Soul Beast Clan, you owe me, Di Tian, a kowtow

An Earth Dragon Turnover had recently struck Southern Jambudvipa.

Fortunately, it had occurred at the deserted Border Between the Two Kingdoms and caused no casualties among the common people.

A Five Finger Mountain towering into the clouds had abruptly appeared, with the Heavenly Court's Sealing Edict affixed to it.

Meanwhile, a grand assembly was being held above the Thirty-Three Heavens.

"Your Majesty, the Demon Monkey has now been pinned beneath Five Finger Mountain, but the mountain's Mountain God has yet to take office."

Li Xuanji nodded slightly. As the tassels of his Emperor's Crown swayed, worlds could faintly be seen being born and perishing.

"Do any of you have a recommendation?"

The gods exchanged glances at his words. This Handsome Monkey King was no easy fellow to deal with; an ordinary Earth God really could not keep him in check.

"Who is the Mountain God of Flower-Fruit Mountain? Why not send them over?"

Some minor god spoke up, and the eyes of all the gods lit up.

"That's a good idea."

"Indeed, it could also soothe the Demon Monkey."

At this point, the Divine Lord of the Eastern Continent of Superior Body Divine Lord's Residence stepped forward. "Your Majesty, Flower-Fruit Mountain has no Mountain God, but it does have an Earth God."

"Then send the Earth God over."

As the gods discussed it, Li Xuanji stirred his thoughts and learned everything.

"Qian Renxue?"

Li Xuanji was slightly surprised.

"She has actually done this well for herself?"

Li Xuanji turned his gaze toward Flower-Fruit Mountain, and a single glance made everything clear.

"Such profound yin virtue. I'm afraid eighty percent of the yin virtue the Angel God accumulated over ten thousand years has gathered upon her alone."

Douluo's Angel God had slaughtered all the Evil Soul Masters on the continent, saving countless lives, then established Spirit Hall and aided living beings for over ten thousand years, changing the lives of untold numbers of commoners.

The yin virtue she had accumulated was naturally incomparably profound. Even among the many small worlds, purely good people like her were rare; she even surpassed those minor sects that had branched off from Xuanmen in the Primordial World.

And the Primordial World acknowledged precisely this kind of yin virtue and merit.

Qian Renxue was upright and dared to strive and struggle. With the protection of yin virtue on top of that, she naturally thrived in the Primordial World.

"This Douluo Continent really is bizarre. The righteous are righteous to the extreme, and the wicked are wicked to the extreme."

Li Xuanji casually glanced again at that wisp of black qi that had slipped into the Douluo Continent, and an inscrutable curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

Soon, a god investigated Qian Renxue's circumstances and reported them to the assembled gods.

"Your Majesty, honored immortals, Thousand-Mile Eye and Wind-Following Ear just reported that the Earth God of Flower-Fruit Mountain has now reached the cultivation realm of refining spirit and returning to emptiness. Moreover, she is upright and dares to charge ahead and fight. She even resisted the corrupting temptation of the Demon Monkey's Peaches of Immortality back then, defending the dignity of a Heavenly Court Official Deity. This Earth God may be fit for the task."

Hearing that Qian Renxue had already reached the realm of refining spirit and returning to emptiness, Erlang Shen stepped forward. "Your Majesty, I believe the Earth God of Flower-Fruit Mountain can shoulder this responsibility."

While capturing Sun Wukong, Yang Jian had noticed that this Earth God was quick-witted. It was just that Qian Renxue had been too weak then; now, her strength was sufficient for her to serve as a Mountain God.

"Then, as True Lord Erlang suggested, transfer the Earth God of Flower-Fruit Mountain to Five Finger Mountain."

Li Xuanji settled the matter with a single statement, and none of the gods objected.

As the Great Heavenly Venerable, Li Xuanji certainly had his preferences when handling grievances between the various parties. After all, he himself came from Jiejiao; such human feelings were understandable.

But when handling major affairs of the Three Realms, he never acted on personal preference. Those who were capable took the position, and those who were not stepped aside. This was also why he had prevailed over Haotian back then.

Only such a Great Heavenly Venerable could properly steer the Primordial World, and this was also the principle Li Xuanji had always followed.

At the same time, Li Xuanji glanced toward Five Finger Mountain.

With him here, Sun Wukong would not have to remain pinned for five hundred years.

Through his arrangements, he had delayed Sun Wukong's imprisonment beneath Five Finger Mountain by four hundred and ninety-eight years after Sun Wukong's birth.

In about five hundred days, Sun Wukong would be able to break free.

Well, that could count as five hundred years too, because one day in the Primordial World was one year in other small worlds. Who dared say that five hundred years in a small world were not five hundred years?

"I wonder whether Qian Renxue can do a good job as this Mountain God."

Li Xuanji was a little amused. In his countless years as the Heavenly Venerable, he had seen many "familiar" people appear in the Primordial World.

