Chapter 84: Elder Fu

“Damn, these endless mountains! Let me forge a path through them.”
Though Lei Xiang grumbled to himself, he still plucked an embroidered needle from his lapel. With a flick, it stretched several yards long, and he thrust it into the tiny opening before him. “There’s no way I can act against their instructions, but even if I clear a path, once I lose my usefulness, I’ll be killed all the same. What should I do?” Lei Xiang’s mind raced, analyzing strategies.
As he gradually pushed the slender Nine-Treasure Lotus Rod deeper into the mountain’s heart, he turned to the Azure Queen and said, “To pierce through these boundless mountains is no easy feat. I’ll likely be exhausted by the time I finish, but thankfully, the rest won’t require my hand. When it’s done, send me back to the human realm.”
The Azure Queen, sharp as ever, caught the probing tone in Lei Xiang’s words immediately. “Rest assured, Lei Xiang. I will not go back on my word; I’ll send you home. But you must save some strength. We’ll still need your help to harvest the Reed Aloes.”
Lei Xiang did not fully trust her, but one thing was certain: he still had value, so he sighed deliberately. “Azure Queen, my Nine-Treasure Lotus Rod has already pierced over twenty yards, yet there’s no end in sight. I wager it’ll take at least a month to break through. The battle earlier in the Misty Sea left us all drained. Let’s rest for now, and I’ll call everyone when the task is done. Ah, what a bitter chore this is.”
The Azure Queen smiled, “Very well, it’s hard work, but be careful. This place is perilous—not only do beasts roam frequently, but I’ve heard spatial rifts sometimes stir nearby. You’d best not stray too far, or even I won’t be able to save you, and our grand endeavor will fail.”
Understanding her warning, Lei Xiang nodded with a smile. Thus, everyone found a place to rest and restore their magic.

Half a month later, Lei Xiang gathered everyone again to announce good news. “According to my spirit sense, the Nine-Treasure Lotus Rod has pierced through the mountain wall. Today, we can attempt to cross.”
Everyone rejoiced. Zhuang Yang’s little eyes darted over Lei Xiang, recalling memories of the Royal Pool, and he asked enviously, “How long is this spirit rod now?”
Lei Xiang slowly held up five fingers, nodding thoughtfully. “My goodness, it can grow to five hundred yards—what a remarkable rod.”
Lei Xiang managed a wry smile. “You’d best add a ‘ten thousand’ after the five hundred. If it were only five hundred yards, it wouldn’t have taken so long.”

Zhuang Yang stuck out his tongue and made a funny face, shaking his big head and daring not to speak further. The Azure Queen continued, “The mountain wall is so thick, beyond my imagination. Though your spirit rod has pierced the mountain, the opening is small—how can we all pass through? Can you make it larger?”
Lei Xiang pondered. “To be frank, Azure Queen, the rod can indeed grow longer and thicker, but within such dense mountain rock, I can’t be sure. However, I have another idea: I could move the mountain itself.”
A chorus of exclamations erupted. “Lei Xiang’s gone mad! It’s impossible to expand a five-million-yard tunnel, let alone move the whole mountain.” That was everyone’s thought.
Yet Lei Xiang had his plan. As he manipulated the Nine-Treasure Lotus Rod, making it longer and deeper, he sensed a chill the further he went, as if something dangerous lurked within. Entering through the tunnel would put him at a disadvantage, but if he could shift the mountain, the danger would be brought into the open.
“How… how would you move a mountain?”
Lei Xiang scratched his head and asked, “Do you have any extremely sturdy tools?”
“Yes, but what do you intend?”
“Bring me the toughest magical items you have, and I’ll move the mountain.”
The Azure Queen regarded Lei Xiang doubtfully, hesitated, but eventually produced a black, iron implement and a yellowish suit of armor. Lei Xiang’s gaze was drawn to the armor—plain yellow, but radiating spiritual energy he could sense clearly. He ventured, “What is this armor made of? Is it refined from beast hide?”
A flicker of surprise crossed the Azure Queen’s eyes. “Correct. This Turtle Spirit Armor was forged by our ancestors from the shell of a thirty-thousand-year-old golden-silver spirit turtle. Though the forging was incomplete and the armor is a defective piece, its defensive power is formidable. Even the clan chief and the four elders, at their peak, couldn’t damage it in the slightest.”
Lei Xiang’s eyes lit up. “A defective piece? What would it be like if fully refined?”

“No one knows. The craftsman who forged the Turtle Spirit Armor passed away, leaving no instructions. It’s said that if completed, the armor would shine golden, not this dull yellow. You asked for the toughest magical item, so I brought it.”
“If these treasures break under the strain of moving the mountain, what then?”
Behind her veil, the Azure Queen’s lips twitched. “The Mountain-Splitting Tool is replaceable, but the Turtle Spirit Armor must not be damaged—it's our clan’s sacred treasure.”
Lei Xiang nodded. “Please retreat ten miles. I’m about to attempt moving the mountain.”
Everyone complied, leaving Lei Xiang alone. He formed a spirit seal and pointed at the floating Mountain-Splitting Tool, which whistled down to the mountain’s base. With several more incantations, the inkstone-sized tool rapidly grew, towering thirty yards high. Lei Xiang himself floated in midair, and, channeling his spirit, thickened the Nine-Treasure Lotus Rod by a third, extending its tail further behind. When the rod had stretched nearly a hundred yards, Lei Xiang ceased his incantations.
He glanced back at the distant group, then turned and grabbed the Turtle Spirit Armor. A yellow glow enveloped him as he donned the armor. “Azure Queen, I’ll borrow the Turtle Spirit Armor for now.” Without waiting for her reply, he activated his Azure-Yellow Flowing Art. His right arm shimmered with blue, yellow, and translucent hues; as the third stage of the technique succeeded, his hand, wrapped in yellow energy, gripped the tail of the Nine-Treasure Lotus Rod.
“Ha!” Lei Xiang exhaled sharply, pressing the Lotus Rod downward onto the Mountain-Splitting Tool. From deep within the mountain’s mass came sharp cracking and popping sounds. Lei Xiang did not relent, pressing harder; the Lotus Rod bent in an arc, and the mountain seemed to tremble faintly.
Suddenly, a series of sharp snaps rang out—the Mountain-Splitting Tool collapsed under the strain, shattering into black fragments. The Nine-Treasure Lotus Rod, propelled by inertia, swung sideways, flinging Lei Xiang backward into the mountain. Fortunately, the Turtle Spirit Armor protected him, and his cultivation in the Azure-Yellow Flowing Art had rendered his body far tougher than ordinary folk, so he was unharmed.
The Azure Queen and others rushed over, shaking their heads at the fragments scattered across the ground. Lei Xiang, unhurried, summoned a storage pouch.