Perhaps

Five hundred miles south of Blackwater Market lies the mountain gate of the Profound Heaven Sect.

Five hundred miles is neither far nor near for cultivators.

The closest free market to the Profound Heaven Sect is the Turtle Head Market to the northwest. However, that market is too small, mainly dealing in refining materials for low-grade talismans and providing cultivation techniques needed by rogue cultivators.

Cultivators above the Foundation Establishment Stage generally visit such small markets less frequently.

The territory of the Profound Heaven Sect's mountain gate also spans five hundred miles. The outer three hundred miles are dotted with seventeen large and small peaks, each exceeding a thousand feet in height.

These seventeen peaks over a thousand feet tall are covered with thick glaciers. Between these seventeen peaks, powerful natural protective winds form a natural barrier for the Profound Heaven Sect.

After countless years of being scoured by the protective winds, the glaciers are no longer snow-white or crystal-clear pale blue, but a deep, dark color. Even under the sunlight, they appear profound and restrained.

Without exception, these seventeen peaks have been impacted by Heavenly Punishment or scoured by battles between powerful cultivators. The summit of each peak is shattered into jagged teeth. Coupled with the glaciers covering them, which are as sharp as blades from the constant buffeting of the protective winds, they exude an even more chilling aura.

Within these seventeen peaks, the area spanning two hundred miles is the core territory of the Profound Heaven Sect, presenting a completely different scene.

This is a naturally sunken basin. The cold protective winds disappear at the edge of the basin. Inside the basin, it is spring-like all year round, filled with spirit flowers and spirit trees everywhere.

There are thirty-two peaks of varying sizes within the basin. Most of them can only be considered hills, with heights of only tens of feet. Only thirteen peaks exceed a hundred feet, and one of them reaches a staggering five hundred feet, over two hundred feet taller than the second highest peak. It sits alone in the northernmost corner of the Profound Heaven Sect's core territory. From high above, it looks like an outcast, deliberately distancing itself from the other thirty-one peaks.

Its appearance is also unique.

The other thirty-one peaks of the Profound Heaven Sect can be described as short and stout, like plump steamed buns. But this one is exceptionally long, narrow, and precipitous, giving the impression of a fragment that has fallen from the summits of the outer seventeen peaks.

Although not covered by glaciers, most of its mountainside consists of black, hard rock. Apart from a few hardy pine and cypress trees, there are not many spirit trees or spirit flowers on this mountain. It only possesses a sternness, lacking the beauty and spiritual charm.

This is the lone peak of the Profound Heaven Sect.

It is the place where the Profound Heaven Sect disciples Wang Li and his senior sister Lü Shenliang cultivate.

In the past, the Profound Heaven Sect had little renown throughout the Lesser Jade Continent. However, in recent years, with Lü Shenliang, who would self-detonate her Golden Core on a whim, venturing out, this lone peak within the Profound Heaven Sect has gained some fame.

The protective winds that weave through the seventeen outer peaks of the Profound Heaven Sect are highly chaotic and unpredictable for the vast majority of its cultivators. The weakest protective winds are comparable to the wind techniques cast by cultivators at the First Level of Qi Refining, while the most powerful can rival the full-power strike of a Golden Core Peak cultivator.

Even for Profound Heaven Sect cultivators who are familiar with the paths, having mapped out several safe passages for entry and exit, at least three Foundation Establishment Stage cultivators of the Profound Heaven Sect have been swept away by the chaotic winds over the past few decades, killed like flies against the glaciers.

Of course, the Profound Heaven Sect also has teleportation arrays for communication with the outside world. However, any teleportation array comes at the cost of consuming spiritual energy. Furthermore, the Profound Heaven Sect does not encourage low-level cultivators to travel outside frequently, so they have not deliberately created a completely safe outward passage through these seventeen peaks for low-level cultivators.

The twelve introductory maxims that True Person Baixi imparted to the Immortal Seedlings of the Xianke Sect are, in fact, the guiding principles of most Sects.

Cultivators strive to seize life from the heavens, which is inherently going against the natural order. The principles of the jungle and survival of the fittest are adhered to by all Sects. If one is killed by the protective winds just entering or exiting the Sect, it signifies a lack of Destiny, and their survival would be a waste of the Sect's spirit sand.

Lü Shenliang's thinking is considered unconventional by everyone. At this moment, she arrived at the outskirts of the Profound Heaven Sect on her sword light, choosing not to take the usual route.

