A Scroll of Infinite Glory

Chapter 633 Rushing to the Otherworld, Yet Encountering a Thousand Mountains

Legend has it that Shouyang Mountain is the first mountain in the thousands of mountains and rivers of Jambudvipa (the southern continent of the Western Regions) to be exposed to the sun at sunrise.

Such a mountain shouldn't be hard to find, but although Guan Luoyang arrived quickly, the human race of the Southern Continent reacted just as quickly.

After the celestial realm lost its balance, this continent activated its formation to resist the tsunami, while the earth's veins also underwent tremendous changes.

As mountains and rivers shifted and spiritual energy surged, many new peaks and lakes were created, forming a vast array that now covers the entire continent, causing its height to gradually increase.

Under the protection mechanisms of the human realm, the upper limit of an individual's power is only the extent to which they can influence a radius of ten thousand miles.

Meanwhile, Jambudvipa, a continent spanning millions of miles, is now, under the guidance of a single will, completely detached from the sea and ascended into the sky.

The profound mystery of this formation is evident, and the person in charge of the formation must be exceptionally skilled.

However, Guan Luoyang's spiritual disc hovered high in the sky, and after a little calculation, he realized that the reason why such a thing could happen in a way that violated the operating rules of the human world was mainly because a supreme treasure was acting as the central hub of the formation.

That treasure is probably the real Shouyang Mountain.

Sure enough, the next moment, everything in the entire Jambudvipa was infinitely condensed in the spiritual light, seemingly shrinking into an untraceable dot, and disappearing into the cave.

High in the sky, only a copper-colored mountain remained. Although there were many flowers, trees, and water on the mountain, they all had the aura of metal and shone with a pure copper luster.

Only on the front of the mountain peak is there a dark cave with a rough entrance, clearly showing the marks of being carved by knives and axes, and it is unknown how many years ago it has been there.

Just now, the wisp of spiritual light that was infinitely condensed from Jambudvipa disappeared into this cave.

Suddenly, a small, candle-red flame appeared inside the cave, flickering and accompanied by a loud sound.

"The calamity has erupted ahead of schedule, causing a raging storm in the Boundary Sea and unrest on all sides. Fellow Daoist, instead of protecting your own lineage and helping them leave the mortal realm, you have rushed to Shouyang Mountain. May I ask what brings you here?"

Every thought contained within that sound seemed to contain the immeasurable changes of the void, ready to be laid out at any moment, encompassing all things in the universe, and then curling up into a single point.

This peculiar feeling is not due to the cave owner's own supernatural powers or artistic conception, but rather to the miraculous effect of the Shouyang Mountain cave.

Actually, the scene before wasn't because Jambudvipa was truly condensed, but because the space inside the cave was infinitely vast, the entire continent appeared to shrink infinitely as Jambudvipa moved into the cave.

The Primordial Golden List was clearly suppressed in the mortal realm, yet this treasure remained unaffected.

Guan Luoyang's spiritual light fluctuated slightly, suddenly manifesting the Eight Trigrams of Fuxi, which then coalesced into a human-shaped image.

"I have a great karmic connection with the human world, and I have a good relationship with the human race, so I came here to see if there is anything I can do to help."

"I see."

The voice from inside the cave softened slightly, "As the leader of the human race in the Southern Continent, I am concerned with the safety of hundreds of millions of people, so it is inconvenient for me to receive you. Please forgive me, fellow Daoist."

"I will lead my people to the Xuanyuan Holy Land. If you are interested, you are welcome to visit the Xuanyuan Holy Land in your spare time."

Fuxi, Nuwa, Shennong, Xuanyuan, Emperor Ku, Yao, Shun, and Yu.

These are the titles of eight ancient sages of the human race, and also the names of the eight ancient holy sites of the human race.

Once an ordinary holy land is opened up, only when it is blessed at its full scale can it unleash a combat power comparable to that of a Heavenly Venerable.

However, the eight ancient holy lands of the human race had already laid their foundations countless eons ago. Later, through the joint maintenance and repair by generations of human powerhouses, they have escaped the fate of ordinary holy lands self-decaying.

