Among the Three Realms and Six Worlds, immortal mountains stood in great numbers and divine marshes spread far and wide, but only Lingze Mountain and the Abyss River could truly be called blessed lands.

The Abyss River’s location had nothing to do with “blessed land” whatsoever. Stretching across the boundary between the Divine Realm and the Netherworld, its source was unknown and its destination uncertain. One bank displayed beautiful scenery while the other was shrouded in dark clouds.

According to one theory, after the Abyss River turned underground, it became the River Styx that mortals had to cross on their journey to the underworld.

The waters of the Abyss River, tainted with ghostly energy from the netherworld, somehow could also absorb spiritual energy from the Divine Realm. These two completely opposite energies were miraculously fused together, forming a strange river whose spiritual power exceeded any waterway in either the Divine or Nether Realms.

The towering spiritual energy attracted gods and demons from all realms to investigate. However, no matter how heaven-defying their magical powers, anyone who touched these waters never returned alive—they all disappeared without a trace.

Originally hoping to use the river waters to advance their cultivation, they instead paid with their endless lifespans. The Abyss River truly made people both love and fear it.

Lingze Mountain was much more auspicious. Located at the southern end of the Celestial Realm, it enjoyed every geographical advantage. Five immortal veins passed beneath the mountain, nourishing the entire peak until immortal energy rose in clouds and auspicious light shot toward the heavens.

Such a place was most suitable for wood spirits to take root and cultivate. Successive generations of Wood Deity Sovereigns had emerged from here, making it practically the sacred mountain and immortal altar of wood spirits. Every single flower and blade of grass on the mountain benefited from this, gaining spiritual awareness and abundant blessings.

Even the gardenia tree growing in the shaded northern slope at the mountain’s foot had received benefits and felt that cultivating into human form wasn’t far off.

Recently, the gardenia tree had been very diligent in cultivation, drinking immortal spring water in the morning and absorbing moonlight essence at night. Her flowers bloomed more abundantly than usual, and their fragrance grew even more intense.

Her neighbor, Yingchun Hua the winter jasmine, couldn’t bear to watch anymore and advised her, “Su Bing ah, we know you’re suddenly working this hard because you want to catch up with Shui Xian on the mountaintop, but… many things cannot be forced, especially… especially…”

Yingchun Hua’s voice lowered as her branches and leaves slowly shook a few times, appearing rather sleazy.

“You also know about Shui Xian and Elder Sister Junshang…”

“Xiao Chun! What nonsense are you spreading again!”

Bai Zhicao appeared out of nowhere, glaring with raised eyebrows at Yingchun Hua, who had shrunk into a ball.

Ever since he had been chosen by Elder Sister Junshang to be the mountain god, he had become increasingly elusive.

The mountain god lord, who looked like an honest young man, sat cross-legged right there among the circle of flowers and plants. With a wave of his finger, he said, “The matter between Elder Sister Junshang and Shui Xian, well, we must start from the beginning…” He began narrating leisurely.

The gardenia flower Su Bing eagerly leaned closer, her entire tree of fragrant flowers opening toward one direction. Yingchun Hua was no better—her branches and leaves were practically poking Bai Zhicao’s face.

The surrounding tree spirits and plant monsters also instantly turned into sunflowers, eagerly facing Bai Zhicao with their thirst for knowledge.

Bai Zhicao greatly enjoyed this. He straightened his expression and began narrating in the tone of a storyteller: “Elder Sister Junshang is the Wood Deity Sovereign Qingsui Dashen who commands awe throughout the Three Realms and Six Worlds…” His worshipful tone took a sharp downturn. “Actually, she’s quite prone to causing trouble.”

Everyone shook their branches and leaves, indicating they knew, they knew—all of Lingze Mountain knew. Ever since Qingsui Dashen had assumed the position of Wood Deity Sovereign, enemies came knocking every few days: the Dragon God had come to spray water, the Fire God had come to burn the mountain, and most audaciously, she even dared to provoke Shenghuan Dijun, the Metal Deity Sovereign.

Shenghuan… just hearing that title meant trouble. It was an additional honor bestowed by the Celestial Emperor—among the Five Element Deity Sovereigns, only Shenghuan Dijun enjoyed this special privilege.

According to legend, Shenghuan Dijun’s true form was a small finger bone that fell when Pangu Dashen perished, which after countless millions of years transformed into a spirit stone.

After the spirit stone achieved enlightenment, his magical power was boundless. Upon entering the world, he easily dealt with the demon god Bi Lian, who had plagued the Western Abyss for hundreds of years. He also moved a mountain to create a pagoda and pressed Bi Lian beneath Wu Futa.

This battle made him famous throughout the Six Worlds and inspired awe across the Three Realms.

The spirit stone belonged to metal and excelled at forging. The Celestial Emperor bestowed upon him the title of Metal Deity Sovereign, granted him the Kongtong Seal, and gave him control over wind and thunder.

It was precisely such a figure whose tiger’s backside Qingsui Dashen had dared to touch.

