Chapter 556: Cause and Effect Divine Art and Warning

In a self-contained dimension, the Divine Machine City.

On the Zhongshan Throne, the Boundless True God suddenly noticed a few red hairs growing on his arm.

The hairs writhed like worms. The Boundless True God immediately raised an eyebrow and gazed at these three red hairs. The hairs glowed faintly red, signifying a malevolent cause.

He wondered who Asulong, Wuzhen, and Jianling were. Then he realized: they had suffered a setback, and their supporting divine generals were tracing the cause and effect to discover Han Bing's identity. "How presumptuous," he thought.

The Boundless True God casually slapped his arm. Snap! The three red hairs broke off.

Powerful divine energy, transmitted through karma, traversed countless dimensions and descended upon the three divine generals backing Asulong, Jianling, and Wuzhen.

A thunderous roar echoed.

The three Freedom Divine Generals' expressions immediately changed drastically. Innumerable statues in temples shattered continuously, resisting the counterattack descending from the hidden dimension.

Bang! Bang! Bang! After an unknown number of temples exploded, the three divine generals finally managed to neutralize the attack.

"Insignificant rogue deities, rootless and without foundation, daring to trouble me." The Boundless True God's voice, mechanical and cold, echoed through the different dimensions of the three divine generals.

The divine generals backing Asulong, Jianling, and Wuzhen were so terrified they didn't dare breathe.

They had merely wanted to find out whose subordinate Venerable Han Bing was, and by tracing the cause and effect, they had arrived at the Boundless True God. Unexpectedly, their opponent was so unreasonable, directly attacking and beating them soundly instead.

"Their karma, all returns to me." This was one of the protective measures the Boundless True God had prepared for Zhao Xing.

Using a karmic divine spell, he transferred Zhao Xing's karmic burden, incurred from traversing dimensions, onto himself, leveraging Zhao Xing's devotional relationship with him.

The karmic divine spell operated within the grand framework of the River of Time and Space and was quite particular. If Zhao Xing encountered 'peer-level' karma, it wouldn't be triggered. Peer-level figures were merely demigods, and such karma, whether good or bad, was for Zhao Xing to bear himself.

However, if Zhao Xing encountered 'god-level' karma, especially if someone intended to trace his origins, that karmic thread would ultimately connect to the Boundless True God.

The Boundless True God had too many avatars and too many matters to handle. Therefore, to alert himself, hair would grow on his body whenever such a situation arose.

Red hairs signified malevolent causes and effects, while golden hairs represented benevolent causes and effects, indicating great opportunities — something equally worth vigilance.

The deities behind Asulong, Wuzhen, and Jianling had come aggressively, essentially to demand an explanation and settle scores.

But when the Boundless True God saw the three fine red hairs, he knew the other party wasn't strong. He hadn't heard of their esteemed names, which indicated they were 'insignificant deities' without significant backing.

So, he simply slapped back.

The three divine generals were relatively weak. They were beaten by the Boundless True God but didn't even know who had struck them.

They could only swallow their loss in silence, not daring to pry further. They let the karmic thread break, never daring to pursue it again.

The Boundless True God paid it no mind, continuing his meditation on the Clockwork Throne.

Zhao Xing was unaware that after Asulong and the others left, the divine realms backing them had attempted to divine his identity, only to be thoroughly beaten by the Boundless True God.

He informed Bovine about his identity change. Inside his inner world, Bovine emerged from the transmission realm, looking somewhat surprised.

"Your identity has changed to a Protector of Penglai Mountain?"

Today, Bovine had changed his attire again, dressed as a martial artist. Bovine, seemingly bored in the inner world, played dress-up with different professions every day.

Bovine speculated, "Are you perhaps the Moon God Palace Master's illegitimate child? Surely not a descendant of the Samsara Hall Master?"

Zhao Xing, somewhat bewildered, asked, "Elder, why do you say that? Is something wrong?"

"Of course something is wrong," Bovine sneered. "Biluo is dead, and Bifang is severely wounded. As the instigator, you've already altered the course of the fortunate encounter."

"Logically, your identity change should have been a demotion. Given such a major incident at the Divine Mountain during this period, your position as Chief Mountain Patrol Envoy should certainly have been revoked."

"If you had become a servant or an ordinary disciple of Penglai Mountain, that would be normal. But a Protector? That's equivalent to a lateral transfer. The Xuanling Historical Rubbing must be protecting you."

