After breaking up with my girlfriend, I became a Great Sage of the Demon Clan.

Zhou Yan drove to a berry grove, and the nine-colored deer stopped at a few berry trees laden with thumb-sized fruits.

Zhou Yan looked at the nine-colored deer's four little hooves. Just as the young man was about to ask the nine-colored deer if it needed help, a flash of light appeared on the deer's body, and the small nine-colored deer shrank, transforming into a cute little girl about 1.3 meters tall with tiny antlers on her head.

The little girl tiptoed, grabbed a few berries with her tiny hands, put them to her chest, and then ran towards the other fruit trees.

In no time, the little girl's arms were filled with berries of different colors.

Zhou Yan glanced at the Nine-Colored Deer little girl, then at Su Xiaowan behind him, and gave her a meaningful look.

Su Xiaowan said weakly.

"I... I'll be in human form soon."

Zhou Yan, satisfied, opened a picture of a white-haired, fox-eared older sister ship girl on his phone and placed it in front of Su Xiaowan.

After a while, the little girl, Nine-Colored Deer, excitedly approached Zhou Yan and handed him a berry that was so red it was almost purple.

"Brother, you should try it."

Zhou Yan took the berry and put it in his mouth. This kind of wild fruit, which has not been artificially selected, should be sour and unpalatable. But the fruit selected by the Nine-Colored Deer must have been given some kind of buff. After Zhou Yan bit into it, he found the berry to be exceptionally sweet and fragrant. After eating it, his lips and teeth were left with a lingering fragrance.

The Nine-Colored Deer gave Su Xiaowan a few more berries, and the Double-Eyed Bird shared some with her.

After distributing the berries, the Nine-Colored Deer sat in the back seat of Zhou Yan's SUV. The little guy didn't revert to his original form, but instead sat down holding less than a pound of berries, swinging his little feet under the seat and saying happily.

"I chose the fruit that Qing Mama likes the most. I'm sure Qing Mama will be very happy when we get back."

"Hey hey hey..."

The Nine-Colored Deer looked down at the berries. She had just shared them with Zhou Yan, Su Xiaowan, and the Chongming Bird, but she hadn't eaten any herself.

These are all good things, and they were all saved for Qing's mother. She hoped that Qing's mother would eat more.

The nine-colored deer raised its head, afraid that if it looked again, it would be unable to resist stealing a bite.

Zhou Yan started the vehicle and followed the Nine-Colored Deer's instructions to proceed forward.

The Nine-Colored Deer lived on the mountainside of a small hill. There was a two-meter-high cave on the mountainside. When Zhou Yan reached the cave entrance, he smelled a slightly sour smell coming from the cave.

“Mother Qing is inside, Mother Qing is inside.”

Nine-Colored Deer got off the car with great joy. The little one ran inside with the berries she had carefully selected, talking as she ran.

"Mama Qing, Mama Qing, I'm back."

Zhou Yan closed his eyes at the cave entrance and sensed it.

After the Nine-Colored Deer mentioned that Green Mother was a snake, Zhou Yan began to use his crisis sense to gauge the level of danger Green Mother was, to see if she was truly a vicious and absolutely dangerous creature that should not be approached.

The result was that there was no danger.

Afterwards, Zhou Yan inquired about the Nine-Colored Deer in detail and found that the Green Mother was a vegetarian and had not instilled any strange ideas in the Nine-Colored Deer.

Therefore, after leaving the hospital, Zhou Yan brought the Nine-Colored Deer to find this Mother Qing.

Throughout this period, Zhou Yan constantly sensed danger, but so far, there has been no danger.

"Xiao Wan, Chong Ba, you wait here. I'll go in and take a look."

Zhou Yan opened the car door, got out, and after mentally preparing himself, entered the cave where the Nine-Colored Deer lived.

The cave wasn't large, only two meters high and five meters deep. There was a bend in the middle. After passing the bend, Zhou Yan saw a nine-colored deer kneeling on the ground, placing a handful of berries on the weeds. Opposite the nine-colored deer was a coiled snake skeleton that should be ten meters long.

That's right, snake bones.

The nine-colored deer, which had already transformed back into its beast form, affectionately nudged a section of the snake bone with its little antlers, and the little creature said happily.

