Chapter 58: The Mountain-Opening Technique and the Mountain-Sealing Technique

"Hmm? Are they opening the mountain?" Zhao Xing had originally been listless, but hearing the commotion among the crowd, he perked up and looked into the distance.

To speak of the Mountain-Opening Spell, one must first mention the Mountain-Sealing Spell.

During the vernal equinox, Zhao Xing had watched Chen Shijie perform the Mountain-Sealing Spell, both of which required incantations.

At that time, the incantation Chen Shijie chanted was: "As rivers flow ceaselessly to the four seas, and mountains endure long in nature's peace, I obey the Ancestral Emperor's command, requesting spirits to guard this mountain."

"First, I command the mountain spirit to guard the five phases, uniting to give birth to all things; second, I command the earth mother to harmonize yin and yang, blending to nurture true vitality; third, I command the true lords of the eight directions to protect the dao. Travelers may pass, but grass and trees shall remain unharmed. Mountains may be entered, but no beasts shall be seen. Seal the mountain at once!"

Zhao Xing was very familiar with the Mountain-Sealing Spell, but the incantation for this version differed slightly from the one he knew, lacking the first stanza.

In reality, it made no difference whether the first stanza was present or not; it was merely a rationale spoken for the populace and a mention that the spell was decreed by the Ancestral Emperor.

The meaning of the first stanza was to explain to everyone why the mountain was being sealed—to adhere to sustainable development, rather than hunting, gathering herbs, and cutting wood on the mountain throughout all four seasons.

The truly effective part was the second stanza.

Because yin spirits were invited to guard, after the mountain was sealed, pedestrians could still pass through this mountain path, but they could not harm a single blade of grass or tree. If hunters secretly entered, they would not see any wild beasts at all.

This was the Mountain-Sealing Spell.

"The dynastic luck version of the Mountain-Sealing Spell requires the aid of yin spirits, but the resurgence version doesn't. Furthermore, it is more advanced and has an additional function to absorb and capture demons and filth."

"There is another technique within the Mountain-Sealing Dao known as the 'Snow Mountain Decree.' This is a lineage-ending spell, though it probably cannot take effect at this time."

Zhao Xing recalled the chant for the Snow Mountain Decree he had used in his past life:

At the first watch, mist and dew descend; at the second watch, heavy frost falls; at the third watch, heavy snow blankets the ground; at the fourth watch, frost is added atop the snow.

At the fifth watch, the rooster's crow is heard, and the trees in the mountain ring deep green.

The true dragon retracts its claws, the fierce tiger sheds its pelt, and the heavenly vermilion bird molts its feathers.

If there are ancestral yin spirits lingering in the mountain, their souls shall be scattered into void, leaving only white snow falling upon the human realm.

Under the Snow Mountain Decree, all things are illusions!

This Mountain-Sealing Spell could be said to be the resurgence version, the ultimate lethal move of the Sannong profession.

Zhao Xing reminisced about the past for a moment, and by the time he snapped out of it, Chen Shijie had already begun casting the spell.

Sealing a mountain was relatively complicated, but opening a mountain was much simpler.

"...The five phases and yin and yang reverse, the spell reveals true numinosity; the true lords of the eight directions disperse, the mountain spirit and earth mother return. I honor the Ancestral Emperor's command, open this mountain at once!"

Holding his official seal, Chen Shijie chanted once, and a ray of golden light flew from the seal straight into Mount Donghu.

As for the remaining Sannong officials of the lower ninth rank, they had to repeat the chant four or five times before golden light appeared.

At this glance, Zhao Xing knew that Old Chen's official rank was certainly not as simple as it appeared on the surface.

"Either he has concealed his strength, or his rank has dropped previously; otherwise, the gap between the upper and lower ninth ranks wouldn't be this vast," Zhao Xing thought to himself.

The golden light fell into Mount Donghu, and after about a moment, an invisible ripple spread out from among the mountains.

Zhao Xing cast his bright-vision spell and immediately saw specks of starlight emanating from the mountain, accompanied by illusory visions.

A purple exotic flower bloomed, a large tree bore cinnabar fruits, and there was a pale golden glazed lamp.

He only managed to capture these three visions; anything more was too blurry to make out.

