Chapter 1101: Newly Opened Mountain Gates, All Things Made New

Brimming with Spiritual Energy for thousands of years, Tianji Mountain lost more than half of it in a single day. From this moment on, the Northern Border's only blessed land began to wither.

The mountain lord was gone.

After the thunder tribulation fell, his soul and spirit were utterly extinguished, scattering into the wind, rain, and thunder.

Yet his departing expression had been one of relief.

It was as if he had finally been freed.

He had guarded this place for thousands of years. Alternating between waking and slumber, unable to leave, he had dwelt here in solitude until his heart lost all expectation.

Having finished his final task, he departed in peace.

Chen Changsheng walked out of Tianji Mountain, his expression desolate.

Zhong Zhengyuan was waiting for him outside.

Seeing Chen Changsheng's downcast look, he stepped forward, hesitating, unsure of what to say.

Beyond the mountain stood the elders and hundreds of disciples of Tianji Mountain.

Chen Changsheng looked up—generation after generation, person after person.

Zhong Zhengyuan watched the Spiritual Energy of Tianji Mountain slowly fade. He let out a breath, then took two steps back.

He raised his hands in greeting and bowed deeply. "The seventeenth-generation Lamp Guardian of Tianji Mountain, Zhong Zhengyuan, greets the Mountain Master!"

As his words fell, Chen Daoqiu and the other elders stepped forward.

"Seventeenth-generation Lamp Guardian and elder, Chen Daoqiu, greets the Mountain Master."

"The..."

Behind them, hundreds of disciples cupped their hands and bowed low.

"Respectfully welcoming the Mountain Master back to the mountain!"

"Respectfully welcoming the Mountain Master!"

Watching this unfold, Chen Changsheng's heart seized. He stared blankly at the sight for a long, long time.

Zhong Zhengyuan raised his head and stepped forward.

"Mountain Master, it is time... for us to return to the Southern Border."

That very day, hundreds of Tianji Mountain disciples rode their swords south.

Sword Qi crisscrossed as they traversed thousands of miles of ocean, leaving the desolate, uninhabited Northern Border and heading south toward the Southern Domain, where cultivators roamed.

A Taiqing Sword led the way.

The elders of Tianji Mountain followed closely behind.

Wherever they passed, none dared to cause trouble!

In the dim light of dawn, accompanied by the first rays of the rising sun, an immortal island surged up from the Desolate Sea.

Mister Qingshan uttered an edict, drawing upon the Daoist resonance of heaven and earth. The region shook, waves churned, and tsunamis rose.

In a mere instant, it grew thousands of zhang tall, piercing the clouds as if blotting out the sky and covering the sun.

Borrowing the Mountain Master's edict, the elders unleashed their Arts and Techniques far and wide.

They unleashed their Magical Power to its limit.

"Heaven initiates with one, earth completes with six, benefiting all things and nourishing all living beings..."

The cultivators' voices rang like great bells, drawing all the spiritual power of the Southern Border to gather here.

Visible to the naked eye, the desolate island churning up from the sea gradually grew distinct.

The mountain ridges flattened, and muck transformed into soil. Seeds were cast down, and vegetation sprouted from the earth. In the blink of an eye, it was as if the four seasons cycled and years passed in a flash—plants shot up, lush greenery spread, and Spiritual Energy surged in!

"Wood forms the halls, crafted by the law."

"The halls conceal Immortal Arts, the Bell holds Daoist resonance, heavenly secrets are contained within, broadly connecting heaven and earth!"

"Come!"

Chen Changsheng pointed from afar.

The newly grown trees uprooted themselves, transforming into beams and pillars that stacked atop one another.

Under the gaze of the disciples, halls and pavilions rose from the ground upon that thousand-zhang Immortal Mountain, nestled amidst the clouds and mist, hidden within Daoist law.

"A miraculous immortal island: white jade for its steps, refined stone for its pillars. Let the halls be coated in red and gold paint, and the great courtyard be adorned with spirit stones."

Soil piled together, forming a jade staircase of tens of thousands of steps. Refined stones turned into pillars, and the halls took on gleaming coats of gold and red. A large Ritual Cauldron was erected in the grand courtyard before the halls, with jade stones inlaid across the ground.

