Chapter 426: Divine Maiden Peak

Well, well!

Li Yan was genuinely surprised.

He had long known of Wushan's fame.

It spans the Three Gorges, drawing together countless scattered cultivators, effectively severing the vital qi of the orthodox Daoist sects and preventing Sichuan and Hubei provinces from uniting as one.

The reasons behind it are complex.

Some lineages secretly support it, unwilling to see the orthodox sects grow too powerful.

He never expected to encounter one so soon after climbing the mountain.

Yet Li Yan did not move to act immediately.

After all, their main mission in coming up the mountain was to seize the life tablets of the two girls—they must strike unexpectedly.

If they alarmed the enemy, the opponent would use the tablets as leverage.

He could force his hand, but the two children would suffer.

Before ascending, Bai Wan had already told him: no matter what obstacles they encountered along the way, he must not intervene—he must let her handle it.

Indeed, Bai Wan turned her left hand behind her back and gave him a signal, then cried out toward the distance: "Master Lian, I too wish to avoid this—but if I do not bow, more will die!"

She spoke loudly, her voice trembling with sorrow, echoing through the forest.

"Ah~"

The figure across the way fell silent for a moment, then sighed: "The sea of suffering has no shore—act wisely."

With those words, a gust of wind swept through, dispersing much of the mist; whether the children's laughter or the nun's figure, both vanished, as if a dream.

Only then did Bai Wan lead the group onward, whispering: "This one's Dao name is Xinlian. She once cultivated at Wu Gou Nunnery, venerating the White Robe Bodhisattva. Though she is a Earth Immortal, her compassion remains unchanged."

"When children fall into the river, their lingering souls weep in the water. Xinlian has spent years praying by the shore, guiding the children's lingering souls into the mountain to become mountain infants, replenishing the offerings, then chanting sutras to aid their rebirth."

"On Wushan, the Spirit of Fate venerates the Divine Maiden, holding a unique status. Some support this, hoping the Divine Maiden will descend to stabilize Wushan. Others watch coldly. But this Master Lian fiercely opposes it…"

"So that's how it is."

Li Yan suddenly understood, surprised: "An Earth Immortal who has cultivated for so long—yet still someone so kind-hearted?"

The old woman Bai Wan's expression remained calm. "Humans eat the five grains; their natures differ. Cultivators are no different—some act like demons, others cling steadfastly to their original hearts."

"But human hearts cannot withstand the passage of time. Those who preserve their original hearts unchanged are, since ancient times, extraordinary beings. Master Lian has cultivated for barely a hundred years…"

"What the future holds, no one can say."

Li Yan fell silent, yet inwardly agreed.

Like Liu Gang and his wife—they were figures recorded in the Book of Immortals, slaying demons, exterminating evils, upholding justice, praised by the people, even serving as living Yin Officers.

But after years of erosion, having fallen into the Underworld and returned to life multiple times, they had long lost their humanity, becoming little better than demons.

Will I, too, become like that…?

……

Passing through the dense forest at the mountain's base, the wind and rain grew fiercer.

Gales howled, mist and rain churned like inverted waves, obscuring all light and shadow.

Bai Wan's disciples had to hold their hats down tightly, lest the gales and mist tear them away.

Everyone walked with heads bowed.

Li Yan chanted a spell, his expression growing grave.

Wushan is also one of the Grotto-Heavens, where primordial gangsha energies converge, linked to the Yangtze River, drawing up the watery qi of the dragon veins.

Yet this place is somewhat different.

It has never been governed by orthodox Daoist sects, and the Wushan Divine Maiden has not manifested in a thousand years. The gangsha energies lack control, growing wilder and more violent.

It felt, to those present, as if they had stepped back into ancient, primeval times.

"Roar!"

Suddenly, a tiger's roar echoed.

Through the wind and rain, atop a ridge stood a mighty tiger, red-eyed with white forehead, fur like brocade, its demonic aura rising as black smoke.

The Gou Die grew hot again.

A returned soul—human cultivator, demonic body!

Li Yan immediately understood.

This fellow, like Liu Gang before him, had no one to meet him upon return, and upon resurrection, had been reborn into a demonic womb.

As the group grew wary, the tiger suddenly knelt on one knee, bowing its head toward them in respect.

The object of its bow was none other than the two girls, Chaoyun and Xingyu!

The two girls, frightened, hid behind Bai Wan.

The tiger said nothing, rose, gave a slight nod, then leapt away, vanishing into the storm.

Li Yan narrowed his eyes. "One who supports this?"

"Mm."

The old woman Bai Wan's expression turned solemn as she nodded slightly.

Not long after, another figure appeared—dressed in palace robes, with twin pupils, riding a tall white deer.

Like the previous tiger demon, she ignored the group entirely, merely appearing to pay respects to Chaoyun and Xingyu, then smiled and departed without a word.

Though they seemed to leave, the Gou Die in Li Yan's arms remained hot—these beings were still watching from the shadows.

Or rather—guarding them!