"Even Xuanling Historical Rubbings vary in quality. Either the Moon God Palace Master is giving you special treatment, or the Samsara Hall Master pulled some strings for you."

"Such a thing exists?" Zhao Xing pulled out the historical rubbing but found nothing special about it.

He had never met the Moon God Palace Master or the Samsara Hall Master, and Lu Ya hadn't given him any specific instructions either.

Zhao Xing decided not to overthink it: "So, is this change good or bad?"

Bovine replied, "Of course, it's a good thing. The Penglai inheritance is another major fortunate event. If you had to start as a servant and work your way up, it would be far too inconvenient, and even if you managed to climb, it would be highly illogical."

"Where do so many underdog success stories come from? As a Protector of Penglai Mountain, even if you perform a bit exceptionally, nothing will seem amiss. Even if you display god-level talent or combat power, your identity shouldn't be exposed. That's a characteristic of inheritance-type events."

"As long as it's not a bad thing," Zhao Xing nodded in satisfaction.

The Penglai Mountain inheritance was originally one of his goals. This event occurred in the 354th year of the second Solar Year. Currently, it was the 578th year of the first Solar Year, meaning the event would begin in over seven hundred years.

The event's content was straightforward: the Penglai Divine General, feeling his end was near, would choose someone destined to receive his legacy.

Finally, Zhao Xing casually asked, "Elder, have you been researching any martial arts recently?"

Bovine didn't answer and simply walked into the courtyard.

Last time he was dressed as a fate master, today as a martial artist. Zhao Xing wondered what Bovine was researching now and if he had made any breakthroughs. Unfortunately, today was not the day.

Gaining knowledge for free from Bovine was one of Zhao Xing's pleasures. While the *Golden Cicada Form: Twin Body* was acquired through a trade, the *Thousand Silk Fruit* was given purely as a gift.

Additionally, certain theories, such as the True History Faction's *Treatise on Time and Space*, had broadened Zhao Xing's horizons, giving him a deeper understanding of the world.

He recalled his conversations with people from different dimensions like Chu Ji, Liu Qingci, and Xuhuai, realizing that even in their eras, there were no god-level scholars. While chroniclers existed, they couldn't be considered true scholars in the full sense.

Bovine's status as a god-level scholar was highly valuable across multiple dimensions.

The Human Race's high-ranking officials thought highly enough of him to let him use Bovine and appoint Bovine as his Dao Protector.

After expressing gratitude in his heart to the high-ranking officials of the Wilderness Faction, Zhao Xing's consciousness left his inner world.

The identity change was somewhat like a premonition, but it hadn't yet manifested in 'history.' For now, he remained within the Mountain Patrol Divine Division.

Zhao Xing tallied the gains from his three fortunate encounters.

First fortunate encounter: 9,734 units of Earth Divine Crystals, one Heaven-Devouring Divine Blade, and one Divine Pulse Ship of the Beast God 'Tibao'.Second fortunate encounter: 15,748 units of Earth Divine Crystals, no other gains.Third fortunate encounter: 38,232 units of Earth Divine Crystals, and an identity change.

In total, he had 63,714 units of Earth Divine Crystals and two divine artifacts. If converted entirely into contribution points, it would amount to approximately 64.7 billion. However, Zhao Xing planned to retain at least 80% of the Earth Divine Crystals for his own use. He calculated that his inner world needed to evolve, the Keyang Divine Tree required nurturing, and the Extreme Land needed expansion. Naturally, the stronger his foundation as a Freedom God, the better.

An announcement was made: "Listen, Chief Envoy Han Bing, Vice Envoy Xuhuai, Vice Envoy Yusheng, and Vice Envoy Zhuohua of the former Mountain Patrol Divine Division! All four of you are being transferred to Penglai Mountain to assume new duties."

Inside the Mountain Patrol Divine Division, the hearth blazed brightly as four divine edicts were issued. They flew towards Zhao Xing, Liu Qingci, Xuhuai, and Zhuohua.

In the winter of the 578th year, due to the fall of Freedom God Biluo, Divine General Yuenan of the Mountain Patrol Divine Division disbanded the Mountain Patrol Divine Division of the Ayas Sea Region.

The remaining individuals received new appointments. The four of them were all assigned to Penglai Mountain, while the other Vice Envoys were dispatched to different sea regions and mountain areas.

Based on their karmic points, even within the same destination, their new appointments differed.

