Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

Nine deep, resonant morning bells rang out from the direction of the Haodu Imperial Palace, piercing through layers of clouds and echoing throughout the entire city.

The lingering effects of the strange phenomena at the Imperial Ruins last night had not yet dissipated, and the entire Haodu had long since shed its usual hustle and bustle, exuding solemnity and order everywhere. Hao Clan soldiers stood guard along the streets, clearing away idlers from the alleys, and cultivators from all directions followed the sound of the bells, slowly converging into the Mountain and Sea Square in the center of the city like layers of surging waves, orderly and without the slightest noise.

The Mountain and Sea Plaza is magnificent, its entire area, spanning thousands of feet, paved with smooth, spotless bluestone slabs. At the very center of the plaza stands a three-zhang-high, three-tiered bluestone altar, constructed of granite and engraved with ancient mountain patterns, the Shaohao Black Bird totem, and earth-strengthening inscriptions. The ancient, profound marks of the carving seem imbued with the spirit of heaven and earth. At each of the four corners of the altar stand four ten-zhang-high bronze animal-faced candlesticks, each with a taotie beast holding a thousand-year-old candle wick. The candlesticks are covered with cloud and thunder patterns, exuding majesty and weight. A sandalwood altar sits atop the altar, its surface immaculate, the offerings and ritual vessels arranged according to ancient rites, perfectly aligned.

On either side of the altar, twenty ritual and music attendants stood in rows, all dressed in dark green robes, wearing plain black caps, and with hemp belts around their waists. They held jade flutes, bronze bells, and stone chimes in their hands, their postures upright like pine trees, waiting quietly for the auspicious time.

The seating arrangement around the square was clearly hierarchical. The four core Dongyi powers—the Hao Clan, the Hao Clan, the Langya Wang Clan, and the Jimo Mo Clan—were seated according to their clan ranks, with all direct descendants of each clan attending with their elders; no one was absent. The members of the Laoshan lineage, respectfully led by the Hao Clan's stewards, took their seats in the VIP section on the west side and quietly observed the ceremony.

As the auspicious hour arrived, the Grand Elder of the Hao Clan took the lead. He was over a hundred years old, with white hair and beard, yet his posture was as upright as a pine tree. He wore a black robe embroidered with twelve gold symbols, the patterns of the sun, moon, mountains, rivers, and black birds on the robe shining brightly. He wore a black crown with seven tassels, with nine strings of white jade beads hanging down, obscuring his eyebrows and eyes, making him appear even more majestic. He wore a crimson silk sash around his waist, adorned with white jade pendants, and held a mutton-fat jade tablet tightly in his left hand. With steady steps and a bow at each step, he slowly ascended the altar to preside over the entire ceremony.

All the cultivators present stood up and bowed their heads. The members of the four major families, Hao, Hao, Wang, and Mo, were even more solemn and respectful, not daring to show the slightest disrespect.

"The auspicious hour has arrived. The four great families of Hao, Hao, Wang, and Mo will jointly offer sacrifices to the Mountain God of Mount Tai to comfort their ancestor Shao Hao—"

The Grand Elder gave a deep, resonant greeting, his powerful spiritual energy carrying his voice throughout the plaza, officially commencing the sacrificial ceremony. All members of the four major clans participated.

The direct descendants of the Hao clan hold incense offerings, and the head of the household reveres Heaven.

Hao Cang, the head of the Hao clan, dressed in a dark red robe with a black bird pattern, stood out with his elegant bearing. He personally led two of the Hao clan's direct descendants onto the stage. A boy in plain clothes stepped forward with incense, and the three of them each held three sticks of thousand-year-old cypress incense, lit them, and raised them high above their heads.

Led by Hao Cang, the entire clan faced the direction of Mount Tai and performed the three-bow ceremony: first, to the protection of Heaven; second, to the stability of the earth's veins; and third, to the blessings of their ancestors. After the ceremony, incense sticks were inserted one by one into the bronze Kui-dragon incense burner. Wisps of blue smoke swirled and rose into the air, creating a solemn and serene atmosphere. Hao Cang, as the host, respectfully informed Heaven and Earth, thus beginning the sacrificial ceremony.

The Wang family and the Mohists jointly presented a jade disc and established an alliance based on ritual.

