When Yú Sū emerged, he wore a mask with simple and elegant elements—no exaggerated or frightening patterns, just water and wood elements, making it quite plain yet beautiful.
The most eye-catching, however, was the priest robe Yú Sū wore. A wide-sleeved gown with a special pattern of blue tree leaves, it looked both dignified and gentle on him.
From his entrance to stepping onto the altar, everyone stared dumbfounded, forgetting to blink. All eyes were fixed on Yú Sū, and nothing else could be seen in their eyes.
Only when Yú Sū stood in the center of the altar did people start to regain their senses.
"Is that Lord Yú Sū?"
"God, I thought it was a great sorcerer from Feng City!"
Many couldn't believe it was Yú Sū, and their hearts were shaken.
When Yú Sū turned to face the direction of Deer God Mountain, everyone immediately quieted down, their gaze focused on him.
He first knelt down and recited a thanksgiving prayer for the mountain god's blessing, then began to dance the ritual dance.
Far away on Deer God Mountain, Qīng Zé ascended to the peak, looking towards the direction of Yú Village, curious to see what spectacle this peculiar fellow would create.
Yú Sū raised his hands and began the dance.
He prepared a short blessing, easy to pronounce and breathe between movements.
"Water nurtures all, and vegetation flourishes..."
This ritual dance mainly worshipped water and wood, with the purpose of gathering spiritual energy, causing changes in the wood and water spiritual energies of heaven and earth. Yú Sū thought Qīng Zé, governing water and wood, would appreciate these elements and enjoy the show.Hope the old god would be pleased and offer some reward, that would make it even more perfect.
Of course, when dancing, Yú Sū is also devout. Since he's doing it, he's wholeheartedly committed to completing it.
Each time Yú Sū raises his hand or turns, there's a strong masculine force combined with the flexibility and grace of a young man— a perfect blend of strength and gentleness.
His robe flutters, resembling a swift sparrow at times and a soaring eagle at others. It embodies the toughness of vegetation and the spaciousness of flowing water. Each step he takes seems to land on the hearts of the observers, making them involuntarily hold their breath.
The wood spirits' energy is the first to gather around him. They gently circulate like the wind, forming visible energy outlines with each of Yú Sū's movements.
Fondly, they stick to his cheeks, joyfully dancing with him.
Not everyone can see these wood spirits, but everyone can feel a refreshing and gentle power slowly descending on them, lifting their spirits and secretly astonishing them.
Next is the water spirits' energy, also drawn by Yú Sū's dance. Initially curious, they, like the wood spirits, dance with him as he moves.
Two streams of energy spiral in the heavens and earth, converging around the altar, gradually forming a spectacle.
In Deer God Mountain, Qīng Zé, initially watching Yú Sū dance, changed from a sitting to a standing position. Seeing the rich wood and water spirits, unable to contain its joy, it stepped on clouds and arrived above Yú Village.
At this moment, everyone was focused on Yú Sū's ritual dance, and no one noticed Qīng Zé's arrival.
Yú Sū didn't see it, the all-discipline spirit noticed but didn't speak to avoid disturbing Yú Sū's dance.
Qīng Zé tilted its head slightly, feeling the abundant wood and water spirits. Its snow-white antlers seemed even whiter, and the faint blue tips swayed as the pale blue wood spirits slowly descended, sprinkling around the altar.
The first to notice were cultivators like Lù Yàn and Jiǎn Yúnchuān. When they saw a dignified and elegant white deer standing on clouds above their heads, they couldn't help but be amazed.
The village chief and others noticed later and knelt devoutly.
"Oh heavens, it's Lord Mountain God!"
"Lord Mountain God has really appeared."
"Lord Mountain God bless us!"
Not just Yú Village, even the people from Ironforge Village were startled and knelt down. This was the Mountain God, something some people might never see in their lifetime.
Qīng Zé's wood spirits were precious. Even if just a little rubbed off, it would be beneficial for mortals. Seeing this scene, Yú Sū felt happy; it seemed Qīng Zé enjoyed the dance.
Yú Sū didn't dare to interrupt and continued to dance the ritual.
Qīng Zé, bathed in the center of the wood and water spirits, closed its eyes contentedly.
The purity of the wood and water spirits here exceeded its expectations.
It seemed that the little guy he raised had some tricks up his sleeve.
Unable to take its eyes off Yú Sū, Qīng Zé became more pleased and approving. It looked like it had raised a good, chubby child, bringing a sense of fulfillment.
As Yú Sū danced deeper, the wood and water spirits became more abundant, and the resulting natural phenomena became more pronounced.
Qīng Zé was astonished to see Yú Sū continuously attracting these spirits. Such commotion...
