Chapter 78: The King of Inspiration Loses His Touch

The darkness always blinds the eyes and magnifies fear.

That night, Qiannan Village held a barbecue feast.

The monsters that had threatened them were caught, sliced, and roasted. In modern times, these creatures would be considered protected species, but in this era, they were all perilous beasts endangering human life; if they could be killed, they were, and if not, the only choice was to hide.

Chen Jin tasted a few pieces of the monster meat. The villagers hadn’t prepared them well, and with little seasoning, the meat was tough and lacked flavor.

However, the broth made from their bones was quite good.

Sipping the soup, Chen Jin recalled his first encounter with the demon tiger when he crossed over to this world. That tiger had been formidable, its body brimming with energy. It was because of that beast that Chen Jin embarked on the path of cultivation—after devouring its flesh, he finally accumulated enough vital energy to complete his bodily transformation in the modern world, which in turn propelled his spiritual transformation.

Yes, he could still remember the demon tiger. Truly, one should never forget those who dug the well when drinking the water.

The village chief, Zheng Zhao—the elderly man—had even brought out his treasured wine to share with Chen Jin.

Chen Jin believed that joy was greater when shared, so he passed the wine around.

After a night of singing and laughter, the bonfire was extinguished, and everyone returned to their homes for a deep sleep.

But Chen Jin did not sleep. He had cultivation to attend to, and he needed to remain vigilant against a sudden attack from Lord Inspiration.

Lord Inspiration must have already learned that his followers had ended up in the bellies of Chen Jin and the villagers.

No doubt, he was gnashing his teeth in fury at that very moment.

...

The mountain was called Inspiration Mountain because, after Lord Inspiration’s arrival, he forcibly renamed it. Thus, both the people on the mountain and those below called it Inspiration Mountain.

Within Inspiration Mountain, Lord Inspiration resided in a mountain stronghold.

It had originally been a bandit fortress, but Lord Inspiration seized it, and the bandits were all captured and pressed into his service.

Over time, the bandits, suffused with Lord Inspiration’s demonic aura, gradually transformed into monsters themselves. Because they had once been human, they were known as human-fiends...

At this moment, in the stronghold—now called Inspiration Stronghold—a massive black bear was roaring with rage. This was none other than Lord Inspiration.

“Qiannan Village, Qiannan Village! I will tear it to shreds, slaughter everyone, devour them all! Roar!” The black bear’s furious bellow echoed throughout the great hall.

“Rally the troops! We march on Qiannan Village and leave none alive!” His wrath burst forth in a torrent.

“Your Majesty, you must not! This requires careful planning. The Earth God is not to be trifled with, and you aim to become the Mountain God—reckless slaughter would ruin your grand enterprise!” A short, stout, shadowy figure covered in black hair appeared at the foot of the bear’s throne, hurriedly advising him.

This was the former bandit strategist, now corrupted by the black bear’s aura into a monster. Yet he relished his new existence, plotting and scheming for Lord Inspiration. Though over sixty, he now felt vigorous and robust, thanks to the bear’s aura, which had set him on this strange path of cultivation, able to draw in the world’s vital energy at will.

For this reason, his loyalty to Lord Inspiration was unshakeable.

In truth, this was the result of the bear’s demonic influence—a form of brainwashing that powerful demons exerted unconsciously.

When a monster lingered in one place for a long time, it would inevitably transform the creatures around it into fiends—strange puppets utterly devoted to their master, yet still capable of independent thought, though always revolving around the monster’s will.

“What did you say?! Careful planning?! They killed Little Whirlwind! What planning is there? Kill them all first, then talk about planning!” The black bear roared, a swipe of his massive paw sending a gust of wind that sent the strategist tumbling three times across the floor.

Yet the strategist was unbothered, quickly scrambling back and prostrating himself before the throne. “Your Majesty, wiping out Qiannan Village would be easy—a mere flick of your finger. But you must not let this trivial matter jeopardize your eternal ambition! Once you become Mountain God of Inspiration Mountain, the fate of Qiannan Village is but a matter of a spit! Why not wait a while, ascend to godhood, and then, with a single word, destroy both the villagers and the Earth God?”

Though the strategist’s words were somewhat muddled, the black bear pondered them, especially the comparison between a flick of the finger and a mere spit. The more he thought of it, the more he felt he should heed his adviser. Once he became Mountain God, he could wipe out Qiannan Village with a single spit.

“Is there any progress on becoming Mountain God?” the black bear asked.

The strategist was delighted by this question and replied eagerly, “Your Majesty, we have already set up your statues at every important pass on Inspiration Mountain. Once you receive the worship of all the mountain’s creatures, you will be Mountain God in truth!”

“There are no other deities on the mountain above, and in the hundred miles below, only the Earth God of Qiannan Village remains. If we can make him submit to you, your ascension is assured.”

“Then I still want to destroy Qiannan Village, kill the Earth God, and that Daoist, kill them all! I refuse to believe that anyone in all of Inspiration Mountain would dare not worship me as Mountain God!” The black bear roared again, growing more agitated.

Though hot-tempered, he understood the stakes. The only obstacle left on his path to godhood was Qiannan Village. So, to become Mountain God as quickly as possible, he naturally gravitated toward the simplest and most brutal solution—slaughter!

He would use blood and terror to force the people into submission, just as, in ancient times, some demons had become the totems and gods of human clans through fear.

After all, sometimes terror was a useful tool.

But this was not the ancient era. Now, in an age where the human race was dominant and cultivators roamed the land, such notoriety for wanton slaughter would only attract disaster—swift as a flying sword from a thousand miles away, and his bear head would roll.

“Your Majesty, slaughter will impede your ascension! Wisdom is needed now!” the strategist cried, trying to stop Lord Inspiration.

“No more talk! Rally the troops. We go down the mountain. The villagers of Qiannan may be spared, but the Earth God’s temple must be destroyed and replaced with the shrine of your true Mountain God!” The black bear rose from his throne and bellowed toward the hall's entrance.

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