Chapter 414: The Branches of Dong Wang Mu

Fuqiu's nine disciples, along with a cat and a fox, stepped onto the earth of Modu Mountain.

"They say this place was once shrouded in thick fog—wind couldn't scatter it, rain couldn't wash it away. Anyone who stepped inside would lose their way; if, while lost in the mist, you suddenly heard someone call your name and, in a moment of carelessness, answered, you'd follow the voice and never return." The third senior brother boasted his knowledge, turning his head to survey the surroundings. "We may be the first living beings in centuries to enter here openly and walk out again."

The other senior brothers also glanced around.

Now the place was clear and bright, blue sky above, not a single cloud in sight, the sun shining so fiercely the air itself seemed to glow.

Yet even in daylight, the yin energy here remained heavy, thick with undispersing sha energy; the pleasant weather was entirely the work of divine power, slowly driving out the yin and sha.

Even in daylight, this plateau remained ink-black; up close it was tolerable—a mottled gray-black—but the farther one looked, the darker it grew, until it became pure, utter black.

It was an odd kind of scenery.

Today, this demon mountain had visitors.

Another fox and a colorful raccoon-dog, having heard the third senior brother's words, trotted forward on tiny, nimble steps.

"Didn't the temple's legacy of Bean Soldiers suffer heavy losses and damage in this battle?" asked the second senior brother.

"Some," replied the first senior brother, briefly.

"Ah, but the ancestors left them here precisely for this purpose, didn't they?" The third senior brother was carefree. "If I must die someday, I'll just ask the soldiers who follow me if they'd like to return to Fuqiu Temple!"

"What if you have descendants?" asked the seventh senior brother.

"Then send half of them back!"

"Look here—"

The seventh senior brother spread his hands: "The old third senior brother would have dismissed this with contempt: 'I've lived my life free and unbound—how could I ever have descendants?'"

The others exchanged glances, finding it reasonable.

"I'm too lazy to argue with you," the third senior brother shook his head, then shifted tone. "But those damaged Bean Soldiers—first senior brother's got a lot of work ahead, and he'll need plenty of materials to repair them."

"No problem," the first senior brother replied simply.

"Still, acquiring so many magical artifacts and treasures is some compensation," said the third senior brother. "Where in the temple did we ever see such fine things before?"

"We did have them once," the first senior brother answered honestly. "Past disciples had them too. But most of these treasures were kept below the mountain. During chaotic times, our ancestors would descend and acquire many. Yet once they returned, each disciple received one item, and by the time peace returned, they'd all been given away. By our era—the tail end of peace—there was nothing left."

"That explains it!"

The senior brothers chatted while remaining alert.

Lin Jue lowered his head and spoke to the fox, who had returned to his side: "What new spells have you learned?"

"I haven't learned any new spells!" The fox looked up at him, then listed three reasons: "Tired! No time to drink! Not powerful enough! So I only learned one!"

"One? What one?"

"I learned…"

The fox opened its mouth to speak, then paused, eyes darting, and changed course: "I'll tell you once I've mastered it!"

"Now you're being mysterious?"

"Mysterious? I didn't sell any jars!"

"Hmph…"

Lin Jue smiled, then thought.

It was said Dong Wang Mu possessed several great divine arts: the Art of Immortality, which must be "Steal Life, Grant Longevity"—this art was now his. The others were the Art of Duplication, the Great Sun-Devouring Array, and a survival ability common to great tree-spirits: near-immortality.

The Great Sun-Devouring Array was powerful, but required prior setup and was useful only in war or specific scenarios—not for personal combat. Lin Jue had little interest.

He already possessed one survival art, and such tree-spirit abilities were likely tied to their physical form; humans probably couldn't learn them.

The most formidable was the Art of Duplication.

Dong Wang Mu's duplication was no mere illusion like the rat-demon's—it was a true, flesh-and-blood clone, wielding the power and aura of a fully realized immortal, capable of fighting and harming others.

It was a divine art equal to the Arts of Object Control, Instant Bloom, Three Heads and Six Arms, and Size Alteration.

Yet Dong Wang Mu had not died in Zi Yun, and her current status was unknown—the fox had surely not yet learned this art.

As for other divine arts and spells…

That day, there had been too many demons below, many great ones, each with their own unique abilities. But as the fox said, it had been locked in constant combat and had no chance to "drink" their arts. Later, it had to rush to Jiguang, Boyu, and Letian counties. By the time it returned, even if the demons' pure energy had dissipated, it was wounded and exhausted—no longer inclined to seek out other arts.

What ability could possibly be worth such a risk?

Lin Jue guessed it was some peculiar art.

As they pressed forward, they entered deeper into Modu Mountain, stepping into the battlefield of the divine-demon war.

The once-flat earth had become pitted and uneven.

Lin Jue saw mounds of earth thrown up, massive craters gouged out, traces of lightning strikes across the ground, and the charred remains of demon corpses—still bearing the shapes of their final moments, their postures frozen in death. Many magical artifacts lay scattered on the ground.

The fox walked close beside Lin Jue, guarding him.

The group grew even more cautious.

It was necessary.

As long as Dong Wang Mu had not died, no matter how fiercely the True Lord had fought her, no matter how grievously wounded she was, she remained a fully realized demon king—vastly beyond the reach of these few.

The greatest difference: she had transcended mortality, while they, regardless of cultivation level or spiritual depth, were still flesh and blood—should Lin Jue fail to use his arts, he could still be slain by a warrior's sword or an assassin's arrow.

