Chapter 653: Earth-Element Spiritual Resonance and the Heavenly Palace’s God of War

“Thank you, senior, for the warning.”

“What do you plan to do?”

“Senio, you need not worry. I have my own way of dealing with it.”

“...”

When Song You awoke, he was still inside the cave.

The fire hadn’t completely gone out. Though the flames were gone, the logs still glowed faintly red, releasing waves of warmth.

Lady Calico had taken human form and was currently wiping down the freshly washed pots and bowls with a clean cloth, drying them before placing them into the saddlebag.

“You’re already awake? You only slept a little while. I

just

rode the tiger to wash the dishes and came back!” The little girl snapped her head toward him at lightning speed the moment she heard movement.

“Many thanks for your hard work, Lady Calico...”

“I’m

not

tired! You’re done sleeping?”

“I’ve already rested enough.”

“That was just a tiny nap.”

“It’s just that I got sleepy after eating porridge. No need to sleep for too long.”

“Sleepy after eating!”

“Yes. It happens after eating, especially after eating rice or noodles. Your stomach feels full, your body warms up, and your head starts to feel cloudy, making you sleepy,” Song You explained, then paused. “The softer and more thoroughly cooked the rice or noodles, the stronger the effect, especially if you eat a lot.”

“Rice and noodles?”

Lady Calico had just finished drying the last of the dishes and tucked them into the pack. Now she turned to face him and sat cross-legged, giving his words some serious thought. After a moment, she was surprised to realize that it really

was

like that.

As a cat, she’d rarely eaten rice or noodles before. Only after spending more and more time with the Daoist and gaining deeper cultivation had she begun eating some grains. Sometimes she ate more, sometimes less. She hadn’t thought much of it before, but now that he mentioned it, she remembered that on days when she’d eaten more rice or noodles, her head

did

tend to get foggy and sleepy afterward.

But cats were naturally lazy and fond of sleep. Even though Lady Calico wasn’t lazy, she was fond of napping. Her sleep came in fragments, and she often found herself getting drowsy throughout the day. Sometimes she’d just fall asleep wherever she was, and other times, driven by playful energy, she’d ignore it and carry on. Naturally, she never gave it much thought and assumed it was normal fatigue.

Now that she thought about it, after eating mice, that effect wasn’t nearly as obvious.

Lady Calico fell into deep thought. After some pondering, she came to a conclusion, “Rice and noodles are poisonous!”

“Not quite...”

“They

are

poisonous! They make your head fuzzy! Mice aren’t poisonous!”

“...” Song You couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. He lazily got up, straightened his robes a bit, and said, “We’re heading west next.”

“To the west?”

“To beyond Shaduin Longzhou of the Western Regions.”

“When do we leave?”

“The sooner the better,” said the Daoist. “And we need to fly a bit faster than usual. Not at full speed, but faster than a normal pace. Ideally, we should arrive before dusk today.”

“Got it!”

The little girl’s expression turned serious and focused without a hint of hesitation. As soon as she agreed, she immediately bent down, picked up the saddlebag on the ground, and headed for the exit.

“Wouldn’t that be too exhausting for you, Lady Calico?”

“Not at all! Not even a little!”

“Then I’m truly grateful to you, Lady Calico.”

“You’re welcome!”

The little girl was brimming with energy, full of spirit. She was happy to contribute, and felt fulfilled being of value. A person like this radiated a kind of warm, infectious charm that lifted Song You’s spirits too. Even the thought of soon confronting the Heavenly Palace’s foremost Battle Warrior and the famed Commander of the War Division, Gold Spirit Official, felt somehow less daunting.

Spring had returned to Mount Zunzhe. Amid the rolling hills, a white crane soared upward, vanishing into the clouds as it flew westward.

***

Deep within the desert, a trade route wound through the dunes, and the sound of camel bells echoed in the distance.

The weather remained hot, and the drought showed no signs of easing. In the desert, only a few extremely drought-tolerant plants managed to survive between the gravel and sand, and even then, they were sparse and distant. The meager moisture on the ground continued to evaporate under the scorching sun, distorting the air and amplifying the oppressive heat.

