomaly events that occurred in the New World.

A towering mountain.

Three... low as mounds.

"The difference...is that big?" Jason's voice was a little hoarse.

"Director, the data analysis results are in."

"Director, the data analysis results are in."

A researcher walked over quickly with a tablet in hand. "The total energy released by the Great Xia in this incident, conservatively estimated, is more than fifteen times that of the strongest S-class incident we have ever handled."

Fifteen times?

Jason felt a bitter taste in his mouth.

They occupied this land of the New World for only a little over two hundred years, lacking ancient traditions and cultural heritage.

In recent years, the main way to deal with the various anomalies brought about by the resurgence of spiritual energy has been through technological weapons combined with some sacred arts "exchanged" from Europe, as well as incomplete witchcraft collected from indigenous tribes.

Every handling of an S-level incident is accompanied by heavy casualties and enormous social costs.

And the Great Xia...

"What exactly did the Great Xia people do?" Jansen asked hoarsely.

The researcher adjusted his glasses: "Based on the reverse deduction of the energy residue spectrum, it is highly likely to be the activation effect of some kind of 'talisman' or 'magical artifact'."

"And the user... is speculated to be Zhang Yunpu, the current Celestial Master of Longhu Mountain."

Jensen remained silent.

He recalled the S-class deep-sea vengeful spirit that appeared on the west coast of the New World three years ago.

The research bureau used three specially made holy light missiles, sacrificing two A-level ability users, to barely manage to severely injure and drive it away.

And the Great Xia...

"They solved it way too easily," Jason muttered. "Abnormally easily."

At that moment, another researcher rushed in.

"Director, the latest monitoring data for the Kunlun area!"

"The energy fluctuation index has surged again! It has reached 300% of its historical peak!"

Satellite imagery reveals an unusual glow deep within the Kunlun Mountains, potentially a precursor to the opening of a large-scale secret realm!

Jason narrowed his eyes.

Kunlun...

He immediately retrieved the data for the Kunlun region.

"That is the origin of the mythology of the Great Xia Dynasty, the location of the dragon vein."

"Now that spiritual energy has revived, Kunlun is showing unusual activity..."

A strong sense of crisis welled up in Jason's heart.

If the Great Xia were to gain another opportunity from Kunlun, the future gap would be...

Jason took a deep breath, a resolute glint in his eyes.

"Notify Delta Force to cancel all leave and enter maximum combat readiness."

"Prepare the necessary equipment for Project Prometheus."

"Also, connect me to the Black Palace."

"The New World must not be absent from this grand feast!"

……

The land of cherry blossoms.

Kyoto, Seimei Shrine Secret Hall.

Abe Shōkichi knelt on a prayer mat, with a document spread out in front of him containing scattered secrets about the "Kusanagi Sword" and the Battle of Kunlun eighty years ago.

The black-clad ninja appeared silently and knelt on one knee.

"Lord Changji, news has come from the Shinto Church headquarters that they have agreed to restart the 'Kunlun Project,' but they require that the operation be kept absolutely secret and not too large in scale, so as not to anger the Great Xia."

Abe Shōkichi nodded, not surprised.

After suffering a severe blow eighty years ago, Shintoism has long lost its former vigor and is now more conservative and dormant.

Has the candidate been chosen?

"It's confirmed. The team will be led by 'Shadow Dancer' Hattori Senzan, and the members will include two Iga Jonin who are skilled in stealth, one Onmyoji who is proficient in barriers and seals, and... one chosen one of the gods who has volunteered to go."

"A divinely favored one?" Abe Shōkichi was somewhat surprised. "Whose divinely favored sir?"

"She is the shrine maiden 'Ruri,' a favorite of Tsukuyomi-no-Mikoto."

A glint of shrewdness flashed in Abe Shōkichi's eyes.

Tsukuyomi is one of the three main gods of the Sakura Kingdom, and she is in charge of the night and the moon.

"Very good. Tell Hattori that the primary objective of this trip is to retrieve the Kusanagi Sword. As for the changes in Great Xia..."

He looked westward, his gaze complex. "Observe and gather intelligence, but don't interfere. The waters of Great Xia run far deeper than we imagine."

"Hi!"

……

White Elephant Kingdom.

Ancient temples on the banks of the Ganges River in Varanasi.

Several elderly monks, dressed in yellow robes and exuding a deep and mysterious aura, gathered together.

"Golden light pierces the darkness, and the first sounds of chanting appear... The ancient prophecy is being fulfilled."

