On the third day after the Mountain and River Cauldron awakened, the Cyan Mountain Daoist Temple welcomed an uninvited guest.
It was early afternoon. The slanting autumn sun stretched the shadow of the dead tree in the courtyard to a great length. Qi Yun remained seated cross-legged beneath the tree, his aura so still that he seemed to have merged with Heaven and Earth.
The Mountain and River Cauldron hovered in a corner of the courtyard, its nine divine dragons swimming slowly across its surface. The Profound Yellow luster flowing over the cauldron was visibly brighter than it had been in previous days. Cai Shen, having materialized as a translucent human figure, sat cross-legged beside it, chattering endlessly to Brother Fourteen about his experiences over the years. Occasionally, the cauldron emitted a low HUM, as if responding or sighing in lament.
