Chapter 48: White Deer Part 6

Xiang Xian whistled and joined him under the waterfall. After bathing, they wore close-fitting tunics and pants, with vine-woven slippers from White Jade Palace, blending perfectly into the immortal realm.

Xiang Xian’s tunic and pants were half-wet, nearly transparent against his skin, but under his True Fire Power, the clothes soon steamed dry.

“Is this the tree of Shenzhou’s vital earth veins?” Xiang Xian looked up at the Sacred Tree Jumang.

“Yes, I remember Chaosheng calling it ‘Lord Jumang’,” Xiao Kun said, examining the tree. From the back garden, in a sense, this tree was Chaosheng’s father.

Jumang was very close now, with many tattered, blackened leaves drifting in the air.

The fallen leaves didn’t hit the ground but shrank slowly in midair, burning in green flames before vanishing.

“It’s withered quite a bit,” Xiang Xian muttered.

“More than last time I was here,” Xiao Kun said with furrowed brows. “It’s worse.”

Reaching the sacred tree, they truly felt its immensity—only “towering” could describe it. Though eroded by baleful qi, its myriad branches still radiated powerful vitality. Standing beneath it inspired awe.

Chaosheng sat at the roots with Wu Yingzong and Pi Changge, leaning into Pi Changge’s arms for his hair combed while clinging to Wu Yingzong’s fingers, endlessly affectionate with the white ape and Pixiu.

Xiang Xian and Xiao Kun stopped, looked up at the giant tree, bowed, and paid their respects.

“Ever since King Mu appeared,” Pi Changge said, “Lord Jumang’s falling leaves have increased. Even if you don’t go home this time, I still had to find a way to go down the mountain.”

Xiao Kun realized the problem was imminent and said, “I’d like to hear your guidance, Senior.”

Xiang Xian circled the Sacred Tree once and asked, “Because of Baleful Qi?”

Pi Changge replied, “The forces of creation and destruction wax and wane. As Baleful Qi grows abundant in the human world and transforms into ‘demons,’ Lord Jumang senses it. He connects the Heavenly Veins and Earth Veins simultaneously, serving as the Spiritual Pivot that purifies Baleful Qi.

“The resentment and sorrow of all things in the world are said to be purified. Who purifies them? How? Most legends rely on the so-called ‘Power of Nature,’ and Lord Jumang is the embodiment of ‘Nature.’ Baleful Qi converges along the Earth Veins and surges here, injecting into the roots, spreading to Lord Jumang’s branches and leaves, transforming into Pure Qi, then rising to the Heavenly Veins, cycling endlessly through countless generations.”

Xiao Kun looked up at the giant tree. “The Sacred Tree’s purification capacity is limited. If Baleful Qi exceeds the limit, Lord Jumang will be affected—shedding leaves, withering.”

“Exactly,” Pi Changge said.

Chaosheng was also very worried. The joy of returning home had been overshadowed by Lord Jumang’s withering. He asked, “Can it recover? It won’t die, right?”

“Withering isn’t the cause,” Pi Changge said as he tied Chaosheng’s hair neatly and stood up. “It’s the result. Since the Queen Mother of the West brought me to White Jade Palace, Lord Jumang has withered four times, but this time is the most severe.”

Xiao Kun watched the Sacred Tree without interrupting Pi Changge.

“That canopy in the northeast corner,” Pi Changge said, “corresponds to the great war between Jin, Liao, and Song. After Liao’s destruction, it released millions of Baleful Qi and suffering, which transformed into Demonic Qi.”

“Ah!” Xiang Xian understood and said, “The leaves on the west side…”

“Correspond to the drastic upheavals in the Western Regions,” Pi Changge said. “Fortunately, you foiled King Mu’s plan in advance. Otherwise, if he had succeeded, the Sacred Tree’s withering would have deepened further.”

Nearly thirty percent of Jumang’s leaves had already blackened and fallen.

“Let’s go to the Main Hall to talk,” Pi Changge said. “You must be hungry too.”

Wu Yingzong then got up to prepare dinner. When they returned to the front hall, simple tables were set before the steps. Chaosheng sat on one of the two highest seats, and Xiang Xian said to Wu Yingzong, “You go attend to Chaosheng. Don’t worry about us.”

Wu Yingzong knelt and sat beside Chaosheng to serve him. Pi Changge left the other seat empty and sat in the lower position on the left.

“This is the Queen Mother of the West’s throne,” Pi Changge explained proactively when he saw everyone’s curiosity. “Two thousand years ago, she ascended to the heavens.”

Xiang Xian realized that Pi Changge’s lifespan was even longer than imagined—perhaps the longest-lived Divine Beast in the current world!

Mu Qingshan, Hulü Guang, and Yuzhou also arrived. Everyone sat in their respective spots in the Main Hall.

Pi Changge said, “White Jade Palace rarely serves meat, so there’s nothing special to offer. I can only ask everyone to make do with vegetarian food. Eating more vegetables is good for your health.”

“No trouble at all,” Xiao Kun said quickly.

Wu Yingzong served flatbreads to everyone. Mu Qingshan glanced at them and said, “This is good. It’s what I like to eat.”

Yuzhou asked, “Do you like eating deer cakes?”

Mu Qingshan gave Yuzhou a blank look.

As the Garden Protecting Divine Beast, Pi Changge carried even more authority than the master Chaosheng. His words held a subtle imperial dignity and the kingly aura of one who overlooked time itself. He said, “The journey must have been hard.”

As Xiao Kun was about to humbly decline, Yuzhou laughed. “The Heart Lamp can’t be used, the White Deer has reincarnated, and I see the Wisdom Sword can’t even exert thirty percent of its power. Exorcists truly grow weaker with each generation.”

Xiao Kun flushed with embarrassment. “Senior is right to teach us.”

Xiang Xian heard the mockery in those words, but since the other was a dragon who had lived so long, even if they all ganged up, they might not defeat Yuzhou. He could only swallow his anger and listen.

“It’s I who held everyone back,” Hulü Guang said guiltily.

Yuzhou instead comforted him. “You’re a mortal. The responsibility lies with them.”

“If not for Brother Hulü saving us,” Xiao Kun said honestly, “Xiang Xian and I would have died in the Western Regions long ago. It was my own lack of skill; there’s no excuse.”