The old monk at the head of the group had droopy eyelids, but his voice was like the clanging of metal: "An enlightened being in the East has embarked on a higher path ahead of time. This is not a good thing for all sentient beings in the Saha world."

"Master, what should we do?" another monk asked.

"Kunlun... is a place that connects the various 'pure lands'. Now that there is an unusual movement, an opportunity will surely arise in this world."

The old monk slowly said, "Send a pilgrim to go and wait for an opportunity to act."

"Yes."

……

Summer.

Kunlun Mountains, unnamed valley campsite.

The cold wind howled, whipping up snowflakes that pelted the camp's windproof tarpaulin with a crackling sound.

Two figures, who had just finished their shift, trudged through the thick snow toward the largest tent in the center.

One of them was a member of the Night Watch, wearing a specially made winter combat suit, named Zhou Kai, whose cheeks were red from the cold.

The other was a Taoist priest from Wudang Mountain, dressed in a thick cotton robe. His Taoist name was Mingchen, and he looked to be in his early thirties. His eyebrows and eyelashes were covered with a layer of white frost.

"This awful weather is getting colder every day," Zhou Kai complained, exhaling a puff of white breath and rubbing his hands. "It feels even colder than the coldest days of winter back home."

Taoist Mingchen smiled, appearing quite comfortable with it: "The Kunlun Snow Mountain has always been bitterly cold, and with the current changes in spiritual energy, it's normal for the climate to be somewhat abnormal."

"Brother Zhou, those new batch of peach wood plaques issued by your Night's Watch headquarters are truly fine stuff."

"Indeed! Daoist Mingchen, you have no idea how apprehensive it was to keep watch here at night before."

"Not to mention those elusive B+ level snow goblins, even ordinary wandering ghosts and vengeful spirits are enough to give us a hard time. We have to be on high alert at the slightest sound outside the tent."

Zhou Kai touched the peach wood plaque with relish: "Ever since I got this plaque and hung it in the tent, hey, something's gotten weird! The area around the campsite is as clean as if it's been swept clean!"

"Forget about vengeful spirits, we can't even see a rat with a yin aura! Those hordes of fearless snow goblins have also appeared less often! Even if they occasionally get close, they just howl a couple of times from a distance and run away, not daring to attack the camp at all."

Taoist Mingchen nodded, his eyes filled with amazement: "I have seen many magical artifacts in Wudang, but this is the first time I have seen one with such outstanding effects."

"It looks ordinary and there is no spiritual energy fluctuation in my senses, yet it repels all evil. The master who made this item must have unfathomable cultivation."

"It's more than unfathomable!"

Zhou Kai lowered his voice, his tone laced with mystery, "I heard from our captain in private that this batch of peach wood amulets, including some talismans that have been distributed to various branches before, were all made by the same mysterious master!"

"This master has done immeasurable good deeds," Mingchen exclaimed. "With this item protecting us, I wonder how many casualties we could have avoided."

"Yeah," Zhou Kai sighed. "I just don't know if I'll be able to go home for Chinese New Year this year. Judging from the current situation, things won't be quiet here in Kunlun anytime soon."

"Sigh, my daughter is still hoping I'll take her to the amusement park when I get back..."

Taoist Mingchen looked into the depths of the valley, where an unusual energy shimmered faintly in the snow and mist.

"Strange phenomena have appeared here, and it seems that the true 'opening' is not far off. Whether it will bring fortune or misfortune remains to be seen. We are ordered to guard this place, so we must be loyal to our duties. As for going home for the New Year..."

He paused, a gentle smile appearing on his face: "If our perseverance can bring about the reunion of countless families in the rear, then this year is worthwhile."

Upon hearing this, Zhou Kai nodded emphatically, his homesickness being overshadowed by a sense of responsibility and pride.

As they talked, the two lifted the heavy curtain and stepped into the much warmer tent.

Inside the tent, the other team members who had come off duty and the Taoist priest were warming themselves around a small stove and talking in hushed tones.

No one knew that, several miles away from the camp, deep in that closely monitored valley, on the ancient rock walls covered in snow, some seemingly naturally formed patterns appeared, in a corner unnoticed by anyone, slightly clearer and brighter than yesterday.

Faintly, a very faint pulse, seemingly from ancient times, is quietly undulating with the wind and snow of Kunlun.

A storm is brewing, and the wind fills the tower.

The world's attention has quietly turned to this ancient mountain range covered in ice and snow.

A storm is brewing silently.