Shushan Earthly Immortal

Chapter 331 Summer Heat, Yellow Sea Retreat

The green locust trees and tall willows are filled with the chirping of cicadas, and the gentle breeze first touches

A misty haze hangs beneath the green gauze window, the sound of chess pieces startling me from my midday slumber

A light rain has passed, the lotus leaves are turning, and the pomegranate flowers are about to burst into flame.

Delicate hands play with clear spring water in a jade basin, and the pearls shatter yet remain round.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

Summer of the 466th year of the Ming Dynasty.

Sanqingshan, Meijishan.

The bamboo groves provide a tranquil shade, while the cicadas chirp incessantly.

This summer is especially hot. It's only the beginning of the dog days of summer, and it's already unbearably hot. After a light rain, instead of relieving the heat, the sun in the sky became even brighter, forcing people to lower their heads and not dare to look up.

At the edge of the crystal pool, a lion lay prone on the ground, its head suspended above the water, panting with its mouth wide open, occasionally sticking out its tongue to lick the water.

Xinshu squatted beside the lion, waving her hand in the pool and splashing water on the lion, trying to make it more comfortable. When the water droplets hit the air and were illuminated by the strong sunlight, rainbows appeared.

Bai Yongliang stood behind the girl, holding up a huge banana leaf to shade her from the sun.

Cheng Xinzhan walked out of Wuyou Cave, waving his whisk. He had initially used this to conceal his identity as a recluse when he went to Xikang. However, it was easy to handle and could also remove dust and cool the body. He had developed a habit of using it over the past ten years, so even though he had left Xikang, he still kept the whisk in his hand and neglected the Hunyuan Ruyi.

He approached the lion, saw that it was panting heavily, and shook his head helplessly.

This snow lion was born and raised in Xikang, a place with many high mountains covered in snow all year round. The lion had never experienced the sweltering heat before. Unexpectedly, it reacted so strongly when it came to Yuzhang.

I left Xikang in early spring. At that time, the west was still chilly, and Yuzhang was quite cool. How leisurely the lion was back then. But I never expected that when the summer heat came, it would be unbearably hot. Let alone cultivate, I couldn't even sleep.

Logically speaking, as a Golden Elixir Mountain Lord, it should have long been immune to heat and cold, so Cheng Xinzhan felt that the lion was suffering from a mental illness. Seeing the sun blazing, the noisy cicadas filling its ears, and the ground and water all hot, its heart began to heat up as well, and it could no longer resist the heat.

Cheng Xinzhan wagged his whisk, thought for a moment, and then said,
"Junior sister, let's go to the Yellow Sea in a few days."

Upon hearing this, Xin Shu looked over and immediately beamed with joy, saying happily,

"Okay!"

"Shizi and Yongliang are going to the seabed to escape the heat. I'll ask Master Ren for leave and invite Third Sister along. By the way, Junior Sister, ask Jixuan if she's going. Brother Jihu arrived in the Yellow Sea half a month ago."

Cheng Xinzhan said.

Lion has now formally become Marshal Kui's disciple, belonging to the "Bao" generation. Marshal Kui, being rather lazy, thought Lion's name, Bao Lu, was good and thus gave him the same Taoist and secular names. Moreover, Lion only stayed on Goddess Peak for three days. The Marshal imparted a bunch of techniques to him before sending Lion down the mountain, saying he would check Lion's cultivation at their next meeting. However, two or three months passed in a flash, and the Marshal never called Lion over again.

Since that's the case, then the whole family should go out to escape the summer heat.

"okay!"

Xin Shu was overjoyed.

"Thank you for your kindness, sir!"

Bai Yongliang was somewhat excited. Of course he knew the relationship between his own mountain and the Yellow Sea. How could he go to the Yellow Sea to escape the summer heat without visiting the Dragon Palace? He never thought that he, a mere plant spirit, would be able to visit the Dragon Palace!

Upon hearing this, the lion's spirits lifted, as if even the summer heat had lessened considerably, and it immediately stood up. Going to the underwater dragon palace was indeed an opportunity not for ordinary people. The lion, eager, asked several questions...

"Master, why do we have to wait a few more days? Why not go today?"

Cheng Xinzhan then said,
"Qingbo has just survived his tribulation and is on his way back to the mountain. He is a fire corpse, so it's not appropriate to take him to the seabed. We'll leave him in the mountains and guide him around for the next few days."