"Maxing out the bright-vision spell certainly has its benefits. At least if I encounter these treasures, I won't fail to recognize them."

The sacrificial ceremony concluded, and Li Wenzheng took the stage once more, announcing that the government would dispatch the first batch of people to explore the mountain, clear paths for the common folk, and eliminate threats.

At the same time, scaling the mountain was also part of the assessment for officials of various departments.

"Charge!"

"Ascend the mountain to harvest spiritual radiance!"

"Don't fight me for it!"

The ban lifted, and immediately many people impatiently rushed into the mountain.

At a glance, they were boorish martial artists.

Zhao Xing did not rush; instead, he strolled leisurely with his literary bamboo box on his back.

Mount Donghu was huge, and to explore it thoroughly, a mere three days was not enough.

It wasn't a matter of whoever was fast getting the benefits; it still depended on luck.

Regarding luck, Zhao Xing remained rather confident.

"Zhao Sanjia, why aren't you rushing?" A familiar colleague jogged past and asked curiously.

"I'm just here to join in the lively atmosphere and haven't pinned any hopes on it. You all go ahead," Zhao Xing replied with a smile, looking like someone who wasn't there to compete, merely to watch the spectacle.

His voice was not quiet, and many of the gazes previously fixed on him were immediately withdrawn.

"I heard he's the rising genius of the Gucheng Sannong Bureau recently. Is that it?"

"There are no shortage of experts at the eighth or ninth stages of Gathering Yuan this time. He's rumored to be only at the third stage of Gathering Yuan, so it's normal he doesn't dare to compete."

"At least he knows his own limitations."

"Hmph, who knows if he's pretending on purpose? Look at that literary bamboo box; it's not light. If he were really just here to watch the fun, who would carry such a huge thing?"

"Who cares if he's pretending or not? His strength is right there; he poses no threat."

"Let's go, quickly up the mountain."

The hidden voices came from both outside the county and within it. Some felt Zhao Xing was putting on an act and actually intended to contend for benefits, while others felt he had self-awareness and was merely entering the mountain to go through the motions.

Gradually, the stream of people surpassed Zhao Xing, and soon he fell to the very rear.

As he walked, Zhao Xing found that he actually bumped into an acquaintance.

"Young Master Zong, why are you squatting here?"

He saw Zong Shichang resting his feet just as he reached a pavilion at the mountain pass.

"Woke up too early, forgot to eat, and got hungry."

Zong Shichang also carried a bamboo box, but most of what he packed inside was food. He even pulled out a bowl of steaming hot noodles from it!

Are you here for an official assessment or a autumn outing?

Seeing Zhao Xing staring, Zong Shichang assumed he was hungry too, and with great magnanimity, pulled out another bowl: "Want some? Top-quality beef broth paired with vermicelli finely ground from premium yuan-rice. It's damn delicious."

Zhao Xing hadn't intended to eat, but upon smelling the aroma, he instantly changed his mind and sat down by the porch to eat.

A wealthy dog—it would be foolish not to take free food.

"Ha~" Slurping a mouthful, Zong Shichang asked with a satisfied expression, "How is it?"

"Indeed quite good," Zhao Xing nodded.

"Want some wine?" Zong Shichang produced a flask and uncorked it.

"I'll pass on the wine."

"Suit yourself, drinking alone is no fun anyway." Zong Shichang crossed his legs. "How come you've fallen so far behind?"

Zhao Xing wiped his mouth: "Rushing is useless; scaling the mountain doesn't depend on who runs the fastest. What about Brother Zong?"

Zong Shichang laughed: "Do I look like someone lacking that bit of spiritual radiance? If my old man hadn't forced me to come, I wouldn't have wanted to."

You're really long-jumping in a latrine—going too far.

Is it really appropriate to flex in front of a poor person?

"Then Brother Zong, please make yourself at home. I'll take my leave first." Zhao Xing shouldered his bamboo box and prepared to depart.

"Let's go together," Zong Shichang stood up as well. "At least we'll have someone to talk to, otherwise wouldn't it be boring?"

"I won't be bored alone," Zhao Xing politely declined.

Zong Shichang added, "Don't be like that. My father has quite a bit of standing in Nanyang Commandery. If we run into experts from other counties, with me around, you'll have an extra layer of security."