The True Lord has arrived

Chapter 364 The Five Mountains Alliance, Immortals and Gods in Armor

The True Lord of the Southern Peak and the True Lord of the Northern Peak had witnessed almost the entire process of Zhou Yan capturing the Central Peak. For a moment, they remained silent. Upon seeing the Lord of Mount Tai approaching, they were either shaken or had chaotic thoughts, and simply stood still without making a move.

Zhou Yan couldn't help but complain in his heart.

Indeed, gossiping and enjoying the juicy gossip are human nature.

Even the mountain god is no exception.

He paused briefly, maintaining the dignified bearing befitting the Lord of Mount Tai, and spoke calmly:
“I seem to recall asking you two to wait at Mount Tai earlier.”

Upon hearing this, both Bei Yue and Nan Yue turned slightly pale.

The Lord of Mount Tai told them to wait at Mount Tai, but they didn't listen and instead flew out to observe, which was somewhat taboo. If the Lord of Mount Tai said that they were planning to wait for the right opportunity to help the Central Peak, the two of them would have no way to explain themselves.

Seeing that the Lord of Mount Tai did not seem to intend to pursue the matter, he breathed a sigh of relief. The expression on the face of the True Lord of Mount Tai was somewhat complicated, with the feeling of 'the Lord of Mount Tai is indeed the Lord of Mount Tai. I am glad that I knelt down early'.

They also recalled the bad luck they had experienced when they went to find the Lord of Mount Tai, and were afraid that the latter would bring up old grievances again.

Beiyue Zhenjun appeared even more uneasy, and the two bowed in unison.

Nan Yue barely suppressed the chaotic thoughts in his mind and smiled respectfully:

"This humble deity has come specifically to offer congratulations to the Lord."

“Zhongyue has repeatedly defied the authority of the Prefect. Now that he has been brought to justice, it is a testament to the Prefect’s divine power. He truly deserves his punishment.”

The most reserved-looking True Lord Beiyue was slightly taken aback upon hearing this. Although he had the least resources, he had also developed a keen eye and immediately realized the meaning behind True Lord Nanyue's words.

After a moment's thought, an absurd idea popped into my head.

Could it be that... Mount Heng has always been a subordinate deity under the command of the Lord of Mount Tai?!
If that's the case, then all of Zhongyue's actions have been under the watchful eye of the Lord of Mount Tai all along, and the Lord of Mount Tai, knowing full well that Zhongyue had gathered the gods for several gatherings and that the conversations were about the veins of Mount Tai, had not been angry at all, but had simply calmly watched everything unfold.
In Beiyue's eyes, this Lord of Mount Tai seemed to be becoming increasingly unfathomable.

Zhou Yan took in the changes in the expressions of both Nan Yue and Bei Yue, and said, "Everything here is settled. Please follow me."

The two peaks of Mount Heng (South and North) exchanged a glance and both agreed.

Then, riding on auspicious clouds, it landed behind Zhou Yan and followed him to Mount Tai. This subtle display of respect for Mount Tai was noticed by both those who were paying attention and those who were not, and naturally stirred up waves of emotion in their hearts.

Upon returning to Mount Tai, the Southern and Northern Peaks each took out their weapons. Zhou Yan ordered the Earth God of Mount Tai to bring out some wine, meat, spirit wine, and immortal fruits and vegetables to entertain the guests, thus fulfilling his duty as the host.

During the banquet, as previously mentioned, the True Lord of Mount Heng presented ten thousand incense and gold beads, one hundred catties of each of the Five Elements Elite, and ten pieces of Millennium Warm Jade. When the treasure box was opened, it shone with brilliance and was filled with spiritual energy.

The True Lord of the Northern Peak was drinking alone, burdened with many worries, when he saw the Southern Peak being so generous, he was immediately stunned.

Do we still have to pay a blood oath fee?!

He and the General Ruoshui beside him stared at the dazzling display of treasures, speechless for a moment, feeling that the wine they had just drunk might have been a bit too expensive...

General Ruoshui stared at the dazzling incense and golden beads, mesmerized, and secretly transmitted his voice:

"True Lord, how long will it take for us in the North to accumulate this much incense offering..."

Beiyue Zhenjun remained silent, burying his head in his wine.

