The more you believe me, the more real it becomes.

Chapter 227 Inheriting the Imperial Decree (5k)

Looking at the temple in front of me, which was buried under a mountain of rocks.

Du Yuan frowned slightly.

Is this the source of the severe drought in Southwest China?
After gazing at it for a moment, Du Yuan decided to go into the temple to find out what was going on.

But as Du Yuan looked down, she was surprised to find that there was also yellow soil under the tiles.

Could it be that the temple has been completely buried in the ground?

As her thoughts wandered, Du Yuan suddenly remembered her friend's temple—at that time, a large hole had been torn in the sky above the statue of the god in that temple, and no matter how much wind, frost, rain and snow eroded it year after year, the statue had been worn away and lost its youthful beauty.

But what about this one? The entire temple has been buried down to the top, with only a few tiles remaining. If there were any deities worshipped there, wouldn't this situation be even more tragic than that of my friend's temple?
For a moment, Du Yuan was somewhat taken aback.

He also recalled that when the white ape and the old Taoist priest surrendered, the booklets they sent contained their theories about the source of the severe drought in the southwest.

Aside from the common occurrence of powerful artifacts, their biggest suspicion was that a great being was about to pass away, causing an imbalance in the world.

Judging from this, it seems they were right after all.

Then what I need to do will be simple!

With this in mind, Du Yuan took a deep breath and decided to move the stone mountain!

The method of controlling objects, which has been used from the beginning to today, is worthy of displaying its power!
"Wake it up for me!"

Du Yuan shouted and began to move the mountain. Standing in front of the stone mountain, his sleeves billowed like fluttering green sails without wind. He clenched his hands into a seal, and his knuckles turned bluish-white from exerting force.

He felt a stagnation and heaviness far exceeding what he had seen in Qingzhou.

But the more this was the case, the more Du Yuan felt she had done the right thing.

Because this feeling, apart from being more obscure, is exactly the same as that of my friend in Qingzhou!
As Du Yuan gradually exerted his strength, the bottom of the stone mountain, which was only twenty or thirty feet tall, suddenly cracked open with a spiderweb-like fissure. As the rock layers peeled away, a pale golden halo emanated from the cracks.

The thunderclouds overhead surged even more rapidly, the originally scattered dark clouds instantly coalescing into an inverted funnel shape, with electric snakes dancing wildly at the bottom edge of the clouds, and countless golden lightning threads hanging down and wandering like living things, as if they could pounce down from the sky at any moment.

Du Yuan also felt a sudden, immense force pressing down on his shoulders. The stone mountain that he had lifted with his manipulation technique had only risen half a zhang before it plummeted back down, crashing into the ground and causing it to tremble incessantly!

After this ordeal, Du Yuan felt her face turn slightly pale.

'This time, it's actually this difficult?'

Thinking of this, Du Yuan simply bit her fingertip and wrote the character '禁' (forbidden) in the air towards the stone mountain!
As soon as the rune took shape, it shot off like an arrow, steadily imprinting itself on the top of the stone mountain, instantly disappearing into the rock strata without a trace, and the scattered golden halo also vanished completely.

Du Yuan claimed that after traveling in the southwest for so long, with the support of so many people, his cultivation level was so high that he shouldn't be unable to move a small mountain made of stubborn rocks.

Therefore, Du Yuan was certain that this mountain must be extraordinary!

Since you are extraordinary, then I will suppress your divine power!

Furthermore, to ensure absolute certainty, Du Yuan even employed the Great Dao Suppression Technique.

"The sky and the earth are boundless, the universe borrows the law!"

At this moment, the immortals and gods in the southwest felt that the already depleted spiritual energy of heaven and earth suddenly surged up like thunder and then rushed to one place!
"What's this noise?"

"Could it be that a great era is approaching ahead of schedule?"

"Come on, you son of a bitch! This is the Taoist priest going berserk and defying the law!"

"What? Is this even human?"

Many immortals and gods looked in one direction, where thousands of thunder snakes exploded with a deafening roar as the sky curtain collapsed.

Clearly, this was something that the Taoist priest had touched upon that was absolutely forbidden by the laws of Heaven.

So much so that the Heavenly Mandate directly transformed into a calamity, vowing to shatter all transgressions!

Based on their previous deductions, the most likely explanation here is that a great being is about to pass away.

