JOS Chapter 147.1

Immortality (part 1)

Jiang Feng ran out of the house, and Chu Xuanliang and the others quickly followed.

“I drove here,” Chu Xuanliang said. “Just point me in a direction, and we’ll try driving first. As long as the direction is right, there shouldn’t be any problem.”

Jiang Feng nodded.

His car was parked on the open ground beside a household’s house. The group quickly went over and got on the road.

Jiang Feng minimized the navigation map. Since he didn’t know the exact location, he randomly clicked on a place and then started the route.

Chu Xuanliang asked, “How far is it?”

Jiang Feng thought for a moment and said, “Several hundred kilometers, more or less.”

Chu Xuanliang: “……”

“How are we supposed to find it?!” Huang Yu said. “And it’s so far away, by the time we get there, the day lilies will have wilted! We should go to the nearest city and take a plane instead.”

Junior Brother said, “We don’t even know which city we’re in right now, where would we get a plane?”

Junior Brother bumped Jiang Feng, who was sitting next to him, and raised his eyebrows, “You didn’t just randomly make up ‘several hundred kilometers,’ did you? Why don’t I feel anything at all?”

Chu Xuanliang glanced at the rearview mirror without explanation.

The little Mountain God leaned across Jiang Feng’s body, slapped away Junior Brother’s finger, and said seriously with his head raised, “Daddy would never lie!”

Jiang Feng said, “I need to ask someone. With such a big commotion, the Underworld must already know about it.”

Junior Brother asked in confusion, “Ask who? How about I help you ask in the group chat? It’s too far from here. If any Taoist brothers discover something nearby, they could go help intercept. We should also notify the Buddhist monks – they’re idle anyway, might as well put them to use.”

Chu Xuanliang was driving ahead when he suddenly made a sharp turn. The car body spun violently, tires screeching against the ground, nearly crashing into the guardrail. Fortunately, the car’s performance was excellent. The body stabilized smoothly, and he quickly maneuvered with several “S”-shaped moves to straighten the direction.

Junior Brother crashed into the car door, steadied himself again, and shouted with lingering fear, “Dad! There’s a river below!”

Chu Xuanliang’s eyes kept drifting to the side, also quite shaken, “That scared me to death.”

Good thing there weren’t many people around here.

He must have been a legendary race car driver in his past life.

“My tires,” Chu Xuanliang said with heartache. “That really wore them down.”

Huang Yu asked, “What’s your situation?”

Chu Xuanliang slowed down and said, “Look behind the car!”

Everyone in the car turned their heads together and discovered a ghost with a deathly pale face floating behind the rear of the car.

The ghost wore a black hat on its head and was running hard to chase them, having been left behind by the car. After Chu Xuanliang reduced speed, it finally caught up.

Junior Brother: “Holy shit! Holy shit, holy shit!”

Huang Yu followed, “Holy shit!!”

The ghost messenger successfully floated to the car window. Not daring to enter, it just turned its face to show a smile.

Jiang Feng rolled down the window.

The ghost messenger clasped its hands and bowed before him, saying, “Lord Yama asked me to tell the Divine Lord that traces of Zong Ce and Feng Youdao have appeared on the unnamed mountain in V City. Please go resolve this quickly.”

Jiang Feng asked, “What happened there?”

“This subordinate does not know,” the ghost messenger spoke in an unhurried voice, yet it carried over the howling wind, and its hat remained perfectly positioned. “According to Lord Yama, V City is now surrounded by yin energy, with yin energy soaring to the sky, forcing the ghost gate to open. He has ordered that all ghost souls must not approach. He has already asked Impermanence Daren to help bring out the nearby wandering souls, while other ghost messengers with weaker magic power have been dispersed. So the remaining matters can only be entrusted to you.”

When the Judge’s Brush appeared in the world, ghost souls naturally could not approach.

Jiang Feng: “I understand.”

The ghost messenger finally completed its important mission, wiped its forehead, and stayed in place, waving goodbye to their car from behind.

“Too… too terrifying, right?” Junior Brother said. “Where is this unnamed mountain in V City?”

Jiang Feng was adjusting the navigation, searching for routes, and casually replied, “Where the Mountain God’s mountain range is located.”

There were no suitable flights, and taking detours by car would require six or seven hours, so it was better to drive directly to V Province.

****

Chu Xuanliang drove at high speed where there were fewer vehicles. Huang Yu sat in the front seat, feeling terrified by the ride.

“The traffic tickets from this trip will be quite something,” Junior Brother said educationally to the little Mountain God. “Good children can’t speed, you know?”

The little Mountain God said, “I’m a big child now.”

They took four and a half hours to finally drive into V City. The situation in the urban area wasn’t too obvious, but when they got closer to the unnamed mountain, none of them could speak anymore.

This place could truly be called the Gates of Hell.

“How many ghosts are there?” Junior Brother said seriously. “What are these things?”

Black energy swirled around the mountain, blocking out the clouds and sun. The yin energy at the mountain peak shot straight up to the clouds, truly reaching toward the sky. It pressed down heavily, as if it would collapse heaven and earth.

Chu Xuanliang, Huang Yu, and the others were deeply awed by this scene.

Never mind that they were only in their twenties – even if they lived another two hundred years, they had never seen such a spectacle.

