Mountain God Bai's Ambition

"Senior sister, could it be that Demon Head is the one attacking the mountain gate?"

After remaining on guard for a long time without any movement, the twenty-odd women who had set up the formation dared not relax. However, one of the women in pink couldn't help but ask a question.

"That's hard to say," replied the woman in purple at the center of the sword formation. "Master and my uncle are both healing and cannot be disturbed. If something happens, our lineage might be wiped out! We can't afford to be careless in the slightest!"

The woman had an ordinary appearance, but her voice had a peculiar rhythm. Every word she uttered could stir the thoughts of others. As soon as she finished speaking, the other women who had set up the formation immediately fell silent. Then they brandished their long swords, and the buzzing sound reappeared.

The sound did not come from the women, but from the longswords in their hands.

At first glance, these swords look similar to ordinary Greensteel Sword, except that there are translucent slits along their spines. As the swords are swung, air passes through the slits, producing a "humming" sound. Moreover, the sound varies slightly depending on the sword technique, subtly interfering with one's mind and intentions, thus harmonizing with the sword formation.

However, these women were destined to do futile work, because the tremor at the mountain gate was not caused by the "Demon Head" attacking the gate, but rather originated from the main body of the mountain range and the Kitchen God's Flame Cave.

However, the sect's commotion was so great that it naturally alarmed the Mountain God, the mountain god of this Lixiu Mountain, who was none other than Bai Shi.

This White Mountain God is none other than Bai Wenpan from back then. After Qiu Yan was demoted, he later sought refuge with Qiu Yan and was granted Virtual Talisman, becoming Qiu Yan's Subordinate Deity, enjoying the Sixth-Rank Divine Seat, and in charge of Lixiu Mountain.

In Bai Wenpan, the cultivation levels of the people in this sect were insignificant. They cultivated life but not nature, and were basically at the Foundation Establishment. Only their so-called "master" and "aunt" had surpassed the Foundation Establishment Realm and refined a soul.

As for that "Demon Head," his cultivation was only at the stage of refining Three Souls. If such skills were displayed in the Jianghu of Jiannan Circuit, he would be considered a powerful figure.

For ordinary mortals, even Foundation Establishment boxer or martial artist is considered a master. After all, cultivators don't easily appear in the martial world unless they reach a certain level of cultivation. Otherwise, it's difficult for them to come into contact with higher-level figures.

Most of the chivalrous figures in the Foundation Establishment Realm stage. Back then, Yan Yongjie wandered the world in order to reach a higher level, but he never encountered any immortal opportunities, which was for this reason.

Unlike the Divine Path, cultivators focus on themselves, and over time, a distance and estrangement develop between them and mortals. In addition, the existence of the imperial court and the conventions of mortals further restrict the spread of the extraordinary lineage and its entry into the common people.

The sect on Lixiu Mountain is at best a Jianghu sect. The reason Bai Wenpan paid attention to this place was mainly because of the sect's protective formation.

Martial arts sects can establish themselves in famous mountains and rivers and become renowned in a region, but it is not easy to survive in remote border areas, deep mountains and forests, where demons and monsters roam. The reason why these female sects have been able to exist for so many years is ultimately due to the existence of their protective formations, which can block demons and drive away wild beasts.

However, the "Demon Head" they spoke of found a gap in the great formation, attacked the mountain gate, and almost entered the sect, causing many troubles. It was only after a while that things became what they are today.

"With this grand formation, this sect is quite secure. If it can develop, it might even become the source of sacrifices. Although the sect's lineage has been passed down for hundreds or thousands of years, the outsider has affected this plan. Should I intervene? However, it is not appropriate for a deity to interfere in mortal affairs. I should inform the master before making a decision."

After a moment's thought, Bai Wenpan had an idea. Since becoming the mountain god, he had managed things and now had some authority. Moreover, he was considered Qiu Yan's confidant, holding the Sixth Grade, and was respected by the other mountain and water gods. Nine Spirits Mountain originally had Divine Path, but it declined due to the Mountain-Passing Great King, and the gods disappeared. However, after Qiu Yan- established the Divine Office, these gods returned and submitted to Jiuling and Daxue. But they were not as close to Qiu Yan as Huang Jue and Bai Shi, so they were very respectful to the two gods.

Bai Wenpan was deep in thought when his expression suddenly changed slightly, as he felt a summons.

"Has Your Excellency summoned the gods for a council?"

He felt a Divine Sense call originating from the talisman, knowing it was a connection between himself and the Orthodox God.

"Very well, this is a good opportunity to bring up the Lixiu Sect matter and see what the master thinks."

A while ago, the Flying Leopard attacked. After a fierce battle, Qiu Yan's Divine Spirit Body sank into the Stove Mountain. He then issued a seclusion order, and the gods dared not approach him easily. Even if Bai Wenpan wanted to report on matters within the Domain of Law, he had to consider the consequences. Unexpectedly, Qiu Yan issued a summons, which suited his wishes perfectly.

Gathering his thoughts, Bai Wenpan instructions to several ghost soldiers and demon soldiers, telling them to pay attention to the movements of the Lixiu Sect. Then, he turned into smoke and disappeared into the crevice in the ground.

After traveling for a while, they arrived at the foot of Stove Mountain, where Bai Wenpan immediately revealed himself.

Although Qiu Yan's Divine Office was already taking shape, he did not put much effort into building Underworld Main Hall. Instead, he built a pavilion in the Netherworld. Because the pavilion was quite secluded, other gods did not dare to enter it easily. In addition, the mountain gods and river gods were different from the City God, so when the gods paid their respects, they all chose to do so on the top of the Stove Mountain.

As soon as Bai Wenpan revealed himself, the several Lesser God waiting there immediately surrounded him and bowed respectfully.