Zhao Xing was appointed Protector of Five Spirit Peak of Penglai Mountain, Liu Qingci became Head of the Western Altar, and Zhuohua was named Deputy Administrator of the Six Duties.

"Protector of Five Spirit Peak — isn't that a lucrative position?" Liu Qingci and Zhuohua both looked at Zhao Xing with a hint of shock.

Truthfully, this transfer order carried a punitive undertone. While it was termed a lateral transfer, the nature of the duties made it clear that the new positions were far less comfortable than their previous roles as Mountain Patrol Envoys.

According to the current official duties at the Primordial Mound, the Head of the Earth Altar was typically responsible for the maintenance of earth altars and preparations for sacrifices during the mountain opening and sealing processes. Among the four altars—East, South, West, and North—the East and South were considered supreme, followed by the North. The West Altar was practically just a decoration, as no one offered sacrifices to the west anymore. Its role had devolved to mere manual labor, making it the lowest-ranking among the four Altar Divisions.

As for the Deputy Administrator of the Six Duties, it was even worse—purely a servant's role.

"The Six Duties Division was responsible for tasks like digging tunnels, feeding spirit beasts, unsealing mines, clearing veins in underground palaces, and managing outflows—and that was already bad enough. And I'm not even the head of the Six Duties Division, just a Deputy Administrator. I'm truly fed up."

Venerable Zhuohua couldn't help but feel dejected upon seeing her new appointment.

Compared to Zhao Xing's Spirit Peak Protector role, her position was on an entirely different level.

A Spirit Peak Protector could freely enter and exit blessed spirit mountain lands, command mountain spirits and wild monsters, oversee disciples, absorb the essence of heaven and earth, and observe the spiritual wonders of countless peaks.

It was a position where one could easily encounter fortunate opportunities! Comparing oneself to others truly infuriates.

"Xuhuai, what's your position?" Zhuohua asked, looking at Xuhuai, who had remained silent.

Xuhuai, holding his edict, expressionlessly slapped it onto Zhuohua: "See for yourself."

"Hundred Stone Peak, Ink Well Protector — what kind of position is that?" Zhuohua didn't immediately grasp it.

Liu Qingci, however, let out a chuckle. Realizing her impropriety, she cupped her hands towards Xuhuai: "My apologies, Brother Xuhuai, I truly couldn't help myself."

Zhao Xing also found it hard to suppress a smile. The so-called Ink Well Protector was nominally a protector, but in reality, it meant guarding a mine.

It was like the Divine Emperor dividing the world's waterways: everyone else became the Dragon King of the East Sea or West Sea, but Xuhuai became the Dragon King of a Well.

Originally, the rank of a Well Dragon King wasn't low, but being confined to a specific area was soul-crushing.

As the Ink Well Protector of Hundred Stone Peak, Xuhuai was effectively confined to guarding that single spot, unable to freely move between wells.

"Brother Xuhuai, your protector position is truly—" Venerable Zhuohua choked out, "—better not to have it at all."

It was even worse than being Deputy Administrator of the Six Duties; at least Venerable Zhuohua had a wider range of movement.

Xuhuai sighed deeply.

To think that he, a dignified Diviner of the Heavenly Chronology Faction, a man once listed among the geniuses of the Blazing Epoch, was assigned to guard an ink well!

This godforsaken place was truly beyond reason.

Complaining aside, to stay, one had to abide by the rules.

Zhao Xing, Xuhuai, Liu Qingci, and Zhuohua immediately set off, leaving the Ayas Sea Region in the 578th year of the first Solar Year and arriving at Penglai Mountain in the 563rd year.

"There were still over seven hundred years until the fortunate encounter event." He wondered how many people would participate.

While cooperation might have been possible in the Ayas Sea Region, the Penglai Divine General's inheritance event could only be obtained by one person, leaving no possibility for cooperation with other arrivals.

"There's no win-win scenario here; only one person can receive the inheritance. All other arrivals are enemies, and this might even include god-level opponents."

Zhao Xing decided that for the next seven hundred-plus years, he would stay hidden on a spirit peak until the Penglai Divine General's inheritance event was triggered, at which point he would emerge.

"Venerable Han Bing, I am Song Shan of the Blessed Land Division, responsible for managing the cave dwellings on the various spirit peaks. You may choose any cave dwelling among the five spirit peaks." Song Shan, dressed in a simple green hemp robe with sleeves rolled up to his elbows, revealing sun-tanned forearms, appeared quite unadorned.

