Yuan was pulled forward by his good friend, still thinking about his pottery. He didn't have much feeling towards the man named Yu, but he knew that this guy had been walking on the earth since he was born, busy with water management. Yuan always sneered at such things, believing that the mountains, seas, and heavens all had spirits, and water was one of the most powerful gods. Everyone knew the name of the great god Gong Gong.

Yu's father was also a naturally gifted person, but he failed at water management. Yu would be no exception.

Just as he was thinking, a roar like a war drum sounded. The young craftsman instinctively crouched behind his tall friend and looked in the direction of the sound. It was a tall horse, completely white with a black tail, and a horn on its head. It had no hooves, only four tiger claws.

This was a bai, although it looked like a horse, it ate tigers and leopards. It was the mount of the generals.

Gao Tao, the leader of the Tu Mountain tribe, was a minister of Emperor Shun and held a high position.

The priestess of Tu Mountain was getting married, and important figures from the surrounding tribes would definitely come.

The tall youth was a bit helpless and looked at his friend behind him, saying, "What are you afraid of? This bai has already been tied up and won't come to bite you."

Yuan replied, "I want to avoid danger."

The youth sighed, "You're so timid, you'll be laughed at."

The young craftsman just shook his head, "If I weren't timid, I would have been killed in the wars between tribes."

The youth had nothing to say and could only continue on the road with his friend. They joined the other people in the tribe to build houses made of stones, dyed cloth with the juice of colorful flowers, and decorated them with blooming flowers and fragrant fruits. After working for a while, Yuan thought of his pottery and quietly slipped away.

He returned to his place and was surprised to find someone in front of his pottery. Or rather, it should be a child.

She was a little girl of about five years old, wearing a white dress that he had never seen before. Only the clothes of the priestess could have such a texture. Her black hair was soft, and the craftsman curiously asked, "Hey, which family's child are you? What are you doing here?"

The little girl looked up, and Yuan noticed her pair of black and clear eyes, which looked very beautiful.

The girl replied, "I came from the mountains."

"From the mountains?"

Yuan scratched his head and realized, "Oh, you're a mountain dweller."

"Yes, when something big happens in Tu Mountain, the nearby mountain dwellers will definitely come."

"Do you like pottery?"

The little girl asked, "Pottery?"

"Yes, these." Yuan squatted down and touched the pottery, saying, "These are my pottery. It takes a lot of effort and hard work to make qualified pottery that can withstand fire and wind, and can store things."

"Store things?"

"Yeah, don't you have pottery in the mountains?"

"These can be used to store food, boil water, and cook."

Rarely did someone show interest in his dull work. Yuan sat on the ground and carefully described how good his pottery was. The little girl listened attentively, but no matter what he said, although she was serious, she didn't seem to smile, and there was no expression on her face.

Her little face was like the wind on a high mountain, without any expression.

When they finally parted, Yuan was still not satisfied and said, "By the way, my name is Yuan, what's your name?"

The little girl said, "Yuan?"

Yuan pointed to the puddle next to him and said, "It means water accumulating in one place without moving. After I was born, the elders of the tribe named me after the nearby big pool. Some people's names come from common things. They see something and name themselves after it. What's your name?"

The little girl shook her head, her fair face expressionless. "I don't have a name."

"No name?"

Yuan's face showed surprise and he said, "Isn't that pitiful?"

The little girl said, "My sisters all went through something before they got their names. We don't need that between us."

She thought for a moment and said, "Then give me a name."

Yuan smiled and said, "Okay."

Giving a name was an honor reserved for respected people. As a prisoner of war, he rarely had such an opportunity and felt a bit excited.

Looking around, he wanted to randomly give her a name like the elders did, but seeing that there were only willows, wood, and weeds around, and similar names were too frequent, he scratched his head and looked at the little girl, saying, "I can't think of one for now. Give me some time, I'll come up with a better name."

The little girl looked at him and nodded, "Okay."

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Yuan spent the whole night thinking and meditating, but he gained nothing.

It wasn't until the next day when he was dragged to the wedding scene by his friend and saw the distinguished guests at the front, a graceful woman with several young girls, including the youngest one, that he was completely stunned.