For a time, all the immortals and gods in the southwest thought that this Taoist priest was probably trying to forcibly prolong the life of that powerful being!
However, if that were all, even they could think of several more discreet methods, and they couldn't understand why extending someone's life would directly incur divine punishment.

After using all the supernatural abilities she had accumulated, Du Yuan successfully uprooted the stone mountain.

But seeing the lightning tribulation falling upside down from above, clearly aimed at this place, Du Yuan immediately realized that she absolutely could not dodge it, otherwise it would be a blessing if all her previous efforts were in vain!

In a flash, Du Yuan made a decision.

He suddenly exerted force with both hands upwards, and then hurled the mountain of stones he had lifted above his head.

At the same time, Du Yuan also raised her hand and pointed at the stone mountain, saying:
"Change!"

The Midas Touch!
The stone mountain instantly transformed into a golden mountain, but Du Yuan was still dissatisfied. She even stood directly under the golden mountain, supporting it as she prepared to meet it!

The power of humanity that Du Yuan had borrowed also gathered upon it, making the golden mountain shine even brighter!

Seeing this scene, all the gods watching from afar were filled with astonishment:
"Good heavens, to withstand a heavenly tribulation head-on, that's been so many years!"

"As expected of the deities of the three religions, they've always been playing this big game."

"When should we make our move? He's probably preoccupied with his own problems right now; perhaps this is the perfect opportunity?"

"Fool! Do you want to rush up and share the burden of the heavenly tribulation?"

Amazement and scheming rose and fell, but quickly vanished, finally converging into a single gaze fixed intently on the towering golden mountain.

Thousands of thunderbolts crashed down, and even the golden mountain, which had been blessed with such power, was utterly annihilated.

The sheer power of it left all the immortals and gods speechless.

They estimated that if they were in this situation, they probably wouldn't last a single breath and would be completely annihilated.

After all, this was directly transformed from a calamity by the Heavenly Mandate.

However, judging from the current situation, if this Taoist priest doesn't have other means, he will likely suffer a severe fate in the end.

After all, the lightning tribulation had no end in sight, while the golden mountain vanished one zhang at a time.

Du Yuan also frowned.

Just as I was pondering how to respond, I heard a weak, intermittent voice in my ear:

That's enough.

The voice was hoarse, each word shrouded in a heavy weakness, yet it contained not a trace of pleading softness. Instead, it was like a dull knife, gently scraping across the skin, yet carrying an undeniable firmness.

This feeling of déjà vu... could it be the one in the temple below?

Du Yuan looked down and saw a dilapidated, earthen-yellow temple faintly visible beneath the rocky hill she had moved.

"Is it you, sir?"

Du Yuan reduced his strength and lowered his voice, but his gaze did not leave the lightning bolts above his head—if he retreated, the lightning tribulation would probably strike directly into the dilapidated temple.

But his unwavering stance seemed to have touched a nerve. The voice rang out again, deeper than before, each pause sounding like a forced, clenched teeth, yet each word resounding with conviction:

I said, "That's enough!"

Having said that, his voice seemed to falter slightly, clearly at its last gasp. Yet even then, he showed no sign of weakness, instead adding a touch of fierceness: 'In my entire life, I have never... begged anyone!'

Before Du Yuan could answer, he saw a streak of light fly from beneath the dilapidated temple and land directly in his hand.

Looking down, I saw it was another small seal!
However, this one is quite exquisite, unlike my friend's, which is simple and unadorned, but the inscription at the bottom is just as archaic.

And upon receiving it, Du Yuan immediately recognized the character – “钦承乾纲” (Qin Cheng Qian Gang).
The voice rang out again, each word seemingly drained of its last ounce of strength, yet it persisted through gritted teeth, its words filled with an unyielding stubbornness: 'I've never owed you any favors! We're even!'

Du Yuan couldn't help but chuckle at this answer and the small seal in his hand. What a strong-willed person!

After shaking his head, he accepted the small seal and continued to bravely withstand the lightning tribulation against the golden mountain.

This caused the voice to fall silent completely: 'Don't you understand?!'

Du Yuan laughed:

"You are sir, and I am but a humble Taoist priest; we are not the same!"

"I've said it before, I will never accept any favors from your Taoist family! Our two families will never be on the same side again!"

Du Yuan shook her head and said:

"I came here not expecting you to owe me any favors."

The lightning tribulation grew increasingly fierce, striking even the golden mountain with crackling sounds.

