Chapter 103: Mountains as the Body, Moon as the Eyes

The intentions of that green spirit mattered little to Nan Luo. In his view, no one could lay a hand on him unless they possessed the power to destroy the entire mountain range.

Such power was not unheard of; Nan Luo himself could barely achieve it. To topple a mountain and even ruin the spiritual veins beneath it was possible, yet that merely destroyed an inert mountain.

Now, Mount Luo Ling was a living mountain, a part of Nan Luo’s very body. Though immobile due to its vastness, the longer the mountain merged with the world’s essence, the more of its power Nan Luo could harness.

Since the day he entered the Taiyin spiritual vein, he felt a profound warmth. Merging with the mountain, he could perceive all within it at will. The power felt capable of shattering heaven and earth, intoxicating him utterly.

But when he released the Taiyin Stele from his primordial spirit, the stele and the Taiyin vein instantly fused like magnets drawn together. The vein, as if liquid moonlight, surged wildly toward the stele.

Usually, Nan Luo could only control the Taiyin Stele in a rudimentary way. After countless days and nights of scrutiny, he had found no special function. But now, it radiated a milky, gentle light like moonbeams, harmonizing with the Taiyin vein and emitting a desolate aura.

At the same moment, as the stele glowed, Nan Luo felt as though he became the stele itself. Previously, his control over the stele was like wielding a tool externally. Now, there was a merging, a blending that transcended mere control. Unlike fusing an artifact into his body, it felt as if he were merging into the stele.

Shocked by this sensation, he tried to escape but found himself unable to break free. He had always been cautious, meticulously ensuring every step of his ritual was safe. From the start, he had been suspicious of Emperor Jun’s swift enshrinement of the three hundred and sixty-five star gods.

Given the Heavenly Court’s usual practice, there should have been an announcement to the world to amplify authority. Yet Emperor Jun silently sealed these gods, likely using great power to mask all information that day, preventing any assessment.

Fearing deception, Nan Luo was exceedingly careful in his rituals, repeatedly examining the Taiyin Star God Ritual. He found no irregularities and concluded it combined artifact forging and spiritual ritual. Its core was merging an object into the mountain’s spiritual veins, sensing the stars, and eventually harnessing their power alongside that of the terrain.

Both star power and mountain vein power are forms of celestial energy, which reassured Nan Luo enough to proceed. He surmised Emperor Jun intended to mobilize the mountain's energy through this method, linking the spiritual veins to stars, creating a triad of heaven, earth, and man.

This revelation opened Nan Luo’s eyes. Having already aligned himself with the triad of mirror, man, and sword, granting multiplied strength, he wondered how formidable the triad of cosmic stars and mountain veins would be. Who in heaven and earth could break such a force?

Despite these insights, he remained vigilant. He thoroughly knew each step of the ritual. The critical moment was when the Taiyin Stele dissolved into nothingness, and his own aura fused with the spiritual vein.

Looking back, even if he hadn’t entered the Taiyin vein, Emperor Jun might have had means to continue. Perhaps once the ritual started, he was already trapped with no escape.

Emperor Jun did not lie about the benefits. The instant of merging with the mountain’s essence brought an exquisite feeling of dominion over a realm. Yet that moment was fleeting. As his primordial spirit merged fully with the Taiyin Stele, it marked the darkest period of his life.

He exhausted every method to sever the link between his spirit and the stele, to stop the fusion. But in the end, he was powerless against it.

Days passed until he was completely absorbed into the stele.

Though agonizing, this process steadily deepened his understanding and perception of celestial forces. Initially, he could only barely summon mountain power, but over time the sensation became tangible knowledge.

The most mysterious was the star energy from the distant sky—the Taiyin star’s force—constant day and night, weaker in daylight and stronger at night.

During full moons, under the vast frost-like night, Nan Luo’s primordial spirit soared with the moonlight. Moonlight no longer was a formless, intangible glow but a power he could wield and apply.

All this was possible only through the Taiyin Stele, which enabled him to sense the Taiyin star and borrow its boundless energy. This happened unconsciously, without deliberate cultivation, through gradual perception and fusion.

The entire mountain had become his flesh. The Taiyin spiritual vein extending deep underground was now his source of power. Yet, he no longer controlled his own original body—it was as if roles reversed. Instead of sensing the mountain vein through his body, he sensed his body through the mountain vein.

Fortunately, his body had merged with half a drop of Wuzhu blood and had been refined by spiritual energy for years. Though his primordial spirit had left his body, it continued meditative cultivation, absorbing the world’s vitality to nourish the flesh, preventing decay.

His awareness of his body was clear, but control was gone. Wondering if the Azure Beauty Sword or Demon Moon Mirror remained under his command, he willed the Azure Beauty Sword to leap forth.

