ATEG Chapter 107.1

When death is due, one must die.

“No! I don’t want the totem to die!” Gelowa hugged Xiezhi’s front legs, glaring warily at the Ghost King, his face still covered with tear stains.

Xiezhi gently broke free from the crowd surrounding him and walked toward the Ghost King. “Please lend me your power, fellow daoist, to help me escape from this body.”

His body was already saturated with aberrant blood qi. When death is due, one must die. By borrowing the Ghost King’s pure killing intent to sever this body, although many years of cultivation would be lost in a single day, at least his clean spirit soul could be preserved, and he could completely escape from his current muddled state.

It was merely re-entering the cycle of reincarnation.

Gelowa cried until he nearly choked. Gemawa held him, tears streaming down her face as well.

The villagers couldn’t suppress the sobs in their throats, but no one tried to stop it anymore—it was the totem’s will.

Nu Xu’s expression became solemn. She held the white bone blade horizontally before her chest with one hand, slowly brushing over the blade with the other, and bowed to Xiezhi.

Xiezhi closed his eyes. The blade light was pale white.

The massive body fell silently, exploding into scattered flowing light on the lake surface filled with moonlight and blood-red color. The flowing light dispersed and fell lightly onto the villagers.

The bell staff fell, the bell sounds rang chaotically. Wencha had already collapsed at the lakeside, cradling the flowing light that fell on his chest, his mouth open in soundless grief. The Old Grandmother, supporting herself on Da Wu’s arm, trembled, tears sliding continuously from her closed eyes.

From where Xiezhi had fallen, the blood-stained lake returned to clarity, spreading outward in all directions until the entire lake transformed back into a clean, bright appearance.

The lake water was brilliant white, neither turbid nor muddy. The clear mirror was bright, neither dim nor obscure.

The place where the Saichi dwelt, the place where the Saichi rested.

On the lake water, as clear and bright as a mirror, Xiezhi’s form suddenly appeared in reflection.

Nu Xu’s blade tip dropped into the lake. Vast yet light ghost qi entered the lake, and Xiezhi’s shadow transformed from incorporeal to solid, rising from the water’s surface. He opened his eyes—a pair of dark blue eyes, translucent as glass.

“When obsession runs deep, one transforms into a ghost.” Nu Xu put away the white bone blade. “Your divine powers remain, but you must cultivate anew.”

Xiezhi was stunned for a moment, his gaze slowly sweeping over the people on the shore. “So… I still had such deep obsession.”

By borrowing the Ghost King’s pure killing intent to cleanse the aberration from his body, although his physical cultivation was lost in a single day, he had also completely escaped from Bie Chunian’s control.

But in abandoning his physical body, he had also abandoned his bloodline.

Gelowa looked at Xiezhi, who had already transformed into a ghost body in the lake, but only felt an empty, uncomfortable ache in his chest. The villagers saw Xiezhi’s form again and stopped crying, but their tear-stained faces showed only sorrowful confusion.

Everyone felt it—that intimate, warm bloodline that had connected them was already gone.

Xiezhi was still Xiezhi, but he was no longer their totem.

“Since you have not entered reincarnation, the one behind this may still covet you. If you have nowhere to go, you can temporarily reside in my ghost domain.” Nu Xu said.

Wencha still sat collapsed by the lakeside. He hadn’t made a sound, not even a single tear had fallen from his eyes, yet the hem of his robe had been soaked through by the lake water, and still he showed no reaction, only staring at Xiezhi in the lake.

“I have not taken back your divine powers.” Xiezhi’s glass-like eyes fell upon him, his voice still as stable as mountains.

“That power is in the bloodline. Your heart was merely clouded for a time, which is why you couldn’t perceive it.”

Xiezhi took one last look at the villagers, then stepped into the Underworld together with Nu Xu. As the Ghost King said, now that his cultivation was scattered, remaining here would only bring disaster.

The lake surface became empty.

“Do we no longer have a totem?” Gelowa’s eyes widened in sorrowful confusion.

Gemawa held him. “No, the totem has always been here.”

She pressed one hand to her heart. “Right here.” Flowing in their bloodline, forever by their side. Even if sometimes lost, as long as they looked back, they could see it—the totem had always been there.