The lion nodded, thinking to himself that it was fortunate he only had to wait a few days; otherwise, he would have to spend the entire summer with that fire corpse, and he would not have been able to live like that.

Before long, two streaks of fiery light landed on Mount Meiji. One was the burly and imposing Wu Qingbo, and the other was naturally Cheng Xinzhan's Fire Lotus clone.

The clone flashed with light and transformed into a fiery lotus. A primordial spirit sat on the lotus seedpod and returned to Cheng Xinzhan's physical body.

Wu Qingbo knelt down on one knee, clasping his hands in a fist salute.
“My benefactor.”

Cheng Xinzhan stepped forward to help him up, patted his arm, and said...
"Not bad! Very good!"

His own avatar witnessed Wu Qingbo's tribulation from beginning to end. This corpse's cultivation was steady and its foundation was extremely solid. It can be said that it passed the Six Cleansing Pill Tribulation without any surprises or dangers.

More importantly, this tribulation lightning allowed Qingbo's six arms and twelve eyes, which he had pieced together, to completely merge with his physical body, creating a multi-armed and multi-eyed Dharma body and eliminating the hidden dangers left by the ancient Buddha's evil method of creating corpses. Moreover, the golden elixir transformed into a corpse elixir, allowing him to live a second life, and his Dharma form was broken and rebuilt, re-establishing the drought demon Dharma form. This was an immense opportunity.

It was precisely because of the perfection of his Dharma body and the reshaping of his Dharma form that Wu Qingbo's tribulation this time was so significant. Fortunately, during this period, the Xuanmen and Momen in northern Yunnan were fighting fiercely over the Zhuanxu Dragon Cave, and the chaos in Wuliang Mountain in southern Yunnan attracted attention, so no one came to see the large-scale volcanic eruption in Tengchong, allowing Wu Qingbo to undergo his tribulation in peace.

"It is all thanks to the Lord's guidance."

Wu Qingbo was about to kneel again. Only he knew how meticulously his benefactor had arranged everything for this tribulation. The place of tribulation, the weapon for tribulation, the guardian for tribulation, and even attracting attention—everything had been taken into consideration. If he still couldn't pass through safely, then he deserved to die.

Cheng Xinzhan pulled her back, preventing her from kneeling, and said,

“We are one, there’s no need for these words. From now on, Sanqingshan and Meijishan will be your home. I’ve already recorded your genealogy.”

In Meiji Mountain, the path of the living dead is practiced. The status of "ghosts" in Meiji Mountain is different from that of "demons," "spirits," and "monsters." The corpse servants of Meiji Mountain disciples can be directly registered in Meiji Mountain, practice Meiji Mountain's magic, and serve as protectors. At this time, Wen Sukong is not at home, so Cheng Xinzhan can directly take charge of registering Wu Qingbo's name.

Upon hearing this, Wu Qingbo felt a surge of warmth in his heart and loudly agreed.

"Come, let me introduce you."

Lion needs no introduction, as we are already acquainted. He introduced Xinshu and Yongliang to him. Last time, when I was undergoing my tribulation in the East Sea and was invited to the Dragon Palace, Wu Qingbo came to the mountain to deliver a message. However, at that time, he only handed over a message at the mountain gate, and the sect immediately sent people. He didn't even enter the mountain gate. This is his first time entering the mountain.

"I have met the fairy maiden and the worshippers."

Wu Qingbo, Chao Xinshu, and Yong Liang bowed.

When Xin Shu heard this person call her Fairy Maiden, she immediately covered her mouth and giggled, then realized it was inappropriate and quickly returned the greeting.

Bai Yongliang sensed that this person's cultivation level was even higher than Lion King's, and thinking to himself that none of the people his master brought back to the mountain were simple, he quickly returned the greeting.
"Greetings, Dharma Protector."

Cheng Xinzhan continued,

“Yongliang, I’ll trouble you to take care of things these next few days. Help Qingbo familiarize himself with the sect’s situation and rules, and make sure he gets what he’s entitled to. Qingbo, our Meiji Mountain is sparsely populated, so it’s easy to set up a cave dwelling. Just find an unclaimed place to settle down.”

Bai Yongliang and Wu Qingbo both agreed.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

three days later.

An elegant cloud-shaped boat, five zhang long, was moored outside Meiji Mountain, at the southern cliff ferry crossing of Wuyou Cave. A beautiful young woman stood at the stern, waving towards the mountains.

