Blaise Rift was both startled and delighted, but quickly shook his head and said, "My lord, you don't know the origins of Mount Rosycloud. Within Mount Rosycloud lies a ten-thousand-li divine kingdom, teeming with gods. How could it possibly be at your disposal? Seizing this mountain range is as hard as reaching the heavens!"
Quinn Shepherd arrived at nearby Lu County, wrote a letter and handed it to Blaise Rift, saying, "Take my note to the mountain god of the neighboring range and tell him I will ascend the mountain for a visit tomorrow. Last night I fought on the river—surely the mountain god witnessed it. Once he sees my note, he won't give you trouble."
Just as Blaise Rift was about to leave, a clear voice rang out from outside Lu County: "The Seventy-Two Cave-Mountain Gods of Mount Rosycloud have come to pay respects to Everpeace's Overlord Body, Quinn Shepherd!"
Quinn Shepherd was surprised, then laughed, "These mountain gods are quick—no less than the dragon kings of the Celestial River. Let them in."
Blaise Rift hurried out of the city to greet them. After a moment, the various mountain gods of Mount Rosycloud arrived with their retinues to pay respects, each bearing a dazzling array of treasures, their radiance shooting up to the sky.
Some of these mountain gods had antlers, some had tiger heads, others had branching horns—their appearances and races were all different.
Quinn Shepherd knew this was just a delaying tactic, but greeted them with a smile and had Blaise Rift accept their gifts. He said, "All of you mountain gods guard the mountains and rivers of Everpeace and have rendered great service to the realm. As long as you remain loyal, I won't treat you unfairly. I intend to rename Mount Rosycloud as Hundred-Years Hill, and appoint Blaise Rift as chief god over its seventy-two peaks. What do you think?"
The Seventy-Two Cave-Mountain Gods of Mount Rosycloud exchanged glances, many of them looking at Blaise Rift with scorn, clearly holding him in contempt.
One of the mountain gods stepped forward and said, "Sir Quinn, you may not know, but we Seventy-Two Cave-Mountain Gods of Mount Rosycloud already serve a master. Mount Rosycloud is under the jurisdiction of Azurecloud Heaven. Back when the Origin World was sealed, Mount Rosycloud and Azurecloud Heaven were sealed together. Even within the seal, Azurecloud Heaven remains the landlord of Mount Rosycloud. We mountain gods are just stewards, managing the land, collecting rent from the divine kingdom within the mountain, and tending to the people's livelihood."
Another mountain god with antlers spoke politely, "We Seventy-Two Cave-Mountain Gods swore Tu Bo's Pact with Azurecloud Heaven back in the Supreme Sovereign Era. We cannot break it, and hope Overlord Body Quinn Shepherd will understand. If we violate the pact, we will die instantly."