In Order To Ascend, I Became A Modern Wage Slave - Chapter 14: The Cherished Immortal Lord (13)

Chapter 14: The Cherished Immortal Lord (13)

“We won’t go up with you. Around what time will you be coming down? We’ll pick you up then.”

Lian Bei replied, “Probably in two or three days.”

Luo Yang nodded repeatedly, “Alright, alright! It’s settled then. Just give us a call in advance when you’re ready, and we’ll come pick you up.”

Two or three days?

Xi Yu handed the umbrella back to Lian Bei, crossed his arms, and scrutinized him. He looked somewhat frail—how could he manage to stay on the mountain for two or three days?

But it wasn’t his concern. Still, his words came out before his thoughts, “What are you going to do up there for so long?”

Lian Bei said, “Field research.”

Xi Yu asked, “Research what?”

Instead of answering directly, Lian Bei lowered his head slightly, his eyes filled with a smile. “Would you like to come with me?”

Xi Yu refused outright, “No.”

Lian Bei playfully said, “Then I won’t tell you.”

Hearing this, Xi Yu scoffed, “I don’t even want to know!”

He turned and followed Luo Yang toward the car. Lian Bei uttered an “oh,” then followed along, saying, “Then why did you ask?”

“Why do you care why I asked?!” Why was this guy so annoying?

Lian Bei didn’t head up the mountain immediately. He held the umbrella as he escorted Xi Yu into the car. Luo Yang, being perceptive, lowered the car window on Xi Yu’s side.

Lian Bei seemed to want to say something more to Xi Yu, but Xi Yu cut him off directly, issuing a rather blunt warning: “Say one more word, and I’ll cut your tongue off.”

Lian Bei shrugged and closed his mouth in feigned helplessness.

Luo Yang rolled down his own window as well, calling out to Lian Bei, “Alright, we’re off. Take care of yourself up there!”

Lian Bei nodded and stepped back a few paces.

Luo Yang reversed the car and heard Xi Yu from the back seat, his tone icy, “Close the window. Turn on the air conditioning.”

Luo Yang immediately complied. Just as the window was about to close completely, Xi Yu turned his head. Through the narrow gap, he caught a glimpse of Lian Bei waving goodbye to him. On instinct, Xi Yu made a face at him.

The only reason Lian Bei noticed was because, at that exact moment, the window closed, reflecting Xi Yu’s face.

How childish.

It wasn’t clear who he was referring to.

Xi Yu wiped the expression off his face, let out a cold snort, and lay back down to resume his nap. If he’d known it would be this straightforward and uneventful, why had he bothered coming all the way out here?

After closing his eyes for a while, Xi Yu suddenly realized that he had grown a bit too complacent lately. He had almost forgotten the goal he had set for himself at the beginning. Sitting up abruptly, he asked, “Are there any other tall mountains nearby?”

Generally speaking, mountains tend to connect to one another, rising and falling, with few instances of solitary peaks abruptly towering over the landscape.

Luo Yang instinctively checked Xi Yu’s expression in the rearview mirror. Turning the steering wheel, he made a wide turn and said, “Hua Xi Mountain is nearby. I can take you there for a look.”

“Hua Xi Mountain?”

Seeing his reaction, Luo Yang corrected himself, “Well, it’s not exactly Hua Xi Mountain. There’s a slightly shorter mountain next to it. I forgot its name. Since Hua Xi Mountain is more famous, it’s just easier to refer to it by that name. Usually, when we say we’re going to Hua Xi Mountain, we’re actually climbing the smaller one. Hua Xi Mountain itself is too steep to ascend, so you’d need to rely on the smaller mountain as a route.”

Luo Yang paused and added, “But after that heavy rainstorm, the Hua Xi mansion collapsed, and the suspension bridge was destroyed. So even using the smaller mountain as a route, we still can’t get there.”

“That’s not what I was wondering about,” Xi Yu said. “I’m pretty sure Hua Xi Mountain and Luo Nan Mountain are miles apart. How could they be close?”

Luo Yang casually explained, “Maybe it’s due to tectonic plate movements or something.”

Xi Yu didn’t fully understand but pretended to nod nonchalantly before starting to plan his next steps on the path to immortality.

The reason he sought high mountains was that they were closer to the heavens, making them naturally richer in spiritual energy. For someone like him with no divine mandate, the only option was to chase after the heavens.

Luo Yang had a guess about what Xi Yu was planning and asked curiously, “Is it necessary for you cultivators to train on mountains? Aren’t there other ways?”

“There are, but this is the only option for me,” Xi Yu replied straightforwardly. Before Luo Yang could ask why, Xi Yu explained on his own, “I have a heavy Yin aura and attract ghosts. If I get entangled with ghosts, I won’t be able to ascend.”

Luo Yang nodded in understanding and muttered, “No wonder you always run when you see ghosts. So, how long will you have to train on the mountain before you can ascend?”

Xi Yu rubbed his temples. “I’m not sure yet.”

Based on the foundation he had built in his past life, enlightenment shouldn’t take too long. However, whether it was self-realization leading to ascension or expelling demons as a path to ascension, personal effort was only part of the equation.

Throughout history, every ascended being had been renowned, their deeds sung in praise, with temples erected and worship offered by the people. If no one knew of you, no one worshipped you, and no one believed in you, then your ultimate fate would be obliteration. In that case, ascension would simply mean dying in a different place.

Gods exist for people, and people exist for gods.

