Chapter 1915: Rainbow's Appearance

The Mortal World

Qin Sang followed behind a group of divine beings.

This was a rarely traveled mountain path, where the wild grass grew as tall as a person. It was said that following this path would lead to Ziyang Prefecture in the east. However, few dared to take this route, except for daring traveling merchants seeking shortcuts and martial artists. Over time, it became even more desolate.

The hooting of an owl sounded like the wailing of ghosts.

Indeed, a group of 'ghosts' was silently proceeding along the mountain path. The rugged path had no effect on them. The divine beings successively crossed several mountains, then suddenly turned off the path, following a valley directly into the deep mountains.

In the deep mountains and dense forest, the night mist was thick.

After traveling swiftly for a while, a small path paved with bluestone slabs surprisingly appeared ahead. The path wound its way, ascending sinuously, and disappeared among the mountains and forest.

After rounding a bend, the divine beings did not continue forward. Instead, they concealed their aura and quietly approached a mountain wall. Gao Ruoxu raised his hand and performed a magical incantation. The surface of the mountain wall bulged, wriggling like silk, and transformed into a square human face. Its eyes shifted, saw the group of divine beings, and immediately receded, as the mountain wall silently opened a passage.

Gao Ruoxu led his subordinates into the mountain wall.

"Greetings, Lord City God!"

Inside the mountain wall, as if hollowed out, there was a considerable space filled with divine beings, all saluting Gao Ruoxu. Two individuals, a man and a woman, led the group. The man wore black armor and appeared mighty, while the woman wore a white shirt and silk skirt, equally stern. They were the Martial Judge and Civil Judge under Gao Ruoxu, ranking second only to the City God in the City God Temple.

"What about the demons on the mountain?" Gao Ruoxu asked in a deep voice.

"We have investigated clearly. It's a group of demon foxes with considerable cultivation. The Taoist priests in Jade Cypress Temple have likely been massacred by these demons. Their evil deeds deserve execution," the Martial Judge said angrily.

The Civil Judge calmly stated, "This afternoon, two martial artists passed through here and were captured by the demon foxes and taken into the temple. To avoid alerting them, we did not intervene."

Gao Ruoxu nodded. "Based on their past behavior, they must know that we pay most attention to mortals. They should only absorb some *yang* energy from those two mortals and then release them, without resorting to lethal force. My concern is for the Taoist priests in the temple; their fate is likely grim!"

In this region, the divine path and the immortal path coexisted. As long as immortal cultivators did not massacre common people, practice demonic arts, or perform evil rituals like blood sacrifices, but simply cultivated diligently in the mountains, the divine beings would not actively trouble them. The mountain and its base seemed like two separate realms, *yin* and *yang*. Unless there were personal connections, the two sides generally kept to themselves. The Taoist priests on this mountain were no exception; they practiced seclusion year-round, with only the temple master occasionally visiting Gao Ruoxu.

At some unknown point, the temple was taken over by a group of demon foxes, and all the Taoist priests went missing. Jade Cypress Temple was far from the mortal world, and this group of demon foxes hid themselves very well. The divine beings of Beikuo County initially did not notice them. However, some impatient lesser demons descended the mountain to abduct mortals, using demonic charms to absorb *yang* energy for their cultivation. Although those mortals survived, they inevitably became listless and disoriented. As such cases increased, they were eventually noticed by the underworld constables, who began a covert investigation.

Upon investigation, Gao Ruoxu was also startled: many rogue cultivators around Beikuo County had mysteriously disappeared. Most of them were solitary practitioners with few friends, clearly specifically targeted. All clues pointed to Jade Cypress Temple. Such a tragedy occurring right under his nose, even if all the missing individuals were cultivators, meant Gao Ruoxu could not simply ignore it.

"Is the Immortal Binding Formation ready?" Gao Ruoxu looked at the Civil Judge.