But beneath the golden mountain, an indescribable silence fell.

Du Yuan slowly looked around and said:
"I have come to save the people of the Southwest!"

'.'

Then came a long silence.

The lightning bolt struck again, sending rocks flying from the golden mountain. Du Yuan, however, didn't look up, but instead stared intently at the silent void, speaking in a calm tone:
“When I look at you, fellow Daoist, you resemble that girl so much. You refuse to accept my kindness because you are afraid of losing your integrity; you refuse to walk with me because you are afraid of losing your principles—but you should know better than anyone else that this tribulation is not just for me, nor just for you, but also for the millions of ordinary people below.”

The voice finally rang out again, but this time it carried a hint of unease: "Are you really a Taoist?"

At what should have been an extremely critical moment, these words made Du Yuan's heart skip a beat. No, how did you recognize that I am not from a proper Taoist family?

Does this mean the Taoist school would absolutely not come to save this person?
Or is there some other problem?
While pondering this, Du Yuan, not wanting her account to be inexplicably banned, said seriously:
"The Tao that can be spoken of is not the Tao; it is like looking at flowers through the fog, so it is naturally unclear." Du Yuan did not understand where the problem lay, so she came up with this esoteric statement, and by the way, she said it was like looking at flowers through the fog, which is why it was strange.

But we can't let people think too much about it; we need to guide them in a different direction.

Just then, there was a perfect choice – the lightning tribulation was about to completely shatter the Golden Mountain.

It seems that a head-on clash is imminent in just a few breaths.

In response to this situation, Du Yuan devised a solution that would kill two birds with one stone.

"As I just said, I came here to protect the people of the southwest. They have suffered for too long and should not suffer any longer."

"So you don't need to say anything more. You won't appreciate my kindness, and I won't do as you please."

The voice finally rang out again:
'That's all?'

Seeing that the voice finally replied, Du Yuan smiled inwardly:
"nature!"

'.'

Seeing the lightning that could now be seen through metal and stone, Du Yuan asked in return:
"And do you believe it? This heavenly tribulation can be resolved with just one word from me!"

Du Yuan didn't hear an immediate answer, but she did hear a long sigh, followed by:
"Stop laughing! Get out of the way! This seat is precious; don't waste your time!"

Is it true that I've survived a great calamity and made it to this day?
That's quite an interesting point.

Unfortunately, I'm not on your side.

Therefore, Du Yuan laughed loudly:

"Haha, haven't you realized that you still don't know who I am?"

Du Yuan had long wondered if her identity as a complete 'stranger' could, at certain times, play an unparalleled role.

In particular, his ability is to transform the false into the true and turn the world upside down!

It seems that with just a little guidance at specific times, it can have unexpected and amazing effects!
After much thought, Du Yuan decided to put it to use at this moment!

Those old fogies in the Southwest have always thought they came from the ancestral home of Taoism, but they can never figure out who they really are.

I've always found this strange.

Then this person, who is obviously more remarkable, will naturally be even more puzzled as to how someone like himself suddenly appeared out of nowhere!
So we can make use of this point.

It's so easy, it can be done!

Sure enough, the voice also showed a moment of obvious surprise:
'you?!'

Knowing it had succeeded, Du Yuan pressed her advantage, saying:

"Therefore, do not view this humble Taoist with outdated perspectives. Since I have said that this matter can be accomplished, then it can be accomplished!"

As the last word fell, the golden mountain that Du Yuan was holding shattered completely, watching as thousands of thunderbolts crashed down.

Du Yuan bit her fingertip, pointing one finger to the sky repeatedly, her blood forming words. She pointed the other to the ground, ready in case something unexpected happened.

He immediately took off his hairpin and recited the Buddha's mantra, "Above and below heaven, I alone am supreme!"

Fortunately, as the blood-written characters were completed, Du Yuan immediately shouted:
"ban!"

It's still the same old "forbidden" strategy.

This time, however, after receiving the blessing of the temple master, everything went as Du Yuan had predicted. He himself felt that his cultivation level in the Taoist lineage began to rise rapidly.

The word "forbidden" shone even brighter, growing ever larger and soaring ever higher.

Along the way, thunder subsided.

When this forbidden character falls into the clouds.

The thunder and lightning ceased instantly, and the funnel-shaped inverted sky vanished along with them!

At this moment, the southwest region was completely in an uproar:

"He succeeded?!"

