Three Heroes of Ink Mountain

A heavy snow fell again, blanketing the world. Liu Xiaolou and Lord Xingde were on the great road leading to Ink Mountain, each carrying a bag filled with various refining materials they had collected.

"This year's snow is a bit much," Lord Xingde observed, watching the relentless snowfall with a hint of concern. "While heavy snow is a good omen for a bountiful harvest, it's too frequent. Farmers can't handle it, and the snow can weigh down their houses."

"Senior," Liu Xiaolou asked, "do you, a cultivator, also care about farming matters?"

Lord Xingde replied, "A cultivator cultivates the Heavenly Dao. This encompasses not only the Yin-Yang and Five Elements, mountains, rivers, wind, and rain, but also the hardships of the common people and the karmic retribution for good and evil. If one only focuses on the former and ignores the latter, their Dao is incomplete."

Liu Xiaolou pondered this for a long time before nodding. "Your words are golden, Senior. This junior will remember them."

After a while, the wind and snow gradually subsided, revealing the true colors of the land. Ahead, the mountain peaks were like a painting, as if rendered in light ink smoke.

After nearly a month of arduous travel, they had reached the final stage of collecting materials: finding the catalyst to trigger the formation.

Illusory realms originate from the hearts of those who enter them, manifesting according to their thoughts, thus varying from person to person. However, the triggering of these realms requires the formation master to "activate" it, and this activation needs a medium – the catalyst for the formation disk.

To refine an illusory realm formation disk, the master's imagination is needed. This means conceiving a scroll and embedding it within the formation disk. Whatever the catalyst is, the illusory realm's manifestations will largely follow that tone.

Liu Xiaolou had thought long and hard about this scroll but couldn't come up with any good ideas. He decided to use the side courtyard in Zhou Manor where he had first met Seventh Mistress Zhou.

It had a moon gate, side rooms, green bamboo, a pavilion, strange rocks, and a pond. The pond could serve as the abyss, and the strange rocks as Profound Stones, perfectly fitting the original intent of the Lin Yuan Xuan Shi Formation diagram. Of course, this composition was Liu Xiaolou's interpretation. After these elements were incorporated, the scene evoked in each person's heart would be different, but the aforementioned elements would all be present.

This trip to Ink Mountain was to obtain the Profound Stones and Ink Pool Spring Water.

"Ink Mountain's Profound Stones possess sentience, and the spring water is also sentient. This sentience is not spiritual power, but rather a spiritual essence, a matter of charm. There are many famous mountains in the world, and quite a few mountains, rocks, and pools with spiritual charm, but I particularly love Ink Mountain's water and stones... you'll understand when you see them."

Ink Mountain was not tall, but it had many treacherous passes, inaccessible to ordinary people. Yet, its small and exquisite features offered a unique charm. Lord Xingde led the way, venturing deeper. Some mountain paths had ceased to be paths, and even Liu Xiaolou found it difficult to traverse them.

They arrived at the base of a mountain hollow, where a three-foot-high waterfall cascaded down, shattering into countless fragments of jade on a stone platform before splashing into a deep pool. The tinkling sound was indeed full of spiritual charm.

The Profound Stones Lord Xingde needed were at the bottom of the deep pool. The spring water was also not ordinary pool water; they had to descend to the bottom to find the water bead essence jade at the spring's source.

However, neither of them descended into the pool. Instead, they looked across at the opposite side. There, on two jutting pool stones, sat two figures in straw capes, one higher than the other, fishing.

Such a secluded place was rarely visited by ordinary people, let alone for someone to sit and fish. Liu Xiaolou wondered about their cultivation levels.

"Are there fish in the pool?" Liu Xiaolou asked softly.

"Yes, and they are very plump," Lord Xingde confirmed.

"But in such a remote place, someone comes here to fish? It feels strange."

"Let's wait and see."

They waited for half an hour, but the anglers on the other side hadn't caught a single fish, nor had they acknowledged Liu Xiaolou and Lord Xingde. They merely exchanged glances occasionally, glancing at Liu Xiaolou and the other man for a moment.

Liu Xiaolou was also observing them. It wasn't until the pool water churned with a splash that another person emerged from the depths. The two anglers then reeled in their fishing rods and helped the person up.

It wasn't fishing; they were clearly acting as guards on the upper bank, ensuring the safety of the person in the water.

"Can Senior tell their cultivation levels?"

"It's hard to say. I haven't tested them directly, and some people are adept at hiding their cultivation..."

The three figures on the opposite side finally spoke. "You two, are you planning to go into the water?"

Lord Xingde cupped his hands. "Indeed. Do you three have any advice?"

The other side replied, "Are you here for the Profound Stones at the bottom of the pool?"

Lord Xingde said, "Precisely."

The person who had emerged from the pool opened a wet snakeskin bag and poured out several fist-sized stones. These stones were oddly shaped and hollowed out inside, resembling embroidered balls.

"One spirit stone each. Pick whichever you like. No bargaining!"

Lord Xingde cupped his hands again. "We will descend to select the stones ourselves. We won't trouble the three of you."

"If everyone goes down to select stones, the Ink Pool will be tainted long ago. This matter is not up for discussion. Either choose the Profound Stones selected by my brothers, or you two can turn back."

Lord Xingde frowned. "Ink Mountain belongs to everyone in the world. I've never heard of any sect or powerful force claiming Ink Mountain as their own. Your actions are likely inappropriate."

The other party sneered, "You probably haven't been here in a long time, have you? Truly ignorant! Since this year, my three brothers have built our dwelling here. We are known as the Three Heroes of Ink Mountain. This Ink Pool is where my brothers have settled, and we make the rules here!"

This was the most common scenario of rogue cultivators occupying a cave dwelling. However, typically, rogue cultivators would occupy forest areas that their ancestors had fought for and were recognized by surrounding rogue cultivators, or even acknowledged by major sects. Alternatively, they would occupy a forest that others didn't covet or deem worth fighting for.

It was truly rare for people like the three opposite to forcibly occupy a place that many people frequented, claim it as their own dwelling, and openly profit from it.

Lord Xingde asked curiously, "What true skills do you three possess to dare claim Ink Mountain as your own?"

The other party immediately smiled. "It's simple. My three brothers guard this place. If you have the ability, drive us away. If you don't, then don't blame us for being impolite. Do you think you can go into the pool and safely return to shore? Such things don't exist in this world!"

Lord Xingde glanced at Liu Xiaolou and gave him a meaningful look.

Liu Xiaolou thought for a moment and quietly asked, "This junior will go into the water, and Senior will guard from above?"

Lord Xingde replied vaguely, "It smells good!"

Liu Xiaolou finally understood his meaning and couldn't help but smile wryly. "The weather is bad today, and the wind is strong. We don't know their background, so we can't do that."

Using bewitching incense requires several conditions. Firstly, it's best in a confined space where the incense doesn't easily dissipate. Secondly, the target should ideally remain still, not moving around. Thirdly, the opponent's cultivation level shouldn't exceed the incense user's by too much, otherwise, the effect will be minimal. If all three conditions are met, the incense will be most effective; otherwise, it depends on the situation.

Encountering these individuals who called themselves the "Three Heroes of Ink Mountain" clearly did not meet the conditions for using the incense, so Liu Xiaolou couldn't act.

Lord Xingde agreed, recognizing the truth of the situation. It seemed they could only resort to force. He issued a final warning, which was met with a counter-warning from the Three Heroes of Ink Mountain.

Combat was unavoidable. Lord Xingde sent a beam of light into the air. Within that light was the formation disk he had refined himself – the Five Paths Six Emotions Formation.