The World Force of Teng Qingshan, much like Qin Shiqi’s of old, had turned grey, imbued with shades of black and white. However, the black and white in Teng Qingshan's World Force differed fundamentally from Qin Shiqi’s ‘black and white’; one represented life and death, while the other symbolized ‘Yin and Yang.’ As Teng Qingshan’s enlightenment deepened...
The proportion of grey power within his World Force slowly increased, while the black and white aspect gradually diminished.
“Little San, stick close to your uncles. It’s the dead of winter; the wolves in these mountains are at their hungriest and fiercest.” A large man, carrying a powerful bow on his back and gripping a long spear, clad in animal skins, led a group of over twenty people cautiously through the mountain forest. This massive mountain was known to the locals as ‘Wild Wolf Mountain.’
Simply because of the sheer number of wolves!
“Don’t worry, Big Uncle,” a youth replied excitedly, clutching an iron spear, his eyes darting everywhere, seemingly hoping to spot a hungry wolf so he could slay one and prove his prowess.
This hunting party trudged onward, one heavy step after another, deep within the woods.
Half a day later.
Having secured a decent haul of game, the hunting party was in high spirits. They started descending via a different mountain path, hoping to bag a few more creatures along the way.
“Huh? Uncle, is that mist over there!” The youth spotted it first and immediately called out.
“Everyone, be careful,” the man in animal skins exclaimed in alarm.
“There is indeed mist over there.” Several hunters noticed it too. In this sparsely populated mountain wilderness, the hunters understood well that when encountering peculiar circumstances, one must never be careless. Strange sights usually signaled unusual—perhaps dangerous—events.
The burly man in animal skins whispered, “You all stay here; I’ll creep closer to take a look. If things go south, scatter into three groups immediately.”
“Understood.”
“Relax, Big Brother,” the hunters affirmed in unison.
“Good.”
The man in animal skins crouched low, spear in hand, cautiously advancing toward the anomaly. After moving about fifteen or sixteen zhang, he flattened himself beside a rotten tree root and finally discerned what lay ahead.
“Heavens!”
The man stared blankly, blinking twice.
“It’s... it’s a miracle?” The man in animal skins was utterly stunned. While he stood there in a daze, the other hunters grew anxious. Three sturdy hunters quickly and quietly approached, one whispering urgently, “Big Brother, what’s—,” but stopped mid-sentence, his gaze fixed forward in equal bewilderment.
These four were transfixed, prompting other confused hunters to draw near. Every hunter who laid eyes on the scene froze.
“Is that a god?”
“A divine manifestation!”
“There truly is a God.”
The hunters muttered to themselves, each one dumbfounded.
Before them, a swirling fog, grey and heavily mixed with streams of black and white, enveloped a solitary figure. Because of the surrounding mist, the person’s form was indistinct, completely obscured. Yet, this rotating vapor also enshrouded the Osmanthus tree directly behind the figure.
Under the swirling mist, this Osmanthus tree seemed to grow slowly, extending new branches, sprouting leaves, and even blooming with flowers—the fragrance of which could be faintly detected.
But in mere moments, the tree’s leaves and branches began to wither and fall, leaving the trunk bare.
Growth!
Decay!
In the span of a few breaths, this single Osmanthus tree had cycled through a full lifespan.
“God, it’s a god…” The hunters were utterly awestruck, watching the branches sprout from the trunk, new leaves emerge, and blossoms appear—all within a few short breaths—only to rapidly wither and fall away again in an equally brief span.
“Oh, God.”
Many hunters immediately dropped to their knees, bowing deeply to the mysterious figure enveloped in mist as a sign of reverence.
...
Since this hunting party discovered the presence of a ‘God’ on Wild Wolf Mountain, the news began to spread from their own village to others. Within just ten days, many surrounding villages knew of it, emboldening their residents to venture to Wild Wolf Mountain specifically to worship the divine being.
The Osmanthus tree completing its cycle of growth and decay in such a short time only intensified the excitement of those who witnessed the ‘Deity,’ ensuring the news spread even faster.
The news traveled slowly at first, but gained exponential speed afterward.
It had taken ten days to reach many neighboring villages, but in the subsequent three days, it spread like wildfire, eventually reaching the extremely powerful Xingyi Sect in Yangzhou.
Yangzhou, within the Donghua Courtyard of the Xingyi Sect on Dayan Mountain.
“Qingshan has been out touring the world for over a year now. With the eighteenth of the twelfth lunar month only three months away, he still hasn’t returned,” Li Jun murmured, walking across the training grounds while holding Xiu Xiu’s small hand. She hadn’t seen Teng Qingshan for nearly two years.
To say she didn’t miss him would be a lie; she thought of him almost every day.
But no matter how much she missed him, she knew Teng Qingshan was currently engrossed in solitary cultivation, preparing for the ultimate battle scheduled for the eighteenth of the twelfth month.
“Mother, Mother,” a voice called from outside.
Hong Lin rushed in alongside the Acting Sect Master, ‘Yang Dong,’ his face alight with surprise.
“What is it?” Li Jun’s heart skipped a beat as she asked.
“Mistress, we have received news,” Yang Dong stated beside him. “On Wild Wolf Mountain in Chu Prefecture, locals discovered a strange phenomenon in the forest. A mysterious figure, entirely shrouded in mist, sat cross-legged beneath an Osmanthus tree. Due to the surrounding vapor, that tree rapidly sprouted branches, grew leaves, and even blossomed. All this occurred in the span of a few breaths, after which the tree instantly withered, its foliage falling away.”
