From Qingyuan Ancestor, Shen Changqing could feel that the energy contained within the Mountain Spirit’s body was almost equivalent to that of the Demon Evil in Luyang City. Combined with the conversation of the few Shapechanging Mountain Spirits he had encountered earlier, he was almost certain. The Mountain Spirit kneeling before him was on the verge of breaking through to the next realm.
Thinking of this, Shen Changqing asked again, "You just ntioned four realms. What cos after Shapechanging? What kind of realm is that?"
"I do not know."
"You do not know?"
"Lord Shen may not be aware, but the strongest among us Mountain Spirits are only at the Shapechanging Realm. No Mountain Spirit has yet broken through to the next realm, so I am unclear as to what it is. Only after a successful breakthrough would one have the chance to know."
There was a touch of helplessness in Qingyuan Ancestor’s heart.If he had managed to break through, even if he couldn’t contend with the Defender Envoy of South Nether Prefecture, escaping likely wouldn’t have been an issue.But now, it was too late for such thoughts.With this man blocking his way, escape was no longer possible.Mountain Spirits like Beiyang Ancestor, for instance, had died at this man’s hands.He was still alive.That was only because the other party wanted to extract so information from him.Regarding this, Qingyuan Ancestor wasn’t even sure if Shen Changqing would keep his promise to let him live.His current truthful responses were rely an attempt to grasp a slim hope of survival.After centuries of arduous cultivation, this Shapechanging Mountain Spirit was unwilling to simply perish.
Observing Qingyuan Ancestor’s expression, Shen Changqing focused his Divine Soul Power on the Mountain Spirit, constantly monitoring his emotional fluctuations.
"Are you saying that the strongest among the Mountain Spirits are only at the Shapechanging Realm?"
"Yes." Qingyuan Ancestor nodded, then hastily added, "That is the case in South Nether Prefecture. I cannot be sure about other places, but I am certain that in South Nether Prefecture, there are absolutely no Mountain Spirits beyond the Shapechanging Realm. If there were, I would have received news."
After all, he was the master of the Qingyuan Mountain Range. If such a powerful being truly existed, gathering related intelligence wouldn’t be a major problem.
Monitoring Qingyuan Ancestor’s emotional fluctuations, Shen Changqing finally beca certain. The Mountain Spirit was not lying. In South Nether Prefecture, the strongest of the Mountain Spirit Clan were indeed only at the Shapechanging Realm.
This was good news for him.Although this information was limited to South Nether Prefecture, one could infer that if South Nether Prefecture was like this, Mountain Spirits in other prefectures would also find it very difficult to break this ceiling.Even if, by so stroke of luck, so Mountain Spirits had broken through, how many could there possibly be?It was like the Human Clan’s Grandmasters, for whom breaking through to Great Grandmaster was incredibly arduous; for a thousand years, only two had succeeded.Among the Mountain Spirit Clan, it was unlikely any could break through to a realm comparable to a Great Grandmaster.Even if there were so, their numbers would be few.With this, Shen Changqing had a rough estimate of the Mountain Spirit Clan’s strength.
Then, he continued his inquiry. "Let ask you again, how do Mountain Spirits cultivate using the Power of Faith? Did you obtain a corresponding Cultivation Technique, or are other thods involved?"
Upon hearing this, Qingyuan Ancestor’s expression imdiately stiffened.
Seeing this, Shen Changqing’s eyes narrowed, and a cold, murderous intent descended. "I’ll give you one last chance. Hesitate any further, and don’t bla for being rciless!"
At his words, Qingyuan Ancestor trembled and hastily replied, "After my Spirit Intellect awakened, a Cultivation Technique for using the Power of Faith to cultivate naturally appeared in my mind. That’s how I know about this."
"Where did the Cultivation Technique co from?"
"I don’t know. It just appeared naturally."
"Is it the sa for all Mountain Spirits?"
"As far as I know, yes!" Qingyuan Ancestor nodded.
A Cultivation Technique that appeared naturally... Shen Changqing mused. Nothing good ever cos without a reason.There was definitely sothing else to it.But judging from Qingyuan Ancestor’s deanor, he clearly wasn’t lying.
Then, he asked again, "When did your Spirit Intellect awaken?"
"My Spirit Intellect awakened over three hundred years ago," Qingyuan Ancestor replied, his face etched with sorrow. "I hope Lord Shen, considering my three centuries of arduous cultivation, will spare my life. I have answered all your questions truthfully!"
Over three hundred years again! Shen Changqing’s expression flickered. He ignored Qingyuan Ancestor’s pleas and continued his questioning. "Did all Mountain Spirits appear over three hundred years ago?"
"Not all of them. Only so of the earliest Mountain Spirits appeared over three hundred years ago. Others were born later; there’s no specific tifra for their ergence."
Hearing this, Shen Changqing beca completely certain. The ergence of the Mountain Spirits was, without a doubt, connected to the descent of the Demon Evils.