The Civil Judge affirmed, then added, "As you instructed, we have confirmed that these demon foxes are still using Jade Cypress Temple's original grand formation. There isn't much damage within the temple. The Taoist priests of Jade Cypress Temple likely failed to notice the demons infiltrating and breaking through from the inside. This group of demon foxes should not be as powerful as anticipated."

"However, we cannot underestimate them. The temple master of Jade Cypress Temple is a master of the Foundation Establishment late stage, and several of his spells are quite powerful, yet even his spiritual sanctuary was occupied," Gao Ruoxu shook his head. With a flick of his sleeve, a silver talisman flew out. "I personally inscribed a Mountain Suppressing Spell. We must take down these demons in one go, allowing none to escape! As soon as the demon foxes send those two people out of the temple, we will act!"

"Understood!"

The Civil and Martial Judges bowed, each designating half of their underworld constables. Their figures descended, disappearing into the ground.

They waited until dawn.

Suddenly, several white figures ran down the mountain. Upon closer inspection, they were three snow-white fox kits, hopping and skipping along the bluestone path, occasionally chasing each other into the grass, frolicking and emitting joyful chirps. These three outwardly adorable fox kits, however, had a cloud of white mist hovering above their heads, and within the mist were two unconscious men in black. Both men were robust, with sabers at their waists, clearly possessing martial skills, yet they allowed the fox kits to manipulate them. Their eyes were sunken, and their complexions were poor, yet their faces were immersed in smiles, as if they were in a beautiful dream or savoring something.

The three fox kits brought them to the mountain path, away from Jade Cypress Temple, found a patch of wild grass, and left the two unconscious men there. The two men had been enchanted; they would not remember anything upon waking.

On their way back, a gust of shadowy wind suddenly swept up the three fox kits. The fox kits shrieked, trying to struggle, but were tightly bound by the shadowy wind. Their cries could not penetrate the wind, and they were swept away on the spot.

At this moment, Gao Ruoxu returned to the bluestone path, accompanied only by the mountain gods and earth deities. Not far ahead, the bluestone path abruptly ended, and cultivators could see a modest Taoist temple at its terminus. The temple was hidden within the mountain forest, exceptionally secluded, and should have been a pure and tranquil place beyond the mundane world.

Gao Ruoxu glanced left and right and commanded, "Raise the mist!"

The various earth deities acknowledged the command. Almost all of them held a staff with a dragon's head carved at its tip, a symbol of the earth deity's power, sometimes called the 'Earth God's Staff' or the 'Ground Controlling Staff.' The earth deities raised their Ground Controlling Staffs and waved them towards the base of the mountain. Mist quickly gathered, dense fog gradually surged up, engulfing the mountaintop and forming a mist curtain. This place was far from human habitation, so a minor spell to conceal the phenomena of the battle would suffice.

As the mist rose, Gao Ruoxu picked up the silver talisman, tossed it upwards, and simultaneously let out a low shout.

"Move mountains!"

The mountain gods assented, disappearing into the ground. The next moment, the earth trembled, and the surrounding mountains shook. One peak in particular swayed violently, sending rocks tumbling down.

'Crack!'

Like a bolt from the blue, that mountain astonishingly surged up a hundred *zhang*. A closer look revealed that the peak hadn't grown taller; rather, the entire mountain had been uprooted, its base fractured, and lifted by the mountain gods using their magical power!

'Whoosh!'

Gao Ruoxu formed a hand seal, and the silver talisman entered the mountain. The mountain's surface appeared as if coated in silver, making it incredibly heavy!

Inside Jade Cypress Temple.

The quiet rooms, originally belonging to the Taoist priests, had all been occupied by a group of demon foxes. They were now alarmed by the anomaly outside the mountain.

'Bang! Bang! Bang!'

