Locust Flower Old Lane, Ge Family Courtyard.
Ge Huolang sat cross-legged on the bed after keeping himself busy all night.
He glanced disdainfully at the broom atop the wooden chest in the corner. Inside was the pretty young wife, who had returned to her Soul Residence early. Then, shamelessly shaking his head, he said, "So young, and you can't even stay up all night. You're nothing like me, this peddler."
It was fortunate the pretty young wife had already gone to rest; otherwise, she would have floated out and spat at him.
He deserved it, too. Making someone keep him company while he pored over the Melon Cultivation Art by lamplight was one thing, but he'd also had someone sit with him in the second half of the night while he studied that Western Jin burial soul bottle. What fun was there in that? It was truly out of line.
Broom Spirit had stayed up all night for nothing, while Ge Xian had reaped a tremendous harvest.
Both objects dated back to the Jin dynasty.
One was a collection of alchemical recipes masquerading as melon cultivation techniques; the other was an evil spirit and strange object.
The former delighted Ge Xian the most. Most of those bizarre, inexplicably horrifying recipes couldn't be cultivated.
But some looked as though they might be worth a try.
For instance, there was a marvelous melon called the Myriad Marvelous Gourd. One had to choose a gourd as an ordinary seed, then nourish it with all kinds of baleful qi. The more kinds of baleful qi one gathered, the greater the chance of growing a true Myriad Marvelous Gourd.
When the melon ripened and fell from its stem, one had to recite the mantra "Myriad Marvels Return to Me" while eating it. One was certain to gain one or more mysterious innate talents out of thin air.
It was a fine melon, but cultivating it was quite difficult.
From the Jin dynasty all the way to the reign of Emperor Dade in the Dayuan Dynasty, only two of its owners had managed to grow one.
Both had watered it with more than ten kinds of baleful qi, but the new innate talents they ultimately obtained were rather ordinary. So they had written comments such as "Fraud" and "Figuring out the recipe myself was so stupid, so stupid" in the margins.
Ge Xian couldn't help laughing as he read them. The annotations left by successive owners were what he most enjoyed poring over.
Not only did the lines reveal the customs and cultivation details of various dynasties, but every so often, they also let slip astonishing secrets.
One such matter had surprised Ge Xian greatly.
"The cultivation lineages in this world are extraordinarily prosperous. You could say they're too numerous to count."
"And there have been many cultivators who reached the Dao Integration Realm throughout history, across every dynasty. Yet those who successfully ascended are pitifully few."
"It would be no exaggeration to say that fewer than one in a hundred makes it."
"Most 'die' in the tribulation before ascension. But in this little booklet, a few anonymous recluses casually noted their suspicions while annotating the relevant recipes: ascending is extremely difficult, but failing to ascend may not necessarily mean certain death."
"Of course, I'm not in a position to investigate the secrets behind this just yet."
Ge Xian muttered to himself, then looked at the Gray Pottery Soul Bottle.
He had already determined that if he could use Cai Bu on it, he would gain a pair of Gray Eyes with the power to hypnotize and bewitch. Their effects were extremely potent: anyone below the Foundation Establishment Realm who fell under their influence would have no way to resist. If caught off guard, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator might be ambushed by him.
Not only would they be hypnotized and obey Ge Xian, but he would also be able to glimpse the many memories in their souls.
Clearly!
This was another must-have demonic qi for Home Travel and outdoor adventures. It sounded incredibly useful.
The only pity was that unless he found the relevant Cultivation Path and met the requirements to make the Gray Eyes a permanent part of his body, they would only last three to five days even if he used Cai Bu on them.
After that, he could retain perhaps one or two percent inside his body. The rest would dissipate completely.
"For now, I'll keep it contained."
"Sorry for the trouble, Sister Bai. Keep an eye on it, and don't let the jar escape and hurt anyone."
As he spoke, Ge Xian put the soul bottle in the wooden chest, where it became neighbors with the foul-smelling Jade Pig Dragon that could nurture corpses.
It was easy to foresee that, whether or not Ge Xian managed to break his hoarding habit in the future, he would keep accumulating more and more of these strange, uncanny objects.
After all, they were also necessary for his Cultivation Path.
Ge Xian was now a Dao Entry Realm cultivator whose combat strength rivaled that of the Foundation Establishment Realm. So despite staying up most of the night, he didn't feel tired in the slightest. Still full of energy, he mused,
"Though being a peddler is perfect for roaming the streets, entering and leaving cities, and traveling through the wilderness to collect all kinds of strange objects and uncanny things..."
"My efficiency is still too low."
"Ordinarily, official organizations should have the largest collections of such strange objects and uncanny things. If I could join one and become an official, wouldn't I be in the perfect position to take the first bite?"
"Mm, that makes a lot of sense. I'll ask around when I get the chance and see if there's a way in."
Just as Ge Huolang was wondering how he might become a corrupt official who stole from the very things he was supposed to guard, he suddenly sensed something.
