Gu Moxie gripped his wine bowl and said in a low voice, "Since it's so dangerous, why doesn't the academy simply destroy that place?"
Wen Qinglian gently shook her head.
"It can't be destroyed."
"The academy once sent several Elders of the Divine Treasury Realm to investigate it together. In the end, only one returned alive, and he was seriously wounded."
"After that Elder returned, he said one thing—'Upside-Down Mountain isn't a dead zone, but a living artifact.'"
"A living artifact?"
Meng Xinghe's brows drew tightly together. He had clearly been shaken by this explanation.
Wen Qinglian nodded.
"That Elder couldn't explain exactly what kind of artifact it was, either."
"All he knew was that the mountain possessed a will of its own. It rejected outsiders, yet it would also... attract outsiders."
"Those vengeful souls were trapped inside by it. They couldn't escape, nor could they disperse."
She withdrew her gaze, lifted her wine bowl, and took another sip.
"That was why the academy later issued a ban. No disciple was allowed to approach within a hundred miles of Upside-Down Mountain."
"Violators would be expelled from the academy and never accepted again."
The courtyard fell silent for a moment.
Li Bufan lowered his head, seeming to digest every word Wen Qinglian had said.
After a while, he raised his head. His gaze was clear, without the slightest hint of retreat.
"Senior Sister, how do I get to Upside-Down Mountain?"
Wen Qinglian looked at him, and a complicated expression flashed through her eyes—there was approval, but also worry.
"Are you truly planning to go?"
Li Bufan smiled. His smile carried an unwavering certainty.
"My Golden Core has shattered, and I can't use martial techniques."
"If this continues, I won't even be able to protect myself, much less the people around me."