The situation in Great Yan had grown increasingly unstable. The court's control over the frontier regions had clearly weakened. To say this had no effect on the Silk Road would be impossible. Still, the path of golden opportunity along the Silk Road continued to lure countless merchants, who traveled it without end.

This stretch was the driest and the longest, cutting straight through the Gobi, with a thousand li of barren wilderness. It had become the Silk Road’s greatest challenge.

Fortunately, midway along the route stood Mount Huayan, a vital gathering point for the trade path. Even in the past, it had served as a shaded resting spot for travelers and caravans. Beneath Mount Huayan lay Drip Spring, also known as the Immortal’s Spring. It was a divine spring left behind in the desert by an immortal years ago. It was this spring that had kept the trade route alive, allowing merchants and travelers to replenish their water and avoid dying of thirst.

This place had gradually become the most populated and bustling point along the entire Silk Road.

“Hey! Camels aren’t allowed in the spring!”

“Whoever lets their camels or mules enter the spring, or lets them piss or crap by the water

will

be beaten to death!”

“...”Angry voices shouted out, loud and sharp.

Some people hurriedly pulled back unruly camels in a panic.

In the heart of the desert, a life-saving spring, whether truly left by an immortal or not, deserved the respect of all who passed by. This was a matter of survival, of principle, for anyone who ventured into the sands.

The spring was crystal clear, reflecting the many figures gathered on the shore. Camels knelt and lowered their heads to drink. The travelers wore all kinds of clothing, their features varied. They were clearly people from many different lands and nations. Among them, a young Daoist leaned on a bamboo staff, walking alongside a little girl dressed in a tri-colored outfit.

“Having a crane really makes a difference. Think how long we used to walk to get here from there. Now with the crane, we just flew straight over.”

The little girl turned her head this way and that. Taking in her surroundings, she seemed a bit moved.

“It’s not the same,” the Daoist replied.

He stopped by the spring and bent down to scoop up some water. The spring water was cool and crisp, leaving a sweet aftertaste.

Seeing this, the girl also removed her waterskin and bent down to fill it.

“Keep your feet out of the water!” another loud voice shouted from nearby.

Lady Calico instinctively flinched, thinking the scolding was directed at her. She quickly looked down at her feet and stepped back a little, only to realize she hadn't stepped into the spring. She followed the voice and saw that the person was actually reprimanding someone else in their group. She glanced at that party for a moment, then looked down at the clear spring before her, her expression subtly thoughtful, as if something had occurred to her. But after a moment, she shook her head, brushed the thought aside, and returned to filling her waterskin.

Off in the distance, the sun was setting.

“Tonight, I’ll leave Lady Calico and Yan An in charge here. I need to make a trip into the deeper parts of the desert,” the Daoist said as he straightened up and looked to the sky, as though he had already sensed something. “At dawn tomorrow, I’ll trouble Lady Calico again to ride the crane and take me to Mount Tianjin.”

“Where are you going?”

“Deep into the desert.”

“What for?”

“There’s an important matter...”

As he spoke, the Daoist had already turned around and started walking with his bamboo staff in hand, striding forward with purpose.

The little girl stood by the spring, holding the waterskin in her hands while staring blankly at him.

The Daoist's figure grew smaller and smaller as he walked away.

By the spring, apart from the little girl, there were only travelers and camels. Some people also glanced in the Daoist’s direction, showing puzzled expressions. He looked familiar, yet they didn’t dare be certain.

Below Mount Huayan, the scene was chaotic. There were merchants, animals, falling stones from the mountainside, makeshift wooden huts, as well as shaded tents. The Daoist moved among them, his figure often blocked from view. When his silhouette passed behind a large boulder, and in that fleeting instant, when no one happened to be looking, he never emerged from behind it again.

The sky continued to darken.

Though the desert terrain undulated in places, it appeared vast and flat from a distance, like a sea rippling with fine waves. Standing atop a dune, one could see the very edge of the world.

Overhead, night had already fallen. Stars appeared one by one in the deepening sky. The glow along the horizon was dreamlike and mesmerizing.

“

Boom

!”

A divine radiance split the night sky, piercing the heavens and earth. In an instant, a heavenly god descended.

The Daoist stood on top of a sand dune, leaning on his staff while calmly awaiting him.

This had already been arranged with Gold Spirit Official.

