Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 369 Irrigation
He Yu was surprised that such a spiritual object could be nurtured in this world with its sparse spiritual energy. He carefully examined the black bead that emitted pure cold energy, and a hint of surprise flashed in his eyes. He said, "Although its grade is not high, it is enough to draw water from an extremely cold ice lake."

"This is also due to the mutation caused by your past remains, which resulted in the birth of two..."

Zhang Chengdao explained, "I learned about this from the stories passed down by the five immortals in Liaodi. Your remains happened to fall into Yiwulü Mountain, and as a result, a spirit similar to a mountain god was born on Yiwulü Mountain."

"However, because people often go into the mountains to hunt, the mixed human energy makes it difficult for the 'mountain god' to solidify its form. Only when the mountains are covered by heavy snow in winter can it use the snow as its body to walk in the mountains. And these two eyes are pebbles that it polished itself to imitate humans. After years of nurturing, they have become what they are now."

"As for that 'mountain god'... alas, the spiritual energy in this world is too thin, and it has long been unable to maintain its form. However, I heard that it can still come out for a stroll every three to five years. That's how it was discovered by a hunter from a thousand miles away, who picked out its eyeballs."

"When I took this eyeball, I specifically left it a paper puppet as a body. It was quite satisfied with it. If we have time in the future, you and I might as well pay it a visit. We might even learn some secrets about what happened after you disintegrated."

This was the first time He Yu had heard of such things. He never expected that a piece of his remains after his death could give birth to a spirit born from nature. He couldn't help but feel a little emotional.

As Zhang Chengdao spoke, his hands were also busy.

He made many "Crane Pond Reflecting the Moon Lanterns", placed them one by one at the bottom of the pit, then removed the crane lanterns and various decorations, and finally dug up the edge of the pond.

In this way, the spiritual spring water in the Crane Pool Reflecting the Moon can be successfully gathered together. However, the entire deep pit at the foot of White Stone Mountain is too large. To fill it, it would probably require a lot of Crane Pool Reflecting the Moon, at least much more than what the Heavenly Pool needs.

Zhang Chengdao's actions left He Yu completely dumbfounded. He watched as Zhang Chengdao took out a delicate piece of spiritual spring water, processed it, used it, and then took out another piece, and another...

After taking more than a dozen pieces, Zhang Chengdao still had a "I have all I need" expression on his face. He Yu finally couldn't help but ask, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, how much spiritual spring did you bring?"

"Um……"

Zhang Chengdao was somewhat at a loss for words to explain.

For safety reasons, he instinctively didn't want to discuss the true nature of the cheat system, so he gave an ambiguous answer: "It's hard to say how much I brought, it's almost inexhaustible, but it takes time to accumulate enough spiritual spring water..."

"Oh! I understand now, Fellow Daoist Zhang. Your sect gave you a magical artifact that can nurture spiritual spring water, which is why you can act this way!"

He Yu casually remarked, "I never imagined your sect was so powerful, giving you such a treasure so easily!"

As they were talking, Zhang Chengdao had already set out dozens more "Crane Pond Reflecting the Moon Lanterns".

After all, with many of the "Crane Pond Reflecting the Moon Lanterns" being dug up, there were already quite a few places at the bottom of the pit where water had accumulated, but there was still a considerable gap if they wanted to fill the entire bottom of the pit.

Once the bottom of the pit is evenly filled with water, it becomes difficult to raise the water level, because the [Crane Pool Reflecting the Moon Lantern] cannot be placed on the water surface.

Therefore, Zhang Chengdao decided to first fill the bottom of the pit with [Crane Pool Reflecting the Moon Lantern], and then dig them open one by one, so as to maximize the amount of lake water.

The pit was so large that even after avoiding the areas already filled with water, it took over a thousand [Crane Pond Reflecting the Moon Lantern] to gradually fill it up. Zhang Chengdao could have placed even more if he wanted. However, since he didn't have many materials left in his backpack to make [Crane Pond Reflecting the Moon Lantern], he was reluctant to waste them and made do with what he had.

To Zhang Chengdao's surprise, after the entire "Crane Pond Reflecting the Moon" was dug up, the water flowing out of the pond actually filled half of the deep pit. Although it looked like a somewhat "dried-up" lake, it was actually several meters deep and not shallow at all.

The biggest advantage of renovating the "Crane Pond Reflecting the Moon Lantern" is that it will never dry up.

Don't ask why, that's how the code is written, and Zhang Chengdao doesn't understand the principle behind it either.