White figures burst out of the doors, revealing over thirty demon foxes, all of them white foxes. Urgent cries rang out in the courtyard, which then turned into terrified shrieks. Inside the temple, some white foxes stood upright, while others still could not abandon their bestial forms. All the demon foxes stared blankly at the sky above the temple, which, along with the temple itself, was enveloped in a gigantic shadow.

It was a mountain, hurtling down towards them!

'Chirp! Chirp!'

The demon foxes felt intense fear. Even the old foxes were flustered. Gao Ruoxu's divine eyes were like lightning. Seeing the demon foxes in Jade Cypress Temple, he snorted coldly: "Even those at the late-stage demon spirit realm dare to cause trouble under my jurisdiction as City God!"

With the strength of Beikuo County's divine beings, dealing with these demon foxes was not difficult. The concern was that there might still be survivors in the temple, and the demon foxes, in despair, might turn ferocious and slaughter them. Therefore, he directly used the mountain-moving divine ability to break the grand formation and capture the demon foxes!

'Whoosh!'

The silver mountain rent the air, smashing fiercely towards the peak where the temple was located. The fierce gale snapped the trees in the mountain. The collision of the two mountains was bound to be earth-shattering, and this group of demon foxes would likely be buried. By the time they realized the crisis was upon them, it was too late. They could only see the fractured base of the silver mountain.

Seeing the silver mountain about to descend, the demon foxes were terrified. In their panic, they desperately activated Jade Cypress Temple's grand formation. Jade Cypress Temple emitted a beam of green light, which materialized into a verdant cypress tree in mid-air. The verdant cypress was lush with branches and leaves. Its massive canopy enveloped the entire temple below, its branches swaying, casting specks of green light.

'Boom!'

No sooner had the verdant cypress materialized than the silver mountain crashed down. In an instant, the verdant cypress erupted with dazzling green light, and broken branches and leaves rained down. Ultimately, it could not withstand the silver mountain, collapsing under the immense pressure, emitting cracking sounds, and its trunk becoming covered in fissures.

'Crack!'

Finally, under the terrified gaze of the demon foxes, the verdant cypress shattered, and green light scattered in all directions. The demon foxes were not the masters of the temple, and thus were not particularly familiar with its grand formation. When activated in haste, it was shattered by a single blow from the silver mountain!

Gao Ruoxu had already anticipated this. With a flick of his finger, the silver mountain, having broken the grand formation, paused in mid-air. The terrified demon foxes had no will to fight. They scattered and fled, taking desperate paths. Before they could escape the courtyard walls, rolling black mist and shadowy wind arose from all directions, surging into the temple.

'Whoosh! Whoosh!'

Chilling shadowy winds and pitch-black mist, where one could not see their own hand, permeated the temple. Not only did it obscure vision, but the demon foxes' spiritual senses were also affected. Demon foxes with lower cultivation were immediately disoriented. Panicked cries rose and fell.

'Whoosh!'

A black chain suddenly shot out from the black mist, heading straight for a disoriented demon fox. The demon fox was utterly defenseless. It was instantly bound by the chain, dragged into the depths of the black mist, and then fell silent.

Gao Ruoxu also entered the temple, his gaze swiftly sweeping through each quiet room, searching for survivors. Without needing the City God's command, the earth deities took action. As their Ground Controlling Staffs tapped the ground, green light surged up beneath the demon foxes, growing into several vines that firmly bound them. In the blink of an eye, only a few of the highest-cultivated demon foxes could still struggle.

The Civil and Martial Judges led the underworld constables, manifesting and rushing towards those few demon foxes. Their battle formations shifted continuously, easily separating and attacking the demon foxes individually. No matter how potent the demon foxes' magic, they gradually fell into a disadvantaged position against the encirclement of the divine beings. Furthermore, their expertise lay in enchantment, not direct combat, and they had no opportunity to employ their preferred spells. One by one, the demon foxes were captured, without Gao Ruoxu even needing to act.

