Chapter Twenty-Nine: Planting the Seed of Dao, Spiritual Springs Emerge from the Earth (Shamelessly asking for monthly votes this weekend! Please keep following along!)

Bai Yi moved swiftly, and before long, she had gathered everyone within the Crimson Pine Dao Palace. People carried bundles and bags, some even clutching piles of ancestral tablets, exchanging bewildered glances with one another, looking very much like refugees fleeing calamity.

The three elders, their hair snow-white, were among them. The Abbot, Master Jade Tranquility, upon receiving Bai Yi’s message, hesitated not for a moment. He tore off several pieces of gray cloth, rushed to the scripture repository, and quickly packed up every martial arts manual to carry out. Not only that, he also ordered disciples to wrap the many ancestral tablets from the ancestral hall in red cloth and bring them along.

Master Jade Origin was even more dramatic. He carried on his back the massive alchemy cauldron from the pill chamber, weighing a thousand pounds, and in both hands held a string of gourds filled with various medicines. Fortunately, he had broken through to the Master’s realm; otherwise, even with perfect qi channels, the sheer weight would have been overwhelming!

His disciples were not idle either, each carrying several large bundles of dried herbs, following closely behind. Compared to them, Master Jade Virtue, in charge of sword forging, and his disciples appeared far more composed. Their belongings consisted mainly of ironwork, not easily damaged, so each carried only a few bellows and walked over calmly.

Although the elders did not understand why they had been asked to bring all their possessions to the Pine Ancestor to take shelter, once they heard it was Lin You’s instruction, they came immediately. Lin You’s standing in their hearts now rivaled that of Master Pine Crane, nearly equal to the founder himself. So, when he spoke, the whole sect obeyed without question.

Now, the gathered crowd bustled noisily, squeezed onto the open ground beside the Pine Ancestor, creating a lively scene. The Abbot, Master Jade Tranquility, seeing Lin You seated beneath the Pine Ancestor, hurried forward to ask, “Brother Jade Morning, you summoned us in haste—has something happened? Is Zhang Zongcheng preparing to attack us?”

He had been anxious these days, fearing Zhang Zongcheng would learn of the uncle’s passing and lead an assault on the mountain. Upon hearing Lin You’s call to bring their belongings, his first reaction was that a great enemy was at the gates.

The other two elders shared the same suspicion. Impatient by nature, Master Jade Virtue spoke up before Lin You could reply: “In my opinion, we should stick to the original plan! Let Brother Jade Morning take the ancestral tablets and disciples down the mountain to safety, while we three old bones, having broken through to Master, stay behind to defend the mountain!”

Master Jade Tranquility and Jade Origin nodded in agreement. The disciples, led by Qingyangzi and others, immediately protested, “We won’t leave! We vow to live and die with the Dao Palace!”

Most had grown up on this mountain, long considering the Dao Palace their home. After Bai Yi’s earlier commotion, those with less devotion had already departed; those remaining were deeply attached to the Palace. Hearing the elders suggest leaving them behind, their eyes reddened—they would not abandon the three elders.

The atmosphere grew heavy.

Lin You, seeing this, shook his head and smiled, “My brothers, you worry too much! I summoned everyone not because a great enemy approaches, but because I intend to reshape the mountain’s earth veins and fear the process might affect the disciples.”

“Hmm, if that’s the case… Wait, what did you just say?” Master Jade Tranquility thought he had misheard and hurriedly asked again. The other two elders exchanged incredulous looks. Had they heard right? Reshaping earth veins? Was that something mortals could do?

“My brothers, please be seated.”

Cushions had been laid on the ground, brought out by Bai Yi from the halls. The three elders chose the frontmost seats, curiosity stirring within them—they wished to witness their junior’s mystical abilities firsthand.

The other disciples, under Bai Yi’s direction, found their places and sat, all eyes fixed intently on this venerable uncle.

Lin You, seeing everyone settled, nodded slightly. This earth vein reshaping would be unlike any before; the changes to the Dao site could be immense, and even he could not predict their extent. To prevent casualties from the earth’s tremors, he had Bai Yi evacuate the Palace in advance, ensuring their protection.

Now, the setting sun cast its golden rays, dusk deepening. Lin You sat cross-legged beneath the Pine Ancestor, the last sunlight gilding him with a divine halo. As the assembly held its breath, Lin You’s aura seemed to merge gradually with the world around him, filled with a rhythm of natural harmony.

Though he sat motionless, all watching felt as if his figure grew taller and larger by the moment, slowly becoming the very center of heaven and earth.

“The mountain of Miaogu She, where the divine ones dwell. Skin like snow or ice, graceful as a maiden. They eat no grains, breathe wind and drink dew, ride clouds, command flying dragons, and roam beyond the four seas…”

Gazing at Lin You, everyone’s hearts conjured the description of the divine from the Dao scriptures.

They were awed beyond words.

Lin You’s aura grew more ethereal and lofty, like a lord wandering the heavens, or a deity commanding the universe. Suddenly, this “deity” extended his right hand.

In his pale, jade-like palm, he held a sphere of purple-gold light, radiating misty brilliance, resembling a tiny “star.”

At the instant this purple-gold “star” appeared, the onlookers felt a powerful urge to reach out for it, as if within its glow they glimpsed shifting stars, changing heavens, and the ultimate truths of the Dao they had long sought.

It was a yearning from deep within their souls.

But before they could act, the godlike figure at the heart of the world tossed the purple-gold “star” high.

In but a moment, the sphere merged into the vastness of heaven and earth.

Thunder rolled, rumbling loudly all around—like a galloping herd shaking each heart to its core.

The crowd shook off their daze, and when they looked around, their faces turned ashen with shock.

The entire Crimson Pine Peak trembled violently. Many trees were uprooted, and the gigantic Pine Ancestor swayed as though it might collapse at any moment.

This was the splitting of earth and mountain—true catastrophe.

“Brother, the mountain is collapsing! Run!”

Master Jade Tranquility, terror on his face, could no longer remain seated; he shouted to Lin You, intent on dragging him to safety. This had surpassed his understanding—he could not believe a mortal capable of such power.

The disciples panicked, scrambling to flee.

“Be calm!”

At that moment, a divine voice thundered through the gathering, like celestial thunder or the great bell of an ancient temple, imbued with a power to soothe and steady hearts. Instantly, the chaos stilled.

Lin You, seated in the center, had merged wholly with the Dao site, aligned with the world itself, truly speaking with the authority of heaven.

Having calmed the assembly, he plunged his mind into the Dao site, focusing entirely on stabilizing the earth veins.

The jade-green sapling’s roots anchored the veins like needles holding the sea, preventing the peak from crashing down. The two jade leaves, brimming with spiritual energy, were also invested into the Dao site, enhancing his control over the earth veins.

As time passed, the cataclysmic shaking gradually subsided.

In the valley of Crimson Pine Peak, the ground split open with a huge fissure, and from it gushed a spring of clear, blue water, the size of a large palm.

The crystal water bubbled forth, sparkling in the sunlight. Everywhere it flowed, withered grasses and trees revived visibly, growing lush and vibrant in the blink of an eye, as if life itself had been restored in an instant.