Chapter 409: Immortal Legends

One sheng of corn, two sheng of glutinous rice, three sheng of sorghum, soaked in clear, sweet mountain spring water for two days, then steamed in a large pot for two hours; when the grains become soft and glutinous, let them cool to warm, sprinkle a handful of wine yeast, mix evenly by hand, and seal in a three‑foot‑tall earthen jar. After seven days open the lid, filter out the residue, separating a clear, transparent, pale‑yellow, fragrant liquid. Finally seal the wine in the earthen jar, bury it three feet underground, and when one marries and takes a wife, dig it up to drink.

The above is the thousand‑year‑old traditional brewing method passed down in Jiang Village.

Gu Yuyao stews yam and pork rib soup, Zhang Xingyu prepares exquisite roast meat, and the hospitable Jiang Tang digs up the old wine buried in the courtyard for years.

Everyone gathers around the stone table, feasting heartily and drinking copiously.

At the banquet, strangers become familiar, the familiar become friends, friends become brothers.

After three rounds of wine and five flavors of dishes, Jiang Tang also puts aside his respect for outsiders and begins to speak at length.

"Legend says that at the far end of the Flaming Mountain lies an endless golden Divine Sea; at the far end of the Divine Sea floats a towering, radiant Divine Mountain; atop the Divine Mountain stands a lofty, solemn Divine Temple; within the temple reside immortals of vast divine power and eternal life."

Hearing Jiang Tang's words, Zhang Xingyu felt a stir in his heart. This place is called the Ancient Divine Forbidden Land; could it be that at the mountain's end truly there are immortals?

Jiang Tang drinks a big bowl dry and continues: "The elders say that if a mortal reaches the Divine Sea and drinks a bowl of fragrant, sweet Divine Water, they can extend their life by a hundred years. If a mortal climbs the Divine Mountain and eats a golden‑glowing Divine Fruit, they can understand their past and present lives. If one enters the Divine Temple and sees the supreme immortal, the immortal will send them out of this world. It is said that beyond this world lies a place called the Universe, which contains three thousand great worlds and countless small worlds."

The world is so vast; I want to go see it.

A familiar phrase rose from Zhang Xingyu's mind.

At the same time, his heart brightened.

Perhaps we should go to the great mountain. If there truly is a Divine Fruit that reveals past and present lives, perhaps it could restore Gu Yuyao's memory.

"Everyone, tomorrow we set out to climb Flame Mountain!"

He shouted to the crowd.

The others said nothing. Feng Qingyu fell silent for a moment, then whispered: "A mountain deity dwells on Flame Mountain, whose strength rivals that of a transformation‑level cultivator; we are no match."

"Oh! We have to try again," Zhang Xingyu said, not committing fully.

The disciples of the Ends of the World had returned from the opposite mountain, their feathers fallen; he couldn't claim they were incompetent.

Zhang Xingyu quietly transmitted a thought to Tang Yunxi: "Senior sister, I did the calculations; tomorrow is an auspicious day for travel. How about we go tomorrow to explore Flame Mountain and ask the mountain deity for a passage to the Divine Sea?"

"Fine!" Though she didn't know what a passage meant, Tang Yunxi didn't ask. Zhang Xingyu always lets out some odd words; she was already used to it.

A night passed without a word.

The next day at dawn, Zhang Xingyu opened his eyes, pushed open the door, ready to start a day full of vigor.

Outside the door, several disciples of the Ends of the World stood in the courtyard, murmuring.

"Honestly, this Zhang guy still can't get up! He's made us wait so long," complained a man named Wei Xiang.

"Keep it down, lest he hears us. Although Zhang Xingyu's cultivation isn't impressive, his prospective Dao companion Tang Xianzi is extraordinary. The Nine‑turn Immortal Pill isn't something just anyone can produce," another older disciple of the Ends of the World warned.

"Hmph. Just a freeloader!" Wei Xiang grumbled.

"Youth doesn't know the taste of soft rice; age regrets youthful recklessness. Junior brother Wei, eating soft rice is a skill; those who can eat soft rice aren't simple," the older one continued to counsel.

"Hmph! I can't understand. Why do girls always like scumbags? That guy is obviously bad, yet he already has a Tang Xianzi by his side and still covets our junior sister."

Zhang Xingyu is a cultivator. Though he had just gotten up and his mind wasn't fully clear, the courtyard conversation pierced his ears word for word.

"Genius attracts envy, handsome men attract jealousy. I'm both genius and handsome, so wherever I go I'm envied and hated," Zhang Xingyu thought.

He pushed open the door and saw Tang Yunxi and Feng Qingyu walking side by side toward him.

"Junior brother Zhang, are you ready? We'll set out now to deal with that mountain deity!" Feng Qingyu said.

"You're also going?"

Before Feng Qingyu could answer, Wei Xiang, impatient, said, "Are we going or not? If they don't go, we can go ourselves!" He lifted his leg and headed toward the door.

A mountain is not famed for height; having an immortal gives it a name. Fire is not famed for size; high temperature makes it work.

Flame Mountain's body glows crimson, occasional red light bursts forth, and from afar it looks like a massive coal.

