Beast Taming: I Have an Immortal Mansion

Fang Qingyuan had some theories about the wave of sorrow that had emanated from White Mountain. An influence capable of making even Golden Core Cultivators involuntarily sink into a state of uncontrollable grief had to have originated from someone at the Divinity Transformation level. ’But what does this all mean?’

With these two events happening one after another, Fang Qingyuan’s desire to return to his Qingyuan Sect faded. The Spirit Fields could wait. The urgent priority now was to find out what exactly had happened on White Mountain.

This was what truly mattered. He needed to know what had happened on White Mountain, the nature of the incident, and who was involved.

This was the kind of information every faction leader was desperate to obtain, as it would give them a better grasp on how the situation would unfold.

This was especially true for a leader like Lechuan. With tens of thousands of people under his command, he needed to maintain control of the overall situation to keep his army from being led astray.

So, Fang Qingyuan turned and went back into the Military Array Great Stronghold, heading straight for Lechuan to ask what he knew.

Lechuan was slumped deep into a large, high-backed chair. With just Fang Qingyuan present, he let down his guard, revealing his true state.

He had thought that sending Chu Hongshang away would be the end of his troubles. He never expected that right after she left, such a disaster would strike on White Mountain. These two sudden incidents in the span of a single month made Lechuan wonder, ’Am I just having a run of bad luck?’

"According to my intelligence, the small Buddhist sects at the foot of White Mountain have all begun performing grand salvation rituals ever since word of the celestial phenomenon spread."

"But as for why, they don’t seem to know themselves. If you ask a hundred monks, all hundred will say it’s a tradition passed down through the generations. They see the white smoke, they perform the rites. They know nothing of the cause or the consequences."

"Furthermore, the ten Nascent Soul Sects within White Mountain’s territory have all sealed their gates simultaneously. They’ve recalled all their disciples and temporarily forbidden Flying Shuttle Beast Ships and even Loose Cultivators from passing through their lands. All information has been cut off. In other words, our supply lines are shot."

Lechuan spoke with a hint of resignation. The daily upkeep for tens of thousands of people, plus even more fiend beasts and Transport Beasts, required a massive amount of supplies. Originally, Lechuan had signed agreements with the major sects within White Mountain’s territory to provide all of this.

The agreements were reciprocal: some sects would send grain, and the army would replenish their Talismans; others would repair Magical Artifacts, and in return... well, the Hehuan Sect would provide courtesans for the army. Ahem. That last part was their idea. With two Nascent Soul Cultivators in their sect, Lechuan didn’t want to offend them, so he’d agreed.

The Beast Taming Sect was neither Confucian nor Daoist. They were quite accepting of military courtesans; it could even boost morale.

In any case, once the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect mobilized, all ten Nascent Soul Sects got a cut of the profits. After all, there was money to be made for everyone. It was only because of this logistical support that the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect had been able to launch their campaign so aggressively. Otherwise, relying solely on their own resources, they wouldn’t have been able to start this war for another decade.

There was nothing inherently wrong with this model. Even if one or two sects suddenly backed out, it wouldn’t affect the overall situation. After all, the ten Nascent Soul Sects weren’t on good terms with each other; their attitude was, ’If you pull out, all the better for me.’

But for all ten sects to pull back at once and cease all support... it suddenly left the White Mountain Beast Taming Sect like a starving beast. They might be full of vigor now, but as time wore on, they were bound to grow weak from hunger.

Hearing this, Fang Qingyuan felt a sense of helplessness. ’An event that happens only once in several centuries, and Lechuan has to be the one to run into it.’

Indeed, this was an event not seen in centuries. According to the records of the Beast Taming Sect, the white smoke emanating from White Mountain was a funereal announcement. As for the bizarre wave of emotion, it was called "Sorrow Across Ten Thousand Li." Such a celestial phenomenon only occurred upon the death of a Divinity Transformation Cultivator who had cultivated a specific Heart-Nature Dao. The wider its influence, the greater the cultivator’s accomplishments in life.

This was the fall of a Divinity Transformation Cultivator. One person died, and millions felt their sorrow.

In the several centuries since Lechuan began his cultivation, he had known of Divinity Transformation-level Ancient Beasts of the Wilderness dying, but this was the first time he had ever witnessed the fall of a human Divinity Transformation Cultivator.

The lifespan of a Divinity Transformation Cultivator was exceedingly long. In a way, they possessed what mortals would consider true longevity.

A minimum lifespan of five thousand years was an unfathomable weight of existence for mortals who lived for less than a century.

Every Divinity Transformation Cultivator was a living piece of history, a walking tapestry of civilization. As long as they could pass the Three Calamities and Three Afflictions, they could, in theory, live as long as the world itself.

Of course, the Heaven and Earth Law Will would not allow such a thing. Thus, every three thousand six hundred years, it would send down a tribulation specifically for Divinity Transformation Cultivators. But if they survived it, they would be granted another thirty-six hundred years of life.

Therefore, unless they fell at the hands of another, even a Nascent Soul Cultivator would rarely, if ever, witness the death of a Divinity Transformation Cultivator.

In a way, by personally experiencing this, Lechuan and Fang Qingyuan were witnessing history. Compared to the unremarkable lives of most Golden Core Cultivators, from birth to death, such an encounter was a rare one.

Not that Lechuan was grateful for the experience.

"Besides the major sects on White Mountain sealing their gates, the various clans and factions in the surrounding Qi Yun region have also restricted their disciples, forbidding them from entering White Mountain. All the cultivators who were traveling here are now heading home. It’s gotten to the point where a ticket on a beast ship is impossible to find. It’s ridiculous."

Though he called the situation ridiculous, Lechuan’s expression remained cold.

Fang Qingyuan pondered this from the side. After a moment, he realized he had no distinct impression of the true masters of the land atop White Mountain.