Hongyun and Zhenyuanzi

A hundred years ago, Hongjun became a saint and announced that he would expound the Dao. Now, most of the living beings in the Primordial Wilderness had headed for Purple Cloud Palace.

At this, Hongyun understood as well.

"Fellow Daoist, let's go!" Zhenyuanzi said.

Zhenyuanzi had specifically come to find Hongyun so they could listen to the Dao together. He had been unable to locate him before, but now he had finally found him.

Hongyun looked at Zhenyuanzi and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhenyuan, would you be willing to go somewhere with me?"

"Where?" Zhenyuanzi asked doubtfully.

"A Mountain God Temple," Hongyun answered.

"A Mountain God Temple? What are we going there for?" Zhenyuanzi did not understand.

Hongyun smiled and said, "To worship the Mountain God there."

At this, Zhenyuanzi could not help frowning.

Worship the Mountain God?

What Mountain God was there to worship?

What was so worthy of worship about that Mountain God?

Hongyun was, after all, Old Ancestor Hongyun, while Zhenyuanzi was the ancestor of Earth Immortals. Did figures of their caliber really need to worship some Mountain God?

"Fellow Daoist, what Mountain God are we going to worship?" Zhenyuanzi asked.

Hongyun smiled again and said, "Fellow Daoist, you'll know once you come with me."

"Fellow Daoist..." Zhenyuanzi looked at Hongyun, feeling inwardly that Hongyun was being utterly muddle-headed.

Hongyun was Old Ancestor Hongyun, for heaven's sake, yet he still wanted to worship some Mountain God?

What utter foolishness!

"Fellow Daoist, come with me," Hongyun said.

"Fellow Daoist, you truly are muddle-headed!" Zhenyuanzi said.

Hearing this, Hongyun merely smiled and did not get angry.

Hongyun had always been a kindly old soul with a good temper. Moreover, Zhenyuanzi was his friend, so he would not easily take offense at him.

"You are the great Old Ancestor Hongyun, yet you still want to worship some Mountain God?" Zhenyuanzi said.

"Fellow Daoist, there is something you do not know." Hongyun said, "That Mountain God possesses abilities that reach the heavens and depths beyond measure. A hundred years ago, I went to his Mountain God Temple and simply offered three sticks of incense. That Mountain God bestowed upon me a supreme cultivation technique, as well as two Great Dao Origins!"

At this, Zhenyuanzi could not help frowning—frowning deeply.

A supreme cultivation technique, two Great Dao Origins...

Th-This... was this real?

"For the past hundred years, I have been comprehending and cultivating this technique. This technique is the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Technique!" Hongyun said.

Nine Revolutions Mysterious Technique...

Zhenyuanzi frowned deeply.

The Nine Revolutions Mysterious Technique was a supreme cultivation technique! It specialized in cultivating the physical body.

"He... he truly gave you... the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Technique?" Zhenyuanzi asked in disbelief.

Hongyun nodded. "Yes."

"That Mountain God has treated me exceedingly well. The debt of gratitude I owe him is one I, Hongyun, can scarcely repay!" Hongyun added, his voice brimming with boundless emotion.

"H-How could that be possible?" Zhenyuanzi still found it hard to believe.

Hongyun smiled. "Fellow Daoist Zhenyuan, come with me to that Mountain God Temple and see for yourself."

Zhenyuanzi was somewhat dumbfounded. He looked at Hongyun, then finally nodded to him.

The two flew toward the Mountain God Temple.

"Once we get to the temple, Fellow Daoist, you should offer some incense to the Mountain God as well," Hongyun said with a smile.

Zhenyuanzi frowned at this. "You want me to offer him incense?"

There was reluctance in Zhenyuanzi's voice.

Zhenyuanzi was, after all, the ancestor of Earth Immortals. Asking him to offer incense to some obscure little Mountain God... that simply did not make sense.

"Fellow Daoist, if you offer incense to this Mountain God, he will not treat you poorly," Hongyun said.

Hongyun felt that if someone offered incense to that Mountain God, the Mountain God surely would not shortchange them.

After all, Hongyun himself had already tasted such sweet rewards.

"I am, after all, the ancestor of Earth Immortals. I have always worshipped only Heaven and Earth..." Zhenyuanzi said.

"Fellow Daoist, don't keep agonizing over it!" Hongyun said, a hearty air on his face. "Listen to me. Offer incense to that Mountain God, and you certainly won't be left without benefits!"

Hongyun reached out and patted Zhenyuanzi on the shoulder.

Zhenyuanzi looked at Hongyun and thought it over to himself, but still could not make heads or tails of it.

Before long, the two arrived outside the temple.

The temple was still there, looking as ordinary as ever, with nothing at all remarkable about it.

"J-Just a temple like this?" Zhenyuanzi said with a frown.

In Zhenyuanzi's eyes, this temple had to be an incredibly formidable one. There was no way it could look so ordinary.

After all, that Mountain God had been able to produce a supreme cultivation art like the Nine Revolutions Mysterious Technique, as well as two Great Dao Origins—such lavish generosity.

By that reasoning, the temple where that Mountain God resided had to be extraordinary as well.

Hongyun smiled, seemingly seeing through Zhenyuanzi's thoughts. "Fellow Daoist Zhenyuan, one cannot judge a person by appearance, nor measure the sea with a bucket."

"Though this temple looks ordinary, it holds unfathomable mysteries within!"

Hearing this, Zhenyuanzi frowned and thought it over again and again, yet simply could not figure out what mysteries it held...

Hongyun walked into the temple, and Zhenyuanzi followed him inside.

There were also some spirits offering incense in the temple.

"I recognize you! I saw you here in the temple a hundred years ago!" one spirit said, pointing at Hongyun.

Hongyun merely smiled and said nothing.

"Fellow Daoist, you've come again! I'm so glad to see you again!" another spirit said to Hongyun with a smile.

Hongyun smiled as well and greeted them.

Hongyun was a kindhearted man and enjoyed forming good ties with others.

Though these Mountain Spirits and Wild Monsters were all ordinary, neither particularly strong nor of profound origins, Hongyun still treated them with great cordiality.

After greeting the spirits, Hongyun looked at Zhenyuanzi and said, "Fellow Daoist Zhenyuan, let us offer incense."

Zhenyuanzi looked at him, then looked at the temple.

He had originally thought that entering this temple would reveal a whole new world, but after coming inside, it was still this ordinary...

This was what he called unfathomable mysteries?

What mysteries were there?

Why couldn't Zhenyuanzi see any?

He truly couldn't see them, alright!

"Hongyun, this..." Zhenyuanzi said.

"Offer incense." Hongyun smiled. Without looking at Zhenyuanzi again, he went off to the side to take some incense.

"Fellow Daoist, you look unfamiliar. This should be your first time here, right?" a spirit said to Zhenyuanzi.

"Fellow Daoist, our Mountain God Temple is very efficacious. Offer a stick of incense," another spirit said.

"That's right! Offer a stick of incense to our Qingyi Mountain God!"

"You two Fellow Daoists may not know this! Yesterday, three Daoists came to this Mountain God Temple. One of them was extremely rude. He called us hairy, horned creatures and showed disrespect to the Mountain God. When we reasoned with him, he wanted to attack us. Fortunately, our Mountain God acted in time and suppressed that Daoist!" one spirit said.

"That's right, that's right!" another spirit hurriedly nodded. "That Daoist wanted to kill us. Fortunately, our Mountain God acted in time and suppressed him!"