Vast as Jianyang Prefecture was, it didn't seem so big under the hooves of the shrine's immortal carriage.

Shrinking the Earth to an Inch, the clean carriage soon turned onto a narrow road and left the settled lands behind, heading for the lush green mountains.

That White Cloud Cave held a treasured immortal site where three prefectures met was a mark of its exalted standing in itself.

And it owed that standing to its founding patriarch, who had risen to a seventh-rank post in the Immortal Court.

Seventh rank didn't sound like much, but it already made him father and mother to a whole region, a different creature altogether from earthly immortals like the Earth Gods.

Immortal officials like that usually held some kind of real power, or could command the strength of all the living things in a region. They weren't like the Earth Gods, who could only help the Divine Dynasty's officials govern the local people.

Once they'd proved their worth, it was only natural for them to cultivate friendships with one another, and their influence kept growing.

In short, they weren't people to provoke.

Truly offend the White Cloud founding patriarch, and the trouble might be no less than crossing Founding Patriarch Qingmei, a Taiyi immortal without a post.

“……” They were still short of White Cloud Mountain when the carriage slowly came to a stop.

Three figures had suddenly appeared on the road ahead.

“Well, well, even riding the Earth God's immortal carriage now. Lord Meng's moving up in the world.”

Their leader was a big, burly woman in a purple robe, her sash cinched so tight it pinched her into the shape of a gourd. The most striking thing about her was the knife scar that ran from the tip of one eyebrow down to her jaw.

Behind her came two middle-aged men, one in black and one in white. At a glance, they looked like the two ghosts of Impermanence.

The woman didn't bother with pleasantries. She swung up onto the front of the carriage with the two men, grabbed the reins and said…