BOOK 2: CHAPTER 468: REORGANIZING THE MOUNTAINS AND RIVERS, SEPARATED BY LIFE AND DEATH

Vol 2 Chapter 468 Reorganizing the Mountains and Rivers, Separated by Life and Death

The Jiushan Sect was truly different.

This was not just Fairy Jinfeng’s personal opinion;

several cultivators who had followed her back quietly told her, “We’ve never seen Haori Mountain disciples do things like this.”

What things?

She looked toward the mountainside. Groups of Jiushan Sect disciples were huddled together, heads bowed as they drew the contours and heights of the mountain peaks.

Some disciples even crawled into cracks on the ground, then emerged with dust-covered faces and empty hands, but with huge smiles on their faces.

They didn’t pay much attention to Fairy Jinfeng and the others, which was reassuring. Haori Mountain was quite fond of seeking them out, but the little wealth left by the Cloud Step Sect ended up in the hands of the others.

“Excuse me, Fairy Jinfeng?”

The Jiushan Ancestor called out to her.

“I’m here!”

“Come take a look. Is this what the spirit veins of your Cloud Step Sect looked like before?”

Looking at the light screen, Fairy Jinfeng involuntarily held her breath and whispered, “Yes!”

She seemed too excited and murmured, “Exactly like this, exactly the same.”

On the light screen, two skinny, ugly mountain peaks transformed into a majestic giant peak.

She had grown up on the mountain and lived for hundreds of years, but she had never imagined that one day the mountains would tremble, the peaks beneath her feet would be violently split in two, scattering the spiritual energy and making cultivation impossible.

Therefore, as she stared at the shape of the mountains and rivers on the light screen, her gaze held a hint of yearning.

Perhaps noticing her excitement, the Jiushan Ancestor shook his head and took out the Tongjian device. “Since it’s correct, I will send a message to Zheng Fa to come over.”

“Sect Leader Zheng…”

Fairy Jinfeng was puzzled. Could someone as important as Zheng Fa really be summoned so easily?

“Oh, he is repairing other spirit veins right now. We’re only responsible for scouting;

the actual work has to be done by him.”

“...”

Recalling the Cloud Step Sect leader’s arrogant attitude, it seemed that the Jiushan Sect was not only quite different from Haori Mountain but also very far removed from their Cloud Step Sect.

In less than the time it takes for incense to burn halfway, rainbow light streaked across the sky and landed in front of the group, revealing the figure of a young man.

“Zheng Fa!”

“Sect Leader!”

Jiushan disciples shouted in unison.

Fairy Jinfeng looked at Zheng Fa cautiously. This Sect Leader Zheng had a talent and strength that shook Xuanwei multiple times, but he appeared more ordinary than the arrogant Haori disciples.

“Thank you for your hard work.”

Zheng Fa nodded lightly, his gaze briefly scanning Fairy Jinfeng’s face without lingering.

They were racing against time to repair the spirit veins and establish a great formation, leaving no time to deal with the local Haori Mountain disciples.

The Cloud Step Sect was especially busy:

Changing the shape of the mountains and rivers was difficult for everyone in the sect.

Only Zheng Fa, relying on his Sleeve Universe divine ability, could precisely control the underground primordial magnetism and, at the same time, harness the magnetism’s power on a large scale, meeting both precision and strength requirements.

Because of this, Zheng Fa darted between spirit veins. Fortunately, he knew the Rainbow Transformation Method;

otherwise, he wouldn’t have been able to keep up.

He glanced at the spirit vein blueprint on the light screen, exchanged a few words with the Jiushan Ancestor, then flew into the sky. His right sleeve expanded, covering the peaks of two mountains.

The two mountains seemed like they had mounted carriages, sprouted legs, and were slowly but steadily moving toward each other.

“Stay back!”

The Jiushan Ancestor shouted.

Fairy Jinfeng followed the Jiushan disciples and retreated far away.

At the foot of the two mountains, a rumbling sound echoed, and rocks of various sizes tumbled down the peaks.

Birds and beasts on the mountain, as if facing a disaster, scattered in all directions.

Dust rose from the ground, but Fairy Jinfeng’s eyes never left Zheng Fa, even more nervous than the Jiushan disciples.

Soon, the two mountains pressed together tightly until there was no seam left.

A surge of spiritual energy rose from the mountain base, piercing through the mountain and gushing from the peak, nourishing the grass and trees.

In less than the time it takes for incense to burn, the dust cleared, and the vegetation on the mountain was lush again. The small creatures that had fled cautiously peeked out and returned to their renewed home, chirping joyfully.

This is my home too!

Looking at the familiar mountain shape and spiritual energy, Fairy Jinfeng’s gaze toward Zheng Fa was filled with gratitude, yet inexplicably held much more determination.

Would the Jiushan Sect’s painstaking repair of the spirit veins allow them to settle here?

She actually did not ask for much. The Cloud Step Sect was gone, but this place was her home. Her master and senior sisters were buried here. Even without spirit veins, she was unwilling to leave.

When Zheng Fa came specifically to find her, Fairy Jinfeng’s heart was filled with worry.