General Ruoshui couldn't help but elbow his own boss.

Bei Yue turned around and gave him a fierce look. Not wanting to send a telepathic message here for fear of being overheard, he simply opened his mouth and said, "What are you doing?!"

General Ruoshui grinned: "Boss, even the Zhongyue True Lord has been captured and sealed, and the Zhongyue territory has been suppressed by this Taishan Prefecture Lord with a single pine branch. Now that Nanyue has suddenly produced so many things, it wouldn't be appropriate for us to come empty-handed."

"Why don't you take some out?"

How much should I pay?

Beiyue Zhenjun retorted irritably, "Inappropriate? What's inappropriate about it?!"

"You know how poor we are over there."

"You want money? No! No!"

But after a while, he couldn't bear the thought of losing face, especially since the True Lord of Mount Heng was sitting there, calmly taking out box after box, while his own side was completely empty.

Even if nothing had happened, he felt that the way others were looking at him was a bit strange. The Northern Peak True Lord tilted his head back and gulped down several mouthfuls of wine, then gritted his teeth and took out a gourd from his sleeve, presenting it with both hands and politely saying:

“Well, Your Excellency, I came in a hurry this time and didn’t bring anything with me.”

"These are my Northern Yue's [One Yuan Heavy Water], which are quite good. They are useful for tempering weapons and magic treasures, as well as for alchemy. There are also some minor universe techniques in this gourd, so I actually put quite a lot in. If you don't mind, Lord, please accept them."

The True Lord of the Northern Peak pretended to be magnanimous, but in reality, his heart was bleeding with pain.

He stroked the treasure, reluctantly raised his hand to give it away, then sat down and took a few big gulps of wine to suppress the reluctance and heartache in his heart. General Ruoshui nudged him with his elbow and said, "True Lord, you're really willing to give this away!?"

Beiyue Zhenjun was furious: "Didn't you tell me to take it out?!"

General Ruoshui stammered, "I... I just feel that you are a true lord, and if you don't bring out some good things at this time, it would really make people look down on us."

"But I never expected that you would give this treasure away so easily."

"This is the essence of ten thousand waters, far more precious than five pieces of gold."

Beiyue Zhenjun took a few gulps of wine and said helplessly, "But this is all I have left to use."

The two secretly communicated with each other. Zhou Yan picked up the gourd. He had been studying a lot of Xuan Guan cultivation knowledge in Zhongnan Mountain and knew that this [One Yuan Heavy Water] was indeed an extraordinary treasure. He had always heard that Beiyue was poor.

After thinking it over, Zhou Yan felt that he didn't need to fight with all the Five Sacred Mountains True Monarchs.

They are not like the prison guards, who only have treasures in their eyes.

Unlike Zhongyue, who was provoked and repeatedly took the initiative to cause trouble.

Now that he had taken on the divine office of the Lord of Mount Tai, there was no need to make the relationship so strained. After thinking for a moment, he moved his fingers slightly, and a stream of light was drawn, separating half of the incense and gold beads offered by the True Lord of Mount Heng.

This is roughly equivalent to the value of the [One Element Heavy Water] itself.

With a flick of his sleeve, the incense and golden beads shimmered and flew to the Northern Peak True Lord. The Northern Peak True Lord, who was deeply troubled, was stunned to see so many incense and golden beads flying towards him in clusters. He even forgot to drink his wine. Seeing the incense and golden beads land in his hand, he said:

"Your Excellency, this is..."

Zhou Yan maintained his ancient appearance and said calmly, "The [One Yuan Heavy Water] is indeed a good treasure, but I cannot take it for free. Consider these [Incense Gold Beads] as a gift from me, and you should accept them well."

The Northern Peak True Lord had not expected such a change, and he breathed a sigh of relief. Looking at the incense and gold beads, he couldn't help but smile.

He immediately tried to suppress it.

After being elbowed several times by General Ruoshui, he finally reacted and said respectfully:

"Thank you for your kindness, Your Excellency."

"It doesn't matter."

Zhou Yan played with this [One Yuan Heavy Water], a specialty of Beiyue. Although it was not as powerful as Gonggong's Water Yuan when it was quenched, it still surpassed most materials. Zhou Yan thought about how, in Langzhong, the descendant of the Primordial Dragon Turtle was killed by Ao Xuantao.