In short, as long as the foundation of those "Crane Pond Reflecting the Moon Lanterns" remains at the bottom of the pit, it can continuously and stably provide water, promoting the water cycle of the entire Baishi Mountain area, just like the lake water connects to the underground water cycle.

This method is far more reliable than bringing in water from outside.

Of course, in order to better nourish the local area, Zhang Chengdao also decided to connect this lake to a river, preferably one that flows directly into the upper reaches of the Daqing River, a tributary of the Haihe River, which is the Tanghe River. This way, the spiritual water can be completely circulated in nature, which will enhance the spiritual energy of the entire environment and nourish the land.

Zhang Chengdao and He Yu, who were digging the pond, shared this plan. He Yu originally wanted to help, but unfortunately, the [Crane Pond Reflecting the Moon Lantern] that Zhang Chengdao had set out were products of refinement, almost like magic treasures. He Yu couldn't destroy them at all. After a lot of effort, Zhang Chengdao had dug up more than a dozen, while he had only dug up one. The efficiency was incredibly low.

Upon hearing Zhang Chengdao's words, He Yu volunteered, saying, "Fellow Daoist Zhang is right. This would indeed be beneficial to the world. However, rivers on the ground are inconvenient. It would be better to build an underground river, which would also have the same effect. If Fellow Daoist Zhang trusts me, I would like to build an underground river and collect the water into the Tang River."

Zhang Chengdao originally intended for He Yu to be a laborer, so when He Yu volunteered to do the work, he naturally agreed and nodded his thanks.

The two of them worked for most of the day to bring the lake to its original shape. In fact, because it was completely connected to the Haihe River, the lake's water level slowly rose, though the reason for this was unknown.

When the two stood by the lake again, they were both filled with emotion.

The reason is simple: this lake is just too big.

Although it can't compare to the five great lakes like Qinghai Lake, Poyang Lake, and Dongting Lake, it is still much larger than ordinary lakes. If there were a ranking of the "Top Ten Lakes" or "Top Twenty Lakes," it could easily be among them.

He Yu spoke first, saying, "Although it is not difficult for cultivators to move mountains and fill seas, this is the first time I have ever done something like splitting mountains and diverting rivers to irrigate lakes."

Zhang Chengdao joked, "That's right, I was the one who dug almost all of Naihe in the underworld."

He Yu also laughed, cupping his hands and saying, "Hahaha, if Fellow Daoist Zhang hadn't mentioned it, I would have almost forgotten. I haven't formally thanked you for the matter in the Underworld yet. Today, I apologize to Fellow Daoist Zhang. Please forgive me! Hahahaha!"

Zhang Chengdao waved his hand and said, "Hey, we're cooperating for mutual benefit, why bother with so much? Otherwise, I'd be embarrassed to ask you to help me dig the river and set up the formation today!"

He Yu sighed, "That may be true, but I ultimately benefited from Fellow Daoist Zhang's actions. Otherwise, it would have taken many years for the barrier of this world to be broken. Not to mention that before, due to the scarcity of spiritual energy in the world, I almost couldn't even maintain my soul with incense!"

Upon hearing this, Zhang Chengdao couldn't help but sigh.

He Yu is quite pitiful. He's like a fish that relies on water to survive, but he's accidentally entered a world without a drop of water. If it weren't for him, it's hard to say whether he could have survived.

However, relatively speaking, He Yu had also helped him a lot, some of which could even be considered crucial. Compared to the so-called "life-saving grace," Zhang Chengdao felt that he had benefited more. "Alas, as fellow cultivators, I only did some insignificant things, just a small favor. Fellow Daoist He, you don't need to take it to heart."

Zhang Chengdao casually offered a word of comfort, then took the initiative to say, "However, I am really not proficient in this art of formations. I will have to trouble Fellow Daoist He to help with sealing the rift."

He Yu's expression turned solemn, and he cupped his hands in response, "How dare I disobey!"

After he finished speaking, he took a deep breath, and his originally calm and reserved demeanor suddenly changed.

As a soul cultivator who follows the path of incense and deity, even if the spiritual energy concentration in this world was low in the past, the power that has been nurtured by incense and faith over the years is still terrifying.

Even Zhang Chengdao felt an indescribable, ancient, and vast power emanating from He Yu, slowly rippled outwards like ripples on a calm lake, inspiring awe in everyone.

This is the source of the "majesty" of a "god," and even the lowest-ranking incense-burning deity cultivators possess their own "majesty" befitting a "god."

Then, he took a step and arrived in the void above the center of the lake, directly in front of the trunk of the Xunmu tree.