“Fairy Jinfeng.”

“Greetings, Sect Leader Zheng.”

Zheng Fa was in a hurry, so he spoke straightforwardly: “I heard from the Ancestor that you used to be a cultivator of the Cloud Step Sect.”

“Yes.”

“As for the allocation and construction of these spirit veins, the Jiushan Sect already has a plan.”

Fairy Jinfeng’s heart trembled but dared not say anything, only bowing her head.

“Of course, you can join the Jiushan Sect and cultivate here, or would you prefer to rebuild the Cloud Step Sect?”

“Rebuild... the Cloud Step Sect?”

Fairy Jinfeng suddenly lifted her head.

“Of course, it would be under the model of a subordinate institution of the Jiushan Sect. In the short term, you will need to manage this land and provide resources for the Jiushan Sect.” Zheng Fa nodded. “But in the long run, we will still modify it according to the Hundred Immortals Alliance’s situation. In the future, the Cloud Step Sect may become the Cloud Step Academy or an affiliate branch.”

Fairy Jinfeng fell into deep thought. She could tell this Sect Leader Zheng was very sincere. So if he allowed her to rebuild the Cloud Step Sect, it was genuine.

It was indeed true.

This was a makeshift measure. Ultimately, the Jiushan Sect lacked manpower.

Although the Jiushan Sect had many disciples, the Divine Thunder Fleet needed people, the factories needed people, the spirit vein repair and primordial magnetism formation needed people. The sect was stretched thin.

During the battle with Haori Mountain, they were unlikely to quickly establish control over the occupied territories.

Therefore, cooperating with local cultivators was necessary.

People like Fairy Jinfeng, who knew the local situation well, would make managing this place much easier and greatly reduce the Jiushan Sect’s governance costs.

Of course, there were obvious downsides:

The Jiushan Sect would find it difficult to fully absorb the occupied areas.

And this group of cultivators was uneven;

some might harbor ulterior motives.

But the main contradiction now was Haori Mountain, so these matters had to be put aside—the current goal of Zheng Fa and the others was to establish the primordial magnetism formation.

“I... I’m willing!”

After much thought, Fairy Jinfeng felt the conditions offered by the Jiushan Sect were much better than she had imagined.

Moreover, since the spirit veins were repaired by the Jiushan Sect, the offer was even more generous—

What she did not know was that the destruction of these spirit veins was also closely related to the Jiushan Sect... Of course, the real culprit was the uncivilized Haori Mountain.

“Very well, the first task is to help us establish the primordial magnetism formation.”

“Primordial magnetism formation?”

Fairy Jinfeng was a bit confused, but Zheng Fa knew well that the formation would allow them to control these newly affiliated cultivators very effectively.

With the formation’s surveillance capabilities and combat power, the Jiushan Sect honestly wasn’t afraid of troublemakers. That was why Zheng Fa lowered the threshold to start recruiting outside cultivators.

Of course, for the Jiushan Sect, the most important thing was to enhance the heavenly formation’s power and defend against Haori Mountain, especially the Demon Ancestor.

He glanced toward Haori Mountain and wondered how the three Demon Ancestors of Nine Luminaries Heaven would react.

Nine Luminaries Heaven.

This was a barren wasteland towering above the ground.

The land here was dull yellow, the sky gloomy, vast and silent for thousands of miles, with not even a trace of living energy.

Suddenly, flickers of blue and green fireflies appeared in the air, bringing rare vivid colors to this desolate land.

“Gu God... what are you doing here?”

A hoarse voice echoed from the wasteland. The fireflies gathered in response to the voice, forming into a human silhouette.

This person was a young woman with a strange, ghostly appearance. She was completely naked except for her long green hair that fluttered in the air, covering parts of her body.

“White Bone, haven’t you heard the news outside?”

“What news?”

“The Jiushan Sect is attacking Haori Mountain,” said the woman called Gu God with a strong seductive tone. “Within three months, they’re unstoppable.”

“Disciples of the Three Clans are dying or wounded. No one can stop this group.”

“Now half of Haori Mountain’s land has been occupied by them.”

“Ji... Jiushan Sect?”

Suddenly, a bony hand emerged from underground, followed by a massive giant made of bones. It tore through the earth, propping itself up and slowly standing.

He dusted off the dirt on his body. Two silver lights flickered in the holes of his skull as if he were thinking: “That Zheng Fa’s Jiushan Sect? They’re really that strong?”

“That’s right. He somehow discovered our identities and wants to eliminate demons and protect the Dao.”

Gu God’s tone was mocking.

“What do I care? Haori Mountain is primitive stuff...”

“Haori Mountain doesn’t matter, but it can’t fall now,” Gu God interrupted. “Don’t forget, Fate needs the Lu Clan.”

“You mean the primitive things left behind...”

“Yes, the three of us cannot enter that place or seize opportunities. According to Fate, maybe only the Lu Clan can get in.”

The White Bone Demon Ancestor was silent for a moment, then asked, “What are you here for?”

“I’m going to deal with the Jiushan Sect.”

