Steadily becoming a saint, the immortal officials hired me to tend the horses

The autumn wind was bleak in the mountain forest as Zhen Qin and others followed Sage Xuan Miao.

Sage Xuan Miao walked at the front, leaving a trail of blood that made everyone following extremely worried, but they knew that any attempt to comfort him would be futile.

They just tried as best as they could not to disturb him.

Boom—

A deafening explosion sounded from the distance, and a wild wind roared in, overpowering the trees; everyone hastened to mobilize their Spiritual Power to resist the fierce storm.

Sage Xuan Miao used his sword to block, and his Divinity Transformation Realm Cultivation Level fended off most of the pressure.

He couldn't help spitting out a mouthful of blood, causing the Disciples of Law Enforcement Hall from the Supreme Sect behind him to worry for him.

A few moments later, the windstorm ceased, and Sage Xuan Miao half-knelt, using his sword to steady his body.

The surrounding forest was nearly all toppled, with grass and debris flying everywhere, creating utter chaos.

Zhen Qin and others hurriedly gathered around, concerned for Sage Xuan Miao's safety.

Since Sage Xuan Miao had saved them, they had experienced numerous ferocious battles almost daily, which not only prevented his injuries from healing but had exacerbated them.

Sage Xuan Miao raised his head, his pale face filled with resentment, and he gritted his teeth and said, "The enemy is coming, everyone, meditate!"

Upon hearing his words, everyone quickly sat down, having developed an unconditional trust in Sage Xuan Miao over the days; without him, they would have already perished.

Sage Xuan Miao took a deep breath and said softly, "Together, call out in your hearts to the Mountain God and pray for intervention to save us!"

He had no other choice as his Spiritual Power was insufficient to perform the Divine-Reaching Mystic Gate, and the only hope he could think of was the Mountain God.

Although they were far from the place where the Mountain God resided, he believed that the Mountain God could surely feel their call.

The disciples listened to his words, all of them astonished, and some were even more anxious.

"Why not flee instead of praying to some Mountain God?"

"Exactly, the world is in chaos and full of battlefields; we might be able to escape amidst the chaos."

"We can take turns carrying you and make our escape; we will surely find a way out!"

"We cannot just sit here and wait for death!"

"What Mountain God? If such a being existed, how could the Ephemera Sect wreak havoc like this?"

The disciples grew more and more agitated as they too felt a powerful presence approaching.

Sage Xuan Miao spoke up, "We can't escape. They have already locked onto us. Quickly sit down and do as I said. There is still a sliver of hope, and if we delay, they will capture us, and then we can neither live nor die."

Upon hearing this, the disciples could only grit their teeth and sit down.

Zhen Qin sat among the crowd, closed her eyes, and began calling out to the Mountain God in her heart.

She certainly did not want to die here!

All at once, everyone sat meditating on the ground, calling out in their hearts to the name of the Mountain God.

...

Inside the Inner Sect City, Gu An was selecting seeds of high-ranked medical herbs in the Elixir Hall when he suddenly felt something strange, his expression turning curious.

Somehow, it seemed someone was calling out to him.

This feeling was quite magical, something he had never experienced before.

He extended his Divine Sense to encompass the lands of the nine dynasties and soon locked onto Sage Xuan Miao.

The person calling him was none other than Sage Xuan Miao!

Although there were other people meditating beside Sage Xuan Miao, Gu An could distinctly feel that only Sage Xuan Miao was calling out to him. He couldn't hear Sage Xuan Miao's thoughts but could feel a strong emotion that Sage Xuan Miao wanted to see him.

Could it be because of his identity as a Mountain God?

Gu An was curious, suspecting it had something to do with the Nirvana Realm; he had known Sage Xuan Miao for a while and hadn't felt this way before his breakthrough.

Gu An noticed Zhen Qin's presence, and a group of cultivators from the Ephemera Sect was quickly advancing towards them.

After hesitating for a moment, Gu An put down the seeds in his hand and turned to walk towards the door.

...

In the North Sea Mountain, amid a clearing where trees had fallen, Sage Xuan Miao, Zhen Qin, and others were meditating, all with their eyes tightly shut, as if resigned to their fates.

A group of cultivators in black robes flew from the horizon, led by an old man holding a wooden staff. He was completely white-haired, and his face was marked with liver spots, with a large python coiled around his shoulders, giving him an evil, menacing appearance.

He looked down at Sage Xuan Miao and said, "Sage Xuan Miao, have you surrendered yourself?"

He did not attack immediately; according to the information he had received, Sage Xuan Miao possessed a Divine Skill capable of summoning Great Cultivators, and the Ephemera Sect had already lost many Great Cultivators to this skill.

Sage Xuan Miao ignored him and continued his silent chanting.

The old man glanced at the others, his eyes flickering, indecisive.

The Disciples of Law Enforcement Hall were extremely nervous, most of them sweating profusely. They dared not open their eyes but could only call out frantically to the Mountain God in their hearts, or pray for a miracle to happen.

After a while, the old man with the staff snorted coldly. He raised his wooden staff in the air and thumped it down once, instantly causing rolling Demonic Qi to burst forth from the base of the staff, quickly covering the sky for ten miles around.

The Disciples of Supreme Sect's Law Enforcement Hall felt something and opened their eyes. To them, it seemed as if they had suddenly entered into the night, and the Ephemera Sect's cultivators hovering in the air looked like evil spirits descending upon them.

Everyone was extremely tense, their faces showing utter despair and fear, and so did Zhen Qin's.

Sage Xuan Miao also opened his eyes, sighed, and looked up at the sky, his gaze becoming calm.