The eldest son of the Langya Wang clan, accompanied by two other members of the clan, slowly ascended the stage, each holding a twelve-foot-long Lantian jade disc in both hands. The disc was smooth and flawless, with exquisite carvings of black bird sacrificial patterns on its surface. Two direct descendants of the Jimo Mo family followed closely behind, carrying a bronze jade stand carved with ancient mechanical patterns, their steps steady and deliberate.

The Wang family members bowed and presented the jade, while the Mo family members steadily held up the jade disc. Together, they placed the jade disc in the center of the sacrificial altar, using this heirloom ritual object as a symbol to demonstrate the sincerity of the four families in upholding their alliance and protecting the earth's veins.

Hao held the wine cup and offered libations to pray for peace and ward off evil.

The clan chief personally led Hao Lei and other direct descendants of the Hao family onto the stage. The clan disciples held bronze beast-face wine vessels, filled with aged millet wine. The clan chief picked up a white jade wine cup, first sprinkling the wine on the ground to pay homage to the land of Qi and Lu; then he poured the wine onto a jar to pay homage to the mountain god of Mount Tai, his actions solemn and thorough.

Hao Lei, dressed in the family's formal attire, had completely suppressed his usual arrogance and domineering attitude. He stood with his hands at his sides in the clan's procession, bowing respectfully. Although there was a hint of resentment in his expression, he strictly adhered to the rules of the sacrificial ceremony and dared not overstep the bounds in the slightest.

The four major families, with their ceremonial guards, jointly carried out a grand sacrificial offering.

In the most crucial part of the sacrificial ceremony, each of the four great families—Hao, Hao, Wang, and Mo—sent forward an elite honor guard, who led a pure white sacred sheep with a red ribbon around its neck and blue silk hooves. This sacred sheep, carefully raised by the four families, was pure and immaculate, representing the sincerity of the entire Eastern Yi region in the sacrifice.

The Grand Elder of the Hao Clan, wielding a bronze sacrificial knife engraved with talismans to ward off evil, first performed a ritual to appease the heavens. Then, the honor guards of the four clans bowed in unison, swiftly completing the sacrificial rites according to ancient customs. With the pure spirit sacrifice, they comforted the heavens and ancestors, vowing that the four clans would unite as one to jointly resist evil spirits and protect the territory of the Eastern Yi.

The entire sacrificial ceremony was meticulously planned and executed. The Hao clan presided over the ceremony, the Wang clan offered jade, the Mo clan carried the sacrificial frame, and the Hao clan poured wine. Members of all four clans participated throughout, maintaining a clear hierarchy and fulfilling their respective roles, with no one standing idly by. On the altar, the disciples lined up to pay their respects, amidst a forest of sacrificial vessels. The deep, resonant music filled the air, creating a solemn and majestic atmosphere that showcased the grandeur of ancient sacrificial rites.

After the ceremony, the Grand Elder, holding the jade tablet, raised his head and proclaimed loudly: "The sacrificial ceremony is complete. With the four tribes united, the Mountain and Sea Alliance officially begins!"

The members of the four clans withdrew from the altar one by one and returned to their seats. The atmosphere became increasingly solemn. Everyone knew that this alliance, spearheaded by the four great families, was about the foundation of the Eastern Yi for generations to come and was by no means an ordinary gathering.

The Grand Elder held the sacrificial text and read it aloud with earnest words, praying for the stability of the Qilu land veins, the dissipation of evil spirits, and the eternal peace of all people. Every word and phrase resonated with the original aspiration of the alliance.

After the sacrificial text was read, all the monks bowed again before taking their seats in turn.

Hao Cang, the head of the Hao clan, slowly rose to his feet. His gentle gaze swept across the entire hall before finally settling on the group led by the Xuan Yang Sect Leader of Laoshan. He spoke solemnly with a smile: "Today's Mountain and Sea Alliance meeting serves two purposes: first, to entertain the Xuan Yang Sect Leader and all the disciples of Laoshan and to continue the ancient alliance; and second, to announce a paramount matter concerning the eternal foundation of the Dongyi people and the safety of the Qilu land veins."

As soon as he finished speaking, the entire room fell silent, and all eyes were focused on Hao Cang.

Hao Cang raised his hand and gestured, his spiritual power surging in his palm. Instantly, the majestic phantom of Mount Tai appeared in the void. Amidst the churning clouds, ancient golden light flowed deep within the mountain's belly. The sacred aura contained a hint of awe-inspiring pressure, which was a microcosm of the strange phenomenon that occurred in the Imperial Ruins last night.