“You?”

“That Jiushan Sect’s battle strategy seems to rely on numbers.”

The White Bone Demon Ancestor seemed to understand and nodded slowly.

“Now that Fate is selecting someone from the Lu Clan to find the treasures left behind by the primitives, only you and I have free time...”

“I will watch over Fate.”

As if knowing her intentions, the White Bone Demon Ancestor said immediately.

“Your wounds...”

“Although he’s stronger than me, I’m not that easy to kill.”

Gu God looked down at the wasteland. On the yellow soil was a cracked mound.

She could tell this vast wasteland was actually a large tomb used by White Bone to recover.

White Bone and Fate never got along and constantly fought each other. Only after the Nine Nether established reincarnation did they restrain themselves a bit.

From what she knew, it wasn’t really restraint but a death match. They realized neither could kill the other and feared that Fate would take advantage, so they stopped.

White Bone was probably still recovering from his wounds here.

If their relationship weren’t so bad, she wouldn’t dare leave Nine Luminaries Heaven so easily—the primitives’ treasures were something none of the three wanted to give up.

If it weren’t for White Bone holding Fate back, she absolutely wouldn’t bother with the Jiushan Sect.

Because Fate was powerful, she and White Bone even had a tacit understanding to cooperate.

Watching the White Bone Demon Ancestor slowly burrow underground, Gu God turned and flew out of Nine Luminaries Heaven, frowning in secret and feeling worried—after their battle, White Bone’s injuries were still not visible, his strength even stronger than she knew. Among the three, wasn’t she the weakest?

...

The Jiushan Sect’s advance was swift.

The Divine Sky Fleet raced furiously ahead, while Zheng Fa and his disciples followed behind, setting up primordial magnetism formations everywhere.

Fairy Jinfeng was running along too.

She wasn’t helping to set up formations but had been assigned by the Jiushan Sect to earn merit points. Haori Mountain had pillaged so successfully that she barely had any resources left to cultivate, not to mention rebuild the Cloud Step Sect.

Even with spirit veins, she still desperately needed spirit stones.

Fortunately, the Jiushan Sect was clearly short on manpower and was recruiting local cultivators to help, even paying merit points.

She was currently approaching a small county near the frontline.

“Line up to receive! Everyone gets some!” Fairy Jinfeng was now quite familiar with the process. “Complete the tasks, and you get rations!”

Behind her, the Divine Sky Flying Boat slowly descended. Its hatch opened, and boxes of food flew out.

The crowd in front immediately erupted in excitement.

These were supplies the Jiushan Sect specially transported for these mortals.

The Haori Mountain disciples stationed here had fled, causing massive destruction. It was unclear whether they wanted to loot thoroughly or just intended to implement scorched earth tactics.

Actually, the losses caused by the fighting were less severe than the atrocities committed by some Haori Mountain disciples—

Or rather, the Haori Mountain disciples themselves were not that bad;

they looked down on mortal things. But the forces that depended on Haori Mountain to run rampant were different.

Especially with the Jiushan Sect’s unstoppable assault, these people became even more fearful and more frenzied in their retreat.

Luckily, the Jiushan Sect’s food production was sufficient. As long as mortals completed their assigned tasks, they could receive enough rations to support a family.

What kind of tasks?

Fairy Jinfeng glanced at the newly planted rice seedlings beside her and smiled slightly. What kind of task was this?

After the crowd finished receiving their food and dispersed, Fairy Jinfeng’s gaze returned to the rice fields.

The seedlings were fresh and green. Previously, she hadn’t cared much about mortal food, but after looking at it for a while, she found it surprisingly endearing.

It wasn’t that she didn’t care;

it was that cultivators in general didn’t care much—except the Jiushan Sect.

They actually went to great lengths to encourage these people to resume farming, taking it even more seriously than fighting Haori Mountain.

Thinking of this, Fairy Jinfeng felt even more that the Jiushan Sect was truly different. But watching the rice seedlings sway before her, hearing children’s laughter in the distance beneath cooking smoke, she suddenly smiled. An inexplicable thought arose in her mind:

If only he could stay...

She turned her head, gazing vacantly toward Haori Mountain.

Suddenly, a figure appeared on the horizon—one she knew all too well—the young Golden Core cultivator she had reluctantly parted from before.

“You... you’re back?!”

Fairy Jinfeng was both shocked and delighted, rushing forward.

“Don’t, don’t come closer!”

Fairy Jinfeng’s body froze, confused.

After saying that, the young man seemed unable to hold on any longer and fell before her eyes, landing in the field.

Fairy Jinfeng flew toward where he had fallen, hearing him whisper, “Run! The farther from Haori Mountain, the better!”

Then the young man’s body suddenly exploded.

Countless poisonous insects flew out from his chest and abdomen.

Fairy Jinfeng stopped, watching her beloved collapse on the ground, looking up at the sky. Crawling from his mouth and eyes were one poisonous worm after another.

From the place where this young man died, rice seedlings instantly withered, turning yellow and black.

The once vibrant, lush green field became an unsightly scar on the earth in just a few breaths.