Chapter 160: Villagers who listen to the Dao gain

The cloud sea on the peak sensed the extraordinary aura below, began to surge continuously; although there is no wind now, the surrounding leaves rustle, transmitting to the distance.

The playful creatures in the mountains seemed to sense something at this moment, their gazes falling to the southeast—exactly the direction where Ye Qin is!

Countless weasels and foxes darted out from the grass, the soft rustling sounds continuous, all of them the noise of dry branches and leaves being trampled.

Monkeys' cries never ceased from the trees; countless monkeys swung on vines, swaying as they headed southeast.

Not far away, a large dark cloud drifted in from the horizon; upon closer look, it was not a black cloud at all, but hundreds or thousands of birds gathered together, flying across the sky with a hulala sound.

Among them were sparrows, cuckoos, crows, and even large birds like owls; the variety and number were so many as to be astonishing.

The sky was bustling nonstop, and the ground was not idle either.

The black river surged again, gathering from all directions, a dense mass of animals; this time the number was greater than before, truly surpassing any previous.

There were even some that had run over from other mountains.

Ye Qin now has profound cultivation, having reached the Yuanshen Realm; his spiritual power extends vast as an ocean, not only covering this peak but having long enveloped this entire region.

Just as the black beast tide was moving, a loud tiger roar came from the mountains; in an instant the earth shook and the mountains trembled, heading toward those animals not far away.

"Roar!"

This roar sounded incredibly ferocious, yet actually held little malice; a bright yellow shadow like a whirlwind, the beast's eyes gleaming with a hint of mischief.

The previously orderly black river was instantly thrown into chaos by this huge beast, and even some small animals were knocked aside by the gust of its attack.

Only seen, the tall, sharp-eyed tiger leapt forward to the front of the line, firmly occupying the first position, even proudly wiggling its rear, looking full of itself.

The animals behind looked somewhat speechless.

The shameless tiger was precisely the Northeast Tiger that Ye Qin had brought back; how could such a good thing possibly lack its presence?

There was a brief commotion in the line, the chattering sounds all complaints about the tiger cutting in.

But the Northeast Tiger is thick-skinned; having the ability to run fast and cut in line, what's wrong with that?

A brownish-yellow shadow shot forth like an arrow released from a bow; the animal nearest the Northeast Tiger was a fox, which instantly got a mouthful of dust, staring dumbfounded at the silhouette racing ahead.

How could the fox tolerate such arrogance? It waved its paws and squealed noisily.

The black river regained its order again, heading toward where Ye Qin was; this time they ran faster, especially the leading fox, which seemed eager to match the Northeast Tiger.

The first to arrive was the Northeast Tiger; Ye Qin was not surprised, for it had previously endured heavenly thunder, absorbed the qi of heaven and earth, awakened its spiritual intellect, and thus was stronger than ordinary beasts.

But he did not expect other animals to catch up so quickly.

The leading fox was panting, its fur around the face covered in dust, and it glared fiercely at the Northeast Tiger, making Ye Qin unable to suppress a laugh.

Ye Qin had once given a lecture before, and some mountain creatures had listened; this time the scale was larger than before.

As far as the eye could see, it was densely packed, almost impossible to see the end.

Thanks to Ye Qin's transformation of Longyuan Mountain, the spiritual energy on the mountain continually increased, with no major natural disasters or predators, and humans dare not disturb it, allowing these animals to reproduce endlessly.

Of course, there are also birth, aging, sickness, and death; these are natural laws, and not all animals develop faint spiritual intellect, but overall everything is developing toward prosperity.

Anciently there were the three lectures of the Hongjun Purple Cloud Palace; now Ye Qin is giving his second lecture.

During the first lecture, he opened the animals' spirituality and planted a seed of seeking the Dao.

Now in this second lecture, Ye Qin hopes the animals will become demons, embark on the path of cultivation, and cast off ignorance!

Ye Qin coiled atop a large boulder, the Northeast Tiger standing like a loyal guardian beside him, its beastly eyes sweeping over the animals in the mountains and forests.

The remaining animals stood properly, straightening their small frames, looking spirited; although numerous, the formation remained orderly.

