"Since you have made your decision, Benefactor, this old Daoist will have it recorded at once."
Daoist Priest Yuyang said nothing more and instructed a young Daoist priest beneath him to enter the details into the registry.
Once the official seal of the Celestial Master Mansion was stamped in red mud upon the document, Xiaoyao Residence formally belonged to Lu Yuan for the next ten years.
Lu Yuan, however, did not care about the paperwork in the slightest.
Ten years?
It was already mid-August. In less than a month, the world would undergo a cataclysmic mutation.
When that time came, whether such an agreement still held any validity was another matter entirely.
All that mattered was securing the wordless stele.
Once Lu Yuan finalized his lay sanctuary, the group immediately set off toward the Celestial Master Mansion.
As for the wordless stele, there was no rush. After all, an ordinary-looking weathered slab was hardly going to attract anyone's attention.
On the return walk, however, Boss Liu and the others could not help coming over to talk him out of it, saying he had been far too impulsive in picking Xiaoyao Residence.
That place was desolate and completely unattended, and worse still, a considerable distance from the Celestial Master Mansion. He had made a terrible deal.
Lu Yuan merely smiled and offered no defense.
The wordless stele held a supreme grand divine ability of the Daoist sects. How could ordinary people like them ever understand?
Before long, the party entered the Celestial Master Mansion.
The vegetarian meal had already been prepared.
Daoist Priest Yuyang led Lu Yuan and the rest to the dining hall, then excused himself and departed ahead of them.
Mealtime was underway, and numerous Daoist priests were gathered in groups of twos and threes, heads bowed quietly over their food.
Most Daoist orders observed strict dietary precepts, but the Celestial Master Mansion belonged to Zhengyi Dao, which placed no ban on meat, so there were meat dishes in their bowls as well.
Lu Yuan and his companions queued up, received their meals one by one, and found a table to sit down.
After a grueling half-day trek, everyone could finally take a proper rest.
The men present were all seasoned businessmen, and having spent the journey getting to know one another, they quickly struck up an idle conversation.
"Boss Wang, how many days are you planning to stay on Mount Longhu?"
"Probably two or three days. I have a business meeting coming up soon, so I might make a detour to Mount Tai for a look."
"Mount Tai? Now that's a wonderful place—foremost among the Five Great Mountains. How about we go together?"
"Sounds great, you're more than welcome!"
"Boss Wang, haven't you heard? Mount Tai has been sealed off. Nobody's allowed in right now," Boss Liu cut in, lowering his voice. "I heard that just two days ago, tourists on Mount Tai saw a celestial palace again. Not only that, but some say that at night, they spotted a crowd of ancient figures standing on the summit of Mount Tai, looking as if they were conducting a sacrificial rite."
"A sacrificial rite? Something like that actually happened? How come I didn't hear about it? Isn't it just a rumor?" someone asked curiously.
"Wait, wasn't that already debunked as a mirage?"
"Why would I lie to you? I even have a video right here."
Hearing their skepticism, Boss Liu immediately pulled out his phone to show them.
Yet his brow soon furrowed, and he muttered in confusion, "Huh? That's strange. It was on my phone just this morning. Where did it go?"
"It's definitely fake. I've climbed Mount Tai several times, and I never saw any celestial palace or ancient people."
"Not necessarily. I've heard quite a few bizarre occurrences have been happening lately, both at home and abroad."
"Right, right! You know Mount Jiuhua, don't you? Someone posted online that every morning when the sun rises, chanting can be heard."
"That strange? How come I haven't seen any news about it?"
"Who knows?"
As the topic expanded, the wealthy patrons grew increasingly animated, each chiming in with odd reports they had come across.
From the Taihang Mountains and the Hengduan Mountains to the Qinling range and even the Kunlun Mountains, countless famous peaks were experiencing strange phenomena. Some had earthquakes, some witnessed boundless radiant mists, and others had seen snow that started falling last month without ever stopping.
Villagers living at the foot of the Qinling Mountains could even hear wild beasts roaring through the night, howling relentlessly until dawn.
In short, all kinds of inexplicable events were taking place in different regions, with no known cause.
Yet there was one detail they all recognized.
None of these incidents had generated any significant buzz on the internet, as if deliberately suppressed.
They guessed that Boss Liu's video had likely been scrubbed as well.
Sitting to the side, Lu Yuan listened quietly.
He knew this was the prelude to the global mutation.
One might not sense it in modern cities, but many famous mountains and great rivers—especially those shrouded in myth and legend—were already undergoing quiet transformations.
Of course, this was merely the beginning. Once September 1 arrived, a cataclysmic mutation would sweep across every single person in the world.
Fortunately, he had prepared for it all and would not be caught off guard.
"Benefactor, may I sit here?"
A gentle voice reached Lu Yuan's ears. He looked up to find a young Daoist priest.
The priest was barely seventeen or eighteen, with his hair tied in a neat Daoist topknot and an amicable expression, carrying a meal tray in his hands.
"Of course."
Lu Yuan nodded.
"Thank you." The young Daoist bowed slightly and sat down across from Lu Yuan. Instead of eating right away, he spoke again. "I heard that you selected Xiaoyao Residence as your lay sanctuary, Benefactor?"
Mount Longhu had closed its doors today specifically to host these generous benefactors.
It was entirely normal for the priests of the Celestial Master Mansion to learn that Lu Yuan had picked Xiaoyao Residence.
"That's right," Lu Yuan replied, waiting for him to continue.
"That isn't a very pleasant place to stay."
The young Daoist offered a faint smile. "I lived there for a while a few years ago. The roof leaks when it rains, and at night, the calls of wild beasts echo outside. Aren't you afraid, Benefactor?"
"Daoism focuses on cultivating the mind. Though I am a man of the mundane world, I understand the principle that the harsher the environment, the better it tempers one's heart." Lu Yuan offered an offhand excuse. He had no intention of residing there long-term anyway, so there was nothing to worry about. Besides, with his current physique, ordinary predators could not even get close to him.
"You speak with wisdom, Benefactor."
Hearing this, the young Daoist nodded in apparent agreement.
He spoke no further during the meal. Only after finishing his food did he look up again. "This humble Daoist is named Chunyang. I hope that in the future, should the opportunity arise, we might share a long discussion on the principles of the Dao."
With that, he bowed slightly, turned, and walked away.
*Chunyang?*
Lu Yuan felt a sudden jolt in his heart, his expression shifting slightly.
In the aftermath of the global mutation, that name would resonate far and wide.
It represented Mount Longhu's Young Celestial Master—one of the very strongest Awakened among the younger generation in the days to come.
*To think I would run into someone like him here.*
Lu Yuan quickly reined in his emotions and let out a quiet chuckle.
In his past life, he had been nothing more than an insignificant nobody, while Mount Longhu's Young Celestial Master had been one of the most renowned young powerhouses across all of Huaxia, possessing terrifying strength—an unreachable titan far beyond his grasp.
In this life, however, everything was going to be different.
Saying nothing more, he finished his meal in silence.
When everyone was done, they were settled into the lodgings at the Celestial Master Mansion.
At Lu Yuan's firm insistence, however, he would be staying at Xiaoyao Residence for the night.
Only by doing so would he have ample time and privacy to take complete possession of the wordless stele.
Chapter 17