"Are you very disappointed?"

A voice entered Sage Xuan Miao's ears, causing him to instinctively turn his head to look, and then, he widened his eyes in surprise.

"Mountain God!"

Upon hearing these two words, the others turned their heads to look, and when their gaze fell on Sage Xuan Miao's shoulder, they all widened their eyes.

On Sage Xuan Miao's left shoulder stood a small figure in white robes, wearing an opera mask, not even as tall as Sage Xuan Miao's ears, which made the disciples think they were seeing things, and some couldn't help rubbing their eyes.

The elderly man with the wooden staff above furrowed his brow, also spotting the small figure in white.

Other Cultivators from the Ephemera Sect began to whisper among themselves, as this was the first time they had seen such a small person. When they used their Divine Sense to probe, they could not discern the true face of the figure in white, nor could they sense any demonic aura from him.

Gu An jumped off Sage Xuan Miao's shoulder and landed on a nearby crooked large tree.

Sage Xuan Miao hurriedly kneeled to worship Gu An, saying, "Please, Mountain God, help us. The Ephemera Sect has committed many evils, even attempting to sacrifice people of the nine dynasties, which is truly against heaven and harmful to reason. Please save the common people!"

The Disciples of Law Enforcement Hall came to their senses, and one by one, they turned and knelt to worship Gu An.

Zhen Qin was also kneeling, looking at the figure in white, feeling an inexplicable closeness.

"Mountain God? Stop playing tricks! I advise you to not meddle!"

The elderly man with the wooden staff stared at Gu An, threatening him coldly.

Gu An ignored the threat of the Great Cultivator in the Unification Realm. He turned to look at Sage Xuan Miao and spoke leisurely, "The Mountain God does not save the common folk, only protects a certain land. You are not from this place, yet you ask me for help, which violates celestial rules."

Sage Xuan Miao quickly replied, "After you take action, we will worship you!"

"Hmm, sincerity invokes the spirit!"

Gu An turned to look at the elderly man with the wooden staff, too lazy for excess words. He raised his right hand, palm facing upwards.

As he raised his hand, the earth trembled violently, alarming everyone.

Boom! Boom! Boom...

Massive roots burst forth from the ground, rushing towards the heavens like a swarm of pythons, causing the elderly man with the wooden staff to hastily evade, while other Cultivators from the Ephemera Sect failed to avoid them and were successively pierced through, shattered to pieces, their blood spilling into the sky.

The demonic Qi in the sky instantly dissipated, and sunlight poured down as Zhen Qin and others clearly saw the incredible spectacle before them, leaving everyone shocked, including Sage Xuan Miao.

Trees soared into the sky, standing side by side, extending endlessly in both directions, indiscernible to the bounds, as if a green mountain had suddenly risen, piercing the clouds and astounding all onlookers.

The elderly man quickly dodged, waving his wooden staff and casting a magnificent spell, with demonic Qi surging dramatically. However, in less than the span of three breaths, he was entangled by vines, horrified to discover his Spiritual Power suppressed inside his body, unable to escape.

"How is this possible... could it truly be a Mountain God?"

The elderly man's eyes widened in despair, and then his face was covered by the vines, eventually disappearing among the interweaving branches, merging with the trees.

From high above, a hundred miles in every direction were dense, massive trees intertwined together, forming a mountain of trees, shocking all creatures who witnessed this scene.

Sage Xuan Miao gazed up at the mountain of trees, unable, despite his sharp vision, to determine their height.

Messages started popping up before Gu An.

A mini-harvest!

Making do, so many people together, yet their lifespans haven't even exceeded five thousand years!

Gu An withdrew his hand, and the terrifying and majestic mountain of trees melted away, dispersing into countless green light stars, disappearing in an extremely short time.

A huge abyss-like rift in front proved that the scene just prior was real!

The Disciples of Law Enforcement Hall looked at Gu An again, their eyes filled with reverence and disbelief.

Such a small stature, yet capable of displaying powers akin to those of ghosts and gods, truly a Mountain God!

And even stronger than the Mountain Gods of legends!

Gu An looked at Sage Xuan Miao, stroking his chin, and pondered, "I told you not to reveal my existence, I must punish you a bit."

Sage Xuan Miao, upon hearing this, took a square wooden box from his storage bag and said, "I am willing to accept the punishment. This treasure is to repay the Mountain God for his rescue."

Gu An gestured with his hand, bringing the wooden box before him, then threw it into his storage bag. Having many storage bags, fearing Zhen Qin might notice, he specifically switched to a different storage bag.

He leaped up, flying to the front of Sage Xuan Miao, gently patted his forehead, and said, "I will punish you by regressing your realm by a year!"

In an instant, Sage Xuan Miao's expression changed as his realm rapidly regressed, his Cultivation Level falling all the way to the Foundation Establishment Realm.

It was Gu An's Divine Skill, Path of Returning Primordial Spirit!

This was a Divine Skill awakened from the Primordial Reincarnation Skill, capable of sealing another's cultivation level!

Zhen Qin and others also sensed the rapid decline of Sage Xuan Miao's cultivation aura, all their faces turning pale.

When Gu An looked towards them, they hurriedly presented their treasures to Gu An, promising to never reveal the existence of the Mountain God to anyone else.

Gu An waved his sleeve, collecting all the offered items, then with another wave, a sudden breeze arose, sweeping them all towards the horizon, including Sage Xuan Miao.

"There is a difference between immortals and mortals. If you break your promise, even if you hide at the ends of the earth and sea, I will be able to find you."

Gu An's voice entered each of the Disciples of Law Enforcement Hall's ears.