Zhao Xing immediately saw that this person was also an arrival. His apparent strength was that of an Emperor, but in reality, he was already a ninth-tier demigod.

He thought, "Who knows how many people are waiting for this inheritance event? The very first person I meet here is an arrival." Zhao Xing grew increasingly cautious.

Without looking too much, he casually selected a cave dwelling.

"Very well, I'll choose this one. I prefer not to be waited on and like to do everything myself, so there's no need to assign any attendants or servants."

"Yes, no problem. I guarantee no one will disturb you."

"Allow me to introduce the cave dwelling to you first." Song Shan enthusiastically invited Zhao Xing in and began explaining.

Zhao Xing found it somewhat amusing that Song Shan wouldn't leave, constantly flattering him and seemingly expecting something in return.

He thought, "This Song Shan is treating me like an event character to farm favorability, hoping I'll reward him with something."

But how could Master Zhao's 'wool' be so easily obtained? Besides, while he had plenty of 'gold,' he lacked 'silver' coinage, making it inconvenient to give out rewards.

So, he maintained an indifferent attitude, listened to Song Shan chatter for a while, and then began to dismiss him.

Song Shan, still enthusiastic, smiled and took his leave.

However, once away from the cave dwelling, his expression immediately changed.

"Pah! Where did this penniless wretch come from! I flattered him for so long, and he didn't give me a single copper! What a waste of my time."

Song Shan had thought he might gain some 'fortune' from Zhao Xing, but after all that effort, he got nothing.

However, this wasn't the first time, so Song Shan didn't take it to heart. He simply mentally labeled this Protector Han Bing as a 'pauper' and 'cheapskate.'

"If you want to secure the Penglai Divine General's inheritance, you must understand his Dao and even study his hobbies. Only through shared interests can you gain his legacy."

"Conversely, no matter how talented or powerful you are, you won't receive the Penglai Divine General's inheritance if you don't align with his ways."

Inside the inner world, Bovine was teaching Zhao Xing. Today, he was dressed as a Diviner, specifically in the golden sun-feathered robes commonly worn by old-school Heavenly Chronology Diviners.

"According to historical records, the Penglai Divine General primarily cultivated the Earth Repository Dao; he wasn't the kind of Diviner who engaged in constant fighting," Bovine explained. "He was a disciple of the Earth Repository Divine King, and before he joined the Cosmic Ark project and defected, he was the most skilled at nurturing lands among all the Divine Kings."

"The twelve-mountain arrangement of the Primordial Mound's Spirit Realm era was largely established according to the Earth Repository Divine King's *Earth Repository Mountains and Seas Scripture*."

"After his defection, although the classic scriptures remained, the Earth Repository Division of the Primordial Mound gradually declined."

Zhao Xing mused that even super-factions underwent various changes across different eras. The departure of the Earth Repository Divine King and the Zhoushan Divine King had a profound impact on the Primordial Mound.

Especially for the Earth Repository Divine King, without his guidance, subsequent geniuses of the Earth Repository Faction found it difficult to grasp his scriptures and theories, let alone reach his level of mastery.

Assuming no one taught them, learning independently would naturally be much slower, perhaps even preventing breakthroughs. For instance, with the Life Underground Palace, without Divine General Lan Chuan's instruction, he might not have mastered it so quickly himself.

"As a disciple of the Earth Repository Divine King, the Penglai Divine General's primary mastery in Earth Advantage spells was the Earth Repository Method, followed by the Profound Earth Method, Underground Palace Method, and Spirit Mountain Method."

"Having grown up under the Earth Repository Divine King's wing, he had experienced very little combat but was exceptionally skilled at cultivating lands."

"As for his personal preferences, the official histories I recall only mention that he 'enjoyed planting bamboo and was fond of raising walruses.'"

"He also had two nicknames: one was 'Walrus God,' and the other was 'Tranquil Bamboo Scholar,' the latter being self-proclaimed. The former was because he liked the Walrus race and often transformed into their appearance. Over time, the Walrus race came to regard him as a deity, and he was happy to accept the title of Walrus God."

He liked planting bamboo and raising walruses? Zhao Xing, reviewing the information on the Penglai Divine General, found it quite novel.

The sea of history was vast and hazy; without Bovine's guidance, Zhao Xing wouldn't have understood it in such detail. But now he had a clear direction.

"Over these seven hundred-plus years, you can learn more spells in this area. I can't teach them myself, as they are unique to the Primordial Mound. I only know their names, not their methods."

