Calabash Fairy

Before long, in Fang Yan's perception, Fairy Yunhua's aura was rapidly approaching Qingfeng Mountain, and in just two breaths, it transformed into a five-colored rainbow light and appeared before Fang Yan's eyes.

"Such a fast escape..."

The Fairy Yunhua, dressed in a white robe with cloud patterns, slowly emerged from the rainbow light. She bowed slightly to Fang Yan, who was standing in the stone pavilion, and said in a gentle voice:

"Yunhua of the Nishang Immortal Sect greets the Mountain God of Qingfeng Mountain."

Fang Yan returned the greeting with a cupped hand:

"I have long heard of Fairy Yunhua's great name, and seeing her today, I can confirm that her reputation is well-deserved."

"Qingfeng Mountain is not like a celestial sect. The only things we can offer are spiritual wine and fruits. Please forgive us, fairy, and let's move to the stone pavilion for a chat."

Judging from the escape technique that Fairy Yunhua had just displayed, he knew that the cultivation level of the person in front of him was much higher than his, even considering the incense offerings from the divine path.

However, this person's aura seemed somewhat unstable... as if they were injured...

"You're too kind, Mountain God."

Fairy Yunhua nodded with a smile and slowly walked into the stone pavilion, where she sat down opposite Fang Yan.

When she arrived, she saw that the Qingfeng Mountain area was peaceful and harmonious. The people at the foot of the mountain lived and worked in peace and contentment, with smiles on their faces. There were also many fields around, which was much better than Jinzhi Village.

She knew that all of this was due to the protection of the young man in front of her, and he naturally earned her respect in return.

And judging from the person before her, he was indeed as her disciple had said, possessing a majestic and righteous divine aura, with a faint golden light shimmering within him; he was undoubtedly a virtuous and benevolent deity.

Besides the lingering fragrance of spiritual materials emanating from this person, there also seemed to be a very faint... medicinal fragrance?

Fairy Yunhua's nose twitched slightly as she looked at Fang Yan, who was pouring wine. A hint of surprise flashed in her eyes, and Fang Yan presented her with a blue jade cup filled with Phoenix Spirit Wine.

"This spirit wine is called Phoenix Spirit Wine. It was brewed by me personally, and it has a unique flavor."

Fairy Yunhua picked up her wine cup, took a small sip, nodded slightly, and praised:

"It has a delicate aroma that is not intoxicating; it is indeed a fine wine and suits my taste perfectly. Thank you for your hospitality."

Fang Yan nodded with a smile. Soon, after a few rounds of drinks, with both of them wanting to get along, they started talking and the atmosphere gradually became more familiar.

Since both of them were cultivators, their conversation soon turned to cultivation.

What Fang Yan was unaware of was that Fairy Yunhua was also a genius of the Immortal Sect back then.

This person has cultivated for hundreds of years and possesses profound cultivation. Often, just a few words from him can enlighten him and bring him great benefits.

Fairy Yunhua was also surprised to discover that the mountain god of Qingfeng Mountain opposite her had unique insights into cultivation and an exceptionally high level of comprehension. He even had some understanding of the Great Dao of Heaven and Earth, which could only be glimpsed at her level...

She knew very well that, judging from Fang Yan's insights, he had probably truly comprehended the great principles of heaven and earth to have such a feeling...

As a result, Fairy Yunhua also became serious, no longer speaking to him with the intention of giving pointers, but instead regarding Fang Yan as a true equal cultivator.

Now that the mountain god of Qingfeng Mountain has comprehended some kind of great Dao of Heaven and Earth, even if she has only glimpsed a sliver of it, all the obstacles she would encounter in breaking through to the realm of a ten-thousand-year-old demon king have been completely eliminated. It is only a matter of time before she reaches the cultivation level she is currently at.

The two discussed Taoism in the stone pavilion behind the mountain, forgetting the time until the light gradually dimmed and only a bright red sunset remained on the horizon. Only then did Fairy Yunhua take her leave.

At this point, Fairy Yunhua and Fang Yan no longer addressed each other as "Your Excellency," but as "Fellow Daoist."

Fang Yan escorted her all the way to the halfway point of the front mountain, only to find that Fairy Yunhua had stopped.

Yunhua gazed at the lights gradually lighting up in the village below the mountain and the busy people, and after a moment of contemplation, said:

"I wonder if you have made any arrangements or issued any decrees for the villagers down the mountain."

Fang Yan was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, then chuckled and shook his head.

"Fairy, I am the mountain god of Qingfeng Mountain, not an emperor of the mortal world. How can I make any arrangements? How these people choose, what their future holds, and even whether they stay or leave, are all up to them."

The villagers worshipped him sincerely, and he protected them; that was all.

Since he became the mountain god, he has only helped villagers at the foot of the mountain when they encounter extreme difficulties; otherwise, he never interferes.

According to Fang Yan, he never regarded these villagers as his "subjects" or "possessions".

Each of them has their own life and their own path, and most of the time, Fang Yan is just an observer.

His focus has always been on his own cultivation. The path of the gods can be said to be an important means for him, but it is by no means his essence.

Having been reincarnated for eleven years, he has never used any incense or offerings to cultivate his skills; he has acquired them entirely through his own cultivation and fortuitous encounters.

Perhaps it is precisely because he prefers to let everything follow its natural course and never forces anything that the incense offerings have become increasingly prosperous...

Fairy Yunhua was slightly taken aback upon hearing this, and said apologetically:

"I apologize, I forgot. Fellow Daoist is different from ordinary gods and immortals. Your cultivation is entirely due to your own practice, and you do not need to focus on faith and incense offerings."

"However, given your talent, it would be a great pity if you were to focus on the path of the gods. In my humble opinion, you have truly chosen the right path."

Upon hearing this, Fang Yan's heart stirred slightly, and he smiled:

"Judging from what the fairy is saying, is there some hidden danger in this divine path?"

Fairy Yunhua flicked her sleeves and said frankly:

"To be honest, fellow Daoist, it's not so much a hidden danger, but there are indeed some problems."

"The path of the gods is based on faith and incense, and all one's cultivation is placed on this. However, faith and incense are inherently difficult to sustain forever."

"In recent years, I have also seen some beings who lost their faith and incense offerings due to accidents, whose divine power weakened, and who even fell from their divine positions."

"To put it bluntly, the incense offerings of the divine path are obtained from the mortals, not from one's own cultivation. In the eyes of the patriarch of my Rainbow Immortal Sect, this path is nothing more than trying to catch the moon's reflection in the water or looking at flowers through the fog; it cannot lead to true immortality."

"Of course, everything has two sides, yin and yang, with advantages and disadvantages. The cultivation of gods is the fastest if there is enough faith and incense offerings, and the various spells and supernatural powers are also extremely unique."

"Humanity is also able to maintain peace and stability in various places thanks to the protection of many gods and deities such as mountain gods, land gods, and city gods."

"Furthermore, the gods in heaven often have many incarnations and avatars, this matter..."

Fairy Yunhua shared all her knowledge of the divine path with Fang Yan without reservation, greatly benefiting him. Even many of the basic common sense facts were new to him.

Although Fang Yan had been in charge of the position of Mountain God for several years, he had been exploring on his own. Now that he had finally found someone who could guide him, he was naturally eager to absorb this knowledge.

On the other hand, Fairy Yunhua truly recognizes Fang Yan as a fellow traveler today, rather than simply respecting him and treating him with courtesy because he protects the human race.