Gao Ruoxu secretly guarded against any powerful demons that might be hidden in the shadows, but no surprises occurred until the very end. He noticed a quiet room, flashed over, raised his hand to break the demonic enchantment on the door, and pushed it open. Inside, over a dozen cultivators were standing or sitting, all familiar faces. However, far more cultivators had gone missing during this period. Jade Cypress Temple itself only had two Taoist priests left, with the rest, including the temple master, unaccounted for! These individuals were also in poor condition; their cultivation had been sealed, their faces were pale, and their vital energy severely depleted. Gao Ruoxu waved his hand, breaking the demonic enchantments on them, and two immediately collapsed to the ground.

"Other fellow Taoists..."

"My master and them... they were all drained of their essence by those demon foxes! Lord City God, you must bring justice for us, kill those demon foxes, and avenge my master and grandmaster!" The sole surviving Taoist priest of Jade Cypress Temple wept uncontrollably.

Gao Ruoxu sighed, returned to the temple, and saw that all the demon foxes had been arrested, shackled, and not a single one had escaped. He swept his gaze across the temple, feeling that something was amiss. He pointed to the oldest demon fox and commanded, "Bring that one forward!"

Just as the divine beings materialized, preparing to break open the temple's grand formation.

In the innermost quiet room of Jade Cypress Temple, which was originally the temple master's cultivation chamber, a young boy now sat in meditation. The boy had rosy lips and white teeth, an exquisite appearance, a graceful and handsome youth, and surprisingly, possessed a cultivation at the mid-stage Golden Core realm. His eyes were closed, and he was in secluded cultivation. Suddenly, he felt something, opened his eyes, and his brows furrowed slightly.

"They came so fast! Hmph! I knew these troublesome foxes couldn't restrain themselves. They must have bothered mortals again while I was in secluded cultivation, revealing their tracks. Beikuo County's City God has some ability. I'll have to abandon these foxes! It's a pity my injuries haven't fully recovered, and without the demon foxes to help me, replenishing my *yang* energy will be a bit troublesome..."

The boy shook his head, coughed into his hand, and took out a small wooden figurine. A drop of essence blood seeped into it, and the figurine burst with a bloody light, enveloping the boy. The boy gradually became ethereal, turning into a bloody shadow, and finally completely dissipated.

In another nearby mountain, a small tree suddenly withered, revealing the boy's form. He quietly escaped the encirclement, unnoticed even by Gao Ruoxu. The boy then took out a spiritual talisman. Its surface emanated faint electric sparks and iridescence. With a flick of his palm, he transformed into a faint rainbow light and vanished into the morning mist, moving faster than lightning. Even if Gao Ruoxu had questioned him, he would likely not have been able to catch up.

At this moment, Qin Sang stood on a mountaintop, observing all the events unfold. The boy's cultivation was a level higher than Gao Ruoxu's, yet he abandoned the group of foxes and fled without a fight, which surprised Qin Sang somewhat. What surprised him even more was the spiritual talisman the boy used!

Qin Sang raised his hand and made a grabbing motion in the air.

The boy, who was escaping using the talisman's power, suddenly felt his entire body tighten. He became dizzy and disoriented, falling heavily to the ground. He looked up to see a Taoist standing before him. Being clever, he immediately flipped over onto his knees and repeatedly kowtowed, "Senior, spare me! Senior, spare me!"

"Where did you learn this Rainbow Appearance Talisman?" Qin Sang asked.

The Rainbow Appearance Talisman was a type of lightning talisman recorded in the Five Thunder Envoy Seal!

"Rainbow... Senior, are you referring to this Rainbow Lightning Talisman?" The boy trembled, not daring to conceal anything. "This junior was originally from Ji Country. After the major sect Thundercloud Sect in Ji Country splintered, its scriptures and Dharma teachings spread everywhere. Cultivators around Ji Country generally know a few lightning spells. This spiritual talisman's technique was exchanged by this junior from the Wuhui Sect, using a family heirloom scripture..."