Mid-Mountain
A burly man stood silently, his arms crossed over his chest, muscles knotted all over his body.
He coldly watched the three faintly visible streams of light above, a trace of disdain curling at his lips as he muttered in a low voice:
"More mountain climbers... Hmph, tremble to your hearts' content before Father God's majesty."
As soon as he finished speaking, ripples spread through the void, and his figure vanished.
Time drifted by. From the day the three entered the mountain, a full thirty-three thousand years passed before they finally approached the mountain peak.
As they drew near, Bei Ming was the first to push the Free and Unfettered Journey to its limit.
With a step through the void, the Wind Law suddenly empowered him. His figure transformed into a swift wind and soared upward, reaching the summit first.
Yet upon arriving at the mountain peak, he found none of the wondrous sights he had imagined.
The view before him was vast and empty. Only jagged rocks lay scattered about. The surroundings were solemn and desolate, with only the howling wind passing through, carrying whispers that had endured since ancient times.
Bei Ming focused his attention and remained on guard. He released his Spiritual Sense and carefully surveyed the surroundings, hoping to find traces of a Primordial Formation.
Not long afterward, rosy clouds flashed, and Nüwa landed lightly upon the mountain peak.
Her pretty face was faintly flushed, but her eyes remained bright as she called out:
"Bei Ming, have you found anything?"
Bei Ming turned around and said slowly, "Perhaps there truly is an opportunity here.
But the pressure atop the mountain is even greater. This entire region is vast, and fully searching it will likely take some time."
Nüwa nodded gently and said firmly, "Then I'll search with you."
Having said that, she turned toward Fuxi and asked with concern:
"Older brother, how are you?"
Fuxi steadied his breathing, his aura somewhat heavy. "I'm fine.
Let's investigate separately, but be careful. There may be some hidden danger here."
The three then dispersed and began searching the mountain peak on their own.
Bei Ming walked forward slowly, his robes fluttering lightly in the wind. His Spiritual Sense spread outward as he cautiously examined everything around him.
The mountain peak was silent. Only the howling mountain wind swept past his ears, whipping the corners of his robes with a sharp rustle.
Bei Ming circled the area once, but apart from jagged rocks, he found nothing.
"Strange..."
Bei Ming looked at a jagged rock jutting up beside him.
"My Spiritual Sense is being blocked?"
Bei Ming raised his hand and touched it, his fingertips brushing over the rough, icy stone surface as he thought to himself:
These rocks have stood in the place where Pangu's pressure is strongest for countless Yuanhuis. How could they be ordinary?
Bei Ming mobilized his magic power and slowly poured it into the stone, combining it with his Spiritual Sense to probe deeper.
The next instant, the stone violently shook. A dazzling divine light burst forth, forcing him to narrow his eyes.
Several surrounding jagged rocks were also stirred. Profound light patterns appeared between them, linking together to form a strange and mysterious Formation.
"Hmm?!"
Bei Ming's mind jolted. Before he could react, the Formation's light surged, swallowing him in an instant and making even his aura disappear.
"Bei Ming?!" Nüwa witnessed the scene, and her heart tightened. She transformed into a streaming light and raced over.
But by the time she landed, Bei Ming was already nowhere to be seen. Only the Formation Patterns remained, gradually fading away.
Fuxi also hurried over and looked around.
"This... Bei Ming has disappeared. Could the Formation have sent him into some kind of Secret Realm?"
"I don't know either." Nüwa lightly shook her head, her delicate brows furrowing with unease.
"This is Mount Buzhou Summit, after all. Danger and opportunity coexist here. We should search more carefully."
"Mm." Fuxi answered in a deep voice and raised his hand to calculate, though dark clouds remained over his brows.
The brother and sister continued searching for a long while, examining everything carefully, yet they still found nothing.
The wind howled, bringing waves of oppressive heaviness that made their hearts grow increasingly burdened.