Their creators have long since disappeared, but ordinary emperors, once they gain recognition, can also unleash the power of a celestial being with the blessing of the emperor.

Moreover, the blessing from this ancient holy land is stronger than that of ordinary holy lands. It is said that the master of the ancient holy land is capable of competing with a mid-level Heavenly Venerable.

In addition, these eight ancient holy lands are also the highest institutions of learning for the human race in all the heavens and myriad worlds.

In the last 5.6 billion years alone, countless practitioners and ascendants have gone to the eight holy lands for further study.

Many of them, after achieving success in their cultivation, tirelessly wished to remain in the human world, spreading the Dharma to the boundary sea as opportunities arose, and governing the people. Among them, those with the deepest merit and the most effective results were revered as the common rulers of the human race.

The current ruler of the human race is an ascendant who once studied at the sacred site of Tang Yao.

Since the ancient calamity, the Holy Land of Tang Yao has produced a total of nine human rulers.

Therefore, the current ruler of the human race who controls Shouyang Mountain has another title: "Nine Generations of Tang Yao".

As Emperor Yao of the Ninth Generation chatted with Guan Luoyang, Shouyang Mountain trembled slightly in the air and emitted a mysterious sound that swept across the entire human world.

Soon, beams of spiritual light from all corners of the world broke through the void and entered the cave.

Humans are scattered all over the world, so it's not enough to just move one continent, Jambudvipa.

The profound voice of Emperor Yao, the ninth emperor of the Tang Dynasty, questioned the human world.

Any living being in the human world who has nowhere else to seek refuge and who possesses humanity will be drawn by the mysterious sound, transforming into spiritual light and being taken into the cave.

Guan Luoyang glanced at them casually and knew that among those spiritual lights, there were many creatures that were not human in terms of bloodline.

"So, the humanity that Shouyang Mountain recognizes refers to being born with desires, having emotions beyond desires, and reason beyond emotions?"

"Regardless of one's background, everyone is born with desires, and reason and emotion coexist within them; that is what makes a human being."

The ninth Emperor Yao said, "This is not just the method of judgment for Shouyang Mountain. Since ancient times, all the gods and Buddhas, whether in the Heavenly Court or the Underworld, have used this method to make judgments."

Guan Luoyang nodded slightly and said, "It's a pity that protecting humankind is easy, but protecting all living beings in the myriad realms is extremely difficult. In this great calamity, I wonder if the human race of Taiqing Chiming has already reached a clear stance?"

"It is a great taboo to speak too frankly with someone you don't know well. Fellow Daoist, your question is too hasty."

The Ninth Emperor Tang Yao said calmly, "The fate of the human race is not something I alone can determine, but at least our eight ancient holy lands will prioritize self-preservation, refrain from initiating wars, but will not easily submit to others."

In the midst of a great calamity, seeking self-preservation is a perfectly normal mindset.

However, even though they are both seeking self-preservation, the methods they use are quite different.

Apart from the three traitors, the only way the other ten Kings of Hell in the underworld could protect themselves was to stick together and hold their ground in the underworld.

As a result, outsiders infiltrated and colluded with insiders, nearly turning the underworld upside down.

According to Guan Luoyang, he could only say that he had no opinion on the Seventh King of Hell's actions.

They didn't intend to harm anyone, but their methods were too conservative, which inevitably put them in a passive position and made it difficult for them to achieve their intended goals.

The self-preservation mentioned by Emperor Yao of the ninth generation is quite thought-provoking.

"Not to initiate war"—a truly conservative person would never say such a thing.

It seems that the eight holy lands of the human race understand that only by having an attitude of not being afraid of war can they truly avoid war as much as possible.

However, from another perspective, this ninth-generation Emperor Yao was far too wary of Guanluoyang.

Even after revealing the cause and effect of Fuxi's shadow painting, he showed absolutely no intention of truly trusting him.

While this attitude isn't wrong, it seems to suggest that this ninth-generation Emperor Yao lacked mental fortitude and was somewhat overly anxious.

Guan Luoyang did not believe that in the human world, his projection alone could exert such great pressure on an emperor who controlled a supreme treasure.