In just a few words, this desolate island was struck by a wave of Spiritual Energy. The halls were completed, jade formed the stairs, and in an instant, it became a magnificent sight.

Chen Changsheng raised his hand and said softly, "I ask the elders to proceed."

The elders reached out their hands one by one.

Magical Power surged forth.

"Use the law as a flag to form the grand array!"

"Borrow the soaring spiritual aura of the Bell and Ritual Cauldron to forge the Immortal Mountain's protective array!"

"Let the Dragon Scripture act as suppression, nourished by the Nine Sons as guardians: Qiuniu, Yazi, Chaofeng, Pulao, Suanni, Taotie, Bixi, Bi'an, Chiwen..."

Before Chen Changsheng could finish, a figure emerged from the Desolate Sea.

The sea parted as a black dragon soared upward, letting out a thunderous roar.

"Roar!"

"I, Mo, am willing to guard this mountain!"

Seeing this, Chen Changsheng paused slightly, then nodded. "Thank you," he said.

Chen Changsheng then took a step forward and declared, "A True Dragon guards the mountain! The Nine Sons stand as protectors! The grand array is complete!"

In an instant!

Purple mist arrived from the east.

A gentle rain fell from the heavens, nourishing all things!

Within this Immortal Realm of the Southern Border, an immortal island had risen from nothingness—all in a mere moment.

A stick of incense served as a guide, announcing this to the heavens.

As the curling green smoke rose, Tianji Mountain, which once sat in the Barren Wasteland of the Northern Border, had fully relocated to the Southern Border.

This event sent tremors throughout the Cultivation World.

Tianji Mountain, which rarely involved itself in worldly affairs, had actually moved from the Northern Border into the Cultivation World. They had even established their Immortal Mountain and grand halls in a single day. Cultivators who witnessed the scene babbled incoherently when recalling it, at a loss for words to describe the shock and profundity they had felt.

A storm of change fell upon the Southern Border.

Standing before the great Bell of the Immortal Mountain, Zhong Zhengyuan pondered for a long time. He let out a long breath and muttered, "With the opening of the mountain gates, we should cleanse the evil miasma of this world."

"Disciples of Tianji Mountain, heed my command!"

"Today, we have newly opened our mountain gates, and all things are made new. We shall eradicate the evil miasma of the world as an offering to the heavens and to the Mountain Master!"

"We obey the decree!"

That day, hundreds of Tianji Mountain disciples took to their swords, stirring up massive waves within the Cultivation World.

The world's evil miasma found no place to hide, completely purged by their Immortal Arts.

All things were of one heart; all things were made new.

Today was a day of bidding farewell to the old and welcoming the new.

...

Zhong Zhengyuan offered a cup of tea.

Inside the Main Hall, Chen Changsheng lit forty-eight lamps. The remaining one, no matter how hard he tried, would not ignite.

Understanding the reason in his heart, he stopped trying.

He reached out, took the tea, drank it down in one gulp, and spoke.

"This Chen wishes to establish the Underworld to perfect the Reincarnation of the world. What does Mister Zhong think?"

"Mountain Master is too polite. I believe this matter is a tremendous stroke of cosmic fortune."

"Mm."

Chen Changsheng nodded. He exhaled softly and looked toward the single unlit lamp.

"The Great Dao numbers fifty, heaven evolves forty-nine, and one escapes for humanity. Now, however, the heavens are missing that 'one.' It must be made whole."

Zhong Zhengyuan was stunned for a moment before asking, "May I ask where that missing 'one' is currently located?"

"It is within the Underworld."

Zhong Zhengyuan spaced out briefly, then realization dawned on him.

"So that is how it is..."

The heavens were inherently flawed. Tianji Mountain's duty was twofold: first, to observe heavenly secrets, and second, to mend the heavens—to restore the good fortune of heaven and earth.

Zhong Zhengyuan paused, then asked, "I dare ask, Mountain Master: where shall the holy ground for this Underworld be established?"

"How about the Mortal World?"

"Excellent."

Chen Changsheng nodded and added, "There is one more thing..."

He turned back to face Zhong Zhengyuan. "There is a shrine in the mountain. The mountain lord has passed, so there should be a memorial tablet for him."

Zhong Zhengyuan nodded, but then said, "I do not know the mountain lord's name."

"Just title it the Mountain Proper Deity of Tianji Mountain. He never left a name."