The hazy mist centered on Ye Qin spread outward, soon enveloping the surroundings; if someone inadvertently stepped inside, they would find deep in the forest a vast mist rolling like waves, countless animals standing within, all of them gazing toward the green snake on the boulder, their eyes full of reverence and fear.

Not a single animal made a sound, fearing to disturb Ye Qin; even their breathing was barely perceptible.

At this moment the wind ceased and the clouds stilled; time seemed to hit pause, the entire mountain forest so quiet that even the sound of a falling needle could be heard, with no other living creatures within.

Because all living beings had gathered beside Ye Qin, adopting an attitude of listening.

"The Way of Nature is still, therefore all things in heaven and earth arise. The Way of Heaven and Earth permeates, therefore yin and yang prevail. Yin and yang interact, and change proceeds smoothly."

"Thus the sage knows that the Way of Nature cannot be violated, and therefore establishes it. The ultimate stillness cannot be matched by calendars; hence there are wondrous devices that give rise to all phenomena, the eight trigrams and the sixty‑year cycle, divine mechanisms hidden like ghosts. The art of yin and yang prevailing is clearly evident in its progress toward form."

From deep within the great mist came a low hum, seeming ethereal, barely audible, like a celestial hearing drifting among the mountains and forests, carried on the clear wind and sung into each animal's ear distinctly.

Every word and sentence brimmed with endless mystery, containing the principles of myriad transformations, leaving these animals with endless aftertaste.

If they understood even a single sentence, or even just a few words, it could benefit them for life.

Some animals, deep in thought, sat cross‑legged like humans; others scratched their ears and cheeks, pondering the obscure meaning of the words; still others showed expressions of sudden realization.

Their expressions varied; the furry animal faces actually displayed rich expressions normally seen only in humans, as if all kinds of beings were presented one by one before Ye Qin's eyes.

Even the usually lazy Northeast Tiger beside him now sat upright, its round ears perked up, attentively listening to Ye Qin's words.

In the dimness, a voice told it that these things were extremely important to it, and could even bring about earth‑shaking changes in its future tiger life.

As Ye Qin's lecture proceeded into its finest stage, the mist grew ever thicker; the animals' shadows appeared and disappeared, seeming to have merged with the mist.

The deep mist concealed the heavenly secrets; within the layered, overlapping mountain peaks, vitality flourished, filled with endless mystery.

As time passed, the night deepened, and soon the rising sun appeared; a red sun slowly leapt out, dragging a colorful tail, freely smearing across the sky, finally acquiring splendid colors.

The brilliant clouds of dawn spread, illuminating the small village still asleep.

The village chief leapt up from bed, looked at the brightening sky, then at the clock on the wall—it was already past seven; he had risen a little late today.

"How strange—normally that big rooster crows at dawn, but today there's no sound; could I have slept so deeply I didn't hear it?"

In the mountain village there is no habit of setting alarm clocks; every household keeps a rooster, which crows before light, making it even more punctual than an alarm clock.

Previously the village chief had complained it was too noisy; now, not hearing its crow, he feels somewhat unaccustomed.

The village chief hurriedly finished his preparations and was about to go to the temple to offer incense when he bumped into Old Zhang carrying a hoe, greeting him: "Old Zhang, why are you only just leaving?"

At this time of day, Old Zhang ought to have already been working in the fields.

Old Zhang felt a little embarrassed: "My household's rooster didn't crow; I accidentally overslept."

Along the way they also met several villagers, all complaining they had gotten up late, entirely because their own roosters hadn't crowed.

However, this is only an isolated phenomenon; after all, many people have already developed a biological clock, so even if the rooster doesn't crow, they will still wake up during that time period.

But the phenomenon of roosters not crowing is strange, and it's not just one family's roosters like this.

Old Zhang said anxiously: "Yesterday my family's rooster was fine, its voice full of vigor, it crowed all morning, but today it's like this—could something have happened?"

The village chief walked around and discovered that not only his own roosters, but all the roosters in the village seemed to have had their voices poisoned, silenced; usually they crowed happily, but now they couldn't make a sound.

Could this rooster be sick?

Or could there be some strange illness that stops them from crowing?