The group's mood grew heavy, filled with vigilance.

Li Yan kept his hand firmly on the Gou Die, ready to strike at any moment.

Finally, they reached the Divine Maiden Peak.

Along this entire journey, apart from the earlier-intercepted Master Lian, two more returned souls, two Earth Immortals, had appeared.

All acted the same: paying respects, escorting.

This eerie behavior left everyone unnerved.

And Li Yan's Gou Die never cooled—he itched with tension, yet he did not act rashly.

First, because the time had not yet come.

Second, because of the original pact of the Living Yin Officers.

The Dragon Subduer of the Five Dragon Palace had said: though Living Yin Officers enforce Heaven's law, they are also in an awkward position.

All they can do is locate and summon Yin Soldiers.

But the mortal world is not only filled with underworld criminals—it also has human sentiment and relationships.

Facing the Underworld, Earth Immortals and returned souls have no defense—but they have disciples and descendants.

At one point, Living Yin Officers became public enemies; merely appearing would draw attacks from orthodox Daoists, until great disasters erupted.

Thus, this pact was born.

The orthodox Daoist sects and lineages, so long as Earth Immortals remain on the mountain, quietly serve as their sect's foundation, and intervene at critical moments, will be protected.

Such people are called Hidden Immortals.

Those on Wushan, however, have no sect backing them—they are called Mountain Immortals, who typically hide or band together.

Between Mountain Immortals and Living Yin Officers, there is also a pact: no interference, no crossing the line—whoever strikes first will face retribution.

This agreement seems childish.

But every seemingly childish agreement,

hides countless lives behind it…

………

The environment atop the mountain grew even harsher.

Gales howled, mist and rain cascaded like inverted waves.

Coupled with the steep, jagged terrain and slippery rocks, one misstep could send a person tumbling down the cliff.

"We're here. Right here."

Bai Wan pointed ahead.

Li Yan and the others looked: atop the steep peak lay a flat area, its foundation built of ancient blue stone, weathered and cracked, with faint traces of ruined walls still visible around it.

"This was once the Divine Maiden Palace."

Bai Wan said solemnly: "We will perform a worship ceremony—you may try to see if you gain any opportunity."

Li Yan asked: "How?"

Bai Wan replied: "Simple. Lie down on it. If you have fortune, you will dreamwalk through the former Divine Maiden Palace."

"What? That's it?"

Sha Lifei widened his eyes, incredulous.

"How hard could it be?" Long Yan glanced at him, sneering. "That's why opportunity is all about luck—what's yours is yours; what isn't, you can't force."

"Look at this peak—wind, rain, torrential—how could an ordinary person sleep?"

"True enough."

Sha Lifei reached under his veil, scratching his bald head, murmuring: "Lu San, hurry up—you've got the best chance here."

"Mm."

Lu San grunted in reply, immediately stepped forward, rolled onto the ground, closed his eyes, and let the wind and rain soak him completely.

Wang Daoxuan and Wu Ba also stepped forward to try—but after lying there a while, they could no longer bear it.

"No good. I can't even feel sleepy."

Wang Daoxuan rose and shook his head.

The Daoist's demeanor was calm, showing no trace of regret; moreover, he had already found clues—his Xuan Sect's origins likely lay within the Shangqing Sect.

!.

On the other side, Bai Wan and the women formed a circle, placing offerings on the altar, opening the gourd, and laying in incense and firewood.

Both items were specially crafted.

Even with heavy rain and strong winds atop the peak, once lit, they emitted thick, rolling smoke that clung and did not disperse, resisting the rain, swirling upward into the heavens amid the storm.

Bai Wan chanted prayers, her eyes filled with devotion.

The other women knelt one by one in prayer.

Even though they would leave the Siming Assembly, their years of faith were no illusion—the old woman silently prayed, hoping the Goddess would forgive her sins.

Li Yan saw this and was not surprised.

Bai Wan had already said that the people on the mountain were extremely proud, and their cave dwelling, built upon the Wushan Celestial Realm, was concealed by Qimen Dunjia, extremely secretive.

Only through their sincere offerings would the deity appear.

And this time, they were pretending to submit—the deity did not know, and would surely give them a harsh lesson before sparing them.

He estimated they wouldn't appear anytime soon.

Thinking of this, Li Yan walked onto the stone platform, reclined sideways, and formed hand seals to gather his spiritual power, carefully sensing.

His ear spiritual power could hear the voices of ghosts and gods—he should feel the opportunity more easily than others.

Indeed, he soon felt something.

Faintly, Li Yan seemed to hear a door opening, followed by a sharp voice:

"Li! Li!"

Boom!

Thunder roared, and Li Yan jolted awake.

He quickly rose and looked around—nothing seemed amiss. He pulled out his pocket watch: no more than half a minute had passed.

He activated his spiritual power again—the voice was gone.

Li Yan felt a pang of regret; he knew he had no connection to this opportunity, so he stood up and wrung the water from his sleeves.

"Young Master Li, how was it?"