For such a confrontation, one side was the current generation of Hidden Dragon Temple’s heir, acting on Heaven’s behalf and upholding the Dao. The other was a Chief Officer of the Heavenly Palace, widely revered among mortals as a god of war.

Regardless of personal virtue, both carried pride and righteousness befitting their stature. Naturally, neither would battle in front of mortals, dragging innocents into the fight.

So, they had agreed to meet in this desolate, uninhabited stretch of the desert.

Gold Spirit Official appeared in a divine form commonly used for subjugating demons and monsters, easily towering over a hundred zhang tall. His entire body seemed forged from gold. He wore golden scale armor and carried a golden mace in hand. Slung across his back was a massive divine spear, as if it had grown from his spine. His expression commanded respect even without anger.

A vertical eye opened on his forehead, divine light radiating from his entire body, illuminating ten li of desert around them. His glow outshone even the brilliance along the horizon and effortlessly drowned out the starlight above, and he was truly the image of an invincible Battle Warrior.

“Heir of Hidden Dragon Temple, are you here because you’re heading to Mount Tianjin?” a thunderous voice echoed from above, as though descending from the Ninth Heaven[1].

“Indeed,” the Daoist replied.

“Insolent heretic! With a mere mortal’s body, you dare covet the deities’ path to the heavens? That’s an unforgivable sin! I come by decree of the Celestial Emperor to subdue you. Kneel and receive your judgment!”

“I’ve been waiting,” said the Daoist simply.

His voice was calm and light, dissipating swiftly into the night wind.

“Do you truly believe that just because this place lies in the Western Regions, far from the incense-burning Daoist temples of the Central Plains, you can gain an advantage over me?”

“It is night now, the stars are bright across the sky, precisely when you excel in battle. Why would you say otherwise?”

“How arrogant!” Both stood firmly in their respective beliefs. What more was there to say?

“Summon the starlight!”

The golden-armored titan raised his golden mace and pointed a distant finger at the Daoist. Though he stood alone without an army, his gesture carried the majesty of commanding a thousand troops.

“

Swish

!”

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

The starlight above seemed to respond to his command. It flared brilliantly, gathering into radiant beams that descended upon the world, converging on the Daoist’s position. It was an attack meant to rend the very heavens and earth.

“

Rumble

...”

The dune where the Daoist had just stood shattered instantly. Rocks exploded outward, dust billowed into the sky, and a shockwave rippled across the desert, as if intent on tearing the world asunder.

This was the might of the Chief Officer of the War Division, calling down the starlight itself. None could withstand such a strike; not the Fire God, not the Mountain God, not even a true dragon, nor a Daoist from the Hidden Dragon Temple.

And yet, at some unknown moment, the Daoist had reappeared elsewhere, now standing even farther from Gold Spirit Official.

He raised his bamboo staff and struck the ground.

“The Heavenly Dao is boundless, and the Earth vast beyond measure. I am Song You, inheritor of the ancient Earth Sage. In accordance with Heaven’s will, I summon the spiritual resonance of the earth veins to manifest as the Mountain God! Destroy the wicked god!”

Countless streams of light shot from his body, like stars, rain, and fireflies. In that instant, they outshone even the starry sky above.

The glow of the setting sun lit up the horizon, casting the land into silhouette, as the rain of stars and drifting fireflies fell into the darkened earth below.

Across the vast Gobi, the earth’s resonance surged. It was as if some slumbering ancient deity had been roused by his call, and now, at last, opened its eyes.

“

RUMBLE

...”

The earth cracked and collapsed, instantly becoming a deep canyon of unknown depth and length. A massive rift had torn through the desert, like a wound across the land, like a passage leading to a subterranean divine realm. Rocks and sand tumbled endlessly into the abyss.

“

Boom

!”

And from within that chasm, a colossal hand emerged and gripped the edge of the earth. A giant as tall as a mountain climbed out from the chasm.

The Daoist stood off in the distance, but did not pause.

Spiritual lights continued to pour from him, falling to the earth.

Then, two more giants emerged. Each of them were a hundred zhang tall, and their forms were as vast and imposing as mountains. Compared to the divine form Gold Spirit Official used to subdue demons, they were not one bit smaller, and their backs and shoulders were even more massive and imposing.

“Manifest as Mountain Gods... To destroy the wicked god...”

