Zhu He methodically completed the Soil-Compacting Mountain Formation, deftly forming the character "岳" (Mountain), then burned the yellow talisman. He stepped upon the ley lines, exhaled sharply, and finally brought his two fingers together, softly intoning the earth talisman:
"By the decree of the Three Mountains and Nine Marquis Lords, I command!"
Zhu He maintained this gesture, fingers pointed toward the ground, his expression growing increasingly uneasy. The "岳" character on the earth remained utterly motionless. Sweat beaded on his brow. Every crucial step—how much true energy to infuse into the yellow talisman from his qi reservoirs, the timing of the burning—had been executed flawlessly. By all rights, success should have been assured.
According to the faded ancient texts, the so-called soil-twisting mountain creation in the "Mountain Opening Chapter" did not conjure a literal peak. This differed vastly from the genuine power of the "Water Diverting Chapter" talisman that spat forth rivers. After compacting the earth, the "岳" character would become a bridge for the local mountain deity and earth spirits to emerge from their dwellings. So long as one's intentions were not arrogant or improper, the gods invited out usually consented to the talisman-burner's requests, for the yellow talisman was akin to a formal visitation letter. The appearance of the guardian spirit meant they welcomed visitors.
Yet Zhu He felt this hurried ritual was likely a failure.
Suddenly, a tremendous rumbling rose from the mountain ridge. Trees toppled in rapid succession, as if some colossal beast surged upward with overwhelming force, its assault aimed straight at the stone platform where everyone stood. The deafening clamor drew Zhu Lu, Li Baoping, and the others swiftly toward Zhu He. Turning, Zhu He commanded sternly,
"Fall back! Stay in the center of the stone platform. Do not act rashly. Whatever happens, do not approach me."
The youngest, Li Huai, pale-faced, tugged at Li Baoping's sleeve, whispering,
"Could it be a man-eating demon? Or the mountain god causing trouble? Chen Ping once warned A-Liang not to sit on the tree stump carelessly—it's the mountain god's throne, forbidden to sit…"
Li Baoping crossed her arms confidently,
"Let's not panic. Even if Uncle Zhu can't hold it off, the Junior Uncle and A-Liang will arrive soon to help."
Yet the fair-skinned girl's hands, veins protruding sharply on their backs, betrayed her composed exterior. Lin Shouyi was the calmest, eyes gleaming with anticipation. Zhu Lu glanced at her father's back, worry etched deeper than Li Huai's.
Zhu He suddenly lowered his gaze. Before him stood a diminutive old man, no taller than waist-high, disheveled white hair and beard, wielding a ghostly green bamboo whip-cane. He lashed Zhu He's calves fiercely like a spiteful rogue venting his anger.
When Zhu He finally looked down, their eyes met briefly. The old man grudgingly withdrew his cane, stepped back several paces, and rasped,
"Do you understand the great language of Dong Baoping Continent?"
Zhu He nodded, stunned.
"And the official tongue of Great Li?"
Again Zhu He nodded, still recovering from shock.
The old man, cane raised, suddenly struck Zhu He's shoulder with a sharp jab. Zhu He felt nothing, but the old man nearly stumbled, clutching his aching back, scolding angrily in the Great Li dialect:
"Damn your ancestors! Useless wretch, you're the best at causing harm. I've been hiding like a cowardly rat from beasts for centuries, thinking I'd just scrape by till now, finally awaiting this once-in-a-millennium chance to rise when the Great Li court seals mountain gods en masse. I thought I'd go from earth deity to mountain god, no more humiliation. Even if I couldn't defeat them, at least I could survive… But you drag me out with a lousy talisman, no chance to hide, only to die alongside you cursed fools. Am I some delicate maiden or faded beauty? Do you fancy me that much?! Huh?! Speak up! Damn your ancestors..."
The green bamboo old man was suddenly silenced as if choked. Zhu He turned, horrified.
A massive, pitch-black head, as large as a water jar, slowly lifted from the ridge and fully revealed itself atop the stone platform.
Its eyes gleamed silver, tongue long and crimson like a timber plank, flicking rapidly with a sinister hiss. The colossal black serpent's half-body slithered onto the platform, its back and head adorned with symmetrical great scales, its ink-black body shimmering under the setting sun. Though a beast, its gaze was eerily human, mischievously eyeing the disheveled white-haired old man as if savoring a long-pursued prey finally caught.
