"Please make an exception for me. I have a matter of utmost importance," Jiang Yunzhou sighed, feigning difficulty.
Within a few sentences, both sides had guessed each other's identities; they were clearly restricting outsiders from entering due to the alien races. With their cultivation, they could naturally force their way in, but this would only lead to much unnecessary trouble, potentially even angering the alien races. Thus, for the sake of a smooth journey, despite their reluctance, they still needed the nod from this small, elfin creature before them.
Upon seeing that the human before him was not only polite but also genuinely in a difficult situation, the elfin creature couldn't help but stroke its long white beard, its heart already wavering.
Observing the unfamiliar gesture learned from somewhere, Ji Yuan suddenly had an idea. He immediately cupped his hands in a bow and said with an anxious expression, "Please be lenient. This journey is extremely important to my senior brother. Whether he can achieve a true divine body hinges on this crucial step!"
Jiang Yunzhou was taken aback for a moment, but quickly recovered. Under the watchful eyes of the monstrous beasts, he stepped forward. With a soft sigh, he clasped his fists in a salute: "I have heard that the master of this mountain is quite skilled in the path of divinity, which is why I have traveled from afar to seek guidance."
As one of the ancient hundred tribes, the alien races in the Immortal Abolition Valley had naturally followed the path of divinity in the past. Although over the long ages, they had adapted their paths to the changes in heaven and earth, their understanding of divinity was likely unmatched by few in the entire Great Yu Dynasty.
Upon hearing the words "path of divinity," the green soft light emanating from the elfin creature immediately brightened, and it assumed a joyful demeanor. Elves of heaven and earth were naturally drawn to divinity. In the distant past, a majority of the deities in the world were of elfin origin. Even though divinity had declined, this situation had not changed. Apart from the deities officially appointed by the court, the deities of mountains and rivers were still mostly elves.
"If that is the case, then follow me." The elfin creature pondered for a long time before nodding. It stamped its foot, and the black bear beneath it let out a low growl before slowly turning around and heading deeper into the mountain range. "Follow along. Something has happened in the mountains, and without me leading the way, you won't be able to get in." The little creature waved its hand, signaling the two to follow behind it.
Concurrently, the mountain leopards and gray foxes on both sides, after giving the two a deep look, departed on their own to continue their patrols.
"May I ask your name, fellow Daoist?" The two exchanged glances, then followed. Ji Yuan asked with a smile. He didn't ask for the creature's name but rather how to address it, because for beings like elves, a name was a crucial thing, even relating to their life and path. If their name were known to outsiders, there was even a risk of becoming a puppet, with their lives no longer under their own control. It was said that in a distant era, an extremely powerful celestial deity had revealed its true name when it was weak, and was subsequently found by its enemies, perishing instantly under a curse without any resistance. Whether this story was true or not was unverified, but undoubtedly, for beings of such origin, names were of paramount importance, and anyone who dared to pry would surely incur their boundless wrath.
"My companions in the mountains call me Luyin. Once, a scholar with a snow-white beard gave me a human name, Lyuyin," the elfin creature replied, sitting on the back of the black bear, rocking its head. Its voice was clear, like that of a child, carrying a sense of vibrant life.
"My Daoist name is Lingyu, and this is my traveling senior brother..." Ji Yuan said, turning to the young man beside him. Feeling their gaze upon him, Jiang Yunzhou immediately smiled and said, "My name is Jiang Yunzhou." He didn't use a fake name or any other title, openly using his true name. However, given his cultivation and realm, there was no need for concealment. Furthermore, unlike Ji Yuan, he was not a Daoist priest or monk by nature and had not adopted any Daoist or Dharma names.
"May I ask what has happened in the mountains that outsiders are so easily denied entry?" Ji Yuan carefully considered his words before asking casually. However, Luyin did not answer. Instead, it asked with a puzzled look, "You human are so strange. Why do you always seem so distant? I can feel you are constantly on guard against everything." It held a small wooden stick to its chest, its face showing a trace of curiosity. It disliked the other's demeanor somewhat, as their wariness was far greater than that of any human it had ever met. Yet, for some reason, this young human before it gave a feeling of extreme closeness, instinctively evoking much affection. In Luyin's hundreds of years of life, this was the first time it had experienced such a contradictory feeling.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan was slightly taken aback. Under the creature's pure gaze, his state of mind rippled inexplicably. "Please forgive us. My junior brother has encountered some difficulties, which is why he instinctively resists everything outside himself." Jiang Yunzhou, seizing the opportunity, quickly chimed in. In their earlier conversation, the two had agreed that their identities for this journey would be that of fellow disciples cultivating the path of divinity. While speaking, he subtly glanced at the young man beside him. He had merely been providing an excuse earlier, but seeing the young man's current state, it seemed to be true?
"The mortal world is the most troublesome and dangerous. Since you have embarked on the path of divinity, why not seek a place without the protection of deities?" Luyin swayed its body and said earnestly, "If, by chance, you can become a deity protecting a region, you can naturally receive the power of faith from all living beings, and perhaps walk further than cultivators on other paths." In this world today, divinity had greatly declined. Even those with extraordinary talent found it difficult to go far. In ancient times, talent that could easily lead to the Great Power realm would likely struggle to even enter the Third Realm now. If it weren't for humans researching the power of incense and fire, it would be difficult to find deities above the Third Realm in the world today. Yet, even in the Great Yu Dynasty, the most profound of its deities, the Mountain God of Zhongyue, who had enjoyed centuries or millennia of incense and faith, was now comparable only to the Golden Core realm of immortal cultivation.
"Without the court's investiture, it is truly too difficult to become a deity of a region," Jiang Yunzhou sighed wistfully, a hint of melancholy appearing on his face. His expression was not feigned but came from the depths of his heart.