Gold Spirit Official stood upon the darkened earth, his back to the line of twilight at the horizon. As he looked at the three giants born of the earth’s veins, his face showed nothing but contempt.

“A flicker of fireflies... How can they compete with the brilliance of the stars? Mere manifestations of the earth’s veins dare challenge a celestial god? Let us see who the wicked god truly is!”

He turned and swung his golden mace. A boundless force surged from beneath his feet, splitting the earth where he stood. All the divine might of his body gathered into that single strike, which relied solely on brute strength as it crashed toward one of the geomantic titans.

The giant raised its arm to block, and even that motion stirred winds like rolling thunder.

“

Boom

!”

Suffused with earth’s spiritual resonance, the giant’s form could support such a vast frame and was capable of withstanding direct clashes with the Great Star God himself in ages past. It was no ordinary rock in strength. When its mountainous arm met Gold Spirit Official’s golden mace, the impact was like heaven and earth collapsing.

Spiritual light burst forth, and dust billowed.

Countless shattered stones crashed down, thundering onto the ground like falling into a sea of darkness. Sparks flared among them, and one of the giant’s arms shattered on the spot.

But it didn’t end there. Gold Spirit Official’s golden mace, after smashing the arm, retained enough force to continue on and embed itself into the side of the giant’s torso, burying halfway in.

That single blow revealed the massive gulf in power between Gold Spirit Official and the old Star God.

“Hmph...” A cold snort echoed across the heavens and earth.

“

Rumble

...” The two remaining geomantic titans stepped forward with thunderous footsteps. Their bodies were like mountains, and their eyes were like molten fire. They charged straight at Gold Spirit Official with immense momentum.

At the same time, countless stones and boulders lifted from the earth. The ancient spiritual resonance of the land, under the Daoist’s command, strived to mend the shattered arm and broken body of the first giant.

But that alone was not enough.

The Daoist changed hand seals, forming a new incantation.

“Go!”

In an instant, countless threads of spiritual energy, each glowing in different hues, streaked through the night sky, not to fall into the earth this time, but to strike the three giants battling Gold Spirit Official.

“

Buzz

...”

The first ray struck one of the giants, merging instantly into its body and rippling outward in waves. A large section of stone on the giant’s body turned gold.

Then countless more rays followed, pouring down onto all three giants. One after another, spiritual lights expanded into circles of ripples across the night sky, outlining the giants’ towering forms. Each ripple ultimately turned into golden light, one ring after another connecting together, until all three geomantic titans were entirely cloaked in a golden glow.

“Boulder Transformation?”

Gold Spirit Official retreated a distance, turning his head to look. Yet, the Daoist who had stood there moments ago was already gone. He looked around, but could find no trace of where he’d gone. Before him stood only the three towering giants.

The giants were as tall as he was, broad-shouldered and thick-waisted, standing firmly upon the earth. With the boundless spiritual resonance of the land as their support, their bodies had turned entirely golden, like divine titans.

“Coward...” Gold Spirit Official sneered, speaking with disdain, though he showed no fear. On the contrary, his fighting spirit only burned hotter.

“Such petty tricks, and you dare call it ‘gold’?”

In an instant, the two sides clashed again, resuming their fierce battle.

Earlier, Gold Spirit Official had completely overpowered the geomantic titans. A single swing of his golden mace could shatter their arms or heads. Even a palm strike from a distance could knock them back with ease.

When he summoned the power of the stars, it could pierce straight through their bodies from top to bottom. Even when all three giants attacked together, he had handled them effortlessly. A celestial god seemed far stronger than earth-born deities.

Thanks only to the vast spiritual resonance of the land, the giants could be repaired as quickly as they were broken. Taking turns, the three giants had just barely managed to hold on.

But now, cloaked in golden light, their bodies had grown as tough as a divine form. They could withstand Gold Spirit Official’s golden mace.

And in this brief moment, the tide shifted, and both sides exchanged blows in a fierce back-and-forth.

On one side was the ancient spiritual resonance of the earth, and on the other, a celestial god born for war. For now, no one could say who would prevail.

1. Jiutian 九天 [the Ninth Heaven], or jiuchong tian 九重天, refers to the highest level of the heavens according to Chinese mythology. ☜