Soon, observant villagers noticed that it wasn't just roosters; other livestock—cattle, sheep, donkeys, dogs, and the like—were eerily quiet.

Apart from human speech, there was no movement or sound from any other creature.

When the villagers rushed over to check, these livestock were kneeling or sitting cross-legged on the ground, their eyes dull and vacant, staring fixedly in one direction without moving, as if dazed.

They looked spirited, yet they neither moved nor cried out. No matter how the villagers shouted or created disturbances, they showed no reaction.

Old Zhang was baffled: "What's wrong with these livestock? They seem to be thinking—it's creepy to watch."

The direction they're staring at seems to be Longyuan Mountain.

The village chief seemed to recall something, smacking his head: "You see my memory—do you still remember when the animals kept howling nonstop before?"

How could we forget? Back then we almost saw the Mountain God; it stands to reason the livestock reacted like that because of him.

Yeah, Old Li even had close contact with the Mountain God's messenger—we're jealous.

Soon other villagers caught on: "Village chief, you mean these livestock aren't making noise because of the Mountain God?"

The village chief nodded calmly: "Exactly natural—aside from the Mountain God, who else has such power? These animals must have sensed something, so they stay silent to avoid disturbing him."

The livestock's abnormalities in the village are all related to the Mountain God; this has shown up before.

Everyone nodded, feeling the village chief made sense; to test their guess, he led some villagers toward Longyuan Mountain.

The road was silent, with no movement; the mountains were lush, usually filled with insect chirps and bird calls, bustling to the extreme, but now they had vanished without a trace.

Not a bird could be seen in the sky, and on the ground not even an ant was visible!

It seemed as if, apart from humans, all life had vanished between heaven and earth.

Under blue skies and white clouds, the reflection of the emerald-green peaks looked like a huge jade inlay, yet silent and speechless.

A hush spread; the closer they got to the mountain peak, the more an inexplicable dread filled their hearts.

The village chief couldn't help swallowing, lightening his steps; others did the same, afraid of disturbing the Mountain God.

Originally there had been many people chatting on the road, but now the troop was utterly quiet.

When they arrived, looking at the scene not far off, everyone's faces fell in disbelief, unable to trust what they saw.

The place where Longyuan Mountain should be was an empty clearing; only the fences and warning signs previously set up remained standing, looking utterly isolated.

Where did such a huge mountain go?

Nearby there were still many mountain ranges, peaks stretching in unbroken chains; Longyuan Mountain was the highest among them, yet it had suddenly vanished—as if a chunk had been punched out of a perfect scroll, jarringly abrupt.

The village chief sucked in a cold breath, couldn't help rubbing his eyes; others looked no better, stammering: "Village, village chief, did we take the wrong road?"

The road to Longyuan Mountain is so familiar to villagers that they could find it with their eyes closed; taking a wrong turn is absolutely impossible.

"Where did the mountain go? Could it have grown legs? We just saw it there a moment ago!"

"Could the Mountain God have moved the mountain?"

"But why would the Mountain God move the mountain for no reason? Did we do something to upset him?"

For a moment the villagers were uneasy, faces fearful, feeling as if the sky might collapse: "Is the Mountain God abandoning us?"

The village chief's face turned pale; he thudded to his knees, clasped his hands devoutly, closed his eyes and murmured.

"Mountain God, if we have done anything wrong, please issue your divine decree; we will surely mend our ways—do not forsake your people."

They had long been accustomed to Longyuan Mountain and the Mountain God's presence; for devout believers, if their deity abandoned them, it would be harder to bear than being killed.

As everyone knelt and chanted, Wu Yuan's doubtful voice came from nearby.

"Village chief, what are you doing?"

The village chief opened his eyes to see Wu Yuan standing nearby with a bamboo basket on his back, vaguely seeing green plants inside—likely he had just returned from gathering herbs on the neighboring hill.

Wu Yuan had intended to take a shortcut via this lane back to the village, but he hadn't expected to see the village chief and others kneeling here, constantly muttering about their sins and begging the Mountain God for forgiveness.

The village chief's eyes were red, tears flickering, his voice choked: "Longyuan Mountain is gone; the Mountain God has abandoned us."

???