The tortoise shell, scales, and flesh were all preserved.

With this [One Yuan Heavy Water], and with the help of [Great Sun True Fire] and the "War of the Myriad Industries Devouring Heaven Technique", as well as the guidance of the War Lord, it is enough to refine the tortoise shell and flesh of this fifth-grade dragon turtle into extremely superior armor and shields.

In this battle, Li Zhenyue's heavy shield was shattered, Shen Cangming's Mo Dao was broken, and his armor was also badly damaged. This will help them upgrade their equipment and improve the strength of this squad.

Good stuff, good stuff.

Zhou Yan paused, inwardly mocking himself.

'Oh dear, how come I've developed a habit of swindling money?' 'That won't do, that won't do.'

Zhou Yan carefully put the gourd away.

This was originally just an interlude, but when the True Lord of the Southern Peak saw that the Northern Peak had received a reward from the Lord of Mount Tai, he felt a strange sense of urgency and unease, feeling that his position of 'being the first to surrender' had been slightly impacted.

He even knelt down, how could he possibly lose to the later Beiyue?

After thinking for a moment, he smiled and got up, taking out an object that looked like a solidified ball of fire.

"In my Hengshan region, some of the fire of Zhurong is still preserved."

"Although it cannot compare to the fire element of the true fire god of that day, it is still superior to ordinary spiritual fire. It has been effective in forging weapons and refining pills. Today, I present it to the Lord of the Palace."

Zhou Yan was momentarily at a loss for words.

But then came the voice of Ji Xuanyuan, the ancient emperor of the human race:

"Just take it, you don't need to give him anything, just nod."

He will be very happy.

Following Ji Xuanyuan's instructions, Zhou Yan accepted the item. It was clearly a treasure no less valuable than [One Yuan Heavy Water], yet Zhou Yan took it away so casually without bestowing anything upon it.

However, the True Lord of the Southern Peak seemed to feel that his relationship with the Lord of the Prefecture had been recognized, and he became somewhat proud and at ease. He turned back to his original seat and glanced at the Northern Peak with a rather arrogant expression.

Ji Xuanyuan seemed to have taken it all in. The oldest emperor of the human race suddenly chuckled, a hint of melancholy and complexity in his voice, and said, "Ah, the way of the human heart is the same throughout history..."

Beiyue Zhenjun felt fortunate that he had given away one unit of heavy water first.

Otherwise, it would be difficult to accept the incense and gold beads. He was just having a good time when General Ruoshui nudged the True Lord of Beiyue with his elbow once again.

The Northern Peak True Lord was furious: "What are you doing?"

General Ruoshui, looking worried, transmitted his voice, "True Lord, the Lord of Mount Tai accepted the fire from Mount Heng but didn't reward him, which shows he treats us like family; yet he accepted our water but rewarded us, which shows he still treats us like guests. This is not a good thing..."

"How about we send the gold beads back?"

The corner of Beiyue Zhenjun's mouth twitched, and he transmitted his voice in an annoyed tone:

"Shut up...you think you know everything."

He paused, then gripped the jade box tightly, his resolve unwavering.

What lord's appreciation?

"I want money!"

The scene was joyous and harmonious. After the banquet, Zhou Yan tapped his fingers and, using the most basic method, condensed two mountain god edicts. This scene made the expressions of Nan Yue and Bei Yue somewhat frozen, but they were not newcomers to the world and knew what this represented.

Zhou Yan raised his hand and slowly floated the two imperial edicts before Mount Heng and Mount Bei, then raised his hand, holding a wine cup, and said calmly:

"Please take a look, both of you."

Nanyue Zhenjun gritted his teeth, determined to accept the "divine decree" even if it was real. From the moment he knelt down and admitted defeat, he had no other choice. He had once followed a great figure, so he knew very well the consequences of choosing the wrong side.

as well as--

If you're not committed to a team, it's like choosing the wrong team, and even if you choose the right team, it's still the same as choosing the wrong one.

But when he looked up, he was stunned and blinked several times before he realized what was happening.

The Northern Peak True Lord asked with considerable complexity, "...Is it an alliance decree?"