People around were talking, and he couldn't hear clearly in the chaos. The wine that day was very good, and Yu was simply a monster, drinking all the young men of the tribe under the table. So Yuan only remembered two things.

The first thing was that the elegant woman said to Yu that he could change Shen Zhou.

The second thing was that the woman was the Queen Mother of the West from Kun Lun, and the little girl who always had no expression on her face was a young celestial being formed from the pure energy of Kun Lun Mountain, the youngest heavenly maiden.

"What about giving a name... I was just being teased."

Yuan fell to the ground, muttering to himself, no longer caring about this matter.

He felt like a fool for staying up all night yesterday.

.................

Yuan thought that Yu would continue to stay in Tu Mountain.

Who knew that he would disappear on the fourth day. All the women in Tu Mountain were cursing him for not being a man. Yuan sneered and lowered his head, focusing on his pottery. That day, he had a good impression of Yu, who could drink all the young men of the tribe by himself. He believed that although Yu was obsessed with the futile task of water management, he was at least worthy of respect.

As for the heavenly maiden, she returned to Kun Lun the next day and didn't come to talk about her name with him.

Yuan just thought that he had been teased and didn't care. He focused on his pottery.In the blink of an eye, seven years had passed. Yu had not returned, but this time he sent a message to Tu Shan, hoping that they could send a group of craftsmen to help. Yuan was one of the best craftsmen in Tu Shan and naturally joined the group.

He saw Yu, who looked much stronger but still young and upright. His eyes seemed to be burning with flames. Later, Yuan learned that they encountered difficulties in controlling the water. A white ape had claimed dominance over the water and caused chaos, swallowing many people.

He seemed to be the water god of this place.

To solve this problem, they had to deal with this water ape named Wu Zhiqi.

Yu and the other beings with divine powers discussed how to capture this ape. Yuan helped create a huge iron chain, which required the work of over a thousand craftsmen. The actual forging needed the help of giant beings. Finally, the day came when they took action. Yuan saw the white-haired ape roar in anger as thunder rumbled, and Yu fought against him like a god. Wu Zhiqi was furious and tried to draw out a weapon from the water.

Yuan, hiding behind a stone, felt his heart almost jump out of his chest. Then, a long howl sounded, and he saw a majestic divine being seize Wu Zhiqi.

In the end, Wu Zhiqi was locked under the Huai River Turtle Mountain.

Yuan felt almost scared to death and sat down on the ground, his legs weak.

Yu laughed and patted his shoulder. "Well done, just as accurate as when you hit me back then."

He made a joke. Yuan didn't know what to say.

Afterwards, Yuan returned to Tu Shan, but he was no longer a captive or a slave. He had a big house, several apprentices learning pottery with him, and the skill of throwing pottery. Another six years passed in the blink of an eye.

Yuan was now in his thirties, but because he had been a captive and a slave before, he had never married. He happily made pottery every day.

He avoided danger and trouble, as there were many strange beings in this world. A mortal needed sharp eyes to live long enough.

But he didn't expect to encounter that person again.

................

Yuan stared at the front in a strange manner.

The pottery was much sturdier than before, with perfect curves and delicate patterns that seemed to have formed naturally. However, the little girl in front of the pottery remained the same as before, without any change in expression or demeanor.

Thirteen years had made his hair turn white and his body weary.

But there was no trace of time on the little girl.

"Truly worthy of being a celestial maiden from Kun Lun Mountain."

Yuan muttered to himself and pushed the fruit towards her.

The young celestial maiden accepted the fruit and looked at Yuan, then suddenly asked seriously, "What is my name?"

Yuan was taken aback. "What?"

The celestial maiden was surprised. "Didn't you want to think about it? Haven't you figured it out yet?"

Yuan felt a mix of shock and amusement. After such a long time, he had forgotten about this matter. But in the eyes of the other person, thirteen years was just a period of time for contemplation. He scratched his head and felt himself becoming young again.

The other person hadn't been teasing him back then, even though he was just a slave at the time. This made him happy, and he sat on the ground like a young craftsman, earnestly saying, "I haven't thought of it yet. You are a celestial maiden, so your name should be even better."

"I will give you the best name."

"Just wait a little longer."

