Three months later.
The Northern Frost Snow Domain.
In a winding mountain range, Lu Qingfeng, holding Green Bamboo Staff, walked deeper into the mountains.
Beyond the heavens.
Four beams of mysterious light suddenly appeared and, without stopping, directly entered Lu Qingfeng's body.
The demon god has returned to his rightful place.
"With the Nine-Heavens Loose Immortal in charge of Southern Ridge, as long as one does not trespass into the Hao Kingdom and Meng Kingdom, even the leaders of the Mount Mao Dao and the Divine Empyrean Sect may not be a match for this fellow Daoist."
Lu Qingfeng smiled.
Three months ago.
He and the Nine-Heavens Loose Immortal emerged from the Bleak-Cold Ravine, the latter heading west towards Southern Ridge. They flew all the way and arrived in Southern Ridge a month ago.
The speed was more than a month faster than Lu Qingfeng and Lin Ye had done initially.
However, at that time, Lu Qingfeng was making do with Lin Ye Lin Ye, whose speed was limited when he was flying with Immortal Artifact.
This time, Lu Qingfeng was alone. After parting ways with Nine-Heavens Loose Immortal, he used the "Great Five Ghosts Transportation Method" to cross the Black Sea and the Astral Wind Thunderfire from the southern center of the Four Sages Immortal Domain to the Northern Frost Snow Domain.
It only takes a moment.
The power of the Great Divine Ability Power is something that even the Nine-Heavens Loose Immortal cannot match.
"Three months."
"Finally found it."
Lu Qingfeng had been traveling through the Northern Frost Snow Domain for three whole months, but still couldn't pinpoint Zhang Yang's whereabouts. On this day, the four demon gods who had been guarding Southern Ridge returned, and Lu Qingfeng happened to find their location.
In the dense forest.
Lu Qingfeng strode over and saw two bottomless pools of water on the mountaintop platform, their waters rippling but not freezing.
One of the sips was dark and indistinct, with no trace of its aura. The other, however, was brimming with Spiritual Qi; a single sip from it could extend a mortal's lifespan by a hundred years. Even a cultivator who drank it would experience a significant boost in their cultivation.
Such a treasure was displayed so openly in the outer room.
Only to the side, someone had carved out cave abode, where two cultivators were cave abode and cultivating. Lu Qingfeng glanced at them casually and immediately discerned that these two cultivators were merely at the Golden Core stage.
"Wearing a peach blossom robe, this is a cultivator from the Peach Blossom Sword Sect."
Lu Qingfeng had a sudden thought and was about to use his methods to capture the two of them when he suddenly stopped and turned to look down the mountain.
But shouts and curses could be heard coming from the dense forest.
Two cultivators, both dressed in peach-blossom robes, were burly and had menacing faces, walking towards them like fierce demons. Between them were seventeen or eighteen cultivators, their hands and feet bound by chains, being dragged along in a pitiful and unsteady manner.
Observe its aura.
Most of them exuded Sha Qi and malevolent intent, clearly not benevolent individuals. Even now, as prisoners, they still grumbled and cursed arrogantly. Only after being severely whipped twice by the two escorting cultivators did they tremble and become obedient for a moment.
But not long after.
Once the pain subsided, he started cursing again.
The two fierce gods spared no effort in whipping the 'prisoners' and dragging them up the mountain. Inside the guard's cave abode, two Golden Core guards had already come out to greet them.
One of them held a pen and a book, while the other held a pen and a signature. They smiled at the two fierce-looking men and said, "Senior brothers, you've worked hard. We've prepared peach blossom tea. After we deal with these Evil Cultivators, please rest your feet and get rid of the cold."
"Ha ha!"
"You're too kind, junior brothers."
These two fierce demons were incredibly vicious towards the cultivators, but when they saw their fellow disciples, they grinned. However, given their ugly appearance, their smiles were even more unsettling.
No one seemed to care.
One of the fierce-looking cultivators took out a jade scroll from his robes and handed it to the Golden Core guard who held the pen and book. The Golden Core guard smiled and accepted it, then licked the tip of the wolf-hair brush and began copying the jade scroll while chanting—
"Wu Gai, Rogue Cultivator Long-Hair Cave on Black Tortoise Mountain, cultivation level: Spell Gathering Realm, specializes in the Technique Method: One-Qi Cloudsmoke Art."
"The Demon Monk No-Kill of Jialan Temple on Mount Kutu, cultivation level: Solid Core Realm, specializes in the Technique Method: Gods-and-Devils Great Hand Seal."
"The Daoist Azure Serpent, a water demon of the Lan River, is at the Golden Core Realm and is skilled Technique Method the Waterwheel Art."
"Central Continent Ghost City..."
There were a total of eighteen Evil Cultivator, including demons, Daoists, and monks.
As one person chanted and recorded, another Golden Core guardian was also writing furiously, producing golden bamboo sticks that landed on the Evil Cultivator's brow and disappeared.
For each person registered, one person signs off.