First, he looked at the Ancient Tomb Sect invitation on the wooden table beside him, which he'd received the previous night.
Then, as if looking through the roof, he suddenly turned his gaze toward a certain direction.
Before he could examine the sensation closely, a voice rang out the next moment, cold and bleak, audible only to cultivators. It echoed across Qiantang County and the surrounding lands.
"I am Li Wa, Sect Leader of the Ancient Tomb Sect. I have decided to move our mountain gate to Qiantang."
"We have just arrived in your territory. If we have failed in any matter of etiquette, I ask that all fellow Daoists forgive us."
"Before coming, I received permission from Fellow Daoist Lu, the Qiantang County Magistrate, to choose a dangerous, fallen site outside the County City that ordinary people cannot enter as the new site of our mountain gate."
"I've heard that Sunset Mountain is a relic of a Song dynasty cultivation lineage. Though fraught with danger, it is just right for the Ancient Tomb Sect to settle in."
"From this day onward, our sect will emerge into the light once more and open our mountain gate wide. We invite fellow Daoists from all corners of the world to witness our mountain-opening ceremony."
No one knew just how high the Ancient Tomb Sect leader's cultivation truly was.
Her words traveled incredibly far—even the Dragon Clan beneath the Qiantang River heard them.
Cultivators and demons in other regions were even more stirred up. They spread the news to one another and surged toward Sunset Mountain.
Ge Xian rose in surprise, tucked the invitation into his clothes, left the courtyard, and hurried outside the city.
On the way, he also encountered Xu Bai Lian, the Gong Family Second Shopkeeper, and a crowd of Evil Cultivators. Only the Wang Family Eldest Daughter-in-law was missing. But once he thought of who had spoken, he could guess that Sister Wang must have already reunited with her sect and gone to attack Sunset Mountain with them.
As the cultivators headed outside the County City to watch, they cried out in astonishment.
"Sunset Mountain and Leifeng Pagoda—what a bold move by the Ancient Tomb Sect!"
"What swift action! We only received the invitation to watch the Martial Arts Competition for Marriage last night, and today they're already attacking the cultivation lineage's relic and planning to move their mountain gate."
"Word is that the Ancient Tomb Sect is merely a women's sect that cultivates Bizarre Martial Arts. Even its strongest member, the sect leader, is only a Foundation Establishment cultivator. She's stronger than us, sure, but can she really take Sunset Mountain? Even demon cultivators who cultivate Dragon Clan Secret Techniques refuse to set foot there."
"They must be sure of success to act like this. The Ancient Tomb Sect has big plans. As far as I know, we only got invitations because we're nearby. The ones truly invited in earnest are powers like Shaolin Temple, Wudang Sect, Ming Cult, and Beggar Sect—all of them fellow practitioners of Guǐ Wǔ."
"They're probably using the Martial Arts Competition for Marriage as an excuse to hold some sort of martial arts assembly."
"Are they really that confident? They say a demon who's completely lost itself is imprisoned in Leifeng Pagoda. It's at the peak of the Mortal Transformation Realm, mad and terrifying, and of no small origin. Even the River God of the Qiantang River won't go open the pagoda and provoke it..."
The cultivators passed through the city gate, still talking excitedly.
The next instant!
All the cultivators and demons from inside and outside the county who were heading toward Sunset Mountain, along with the martial artists who had received invitations beforehand and happened to arrive just then—including Ge Xian—felt something and looked up.
What they saw left their souls trembling.
It was early morning, with the first light of dawn just appearing. Clouds churned, rosy light surged, and auspicious qi soared through the air. A sea of immortal mist, glittering with icy crystals, drifted toward them.
A heavenly drizzle fell at once, accompanied by the tinkling sound of springs.
Then, atop the clouds, they saw dozens—nearly a hundred—beautiful women.
All wore white. All seemed carved from ice and jade. All were breathtakingly beautiful.
The woman at the very front stood out most. She was astonishingly tall, perhaps eight chi—taller than most men. Yet her face was exquisite, her brows sweeping toward her temples, her skin like white jade. A red cord tied her hair, and she wore a snow-white, wide-sleeved robe. Even without a smile, simply standing among the clouds made her the most beautiful female cultivator in the region.
Qiantang County was one of the most prosperous counties in the world, and its cultivators and demons had seen countless beauties. Even so, they had to admit that the Ancient Tomb Sect leader was so beautiful she hardly seemed human.
While many stood dumbstruck, the Guǐ Wǔ Cultivators who had arrived one after another began recounting the fame of Sect Leader Li.
Ge Xian, mingling with the crowd, caught a few snippets. Her astonishing exploits were indeed numerous.
"Word is that Sect Leader Li mastered the sect's signature martial art, the Jade Maiden Immortal Scripture, when she was still a young girl. Later, she mastered the Three Flowers Gathering on the Crown. She even went to Wudang Sect to ask for instruction. Though she narrowly lost to the Wudang sect leader's Nine Yang Divine Skill, she made a name for herself in that battle."