The young celestial maiden's face showed a faint trace of disappointment, but she nodded.

"Okay."

They talked for the whole afternoon.

Yuan, who was always immersed in pottery making, avoided various dangers and troubles. He only learned later why the celestial maiden from Kun Lun Mountain had come here. Surprisingly, the simple and honest Yu had really managed to control the water and gathered people from all over Tu Shan. He even killed the envoy of the water god Gong Gong, named Fang Fengshi, on the spot.

Fang Fengshi had the head of a dragon and the ears of a cow, with a height of three zhang.

A few years later, even the great god Gong Gong was killed by Yu.

Now, he was called Da Yu in Shen Zhou. Fang Fengshi was a giant who needed a large cart to carry his bones. They were skilled in jade carving. Yuan was already one of the most skilled craftsmen in Tu Shan and was given the method of making jade objects. Yu summoned Yuan and he was surprised to find that Yu, who had always looked young and upright, now had white hair and was no longer as divine.

"I want you to make palm-sized jade pieces and create a jade book."

"A jade book?"

"Yes, it will be used to record the mountains, waters, and various fierce beasts between heaven and earth."

Yuan was curious. He learned how to make jade objects but didn't make ceremonial objects. Instead, he had to make a book. He didn't understand why, but at this time, Yuan was already forty years old. He agreed and, as he touched the jade objects, he suddenly thought of the cold and serious young celestial maiden.

He felt that it would be appropriate to give her a name using the jade objects.

Yuan polished the surface of the jade stone and created jade pieces of the same size.

Then, based on Yu's oral instructions, he recorded the words. It was strange because they were supposed to record the terrain of various places, but there was more about the fierce beasts in those places. There were also detailed descriptions of the appearance and habitat of various tribes, but little attention was paid to the terrain.

Yuan didn't understand and cautiously asked Yu.Yu replied, "When I killed the great god Gong Gong, he said I would regret it. I thought he was referring to his curse, but I didn't care. By governing the water system of Shen Zhou, the whole land will become fertile, and the human race can live freely. I cannot regret it. But now I understand what he meant."

He pointed to the land ahead and said, "Although Gong Gong's water was fierce, it targeted all living beings. Now that there is no more raging flood, the land has become fertile and the rivers have become peaceful. The hidden tribes and exotic beasts have all appeared, fighting for land. Compared to them, our human race is too weak."

Yuan understood somewhat and said, "You mean to record them so that future generations can avoid danger."

Yu smiled and did not answer. Suddenly, he said, "Emperor Xuanyuan defeated Chi You, who was competing with us for the land of Zhongtu, allowing us to live in peace. Emperor Zhuanxu cut down the ladder that could ascend to the Kun Lun Heaven, severing the influence from above. Although we have governed the rivers, it has brought about the same disasters."

"If it ends here, how will future generations see us?"

Yuan did not understand Yu's meaning, but he, along with several other craftsmen, diligently recorded these things.

Although he did not understand why this was named the "Classic of Mountains and Seas," it seemed more like preparations before a war.

Carving during the day, accumulating discarded jade materials, and thinking about what to make as a basis for naming the young celestial maiden. He believed she would come back. In this not-so-short life, it was a story that always persisted in his heart, making him feel somewhat different.

Time passed slowly, and in the blink of an eye, twenty years had passed. Yuan was already in his fifties. As an ordinary mortal with no divine powers, he was almost at the end of his life. But in this era, it was respectable for a mortal to live this long. And the Classic of Mountains and Seas was still unfinished.

The young celestial maiden finally visited the Tu Shan tribe again.

Yuan heard the news while preparing to record the exotic beasts in the Classic of Mountains and Seas. The Kun Lun celestial maiden was discussing secret matters with Yu. Yuan was in a good mood. He hadn't seen the celestial maiden many times, but in this tribe, she was rare in not treating him as a slave and remembering her promises.

It was he who had broken his promise.

This time, he would give her the things.

Yuan recorded the last exotic beast, some fierce beasts could be left in the illustrations. He had been doing this work for twenty years. Coincidentally, this was the beast, Bo, that he had feared the most when he was young. It had the fierce claws of a beast, the horns of a dragon, and could devour tigers and leopards. It was an exotic beast used by generals to command armies. He carefully depicted the jade plaque.

