Chapter 21: Paradise of Glory and Happiness - Parti
Great Xia, Yeang Province.
Since ancient times, Yeang Province has been renowned for its picturesque landscapes, it is home to numerous famous mountains, rivers, Taoist temples, and Buddhist monasteries that attract a great number of pilgrimage, commanding the favor of emperors throughout the centuries.
Even after Great Xia stepped into the industrial era, Yeang Province tried to restrain its industrial development, preserving vast areas of green mountains and rivers with their earthly marvels, which further boosted its tourist industry.
However, in recent months, the local government of Yeang Province has announced temporary closure of some scenic areas, erecting protection nets around them to prevent forced intrusion. The situation sparked considerable debate online.
Mount Lang Huan was one of the famous landscapes affected by the public opinion.
Mount Lang Huan is a beautiful peak with an intricate network of caves. It’s said that in a time span of ten thousand years ago, the Heavenly Emperor’s Lang Huan Bibliotheca, in which books were kept, shattered in the heavens above and fell to earth, a fragment of which transformed into Mount Lang Huan.
The closure of Mount Lang Huan’s scenic area occurred a few months ago. Since then, military forces have been stationed, prohibiting all entries. For several months, the mountain peak was completely deserted.
However, today, a middle-aged man in a white robe with an elegant demeanor arrived at Mount Lang Huan, riding a white deer.
With a single written command, he passed through the strict military cordon and entered the territory of Mount Lang Huan.
The entire body of the deer was as white as snow, its huge antlers resembled cast gold, its light steps trod effortlessly in the forest. With each step, fresh grass sprouted and blossoms bloomed around it, as if heralding auspicious omens.
As the deer stepped into the main peak of Mount Lang Huan, the elegant middle-aged man gently caressed its antlers and the auspicious deer halted its onward steps.
Descending from the deer, the middle-aged man elegantly waved his sleeves, a token as translucent as jade slowly floated forward.
He then bowed to the main peak of Mount Lang Huan and said:
“Zhong Buwen of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau wishes to enter the blessed land of Lang Huan to meet the Book Immortal, I ask for the Mountain God’s permission!”
The token transformed into a streak of light and fell into the mountains. The mountains trembled, and a massive human face that appeared to be sculpted by divine or ghostly means appeared before Zhong Buwen.
“An emissary from the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, are you the current superintendent?”
An elderly and majestic voice sounded slowly, its resonant tone accompanied by the trembling of the earth.
“Zhong Buwen, the 25th superintendent of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, pays respects to the Mountain God of Mount Lang Huan.”
A profound smile crossed the massive face of the Lang Huan Mountain God.
“Three thousand years before the total spirit energy depletion, I made a deal with the then Emperor of Great Xia and the superintendent of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau. Great Xia is responsible for protecting Mount Lang Huan during my three-thousand-year slumber, in return, I gave you three edicts, promising to fulfill three wishes for you after awakening.
Nowadays, the Spirit Energy Tidal Surge has just begun to return, and you prematurely used up the first edict. It seems that the current situation is slipping out of Great Xia’s control, huh!”
Zhong Buwen’s heart sank, but he maintained his composure:
“The Mountain God of Lang Huan is jesting. The Spirit Energy Tidal Surge is a grand phenomenon, and the Imperial Court of Great Xia can only follow its course. How could we possibly attempt to control such a grand trend in nature?
The reason for this visit is merely to consult the Book Immortal in Lang Huan’s blessed land on a few matters.”
The eyes that the Mountain God of Lang Huan formed from the cave flickered with fire, seemingly judging Zhong Buwen’s words.
After a good while, the Mountain God of Lang Huan burst into a hearty laugh:
“Haha! I was only testing you. Since we had an agreement with you, the Great Xia Imperial Court, three thousand years ago, how could I possibly break it?”
As he spoke, the Mountain God of Lang Huan opened his huge mouth. The dark mouth transformed into a spatial passage right there.