There was never any hierarchy between the two. People pray to gods for blessings, and gods appear in dreams to request worship.

It’s just that there are far more people than gods, making gods precious by comparison.

Moreover, humans have a tendency to elevate powerful entities, which is why gods are considered to be on high.

Thus, Xi Yu’s biggest issue now was finding believers.

He briefly explained this to Luo Yang. While Luo Yang was still pondering how Xi Yu might resolve the issue, Xi Yu said, “When you drop me off at the mountain, go down and spread the word that I’m training for ascension. Make it as exaggerated as possible. The more people who believe, the better.”

Luo Yang: “?”

Xi Yu asked, “What? You can’t do it?”

Luo Yang stammered, “Uh… well… in our current era, doing that kind of thing is prohibited.”

“Oh.” Xi Yu seemed indifferent, then asked in return, “What happens if you do it?”

His tone carried a rebellious edge, as if daring someone to try stopping him. Luo Yang explained briefly, thinking that when they got back, he’d need to give Xi Yu a more thorough understanding of the relevant legal constraints. Otherwise, he might not even know why he’d end up in trouble.

After his explanation, Luo Yang quickly offered alternative suggestions: “It’s really just about gaining visibility. It doesn’t have to be done in one way. You could help old ladies across the street, volunteer in the community, do good deeds, or even appear on TV. That way, more people would know about you.”

Xi Yu seriously considered Luo Yang’s words and asked, “Would they worship me then?”

“Uh, that’s hard to say. Maybe you’d need to be exceptionally good at something. For example, back in high school, I used to pray to the top student in our grade before exams.”

“And did they ascend?”

Xi Yu seemed to be contemplating attending high school based on this comment, but given his understanding of this era, the only place that might accept him now was a mental hospital. Luo Yang replied, “No… they didn’t.”

“Do people in this era ascend?”

“That… also hasn’t happened.”

“………”

Xi Yu gave up on the idea of climbing the mountain to gain enlightenment and ascend. Even if he achieved a state of unity with the heavens, he’d still end up falling in the celestial realm.

That left him with two options: follow Luo Yang’s advice to build a reputation and then train to ascend, or simply go back.

Neither option was particularly easy. Xi Yu’s knowledge of ascension was still too limited. If his master were here, there might have been more methods.

Having even one believer was better than none. Xi Yu leaned closer and suddenly asked, “Do you believe in me?”

Luo Yang was caught off guard. “Huh? Believe in… what? I… I do!”

Xi Yu leaned back, satisfied. Luo Yang, however, didn’t realize that he had unknowingly become one of Xi Yu’s first followers in this era.

Although his goal was out of reach, since they were already here, Luo Yang bought tickets, and the two began climbing the mountain. The path wasn’t particularly steep, with wide steps that could accommodate three or four people at once. However, it was already late in the day, and by the time they were halfway up, the sun had already set. Reaching the summit would likely take until dawn, just in time to watch the sunrise.

It wasn’t a bad plan, but Luo Yang had oversimplified the challenge. Unlike those who had properly prepared for an overnight climb, they only brought a bag of snacks and no climbing equipment at all.

As they ascended, the temperature dropped, and the wind grew colder. Past the halfway mark, a breeze sent chills through Luo Yang, who hugged himself for warmth. Not only was it cold, but his legs ached, and he was starving. He pulled out a bag of chips, eating as he walked to replenish his energy.

Unfortunately, he wasn’t a robot—recharging didn’t instantly restore him. Eventually, he was too exhausted to move, struggling even to catch his breath. He clutched the hem of Xi Yu’s coat, his eyes pleading.

The two found a large round rock nearby to sit on.

“Goodness.” Luo Yang sat down and immediately pulled out a bottle of water from his bag. After catching his breath, he took a big gulp and exclaimed, “I’m going to die from exhaustion. If I’d known, I would’ve taken the sightseeing bus for the first half. Damn, it keeps getting steeper. I’m afraid I’ll slip and fall later.”

Xi Yu took a bottle of water as well, drinking a sip to steady his breathing. “You’re useless. I’ll walk behind you later. If you fall, I’ll catch you.”

“Bro, you’re too reliable.”

After that, Luo Yang tilted his head back to gaze at the sky. Even so, he still didn’t feel like walking. Once he caught his breath, he sighed, “If only I could reach the summit in one step.”

He cleaned up the trash he had just produced, stood up, and took a step forward in front of Xi Yu.

The next second, Luo Yang disappeared.

“………”

The gods had manifested, but it was rather terrifying. If Xi Yu hadn’t been particularly attuned to the words “heaven” and “god,” he might have been just as confused as Luo Yang, who was now on the mountaintop.

Xi Yu stood still for a moment, deliberating before speaking: “Heaven, if I could reach the summit in one step, that would be great.”

Then he took a step forward—just a single step forward.

“………Beishang Zun Jun?”

Xi Yu began to doubt his own assumptions. At that moment, a gentle breeze brushed against his cheek, playfully tickling him. He took a deep breath.

——Beishang Zun Jun, I pray here for a blessing to reach the summit in one step and walk alongside my friend.

The night deepened, and the cold wind blew.

Luo Yang was crouched on the ground, hugging his knees. Suddenly, someone appeared before him, nearly scaring the soul out of him. Only after hearing that familiar voice did he feel relieved.

Realizing what had happened, he looked around nervously, quickly tugged on Xi Yu’s coat, and gestured for him to crouch down as well.

Then, pointing ahead, he whispered, “Ghosts—everywhere—!”