The old man seemed resigned, collapsing onto the ground and discarding his cane. He thrashed and wailed,
"Such a curse! A venerable mountain earth god, reduced to this by beasts… no life left to live…"
The black serpent slowly straightened, lifting its head high, revealing a pair of small claws on its belly, resembling the four-toed embroidery on feudal robes rather than the five toes on imperial dragon robes. For the crowd and the earth deity, this toe difference was negligible.
The old man's eyes darted wildly. Suddenly he stood, tilting his head toward the serpent with delight,
"You warriors are rough and tough, your flesh surely coarse. You came for those tender, spirited little ones behind you, yes? Each brimming with extraordinary spiritual energy, right?"
The old man's excitement grew, spittle flying as he laughed heartily,
"Eat, eat, eat to your heart's content. Once full, you'll finally awaken as a true ink dragon, no longer fixated on this worn-out shell. Then, I shall become the Mountain God of Great Li's Qidun Mountain, and you will be the river dragon. Before you traverse the rivers, this land remains mine—king of the mountain—you'll still defile above my head. So eating me now serves no purpose. Sure, you gain a bit of power, but as one of the earth deities, your path to river and sea dragonhood faces great obstacles. The river gods will unite to sabotage you…"
The serpent's great maw cracked into a human-like sneer, nodding toward the old man's back.
The old man, dumbstruck, collapsed once more, this time silent save for dry howls,
"Both male and female must attain enlightenment. You devoured those elixir-like Confucian kids to build your path to river dragonhood. Your mate devoured me to usurp the mountain god's seat, scheming well. I admit defeat—little old me admits defeat..."
The tattered white-clad elder murmured vacantly,
"The Dao is unpredictable, yet nothing more than this."
In ages long past, two enlightened immortals once descended upon this mountain in a fit of whimsy, playing chess atop its peak. One waved a sleeve, slicing off the mountaintop, tracing nineteen lines like a sword. The other formed black chess pieces from soil spirits and white ones from cloud roots. After over a month's play, each piece took root, transforming into living creatures: black snakes and white pythons, locked in eternal battle.
The black snakes devoured white pieces when captured, and vice versa. The game remained balanced until the immortals left, leaving over a hundred black and white serpents behind. Over the centuries, the black and white serpents fiercely battled and consumed one another, until only one black snake with the promise to shed into an ink dragon and one white python with wings survived.
For unknown reasons, the two serpents ceased their rivalry and became companions. Crafty and cunning, they avoided provoking powerful cultivators, targeting only isolated travelers or merchants, and only on stormy nights. Centuries of longevity allowed them to accumulate strength and patiently await their enlightenment. They increasingly preyed on martial artists and qi practitioners, rapidly ascending in power until even a mountain earth deity became coveted prey. Initially, coexistence was uneasy but stable—the earth deity evaded them like a slippery eel.
Li Huai, unable to restrain himself, cursed fiercely,
"A scoundrel like you deserves no place as earth or mountain god! Heaven isn't blind!"
The old man, back turned to the children, slammed his cane on the stone platform, dismissing them with a muttered,
"Maybe it is."
Zhu Lu was the most infuriated, yet when she saw the black serpent, a shiver ran through her. At her peak second realm cultivation, she found herself utterly devoid of courage to confront such a creature. Not a single step dared she take forward.
Zhu He, a fifth realm martial artist, brimming with courage and unwilling to retreat, with his daughter and his lady behind him, roared fiercely,
"Zhu Lu! Watch out—there's another beast lurking behind the cliff!"
The girl barely whispered reassurance. Zhu He had no time for that; the imposing black serpent's slow, deliberate movements already suffocated him with dread.
Outside the cliff face, a harsh buzzing filled the air. Zhu Lu and Li Baoping whirled around in alarm.
A slender, snow-white python hovered not far off, without claws but with near-transparent wings fluttering rapidly. Its sullen eyes locked onto the delicate girl, flicking its tongue repeatedly, dripping thick white venom like a gourmand salivating over a delicacy. It appraised the girl's graceful figure, finally fixing its gaze upon her face...