Wu Yuan raised a question mark above his head, looking at the village chief bewildered, pointing ahead: "Village chief, what are you saying? Longyuan Mountain is right there, fine as ever."

The village chief and other villagers followed his gaze in that direction,

"Impossible—it clearly just disappeared—"

All that could be seen was the distant mountain hazy, the valleys lush green, all covered with a gauzy white veil; it clearly stood firm there, as if what they had just seen were all their hallucinations.

The village chief's words cut off abruptly; even the tear at the corner of his eye hung awkwardly on his lash.

Everyone's minds were dazed; after looking several more times, they confirmed the mountain peak was still there, and their hearts instantly relaxed.

"Strange—we clearly saw it just then, how could it—"

The village chief, not knowing what he'd thought of, lowered his voice: "Let's speak softly."

The other villagers realized it too; the burly men now spoke in voices as soft as a woman's.

Only Wu Yuan, who had been gathering herbs on the neighboring hill, didn't know what had happened; seeing their mysterious behavior, his expression became hard to put into words.

As the village chief and villagers whispered together, they occasionally glanced at Longyuan Mountain, confirming the peak hadn't changed; the stone weighing on their hearts finally settled.

A villager patted his chest, his face still pale with fright: "Just now it was terrifying—I almost thought Longyuan Mountain had really vanished."

"No kidding—I even thought the Mountain God had truly flown into a rage."

"If this happens a few more times, we might scare a heart attack out of ourselves—but what on earth just happened?"

The villagers chattered away, but Wu Yuan, an outsider, listened in utter confusion, not knowing what had happened, until he finally couldn't help asking:

"What exactly are you talking about? I can't understand a word."

"Just now something happened in the village, so we came to have a look at Longyuan Mountain, who would have thought such a huge mountain would actually disappear!"

After listening to the villagers explain the whole story, Wu Yuan finally understood why they had acted that way just now, and couldn't help but show a puzzled expression.

"But when I just came over, everything was clearly fine, Longyuan Mountain was standing there perfectly."

If one said the villagers were seeing things, the scene at the time was too real and shocking, completely unlike a hallucination, and so many people saw it—one can't say everyone's eyes had a problem.

But if it wasn't a hallucination, why did Longyuan suddenly disappear and then reappear later? This is truly puzzling.

The villagers just couldn't figure out the reason, but combined with the strangeness of the livestock in the village and the unusual atmosphere along the way here.

This definitely has something to do with the Mountain God.

The village chief waved his hand and said, "Forget it, if we can't figure it out we won't think about it; as long as Longyuan Mountain and the Mountain God are still there, it doesn't matter, and we shouldn't disturb the Mountain God."

The village chief's gaze fell on Wu Yuan: "Hey Doctor Wu, you usually need several days to gather herbs, so how did you come back so quickly?"

Wu Yuan waved his hand and said, "I saw many small animals running wildly eastward in the mountains, worried something might happen, so I came down the mountain early."

Before the Mountain God manifested, Wu Yuan always gathered herbs on Longyuan Mountain; after the Mountain God appeared, to avoid disturbing him, Wu Yuan would detour to the nearest Double Stone Mountain to gather herbs.

The village chief, lost in thought, said, "East?"

The mountain ranges are all interconnected; the east side of Double Stone Mountain is Longyuan Mountain.

If there were still doubts earlier, combining Wu Yuan's account, this disturbance is almost certainly the Mountain God's doing.

The others also realized this and looked toward the distant peaks.

Between the layered peaks, white mist hovered; the outlines of the peaks grew ever more blurred, faintly revealing specks of green, giving an unreal feeling.

It seemed as if in the next second they would fly up and disappear into the vast cloud layers.

Perhaps Longyuan Mountain has always been there, with no actual disappearance and reappearance; the village chief and the others saw that scene only because some mysterious power momentarily shielded their eyes.

"What exactly is the Mountain God up to, you say?"

What kind of commotion could actually cause the entire mountain peak to vanish into hiding?

The village chief, Wu Yuan, and a few villagers suddenly felt an indescribable emotion well up inside them; the faint purple qi within their bodies, which they couldn't perceive, was actually awakened at this moment.

Scriptural chants came on the wind, like the divine sound of the gods descending from the nine heavens.