Unless, of course, he himself is carrying some unknown burden...

The Vacuum Demon, at the Celestial Venerable realm, possesses a mind so sharp that it can be said he is constantly manipulating the secrets of the myriad realms.

Even amidst the great calamity and the chaos of celestial secrets, Guan Luoyang's state of mind naturally triggered judgments that were closer to the truth.

"Ha, what you say, fellow Daoist, coincides with my attitude towards this great calamity."

Guan Luoyang chuckled, "In that case, I won't disturb your relocation of the people."

"Let's wait until the Boundary Sea is calmer before visiting fellow Daoists at the Xuanyuan Holy Land."

The voice emanating from the cave remained calm and composed: "I will certainly prepare spiritual tea and immortal fruits, and await your visit, fellow Daoist."

Guan Luoyang bowed, the projection dissipated, and the spiritual light vanished.

The candlelight in the cave suddenly swelled several times its original size and swayed from side to side.

In a daze, the entire human world was placed within a phantom flame, which flickered.

This is a method of investigation to confirm that the projection of Guan Luoyang has indeed dissipated.

They also discovered the situation of the Hongmeng Golden List in the Ten Continents of the East Sea and saw Guan Luoyang's true form.

Such a mysterious method of investigation was so subtle that even the lords of the nearby holy lands did not detect anything unusual, let alone those inside the mortal realm.

Soon, the candlelight in the Shouyang Mountain cave was extinguished, restoring its original brightness.

On a mountaintop in the Ten Continents of the East Sea, Guan Luoyang seemed lost in thought, raising his hand and pointing at the Hongmeng Golden List.

Dense purple mist descended from the golden list, covering the sea surface and isolating all things.

As the purple aura swirled around him, Guan Luoyang's figure sank downwards, returning to the underworld without anyone noticing.

He didn't bother the Kings of Hell, but simply stood at the edge of the first level of the underworld, looking up at the human world.

Shouyang Mountain stands suspended in mid-air, unmoving.

Once all the beings that had responded to the mysterious sound and needed to be guided had entered the cave, the Ninth Emperor Tang Yao used his exploration technique to flicker the candlelight.

The feedback from Shouyang Mountain was that they did not detect anything unusual. Only then did the Ninth Generation Emperor Tang Yao ride his magic weapon and slowly fade away from the void of the mortal realm, heading towards the Boundary Sea.

In the midst of chaos, terrifying waves surged and billowed.

Faintly visible on the membrane of the human realm, the shadow of a bronze-colored mountain gradually emerges, about to enter the sea surface filled with chaotic currents.

Suddenly, a dark and indescribable shadow appeared near the amniotic sac in the human realm.

Shouyang Mountain had just left the human world when it was immediately surrounded by this dark shadow. Its spiritual light trembled, but it was unable to break free.

At this time, if you are in the location of Shouyang Mountain, what you see when you look out is not a shadow.

Instead, it is an endless expanse of green mountains and clear waters.

Thousands of mountains, countless peaks, the earth is made up of the mountain bases, and the sky is supported by the mountain peaks.

Even if someone moved all the mountains in the three thousand great worlds, it would still be far from enough to fill the vast landscape of mountains before us.

The ninth Emperor Yao moved Shouyang Mountain, and with a slight tremor, countless mountains shattered in a burst of brilliant light, yet his heart was filled with immense heaviness.

Shouyang Mountain was established on Earth 5.6 billion years ago, and has been refined using a secret method throughout history.

As long as one holds the position of the supreme ruler of the human race, upon contact with Shouyang Mountain, one can immediately gain profound control and unleash strength no less than that of the lords of holy lands.

However, with such combat power, a single strike only shattered countless mountains.

It is evident that these mountains are incredibly solid; each peak is probably no less massive than a crater formed after the collapse and contraction of a galaxy.

Even more terrifying, when those mountain ranges circled Shouyang Mountain a few times, all the mountains that had just shattered reappeared, completely undamaged.

"A comprehensive map of the shapes and forms of all the heavenly mountains!"

The voice of the ninth Emperor Yao revealed obvious confusion, and the candlelight in the cave suddenly surged.