These deities are mostly of the Seventh Grade, belonging to a small branch or tributary of the Divine Office. Because they were not officially appointed by Qiu Yan, their foundations are unstable, and they must be extremely cautious in their actions.

"My fellow colleagues, there's no need for such formalities." Bai Wenpan the greetings one by one, his courteous manners making the gods feel as if they were basking in a spring breeze.

At that moment, laughter came from underground, accompanied by words—

"Bai Wenpan, I didn't expect you to arrive first."

As soon as he finished speaking, a flash of blue light appeared on the ground, and Huang Jue, with a smile on his face, condensed his Divine Body.

"Brother Huang, you've come too." Upon seeing this god, Bai Wenpan went up to greet him and reminisce. The other gods also greeted him. The relationship between Huang Jue and Qiu Yan had long been known to all the gods, and many gods had the intention of currying favor with him in their words.

Huang Jue was aware of this as well; when he spoke with the gods, he always grinned, looking completely satisfied.

"This Huang Jue is really lucky, but it's a pity he doesn't know how to seize the opportunity. He has such good conditions but doesn't know how to make use of them. Instead, he's not ambitious." Looking at Huang Jue's appearance, Bai Wenpan shook his head inwardly, but on the surface he still maintained a friendly demeanor.

He knew that Huang Jue had taken over the reins of Panluo Mountain God and lived a peaceful life there.

Huang Jue was originally a weasel spirit. After entering the Divine Path, he still cared about his descendants and took good care of them. Logically speaking, the weasel clan was not powerful in the mountains, but with the support of the gods, things were different. They became the local tyrant of Panluo Mountain, attracting other members of the clan from the surrounding areas to gather there, and it was rumored to be a paradise.

While staying with his clansmen, Huang Jue soon showed signs of becoming complacent, which was quite different from Bai Wenpan. Back in the Mortal Realm, Bai Wenpan was keen on fame and fortune, studying for the Imperial Examinations and working as a staff member. Now that he had entered the Divine Path, he was just as unwilling to be ordinary.

"That's fine too. He's close to Min Yuan, which is enough for me. He's no longer a threat to me. Once I've made some contributions in the future, I'll be able to surpass him!"

After thinking for a while, Bai Wenpan said a few words to the gods. Seeing that most of the people had arrived, they each transformed into light and flew towards the mountain peak.

The top of Stove Mountain.

Qiu Yan sat on a stone, which was seamless and perfectly formed, making it look like a chair. Qiu Yan sat on it with an air of authority, and even before the gods who had transformed into light and flew away arrived, they could already feel the surging aura emanating from Qiu Yan!

The feeling became even more pronounced after they landed!

This aura was grand and eerie, seemingly divine, yet distinct, somewhat resembling the aura of a cultivator, subtly connected to the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, and resonating with the flames in the mountains.

The aura permeated the entire mountaintop, causing the gods to feel oppressed and their Divine Sense to stagnate. Because they were Qiu Yan's subordinates and were closely connected, the aura quickly invaded their Divine Body, causing their hearts to tremble, as if they had encountered a natural enemy.

"My lord has made further progress! Could it be that he is about to be promoted to the Divine Grade again! Truly worthy of being Heaven-Born Deity!"

Unlike other deities, Bai Wenpan, upon sensing this aura, felt a tremor of fear, but also a hint of joy. For someone like him, who had experience as a strategist in the Mortal World, the more powerful the master he served, the brighter his future would be.

"Gentlemen..."

In the time that followed, Qiu Yan inquired about matters within the respective Domain of Law of the gods. Although he oversaw all the Divine Office and could sense the Domain of Law, his energy was ultimately limited. He focused his Incense Faith on analyzing and comprehending within, making it difficult to attend to the overall picture, and thus he could not know all the details.

On the other hand, Qiu Yan now also has plans to improve the Divine Office system, and is preparing to divide responsibilities so that each god has their own duties. Therefore, he needs to understand the gods' qualifications and abilities through dialogue, and judge their talents by observing their words and expressions, and adapt to local conditions.

After clarifying the situation, Qiu Yan nodded, signaling everyone to return to their places. The gods, as if granted a pardon, bowed and departed, including Huang Jue. Qiu Yan's current aura was too overwhelming; staying there even a moment longer would be torture for them.

This was actually Qiu Yan's aura, which had just been released after he subdued the two dragons and merged into his Divine Body. He couldn't yet control his aura, so it leaked out, causing the gods to tremble.

"Is there anything else, Mr. Bai?"

After all the gods had left, Qiu Yan looked at Bai Wenpan standing before him and asked a question.

"Reporting to Your Excellency, I do have something to report..." Bai Wenpan, enduring Qiu Yan's imposing presence, recounted the events surrounding the Lingxiu Sect, then sought instructions, "I sent someone to inquire and learned some things. Although this sect is located in a remote area, it has a certain reputation in the Great Rui martial arts world and is considered a mysterious sect. Because it is mostly composed of women, it is highly sought after. If we could get them to offer sacrifices to Your Excellency, I believe it would bring considerable benefits."

"Martial arts sects?" Qiu Yan pondered for a moment, then nodded. "Since you have this intention, you might as well try to do it. However, you shouldn't interfere too much in worldly affairs. For example, Human Path the martial arts world's feuds unfold naturally. But if believers suffer, you can't just ignore it."

Upon hearing this, Bai Wenpan immediately understood. Suppressing his joy, he clasped his hands and said, "Your subordinate understands."

"The martial arts world..."

After Bai Wenpan left, Qiu Yan seemed to be deep in thought.

"This is also a path, and we might as well give it a try. But the most urgent matter is still with the Fleshly Body. If we act properly, we can save hundreds of years. Let's start with Wang Yifu."