“Oh?” Li Jun inhaled sharply.
“Our people confirmed on site that the mist surrounding this mysterious person was predominantly grey, interspersed with numerous streams of black and white energy,” Yang Dong continued.
Hong Lin exclaimed excitedly, “Mother, the only people capable of causing such a bizarre event are likely Father or that Pei San. Didn't Father say that Pei San’s power carried a trace of lightning, while Father’s World Force is black and white? Perhaps Father is now…” Li Jun cut him off, already brimming with agitation, “You two, come with me. We must go to Wild Wolf Mountain immediately.”
Handing the young girl, Xiu Xiu, over to a maid, Li Jun didn't even bother gathering her son Hong Wu and the others.
She immediately summoned the Undying Phoenix, ‘Xiao Qing.’
Li Jun, Hong Lin, and Yang Dong climbed aboard the Undying Phoenix and flew directly toward Chu Prefecture.
...
Wild Wolf Mountain, Chu Prefecture.
Ever since news of a ‘Deity’ on Wild Wolf Mountain broke, many curious onlookers flocked to see. Due to their geographical proximity, the Guiyuan Sect, the Xingyi Sect, and the Myriad Manifestation Gate—which was most curious about such bizarre events—were the first three major sects to dispatch envoys.
“No one approaches! Fall back!”
The first groups arriving from the Guiyuan Sect and the Xingyi Sect spontaneously allied to hold back the common folk.
“We are here to worship the deity, why are you stopping us?” Many martial artists expressed displeasure, but the forces of the Guiyuan and Xingyi Sects were not people one dared to provoke lightly.
“Look, a streak of light.”
Many craned their necks skyward. A brilliant streak of light descended rapidly from the distance. In the blink of an eye, a gigantic divine bird, the ‘Undying Phoenix,’ bathed in fire, landed just ten zhang from the Osmanthus tree. Li Jun, Hong Lin, and Yang Dong immediately leaped down and stared intently into the swirling mist.
“It’s the Undying Phoenix.”
“It belongs to the Xingyi Sect. The Undying Phoenix is here, Teng Qingshan must be here.”
“Is that youth Teng Qingshan?”
“Very likely to be Teng Qingshan.”
Excited chatter immediately erupted from the crowd. Clearly, the names ‘Undying Phoenix’ and ‘Teng Qingshan’ carried immense weight. Unfortunately, few people had actually seen Teng Qingshan’s true face, leading many to mistake ‘Yang Dong’ for him.
“You people have no knowledge. That is the Acting Sect Master of the Xingyi Sect, not Teng Qingshan.”
“Right, Teng Qingshan is a bit taller than him.”
Martial artists who knew some details immediately corrected them. Meanwhile, Li Jun, Hong Lin, and Yang Dong, watching Teng Qingshan closely within the mist, tried to discern if it was him based on the vague shape within the vapor and the unique nature of the World Force.
“Caw~~” The Undying Phoenix let out a cry beside them.
“It is Qingshan, it truly is Qingshan.” Li Jun’s heart surged with emotion. She had encountered Teng Qingshan’s aura and the signature of his World Force too many times. Moreover, the Undying Phoenix beside her was also signaling to Li Jun... that this being hailed as a ‘Deity’ was indeed Teng Qingshan!
“A’Dong,” Li Jun commanded, “Send the order. Seal off the entire perimeter. Absolutely no one is allowed near.”
“Yes,” Yang Dong immediately responded.
As Yang Dong’s command rang out, the Xingyi Sect members who had been casually milling about immediately became stern, locking down the area within a hundred zhang radius of Teng Qingshan’s meditation spot, forbidding anyone from approaching. Any offender would face the cold steel of the blade without mercy!
**
Qingzhou, within a quiet pavilion in the Heavenly God Palace.
Meng Dujuan, dressed in simple plain clothes, played a qin. The music flowed serenely. Beside her, Pei San squinted, holding a teacup in one hand and tapping a rhythm on his thigh to the music with the other.
“Master, Master.” A streak of light flew directly inside—it was the Beast King, ‘Wu Hou.’
“What is it?” Pei San asked casually, still squinting.
“Master, in Wild Wolf Mountain within Chu Prefecture, Yangzhou, someone discovered a mysterious person sitting beneath an Osmanthus tree. The person was surrounded by mist, and within a few breaths, the Osmanthus tree sprouted branches, bloomed, and then, again within a few breaths, completely withered. Furthermore, the Xingyi Sect members arrived on the Undying Phoenix and have sealed the area, forbidding anyone from entering,” Wu Hou reported.
Pei San remained seated, motionless.
Crack!
The teacup in Pei San’s hand dropped, smashing onto the nearby table before tumbling to the floor with a smash, scattering tea everywhere.
“Good, good…” Pei San’s eyes blazed, piercingly bright like a sun suddenly appearing in the darkness, “Good!”
Pei San slammed the table, stood up abruptly.
“Life-death transference, life-death transference... Teng Qingshan, Teng Qingshan! I did not misjudge you, I truly did not misjudge you! Hahaha…” Pei San threw his head back and laughed heartily, his powerful laughter echoing throughout the entire Heavenly God Palace.