Chapter 26 The Mountain Lord's Teachings

The Five-Colored Deer did not know yet that it had become a deer-thief; it was still smug about having found two Fellow Daoists.

The further they went inside, the thicker the Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence became. Captain Xu Chang even saw precious medicinal herbs growing on the ground, some whose names he knew and others he didn't.

A spring of water flowed with a gurgling sound.

When Captain Xu Chang, his companion, and the Five-Colored Deer reached a clearing, the scene before them suddenly opened up.

A number of demons and animals had already gathered here, peaceful and quiet with one another.

Even the pheasants and weasels, which usually couldn't stand the sight of each other, were now sitting together in a proper manner.

At the very front, surrounded by these demons, was a stone platform. Sitting upright on the platform was a young man wearing a black and white Daoist robe and a lotus Daoist crown.

The young man had a faint smile on his lips, and his voice was like blooming lotus flowers, as if he were an Immortal who had descended to the mortal world.

When Ye Qingmei first saw this young man, she was slightly stunned.

Because why did she feel that this young man looked somewhat similar to a certain person who went around swindling others?

"Is he Mountain Lord Jiang?" Ye Qingmei asked.

"Audacious! This is Lord Mountain Lord!" A snake demon, two zhang long, rose halfway up and spoke in human language.

Then, it turned its head back to listen to the Mountain Lord preaching the Dao, completely intoxicated.

Mountain Lord Jiang also saw the two people and one deer arriving from behind, a trace of reminiscence flashing across the corner of his eyes.

Back then, there were also two such people who walked into the Nameless Mountain and saved him from the mouth of a Zhen.

And he himself, having received that person's kindness, had obtained the method to change his fate and was reborn.

"Very well, today's preaching ends here. This poor Daoist will continue to preach here every day at the You hour for seven consecutive days. Those willing to ponder the Great Dao with this poor Daoist may come here to meet."

As his voice fell, the many demons who were intoxicated by the Dao intent and unable to extricate themselves woke up one after another, then looked at Mountain Lord Jiang with reluctance.

Those who could speak human language thanked Lord Mountain Lord repeatedly, while those who could not bowed to thank Mountain Lord Jiang.

"I, I, what did I miss?" The Five-Colored Deer was bewildered.

"You missed an Opportunity for Immortal Ascension." Ye Qingmei looked at the cute little deer and couldn't help but tease it for a moment.

Mountain Lord Jiang spoke: "This poor Daoist is still missing a young attendant. I observe that your Heart-Nature and talent are acceptable; would you be willing to take this poor Daoist as your Revered Master and become a young attendant under my seat?"

The Five-Colored Deer was overjoyed upon hearing this, its two front hooves bending to kneel on the ground. "This little deer is willing, this little deer is willing. Thank you, Lord Mountain Lord… Thank you, Revered Master, for your grace!"

"This is also fate between you and me." After Mountain Lord Jiang finished speaking, he looked at Captain Xu Chang and Ye Qingmei.

When Mountain Lord Jiang was speaking to the Five-Colored Deer just now, the two of them didn't feel much pressure.

But now, being stared at by the Mountain Lord, the two realized that their limbs were starting to tremble uncontrollably.

"M-Mountain Lord…" Captain Xu Chang took a deep breath, braced against the pressure, and said tremblingly.

Mountain Lord Jiang smiled slightly: "No need to panic, just call me Jiang Bai."

Captain Xu Chang wore a bitter smile.

Mountain Lord Jiang, who was also Jiang Bai, continued leisurely: "Since this poor Daoist first opened his eyes to the world, I have never harmed an innocent person. My Revered Master, remembering the kindness of our acquaintance when I was young, decreed that I should become the Mountain God of this Nameless Mountain."

When speaking of his Revered Master, a clear look of reminiscence and longing flashed in Jiang Bai's eyes.

Captain Xu Chang and Ye Qingmei were secretly shocked; the information in Mountain Lord Jiang's words was quite significant.

"I have often lived deep in the mountains and forests, only occasionally breaking through my Realm, revealing my form before the world. It was not until the Yuan Dynasty that the Heaven And Earth Spiritual Essence began to dissipate, and the Dao retreated like the tide. This poor Daoist was unable to resist this great change in the world and could only fall into a deep slumber, only waking up until this present time."