Looking at Qingyuan Ancestor before him, he spoke slowly, "Write down the Cultivation Technique you use to harness the Power of Faith, and I will spare your life."
"Lord, spare !" Qingyuan Ancestor’s face turned deathly pale, and he shook his head repeatedly. "I have a foreboding sense," he explained, "that if I write down the Cultivation Technique or teach it to another, I will die instantly. So, it’s not that I’m unwilling to write it; I simply cannot."
"Ridiculous!" Shen Changqing’s eyes narrowed, a frosty glint within them. "In the world today, there are few who can take a life in my presence. Write it without fear. If any entity attempts to interfere, I will protect you imdiately."
Qingyuan Ancestor hesitated.He could see that if he didn’t write down the Cultivation Technique, he would surely die.Yet, that premonition also warned him that divulging the Cultivation Technique ant certain death.For a mont, he was caught in a dilemma.But on reflection, Shen Changqing’s words didn’t seem entirely unreasonable.A Great Grandmaster was indeed one of the supre powerhouses of the current era.If so powerful entity tried to interfere, there was a high chance this man could stop it.Consequently, Qingyuan Ancestor was sowhat tempted.One choice was certain death; the other was possible death.He had already made his decision.
Taking a deep breath, Qingyuan Ancestor looked up at Shen Changqing and said in a solemn voice, "I hope Lord Shen will keep his word and protect fully."
"I always keep my word." A faint smile touched Shen Changqing’s lips.
「——」
Back at the front of the temple, Qingyuan Ancestor ignored the corpses of the various creatures on the ground and led Shen Changqing straight inside. The temple’s interior was neither large nor small. The statue of the Mountain God that once stood above was now gone without a trace, leaving only an empty stone platform. On the offering table before the stone platform lay chunks of bloody flesh, their origin unknown.
While Shen Changqing surveyed the surroundings, Qingyuan Ancestor had already fetched ink and paper.
"You Mountain Spirits also have such things?"
"Lord Shen, you may not know, but although we Mountain Spirits dwell in the mountains, we have so contact with the outside world. Obtaining ink and paper isn’t a problem." Qingyuan Ancestor gave a forced smile.
Hearing this, Shen Changqing nodded. "Write."
"Yes!" Qingyuan Ancestor took a deep breath, sat before the offering table, cleared everything off its surface, and spread out a sheet of white paper. He hesitated for a mont, brush in hand, then began to write.
Shen Changqing’s Divine Soul Power spread out, watching Qingyuan Ancestor intently to prevent anyone from harming him.
Suddenly, a terrifying power erupted from Qingyuan Ancestor. Shen Changqing’s expression changed slightly, and he imdiately tried to suppress that power with his Divine Soul Power. However, before his Divine Soul Power could fully descend, he saw Qingyuan Ancestor’s head, bowed as he wrote, suddenly explode like a waterlon. Blood splattered throughout the temple.
After a pause of several breaths, Qingyuan Ancestor’s headless body toppled, revealing its true form: a giant Yellow Weasel.
Looking at the corpse, Shen Changqing’s expression was grim. When that force appeared, he hadn’t even had ti to intercept it.The force was not only swift but also incredibly ferocious.In the instant Qingyuan Ancestor died, Shen Changqing had a premonition: even he would not have been able to withstand that force.
Indeed!The ergence of the Mountain Spirit Clan isn’t so simple. There must be a mysterious expert behind them—
Shen Changqing spread his Divine Sense, covering a radius of a hundred zhang, but found no clues at all. This indicated that the force causing Qingyuan Ancestor’s death wasn’t an external attack in that mont, but sothing that had always existed within him.It was like a kind of restriction.Once triggered, it would take his life.
According to Qingyuan Ancestor’s words, such an expert shouldn’t exist within the Mountain Spirit Clan. Then there’s only one possibility: this expert is not from the Mountain Spirit Clan.On the contrary, the ergence of the Mountain Spirit Clan is likely deeply connected to that mysterious expert.
Shen Changqing thought of many things. He looked up at the temple’s ceiling. The sealed roof seed unable to block his gaze, which felt as if it could penetrate straight through to the Firmant.
Outer Heaven!Shen Changqing’s first thought was Outer Heaven.The Demon Evils ca from Outer Heaven.The Mountain Spirits only appeared after the Demon Evils arrived.This suggested that the expert behind the Mountain Spirit Clan most likely ca from Outer Heaven. But what was their purpose in passing down that Cultivation Technique? That remained unknown.
Shaking his head, he pushed aside the distracting thoughts and approached Qingyuan Ancestor’s corpse. From the corpse, it was clear that its true form was a Yellow Weasel.
On the offering table, the white paper was stained with blood. However, the characters written in black ink were still clearly visible. Through the black characters, Shen Changqing could make out a few words:
Faith Deification Divine Technique!
So this is the na of the Cultivation Technique the Mountain Spirits obtained for cultivating with faith. Quite direct, he thought with so regret. The Cultivation Technique had only revealed its na; it hadn’t been fully written down.
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