Yú Sū, only at the eighth level of Qi refining, if his strength were stronger, wouldn't he be able to cause even more significant disturbances in heaven and earth? At that time, it might not only be Qīng Zé noticing.
Yú Sū also felt the increasing richness of the wood and water spirits, but it was nearing the end of the dance and his own limit.
After a few more minutes, the ritual dance came to an end, and Yú Sū, somewhat breathless, signaled for the villagers to rise.
Sensing that Qīng Zé had left, the villagers dared to stand up. Although the whole process didn't take long, seeing the appearance of Lord Mountain God was more than satisfying, and everyone's faces beamed with smiles.
"Lord Yú Sū, did Lord Mountain God leave?"
"Lord Yú Sū, did Lord Mountain God enjoy it?"
Yú Sū nodded, indicating Qīng Zé was satisfied with the ritual dance.
Everyone cheered, and Yú Sū removed the mask from his face, descending from the altar.
Lù Yàn approached, taking the mask from him, and seeing the sweat on his face, she wanted to wipe it off. However, remembering Yú Sū's warning not to touch him casually, she restrained herself.
Even without touching, her gaze was burning, scarily intense.
"Sweat," she reminded.
Yú Sū wiped his face with his hand, whispering to Lù Yàn, "This dance is no joke; it's exhausting."
Lù Yàn softly agreed, "Rest when you can."
Yú Sū shook his head, "Everyone is rejoicing; we'll talk later."
But that later became a whole day. The villagers were in high spirits, celebrating the grand festival with guests around. Yú Sū, the protagonist, couldn't afford to be lazy and rest. The festivities continued until dark, and only then did he return home.
As soon as he got home, he collapsed on the kang, not wanting to move.
Yú Zhōu climbed onto the kang, massaging his lower back vigorously. "Brother, let me massage you; you're tired."
Yú Sū raised his hand, rubbing his head. "Our little boat is really obedient."
Jiǎn Yúnchuān saw how tired he was, so he asked Lù Yàn to boil water. They planned to wipe Yú Sū's body to make him more comfortable. If it weren't dark, Yú Sū would have liked to take a bath in the river, but wiping down would suffice for now.
"After some time, when water can be drawn up, let's build a waterway to each house and set up bathrooms for bathing," Yú Sū lazily remarked.
Although they often didn't understand some words Yú Sū used, it didn't hinder the overall understanding.
"I'll help you," said Lù Yàn.
Yú Sū responded, "Whether you help or not, you have to help. I can't do without you."
Lù Yàn smiled.
Jiǎn Yúnchuān told him, "Take a good rest for a while. You're tired every day; I don't know where you get so much energy."
"Dad, I'm only fifteen. If I'm tired at fifteen, that would be a big problem."
"Dad, come help me massage; little boat has no strength."
"Oh, you brat, even ordering your dad around."
Jiǎn Yúnchuān said his piece and went over to loosen his muscles.
When the water boiled, Lù Yàn mixed some cold
water, and Yú Sū wiped himself before going to bed.
He slept soundly until dawn.
The next morning, waking up early, stretching, Yú Sū felt revitalized.
Because the previous day's ritual dance was so awe-inspiring, everyone was still immersed in the dance and the appearance of the Mountain God. Each person greeted Yú Sū with respect.
"Lord Yú Sū."
"Lord Yú Sū, you were tired all day yesterday; make sure to rest well today."
"Yes, Lord Yú Sū, take care of yourself."
Yú Sū smiled and waved, saying he had rested enough and needed to meet with the village chief and the others from Ironforge Village.
They also had to discuss the dividends.
By the way, he wanted to order a batch of ironware from them for refining the Red Iron Stone.
For example, a furnace.
This furnace had to be specific; it needed a special array when forging, so Yú Sū planned to go to Ironforge Village after they returned and personally make this furnace.
After the furnace was made, the problem of transporting it back arose. Yú Sū thought about creating a large transport carriage for such purposes, pulled either by horses or oxen if horses were unavailable. As long as it could pull, it was fine.
But doing this meant he had to set up a carriage. This added to the growing list of tasks.
Yú Sū couldn't help but sigh. How come as life gets better, he becomes busier?
[Master, ordinary fire can't melt Red Iron Stone. What do you plan to use for the furnace?]
[Let's use the Gathering Spirit array for now. If the fire spirit energy is sufficient, we can barely transform it. Of course, finding a source of fire would be even better. But even Ironforge Village doesn't have one, and I don't know where to find it.]
地火 (dì huǒ) is the most basic fire for refining. If Yú Sū can't find it, it will be challenging to refine higher-level artifacts, including his Five Elements spiritual treasure.
Of course, for now, he'll postpone these concerns. Today, he needs to discuss the furnace with Ironforge Village.