"Sister Jixuan is here!" Xinshu had been waiting here for a long time. When she saw Yunfang arrive, she quickly called everyone to board the boat.

The third sister was already prepared. She pulled Xinshu towards the boat, with Lion following closely behind and Bai Yongliang also keeping up.

"Then you're in charge of looking after the mountains."

Cheng Xinzhan smiled and said goodbye to Wu Qingbo.

Wu Qingbo also smiled.

"Go in peace, my lord, I'll take care of things at home."

So Cheng Xinzhan waved and boarded the ship.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The cloud boat took off and moved slowly through the clouds. After leaving Sanqing Mountain, it did not take a straight road to the northeast, but instead went south along the Jinsha River and merged into the Xinjiang River.

It has been less than two years since the Yellow Sea Dragon Clan visited Sanqing Mountain. The route for the Dragon Clan to ascend the mountain has been basically finalized by the two families. Cheng Xinzhan plans to take this opportunity to go and see for himself.

Traveling west along the Xin River and then north, one arrives at the southern shore of Poyang Lake, a return to familiar ground. Looking down at the lake, Cheng Xinzhan sees the osmanthus grove where he first stopped when he descended the mountain.

Cheng Xinzhan remembered that it was here that he saved Jiang Nanjing and also encountered a little devil nicknamed "Skinny Taoist".

Traveling north across the vast Poyang Lake, Cheng Xinzhan saw Emperor Jin Xiangzong again.

Although the Jinxiang Sect is not large and its sect leader is only at the third realm of cultivation, it has a solid foundation and a clear lineage, making it a well-known sect in Poyang Lake.

The upper sect of Jinxiang Sect is Taiyi Jinguang Sect. At that time, a disciple surnamed Jiang from Taiyi Jinguang Sect believed that he was not destined to reach the fourth realm, so he decided to go down the mountain to start a family and establish a branch sect for the sect. Thus, with the support of Taiyi Jinguang Sect, he came to Poyang Lake.

Poyang Lake, belonging to the metal element among the five lakes, is suitable for the cultivation of the Taiyi Golden Light Sect. Poyang Lake is the largest lake within Yuzhang County. Since the Dragon King and his son of Poyang Lake disappeared from the world, the lake has been unclaimed. However, precisely because of Poyang Lake's special status, the major sects of Yuzhang do not allow anyone to monopolize it. Therefore, many smaller sects and factions have come here to establish their foundations, which the major sects have tacitly approved, and each has also established its own subordinate sects here.

The Taiyi Golden Light Sect is a major sect in Yuzhang. Its founder was a fourth-realm cultivator, and subsequent leaders also reached the fourth realm, but the lineage was not continuous, resulting in periods of discontinuity. For example, the current leader is not at the fourth realm. However, this sect has a lineage. Its founder was a disciple of Gezaoshan of the Lingbao Sect. After reaching the fourth realm, he decided to establish a sect elsewhere, founding it at Jinjing Mountain in Ganzhou and making Gezaoshan its ancestral home. Therefore, with the backing of a celestial sect, even though the fourth realm lineage is no longer continuous, it still retains its status as a major sect, and no one dares to covet it.

Cheng Xinzhan and Jin Xiangzong had a past connection, but since there were people on the boat today, they decided not to go ashore to reminisce.

Poyang Lake is extremely large, the largest of the five lakes, and the most beautiful on land and water. Cloud boats fly on the lake, with no end in sight.

Is this the Yellow Sea?

Lion Road.

Everyone laughed upon hearing this.

Seeing this, the lion realized it had made a fool of itself, roared, and ran off to the side.

"Lion Treasure!"

Xinshu called out and chased after him to comfort him.

Upon hearing Xin Shu call him that in front of everyone, the lion was so ashamed that he jumped off the boat.

So everyone laughed even louder.

Amidst laughter and chatter, the group arrived at the northern shore of Poyang Lake, where it joined the Yangtze River. They then traveled eastward along the Yangtze, reaching Nanjing, before turning onto the Grand Canal in Zhenjiang and continuing northward.

Here, Cheng Xinzhan saw many cultivators, mostly from the Wanfa Sect and the Jingming Sect, as well as aquatic creatures from the Yellow Sea.

The canal was built a long time ago and has been expanded and repaired in every dynasty. However, it can still flood during rare rainy seasons. So, taking advantage of the Yellow Sea Dragon Clan's visit to the mountain, Sanqing Mountain took the lead in bringing together the Jingming Sect and the Yellow Sea aquatic creatures to re-dredge the canal and permanently eliminate the threat of flooding.