"Qing Mama, Qing Mama, Qingcai is back! I also brought a good older brother with me, and I found lots of delicious food for you."

"Mother Qing, Mother Qing, quickly praise Qingcai..."

The nine-colored deer looked at the snake bone with expectant eyes. The snake bone did not move. After a while, the nine-colored deer lowered its head.

"Aunt Qing, are you angry? Qingcai didn't mean to not come back."

"Qingcai went to rescue people."

Zhou Yan spoke from behind the Nine-Colored Deer.

"This is Mother Qing?"

The nine-colored deer turned its head and nodded vigorously.

"Yes, brother, this is Qing's mother."

The nine-colored deer turned back again.

“Qing Mama, Qing Mama, this is my brother, he is a good person.”

The nine-colored deer then used her antlers to nudge the snake's bones.

Zhou Yan sighed, and the young man asked.

"How long has Qing's mother been like this? Um, I mean, how long has it been since Qing's mother spoke to you?"

"Waaah, Qingcai doesn't remember."

Zhou Yan turned his head to one side.

What did Qing's mother say to you the last time she spoke to you?

The nine-colored deer lowered its head.

“Qing’s mother said that she was very sleepy and needed to sleep for a long time. She couldn’t take care of Qingcai anymore. She also said that Qingcai had grown up and could take care of herself, so she was waiting for her to wake up so that she wouldn’t see Qingcai who couldn’t even take care of herself.”

Zhou Yan: "..."

Zhou Yan remembered that one of his classmates' mothers had died, and the father told his child that his mother was asleep and would not wake up for a long time.

That student didn't realize until he was fourteen that his mother would never come back.

And these remains are dead... Zhou Yan observed them with his omniscient ability; they've been there for two hundred years.

This Green Mother deceived the Nine-Colored Deer for two hundred years.

Completely oblivious to the complex emotions in Zhou Yan's heart, the little deer got up and happily spoke to Zhou Yan.

"After Qing's mother fell asleep, Qingcai took care of herself. Qingcai ate every day, drank water every day, and slept well every day. When someone was in danger, Qingcai also went to save them."

The nine-colored deer raised its head, like a child waiting to receive a red flower.

"Qingcai not only takes care of herself, but also takes care of others!"

Zhou Yan clapped his hands.

"What a good child. Um, Qingcai, I'd like to talk to Qing's mother. Could you please step outside for a moment?"

The nine-colored deer looked puzzled.

Zhou Yan explained.

"We were talking about some rather private topics. You're still a child, so it's not appropriate for you to listen to them."

"Okay, brother, you can talk."

The nine-colored deer left the cave.

Zhou Yan walked up to the snake bone. The young man's gaze swept over the snake bone, then he looked down at it.

There was a pile of berries next to the snake bones, some dried and some fresh.

Zhou Yan chuckled.

Qingcai probably thought that Qing's mother must be hungry after sleeping for so long, so she prepared fresh fruit for her every day.

Just waiting for Qing's mother to wake up, she said proudly.

"Qingcai can already take care of herself, and she can also take care of others."

Then he watched as his mother ate the fruit.

How cruel.

Zhou Yan walked around the fruit and came to within ten centimeters of the snake bone. The boy touched the snake bone with his hand, and following the omniscient hint, Zhou Yan touched the snake bone at the seven-inch mark.

After rubbing the snake bone a few times, it suddenly started to move. In the center of the coiled snake bone, a beautiful woman with delicate features and a transparency of about 70% slowly emerged.

Zhou Yan looked at the ghost beauty, and the ghost beauty slowly opened her eyes.

Their eyes met, and they remained silent for a while.

The Ghost Beauty spoke first.

"Where is Qingcai?"

Zhou Yan sighed.

"Outside."

The ghost beauty glanced in the direction of the cave exit, her face darkening.

"Now that you're here, you must know about my lie, young master, right? That child is pure of heart and innocent. I was afraid she would be sad after I died, so I told her I was just sleeping. But now that you're here, young master, I'm at peace. I'll leave this child in your care."

Zhou Yan asked curiously.

"Aren't you afraid that I'm a bad guy?"

The ghost beauty laughed.

"This child is a naturally auspicious beast. Back in the day, she was able to occupy a palace on her own, just like a phoenix or a dragon in Dawu Mountain. Heaven favors them greatly, so how could it allow her to encounter bad people and suffer?"