Zhou Yan nodded slightly. The edict contained some rules written in ancient patterns. The so-called edict was the bottom line that both parties had to abide by. Since Zhou Yan came from a later era, he subconsciously followed the rules of fairness and impartiality in this set of edicts.

The aim is to require both parties to fulfill their responsibilities.

To maintain the protection and guard of the Five Sacred Mountains, one must eliminate evil spirits within the area they guard. If anyone is found to be plotting against the power of the Yanhuang land, they must form an alliance to fight against external enemies. They must not plot against each other, betray each other, or attack each other within the alliance.

He has a broad vision, a composed demeanor, and is extremely fair.

Zhou Yanke is different from Jin Tianwang and Zhongyue. He is probably the only one among the Five Mountains who knows what kind of enemy they will eventually face. Under such circumstances, it would be foolish to engage in unreasonable internal strife and fighting among themselves.

Zhou Yan muttered to himself.

The more friends you make, the fewer enemies you'll have.

Ultimately, the principle remains the same.

The True Lord of the Northern Peak looked at Zhou Yan for a long time, then slowly raised his head and said, "...Does the Lord mean that you are also subject to this edict?"

Zhou Yan seemed to have heard a very interesting joke. He chuckled and pointed with his hand. The two imperial edicts floated in mid-air, now imbued with the earth vein power of Mount Tai. This meant that the Lord of Mount Tai had granted the edicts.

Both the Northern Peak and the Southern Peak made a slip of the tongue at one point.

Zhou Yan said, "Only by undertaking their responsibilities can one wield their power."

"Mount Tai is one of the Five Sacred Mountains, so I am naturally not an outsider."

"You two..."

Zhou Yan raised his hand in invitation.

Bei Yue took a deep breath, looked at the incense and gold beads beside him, equivalent to Bei Yue's two hundred years of accumulated wealth, and stood up, saying, "The Bei Yue lineage is willing to be an ally and serve the Lord!"

Nanyue Zhenjun, not to be outdone, also stood up and said, "The Nanyue lineage is willing to serve the Lord!"

Both True Lords infused their earth vein power into the edict.

Therefore, they swore an oath to Heaven, and the Five Sacred Mountains were reconciled and became allies, with Mount Tai as the head of the Five Sacred Mountains. This was an alliance of the mountains, and it was not even within the realm of human destiny.

Zhou Yan vaguely sensed that the earth's veins had changed.

With the alliance concluded, the two True Lords did not linger on Mount Tai any longer and took their leave.

Zhou Yan watched them leave, then distributed the incense and gold beads among the six thousand Taishan Guards. He then spoke with Wang Ben about Ying Yinman in Langzhong City, before walking alone through Taishan Prefecture to its deepest point.

Above the former divine seat of the Duke of Taishan, a set of robes floated, shrouded in countless precious lights.

The breastplate is as thick as a mountain, with relief carvings of mountain patterns; the battle robe is woven from the fiery threads of the Zhurong Peak, embroidered with the true form of the Vermilion Bird; the battle boots are waterproof and can tread on ice as if on flat ground; the shoulder armor features a dragon's head roaring on the left shoulder and a tiger's claws on the right shoulder.

Each piece of this set of cloaks, enveloped in precious light, is a top-grade fourth-rank treasure. If they are put together as a set, they are truly a third-rank Five Sacred Mountains Cloak!
Zhou Yan thought of the formidable enemies he had encountered before, and the formidable enemies he would face in the future. Looking at the armor he was wearing, he felt much more at ease. He strolled over, beckoned slightly, and said, "Come—"

hum! ! !
With a roar, the precious light converged like a dragon, rushing towards Zhou Yan.

With the convergence of precious light and the addition of these protective talismans, Zhou Yan's condition was further enhanced. At the moment his abilities were amplified by these talismans, Zhou Yan's perception resonated with the power of Mount Tai.

The enhanced perception spread like water.

So clearly, I could feel the massive east-west scar deep within this land, and at this moment, at the end of the scar, a faint, dark aura was constantly flowing within it.

Zhou Yan was slightly taken aback, then immediately realized what the huge wound represented.

"This is……"

"The reason for the death of the Duke of Taishan?!"

(End of this chapter)