Standing by the great river, a touch of longing appeared in Ji Yuan's eyes.
He wondered when the small river he considered his foundation would grow to such a scale.
Although called a small river, the water essence at the foot of Xiao Yuan Mountain was merely a small stream, not even a river. At best, it could only be considered a creek.
If it hadn't been connected to Fuyuan River and, in terms of terrain, could barely be considered one of its sources, that wisp of water essence might not have been born.
To make it grow to a scale comparable to Fuyuan River would likely require at least a thousand years of hard work.
This not only involved aspects like incense power and wishes but also the need to contend with heaven and earth, and to seize authority from other river deities.
Shaking his head, Ji Yuan temporarily put aside the thoughts in his mind.
He had not yet fully established himself, nor had he broken through to the Golden Body realm. Thinking too much about some matters would bring no benefit, only added annoyance.
"How about it, want me to give it to you?"
A young man emerged from the void, speaking with a smile.
Ji Yuan turned to look and then respectfully bowed. The arrival was none other than the True God of Fuyuan River.
Among the water gods in Feiyun Prefecture, he was undoubtedly the highest.
"The True God is joking."
He shook his head, not taking the other's words to heart.
Anyone would naturally assume this was just a jest.
However, the True God of Fuyuan River wore a serious expression, appearing anything but joking.
"You missed a great opportunity."
After a long while, he shook his head and sighed softly.
Seeing this, Ji Yuan muttered inwardly. For a moment, he had actually thought the other was going to give him Fuyuan River.
But such a thing was, of course, impossible. No one would give away the foundation of their godhood.
Once one became a mountain or river deity, abandoning the foundation of their godhood would lead to immediate dissipation, leaving no trace in the world.
Such an act would be equivalent to suicide.
"I didn't intervene back then, do you bear any resentment?"
The True God of Fuyuan River paused, then asked with curiosity.
Upon hearing this, Ji Yuan immediately shook his head. He truly bore no resentment.
Especially in the past few years, as the Rebirth Tower surfaced and the rebel army it supported occupied the territories of the Great Yu Dynasty, he had begun to realize how deep the waters were back then. It was understandable that the other had chosen not to intervene, and in fact, no one else had the right to comment.
"Looking back now, I realize some things were far from as simple as they seemed then."
Ji Yuan sighed, sounding quite emotional.
Now, looking back, he understood that some matters were beyond the reach of mere cultivators like them, and even the Nine Xuan Sect did not possess such weight.
"The power struggles back then, even without you and the Nine Xuan Sect's push, would have happened."
The True God of Fuyuan River said, "There would have been other circumstances, used as pretexts by some powerful figures."
With the Heavenly Martial Emperor's lifespan exhausted and the throne vacant, even without the maneuvering of various factions, the Rebirth Tower would have revealed itself to the world on its own.
Ji Yuan and the others' actions in Linfu County back then could not have affected the overall situation, whether they acted or not.
"However, I didn't expect you to come in person."
The True God of Fuyuan River changed the subject, speaking with a half-smile.
In the past few years, they had occasionally interacted, though mostly Ji Yuan visited the Fuyuan River's water mansion.
After all, despite being a wild god, he was nominally the other's subordinate, given that he controlled the authority of the Linfu River.
However, due to the events of that year, Ji Yuan had harbored many suspicions, and thus had always come in the form of a clone.
"The True God's five-hundredth birthday, how could I still come with a mere clone?"
He said with a smile.
In a few more days, it would be the True God of Fuyuan River's birthday, marking five hundred years since he achieved True God status.
For mountain and river deities, all that came before was the past, and everything was counted from the day they became gods.
And it had been nearly five hundred years since the True God of Fuyuan River attained his status.
"Let's go, come in with me."
He said slowly.
As his voice fell, the void before them suddenly distorted, and a scene of a water mansion appeared.
They stepped into the distorted void and in an instant arrived inside the water mansion at the bottom of the river. The phenomenon behind them slowly dissipated, and around them were busy water sprites.
Divine positions were ultimately limited, each with corresponding authority. Even for the True God of Fuyuan River, his water mansion could not be entirely filled with deities.
Servants attending to daily needs and managing the water mansion were all aquatic creatures who had become spirits in the river, or elves who had been awakened with sentience.
Of course, there were also ordinary people who had died tragically in the river, and due to deep obsessions or various reasons, had remained and entered the water mansion.
His gaze swept around, and Ji Yuan found himself in the backyard of the water mansion.
In the past few years, although he had sent clones to visit many times, they had always been in the front courtyard of the water mansion, never venturing elsewhere.
"A mere clone would not have qualified to enter this place."
The True God of Fuyuan River said.
Even though he had an extraordinary relationship with the ancestor of the Xuan Tian lineage, he would not allow a junior disciple to enter his living quarters with just a clone.
Allowing him to enter the front courtyard of the water mansion was already a great concession. For others, even the main gate would be barred.
"The True God's generosity makes this humble god feel both honored and apprehensive."
Ji Yuan walked into a courtyard with the other, pondered for a moment, and then asked, "May I ask why the True God..."
He stopped halfway through his sentence, only to see the other turn around and look at him with a smile.
"You wish to know why I insisted on treating you so favorably?"
The True God of Fuyuan River's gaze fell, as if able to see through people's hearts.
Hearing this, Ji Yuan smiled and said no more, waiting for the other's reply.
Although their interactions had been brief, he had already seen that the other was appearing in person.
A True God of a river, the highest-ranking water deity in a prefecture, personally came to the riverbank to greet a junior of only the third realm?
If one were to say there was no special intention behind this, no one would believe it.
"The imperial throne is vacant, and the world is in flux. No one can guarantee they won't be caught up in it."
The True God of Fuyuan River walked slowly, his tone filled with a hint of helplessness. "Even great beings cannot remain aloof."
For the sake of an imperial throne, various factions were maneuvering against each other. Although there hadn't been any major upheavals yet, everyone knew that at some point in the future, a bloody storm would inevitably erupt.
Great beings, high above the clouds, could still be brought down to earth, their cultivation of hundreds or thousands of years, their Dao fruits, rendered in vain.