But at this moment, the fierce beast Bo broke free from its chains. Yuan's eyes widened, and he was about to escape when he saw the Bo rushing towards his apprentice and a six-year-old child. The elderly craftsman with white hair suddenly froze. He remembered when he was young, someone who had blocked the charge of the Bo for him. He thought of governing the great flood and suppressing the water god in the past. He didn't know what he was thinking, but he suddenly rushed forward. The child closed his eyes tightly, but felt no pain.

With wide eyes, he saw an elderly person with white hair standing in front of him, stunned.

Yuan's arm trembled as he firmly blocked the furious Bo. His chest was pierced, but a surge of anger suppressed his fear. He felt that he understood the expression in Yu's eyes. Their generation was opening up a path, not allowing these fierce beasts to ravage Shen Zhou, causing harm and even cannibalism.

The Bo found itself being stared at by the old man with a furious expression. The eyes of the old man filled it with fear. The Bo's anger turned into unease. With Yuan's low growl, the elderly craftsman who had been cautious all his life held onto the fierce beast, making it fear. The warriors of the tribe rushed forward and subdued the Bo.

Meanwhile, Yuan, who had been pierced, was sent back home and quickly fell into a coma.

.................

Yuan slowly opened his eyes and saw the familiar room. Beside him was the young celestial maiden in white.

She noticed that Yuan had woken up, and a hint of worry appeared on her expressionless face. She said, "You're awake."

"I have healed your injuries."

Yuan wanted to smile, but he felt too weak to do so. He lay there, thinking to himself.

The celestial maiden couldn't possibly know the process of aging, right?

When you're old and injured, it's useless to heal the injuries.

He looked at the young celestial maiden in white and said with a smile, "I still remember when I first saw you forty years ago. You looked just like this. I thought to myself, how beautiful you would be when you grow up. Would you be even more beautiful than the priestesses? But I have already grown old like this, and you haven't changed at all."

The celestial maiden said, "You haven't changed either."

The elderly craftsman reached for a box at the head of the bed and handed it to the celestial maiden, gesturing for her to open it. Inside were a pair of circular white jade ornaments, with soft and perfect curves, like the creations of nature. The elderly craftsman smiled and said:

"This is our promise from our youth. Although it's late, I finally thought of a name for you."

"This is a jade artifact I created myself."

"Two jades as Jue, offered to Kun Lun. Look, your name will be Jue..."

He saw a look of surprise and joy finally appear on the fair face.

The craftsman slowly closed his eyes, sighing with some regret in his heart.

He hadn't asked her if she liked the name...

The young celestial maiden raised her head and looked at the craftsman with closed eyes. She said, "Yuan?"

There was no response.

The celestial maiden gently pushed his palm with her hand, but there was still no answer. Until Ji Yao appeared and stopped her, the same Ji Yao from years ago looked at the elderly craftsman with closed eyes and wrinkled face, sighing, "Don't disturb him..."

"What's wrong with him? Is he asleep?"

"He's dead."

"Dead? What does that mean?"

"Death means nonexistence. He can no longer speak, think, or see and hear."The expressionless little girl looked at the old craftsman on the bed, then suddenly turned and left. When she came back, she held a purple flower in her hand. The flower was faintly shimmering with water and colorful light. She carefully placed the purple flower on the craftsman's mouth.

Jue whispered, "Kun Lun's Undying Flower?!"

In the northern part of Kun Lun, there are the Flesh-Seeing Tree, Pearl Tree, Wen Yu Tree, Qi Tree, and Undying Tree. The Phoenix and the Luan bird both wear veils.

With a cold expression and still not understanding human emotions, the young heavenly maiden looked expectantly at the purple flower slowly withering, but the human still did not wake up.

The Undying Flower cannot revive the dead.

Jue reached out and pressed her hand on the little girl's head, rubbing it gently. "...It's too late."

"...Hmm." The girl held a pair of jade jue in her hand.

On this day, the youngest heavenly maiden of Kun Lun had a name. She was called Jue.

On this day, Jue learned that the people below the mountain were different from her sisters on the mountain. They would grow old and die.