"For trillions of years, I have often lain atop Cuiwei Peak. I drink the rain of the southern mountains when thirsty, and swallow the mists of the North Sea when hungry. Wind and thunder roar on all sides, while the sun and moon circle my shoulders. I bear Manjushri's throne upon my back, and my heroic might shakes the boundless world."
Lion Peak in Angming Mountain got its name because it looked just like a crouching male lion.
On its summit stood a pagoda and strange pines shaped like qilins; there were ancient cypresses shaped like cushions and phoenixes, along with the Heavenly Eye Spring, which gushed all year round, and a forest of towering pines.
Ancient trees flourished in lush green, and the scenery was a feast for the eyes.
The mighty lion crouched atop a summit of pines, making the peak all the more graceful and magnificent.
That day.
More than a hundred people were digging with all their might. Qian Yu had a tortoiseshell tied around her waist and a red saber in her hand. Her eyes shone as she surveyed the pits they had dug.
Beside her.
Qin Zhongjie, the eldest disciple under Meng Nan in this life, was also on guard.
Just then.
A man suddenly sprang out of one of the pits, clutching a dark silver ore. He cried out in delight, "Martial Aunt, Senior Brother, we've found ore!"
Qin Zhongjie's expression shifted. He took the ore and glanced at it, recognizing it at once. "It's Yuan Magnetic Stone!"
His face lit up with delight, too.
Yuan Magnetic Stone was raw ore that could be refined into Yuan Magnetic Elite, an excellent material for crafting magical artifacts. Yuan Magnetic Elite was even worth ten times as much as spirit sand by weight!
"A Yuan Magnetic lode!"
Qian Yu was just as delighted. Then she remembered Meng Nan's instructions. "Withdraw the inner qi users. Chen De, Wang An, you keep digging. Don't rush to mine it; excavate carefully first. There's a Jade Scale Beast hidden in there. The moment you encounter it, come back at once. Zhongliang, take my token and find Fort Lord Jiang and the others. Have them wait outside and come to our aid the moment they see anything happening here."
"Yes!"
The people around them sprang into action.
Chu Zhongliang took the token and hurried down the mountain.
Nearly a hundred inner qi users withdrew.
A dozen or so true qi users took their place.
Iron picks and shovels continued to dig, while Qian Yu and Qin Zhongjie remained in charge.
This went on for two days.
At last.
"Roar!"
A roar rang out, and green light flashed.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Chen De, Wang An, and more than a dozen other true qi users bolted out in an instant, not daring to linger.
Even so, some weren't quick enough to escape. They were trapped where they stood, as if caught in a swamp, and could hardly move.
"Go!"
Qian Yu cried out and tossed the red saber in her hand lightly into the air. It transformed midair and streaked down toward the mine.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
A ring of steel!
The red saber flew back, its strike having failed.
But the few people who'd been trapped a moment earlier struggled free and seized the chance to escape.
"Jade Scale Beasts live in Yuan Magnetic ore and are skilled in controlling the Two Poles' magnetic field. They're also tough as old boots, so they're difficult to deal with."
"I'll keep it occupied."
"Zhongjie, command the Five Elements Sword Array and help me kill the beast!"
Qian Yu advanced with her saber, engaging the Jade Scale Beast as soon as it burst from the mine.
"Form up!"
Qin Zhongjie shouted and leaped into the formation's eye.
Around him.
Fourteen true qi users and forty-five inner qi users were already in position, each holding a sword. Arranged in groups of five, they formed a pattern like a plum blossom.
As soon as Qin Zhongjie took his place, the sword array began to flow. Sixty swords immediately gathered into a dazzling mass, rising into the air and sealing it off completely as they joined Qian Yu in attacking the beast.
The clang of metal rang out without pause.
The battle was so fierce that its rumblings spread beyond Lion Peak, drawing curious onlookers.
"Let's go!"
"Up the mountain!"
Chu Zhongliang and the others had been waiting outside the mountain. The moment they saw the disturbance, he led Jiang Chuduan and twenty-eight other Cave Lords and Fort Lords up the mountain to help. Every one of them had reached the true essence stage.
As soon as they reached the summit.
They saw demonic winds swirling, icy gusts rushing into their faces and a chill, evil aura invading their bodies. Within the dark green wind, a pair of eyes gleamed like golden lanterns one moment, while four claws slashed through the air like steel hooks the next.
It tossed its head and lashed its tail, a truly terrifying sight.
In the midst of it all.
Qin Zhongjie commanded the Five Elements Sword Array, but his sword wailed as he struggled to hold his ground.
Qian Yu cast out an Asura Net, scattering it through the air. A towering column of black smoke rose at once. Within it swarmed countless demons and night-walkers of every size, half-real and half-illusory, disturbing the Jade Scale Beast's mind. While it was distracted, Qian Yu unleashed her Blood Flame Saber, and Qin Zhongjie controlled the Five Elements Sword.
But once they got in close, the magnetic field disrupted their attacks, drastically reducing their power. They couldn't do a thing to the beast.