"However, the Yuanji Mountain contains them, and you were allowed to take it across dimensions precisely so you could study them when you had time."

Zhao Xing nodded. As the Mountain Chief of the Primordial Mound, the Yuanji Mountain he carried contained many of the Primordial Mound's secret spells.

However, learning them wouldn't be easy. Firstly, he lacked the Earth Advantage Faction's divine power. Secondly, without a teacher, progress would be slow, or he might not even be able to get started.

Bovine knew which spells existed in the Primordial Mound, but he didn't know the specific cultivation methods.

The Primordial Mound wasn't concerned about losing Yuanji Mountain because the divine artifact had a unique characteristic: no matter where it was lost, it would always return to the Primordial Mound's possession.

With a clear direction, Zhao Xing began his cultivation.

A world core hovered within the cave dwelling, while his physical body entered his inner world.

He didn't study under Bovine's watchful eye but instead went to the Yin-Yang Galaxy where the Keyang Divine Tree was located.

"The Earth Repository Method is primarily based on the *Primordial Earth Repository Scripture*. I once learned a Samsara-level secret method, Primordial Earth Repository, which originated from this very scripture."

"The spell I learned primarily served to activate dormant earth veins, restoring their vitality. However, the Primordial Earth Repository encompassed more than just this single function."

"I rarely use this spell normally. For these seven hundred years, I will thoroughly study the *Primordial Earth Repository Scripture*."

Zhao Xing summoned a piece of land, and with a wave of his hand, it was neatly divided into eight hundred thousand squares.

Each square exceeded a million square kilometers, and different combinations of earth veins resulted in varying soil characteristics within each one.

Within these eight hundred thousand squares, Zhao Xing cultivated the *Primordial Earth Repository Scripture*.

The *Primordial Earth Repository Scripture* contained many spells, as well as theories and principles, such as the Yang Year Earth Extraction Method, the Lunar Yin Earth Extraction Method, and techniques like the *Dao Manifestation Layered Earth* and *Elephant Manifestation Divine Earth*, among others.

Every three years, Zhao Xing would awaken to perform his duties as Protector, striving to keep his fortune value consistently high.

Years passed, three after three, and soon Zhao Xing had spent one hundred and twenty years in his cave dwelling on Moon Spirit Peak.

On this day, Zhao Xing concluded his cultivation and prepared to go out for his usual inspection.

Suddenly, a gentle breeze blew, carrying what sounded like a voice. "Zhao Xing, Zhao Xing."

The breeze entered his ears, and so did the voice.

Zhao Xing remained impassive, continuing his flight.

Soon, he landed on a peak and began to inspect the conditions within the mountain range. However, amidst the rhythm of the earth veins, he heard another message: "Zhao Xing, Diviner Zhao, if you hear this, please respond."

Zhao Xing still showed no reaction, pretending not to notice.

After he completed his rounds and returned to his cave dwelling, a thought flashed through his mind. It was a sign that someone was making a devotion to him.

This person was none other than He Chenzi, who had previously offered him five millennia of true spirit incense.

"Diviner Zhao, do not respond! Do not respond! This is a warning message. Many gods are tracking your temporal afterimages, searching for your traces."

"I am currently in the 341st epoch before the Wilderness, aboard the Cosmic Ark. I am sending this message simply to alert you."

Zhao Xing suppressed the thought, choosing not to respond to He Chenzi.

His expression turned somewhat grim. He hadn't expected the Evil God Faction to begin searching for him using such methods.

Was it the Heavenly Concubine Lightning Mother of the Five Abyss Thunder Divine Division, the Unwritten Divine King City, or perhaps the Tianshan Beast God, or the Undying Underworld God faction?

Zhao Xing couldn't guess, because with his creation of the *Ten Directions Mountain Scripture*, probably every evil god wanted to find him.

"There are trackers even on the Cosmic Ark now, and probably in other dimensional territories too. This is truly a large-scale search," Bovine chuckled. "The intensity of tracing Qingyuzi was probably just like this."

Zhao Xing, however, wasn't flustered. Instead, he said casually, "If no one were pursuing me, wouldn't assigning me a Dao Protector be a waste?"

"I haven't seen the Elder in action yet; I'd actually prefer some formidable pursuers to appear. Elder, you can handle ten opponents of the same rank without an issue, right?"

Seeing that Zhao Xing wasn't flustered in the slightest, Bovine put away his smile. "You had best hide more carefully and not expose your identity. If I have to make a move, your situation will become very dire."