Suddenly, Nüwa had an idea.
"Older brother, aside from the two of us, only these jagged rocks remain atop the mountain.
They have existed here for countless Yuanhuis. They must be extraordinary."
As she spoke, Nüwa pressed her hand against one of the jagged rocks and slowly poured magic power from her palm into it, saying softly:
"Spiritual Sense alone is useless. If we combine it with magic power and let it seep in, perhaps it will have a miraculous effect."
Before she finished speaking, Mysterious Light suddenly appeared across the rock's surface. Several nearby stones trembled at the same time, their Light Patterns intertwining to form a Formation.
The light abruptly intensified. Just like Bei Ming before, it swallowed Nüwa whole.
"Younger sister!"
Fuxi's eyes trembled. He hurried forward and anxiously pressed his hand against the rock, desperately pouring in magic power.
Yet the Formation gave no response at all, and the Light Patterns no longer stirred.
"???"
A trace of confusion flashed through Fuxi's heart. After a brief moment of thought, his expression suddenly cleared.
"Could it be... each Formation here can only allow one person to enter?"
With that thought in mind, Fuxi took a deep breath and forcibly suppressed the anxiety in his heart.
He began feeling his way around the mountain peak, testing the jagged rocks one by one, intending to find an entrance that belonged to him.
Just then, waves of fluctuations spread through space.
A tall, brawny figure stepped out of the void, exuding immense pressure. His eyes fixed on Fuxi.
"Hey, Daoist. I've been watching you for quite some time. You've been sneaking around and feeling about here. What exactly are you doing?"
Fuxi's heart sank. He turned to face him, but showed no fear as he cupped his hands and said:
"I am Fuxi of Mount Qixi. May I ask who you are?"
The burly man stared at him, first sneering before asking in return:
"What place is this? This is Mount Buzhou! Tell me, who do you think I am?"
Fuxi's heart shook, and he sighed inwardly. As expected... the situation I least wanted to encounter has still come.
But at this moment, he could not retreat. Instead, he became even more resolute.
"You must be one of the Wu Clan's Twelve Ancestor Wizards. May I ask which Ancestor Wizard has arrived?"
"Space Ancestor Wizard, Di Jiang."
His deep voice echoed through the air above the mountain peak.
Before his words faded, powerful spatial fluctuations enveloped the area. Di Jiang's figure vanished into thin air and instantly appeared behind Fuxi.
Fuxi's heart jumped. He spun around sharply, his sleeves sweeping as he retreated several steps, his expression suddenly grave.
Spreading both hands, he produced Fuxi's Qin. The instrument trembled and rang in the wind, its spiritual light flickering as it guarded him from the front.
Fuxi stared at Di Jiang and said in a low voice, "Ancestor Wizard Di Jiang, what do you intend to do?"
Di Jiang stood with his hands behind his back, his figure towering.
"What do I intend to do? Hahaha... Your Daoist companion and younger sister have both entered the Formation. Why aren't you in a hurry to follow them?"
Fuxi remained wary, his eyes fixed on Di Jiang. His fingertips lightly brushed the zither strings, ready to strike at any moment.
Di Jiang saw through his thoughts and said loudly, "Put away that look of guarding against petty villains.
As the foremost Ancestor Wizard, This Seat has always been open and aboveboard. I disdain resorting to sneak attacks.
If I wanted to kill you, would I need to use such underhanded tricks?"
His words rang with force, accompanied by sweeping pressure.
Di Jiang paused slightly and looked into the distance.
"Mount Buzhou is Father God's spine. Those who ascend its summit with reverence in their hearts will naturally receive Father God's reward.
However, opportunities are limited. The fated ones obtain them, and the first to arrive gets them first.
You need not worry about them. You could not enter together because that opportunity was not yours. You must seek another Formation."
Fuxi paused slightly before asking, "If that is so, wouldn't many people come to Mount Buzhou?"
Before you continue