With a tearing sound.

Her Profound Heaven Sword Qi forcefully pierced through a massive, oar-like protective wind that came head-on. She directly charged into the gap between the two tallest peaks in the northeast corner, which other Profound Heaven Sect cultivators considered the most unsuitable for passage.

While the protective winds elsewhere mostly appeared as black phantoms, the howling winds in this northeast corner condensed like crystals. They shone brightly not only in the sunlight but even in the darkness of night.

Moreover, the smallest of these protective winds were several yards long, like giant oars. The larger ones exceeded dozens of yards, resembling ships crashing head-on in a raging storm.

As Lü Shenliang, carrying Wang Li on her sword light, rushed into the area where the protective winds howled, her and Wang Li's figures, along with the sword light, instantly appeared incredibly small, like an insignificant little boat on a stormy sea. And in the wind and waves, countless crystalline black blades were slashing at this little boat.

It felt as though this little boat could capsize at any moment and would be unable to break through such an area.

However, no matter how perilous the situation appeared, Lü Shenliang maintained a calm, even somewhat dazed expression. Her delicate face showed no signs of nervousness. Even Wang Li, who seemed on the verge of falling from the sword light and being struck by the protective winds at any moment behind her, appeared accustomed to it.

Their conversation also did not cease because of this.

"Senior Sister, you've been self-detonating your Golden Core quite frequently lately. I'm running low on talismans. Can we take a break from that for now since there's nothing urgent?"

"It's fine. After this trip back, you should quickly advance to the Sixth Level of Qi Refining, and you should be able to handle it."

"Senior Sister, you can't say that. You don't know the cost of things when you're not the one managing them. The spirit sand we consume for our cultivation is already a lot, not to mention that money-eating beast... Every talisman is bought with spirit sand, especially the spirit medicine used to calm the mind and stabilize Core Qi, which I've bought at inflated prices. We're already barely breaking even."

"Spirit sand can't be saved by being stingy. If you need to self-detonate your Golden Core, you still have to do it."

"Senior Sister, why does this logic suddenly not make sense anymore when we get to this point?"

With such a casual, back-and-forth conversation, Lü Shenliang guided her sword light through the outer perimeter of the Profound Heaven Sect. The lone peak was now within sight.

On the mountainside of the lone peak were several stone huts. Inside these huts were the meditation rooms currently used by Wang Li and Lü Shenliang.

In front of these stone huts was a natural stone platform. The platform was very flat, jutting out from the cliff edge at the front. A small pine tree, looking half-dead, grew at the edge. Around the small pine, thin white clouds often swirled.

From a distance, there was nothing unusual about the stone platform and the surrounding stone huts. However, as Lü Shenliang approached on her sword light, a faint, almost imperceptible halo gradually appeared around the stone platform and the huts. By the time the sword light passed through this halo, it disappeared completely. But from afar, Lü Shenliang and Wang Li, who had landed on the stone platform, were completely invisible.

As Lü Shenliang landed on the stone platform, a point of green light flew from her hand. A canopy-like green lotus leaf floated above their heads. Almost simultaneously, a soft yellow straw mat was spread on the stone ground in front of her.

She casually lay down on the straw mat. Yellow light surged from the surface of the yellow mat, and soft yellow grass quietly grew, supporting her body and placing her in a most comfortable semi-reclined position.

Wang Li also sat down on the straw mat in a comfortable posture. Then, a small purple square table appeared out of thin air between him and Lü Shenliang, laden with spirit fruits and other refreshments.

Although this seemed leisurely, Wang Li knew that such moments were too fleeting.

At this moment, he suddenly thought of a crucial question.

So, he looked at Lü Shenliang very seriously, gazing at her slightly shimmering eyes, and asked, "Senior Sister, was it because of you, because you were present, that Old Ancestor Tong Hui's Heavenly Tribulation underwent such a mutation?"

"Perhaps," Lü Shenliang replied, quietly eating a spirit fruit.

"Your 'perhaps' and 'hmm' are as good as saying nothing," Wang Li said helplessly.

Lü Shenliang glanced at him. "It might be because of me, but it might also be because of you. How could I possibly know for sure?"

After saying this, the light in her eyes suddenly dimmed, as if a candle flame inside her body had suddenly begun to extinguish.

Wang Li shook his head.

The confusion in Lü Shenliang's eyes seemed to turn into haziness. She habitually flicked her left hand, and a fish-shaped jade talisman landed in front of Wang Li.