Jiang Bai seemed as if he hadn't spoken to anyone for a long time, chatting on and on with Captain Xu Chang and Ye Qingmei.

However, the two could only listen with smiles on their faces, not daring to interrupt at all, fearing that they might displease this gentleman.

By the time Jiang Bai finished speaking in one breath, almost half an hour had passed.

At this moment, Ye Qingmei asked curiously: "Mountain Lord… Lord Jiang Bai, is the Revered Master you mentioned the Grand Master Xuanyi of the Maoshan Sect?"

Captain Xu Chang groaned inwardly. Oh, my goodness, these demons and such were used like beasts of burden by people; they must have been dissatisfied long ago.

Now you are bringing up his former Revered Master right in front of him; it would be strange if he didn't get angry!

However, Captain Xu Chang was soon taken aback, because Jiang Bai not only did not get angry, but instead, a look of pride and reflected glory appeared on his face.

"Indeed, the Junior Brother of the then-acting Sect Leader of Maoshan, Grand Master Xuanyi, is my Revered Master!"

"This time, upon waking, I also wish to go out into the world to find my Revered Master, Great True Lord Xuanyi."

"Go out into the world to find him?" Ye Qingmei and Captain Xu Chang were both astonished.

However, the two had different focuses in their thoughts. Captain Xu Chang thought that if such a powerful demon were to enter the world, if it wanted to do something, there would likely be no one who could stop it.

And Ye Qingmei thought, could an Ancestral Master from the Tang Dynasty really be alive in the present world?

"Lord Jiang Bai, you said Great True Lord Xuanyi, is it possible that he is still alive?" Ye Qingmei asked impatiently.

Hearing Ye Qingmei's address, Jiang Bai turned his gaze to stare at her, and suddenly, vertical pupils flashed and vanished in his eyes.

"So, you are actually a member of the Maoshan Sect, but it seems you have not yet been ordained."

Ye Qingmei felt a bit embarrassed. "Yes."

Jiang Bai only confirmed Ye Qingmei's lineage and did not pay too much attention to it.

"That is correct. Revered Master's cultivation reached the peak of creation, invincible for a lifetime. He has long since passed the great tribulation of the Five Declines of Heaven and Man, entered the Yang Spirit Realm, his body and soul Immortal and indestructible, so he naturally exists in this world!"

The Yang Spirit Realm!

Captain Xu Chang did not understand, but as a Disciple of the Maoshan Sect, Ye Qingmei had naturally heard of it in her studies.

It is said that these 7 Realms of cultivation were created by the Ancestral Master of the Maoshan Sect, who unified the various paths of cultivation in the world and finally melted them into one furnace to create these 7 Realms of cultivation.

The last of the 7 Realms is the Primordial Spirit Realm.

It is said that this Realm requires passing the great tribulation of the Five Declines of Heaven and Man. If one can pass it, one can achieve the Yang Spirit, from then on wandering freely between heaven and earth, immune to all laws, and coexisting with the world forever.

However, when Ye Qingmei heard her elders speak of this Realm, she was mostly skeptical. If it were truly that powerful, then where are the ancient Immortals, gods, Buddhas, and the Ancestral Masters of various Schools today?

Moreover, legend has it that the Ancestral Master who created these 7 Realms of cultivation did not seem to have reached this Yang Spirit Realm at the time either; this ethereal Realm was merely something the Ancestral Master had hypothesized.

So now, when Ye Qingmei heard the Mountain Lord say that his Revered Master might still exist in the world, and had even reached the Yang Spirit Realm, she was half-believing and half-doubting.

The Mountain Lord naturally saw Ye Qingmei's skepticism, but he did not care.

Without reaching that Realm, how could one see the scenery above that Realm?

Even he, Jiang Bai, having wasted a thousand years of time and possessing the orthodox Daoist breathing technique given by his Revered Master, was now only at the initial stage of the sixth Realm, the Heavenly Bridge Realm.

If it were not for the Mountain God status supporting his Lifespan, he would probably have died of old age hundreds of years ago.