"The fundamental grand formation of the Heavenly Court Mountain Tribe—who is this fellow Daoist who uses such a formation to trap the beings of my Southern Jambudvipa?!"

Thunderfire Plague Battle, Mountain Water Crimson Star, and the Eight Departments of Heaven are all incredibly profound, and can be said to be eight massive factions cultivated from countless geniuses and prodigies across the myriad realms.

The Mountain Department, also known as the Three Mountains and Five Peaks Department, actually encompasses the Three Powers and Five Elements, and governs the land and mountain gods, star and land spirits of all the heavens and myriad realms. It wields immense power and commands a host of immortals and gods, and is most adept at controlling the power of the Five Elements.

Amidst the endless mountain formations, five figures, half real and half illusory, emerged.

"At this point, what are you still pretending for?"

The laughter seemed to come from near and far, echoing through the mountains, while the five figures appeared and disappeared unpredictably, sometimes large, sometimes small.

"Humanity is incredibly cunning. Over the past 5.6 billion years, they have managed to shift nearly 10% of the connection between the myriad realms and the human world without defying the will of Heaven, and stabilize it within Shouyang Mountain."

"Humanity already possesses numerous sacred sites. With the disintegration of Heaven's will, the connections across the myriad realms will be distributed among the various sacred sites. Humanity will receive its share. If you were to also seize Shouyang Mountain, wouldn't that be far too greedy?!"

The Ninth Emperor, Tang Yao, sighed, "This must be a misunderstanding. The main body of Heaven's Will has not yet dispersed. If Shouyang Mountain were truly as strange as you say, how could I so easily control this treasure to leave the mortal realm?"

The voices of the five figures overlapped, and they burst into laughter.

"Shouyang Mountain was forged by Zhuanxu before he ascended to heaven. It is the will of the Supreme Purity after the ancient calamity. It can also be said that it was created by the Heavenly Emperor. It is only natural that he could lay such a contingency plan for the human race."

"You don't need to lie or pretend. Our sources are absolutely reliable. Why don't you guess who betrayed your plan?"

Emperor Yao of the ninth generation ceased to reply, for words that disturb the mind are not worth responding to.

The cave suddenly sealed off, and the entire Copper Peak became flawless, radiating a dazzling glow. The mountain shadow seemed to slowly rise, increasingly resembling a divine sword.

At the same time, the endless mountain shapes around them accelerated their rotation, and the five figures all looked up to the sky and roared.

Their whistling sounds each possess unique techniques and have six variations, corresponding to the six energies of the cosmos above—cold, heat, dryness, dampness, wind, and fire—and the six forms of mountains below—hills, slopes, cliffs, valleys, and peaks.

Suddenly, the bronze sword cleaved the sky, its divine blade swirling with candlelight, its sharpness unparalleled.

The crimson sword intent illuminated countless mountains and rivers, making them crystal clear and untouched by dust. Then, they shattered and transformed into countless candle flames, clinging to the sword's edge.

The sword's edge grew longer and longer, constantly tearing apart the changes in this grand formation, stretching across the sky. This single sword seemed to be the will of heaven descending.

Shouyang Mountain displayed its full power, proving itself to be incredibly domineering.

However, when the auras of these five figures were fully revealed, it turned out that they were actually five lords of holy lands who had jointly set up this formation.

The sword intent of the Crimson Bright Divine Sword extended endlessly, and for a time it could not break through the mountain shape changes created by the combined efforts of the five holy lands.

More importantly, when they were operating this formation, they all used the six major types of magical power.

In other words, there should be a sixth person presiding over this grand formation.

With sufficient vision and mindset to coordinate the power of the five sacred lands, the sixth person who has not yet appeared must be a true Celestial Venerable.

"Why struggle? My Mountain Tribe has many human experts. The inclusion of Shouyang Mountain into the Mountain Tribe would be a sign of human prosperity!"

Five distant figures stood together, their serene whispers echoing through the mountains.

The five fingers gripped the sword like five inverted pillars, gathering the power of the "Great Array of the Mountain Formation that Governs All Heavens," slowly and irresistibly holding the blade.

"Give it to me!"

(End of this chapter)