Chapter 272: The Mountain God’s Divine Manifestation, Profession Upgrade

Chapter 272 -36: The Mountain God’s Divine Manifestation, Profession Upgrade

Listening to Elder Jian’s tale, Jian Wuchen’s heart hammered uncontrollably.

He couldn’t imagine what a terrifying scene that must have been.

After all, who was Elder Jian?

An Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, one of Celestial Sword Manor’s top combatants. His Celestial Sword Technique was masterful, and his Sword Heart was as unshakable as a rock.

Yet even he admitted to feeling an unspeakable dread before the Mountain God’s avatar.

Then just how powerful must the Mountain God’s true form be?

“From that day on, I knew the Southern Wilderness Mountain Range was a forbidden land we could not tread lightly,” Elder Jian continued. “Later, I reported the matter to the Manor Master, and he told me some secrets about the Mountain God.”

“It is said the Mountain God has occupied the Southern Wilderness Mountain Range for nearly a thousand years. It has always kept to itself and rarely shows itself to the outside world, so most people don’t even know of its existence. The reason our Celestial Sword Manor has been able to coexist peacefully with it is because the Manor Masters of every generation have strictly forbidden the disciples from provoking it or the mountain folk under its protection.”

“So that’s how it is…” Jian Wuchen muttered to himself, his mind reeling.

He finally understood why those mountain folk were so brazen and why Celestial Sword Manor had established such a rule.

‘So after all this, they have a Great Demon at the Core Formation Stage backing them!’

‘No wonder their Mountain Skills are so strange and tricky, and even get a power boost in the mountains. With a great deity like that supporting them, how could they not be formidable?’

At that moment, a trace of regret surfaced in Jian Wuchen’s heart.

He regretted blowing the matter so far out of proportion.

But it was too late for regrets. Finding himself in a bind, he could only bite the bullet and ask, “Then, Elder, what should we do now?”

Seeing his humble and teachable expression, Elder Jian nodded slightly.

‘Knowing fear is a good thing,’ he thought. ‘Only by knowing fear can one avoid dooming oneself—and the entire manor—through arrogance and conceit.’

“Right now, there’s only one way to find that Chen Ye,” Elder Jian said. “We must lower our stance, treat them with courtesy, and take the initiative to communicate with the mountain folk.”

“We are not going there to arrest someone, but to pay a visit. To ask for their help. We can even bring generous gifts to explain our purpose and ask them to do us a favor by letting us in to search for the person. As for whether they agree or not, that will depend on our sincerity—and their mood.”

“Unless it’s absolutely necessary, we must not get into any conflict with the mountain folk.”

“And if we really can’t find this Chen Ye, I have another method. We can find a scapegoat to bring back. Then we’ll announce to the public that the man has been captured and executed on the spot. After all, few people have ever seen this Chen Ye, so as long as we can save face, the matter will be considered resolved.”

As he finished speaking, a ruthless glint appeared in Elder Jian’s eyes.

After hearing Elder Jian’s words, Jian Wuchen felt as if he had been enlightened. He nodded in utter admiration.

“Your insight is profound, Elder. I will do as you say at once.”

“Go and prepare,” Elder Jian said with a wave of his hand. “Remember: generous gifts and a humble attitude. You will lead the team personally this time. I will not be going. I’ll wait for your news in Qingzhou City.”

“Yes, Elder,” Jian Wuchen replied with a bow.

He knew Elder Jian was testing him.

Testing whether he could truly swallow his pride and handle this thorny issue.

After all, to take charge of the great Celestial Sword Manor, strength alone was not enough; one also needed superb diplomatic and management skills.

“Also, don’t take too many people—three to five will be enough. And they must be disciples who are steady, reliable, and know how to be flexible,” Elder Jian added. “A larger group will only arouse the suspicion and resentment of the mountain folk.”

“Understood.”

Jian Wuchen bowed once more before turning and exiting the room.

「Meanwhile, deep within the Southern Wilderness Mountain Range, hundreds of miles from Qingzhou Prefecture City, lay Kawa Village.」

Unlike the turbulent and treacherous outside world, this place remained tranquil and serene.

The mountain folk worked from sunrise to sunset, their lives simple and pure.

In the ancestral hall at the center of the village, incense smoke curled upwards.

What was enshrined here was not the Buddha Dao Venerables common in the outside world, but a divine statue carved from a single piece of Black Stone.

The statue’s face was indistinct, but one could vaguely make out the figure of a majestic man with a pair of formidable horns on his head.

This was the Mountain God that the people of Kawa Village, and indeed all the mountain folk of the Southern Wilderness Mountain Range, had worshipped for generations.

The old chieftain, dressed in clean linen clothes, knelt on a cattail cushion before the statue, his expression solemn.

He first reverently offered three sticks of incense, then kowtowed three times.

This was a daily ritual he had performed for decades, come rain or shine, without fail.

After completing his obeisance, the old chieftain did not rise. Instead, he sat cross-legged on the cushion, closed his eyes, and began to silently chant an ancient sacrificial text.

His voice was hoarse and low, seeming to carry a mysterious rhythm as it echoed through the empty ancestral hall.

As he chanted, the three sticks of incense seemed to burn faster. The rising green smoke did not disperse as it usually did; instead, it gathered in the air, gradually forming a faint vortex.

The old chieftain seemed long accustomed to this, and he continued to chant with his eyes closed, his mind free of distractions.

An unknown amount of time passed, just as he felt his spirit was about to merge with the ancestral hall itself.

In a daze, he felt the scene before his eyes change.