"Recently, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth has been disturbed, the earth veins in many parts of Qi and Lu are disordered, monsters are rampant, and evil cultivators are lurking and causing trouble, ravaging living beings." Hao Cang's tone was solemn, and his expression became more and more solemn. "And the root of all this is in the depths of Mount Tai - the ruins left by the ancient Emperor Shao Hao, which are about to be broken and revealed to the world."

His gaze swept over the group of young cultivators at the table, his words ringing out firmly and resolutely: "This site contains the inheritance of the Eastern Yi Zhenmai lineage and the spiritual source of the earth's veins. It concerns the safety of the entire Qilu land, and cannot tolerate the slightest negligence, much less selfish motives or wanton disturbances!"

The entire room fell silent; everyone held their breath, listening intently to what was to come.

"Therefore, the Hao, Hao, Wang, and Mo clans, together with Laoshan and various tribes and sects of the Eastern Yi, have decided that the Eastern Yi Youth Grand Competition will be held three days later at the summit of Mount Tai."

Hao Cang declared the core of the alliance and the purpose of the competition in a clear voice, without a trace of falsehood: "This competition is not for vying for empty fame or seizing opportunities, but solely for selecting exceptionally talented and upright geniuses from various races and sects to cultivate the backbone of the forces protecting the earth's veins and guarding the borders, and even the future successors of clans and sects!"

"Only those who rank highly in the competition will be qualified to enter the Shaohao Ruins, to explore the inheritance of the Zhenmai (镇脉) system, stabilize the earth's spiritual energy, and shoulder the important responsibility of protecting the Dongyi (东夷) and safeguarding all living beings, rather than enjoying the opportunity for themselves and seizing it at will!"

His words revealed the original aspirations of the alliance and established the fundamental rules for the competition.

The people of Laoshan understood. Sect Leader Xuanyang sat upright in his seat, nodding slightly. His purpose in attending this gathering was to investigate the earth's veins and guard against evil cultivators, which coincided with the alliance's objectives. Lin Yan stood quietly beside his fellow disciples, his fingertips twitching almost imperceptibly. The innate inner fire within his body resonated faintly with the aura of the illusory Mount Tai in the void. His expression was calm, and he already understood the heavy responsibility of this grand competition.

Sitting in his seat, Hao Lei clenched his fists, his eyes revealing his unwillingness and stubbornness. His two defeats on the street and in the training ground were both due to private conflicts and could not be considered legitimate competitions. He was determined to make a name for himself in this youth competition, prove his strength, become a recognized backbone of the Hao family, and avenge his previous humiliations.

After Hao Cang finished speaking, the Hao Clan steward stepped forward and read out the competition rules to the public: strictly limiting the age of participating disciples, defining the taboos of the competition, strictly prohibiting killing and using evil tricks, and clarifying the corresponding rules between the competition rankings and the number of places selected for the site. The rules were clear, fair and just.

After the detailed rules were read out, the registration and order drawing of lots for the participating disciples began.

Lin Yan, Chen Dagang, Yun Xi, Yi Ashi, and others from the Laoshan lineage stepped forward one by one to report their identities and receive spirit wood tokens engraved with numbers. Young disciples from the four major families and various forces stepped forward one after another, exchanging glances that concealed their sharpness, yet all of them adhered to the rules of the venue, and no one caused any trouble.

Lin Yan casually drew a token, his fingertips slightly cool. The wooden token was engraved with the two characters "僄柒" (Sanqi), which was the order number for the first round of the competition. He put away the token and turned back to his seat. Inadvertently, his gaze met that of Hao Bailian, the eldest daughter of the Hao family, across the distance. Her eyes were clear and bright, with a hint of scrutiny and probing, before she looked away indifferently.

After all the disciples had drawn their lots, Hao Cang spoke loudly, his tone as solemn as a mountain: "Now that the Mountain and Sea Alliance is established, three days from now, atop Mount Tai, I await you young talents to embark on your mission and protect our earth's veins!"

The resounding cannon salutes echoed throughout Haodu, marking the successful conclusion of this alliance meeting between mountains and seas, which was based on the initial aspiration of protection and the purpose of nurturing people.

The warm sunlight shone down, making the bluestone altar appear even more ancient and solemn.