“Last time, Elder Sister Junshang nearly got beaten back to her original form and had no choice but to return to her birthplace to recuperate, all because she angered Shenghuan Dijun. Shenghuan Dijun’s magical power is unrivaled throughout the Six Worlds, and moreover, he hasn’t rested for tens of thousands of years, constantly battling the demon race. His fighting methods are ruthless and merciless—how could Elder Sister Junshang be his match? That’s exactly how she got beaten back to her hometown.”

Bai Zhicao took out the gourd from his waist and gulped down several mouthfuls of water, secretly feeling that his own lord was somewhat disgraceful. “Elder Sister Junshang was originally a pine tree growing at the source of the spiritual spring on the mountaintop. The place where Shui Xian grew happened to be right beneath the pine’s shade. The two were separated by tens of thousands of years in age. When Shui Xian gained spiritual awareness, Elder Sister Junshang had long since cultivated into human form and traveled the world. Originally they weren’t familiar with each other, but precisely because of this recuperation period, a romantic connection developed.”

“A romantic connection?” Su Bing trembled, her petals excitedly falling to the ground in droves. “I know, I know! When a male and female are together, that’s called a romantic connection. So will Shui Xian eventually marry Elder Sister Junshang?”

Bai Zhicao pointed at her and nodded with an expression that said “congratulations, you got it right,” agreeing: “I think so. According to the dogwood growing on the mountainside, the two are always whispering privately, talking day and night without end. They must be in perfect harmony, right?”

“Shui Xian is too opportunistic!” Yingchun Hua forgot she had just advised Su Bing and said indignantly, “Just because he’s going to marry Elder Sister Junshang, he’ll ascend to heaven in one step! In the future, will we all have to call him Lady Dijun?”

“This…” This truly stumped Bai Zhicao. Wood spirits were all born from the earth itself, without fathers or mothers, relatives or family. He wasn’t well-versed in forms of address and ranking. Just as he was about to pretend to know more and say a few more sentences, he suddenly heard an extremely sharp whistle from the sky. When the whistle first rose, it was still far away, but by the time it ended, it was already above Lingze Mountain—its approach was extremely swift.

Lingze Mountain’s auspicious energy protected an area of a hundred li radius. Ordinary fierce beasts and vicious birds couldn’t even approach. Such a domineering and overwhelming long whistle—forget about Su Bing and Yingchun Hua never having heard it before—even Bai Zhicao stood there dumbfounded, looking up with his mouth open toward the source of the sound.

The black shadow moved as fast as lightning, its massive form like a thick dark cloud. As it swept over the mountaintop, the wind and clouds changed color and the vegetation lost its light. The powerful wind carried by its wings completely bypassed Lingze Mountain’s barrier, flattening a patch of flower spirits and plant monsters and triggering heaven-shaking wails.

Su Bing was scraped by the wind until her whole body ached. She had barely endured it when that patch of dark cloud rapidly circled back, sweeping past again, the fierce whistle barely ceased before a new one sounded. This whistle was directly above Lingze Mountain. The sharp, high-pitched sound wave was like a tornado, scraping broken branches and withered leaves across the entire mountain.

All the flowers on Su Bing’s branches were completely shaken off by this single sharp whistle, her head buzzing with complete blankness. That patch of “dark cloud” abruptly stopped, covering the top of Lingze Mountain. With all heavenly light blocked, it instantly became like eternal night. Each flap of its wings brought a violent gale. Forget about flowers—Su Bing barely had any leaves left on her branches.

The “dark cloud” was a vicious flying creature that Su Bing didn’t recognize at all. It resembled an eagle but wasn’t an eagle, and was incredibly massive. After hovering for a while, it silently swept over the mountaintop and instantly disappeared without a trace.

The sky immediately returned to brightness, but the mountain was left in complete disarray, filled with wailing cries.

Bai Zhicao had been blown rolling far away by the wind and nearly fell into the spirit pool beside the mountain. He lay on the ground and suddenly cried out sharply, “I remember now! That’s Kunpeng, Dong Tianyun’s Kunpeng!”

Su Bing shook her bare branches and cursed tearfully with hatred: “Kunpeng? Which bastard raised it?” From what that meant, it actually had an owner? The owner who could raise such a vicious beast couldn’t be any better—probably some cruel and violent demon.

Bai Zhicao stood up from the ground in a daze, looking shaken. “We must report this to Elder Sister Junshang immediately.”

“Right!” Yingchun Hua groaned weakly in her sickly state. “Tell our lord to come back and support us, to settle accounts with that beast’s owner!”

Bai Zhicao hurried to leave but didn’t forget to desperately throw out one sentence: “Let’s not mention settling accounts… Do you want Elder Sister Junshang to be beaten back to her original form again?”

Su Bing was after all a tree and had recovered somewhat. She asked in confusion: “What does that mean?”

Yingchun Hua lay collapsed on the ground, sobbing and crying: “It means swallowing our grievances in silence. Who told us that was a beast raised by Shenghuan Dijun?”