The sword flashed white light through the void, moving with ease and precision. Though he felt a slight unfamiliarity, the sword obeyed perfectly. Its power now far surpassed what he could wield before, given his current mastery and application of celestial energy.

The swordlight vanished abruptly, followed by the sound of the blade sheathing quietly upon his knees.

Though the Azure Beauty Sword was sheathed, a mirror appeared in the void. Initially a small, clear object hovering in Luo Ling Cave, it soon expanded, becoming hazy with a white glow.

Since then, the demons of Mount Luo Ling noticed a faint, misty moon hanging over the summit at dusk. At first, no one mistook it for the moon, merely a resemblance. Over time, it grew more moonlike and ascended higher.

Only then did the Demon Moon Mirror reveal a hint of its ability to illuminate heaven and earth.

Though Nan Luo could no longer move, he observed the world through the mirror. Initially, his view was limited to the surroundings of Luo Ling Mountain, but the scope gradually expanded.

No longer needing to meditate for enlightenment, Nan Luo used his abundant time to refine the Demon Moon Mirror. The Azure Beauty Sword remained linked by divine will, hoping to refine it to invisibility swiftly.

He applied the same method used on the Taiyin Stele to the mirror. Though not entirely, it inspired endless insight. Previously, the mirror’s power was simply to penetrate illusions. Later, he could borrow some elemental energies to form a triad with himself, but he now realized this did not fully unleash the mirror’s potential.

To Nan Luo, the mirror itself held no true power; it was an auxiliary tool. Yet, with his present understanding, its assistance was immense. When summoned, he sensed the mirror absorbing Taiyin star energy, a subtlety unnoticed before.

Thus, he aimed to refine the Demon Moon Mirror similarly to the Taiyin Stele, hoping one day it could draw boundless Taiyin star power and mobilize it.

While refining the mirror and watching the world through it, Nan Luo could not locate Bei Ling’s current whereabouts. Though he believed his master would remain indifferent even knowing his plight, he still harbored hope for rescue.

Bei Ling had become formless, moving with incredible speed.

She could not understand why, during idle moments, she recalled the scene of Nan Luo pulling her hand to flee. The memory quickened her heartbeat, much to her annoyance.

Though imprisoned by the Sleep Restriction for years, she was not without thought and understood matters between men and women, yet never imagined it would happen to her.

Did she love Nan Luo? She resolutely denied it.

Yet she could not explain why she kept sending beautiful female demons to Nan Luo, relishing his rejection and rebukes, feeling a strange satisfaction.

Learning of Nan Luo’s entrapment in the Taiyin Stele, she was furious—not for herself, but that he had carelessly fallen into a trap. These confusing emotions made her doubt her own feelings toward him.

Standing atop a precipice, gazing at the endless horizon, she told herself it was only gratitude for his rescue from the Sleep Restriction that caused her behavior, nothing to do with the ridiculous affections of the world.

A wry smile curved her lips, mocking herself and the follies of love.

Suddenly, a handsome, slender man in white robes sped through the air. Upon seeing Bei Ling, his eyes brightened. He made a graceful arc midair, descending like a cloud beside her.

Bei Ling did not even glance at him, as if unaware of his presence.

The man, calling himself Niu Lianhua, smiled and bowed. “I am Niu Lianhua, greetings, miss.”

Bei Ling stared into the distance, her waist-length hair and black rose gown fluttering in the wind.

Unfazed by her coldness, Niu Lianhua continued, “You seem troubled. Perhaps if you speak, I can offer some aid.”

Bei Ling turned, casting him a cold glance. “You’re too ugly.”

Startled, Niu Lianhua chuckled. “Haha, you have a sharp wit. I know a place with beautiful scenery, perfect for clearing the mind. Would you like to visit for a few days? All your troubles will fade naturally.”

Watching her expression intently, Niu Lianhua suddenly saw her smile, bright as moonlight breaking through clouds, momentarily dazzling him.

“Am I beautiful?” she asked softly, fragrant words.

Niu Lianhua nodded swiftly.

“Then can you do something for me?”

“Please say, miss. Even if I must pluck stars from the heavens, I will fulfill your wish.”

“No need. Just stand still and close your eyes.”

“Is that so? You think my eyes too charming? Very well, I shall close them.” He laughed and shut his eyes without care.

The moment his eyes closed, Bei Ling’s gaze turned icy. Her red lips barely parted, and the world’s energy surged as she unleashed the Soul Devouring Technique.

Prepared, Niu Lianhua transformed into a streak of light shooting skyward. At the same moment, Bei Ling vanished into the wind.

Appearing above, Niu Lianhua smiled and murmured, “I thought you were a quiet night flower, but you turn out to be a man-eating bloom. Interesting, indeed.” Then he vanished with the breeze.

Please support and bookmark the story. Thirty thousand words have finally been reached. Whether it will rise on the potential list remains unknown, but your support is greatly appreciated.