Zhou Yan opened his mouth slightly in surprise.

"Phoenix? True dragon? I know Penglai, but what is this Penglai Dawu Mountain?"

Zhou Yan had heard from the Nine-Colored Deer that the place where she lived was full of divine beasts and immortal beasts, and was an amazing place. But Zhou Yan didn't know which secret realm or immortal palace Dawu Mountain was, that could accommodate so many auspicious true gods.

The ghost beauty's semi-transparent face revealed obvious smugness.

“Mount Dawu is the Daoist temple of the Antarctic True Lord. The Antarctic True Lord spread the Dharma and taught the righteous Dharma on Mount Dawu. He also took in two disciples who became the mountain's leaders, Elder Crane and Elder Deer.”

"I am one of Elder He's stewards."

Zhou Yan's expression changed repeatedly.

Who is the True Lord of the South Pole?

That's a pseudonym of the Antarctic Longevity Emperor, on par with God Gouchen.

Is Mount Dawu actually the Taoist temple established by this Heavenly Emperor?

Chapter Fourteen: Epidemics

"Since this is the Daoist temple of the Antarctic True Lord, why did you and Qingcai leave from Mount Dawu?"

Zhou Yan looked at the cave where Qingcai and the snake demon lived. The cave was very clean, and the straw on the ground did not have a damp or rotten smell. It was clear that Qingcai, the nine-colored deer, liked cleanliness. But no matter how clean it was, it could not be better than the dojo of a Heavenly Emperor.

"You couldn't have brought Qingcai out to undergo her tribulation, could you?"

Zhou Yan had talked with Wenquxing in the past. Wenquxing told Zhou Yan that cultivation in this world is not about holding a secret manual and practicing it from beginning to end, and distinguishing the level of power by things like Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Primordial Spirit, and Ascension.

It's not about how many hundreds or thousands of years you've cultivated; it's about who lives the longest and who has the deepest cultivation.

Since ancient times, demons have cultivated in cycles of one tribulation.

In the words of the Daoist patriarch Ge Hong, a tree takes one thunderbolt as one tribulation, a beast takes one death as one tribulation, a fish takes one drought as one tribulation, and an insect takes one fire as one tribulation. A tree that has undergone twenty-one tribulations is called a demon, and a tree that has undergone thirty-six tribulations is called a demon ancestor.

Humans who cultivate can become immortals by passing through three calamities, six tribulations, and seventy-two lightning tribulations. The more tribulations one undergoes, the stronger one's supernatural powers become. The Jade Emperor is said to have undergone the most tribulations.

In Journey to the West, when the Patriarch Bodhi taught Sun Wukong the method of immortality, he mentioned it.

"This is an extraordinary path, seizing the creation of heaven and earth, and encroaching upon the mysteries of the sun and moon. Once the elixir is completed, even ghosts and gods will find it intolerable."

"Although it may preserve your youth and prolong your life, after five hundred years, you will be struck by lightning. You must see your true nature and understand your mind to avoid it in advance. If you can avoid it, you will live as long as heaven. If you cannot avoid it, you will die."

"Five hundred years from now, a fire will descend from the heavens and burn you. This fire is neither heavenly fire nor ordinary fire; it is called Yin fire. It will start from the Yongquan acupoint on your soles, burn straight through to the Niwan Palace, turn your internal organs to ash, and rot your limbs, rendering your thousand years of arduous practice futile."

"Five hundred years from now, another wind calamity will strike you. This wind is not the wind from the east, west, south, or north, nor is it the wind blowing through the flowers, willows, pines, or bamboos; it is called the crow wind. It blows into your six internal organs through your fontanelle, through your dantian, and through your nine orifices, causing your bones and flesh to disintegrate, and your body to disintegrate on its own."

After these words frightened Sun Wukong, Patriarch Bodhi taught him a method to avoid disasters and calamities, namely the "Great Celestial Immortal Technique".

Could it be that the Antarctic Immortal Emperor passed on the orthodox teachings of Taoism to these disciples, and then these disciples have to undergo tribulations every so often?

However, it seems this snake demon failed its tribulation and has now turned to ashes.

Qing's mother shook her head slightly.