Thus, caution was essential.

While cautious, they also scanned the surroundings.

Though they appeared generous before Lin Jue, the senior brothers were frugal; seeing the scattered magical artifacts on the ground, they refused to waste a single one, inspecting each carefully for damage or utility.

Undamaged items were collected; those damaged but still valuable—such as those forged from spirit-gold or spirit-wood—were also taken.

Soon, they halted.

Before them stretched a vast chasm, as if a deep natural canyon had split the earth.

Looking down at its depth, all fell silent.

This was the work of Master Fuchi Lord Yi Li Shenjun.

"They say some immortals can move entire mountains, others can split the earth open—turns out it's true," muttered the third senior brother.

"Even if we became fully realized immortals, we'd still be far from Master Fuchi Lord Yi Li Shenjun's power," said the fourth senior brother.

Lin Jue was deeply stunned.

He quickly recovered and pointed ahead: "This sword-light and this deep chasm must lead to Dong Wang Mu's true body. If we follow it, we'll find her."

"Hmm…"

All nodded and moved forward.

The fox lifted its head first.

Lin Jue followed its gaze—

Above, figures of heavenly soldiers and divine officials hovered.

But as the mountain wind blew, though the sky was clear and the sun blazed, a chill crept in. Dust rose, blurring the blue horizon.

In the distance, through the swirling dust, a faint golden glow emerged; the ground grew even more irregular, as if a legendary earth-dragon had burrowed endlessly beneath it.

Faint ghostly shadows drifted, mumbling incoherent words too faint to make out:

"Grant me glory of the Wu Clan…"

"Defy me, and bring calamity…"

The shadow drifted past them, swaying.

"They're fanatical followers of Dong Wang Mu—likely devoured by her, their souls left behind, now wandering as lost ghosts," said the third senior brother.

"They look familiar," said the youngest sister, frowning. "They seem like those who left Zi Yun County that day."

"Possibly…"

Suddenly—BOOM—a bolt of lightning struck!

The ghostly shadow instantly scattered into nothing.

They looked up: thin, feather-light clouds drifted high above, and a divine official had just withdrawn his hand.

Seeing them, the official descended with two heavenly soldiers.

"Who are you below?"

The official's voice was stern, his expression grave.

"We are Daoists from Yishan, formerly stationed in Zi Yun City, protecting the people," said the third senior brother.

"Yishan? Zi Yun?" The official's expression softened considerably. "So you're the Daoists who guarded Zi Yun County. Thank you for your aid, your hard work. But why have you come here?"

"We came to see if Dong Wang Mu has been destroyed," said the third senior brother. "If she has, we can return."

"Dong Wang Mu is a demon king who achieved full realization centuries ago. Here, she built an underground demon kingdom. Even if defeated, she won't perish easily. Her roots run deep, her clones numerous, and as a tree-spirit of immortality, she possesses boundless vitality. Thus, my True Lord has laid the Golden Light Veil over her, slowly burning her to death within. No ordinary mortal may enter."

"…."

Lin Jue and the third senior brother exchanged glances.

Clearly, the True Lord had already secured this place.

The Tree of Immortality was already among the rarest spirit plants; this one, having achieved full realization, was the body of a demon immortal. Even the True Lord would surely desire it.

Thus, it seemed unlikely they could claim it.

"May I ask… your True Lord—"

"Under the Heavenly Lord: Husheng Zhenjun Husheng Zhenjun Baosheng!"

"So it is Husheng Zhenjun Husheng Zhenjun Baosheng."

"Daoists, you've protected the people—do not linger here. Leave swiftly," said the official. "If you wish to depart, you may go now."

Lin Jue and the third senior brother exchanged glances again.

At this critical moment, only the third senior brother's thick skin could save them—he blurted out:

"We've traveled far from Yishan, studying the Art of Carving Beans into Soldiers. We need spirit-wood. In the recent battle, our nine brothers and the temple's thousands of accumulated Bean Soldiers fought to protect the people and aid your True Lord—half of them were lost. We urgently need fine spirit-wood to replenish and repair them! We know Dong Wang Mu was a Tree of Immortality, towering like a cloud—so we've come to gather some of her fallen branches!"

Only Lin Jue, the third senior brother, and the first senior brother studied the Art of Carving Beans into Soldiers—he had turned three into nine.

Accumulated over a thousand years, it had multiplied several times over.

After some losses, it became about half.

The celestial official above immediately froze.

"This…"

"What do you mean 'this'? Didn't we help your True Lord? Wasn't it us who slew that massive avatar of the Eastern Queen Mother? Now that this enormous Tree of Longevity is dead, are you going to let your True Lord claim the whole thing?" Third Third Third Shixiong said. "A True Lord of such stature surely wouldn't be so stingy!"

"This humble god must consult the True Lord…"

Upon hearing they had slain the Eastern Queen Mother's avatar, the official's demeanor clearly improved.

The official rode off on a cloud, vanishing from sight.

Only after a moment did he return.

"My True Lord says that though he was locked in battle with the Eastern Queen Mother that day, he saw clearly: the Daoists of Zhang Ziyun County indeed contributed greatly and worked extremely hard—the feat of turning beans into soldiers is true. Though the branches and body of the Eastern Queen Mother are precious, they may be granted to you Daoists as well." The official said. "Indeed, some branches of the Eastern Queen Mother fell outside the Golden Light Barrier. The True Lord has decreed: nine Daoists only, no others, and this is a one-time exception. Take as much as you can carry!"