Chen Changsheng glanced to his side. The Yuqing Sword stood behind the Rain-Listening Sword.
And at the Yuqing Sword’s hilt, in that erald gem, a gleam of cyan light also flashed.
Chen Changsheng turned back and looked at the Fate Stone.
The cyan light in that Fate Stone was like that too.
Chen Changsheng raised a finger, and the Yuqing Sword ca before his eyes.
Nearby, Chen Daoqiu seed to feel sothing co in front of Chen Changsheng, but he couldn’t see what it was at all.
“Hum, hum…”
The gem in the Yuqing Sword pulsed, as if matching the cyan flashes passing through the Fate Stone.
Also, when the Yuqing Sword drew near the Fate Stone, the cyan light glowing from both the gem and the Fate Stone grew much stronger.
It was like…
they were calling to each other.
Chen Changsheng’s heart grew startled. He thought to himself: ‘Could they co from the sa source?’
Chen Daoqiu saw Chen Changsheng frozen before the Fate Stone, as if he was thinking about sothing.
Chen Daoqiu spoke out and asked, “Has Mr. Chen seen sothing?”
Chen Changsheng ca back to awareness. He turned and asked back, “Did you ever see a cyan light inside the Fate Stone?”
Chen Daoqiu paused. He turned to look at the Fate Stone again. He shook his head and said, “Never at all.”
Chen Changsheng thought this sure was the case. At first, he had believed Chen Daoqiu simply hadn’t noticed, but now he knew Chen Daoqiu truly couldn’t spot the cyan light in the Fate Stone.
Chen Changsheng said, “I wasn’t seeing things.”
Chen Daoqiu frowned and said, “This…”
“Did you really see cyan light?”
“I have no need to lie to you.”
Chen Changsheng watched the Fate Stone and then said, “The Fate Stone might not be as clear as you understand it. Why not go and ask soone about it?”
Chen Daoqiu frowned deeply as he pondered. He thought for a mont and said, “If you truly saw cyan light, then we probably only can ask the Mountain Lord…”
“The Mountain Lord?” Chen Changsheng broke off his words. He asked, “Not the Sect Master?”
Chen Daoqiu said, “Since the ti of the Ancestral Master, Tianji Mountain has never had a Sect Master. We only have seven cabinet masters, and above them is the Mountain Lord. He is the spirit that rules the mountain. After the Ancestral Master passed away, it has always been the Mountain Lord protecting Tianji Mountain.”
Chen Changsheng asked, “The Mountain Lord you ntioned, is he the Righteous Mountain Deity of Tianji Mountain?”
Chen Daoqiu nodded and said, “Yes.”
Chen Changsheng looked at him and asked, “How long has Tianji Mountain been around?”
Chen Daoqiu said, “Over 8,900 years by now.”
Chen Changsheng was greatly shocked when he heard this.
“Doesn’t that an…”
Chen Changsheng said, “This divine being has lived for over 8,000 years!”
Chen Daoqiu nodded and said, “That’s right. But most of the ti, the Mountain Lord sleeps. He only wakes every 500 years to check on Tianji Mountain, then he goes back to sleep.”
Chen Changsheng nodded after hearing this. That actually made sense.
He just felt curious: beings like Righteous Mountain Deities or City Gods usually don’t live very long; they end up going through Rebirth. So could one lasting over 8,000 years have a Lifespan limit, like those in Cultivation?
If he hadn’t died in over 8,000 years, what state must he be in?
Chen Changsheng finally understood why Tianji Mountain held such treasures yet stood strong for so long. It likely had to do with this Mountain Lord shielding them.
Chen Daoqiu said, “But by the Mountain Lord’s usual waking pattern, the next ti he’ll be up won’t be for at least 20 years more. Senior Brother Zhengyuan’s condition can’t wait that long.”
“Can’t we wake him?” Chen Changsheng asked.
Chen Daoqiu shook his head and said, “Unless Tianji Mountain faces a dire crisis, no thod can rouse the Mountain Lord.”
Chen Changsheng thought to himself: this sounded a bit like himself, but sleeping for 500 years? That seed more trapped than the monkey under Five-Finger Mountain.
But he supposed it made sense—staying awake all the ti might stop him from lasting so long.
“Given this, we must think of our own way.”
Chen Changsheng looked at the Fate Stone again. He asked, “Can you tell about the origin of this Fate Stone? Maybe we’ll find a solution at the root. This isn’t sothing you can’t discuss, right?”
“Many in the Immortal Realm know of the Fate Stone, so it’s no secret.”
Chen Daoqiu then said, “This Fate Stone was a treasure forged by the Ancestral Master of Tianji Mountain. It reflects the Creation of Heaven and Earth, and can hide from Heavenly Secrets. Thus, we use the Fate Stone to dodge Heavenly Secrets, gaining Fortune and Fate reckoning without backlash. The Ancestral Master road the realms and felt the Tribulations were too fierce. After crafting the Fate Stone, he founded our sect. With its power, we calculate the world’s Tribulations to bring shelter and aid—that is Tianji Mountain’s founding truth.”
Chen Changsheng hesitated and asked, “Just that?”
Chen Daoqiu nodded and said, “Records on the Fate Stone are scarce. The Ancestral Master left little behind. We’ve only been guarding it all these years.”
Chen Changsheng turned to him and asked, “Has the Fate Stone ever lost control before?”
Chen Daoqiu shook his head and said, “This is the first ti. And it’s also the first ti we failed to lessen the backlash.”
He went on to explain, “Though Fate Stone shields from Heavenly Secrets, if it involves a broad Karma, it can’t escape the Dharma Eye. Over thousands of years, we faced backlash a few tis. But with the Fate Stone, we always cut that backlash by at least 40%. Yet this ti…”
“Senior Brother Zhong took the full backlash!”
After hearing this, Chen Changsheng understood. He then said, “It seems the matter Master Zhong dealt with was no ordinary Karma.”
His gaze returned to the Fate Stone.
Chen Changsheng suddenly spoke, “May I touch the Fate Stone?”
Chen Daoqiu paused and said, “Now that the Fate Stone is hard to control, it’s best you don’t touch it. If it sses with your Divine Sense…”
Though Chen Changsheng felt a bit worried, his gut told him the Fate Stone likely held no threat to him.
If the Fate Stone truly shared the sa source as the ‘seed’ in the Yuqing Sword, this would fix things easily.
Chen Changsheng said, “If you trust , we might give it a try.”
Chen Daoqiu paused. Then he thought about it.
After a long silence, he felt torn.
But when he looked at Chen Changsheng, that face stayed calm and unafraid.
Seeing this, Chen Daoqiu said, “Mr. Chen, be very careful.”
“Nothing to fear.”
Chen Changsheng reached out his hand, about to touch the Fate Stone.
Chen Daoqiu sweated nervously.
He wouldn’t allow anyone else to do this. But since Senior Brother Zhong valued him so highly, maybe Mr. Chen would find a way out from the Fate Stone.
Chen Changsheng shut his eyes. Just as he was to touch the Fate Stone, his Divine Sense spread out.
“Dong.”
For a mont, a bell seed to ring in Chen Daoqiu’s mind.
That Divine Sense spilled from where Chen Changsheng stood. It stretched like endless peaks and peaks…
Chen Daoqiu stared at the man. His face went blank, and he murmured.
“This is…”
Suddenly, he understood why the Green-Robed Gentleman before him…
was so fearless.
“Fifth Heaven!”
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