I have Taoism and can understand other worlds

Chapter 582 Goodbye
When the floodwaters receded, Jiang Wen and Lü Shiming stood on the riverbank. Both were soaked to the bone and looked rather disheveled.

Using magic to remove the moisture from his body, Jiang Wen surveyed his surroundings.

This place is completely different from where I was before; it seems full of life.

The dense jungle stretches to the sky, and clear river water flows along the winding hillsides. Endless green grasses grow, and occasionally, the cries of animals can be heard from within the jungle.

Compared to the previous gloomy world, Jiang Wen seemed to have returned to the human world.

"Could this be the real Black Mountain?" Jiang Wen was quite surprised by the scenery. Looking back at the river he had come from, the river wasn't very wide.

The river was only forty or fifty feet wide from the opposite bank, and the rushing water was gentle and clear. Plump fish could be vaguely seen swimming leisurely in the river.

Everything seemed peaceful and serene, unlike the eerie and dangerous atmosphere before.

But can this great river really hold such a massive flood? Or is the flood merely some kind of medium that brought them here?

He sensed the abundant spiritual energy between heaven and earth, but the spiritual energy did not contain the poison he had felt before.

This place is like a blessed land, a truly ideal place for spiritual training.

“This is the real Black Mountain,” Lu Shiming muttered to himself. “The place we went to before was definitely not Black Mountain, at least not the Black Mountain I’ve ever heard of.”

“I think Black Mountain isn’t that simple. This is just another part of Black Mountain,” Jiang Wen said, stretching his limbs. “Li Yunshang and A Meng should be here; we need to find them as soon as possible.”

"Ah Meng should be here." Lu Shiming breathed a sigh of relief, feeling a sense of relief at surviving a disaster. He felt that after experiencing those things, he would not be surprised or panicked by anything else.

Having faced death three times, he felt as if he had been reborn. The realms that were once difficult to break through were now showing signs of loosening.

The life force within my body burned ever more intensely, giving me the illusion that it might burst forth at any moment.

"I have benefited greatly from this trip to Black Mountain. If it weren't for Brother Jiang protecting me with his life, I would probably have died there long ago. I will always remember this kindness and never forget Brother Jiang's life-saving grace. If I ever need anything in the future, even if it costs me my life, I will do everything in my power to help you." Lü Shiming clasped his hands in thanks to Jiang Wen, every word sincere.

Jiang Wen waved his hand dismissively, indicating to Lü Shiming that he didn't need to worry about it: "We're all friends, why bother?"

“They’re all friends.” Lü Shiming repeatedly pondered these words, a warmth rising in his heart. Besides Su Mu and A Meng, he had no other friends. Those who approached him, those who showed him favor, were all after the power of the Northern Ming King. No one had ever been as selfless as Jiang Wen.

Thinking of this, Lü Shiming couldn't help but lower his head and look at his palm. There was a scar on his palm, caused by betrayal when he was a child.

This scar was not only on his palm, but also etched in his heart. But now, this wound seems to be beginning to heal.

"Thank you, Brother Jiang."

“Since you call me Brother Jiang, a brother should act like one,” Jiang Wen said with a smile, pointing to the distance. “I figured Li Yunshang should be over there.”

Lu Shiming nodded and summoned his flying sword.

The two of them vanished into thin air and headed towards the deep forest in the distance.

Just as Jiang Wen arrived, Li Yunshang was already covered in blood.

She held her sword and beheaded a member of the Shinto Church, then sat down on the ground, panting.

Beside her, A-Meng's hair was disheveled, and her embroidered clothes were tattered.

The two women had been fleeing through the Black Mountain for over ten days, their spiritual energy long since exhausted. If not for their considerable cultivation levels, they would likely have been captured by the Worshipping God Society long ago. With their magical power depleted, Li Yunshang could only wield her flying sword to slash at people. These Worshipping God Society members were like ants, impossible to wipe out no matter how hard she tried.

"Are you alright, Sister Yunshang?" A'meng asked worriedly as she helped Li Yunshang up, wiping the blood from her face with a piece of cloth from her clothes.

She usually loves to look good, but now she looks like a wild man in this disheveled state.