"It sounds like someone is speaking again?"

The village chief listened carefully, but the voice was too indistinct to tell whether it was wind or human speech, or merely their imagination.

Everyone was dazed; it seemed as if some inner guidance prompted them to sit cross-legged, calm their minds, and strive to catch that elusive sound, though they could never hear it clearly, yet they persisted.

The mountain breeze brushed past; several people stood like statues, motionless, already fully absorbed in meditation.

The Great Dao is soundless; the Dao hides without a name.

The lecture in the mountains continued, a low male voice drifting through the misty sea; the wind carried countless murmurs, as if the Great Dao whispered, stirring extraordinary ripples.

No one knew how long it had been; the sound finally ceased, the wind blew the clouds eastward, tree shadows swayed, and the still scene finally came to life.

But those animals remained frozen in their original poses, seeming like wood, immersed in Ye Qin's lecture, not yet come to their senses.

In the animals' originally dazed and cloudy eyes, specks of light fell in, gradually forming a prairie-fire momentum, from which point it became unstoppable.

That feeling was like a muddled head suddenly becoming crystal clear, unconsciously grasping many things, as if receiving a nectar-to-the-crown enlightenment.

Once the seed of cultivation is planted, it will eventually take root and sprout, later growing into a towering tree; but everything is merely a matter of time and comprehension.

The beasts' eyes burned bright, staring fixedly at Ye Qin.

Ye Qin swept his mental power over them and knew which animals had awakened spiritual intelligence; their furry faces showed even more liveliness, and if you stripped away that layer of fur they would look no different from humans.

Some animals had awakened spiritual intelligence, and those that already possessed it became nearly as clever as demons!

Longyuan Mountain is naturally rich in spiritual energy; living in such an environment, the animals' bodies are constantly nourished, and with Ye Qin's lectures, he has now reached the Yuanshen Realm—his cultivation level and state of mind are incomparable to before, and the profoundness of his teachings makes it no surprise that these animals could receive such fortune.

In short, Ye Qin was very pleased with this result, and his efforts were not in vain; his lecture left him thirsty and hoarse.

"You have received my grace; some of you have already awakened spiritual intelligence. I hope you cherish this hard-won opportunity, for heaven has the virtue of good life and earth the capacity to sustain all things. I hope from now on you will practice virtue and accumulate goodness, and not entertain evil thoughts."

Heaven and earth are benevolent; whether it is Ye Qin or these animals, they will henceforth follow the righteous path, not some heretical way, doing good to heaven and earth, which is also doing good to themselves.

These animals have awakened spiritual intelligence and entered cultivation; if they accumulate too much killing karma, it will first be of no benefit to their practice, and excessive karmic retribution will not be tolerated by heaven and earth, so when they face tribulation it will all be settled.

Moreover, as their guide, Ye Qin naturally needs to restrain these animals; cause and effect operate in the unseen, and if these animals incur sin, Ye Qin himself may also be affected.

Faced with Ye Qin's earnest teachings, these animals nodded eagerly, practically wanting to raise their paws and swear an oath before him.

"And for those who have not yet been transformed, there's no need to feel discouraged; when the time comes, affinity will naturally arise."

Originally dispirited animals, upon hearing this, perked up their ears, and the light in their eyes rekindled with fighting spirit.

As for the Northeast Tiger, needless to say, after this instruction and enlightenment its intelligence increased considerably, its eyeballs rolling nonstop, and its fur seemed to glow.

Even those that did not awaken spiritual intelligence still gained considerable benefits from this; all the animals reaped ample rewards.

"Those with full spiritual awakening should stay; the others should first disperse, digest today's contents well, and await future opportunities."

The animals unanimously knelt and kowtowed before Ye Qin; although they cannot speak human words, at this moment their reverence for him reached its peak.

The sight of countless animals kowtowing was magnificent; in the animals' hearts, Ye Qin was no different from the heavenly deities.

Upon hearing Ye Qin's words, the animals gradually rose, reluctant to part, and scattered.

The once orderly black river surged again, flowing in all directions.

Birds flapped their wings and flew off, circling in the sky a few times before disappearing into the distance; monkeys also frolicked in the trees, swinging away to far-off places.