Sha Lifei hurried over to ask.

Li Yan shook his head slightly. "No opportunity."

"Even you couldn't get it?"

Sha Lifei's eyes widened. "I'll try too."

Saying this, he lay down on the green stone platform and shut his eyes tightly.

Li Yan sighed inwardly but said nothing.

He knew that as the group grew, Sha Lifei's mindset was changing.

At first, Sha Lifei only wanted a meal.

Leveraging his and Wang Daoxuan's strength, he'd lend a hand, save some money, then return home in glory as a wealthy man—with wife, children, and a warm bed, keeping over a dozen retainers.

Whenever they visited grand mansions, Old Sha was the one who stared the longest, touching left and right, praising endlessly, asking who had hired the craftsmen.

Then came the new-style firearms—and everything changed.

With this weapon in hand, and possessing decent talent, Sha Lifei's mindset shifted—he devoted himself to study and no longer cared about earning money to return home.

That's how people are.

Who, given the chance, would willingly remain obscure…

Walking to Wang Daoxuan's side, Li Yan whispered: "Master Dao, I nearly gained the opportunity, but heard a voice calling, then woke up—could you cast a divination for me?"

"Oh? What did you hear?"

Wang Daoxuan frowned.

This wasn't a dream—being interrupted during an opportunity must mean something.

Li Yan replied: "Just one word: 'Li.'"

"It's Li Shen!"

Before Wang Daoxuan could speak, a voice came from beside them—Long Yan'er of the Gu Sect.

She didn't understand the Siming Assembly's rituals and hadn't participated, instead watching over Chao Yun and Xing Yu.

She stared at Li Yan, eyes full of curiosity. "This place is a remnant of Chu witchcraft, built by the Three Qu Masters, primarily worshipping the Wushan Goddess, mountain spirits, Dongjun, Hebo, Fengbo and Yushi."

"But some deities were never worshipped here—such as Donghuang Taiyi, Yunzhongjun, Dongjun, Dasiming and Shaosiming—the reasons are now unknown."

"Li Shen is one of the Ten Spirits of Chu, governing disease and calamity, requiring offerings to avert misfortune."

"In Guanzhong, it has another name: Bai Di!"

Hearing this, Li Yan suddenly understood.

No wonder—he had already received Bai Di's blessing on Huashan; perhaps that was why he could sense something, yet was rejected.

Undoubtedly, Donghuang Taiyi, Dongjun, and Bai Di had long ascended to godhood, while Yunzhongjun, Xiangjun, and the Wushan Goddess remained as earth spirits.

What exactly had happened…

As he pondered, Sha Lifei on the opposite side had already scrambled up, his face indifferent, yet his eyes filled with disappointment.

Li Yan didn't dwell on it—he rushed forward, pulled Sha Lifei up, and comforted him: "It's fine. We've traversed all of Shenzhou—we'll find an opportunity eventually."

"Heh~ It's nothing."

Sha Lifei chuckled, rubbing his bald head. "I'm already this old—this kind of thing doesn't matter."

Li Yan said nothing, only patted his shoulder.

Sha Lifei walked aside, and Wu Ba immediately approached, pulling out a soggy baked bun from his robe.

"Get lost."

Sha Lifei scolded with a grin. "You useless lump, stinking and wet—how can you eat that? Later, I'll take you somewhere nice."

As he spoke, he turned his head—and his eyes widened. "Look! Lu San's boy—he's hit the jackpot!"

Li Yan had already noticed.

Lu San lay on the ground, surrounded by rising primordial qi and demonic energy, pushing the falling rain aside as if forming an invisible shield.

A refreshing breeze drifted over, like wind sweeping through the wilds.

This commotion even made the old woman Bai Wan pause her ritual—she stared in astonishment. "He's gaining an opportunity—and building a pavilion? I've never seen such a thing."

"Building a pavilion?"

Li Yan, hearing this, was also surprised.

Lu San had joined them in Chang'an after fleeing imperial pursuit—he was only at the First Pavilion. After obtaining the method from Tuo Shi and ascending Wudang Mountain, he reached the Second Pavilion.

Though his talent was astonishing and his foundation deep, he still lacked a bit to reach the peak of the Second Pavilion.

Li Yan estimated he'd reach it by Qingcheng Mountain.

Yet here, suddenly, he was building a pavilion.

What opportunity had this boy gained?

Hoo~

At that moment, a fierce wind swept in, carrying a mournful flute melody and a cold female voice: "Traitor! You truly mean to betray the sect!"

Bai Wan instantly tensed, yet kept her expression calm, kneeling on one knee. "I have come only to beg the emissary's forgiveness—why speak such words?"

"Still you dare to lie!"

Another female voice rang out—older, more weathered.

Their voices drifted with the wind, impossible to locate.

At the same time, a figure staggered up the mountain, pointing at Li Yan and shouting: "Elders! It's this young man!"

His attire clearly marked him as a thug from the Salt Guild…

Second chapter, afternoon

(End of chapter)