"Just in time!"
When she saw Jiang Chuduan and the others arrive, Qian Yu called out, "Please lend me your strength!"
The true essence cultivators immediately joined the fight.
The battle raged, sending flying sand and rolling stones into the air until sun and moon lost their light.
Down the mountain.
More experts from the various caves and forts scattered around Lion Mountain noticed the commotion and hurried over. But people were already guarding all the mountain's main paths. They blocked the way and announced, "Qin Zhongjie, eldest disciple under the Grand Steward, is hunting a demon beast under his master's orders. Everyone, stop here!"
Once they heard Meng Nan's name, many who'd come hoping to watch the excitement immediately fell silent, not daring to invite trouble.
The Grand Steward was now overseeing all matters related to the city's construction. He was their superior and could make them dance to his tune whenever he pleased.
They couldn't afford to offend him!
They didn't dare!
A day later.
Wuyun Peak.
"Master, we've secured the Yuan Magnetic lode."
Qin Zhongjie was reporting to Meng Nan.
"Good."
"Next, gather the manpower. There's no need to mine it for long—get it done as quickly as possible."
The Yuan Magnetic lode in Lion Mountain had been the most valuable discovery during the construction of Angming City in Meng Nan's previous life.
The reason was that a Jade Scale Beast was hidden underground. Its strength was virtually unmatched beneath the Qi Refining stage, and ordinary true essence cultivators couldn't deal with it.
Meng Nan hadn't acted during the earlier years of this life precisely because of that Jade Scale Beast.
Once he made a move, he'd have to gather dozens of true essence cultivators and hundreds of true qi cultivators to surround it.
Under normal circumstances, that would make too much of a commotion.
But now.
With the city's construction underway, Angming Mountain was bustling from top to bottom, and countless experts had gathered. Only now could he assemble enough people to kill the beast without exposing the existence of the Yuan Magnetic lode.
Then, by mining it in secret, they could make a fortune whether they used it to craft magical artifacts or sold it.
And the lode wasn't all.
There were other mines, both large and small, as well as spirit herbs and precious materials throughout Angming Mountain.
With true essence cultivators gathered to clear the city site, this was the greatest source of profit in the early stages.
As Grand Steward overseeing all matters related to the city's construction, Meng Nan could take a cut at every turn. There was plenty of fat to skim.
That was the profit to be made during the preparatory work.
After that, as long as they were bold enough, there'd be plenty more to gain.
"Senior Brother Meng."
"Hall Master Meng."
"Grand Steward."
That day, Meng Nan summoned the four chief engineers under him and laid out a stack of blueprints and account books in front of them.
He picked up a set of blueprints and an account book, then looked toward one of them. It was Zhu Keda, one of the Four Arts Hall's deputy grand stewards, who had a close relationship with Meng Nan. He was in charge of producing the bricks, building materials, and other supplies for Angming City.
Angming City had ordinary bricks and tiles, but it also had artifact refiners who mass-produced bricks and tiles imbued with a measure of power.
One brick, one tile.
Together, they made a city.
Only when they were combined with talismans and arrays to make the whole city watertight could it truly be called an "immortal city."
Bricks and tiles like these, as well as talismans, arrays, and the rest, all had set specifications. They'd already been agreed upon in Tianlin Cave.
Now, Meng Nan smiled at Zhu Keda and said, "We don't need too many bricks and tiles for the city. Keep a third and make do with the rest, just enough to ensure the city doesn't collapse. With Tianlin Cave above us, who'd be stupid enough to really cause trouble in an immortal city?"
"A third?"
"This—"
Zhu Keda was startled.
He'd expected Meng Nan to cut corners, but he'd never imagined he'd do it so brazenly, and on such an outrageous scale.
"Grand Steward!"
The other three men were startled, too, and rose to their feet.
"Why panic?"
Meng Nan shook his head at their reaction. He glanced at Zhu Keda and the other three, then pointed upward. "I'm not that bold. But a newly ascended Immortal Master must spend an unimaginable amount on cultivation. We have no choice."
"I see—"
Zhu Keda understood at once.
His eyes widened. He'd never imagined that a dignified Immortal Master would stoop to such a dishonorable thing.
"This is cultivation!"
"There's no shame in it!"
Meng Nan spoke casually, then continued, "The teacher gets the meat, and we get to drink the broth. We'll set aside some of it to grease palms on both sides. As long as we build a city here within a few years, we'll have done our duty. Even if something goes wrong afterward, just think about it: if that day ever comes, who'll be calling the shots in Tianlin Cave?"
Those words were treasonous.
Zhu Keda pretended he hadn't heard the last sentence.
But his resolve was already wavering.
The other three watched Meng Nan speak on without the slightest fear. One of them, You Neng, an array expert from the Four Arts Hall, cupped his hands and smiled at Meng Nan. "I, You Neng, will follow the Grand Steward's lead!"
Seeing that, Zhu Keda and the other two cupped their hands as well.
The five of them were now of one mind.
And with the five of them working together, embezzling funds would be a piece of cake!
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