As a divine tree, Xunmu would certainly not be rotten by mere lake water. Zhang Chengdao had even specifically inquired about it, and neither extremely cold nor extremely hot lake water could harm Xunmu. This made him once again sincerely "respect" the "Red Flash" quality item.

It can even resist the natural laws of the five elements' mutual generation and restraint; no wonder it's a red-light level tree!

Then, He Yu gently tossed the black bead that Zhang Chengdao had just handed him into the air, and formed an extremely complex hand seal in front of his chest.

As the magic seal took shape, his body was no longer just a flurry of ordinary spiritual energy. Instead, it began to emanate a tangible, icy blue spiritual light, which, like silver snakes, slithered across the surface of the lake. Wherever it passed, the air seemed to freeze, producing a series of subtle "crackling" sounds.

"In the first month of winter, the sun is in the tail, at dusk in the middle of the danger zone, and at dawn in the middle of the seven stars. On that day, the sun is Ren or Gui, and Xuanming governs winter..."

"...The water began to freeze, the earth began to harden, and pheasants entered the great waters and became clams..."

He Yu muttered incantations, and every word he uttered seemed to resonate with the laws of heaven and earth.

Before anyone knew it, dark clouds filled the sky again, and soon after, special snowflakes shimmering with a silvery-blue light began to fall. The temperature in the entire Baishi Mountain area plummeted, and large swaths of biting cold fog rose near the lake at the foot of Baishi Mountain, making even the light seem to freeze.

He Yu's eyes suddenly turned blue and white, his two pupils seemingly transforming into two miniature blue moons. He slowly pushed his hands forward, forming a hand seal, his movements solemn and dignified, as if carrying an unparalleled majesty that held the power of heaven and earth, pointing directly at the black bead that was floating and the lake surface below.

"Xuanming Zhuanxu, heed my command! Transform spirits into prisons, condense water into jails! So be it!"

As the final sound faded, the vast and boundless aura surrounding He Yu seemed to have found its final resting place, surging forth and pouring into the black bead along with the wisps of spiritual light drifting on the lake's surface.

Immediately afterwards, the black bead trembled violently, emitting a long and distant hum. The dark light on its surface instantly receded, and instead burst forth with an extreme icy blue spiritual light. This spiritual light did not spread, but instead acted like an invisible core, attracting the entire lake and causing all the water-based spiritual energy and coldness in the lake and even the surrounding world to resonate with it.

Before long, a chilling freezing sound erupted from the center of the lake and quickly spread in all directions. The once shimmering waters of Lingquan Lake, starting from the surface directly below the black bead, instantly lost all fluidity and turned into a cold, dark blue expanse of ice.

The ice surface was as smooth as a mirror, yet countless shimmering lights flowed around it, causing the entire lake to radiate a strong spiritual light, making the surroundings seem like a fairyland.

After taking care of everything, He Yu slowly returned to the shore and said with satisfaction, "In this way, not only has this lake become an extremely cold 'ice lake,' but those crevice passages can also be sealed with its extremely cold spiritual energy. However, we must be careful not to let ordinary people accidentally enter it, as staying there for too long may be fatal."

Zhang Chengdao replied, "It's alright. This lake is within the protective array of the White Stone Immortal Sect, and ordinary people cannot enter it."

He Yu nodded: "Then there's absolutely no chance of anything going wrong."

……

A few days later, the frozen lake received a new name: "White Stone Ice Sea".

This name wasn't given by Zhang Chengdao, but rather it came about by word of mouth from the local people who lived near Baishi Mountain and saw it from afar.

As for why it's clearly a lake, it's called a "sea"...

Firstly, it is so large that many simple-minded people who have never left the mountains in their lives believe that this is the sea.

Secondly, it's due to the naming habits of the local people. For example, there is a very small lake not far away that is almost dried up, but it is called "Qianhu Hai" (meaning "front lake sea"). The frozen lake is called "Bing Hai" (meaning "frozen sea"), so it's not that hard to understand.

However, the most outrageous thing is that the strange phenomena caused by He Yu sealing the rift and transforming the ice lake were attributed to Zhang Chengdao by the uninformed onlookers, leading to more and more outrageous rumors about Zhang Chengdao.

"Have you heard? Immortal Zhang drained the East Sea and even poured all the seawater into the icy sea beneath White Stone Mountain!"

"My goodness! No wonder he's Zhang the Immortal!"

"What Zhang Immortal? That's Zhang God!"

"What Zhang Immortal? That's Zhang Hai Immortal!"

"What Zhang Hai Immortal? In my humble opinion, he should be addressed as the Sea King!"

"What's so great about a prince! Immortal Zhang is the King of the Sea! He should be called the Sea King!"

……

(End of this chapter)