With the animals' departure, the mountains became lively again, though only a few dozen remained around Ye Qin.

"You and I share a fate; reaching this point is no easy feat, so I might as well bestow upon you another fortune."

Ye Qin's thoughts moved, and soon an ancient, quaint cauldron appeared on the ground, along with various medicinal herbs; although he had not prepared elixirs for a long time, his alchemy skills are now consummate.

Under the control of his mental power, the medicinal ingredients were quickly poured into the cauldron; as the flames blazed, Ye Qin added heaven-and-earth qi, extracting the vital essence and fully combining it with spiritual energy.

Before long, a refreshing medicinal fragrance wafted through the hills and fields, and a faint green seeped out from the cauldron.

The Northeast Tiger and other creatures, unaware of what Ye Qin was doing, stayed quietly at his side, but soon they could not sit still, for that aroma was too distinctive.

The Northeast Tiger stared unblinking, drool practically flowing like a stream; the other animals were the same, their furry faces written with longing.

It was like a traveler walking in the desert seeing an oasis spring; a person who had been hungry for a long time seeing delicious food.

Previously, when Ye Qin refined elixirs, they never showed such a reaction, but now the contents of this cauldron have a tremendous attraction for them.

If Ye Qin weren't still here, these would have already pounced on them.

Ye Qin is now in the Primordial Spirit Realm; whether it's the speed or efficiency of refining elixirs, both are much faster than before.

"I didn't expect it to succeed so quickly."

Several dozen elixirs slowly floated out of the cauldron, speckled like stars, flashing with an unusual luster, elixir patterns swirling within, yet the flowing aura felt somewhat strange.

The aura in the air inexplicably stagnated; as this elixir came into being, even the sky darkened for a moment, drawing out low rumbling thunder, and the mountain wind swayed the tree leaves continuously.

But it wasn't exactly a heaven-defying marvel, so such a phenomenon didn't last long—it dissipated after just a moment.

Under Ye Qin's spiritual power's control, the elixirs fell one after another into the animals' hands.

The animals instantly felt as if they had obtained a supreme treasure!

"This elixir is called the Demonic Transformation Elixir; it can aid you in fully cultivating into a demon, opening the first step of cultivation!"

Ordinary animals wanting to embark on cultivation find that merely awakening their spiritual intellect is not enough; after all, they are not Ye Qin, lacking such perceptiveness and lacking the opportunity for meditative sudden enlightenment.

Therefore, they still need to rely on the elixir's power to completely clear the meridians in their bodies, eliminate ignorant impurities, and only then can they properly absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth; the whole process can be said to be extremely complex.

And Ye Qin previously didn't give them elixirs not only because his cultivation level was insufficient to refine this elixir, but also because these animals' bodies could not withstand the elixir's power; once ingested, they would certainly explode and die.

Now the situation is different; after being nourished by spiritual energy, their bodies have undergone unseen changes, and combined with listening to Ye Qin's lecture, which awakens their spiritual intellect, they can finally guide the elixir's power on their own.

Thus Ye Qin now refines the Demonic Transformation Elixir to help them fully embark on the path of cultivation.

"Awoo!"

The Northeast Tiger is impatient; unable to wait, it swallowed the elixir, a warm current filled its limbs, every pore of its body opened, allowing it to clearly sense the surrounding spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Its mouth corners involuntarily split open, revealing a brilliant smile, though its bloody maw looked somewhat ferocious.

However, the Northeast Tiger soon couldn't smile anymore, as the surging spiritual energy was too much for it to control at once.

That spiritual energy rushed in all at once, continually washing its meridians; the original comfort turned into pain, making the Northeast Tiger howl and roll on the ground.

"I forgot to mention, this process might be a bit painful; you need to be mentally prepared."

???

The Northeast Tiger glared, accusing Ye Qin of not telling it sooner.

The other animals that hadn't yet had time to swallow the elixir, seeing the Northeast Tiger's miserable state, revealed a schadenfreude smile like humans.

Some clutched their bellies and laughed loudly; some raised a hand to point; some whispered to each other.

They already bore quite a demonic aspect!

(End of chapter)