Wencha’s face was already streaming with tears.

…..

The old matter was finished, the broken situation resolved.

Later, when General Zhaohu Crab heard of this matter, he couldn’t help but sigh: If they had known it would come to this, why perform the blood sacrifice in the first place?

But for the villagers, this was never a matter of making a choice.

Whenever they encountered problems, they prayed to the totem, but who cared for the totem’s heart?

The totem was like this, the gods were like this.

Amid the swirling incense smoke and prayers as abundant as sunset clouds, how many were for one’s own affairs, and how many thought of the gods?

At the foot of the Daqing Mountain range, in Liquan Village.

Children’s height shot up quickly, but no matter how fast, she was still a little bean sprout.

Still a little bean sprout, Tongdou stood on the small footstool that her second brother Zheng Shu had specially made for her, respectfully offering three incense sticks to the two spirit tablets on the altar—one for the immortal who lived in the mountains and had saved her, one for Great King Yishan who protected the village.

Using the immortal as a diary, Tongdou chattered on the small footstool about everything that had happened today, and at the end, after thinking for a moment, added, “I was very happy today. I wish the immortal and the Great King happiness too!”

The pale blue smoke slowly rose, drifting away in the autumn wind. Two threads of heart-intent rode the clouds and descended upon the Li Manor. One thread fell upon Great King Yishan Jin Liushan, who was teaching the Dharma to the little demons in the courtyard, while the other flew into the house.

The habit of teaching the Dharma to the enlightened beings in the mountains had been passed down continuously—first by Li Chi, then by the old turtle, and now that the old turtle had been taken away by the incarnation of the Huai River Divine Lord, Jin Liushan continued this matter—after a while longer, he could be called Jin Qishan.

Previously, he had the strength to move six mountains, hence his name Jin Liushan. At that time, the so-called six mountains were merely small hills, but since becoming a true demon god, he could now carry six actual small mountains on his back.

The power of earth is solid and thick, nurturing life and gathering death, skilled at bearing weight.

After becoming a true earth god, Jin Liushan realized how far wrong he had gone before. However… Jin Liushan glanced at the tightly closed door.

Since that time, High God Li Chi had not appeared for a very long time.

This Dharma teaching session had already ended. The little demons who had stayed here conscientiously cleaned up the surrounding environment before leaving.

The mountains were pure and quiet, like a paradise haven. Because of the High God’s long presence, this place had become a land abundant with spiritual essence and vibrant life force. Though only a branch range, spiritual veins had already formed underground. Earth veins generate spirits, extending their network, and the blessed land grew ever wider. In this Aberration calamity, it created a pure land.

Each time he came from the turbid mortal world to the mountains to teach the Dharma to the mountain beings, it was also a rare relaxation for Jin Liushan.

Though he didn’t know why the High God had not appeared for so long, since the divine blessed land continued to grow, the High God should not have any problems.

Though the mountains were good, since he had already become an earth god of one region, he should also shoulder his responsibilities. To become a deity who could bless a region like the High God was also his goal. Jin Liushan rose and respectfully bowed toward the tightly closed door, preparing to descend the mountain.

The door that had been closed for so long suddenly opened. The deity, in white robes with black hair, his bearing unchanged, stepped into the courtyard.

Jin Liushan was startled and bowed again. “High God.”

Li Chi’s gaze fell upon him, saying, “Since you are here, this is your opportunity. Come with me on a journey.”

Though Jin Liushan was confused, he still assented.

The manor spirit Hou Li also appeared in the courtyard. Li Chi said to him, “In a few days, a guest will come. You may seek his instruction.”

Hou Li was equally puzzled, but this was the High God’s command, so he accepted directly. The High God had been in seclusion for so long—what had he emerged for this time? He watched the direction where the High God departed with Jin Liushan. That direction… seemed to follow this branch range toward the main range of the Daqing Mountains.

And who was the guest the High God mentioned? Why did he say he could seek instruction from that person?

….

Diancang Mountain.

This name referred both to the only surviving branch range after Tianzhu Mountain collapsed twelve thousand years ago, and to a sect that cultivated here. Diancang Mountain stretched for thousands of miles. That they could be directly named after it showed their strength without need for further words.