The first thing to greet Zhong Buwen was the dense spirit energy. Even though the spirit energy in the blessed land had been consumed for three thousand years, its density remained far higher than that of the outside world.
As the superintendent of the Imperial Astronomical Bureau, Zhong Buwen had cultivated since childhood in the blessed land controlled by the Bureau, so he didn’t regard Spirit Energy too highly.
His gaze extended across the passage, and Zhong Buwen could clearly see that a world seemingly made up of books stood shockingly in the mouth of the Lang Huan Mountain God.
Giant bookshelves crisscrossed each other, adorned with many precious books, and book imps born from these books ceaselessly moved between them, like a city.
Just a glimpse through the passage was enough to showcase the expanse of this blessed land.
Lang Huan blessed land, once part of the Heavenly Emperor’s Lang Huan Bibliotheca, had evolved into a blessed land after falling into the Primal Chaos Realm ten thousand years ago.
Unlike the grotto heavens that could retreat into the void, blessed lands could only be fixed in a certain place in the world. Moreover, its internal rules were mostly incomplete, far from comparable to grotto heavens.
Even so, blessed lands were still the precious strategic resources in the Cultivation World, second only to the grotto heavens.
As a part of the Heavenly Emperor’s former book collection, the Lang Huan blessed land held high rank among others and gave birth to the Book Immortal, a miraculous creature.
They were not real immortals, but book imps born from the scriptures of the Immortals, and because of their transcendent nature, were referred to as immortals by the world.
These Book Immortals did not possess much combat power, but their lifespan was long and their wisdom as vast as the sea. Few secrets in the Primal Chaos Realm could escape their knowledge.
The Lang Huan blessed land, as part of the Heavenly Emperor’s book collection, naturally aroused the covetousness of many outsiders. The Book Immortals, with their strength not being strong enough, struggled to protect themselves.
So, several Book Immortals joined hands to transform this mountain range into the Lang Huan Mountain God to safeguard the blessed land. The enormous face seen now was a part of the still awakening Lang Huan Mountain God.
“If you wish to enter the Lang Huan blessed land, then please do!
However, if the Book Immortals are not willing to answer your questions, that’s beyond my control.”
Hearing this, Zhong Buwen bowed again to the Mountain God, saying, “Of course I know the rules of the Lang Huan blessed land.”
While speaking, Zhong Buwen prepared to cross the entrance to the blessed land.
In that moment, the Lang Huan Mountain God as if recalling something, issued another reminder,
“Remember, since yesterday, the book imps transformed from the numerous sword scriptures and Sword Canons within the blessed land have become somewhat agitated. Be careful when you go in.”
Despite being a little surprised, Zhong Buwen still nodded seriously before stepping into the blessed land.
As the entrance to the blessed land closed, the Lang Huan Mountain God glanced meaningfully in the direction of the Imperial Capital, a measure of ridicule rising in its eyes.
“Yesterday, first appeared the omen of a rainbow penetrating the sun, the renowned Sword Tomb resonated, followed by the agitation of the bookimps born from Lang Huan Sword Dao. Certainly, an Unparalleled Sword Immortal must have come into the world again.”
“Over the past three thousand years, Great Xia has capitalized on the trend of Spirit Energy depletion to achieve great imperial endeavors, yet now, at the early stage of the return of the Spirit Energy Tidal Surge, an Immortal appears.”
“Will Great Xia truly be able to keep hold of this potential grand momentum?”
“Three thousand years ago, the first superintendent relied on the Gods Purging Edict, ensuring I adhered to three laws of oaths, intending to consolidate Great Xia’s position for the three thousand years after. But no matter your calculations, an Immortal’s manifestation is not something a mere mortal like you can foresee.”
The Lang Huan Mountain God laughed heartily, its laughter causing the Lang Huan mountains to tremble.
Rocks tumbled down, and the Earth Dragon rolled over, causing the troops guarding the outskirts of Mount Lang Huan to panic at the sudden earthquake.
After a while, the laughter of the Lang Huan Mountain God subsided.
Then, he closed his eyes and his enormous face vanished.