Chapter 878: Tingqiu Mountain Fengshan Ceremony

The impact of the Dragon Transformation Banquet was undeniable. While it was already understood that attending and securing a prominent seat at the banquet held immense significance, some of the resulting changes still came as a surprise to certain officials in Da Zhen.

Three days after the Dragon Transformation Banquet, early one morning, in Jin Province of Da Zhen, Prefect An Ruoxuan abruptly sat up in bed at Tingqiu Prefecture, located at the foot of Tingqiu Mountain. His startled face was still damp with sweat.

He gasped, "Hoo... hoo... hoo..."

The Prefect wiped his face, looked around to confirm he was in his own home, and after a moment to compose himself, he disregarded the harsh winter cold of Jin Province. He threw off his covers, quickly dressed, hastily washed his face, and rushed directly to his study.

Last night, the Mountain God of Tingqiu visited him in a dream. The deity took him on a tour of Tingqiu Mountain and then informed him of the imperial court's previous prayers to the mountain, to which the god had agreed.

An Ruoxuan was aware that the imperial court had dispatched special envoys, along with their retinues and offerings, to conduct rituals and worship the mountain on several occasions. However, in previous instances, the Mountain God of Tingqiu had never appeared. Even last year, Chancellor Yin himself had made the journey.

During that visit by Yin Zhaoxian, the Mountain God of Tingqiu had reluctantly appeared once, offering Yin Zhaoxian some fresh spiritual fruits. But that was the extent of it; the god had bowed and departed after only a few words. The accompanying officials from Da Zhen could not, and indeed, were unable to, prevent his departure.

This time, however, the Mountain God of Tingqiu had actively appeared, which genuinely surprised Prefect An, residing at the foot of the mountain. Although he was unaware of the imperial court's exact prayer, he dared not treat the matter lightly. He immediately recorded the events of his dream and submitted a memorial to the court.

Most officials in Da Zhen now possessed genuine talent and practical knowledge. Prefect An Ruoxuan wrote swiftly, yet the core essence of his message remained perfectly clear, with lucid and well-structured sentences. In a matter of moments, he completed a two-page letter, meticulously detailing all the key points. Only after thoroughly reviewing it did he summon his servant.

"Someone – bring in the charcoal!"

A moment after the Prefect's shout, a yamen runner from just outside the door hastily pushed it open and entered, carrying a small brazier. The Prefect had risen in such a hurry that his study was still freezing cold, as he hadn't yet had time to light the charcoal brazier for warmth.

"My Lord, I'm here. I'll light the brazier immediately!"

An Ruoxuan rubbed his hands and blew on them for warmth. As he enclosed the letter in an envelope, he beckoned the yamen runner closer.

"Come here, come here. Don't light the brazier yet. The tinder in the room is out. Use the charcoal to light the candle; I need to melt the sealing wax!"

"Yes, sir!"

The yamen runner carried the small charcoal basin over, helping the Prefect light the candle and melt the sealing wax. He then watched as the Prefect sealed the freshly written letter with wax before handing it directly to him.

"Quickly, deliver this immediately to the residence of the Celestial Master in the city. Tell him that the Mountain God of Tingqiu has agreed to our imperial court's prayer. This is an urgent letter and must be sent to the capital with the utmost speed."

"Yes, sir!"

The yamen runner took the letter, rushed out of the official residence, then employed his light-footed martial arts, scaling walls and leaping across rooftops, to reach the secluded residence of the imperial Celestial Master at top speed and deliver the urgent dispatch.

Originally, the Celestial Master was grumbling to himself, rather displeased at being used as a mere messenger. However, upon hearing that the message concerned the Mountain God of Tingqiu agreeing to the prayer, his expression instantly changed. He gave a quick instruction, affixed two talismans to his legs, clutched another, and after a short run-up in the courtyard, he launched himself into the sky, swiftly riding the wind towards the capital.

After a day and a night, the Celestial Master, nearly exhausted to the point of collapse, finally delivered the letter to the capital. After a brief freshening up, he entered the palace with Grand Tutor Du Changsheng to have an audience with the Emperor.

Three days later, Da Zhen announced to the world that after the Lunar New Year, the Emperor, accompanied by all civil and military officials, would perform the Fengshan sacrifice at Tingqiu Mountain. Numerous officials had already been dispatched in advance to ensure the well-being of the populace, and a few details of the ceremony were also revealed on the imperial edict.

This announcement truly sent shockwaves throughout Da Zhen, astonishing everyone from the common folk to ghosts, gods, and immortal cultivators alike.

While imperial Fengshan sacrifices had occurred in many nations, and even several times in Da Zhen's own history, contemporary Da Zhen was unlike any other country. Its significant undertakings were already attracting considerable attention from beyond the mortal realm, and the details revealed on the imperial edict were particularly intriguing.

In addition to sacrifices to Heaven and Earth, there were numerous esteemed positions for accompanying deities or beings. Although the specifics were unclear, various parties speculated that these honored positions were reserved for certain powerful cultivation entities.

Currently, Da Zhen showed strong signs of leading the human destiny in Yunzhou. Among powerful individuals with keen spiritual senses and close ties to Da Zhen, there was a vague sense that this Fengshan ceremony would far surpass ordinary expectations.

"Boom... boom..."