She really was the only one who had done well for herself.

Flower-Fruit Mountain.

Qian Renxue still had no idea that a group of great gods had investigated her thoroughly, much less that she was about to be promoted.

She was helping Flower-Fruit Mountain regulate its earth qi so that its former scenery could recover more quickly.

Di Tian followed behind her, doing odd jobs. He did whatever she told him to do, without a word of complaint.

"Lady Earth God, how much do you know about Great God Nuwa and Taishang Laojun?"

At the end of another day's work, Di Tian placed the wild fruits he had picked before Qian Renxue's divine statue as an offering and asked.

He was simply too curious.

"I don't know any more than you do. My rank is still too low for me to learn more about beings of that stature."

Just as Qian Renxue finished speaking, she suddenly sensed a powerful divine presence appear above Flower-Fruit Mountain.

"Where is Qian Renxue, Earth God of Flower-Fruit Mountain?"

The newcomer wore golden armor, his imposing presence vast and his voice like thunder.

Inside the Earth God Temple, Di Tian's legs buckled, and he nearly fell flat on the ground. Qian Renxue immediately turned into a wisp of blue smoke and left the Earth God Temple.

"This humble deity greets her superior."

The Golden-Armored Heavenly God unfurled the jade decree in his hand.

"By order of the Great Heavenly Venerable, Qian Renxue, Earth God of Flower-Fruit Mountain, is hereby transferred to Five Finger Mountain in Southern Jambudvipa to serve as its Mountain God. Upon receiving this decree, proceed immediately to take office without delay. Swiftly, in accordance with the decree!"

As his words fell, the jade decree transformed into a beam of golden light and shot straight into Qian Renxue's sea of consciousness.

By the time Qian Renxue came to her senses, the Immortal Official Jade Register in her sea of consciousness had already changed. Not only had numerous minor spells available for Mountain Gods to learn, such as Mountain Moving, been added,

but she had also been promoted from an eighth-rank official to the seventh rank, and her annual stipend had risen to fifty wisps of merit.

The seventh rank was also the rank of most Mountain Gods. At the very least, it showed that Five Finger Mountain was not some remote place.

But what shocked Qian Renxue most was neither her promotion nor the fifty wisps of merit paid in advance as her stipend, but the first line of the jade decree.

"By order of the Great Heavenly Venerable?"

Despite having spent so long in the Primordial World, Qian Renxue had never met the Great Heavenly Venerable, but she knew how exalted he was.

A mere little Earth God like her had actually caught the Great Heavenly Venerable's eye, and he had even personally named her to serve as the Mountain God of Five Finger Mountain.

This might even have been a first in the Primordial World. What an honor it was.

Qian Renxue's heart pounded wildly.

"This humble deity obeys the decree."

Qian Renxue hurriedly accepted the decree, then bowed toward the sky.

"This humble deity thanks the Great Heavenly Venerable for his great favor."

At this point, the Golden-Armored Heavenly God who had come to deliver the decree spoke again.

"At your speed, traveling to Southern Jambudvipa would likely delay matters. Hurry and make your preparations. I will take you directly to Five Finger Mountain."

"This humble deity is ready. Sorry for the trouble, honored god."

Qian Renxue did not return to the Vihara at all. She had few belongings, and they were all packed in her Storage Bag.

Thus, the Golden-Armored Heavenly God took Qian Renxue and the already stupefied Di Tian straight into the sky.

Golden light sprang beneath the Golden-Armored Heavenly God's feet, and he moved extremely fast. Qian Renxue saw nothing but a vast expanse of white before her eyes.

In just the blink of an eye, she could no longer see Flower-Fruit Mountain when she looked back.

She herself was protected inside an invisible barrier and could not feel even a trace of wind.

Earth Granny, I'll come back to see you.

Qian Renxue silently murmured in her heart.

"Honored god, may I ask whether the Great Heavenly Venerable personally selected me for this position?"

Unable to hold back, Qian Renxue asked quietly.

The Golden-Armored Heavenly God knew some of the inside details, and his expression was kindly. "Indeed. True Lord Erlang recommended you for this position as the Mountain God of Five Finger Mountain, and the Great Heavenly Venerable approved it."

"Do a good job when you get there."

"This humble deity understands."

Qian Renxue was very excited. She had entered the sight of the most exalted one.

As long as she could do a good job as the Mountain God of Flower-Fruit Mountain, future promotion was no dream.

True Lord Erlang recommended me?

The figure carrying a hawk and leading a hound surfaced in Qian Renxue's mind. He was someone who had fought that Handsome Monkey King for hundreds of exchanges.

If I have another chance to meet him, I must thank him properly.

Behind Qian Renxue, Di Tian kept his head lowered, his body trembling nonstop.

He, Di Tian, seemed to have accidentally latched onto a golden thigh.

Soul Beast Clan, you owe me, Di Tian, a kowtow, no matter what!