Huang Hai naturally had no objections; the deeper, wider, and more unobstructed the waterways, the safer it would be for the Dragon Princess to land. The Jingming Sect wholeheartedly supported it, as the concept of "water management" was enshrined in their doctrines and rules. The major sects along the Grand Canal also responded enthusiastically; since someone was taking the lead, there was no reason not to participate—it was, after all, a great act of merit.

Not daring to disturb these people dredging the canal, the cloud boat flew higher and faster. It sped northward and reached the Huai River, then turned eastward along the Huai River. Here, it saw more aquatic creatures from the Yellow Sea patrolling, probably paving the way for the Dragon Princess to land.

When we arrived at the mouth of the Huai River, there were already people waiting to greet us.

"Commander Ni, how could I possibly trouble you?"

The person waiting was none other than Ni Wenyu, the Commander of the Palace Guards of the Yellow Sea Dragon Palace. Cheng Xinzhan disembarked and stepped forward to pay his respects.

Ni Wenyu returned the greeting and smiled.

“I’ve been traveling back and forth between the Dragon Palace and the Huai River lately. I was just about to return to the palace to report when I heard that the Master was coming, so I waited for him. It just so happened that it was on my way.”

Ni Wenyu looked at Cheng Xinzhan with a glint in his eyes. The news that Master Wanfa had killed the Five Poisons Heavenly King with the Golden Core Realm had already spread throughout the land of Shenzhou. Moreover, he had heard about it recently due to his family's frequent interactions with Lu Shang. It was truly unbelievable.

Just then, the pleasure boat approached, and Xinshu stood at the bow, sweetly calling out "Uncle Ni."

Ni Wenyu smiled and bowed.

"Greetings, Lord."

Then he looked at the other people on the boat and laughed.
"Welcome, distinguished guests from Sanqing Mountain, to the Yellow Sea for your visit. Please."

On the Huanghai side, a carriage frame had already been prepared, carved from a huge giant clam shell, easily accommodating a dozen or twenty people, and pulled by three colorful batfish. So everyone disembarked from the cloud boat, Pu Jixuan stowed the treasure ship, and together they landed on the carriage frame and then entered the water.

Apart from Cheng Xinzhan and Gu Xinshu, everyone else was entering the sea for the first time and were looking around with great curiosity. The lion was no exception. He was the least active land-dwelling mountain king, and had never even seen a large lake, let alone the ocean. When he entered the sea from the Huai River and saw the boundless ocean, he deliberately held back, not wanting to show that he had never seen the world before. But now, seeing everyone else marveling at it, he couldn't help himself either, and opened his mouth wide, looking around.

Furthermore, the person who came to escort the master to the sea was actually a fourth-realm expert, which greatly shocked the lion. But then he thought that the master had come to the Yellow Sea to escape the heat because he couldn't stand the sight of him being afraid of the heat, which made the lion feel proud. He puffed out his chest and immediately felt that the seabed under the Yellow Sea was much cooler.

"Commander, why does it feel like the underwater area is much more lively this time than the last time I came?"

Cheng Xinzhan asked, recalling that when he last came to the Yellow Sea, he only saw a large market near the Dragon Palace, but this time, he saw it soon after entering the sea, and there were more sea creatures and humans coming and going.

"This is all thanks to the scripture master."

Ni Wenyu said with a smile.

"Oh?"

Cheng Xinzhan was a little curious about how this had gotten involved with him.

Ni Wenyu explained,

"The introduction is about the Master rescuing the Imperial Brother-in-law. After the rescue, Huanzhu Tower anchored in my Yellow Sea. Subsequently, our country planned to sign an alliance with the Immortal Mountain. Recently, we have been sorting out the Huai River and the Grand Canal. Contact with overseas countries has increased significantly, and more people are coming to visit my Yellow Sea."

"The master saw this as an opportunity and ordered the development of numerous sea markets and the construction of many commercial buildings. What you see now, Master, is only the one on the seabed; there are many more floating sea markets and aerial sea markets on the surface!"

Cheng Xinzhan listened and watched, repeatedly expressing his admiration. He thought to himself that none of these sect leaders were simple. His own sect had thought of using the dragons' arrival on land to clean up the canal, and the Yellow Sea side had also thought of using frequent interactions with the mainland to develop a large-scale maritime market. He still had a lot to learn.

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(End of this chapter)