Chapter 31: The Seal of the Mountain God
Lin Bai no longer bothered to provoke Qian Renxue. If it weren't for the comprehension bonus granted through favorability, he wouldn't have tried to get close to the cold, proud girl at all.
Even after rambling to her for days, her favorability had only risen to a meager thirty. Just enough for them to be considered acquaintances—familiar strangers at best.
Still, she wasn't as openly hostile anymore, and that was enough.
Knowing how difficult it was to earn her goodwill, Lin Bai instead shifted focus. He decided to spend the next six months researching the Seraph Martial Spirit—the angelic, divine energy that radiated with sanctity, intensity, and violence. It filled his room with a suffocating aura of purity, its god-level presence making up for what he lacked in understanding.
In this secluded chamber, Lin Bai slowly immersed himself in the light. In the stillness of the Seven Houses, the surrounding light elements seemed to gravitate toward him, circling his form like fireflies around a lamp. He sat cross-legged on the bed, while Xiao Wu silently guarded him nearby.
Meanwhile, Tang San stirred from meditation not far away. The sun outside was bright, but it couldn't clear the clouds in his heart. Being bested by Lin Bai again—it was a heavy blow. It shook the pride he had in the Tang Sect, and forced him to confront an uncomfortable truth: this world was different. If he wanted to rise, he'd need to adapt.
Out of the corner of his eye, he glanced at Lin Bai and Xiao Wu. His gaze lingered for a second before he left Qishe without a word.
If he wanted to restore his dignity, if he wanted to make Lin Bai pay for humiliating his teacher… then he needed strength. Real strength.
Tang San began to show up at the blacksmith shop less frequently. Instead, he buried himself in physical training, martial arts practice, and intensive study with Yu Xiaogang. The two spent nearly every hour together. Over time, their teacher-student relationship deepened into something more ambiguous—unspoken feelings lingered between exchanges, their boundaries gradually fading.
Tang Hao had met Yu Xiaogang during Tang San's first year, leaving his son in the man's care before departing to stir up trouble in Wuhun Palace. Had he stayed longer, he might've noticed the strange atmosphere between the two. But he left too soon, and so no one disturbed the small world they built for themselves.
As the months passed, five in total, Lin Bai finally completed his research on the angel spirit. His comprehension of light attributes now exceeded his understanding of darkness.
True to his word, he told Qian Renxue the truth about the "secret room" incident. He revealed everything—even that it was Bibi Dong who killed Qian Xunji.
He saw the ripple in her emotions, a flicker in the calm sea of her spirit. But it wasn't his business.
Whether she decided to understand her mother or seek revenge for her father, it had nothing to do with Lin Bai anymore.
With just over three months remaining before the system expired, Lin Bai chose his final target for body-borrowed cultivation: Golden Crocodile Douluo.
A terrifying level 98 Titled Douluo with an attack-type martial spirit, the Golden Crocodile. King. A top-tier metal element martial soul.
However, individuals at that level were spiritually refined—normal tricks wouldn't work. So Lin Bai didn't bother with manipulation. He simply kept silent and cultivated beside him, like a shadow. He didn't need help; the Yi Qiankun Spear was already a peak gold-element martial soul. With time, his insight into the metal attribute would come naturally.
And so, he passed the final stretch in quiet preparation.
Days flowed like water. Without realizing it, a full year had gone by.
Lin Bai turned eight.
That morning, he rose early. His golden fingers always came during the day—no need to wait around at night anymore.
He meditated for an hour. After a full year of training through others' bodies, it felt strange to return to his own. But the muscle memory remained, and his soul power flowed naturally along the familiar meridians.
After finishing, he stepped out of Qishe and wandered through Notting City with no particular destination. He rarely went out.
Most of his days were spent reading, cultivating, or resting. The allure of this otherworld's scenery never held much meaning for him.
He walked lazily, hands in his pockets, until something rolled underfoot.
"Hm?"
Lin Bai looked down.
A square stone, about the size of a volleyball, sat right at his feet. He picked it up, frowning. Even distracted, he would never stumble blindly into something that large. It hadn't been there a second ago.
"Today's the day... could this be the new golden finger?"
His instincts said yes.
He channeled golden soul power into the stone. A sharp aura crackled across its surface. Cracks formed instantly, webbing outward until the rocky shell crumbled away—revealing the core object beneath.
It was a yellow stone seal, carved with an exquisitely detailed tiger.
As he touched it, a stream of information poured into his mind.
Mountain God Seal.
Once recognized, the bearer could choose an unclaimed mountain to become its guardian deity. If the user was a spirit or soul, they could draw power from the mountain'sleylines and incense offerings. If they were a cultivator, they could maintain their path while benefiting from the terrain's blessings.
By offering pure incense, the holder could also exchange for spells and divine techniques stored within the seal.
"The earth's veins are endless, and the mountain god is immortal. A mortal who inherits the Mountain God Seal can live for ten thousand years, so long as they remain detached from mortal entanglements. But for me… the Mountain God's Seal is of little use. Unless I become the Zhou Mountain God, I won't bother."
The idea of settling down as a mountain deity didn't appeal to Lin Bai. The position was too grounded, too limiting. Once removed from the land, the divine status would weaken dramatically. It was a golden rice bowl, yes—but one with too many shackles.
Still, this was a birthday gift from the heavens. He wouldn't toss it aside so easily.
He poured spiritual power into the seal, establishing a soul imprint. As his will sank into the object, a heavy aura enveloped his consciousness.
A bitter cold followed—the biting, malevolent force known as earthly evil.
The evil aura came from deep within the earth's veins. Purging it and maintaining the balance was the true duty of a mountain god. Protecting mortals was merely a side job.
Lin Bai suppressed the malice with ease. His mental energy condensed into a spiritual palm, pressing down the evil force and leaving his mark on the formation engraved at the seal's center.
Below the formation was a remnant—an echo of the previous mountain god.
As soon as his imprint was placed, the lingering will unraveled, releasing a final message.
"I am Hushan. Once a wild tiger in the mountains. I lived in ignorance until fate brought me to the Mountain God Seal.
Through it, I walked the spiritual path and became the god of Xiaoqingshan. I protected it for a hundred years, until age took my body and bottlenecks blocked my path. For ten years, I pondered. But I refused to become a Yin God. So I cast off this seal, and set out alone to seek eternity.
To the one who follows—tread carefully."
Lin Bai felt the weight of those words. For a moment, a vivid image formed in his mind: a solitary man, middle-aged and stern, standing atop a peak and looking out at the sea of clouds before descending the mountain, laughter echoing behind him.
Then, as if in farewell, a martial technique imprinted itself into Lin Bai's mind.
Tiger Body Training Technique—a body refinement method that used earth's evil essence to temper the flesh. A gift from the former mountain god. A legacy left for his successor.
Lin Bai closed his eyes. The image of Hushan remained. His face wasn't clear—blurred by clouds and memory—but the feeling lingered.
Steady. Determined. A man who once guarded a mountain, and then left it behind in search of something greater.
Just like Lin Bai might one day do.
********
if you want to read more there's 15, 30, 50 chapters there of my written fanfictions and translated works in my Pat.Reon.
Here is the link:
https://patreon.com/LordFisherman?utm_medium=unknown&utm_source=join_link&utm_campaign=creatorshare_creator&utm_content=copyLink
And if you can't find it just type my name: patreon.com/LordFisherman