Chapter 42 – Taming the Mountain

Ren watched awhile, but the change was extremely slow, so he decided to follow up the next morning. Once the sun dawned, the formation lost most of its efficiency. It was clear to him that the yin nature of the cycle was being supported by the moon and the dark of nighttime. If he wanted to keep the formation working during the day, then the lesser cycle of yang elements would have to be completed as soon as possible.

However, he noticed the formation was showing signs of stress. Ren deduced it was because of the chaotic qi of the mountain stubbornly refusing any change being imposed on it. The smoothened flows of qi were still weak and susceptible to outside influence. That just meant he needed to complete the mountain-spanning formation as soon as possible. By redirecting the disordered flow, he would fight poison with poison.

To help his formation regain some strength, Ren performed both parts of the sutra. He called down a nurturing rain with ease, but it took some effort before he successfully implemented the Enriching Soil Sutra. The large, forced stomps, the guttural chant, and grunting breaths. At the last step, he bent at the waist to slap the ground and bury his fingers into the soil. It undoubtedly appeared as much as, or more ridiculous than, the first sutra. Just like the first time with the Nurturing Rain Sutra, his spiritual sea was rapidly drained of qi, but the effect was undeniable.

A fragrant aroma of tilled earth suffused the air. The qi spread out in a wave. Even the turbid qi of the spirit spring rippled in its wake. He could already see the signs of the new sprouts breaking through the soil. It was an awe inspiring sight. Ren predicted that repeated performances would have an even more dramatic effect.

He meditated to recover some qi and got ready to set out. Before he left to begin his work, he allowed the Myriad Path tortoises free reign of the mountain peak. It was still too risky for them to freely roam the lower regions with all the snakes around, so he set up a basic barrier. He also transferred the carp eggs into the spirit spring. The hardy fish should be able to absorb some more of the impurities in the spirit spring.

Lastly, he lay the branch with the insect cocoon near the blood pool. He had been unable to identify the insects and would have to wait until they emerged from their cocoons. But the spirituality of the branch they hung on was fast fading. To ensure they had a steady supply of qi, they could no longer be left in the spatial pouch.

Done with his preparation, Ren felt the moment could use a declaration. He put his arms up in the air and proclaimed,

“I’m going to tame this mountain!” Then he laughed to himself at the silliness and got moving.

In the following days, Ren worked hard in identifying the flow of qi and revising his formations. When he started to run low on spirit plant seeds, he descended the mountain to find local varieties to use. It was hard work, but each day was fruitful. When he saw the gradual change coming over the flow of qi around the mountain, he was so energetic he felt like he had been injected with rooster blood!

As he grew more familiar with the layout of the mountain and the other inhabitants who lay claim to it, he continued to optimize the formation. There were six huge snakes, each of which guarded a natural treasure. He allowed them to remain where they were as they served as guards. They used the rich qi around the treasure to cultivate and to share was not in their nature.

Only two of them needed to be carefully watched as they would seek to consume the resource as soon as it matured and leave. In one case it was a lone, bright yellow fruit on a vine, and in the other it was a flower. Their guardians were huge snakes with a vicious appearance and, in all likelihood, venomous. Ren had to slay them before the treasures matured, but he had plenty of time still.

The dragon vein that emitted the storm of qi fought him every step of the way, but he could foresee his victory even if it was many months away. There was also one surprising discovery. Through the flows of qi and the natural formations of the mountain, Ren found a crevice near the foothills of the mountain where he calculated a 7th, hidden, treasure to be. If he was right, the mysterious source of attraction to all the spirit beast snakes would be found somewhere inside. It was too narrow for him to enter, much less the huge snakes that were thicker and several times the length of a man. He knew that it, whatever it was, would be extremely valuable. He decided it could wait until his formation was more developed.

Ren continued to cultivate every morning and night. The return to a semblance of routine was a greater balm than he had realized. The frantic rush for foundation establishment, the trial, and entering the inner sect. He had rushed ahead without a moment’s rest. All these taxing incidents had wrecked his familiar, steady schedule. Slowly the accumulated stress he hadn’t known he was carrying started to unwind.

He started a small garden to grow some vegetables for variety. The treasures in the formation eyes were being nourished every day. The Resin Willow had taken root well, largely thanks to the Enriching Soil Sutra and so had the other trees and spirit plants. The tiny yin flame was also starting to grow a little. It consumed a lot of bones, but he had a lot to spare still. The moss had rooted itself on the boulder and looked more lively than ever. The spirit spring grew a little more refined each day, and the qi around the mountain peak was all the richer for it. Even the Myriad Path Tortoises were starting to choose their qi alignments. All these and more served to give him a sense of peace and stability.

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There was still a lot he planned to accomplish. Once the spirit flame grew, he could begin experimenting with alchemy. He also wanted to find or forge a replacement for his battered bronze grass sword. The flying sword he owned was just a tool for movement and not a true weapon. He needed to learn many more martial techniques so he could become the undisputed owner of his mountain. And he yearned to build more challenges to test his fellow disciples!

All that would have to wait until after the approaching events. The upcoming auction, which would be followed by the tournament and a ceremony to bid farewell to the visiting sects. Only then would Ren find the time and freedom to achieve his goals.

With only a few days left until the auction, Ren harvested the first batch of spirit plants. The qi gathering realm plants had matured with time to spare under the influence of the Sutra. It was not as close as he had initially planned it. The formation around the mountain was nowhere near complete, but he had laid out the main foundations. It would last for a month on its own before succumbing to external pressure. That gave him plenty of time to attend the events of the sect.

Still within the 3-month period to call for assistance, he was given a ride to the outer sect by a friendly lady disciple. Conversation was difficult on flying swords, but he still managed to gather some bits of useful information.

The elders would not be participating, and the entire auction was organized by core disciples of the Heavenly Sword Sect. Most of these core members were direct disciples of the elders and lacked for nothing when it came to cultivation resources. Instead, Ren got the impression that what they were cultivating was prestige. By putting up the treasures they found within the trial realm, they were showing off their wealth by saying,