Diancang Mountain was vast, its terrain mostly precipitous and strange, with six great scenic wonders within.

Among them, Yixi Gorge, Four Seasons Forest, Cloud Sea Shadow Wall, and Summit Sunset Glow—these four held no danger. As long as one could reach them, they could be viewed. But the other two great scenic wonders were separated by formations and did not permit people to approach. One was called Bijin Cliff, the other the Fire Pool.

Both Bijin Cliff and the Fire Pool had elders from Diancang Mountain residing there long-term. The formations served to isolate them, firstly to prevent others from disturbing them at will, and secondly for people’s safety. Both places had dangerous areas that could take lives. If the resident elders were present, they could rescue people, but if they happened to be away when unknowing people approached and carelessly lost their lives, that would be pitiful.

Setting aside Bijin Cliff, the Fire Pool was located at the terminal end of Diancang Mountain, hidden deep within jagged stone ridges. The layered ridges formed pools of varying heights and sizes, spreading across more than ten li, all lands of flowing fire.

These pools flowed with molten gold-like magma. Due to the different depths of the pools, they displayed varying shades of red—light as topaz amber, deep as blue lotus and purple rosewood, transitioning and blending between vermillion, scarlet, crimson, and red, brilliant and gorgeous. The stone ridges separating the layered pools were dark-colored, growing lamp-wick-like long grass in varying shades of gold. The grass bodies were immersed in the flowing magma, and when the magma flowed downward between pools, golden threads were drawn out, appearing and disappearing.

Besides this lamp-wick flame grass, other plants grew in the Fire Pool. The most eye-catching were the large Heartless Fire Lotuses blooming on the pool surface. Unopened buds were red, while open fire lotuses had semi-transparent flame-flow petals—pale blue flames at the base of each petal, becoming blue-purple flames at the tips, sparking with scattered fire stars. The fire lotuses had no roots, drifting with the flowing magma in the pools like river lanterns released during prayers by mortals, yet infinitely more beautiful than such a scene.

However, beneath this beautiful scenery lurked deadly danger.

Though the Fire Pool was beautiful, its temperature could melt gold and stone. Even throwing a thousand-forged precious sword into the pool would be like a snowflake entering boiling water—not even making a sound. But such terrifying heat was condensed only in the flowing magma, not displayed outwardly. Less than a step from the pool’s edge, cool autumn breezes still blew, lush shrubs grew, seven-star ladybugs crawled on leaves, drinking condensed autumn dew to quench their thirst.

Such danger, being contained and hidden, meant unknowing creatures would approach without awareness. Some, enchanted by the beautiful scenery, might even actively try to touch it.

The autumn wind suddenly rose, shaking the leaf. Dewdrops rolled, drowning the nearby ladybug. The little ladybug panicked momentarily, unable to grip the leaf, and was carried by the autumn dew toward a fire lotus.

Above the pool, a stream of hot air suddenly steamed up, drying the water drops on the little ladybug and sending it to the shore.

In the center of the Fire Pool, a man wearing a dark red short robe sat barefoot at an angle, one leg crossed, one leg bent, his bare foot directly touching the Fire Pool’s scorching magma. His forefoot rhythmically tapped the pool surface, stirring up circles of golden flowing light. The breath between his mouth and nose transformed into flowing wind on the pool surface, isolating all creatures from contact with the Fire Pool.

This was the elder who resided long in the Fire Pool, named Fengchuan, one of the two spirit beings in Diancang Mountain who had broken through the barrier of self-delusion.

Fengchuan was sitting in the Fire Pool with closed eyes, inhaling and exhaling the Fire Pool’s breath, when he suddenly received a message. He straightened his posture and sat properly, bowing his head solemnly to listen. After several breaths, he responded “Yes” to the empty air before raising his head and rising. His toe tapped once, and he disappeared from where he stood. In the Fire Pool, from the golden waves generated by his tap, the fire lotuses that had been floating freely in the pool quietly changed their movement, forming a complex and profound pattern. Circulating hot wind rose from the pool surface, still isolating ordinary creatures from contact with the Fire Pool even after Fengchuan departed.