This Is the True Immortal

Chapter 22: This is the True Immortal

Great Immortal Kongchen had just tidied his Daoist robe, striking a pose like an immortal riding a dragon across the river. If this moment were to be remembered by later generations, it would surely be a scene etched into history.

However, a sound like mountains and seas roaring then erupted from the riverbank.

"The River God Lord has manifested!"

"The River God Lord has manifested!"

"..."

The donkey behind him couldn't help but snort with laughter, nearly letting out its characteristic "ga-ga" sound. But a glare from Great Immortal Kongchen made it stifle the noise.

Yet, seeing the scene on the shore, General Donkey couldn't hold back, a hint of sourness in its voice.

"Ga-ga, this River God certainly puts on a show. Three kinds of livestock, three sacrifices, and virgin boys and girls."

"Thinking about us on the mountain, a dignified Daoist Venerable, not even a single person to burn incense for. Tsk, tsk, tsk, it seems evil gods have it good in this world."

Gao Xian's gaze turned unfriendly as he saw the three children on the sacrificial altar, the Spirit Medium playing dress-up, and the villagers on the bank shouting with fervent enthusiasm.

The cunning donkey, adept at reading the room, quickly tried to smooth things over after its earlier slip-up by flattering Great Immortal Kongchen.

With a sigh and a tone of earnest concern, it said, "These demons are not the scary ones; humans are even more hateful than demons."

Then, its tone shifted, and with a fawning expression, it looked at Great Immortal Kongchen. "Instead of worshipping the Great Immortal Kongchen, who is full of righteous energy and possesses an immortal demeanor, you worship this man-eating monster, this strange serpent."

Gao Xian tucked his hands into his sleeves, sitting casually on the head of the giant serpent.

But the donkey immediately knew this was a sign that Great Immortal Kongchen was about to make a move.

It seemed that Great Immortal Kongchen, having slain a demon last night, was now going to eliminate a devil today.

The donkey sighed, thinking Great Immortal Kongchen was truly diligent, always either on his way to slay a demon or to eliminate a devil.

It was all the fault of too many demons in the world. Perhaps the Great Immortal's previous calculation of impending demonic appearances wasn't just a bluff.

"The River God Lord has manifested! For ten miles around, three kinds of livestock and three sacrifices have been brought again this year."

"Please, River God Lord, partake! Bless our ten miles around with favorable weather and calm seas this year."

The Spirit Medium shouted loudly, waving her exaggerated and strange robe as she prostrated herself on the ground, casting a sidelong glance at the river.

The people from the surrounding villages did the same, bowing their heads in reverence, none daring to look directly at the River God who commanded the great river, for fear of incurring retribution.

According to tradition, at this time, the River God would stir up a massive whirlpool in the river.

As long as they threw the offerings into the river, they would enter the River God's maw. Afterward, the River God Lord would depart, signifying the completion of the annual River God sacrifice. The River God would then not bring disaster to the rivers of the ten-mile region, nor would calamities like a great river dike breach occur here.

In the eyes of the villagers, the favorable weather and calm seas of recent years were all thanks to the River God. The tragedies of previous years were punishments for disrespecting the River God, a narrative continuously propagated by the Spirit Mediums throughout generations. This was also the foundation upon which the Spirit Mediums controlled so many people in the ten-mile region.

But this time, the River God did not stir up any whirlpools or giant waves. Instead, it moved directly towards the riverbank.

As it drew nearer, the burly men in black beside the Spirit Medium vaguely saw someone on the head of the giant serpent.

"What's going on? There's someone on the river!" A startled cry caused many to look up.

"There's someone!" More villagers exclaimed.

"There's someone on the River God's head."

The Spirit Medium saw it too from a distance. She was bewildered, having no idea what was happening. Seeing the panic spreading through the crowd, she quickly tried to explain, "That is the River God Lord manifesting himself. This is the true form of the River God Lord."

The Spirit Medium was inwardly astonished. Had feeding this River God with secret techniques for so many years truly allowed it to become an immortal?

Her heart suddenly filled with ecstatic joy. If the River God became an immortal, wouldn't it be possible for her to ascend with it?

In her mind, a being like the River God was simply beyond human resistance. This was the deeply ingrained belief of the ten-mile region and all the Spirit Mediums of past generations.

The Spirit Medium prostrated herself again, shouting the ritual chant for the River God sacrifice: "Huo Wei."

Everyone along the riverbank joined in.

However, when they looked up again, they saw the giant serpent cleaving through the air and directly crushing the high platform.

Bang!

Under the Spirit Medium's horrified and helpless gaze, she was crushed to smithereens, turning into a pool of bloody paste.

This time, the Spirit Medium truly ascended.

All the prostrations, prayers, chants, and the continuous drumming came to a halt.

The villagers from the ten-mile region along the riverbank also saw clearly. Sitting on the head of the River God was a Daoist clad in a Bagua Daoist robe.

At this moment, the Daoist, seated on the serpent's head, swept his gaze over the crowd below, his voice echoing from the high platform.

"Your River God has arrived."

"Are you not—"

"Quickly kneel and kowtow."

The Daoist's eyes were clear and cold, sending a chill through everyone below.

"The Spirit Medium is dead! The Spirit Medium is dead!" Only then did everyone snap back to reality. Everyone on the sacrificial platform scattered, retreating from the high platform in a hurry.

"The River God! The River God is also dead!" The Azure Dragon Sword, plunged into the corpse of the giant serpent, glinted coldly in their eyes.

The villagers from miles around, let alone the black-clad followers of the Spirit Medium, were all terrified to their core at the sight of the giant snake, dozens of meters long, lying on the platform, its head and tail impossible to see at once.

Everyone watched as the Daoist, who had been sitting on the River God Lord's head and riding a silver snake down from the heavens to crush the Spirit Medium, let out a collective scream and fled without a trace.

It was as if, at that moment, the River Demon wasn't the monstrous entity, but the Daoist was.

Only the people from Linhe Village remained. Their three children were still on the altar, but these villagers were all trembling with fear, unable to discern whether the Daoist was good or evil.

Kongchenzi descended from the sky, grabbing the three children, and landed before the people of Linhe Village.

In the eyes of the villagers, it was as if they truly saw an Immortal descend from the heavens before them. They hastily knelt down. In their view, the River God Lord had died by this Daoist's hand; this Daoist, even if not an Immortal, was a figure comparable to one.

The Daoist patted the backs of the three children. Immediately, three pills were spat out from their mouths. The children, whose minds had been clouded, woke up and ran crying towards their parents.

"Dad!"

"Mom!"

The families cried together, weeping profusely as they saw their children returned to them.

Li Lao Er hugged his youngest child and, holding a slightly older boy and girl, rushed before the Daoist and kowtowed repeatedly.

"Thank you, Immortal Master, for saving our lives."

"Thank you, Immortal Master, for saving our lives."

"Eldest! Second, come and kowtow with us."

The older girl was more sensible, while the two younger boys were a bit bewildered, merely following their father's lead in thanking the Daoist.

The others followed suit. Gao Xian raised his hand and lifted everyone.

"I am Kongchenzi. I was passing by the river and saw this evil beast, so I dealt with it along the way."

"This was merely a demon. Do not worship it anymore."

He waved his hand casually, as if he had merely done a trivial deed, capable of destroying river gods and demons with a flick of his finger.

This demeanor only made the people of Linhe Village admire him more. This was a true Immortal.

Looking back at the giant snake lying by the riverbank, the River God Lord they had believed in and worshipped for generations was nothing more than a pile of rotten flesh.