Several miles from the foot, a scorching heat wave pummels the group.

When they reach the foot, the air is so hot it seems ready to ignite.

"Strange, the last time we were here the temperature wasn't high!" Feng Qingyu frowned, saying.

"Indeed. It feels much hotter than the last time," other Ends of the World disciples added.

Zhang Xingyu was also puzzled. If the temperature on Flame Mountain is this high, how do the villagers of Jiang Village perform the mountain‑god sacrifices?

Nevertheless, he had no time to investigate.

Now before them lay a three‑foot‑wide rugged mountain path, intermittently spewing scarlet flames.

To ascend, one must climb this erupting path.

"This great mountain must have suffered some calamity. Feng senior sister, for safety I suggest we send someone up to scout first," Zhang Xingyu proposed.

"I don't think it's necessary. We're all cultivators; we can traverse knife‑mountains and fire seas at will. Volcano eruptions aren't scary. Junior brother Zhang, if you're afraid, just don't go up," Wei Xiang interrupted, sprinting onto the path.

Boom!

His foot just touched the path when several tongues of fire erupted from all sides.

Wei Xiang, unprepared, was directly burned by the flames.

"Ah!" His clothing ignited instantly, and he let out a terrified scream.

"Help!" Feng Qingyu shouted, pale with shock.

At that moment, a crimson sword flash shot from the side, striking Wei Xiang off the path.

Feng Qingyu recovered, only to see Zhang Xingyu already stepping forward.

"Come quickly to help extinguish the fire."

Zhang Xingyu retracted the fire dragon, planted a foot on Wei Xiang's body.

The others rushed up to assist.

After a series of "thud thud thud thud" stomping sounds, the flames on Wei Xiang were finally extinguished by the group's combined effort.

Zhang Xingyu looked down at Wei Xiang and saw the fellow's face swollen white like a pig's head, his body mottled blue and purple as if a soy‑sauce shop had opened on him, lying on the ground like a sow.

Zhang Xingyu glanced around. The disciples who had just stepped forward exchanged glances, each with a faint smile at the corners of their mouths.

Zhang Xingyu thought, these guys are ruthless! That Wei Xiang is probably an unpopular fellow, otherwise why would his senior and junior brothers step on him harder than I did?

Senior Sister Feng, please trouble you and a few senior brothers to wait here temporarily; I and Senior Sister Yunxi will go up the mountain first to scout the path.

Junior Brother Zhang, I'll go with you.

Feng Qingyu was about to volunteer, but saw Zhang Xingyu already holding Tang Yunxi's hand and stepping onto the mountain path.

Boom, boom!

Zhang Xingyu and Tang Yunxi had just stepped onto the mountain path when a booming sound came from underfoot; at the same time, several crimson flames shot up from below.

Zhang Xingyu had been prepared; he pulled Tang Yunxi aside, dodging lightly like a butterfly.

Neither of them dared to fly on swords. In this mysterious Ancient God Forbidden Land, sword flight is an extremely dangerous act. Zhang Xingyu once threw a stone into the air, but the stone turned to powder mid‑air.

They went around the mountain fire and hurried up again.

Their speed was great; in less than a quarter hour they had climbed several hundred meters.

At that moment, the reddish mountain trembled slightly; underground fire surged like a spring, and the sides of the mountain spewed out orange‑red flames.

Zhang Xingyu circulated the Fire Spirit Dance, and a fiery red shield protected the two of them.

Zhang Xingyu held Tang Yunxi's hand, and the two walked slowly upward.

Half an hour later, the two reached the mountainside.

At that moment, the ground beneath them shook; immediately, the path beneath them vanished, the mountainsides on either side began to sink, and a cavern three zhang in size appeared out of nowhere.

This cavern was like a giant mouth; with a puff it spewed a huge burst of golden flame, instantly swallowing the shield‑enclosed two.

Down below, Feng Qingyu and his several junior brothers stared fixedly at them. Everyone's eyes followed the pair's figures up, down, left, and right without cease, and their hearts pounded in time with the surging flames.

"Ah!" Seeing the two swallowed by the flames, the waiting crowd all cried out in alarm.

Feng Qingyu's heart had risen to his throat.

Will they be burned to death? she wondered.

At that moment, her eyes lit up, and the suspended heart also settled.

Above the cavern, the golden flames were rapidly dissipating, revealing an oval orange‑red shield.

On the shield's surface, golden phoenixes flew and circled. As they flew, they opened their mouths and lunged at the surrounding flames; the golden flames, like fledglings returning to the nest, flocked into the phoenixes' mouths and vanished.

Below, the mountain path kept collapsing, the mountainsides on either side shook violently, and subterranean fire surged everywhere.

Boom, boom, boom!

The roar of Flame Mountain sounded incessantly.

Zhang Xingyu and Tang Yunxi clasped ten fingers together, and the shield above their heads continued as they walked onward.

The crowd below stared dumbfounded. They were all outstanding youths from every corner of the world, their cultivation naturally not insignificant. Yet, if those people had gone up the mountain, they could never have been so relaxed and composed.