Seeing Ye Xuan arrive, Huang Yue stepped forward to pay his respects.
Ye Xuan nodded slightly and said, "Follow me."
The two of them left the Qiankun Palace together and returned to Hengduan Mountain.
They followed the mountain range where the Qiankun Palace was situated, heading northward, passing by marvelous peaks and strange rocks, pillared cliffs, and precipices.
Ye Xuan took the initiative to explain to Huang Yue:
"Within Hengduan Mountain, there are many great peaks, but the largest mountain range has never been successfully worshipped, let alone the conferment of a Mountain God. Those below it were initially conferred by the first few Earth Ancestors of the Mountain God Dao. The ones even further down are also formidable, but your current strength is not sufficient. I have chosen three peculiar peaks for you, which are about average within Hengduan Mountain."
"This is one of them, called Purple Lightning Peak. You will need four Enlightenment Pens and four Mountain God Books. If you can successfully worship the mountain, I will command the mountain spirit of Purple Lightning Peak to obediently let you confer it."
Ye Xuan stopped and pointed at the towering peak in front of them, where bolts of purple lightning occasionally streaked across the sky, an awe-inspiring sight.
Huang Yue, upon seeing Purple Lightning Peak, couldn’t help but exclaim in admiration, "This Purple Lightning Peak, I’m afraid, is even more formidable than the Li Mountain Seven Peaks..."
"Within Hengduan Mountain, even the mid-level peaks, when compared to those in the East Desolate, are of the highest caliber," Ye Xuan said indifferently.
"Senior, then I shall go!" Huang Yue said eagerly.
"Go," Ye Xuan nodded.
In the matter of mountain worship, there’s no way to help; naturally, he wouldn’t assist either.
If the mountain worship failed, even if Ye Xuan could subdue the mountain spirit, Huang Yue would not be able to confer it successively.
Such are the rules of the Mountain God Dao.
Ye Xuan’s gaze rested on Huang Yue as he watched him go to worship the mountain.
Purple Lightning Peak, standing three thousand feet tall and soaring into the clouds with thunder and lightning innate, was a force to be reckoned with.
Even Saint Realm powerhouses would have to detour upon approaching it.
Huang Yue flew towards Purple Lightning Peak, descending to the earth about a kilometer away from the mountain, and then proceeded on foot.
He bowed thrice and kowtowed nine times. Arriving at the foot of Purple Lightning Peak, he looked solemn and pious, holding three sticks of incense in his hand. After lighting them, he bowed and kowtowed another nine times, his voice booming like spring thunder:
"Disciple of Mountain God Dao, Huang Yue, comes to worship Purple Lightning Peak today."
His voice reverberated like thunder, echoing around Purple Lightning Peak.
Then, Huang Yue planted the three incense sticks into the ground, sat cross-legged, and took out the Enlightenment Pens and Mountain God Books, his gaze fixated on Purple Lightning Peak.
An extremely terrifying power erupted, and an indescribable fear spread once again, enveloping Huang Yue.
Huang Yue knew that the mountain spirit of Purple Lightning Peak had arrived!
And it was more fearsome than any mountain spirit they had encountered upon entering Hengduan Mountain before!
Above Huang Yue, a terrifying visage formed by black clouds and intermingling purple lightning gathered, unleashing a silent fierce roar, ready to obliterate Huang Yue in an instant.
"Back off," Ye Xuan watched the scene calmly and uttered a single word.
This word instantly caused the mountain spirit to retreat, overwhelmed by an indescribable fear.
In the blink of an eye, the mountain spirit had disappeared.
Huang Yue swallowed, relaxing a bit inside.
Truth be told, even as a worldly disciple of the Mountain God Dao, facing the mountain spirit, he felt a profound sense of powerlessness.
Only because Senior Ye Xuan could repel the mountain spirit did he dare to come and worship the mountain.
Otherwise, he wouldn’t even know how he’d die.
Purple Lightning Peak showed no abnormalities.
Huang Yue, who had been very anxious, now turned somewhat pale.
Did the mountain worship... fail?
Huang Yue looked at the majestic and dangerous Purple Lightning Peak, his eyes filled with a trace of unwillingness.
In the East Desolation Domain, it would be hard to find such peculiar peaks. Only within Hengduan Mountain could such a peak be found.
If he missed it now, it would truly be a missed opportunity.
After three thousand years, he would have definitely exceeded the Saint Realm, and by then, he would not be able to enter Hengduan Mountain again.
Not far away, Ye Xuan, with his hands in his pockets, watched the scene quietly and said indifferently, "Calm your mind, do not harbor stray thoughts."
Although Huang Yue was a worldly disciple of the Mountain God Dao, he was still a young man, and his actions tended to be impetuous.