Under this overwhelming pressure, Chu Xuanliang didn’t even dare drive the car closer. Finally, he stopped at the foot of the mountain, took out weapons, and they proceeded on foot.

With V City in such a serious state, someone must have noticed. The Taoist sects were probably gathering to discuss and heading this way.

Junior Brother hesitated for a moment. Should they wait for reinforcements from the sect, or should they go up the mountain first to investigate?

Oh no, with his level of magic power, he might die halfway up before even reaching the mountain.

“Your master miscalculated,” Huang Yu said gravely. “This isn’t just inauspicious – this is extremely inauspicious.”

The little Mountain God looked up and let out a deep sigh. “Whoa…”

Everyone looked up following his gaze.

Deep in the forest, a female ghost over three meters tall was sitting at a crucial point of a formation glowing with white light, looking at them coldly.

The ghost’s upper body was naked, with long limbs in a strange posture, blackened skin, resembling a spider. It was no longer an ordinary ghost at all.

Long hair was wrapped around her arms. Meeting their gazes, she stuck out her tongue to lick her lips all around and began cackling strangely.

Everyone stiffly turned their heads to look at another formation node.

There was another formidable evil ghost that couldn’t be underestimated.

Chu Xuanliang: “These are… they could all be called Ghost Kings, right?”

Huang Yu said, “Are they guarding the formation or suppressing it? If they can’t leave the formation, can we go around?”

Chu Xuanliang said, “But what kind of formation is this? It’s arranged so magnificently, but I’ve never seen it before.”

“No need,” Jiang Feng stopped them. “You stay here, I’ll go up.”

After Jiang Feng finished speaking, he strode up the mountain forest first.

Those stationed fierce ghosts immediately focused their attention on him, seemingly testing his strength. They eagerly extended their claws and long hair, but when he approached, they withdrew them again and actively let him pass.

The little Mountain God rushed out from behind everyone, shouting, “Daddy, I’m coming too!”

Jiang Feng stopped and shook his head at him.

“What kind of divine person is this?” Junior Brother scooped up the little Mountain God and held his waist. “Little friend, don’t make trouble. Go sit in the car first, remember to open the windows. It’s so hot, turn on the air conditioning too.”

The little Mountain God kicked his legs unwillingly.

After Jiang Feng’s figure disappeared from view, he forcefully broke free from Junior Brother and landed on the ground. He slapped his hand on the ground and summoned his own Mountain Xiao. Held in the embrace of the monkey-like Mountain Xiao, he disappeared into the mountain forest in the blink of an eye.

All three were startled, their hearts jumping hard.

“Little Mountain God!” Chu Xuanliang shouted, but the little Mountain God’s movements were more agile than they had imagined. Mountain Xiao were known for their elusive tracks and extraordinary speed, moving through steep mountain terrain as if on flat ground, with sufficient advantages.

By the time he opened his mouth, the little Mountain God had already disappeared.

Huang Yu said angrily, “What a spoiled child who won’t listen when he grows up!”

Chu Xuanliang said urgently, “I’ll go up and take a look, you don’t move.”

Huang Yu grabbed him. “If we’re going, let’s go together. What are you dawdling for? Which sect did you learn from? Am I not more experienced than you at catching ghosts? Step aside, Sister Huang will clear the way for you!”

Chu Xuanliang was forced to let her pull him along and walk beside her.

Huang Yu held a long staff and tentatively stepped forward. As soon as she stepped on the light at the edge of the formation, black hair from the fierce ghosts on both sides immediately coiled over.

The hair that should have been soft was harder than stone. When it struck her chest, it made a dull impact sound.

Huang Yu couldn’t dodge in time, and Chu Xuanliang and the other didn’t react either. In the span of a breath, Huang Yu had already been sent flying.

Chu Xuanliang shouted her name and ran over to help her up.

Huang Yu’s upper body was lifted by him. Her throat felt hot, and she dully spat out a mouthful of fresh blood. The pain in her chest was intense, and she had difficulty breathing for a moment. She smiled bitterly, “It really is… a Ghost King.”

Chu Xuanliang: “Huang Yu!”

Junior Brother shouted, “Ah ah ah, senior brother and sister!”

After pushing Huang Yu away, the two ghosts didn’t spare them. Black hair kept extending, stabbing out of the formation, surrounding them.

Junior Brother threw out a thunder-fire talisman. Light spots fell on the hair, burning sparks, but couldn’t spread and were directly extinguished. A thick burnt smell filled the air. Their thunder-fire couldn’t burn through those bundles of long hair at all.

“Run!”

Almost at the same time his voice rang out, the hair stopped and began to withdraw.

“Jiang Feng!”

Chu Xuanliang breathed a huge sigh of relief.

Jiang Feng had a premonition when he left, so he came back to check. Seeing this scene, he immediately felt a headache and asked, “Where is the little Mountain God?”

Chu Xuanliang was also anxious. “He just ran up the mountain. I don’t know which direction he went. He won’t be in danger, will he?”

Jiang Feng didn’t dare let them go back either, so he simply said, “He should be safer than you. Don’t worry about him for now, follow me.”

Chu Xuanliang asked Huang Yu in his arms, “Are you okay?”

“I’m fine.” Huang Yu waved her hand and said, “Carry me for a bit first, I can still fight.”

Chu Xuanliang hesitated for a moment, then still carried Huang Yu on his back and followed behind Jiang Feng as they went up the mountain together.

****