Chapter 404: The Foolish Old Man Moves Mountains, Fills the Sea, and Creates Land

Lu Yang was worried that if they went any further, various accidents might occur, hindering their progress. He had no desire to experience another mudslide, especially after his terrifying ordeal where he had to use his "Devouring Heaven and Earth" technique to consume the earth itself.

Meng Jingzhou knew Lu Yang was right. He grudgingly let the two get off the carriage, staying behind with the old horse.

After walking for about two or three miles, the two, along with the corpse, arrived at a gorge that looked as if it had been sliced open by a celestial sword. The canyon walls were steep and smooth, without any protrusions or depressions. If one were to attribute it to nature's craftsmanship, then nature's axe must have been divinely powerful.

Seeing Lu Yang notice the unusual nature of the gorge, Zhao Po explained, "The Valley of Seven Emotions wasn't always called that. It used to be known as the Sect of Seven Emotions. One former sect leader felt that the Central Continent was saturated with too many sects and schools, making the Sect of Seven Emotions inconspicuous. So, the sect invited a master swordsman to cleave the plain in two with a single strike, transforming it into this gorge. The Sect of Seven Emotions then conveniently rebranded itself as the Valley of Seven Emotions and even registered the name change with the imperial court."

"So there's a method like that," Lu Yang remarked, "That's quite an eye-opener. And it's surprisingly formal, even registering the name change..."

Mid-sentence, Lu Yang suddenly realized, "Wait a minute, doesn't the imperial court stipulate that cultivators must restore the landscape to its original state after using their powers? Shouldn't the Valley of Seven Emotions have required approval for this?"

"Exactly," Zhao Po replied. "That's why the Valley of Seven Emotions is still considered an illegal structure to this day."

*A gorge being an illegal structure? This is my first time hearing that,* Lu Yang thought to himself. *Truly a unique feature of cultivation worlds.*

Inside the mental space, the Immortal Fairy grumbled, "Your Great Xia is so strict about these things. In our ancient times, we were much freer. There weren't so many troublesome rules; we could change the terrain however we liked."

"I remember a family back then who lived in the mountains for generations. Their travel was incredibly inconvenient because two large mountains blocked their path, forcing them to take a very long detour to reach the outside world."

"That family had a child who, seeing how inconvenient travel was, decided to move the two mountains blocking their home. Some people ridiculed him, saying he was young and weak, unable to even lift a stone, so how could he possibly move two large mountains?"

"The child said, 'Even if I can't do it now, there's always the future. I can cultivate to the Qi Condensation stage. If that's not enough, then Foundation Establishment. If not that, then Golden Core. If not that, then Nascent Soul. The realms of cultivation are endless; one day, I will reach a realm where I can move mountains.'"

"That child went out to seek a master and learn. When he returned, he was already an old man. Those familiar with him called him Yu Gong. Yu Gong had cultivated an earth-shattering power. He returned to his hometown, used a Heaven-and-Earth Manifestation technique, and moved the two great mountains, Taihang and Wangwu, that stood before his home, tossing them into the sea."

"From then on, Yu Gong helped other families living in the mountains, moving the mountains in front of their homes and throwing them into the sea as well."

"Because he was always willing to help and frequently assisted others in moving mountains, over time, the vast ocean was filled with mountains."

"The story of Yu Gong moving mountains and filling the sea to create land became an idiom—'Yu Gong Fills the Sea'—used to describe the perseverance in cultivation needed to overcome difficulties."

Lu Yang painfully rubbed his temples, feeling as if his memories were becoming muddled.

The story wasn't over yet. The Immortal Fairy continued, "You should know that seawater doesn't disappear; it only displaces. When Yu Gong filled the ocean, the seawater overflowed, causing a great flood."

"Fortunately, the Ninefold Immortal had long ago created the 'Breathing Earth,' which expanded when it came into contact with water. He took out the Breathing Earth and used it to block the flood, preventing it from overflowing. This event became known to the world as 'The Immortal Tames the Flood.'"

Lu Yang's consciousness returned to reality. Only then did he notice many people queuing at the Valley of Seven Emotions. If they had to wait their turn, when would they ever get seen?

"What's going on? Have so many people been afflicted by the Valley of Seven Emotions' curse?"

Is the Valley of Seven Emotions' curse airborne? Are there really that many victims?

"Not at all," Zhao Po clarified. "More than half of the people in line were cursed by others and came to the Valley of Seven Emotions for help. To train their disciples in curse-breaking, the Valley of Seven Emotions arranges for some disciples to hold clinics at the gorge's entrance, resolving curses on the spot."

"Even though there are many people here, they're mostly suffering from minor curses, like toothaches or rheumatism."

"However, queuing won't help us. The disciples holding clinics here can barely undo Foundation Establishment-level curses. Senior Brother Meng's curse can likely only be lifted by the Valley Master themselves."

Suddenly, someone in the queue transmitted a message to Lu Yang and Zhao Po: "Little brothers, are you here to break a curse? I can let you have my spot. Just say you're my relatives, and it'll only cost five hundred spirit stones. Deal?"

Lu Yang followed the voice and saw the person who had transmitted the message, inviting them to cut in line. His eye twitched.

It was the man in the white paper hat who had impersonated the owner of Qingming Inn!

The audacity to openly appear in the Valley of Seven Emotions suggested that he was absolutely confident he could escape, even if discovered.

Lu Yang walked straight up to him, a slight smile on his lips. "Do you still recognize me?"

The man in the white paper hat saw Lu Yang's expression, stared at his face for a moment, and then realized, "I remember now! You were a guest at my inn!"

*That was clearly someone else's abandoned inn; how did it become yours?* Lu Yang thought to himself.

The man in the white paper hat looked puzzled. "Where are your brother and that old horse who were with you earlier?"

Lu Yang's heart tensed. The man in the white paper hat specifically mentioned the old horse; could he have recognized its extraordinary nature?

"Fairy, what is this man in the white paper hat's cultivation level?"

"It's hard to say. This is just a clone, so I can't discern his specific cultivation. He likely practices a technique like 'Myriad Transformations,' splitting himself into thousands of forms to train his mental strength."

"My bad luck, I'm leaving."

The man in the white paper hat vanished on the spot. This person, capable of riding a dragon horse, might not have a high cultivation level, but his foundation was terrifyingly solid, indicating a clearly complex background.

Although he hadn't met the other person, the living corpse accompanying him was refined using the Corpse-Driving Sect's method, indicating that the other person was from the Corpse-Driving Sect.

Lu Yang, with his unknown background, and Zhao Po, a disciple of the Corpse-Driving Sect, were both prone to causing trouble for him. It was better to leave first.

The man in the white paper hat performed an escape art right in front of Lu Yang, yet Lu Yang still couldn't tell how he had vanished.

"Is that the man in the white paper hat from the wanted poster?" Zhao Po also recognized him.

"You've heard of him too?"

"Yes, I have. When we were traveling the martial world, my brothers... my siblings and I tried to catch him for the reward money, but we never found him."

Zhao Po had initially wanted to capture the man, but seeing Lu Yang's grave expression, he realized the person was far less simple than he had imagined and thus suppressed his impulse to act.