The two fierce demons raised their whips and lashed out at the Evil Cultivator, sending him flying. He plunged headfirst into one of the two pools of water, the dark one devoid of any sign of life.
The Evil Cultivator screamed "Ahhh!" and instantly sank into silence.
"This pool—"
Upon seeing this, a strange light flashed in Lu Qingfeng's eyes. He strolled to the edge of the pool, peered inside, and saw that the water was heavy; even with his cultivation level, his Divine Sense could hardly detect it.
I casually tossed a fallen leaf aside.
Fallen leaves sink as soon as they touch water, as if they weigh a thousand pounds.
"It is somewhat similar to the waters of the Black Sea."
"But it's more like the legendary Weak Water."
North of Kunlun there is a river whose strength is insufficient to lift a mustard seed, hence its name, Weak Water.
Although the Weak Water is rare in the Earth Immortal Realm, Lu Qingfeng had heard of it.
Like the Celestial River guarded by the Great Marshal Tianpeng of the North Tianpeng. Or like the Quicksand River, which is said to be "boundless with eight hundred miles of quicksand and three thousand Weak Water. Even a goose feather cannot float, and reeds will sink to the bottom."
I never expected to see the legendary Weak Water in the Northern Frost Snow Domain.
Yes.
"The Black Sea between the Four Sages Immortal Domain and the Human Dao Dharma Domain, and between the Arctic Snow Domain and the Four Sages Immortal Domain, has some characteristics of Weak Water, which may be due to its contamination with Weak Water."
Lu Qingfeng stood up.
Just as the four Peach Blossom Sword Sect cultivators were about to return to their cave abode to enjoy tea and ward off the cold after throwing all eighteen Evil Cultivator into the Weakwater Pool, Lu Qingfeng suddenly appeared, no longer concealing himself.
"Who!"
Before the four could react, a strange light shone in his eyes as he cast a spell to bewitch them and inquire about what was happening there.
Half an hour later.
"Lesser Weakwater".
"The Spiritvoid Immortal Realm".
Lu Qingfeng showed interest, erased the memories of the four people, and without much hesitation, leaped into the Weakwater Pool.
A river is hidden in the Northern Frost Snow Domain.
This river is neither on the ground nor underground, neither in the sky nor beyond the sky, but is hidden in the void.
The river flows through the legendary Weak Water.
Therefore.
The Peach Blossom Sword Sect, Jade Dragon Sect, Langhuan Heavenly Abode, and Great Mount Sumeru all refer to it as 'Lesser Weakwater'.
There is a hidden realm within the Lesser Weakwater.
The four factions obtained it.
Over a hundred thousand years have passed, and gradually many tricks have been discovered.
The Weakwater Realm.
Southern Borderlands.
Whitecloud Mountain.
Whitecloud Mountain is hidden deep in the Southern Borderlands and is not particularly eye-catching. It was previously Nameless because more than a hundred years ago, Whitecloud Youth, the fourth disciple of the Gu Immortal Colorful-Robed Madam of the Southern Borderlands, completed his studies and came to the mountain to establish a separate residence, hence the name.
People from various villages around Whitecloud Mountain came to surrender.
Whitecloud Youth accepted all comers and selected seven exceptionally talented children from various villages to become his personal disciples. He also selected several other children to become his Registered Disciple, thus enriching the sect.
More than a hundred years have passed.
Of the seven disciples he had taken in, only three achieved success in their cultivation. The remaining four either failed, either leaving the mountain or dying of old age there. However, two of the first batch of Registered Disciple stood out, achieving significant progress in their cultivation, and were promoted to personal disciples by the Whitecloud Youth.
Five people in total.
This is a second-generation cultivator from Whitecloud Mountain, a celestial being from the mountain.
Below them are the disciples and Registered Disciple of these five individuals. Few will attain enlightenment, but there are signs of prosperity.
This day.
It was early morning, and the sky was just beginning to lighten.
Wu Meng, sword in hand and a smile on his face, hurried toward a bamboo forest behind the mountain.
He was originally the son of the chieftain of Xianxia Stockade, which was more than 80 miles away from Whitecloud Mountain. Four years ago, he was sent to Whitecloud Mountain to learn martial arts and became a disciple of Zhang Ji, a junior disciple of Whitecloud Youth Zhang Ji, who was known as the "Firecloud Sword". Due to his average talent, he was only Registered Disciple.
You can also learn a trick or two.
But Dharma Form to those disciples who receive personal instruction from Zhang Ji.
I went up the mountain at the age of twelve.
I'm already sixteen years old.
Seeing that several of his senior disciples had mastered swordsmanship to the first level—the 'Sword Qi Birth of Baleful Intent' stage, when a sword was drawn, Sha Qi would rush towards them, making it difficult to defend against.
From then on, he stepped into the world of swordsmanship.
Most of them have also reached the second or Third Layer of Qi Refining cultivation.