Inside the Yin residence in the capital prefecture, Ji Yuan sat in the guest house's small courtyard, looking up at the sky. He observed the faint rumbling of thunder and the trembling firmament as Yin Qing and Yin Zhaoxian, having just concluded morning court, entered the courtyard together.

"Mr. Ji."

"You're here? Come and sit!"

The Yin father and son entered together, Yin Qing holding a stack of papers.

"Mr. Ji, the details for the Fengshan ceremony have been provisionally set. Please take a look."

Yin Qing said, walking to the table and spreading out the papers. The sheet he held was a large, folded document. It didn't contain complicated names; apart from some preliminary content, the characters for "Heaven and Earth" were at the top. Below, listed among those honored to receive accompanying sacrifices, were names such as the Mountain God of Tingqiu and the Underworld Emperor. At the very forefront was the Realm-Traveling Divine Lord, alongside the True Dragons of the Four Seas and other renowned deities.

Ji Yuan quickly scanned the document, then looked at the Yin father and son sitting beside him.

"Have representatives been sent to Jade Embrace Mountain and Qianyuan Sect?"

"Yes, representatives have been sent. Both immortal abodes have been offered the choice of whether to be included among the accompanying sacrifices, or they may nominate specific individuals by name for these positions."

Ji Yuan nodded. Previously, entities like the Underworld Emperor and the Realm-Traveling Divine Lord did not have specific names written on the list; their positions were self-evident due to their existing presence. However, these new named positions would allow the two immortal abodes to propose a particular immortal to be formally recognized.

Once a name is listed on the Fengshan proclamation, it will stand alongside Heaven and Earth. To a certain extent, such an entity might hereafter be recognized by the destiny of humanity and gradually gain the acknowledgment of Heaven and Earth. While it might not seem significant now, its future potential is limitless.

"Mr. Ji, do you think this Fengshan document should be publicly announced to the world?"

At Yin Qing's question, Ji Yuan quickly shook his head.

"No, no, absolutely not. Some content in it is not suitable for public disclosure beforehand. For instance, phrases about the 'Underworld of Earth' and the 'Heavenly Ancestral Court' in the post-sacrifice declarations are quite ambiguous and invite undue speculation. Even the mentions of the Civil and Martial Temples are not suitable to be revealed in advance. It's truly not advisable."

Yin Qing nodded in understanding, then spoke again.

"Mr. Ji, why can't we include your name? Grand Preceptor Du was very keen on adding you."

"That's quite unnecessary. Firstly, I don't care for such honors, and secondly, I'm even more averse to trouble!"

Ji Yuan smiled, having already taken out the tea set and poured tea for the Yin patriarch.

"Boom... boom..."

Thunder rumbled in the sky again, but it was just dry thunder without rain. The people of the capital had almost grown accustomed to it over the past two days.

"The grand cosmic order is shifting, and Heaven and Earth are stirring. This Fengshan ceremony should be held as soon as possible, before many realize what is happening!"

Yin Zhaoxian picked up his teacup, took a sip of hot tea, and looked at Ji Yuan, asking in a low voice.

"Mr. Ji, who exactly are these 'some people' you mentioned? Are they akin to the demons of the Black Wilderness, or perhaps those who covet the destiny of our human race? Could you elaborate privately?"

Da Zhen could no longer be regarded as a purely ordinary mortal nation. Since it might indeed be the cornerstone of humanity, the fate of the human race was inextricably linked to them. Ji Yuan pondered for a moment, then spoke with a smile.

"What you mentioned, Master Yin, certainly applies. But in truth, many of the 'unresponsive' individuals I referred to also include those on the righteous path, such as certain renowned immortal sects and secluded sacred domains. If some matters are made too explicit before they are enacted, it will only invite disputes and might prevent their accomplishment for decades, or even a century. How many years can humanity afford to wait?"

Ji Yuan spoke with a sigh, his gaze falling upon Yin Zhaoxian's full head of white hair. He had sensed this before, and it had been confirmed again at the Dragon Palace Dragon Transformation Banquet: Yin Zhaoxian's Vast Righteous Qi was exceedingly potent, yet he had never practiced a cultivation method to guide it. Consequently, any spiritual supplements he absorbed were immediately transformed into this righteous qi.

In essence, any potent elixirs or spiritual treasures, once absorbed, had negligible, if any, direct effect on Yin Zhaoxian himself, beyond being assimilated by his Vast Righteous Qi. And since this Vast Righteous Qi originated from his literary heart, assimilated spiritual objects could not significantly enhance it; it grew faster through Yin Zhaoxian's achievements in civil governance.

To put it more plainly, unlike breakthroughs in the martial path, while Yin Zhaoxian was certainly destined for a long life, he would no longer be able to transcend the limitations of a mortal lifespan.

Back then, Ji Yuan himself was a martial arts master. Given the similarities between martial arts practice and demon cultivation, and with the full support of Niu Batian, several great martial artists painstakingly delved into it together. They finally broke through the shackles of martial arts on the next generation, exemplified by Zuo Wuji. Martial arts inherently strengthen the self, so those blessed with martial destiny would naturally make progress.

But the civil path was different. Ji Yuan didn't even know how scholars, upon grasping the Vast Heart and fostering the civil path during the coming era of flourishing literary destiny, should conduct themselves. It might simply lead to another Yin Zhaoxian, and perhaps only Yin Zhaoxian himself could guide them, but he himself was running out of time...