"That Taoist priest actually succeeded?!"

Let's run!

"What kind of magical power is this?!"

"Stop talking, let's run!"

Even the old ancestor of the enemy family was terrified at the sight, and even the Heavenly Mandate of Heaven had suppressed the calamity.

Terrified, he hurriedly tried to flee.

But he had only run a few steps.

He suddenly stopped, then shouted excitedly:
"Don't make a mistake for yourself, the drought in the southwest is still not over! It will only become more and more exhausting!"

These words acted like a reassuring pill, halting the retreat of various families in the southwest.

Yes, the severe drought in Southwest China has not disappeared with the passing of the natural disaster.

The final challenge they've been waiting for still awaits this Taoist master!
Because this barrier still exists, everything before has been pointlessly depleting the opponent's cultivation.

Although the heavenly tribulation was pushed back, they didn't believe that this Taoist priest could be completely unharmed under such circumstances!

If that's the case, then their bargaining chips are getting bigger and bigger!
-
Beneath the gradually calming sky, Du Yuan slowly landed.

Then, smiling, he looked at the temple, which was still buried in the ground, and said:

"You see, am I wrong?"

'.'

Seeing that the voice remained silent, Du Yuan, having been rebuffed, could only smile and then squat down to begin prying at the tiles, just like Qingzhou had done.

I plan to clear a path, go inside, and see how to rescue this person.

The lightning tribulation has dissipated, but the southwest is still experiencing a severe drought.

If we don't rescue this person properly, I'm afraid we'll never succeed.

Good people do it to the end and send Buddha to the West.

Given the current situation, there's no reason for them to back down at the last minute.

Besides, who knows, maybe this time I can also get some benefits like Qingzhou did!
But after getting started, Du Yuan was somewhat taken aback; it was just as difficult to deal with as before. The yellow soil beneath was even more troublesome than the roof tiles.

This person is even more miserable than my friend.

Seeing Du Yuan working silently, the voice finally couldn't help but ring out again.

The previous sluggishness and rigidity were gone: "Your hands are digging like a wild dog digging in the dirt, can't you slow down?"

As she spoke, she paused—she meant to question him, "Why bother? Why don't you take it slow?" but what came out was a accusation of his clumsy movements.

Du Yuan didn't stop what she was doing, and casually said, "If we're too slow, the people inside might get impatient."

"Who's in a hurry?" Her voice suddenly hardened, no longer weak and feeble as before, nor as resolute. "I'm afraid you'll tear the tiles to shreds, leaving not even a corner to shelter from the rain—in short, it has nothing to do with you!"

Du Yuan nodded casually.
"Okay, it's alright. Just wait a moment, it'll be quick, very quick."

As she spoke, Du Yuan looked at her fingers with slight surprise, and at the broken tiles she had just removed.

The lightning tribulation didn't even hurt me, but the tiles here actually did?

Although it was mostly because the lightning tribulation hadn't actually struck, it was still enough to surprise Du Yuan.

This subtle sound also abruptly silenced the sounds from underground—

The "redundant step" that was about to be uttered was immediately swallowed back, replaced by an extremely light, extremely fast question, so fast it was almost an illusion:

"Your hand is broken? Your cultivation is high enough that I can't even understand it, but this is that guy's Great Dao manifestation. You'd better be careful."

She regretted it as soon as she said it—wasn't this showing concern for him? Where was the assertiveness she had shown earlier about settling things even?

He immediately added, "I was worried that if your blood dripped onto the bricks, it would attract poisonous insects from the mountains, and I would have to go through the trouble of getting rid of them. Anyway, it has nothing to do with you!"

Du Yuan didn't laugh this time. She simply stopped what she was doing and looked thoughtfully at the other small seal on her waist, while her fingertips unconsciously tapped the tile.

Meanwhile, Tsuchige fell silent again, but this time the silence was no longer the previous confrontational stalemate; it seemed as if they were holding something back.

As Du Yuan stood on the temple, he could faintly hear a very light, rustling sound coming from the earth, as if something was gently nudging the tiles, but then suddenly pulled back just before touching his fingertips.

After a while, the voice sounded again: "The third tile on your left is hollow underneath. If you dig it over there, it will save you some effort."

The sound pulled Du Yuan back to his senses, and then made him chuckle.

"Fellow Daoist, why are you dressed like a young lady?"

"."

(End of this chapter)