Ah Meng didn't complain, nor was she discouraged.

She knew that if she were caught by the worshippers, she would likely face certain death if she returned.

Li Yunshang shook her aching arms and forced a smile at A Meng. Looking at the undulating mountains in the distance, a sense of sadness welled up within her.

"I'm sorry, Meng, I've dragged you into this," Li Yunshang said apologetically.

"No way, even if you don't want to, Sister Yunshang, I will still help you." A'meng said firmly, clenching her fist. "Sister Yunshang is my sister. If it weren't for Sister Yunshang saving me back then, there might not be a girl like A'meng in this world. Now that Sister Yunshang is in trouble, how could I stand idly by?"

“But you are like this…” Li Yunshang looked at A Meng’s appearance and smiled bitterly. “A Meng used to be a girl who loved beauty.”

“But now, Meng is Sister Yunshang’s bodyguard!” Meng said, puffing out her cheeks.

Li Yunshang opened her mouth as if to say something, but then several cultivators descended from the sky on their swords. Their yellow robes revealed their identities.

One of the elders looked down at Li Yunshang with a mocking expression: "Princess Shenyun, you'd better not try to escape. This Black Mountain is full of people from my God Worship Society. Even if Your Highness manages to escape, where can you run to?"

"If Your Highness still hopes that someone can come to save you, you should give up that idea as soon as possible. There are Venerables of my Worshiping God Society guarding the area outside Black Mountain. Even if a True Person from the Supreme God Palace came, it would be difficult to get past them. Besides, this is in the Imperial Palace. The Emperor has given an order. Which of the Immortal Sects would dare to disobey the Emperor's decree? Your Highness should come with me to see the Emperor as soon as possible. Why suffer such humiliation?"

"Pah!" Li Yunshang looked at the old man with disgust, her eyes filled with grief and indignation, and rebuked him. "You heretics and evil spirits, how dare you spout such nonsense. Don't think I don't know what you've done? Aren't you afraid of divine retribution? My father believed your lies, which is why he is so cruel to his children."

"Divine retribution? Haha, Your Highness is joking. If there were truly divine retribution, we wouldn't be the ones who died long ago. Your Highness accuses us of spreading heresy, but do you know that these things are all orchestrated by the Emperor? We are nothing more than obedient dogs under the Emperor's command; what power could we possibly have?" The old man chuckled, speaking calmly.

“Your Highness is kind and benevolent, while we are lowly mud. We do things that are immoral and immoral every day, so it is only natural that Your Highness despises us. But Your Highness, do you know what the emperor’s role is?”

"How is my father?" Li Yunshang asked instinctively.

"Hahaha, Your Highness, you truly don't know, the God-Worshipping Society was established by the Emperor himself. We are all followers of the Emperor, and we only obey his orders. Everything the God-Worshipping Society does is simply in accordance with the Emperor's commands. The children we abduct are merely for the Emperor's use." The old man laughed heartily, revealing the truth about the God-Worshipping Society. He looked at the stunned Li Yunshang with pity, stroking his beard as he spoke.

"Your Highness always thinks that the Emperor has been deceived by thieves like us, but you don't know that the Emperor is not what Your Highness thinks."

"My father... my father wouldn't do this." Li Yunshang couldn't accept this, her mind a complete mess. She looked blankly at A'meng, whose face was full of worry, then at the worshippers hovering in the air on their swords. She felt as if she had lost something, and her whole being felt empty.

"It seems Your Highness understands now. It's time to return, Your Highness." The old man flicked his sleeve, signaling a nearby disciple to seize Li Yunshang.

The worshipper stepped forward, but just as he was about to reach out, he felt a sharp pain all over his body and then lost consciousness.

"Who?!" The old man was shocked when he saw this. He looked at the Mountain and River Cauldron floating in mid-air, and his expression became more flustered.

"Brother Lü!" A Meng looked at the Mountain and River Cauldron, a joyful smile on her face. She looked up and saw two streams of light landing in front of her.

"Ah Meng, are you alright?"

Lu Shiming landed and took a few steps forward to hug A Meng. The two looked at each other, everything was natural and unspoken.

(End of this chapter)