But this was also the necessary path for every disciple of the Mountain God Dao.
Ye Xuan wasn’t surprised by this at all.
Upon hearing Ye Xuan’s words, Huang Yue was shocked into focus, quickly dispersing the distractions in his mind and calming his spirit.
Some time later, Purple Lightning Peak suddenly erupted with a streak of purple lightning, heading straight for Huang Yue.
Huang Yue’s face changed dramatically, ready to dodge.
"If you want to succeed, don’t move," Ye Xuan’s voice rang out again.
Huang Yue gritted his teeth. Seeing the approaching purple lightning, he felt anxious, but ultimately chose to trust Ye Xuan. He didn’t move aside, but closed his eyes and awaited the descent.
However, after a moment, the anticipated event did not occur.
Huang Yue opened his eyes, somewhat bewildered.
"Begin the Enlightenment and conferment process,"
Ye Xuan had appeared by Huang Yue’s side at some point, speaking calmly.
Upon hearing this, Huang Yue was immediately overjoyed.
Could it have been a success?!
"Thank you, Senior!" Huang Yue said respectfully.
Ye Xuan hummed lightly in response.
He originally had no intention of intervening, but in the last moment, the Purple Lightning Peak still chose to strike Huang Yue dead, so he had no choice but to reluctantly save him.
However, at the last moment, an unforeseen change occurred on Purple Lightning Peak.
Huang Yue had successfully paid homage to the mountain.
Ye Xuan was not too surprised by this outcome.
The mountain spirit of the Purple Lightning Peak was, after all, connected to the peak itself.
And that mountain spirit was quite fearful of him.
This intuitive feeling was able to influence Purple Lightning Peak.
That was why the current situation had arisen.
Huang Yue could be considered to have been under Ye Xuan’s protection, and by a stroke of luck, he succeeded in his homage.
Without hesitation, Huang Yue immediately followed Ye Xuan’s instructions and began the Enlightenment and conferment process.
After the successful homage, the Enlightenment and conferment went smoothly.
With Ye Xuan suppressing the mountain spirit, Huang Yue found the conferment process to be not at all difficult.
A moment later, the previously terrifying mountain spirit of Purple Lightning Peak directly transformed into a handsome, purple-robed young man, akin to a Purple Lightning Thunder God.
"From now on, you are the Purple Lightning Mountain God!"
Huang Yue left the name of the Purple Lightning Mountain God on the four Mountain God Books, and raised the Enlightenment Pen.
In the center of the Purple Lightning Mountain God’s forehead, an ancient seal appeared, resembling the ideogram ’mountain’.
"Purple Lightning Mountain God, I thank the Dao friend for the grace of Enlightenment,"
The Purple Lightning Mountain God bowed slightly to Huang Yue.
"The Dao friend is too courteous," Huang Yue also bowed in return.
With the conferment of the Purple Lightning Mountain God, Huang Yue’s cultivation began to rise once more.
There was no need for cultivation practice at all!
"Senior," the Purple Lightning Mountain God bowed once more to Ye Xuan, then said, "I shall take my leave!"
He dissipated into a flash of purple lightning, vanishing into the void.
And in that instant, the lightning over Purple Lightning Peak grew even more terrifying!
Mountain spirits are barbarically born, while Mountain Gods are enlightened by peaks.
But if the two merge, their strength can be formidably terrifying.
The Purple Lightning Mountain God is one example.
This Purple Lightning Mountain God, if placed in the East Desolation Domain, would definitely be an unparalleled old ancestor-level existence.
But within Hengduan Mountain... well...
He would be considered mid-tier, at best.
"Next up are Spiritual Crane Peak and Ku Gang Mountain, which require six and five portions of the Enlightenment Pen Mountain God Book, respectively."
After the homage to Purple Lightning Peak, Ye Xuan led Huang Yue to the next peak.
For the next two peaks, Huang Yue did not encounter much surprise and successfully paid homage; with Ye Xuan’s assistance, he consecutively completed the Enlightenment and conferment.
Purple Lightning Mountain God, Spiritual Crane Mountain God, Ku Gang Mountain God.
After consecrating the three Mountain Gods, Huang Yue’s strength began to soar.
Ye Xuan, on the other hand, had left on his own.
Now, he was off to retrieve that object.
Once obtained, his Emperor Soul would recover a significant portion.
At that time, no one in the East Desolate would be his match.
Identifying the direction, Ye Xuan increased his speed to the maximum.
To Ye Xuan’s surprise, many major forces of the East Desolate were actually heading in that direction.
Ye Xuan did not encounter any of them and instead headed to the deepest part.
No one noticed Ye Xuan’s movements.