However, he could only perform the most basic 'Whitecloud Sword Method' smoothly, and was still far from 'Sword Qi Birth of Baleful Intent'. His cultivation level was still at the First Layer 'Qi Sensation'.
Wu Meng was anxious.
He studied even harder every day, often practicing Swordsmanship in the bamboo forest behind the mountain, but with little success.
But.
Just six months ago, a shooting star streaked across the sky, and Wu Meng discovered a strange Green Bamboo in the bamboo forest. This Green Bamboo did not emit Radiance and did not seem to be a spiritual object, but it was impervious to water and fire, and could not be harmed by swords.
Wu Meng was astonished.
So he practiced his swordplay beside the Green Bamboo.
Unexpectedly, in just six months, as if divinely inspired, his Swordsmanship and Qi Refining levels both advanced by leaps and bounds.
He quickly mastered a set of "Whitecloud Sword Method".
One can easily enter the 'Sword Qi Birth of Baleful Intent' stage.
Half Moon.
A sword thrusts out, a stroke of genius strikes.
The iron sword flew from his hand, flashed with a sword light, and then returned to his hand, much to Wu Meng's delight.
The longsword slipped from his hand.
This is a sign that one has reached the second stage of Swordsmanship mastery, 'Controlling the Hundred-Step Sword Control'.
You need to know.
Back then, Zhang Ji the "Firecloud Sword," spent a full fifteen years practicing to reach this level. Currently, only two of Zhang Ji's direct disciples, who have been studying under him for many years, have reached this level.
He was already known as Little Sword Immortal among mortals.
Many experts at the third or fourth level of Qi Refining, or even the fifth Qi Refining, are only at this level.
The next level up is the realm of "Sword Refining into a Rainbow," also known as the realm of sword immortals.
At this level, one can not only fight enemies with a sword, but also fly in and out of the azure sky, thus becoming a figure who roams the world with a sword, a figure who moves freely and unpredictably.
It is truly difficult to achieve this without reaching the fifth level of Qi Refining.
In the entire Whitecloud Mountain, there are only a handful of people who have reached this level.
"In just six months, one can go from nothing to reaching the level of 'Hundred-Step Sword Control'."
"In another two or three years, won't I be able to fly through the air on a sword and become a sword immortal like my grandmaster and master?!"
Wu Meng was overjoyed.
He practiced swordsmanship even more diligently every day.
Call!
Ha!
With the longsword in hand, Wu Meng unleashed the Whitecloud Sword Method, feeling an unparalleled sense of exhilaration. Though it was an ordinary iron sword, it seemed to possess a kind of sentience within him.
Wu Meng followed his heart's desire.
With a casual thrust of his sword, the iron blade shot out, transforming into a streak of lightning—
Boom!
With a deafening roar, the longsword blasted a huge crater into the ground.
"Return!"
Wu Meng made a sword incantation with his hands, trying to recall the iron sword. With a 'clang', the iron sword flew back, not landing in Wu Meng's hand, but instead stuck upside down three feet in front of him.
"Whoosh!"
"It's still a bit short."
Undeterred, Wu Meng picked up the iron sword and continued to practice diligently, move by move.
What he didn't notice was...
Behind him, Green Bamboo swayed.
A Golden Silkworm with six wings appeared out of nowhere and lay on a bamboo leaf. Its eyes stared at Wu Meng, radiating a dangerous light.
"Alright."
"He didn't do it on purpose."
The Green Bamboo swayed and transformed into a young Daoist priest, who laughed as he spoke. The Golden Silkworm gripped the priest's hair, its eyes still gleaming with cold light.
After Lu Qingfeng offered a few words of reassurance, the Golden Silkworm finally stopped its fierce glare.
"We've known each other for half a year, so I'll give you one last hand before we part ways."
Looking at the young man practicing swordsmanship with focus, Lu Qingfeng pointed his finger, and the iron sword in the young man's hand instantly changed to the size of a palm.
With the infusion of True Qi, it returned to its original form.
During this process.
Wu Meng had no idea that the longsword in his hand had long since transformed from decay into something magical.
"To master swordsmanship from a broken iron sword is a plot that only appears in clichéd martial arts novels."
"It won't work in reality."
Lu Qingfeng smiled and walked out of the bamboo forest and out of Whitecloud Mountain.
In the bamboo forest.
"Drink!"
With a roar, Wu Meng released his longsword. Ten paces away, the sword light flashed like a dragon, slicing through seventeen Green Bamboo before returning to Wu Meng's hand in a loop. This time, he felt a sense of exhilaration, without the slightest hesitation.
"What immense power!"
Wu Meng opened his mouth slightly, looked at the seventeen fallen Green Bamboo, then at the iron sword in his hand, and immediately grinned.
But when he turned around, the Green Bamboo was still there, yet something seemed different the Unseen it.
A flicker of doubt crossed Wu Meng's eyes.
He glanced up at the sky, suddenly realized what was happening, and without daring to delay, hurried towards the front of the mountain.
Morning exercise is not to be missed!