"That's more than enough. Once the Nine Yang Divine Skill reaches great mastery, it can produce nine heads, each with its own strange power. Sect Leader Li lost by only one move—that shows how powerful she is."
"Later, she went to Shaolin Temple. With her Ice Jade Divine Finger, she froze the demon bones and sinews in the Shaolin abbot's body and broke his Muscle Tendon Classic. But no one expected that the abbot had also mastered the Marrow Cleansing Scripture and thirteen of the Seventy-two Divine Skills. He then produced eleven more arms, each performing a different divine skill, and defeated Sect Leader Li."
"She lost, but there was no shame in it. Everyone knows the Shaolin abbot is the strongest martial artist in the world."
"I wouldn't be so sure. The Ming Cult leader cultivates two supreme arts. In a fight, the Shaolin abbot might not be his match. And how is the Wudang sect leader weak? He didn't just cultivate the Nine Yang Divine Skill—he also cultivates the Heavenly Silkworm Skill. With Cloud Ascending Steps, he can move through the clouds and mist..."
"Hmph, what's the point of arguing? Even if we decided who was stronger, those of us who cultivate strange martial arts are still at the bottom of the Cultivation World. Once we reach Foundation Establishment, there's no path forward."
"Exactly. Aside from some hazy legends, not one cultivator of strange martial arts has reached the Mortal Transformation Realm. How can we compete with spirit-god cultivators and evil-god cultivators?"
Quite a few martial artists had been invited by the Ancient Tomb Sect. Their arguments gave Ge Xian more to learn.
But as he listened, he began to sense something amiss—and it had to do with the Ancient Tomb Sect leader.
"The qi signatures of those who cultivate Bizarre Martial Arts are distinctly different from those of other demon cultivators."
"By rights, this Ancient Tomb Sect leader should be cultivating Guǐ Wǔ. But why does she feel familiar? She's wrapped in that layer of skin like ice and jade, making it impossible for even my senses to discern her clearly..."
Ge Xian was frowning and muttering to himself.
Suddenly, the crowd grew noisy again. Amid bursts of astonished cries, an astonishing sight and an unexpected turn of events unfolded.
The Ancient Tomb Sect leader, who resembled an immortal maiden carved from ice and jade in the upper realms, led her disciples through the clouds toward Sunset Mountain, which was likewise shrouded in mist year-round. The two seas of clouds did not merge when they met. Instead, they collided, then vanished without a sound.
Immediately, the crowd drew in a collective breath.
At last, the cultivators saw what lay on Sunset Mountain. To their surprise, the scenery hidden by the clouds was beautiful: flowers bloomed everywhere, ancient trees formed a forest, life flourished, and birds and beasts roamed freely.
What chilled them was that not one of these creatures was normal.
Apes, tigers, leopards, deer, cranes, snakes, and the like were all misshapen. Any cultivator with a little knowledge could guess that the creatures on the mountain had likely been contaminated by some kind of "demonic qi." A human with the right talent could take qi into their body and use it to enter the Dao.
But once these wild creatures were contaminated, they could only become mindless demons of the lowest order. Their flesh peeled open, their tempers turned violent, and whenever they encountered one another, they fought until one side was dead.
Now, they had set their sights on the maidens who had trespassed on the mountain.
As the mist scattered, the white clothes on the leader called Li Wa gradually turned transparent. But what appeared beneath was no lascivious scene. Instead, a layer of extraordinarily beautiful skin, like ice and jade, was revealed. She drifted into the mountain like a celestial maiden and spoke:
"Disciples, follow me and open our mountain gate!"
"Kill!"
At her cry, nearly a hundred disciples and elders took on the appearance of women carved from ice and jade.
Each wielding an ice sword, they charged into the mountain.
A bloody yet breathtaking battle soon unfolded. The misshapen creatures that filled the mountain might have been able to devour ordinary people, but they were helpless against these uncanny women. They were slaughtered, and their broken flesh somehow formed blossoms. The blood rising into the air also took the shape of flowers.
Gradually, everyone's expressions turned grave.
"Th-this is Li Wa's self-created Flying Flower Sword Art?"
"Slashing flesh into pieces, then making it form flying flowers..."
A few with weak stomachs began vomiting on the spot.
It was easy to understand why. Sunset Mountain was now covered in red blossoms wherever one looked, with blood-colored ice flowers drifting through the air. Add in the women carved from ice and jade, leaping and darting about, and the scene was truly beautiful.
But one had only to look closely to see flowers made of shredded flesh and congealed blood. Now and then, one could even spot eyeballs, teeth, or ears frozen inside them. Who could keep from feeling sick?
Before the cultivators and martial artists could say anything, a truly horrifying turn of events took place.
At some point, Li Wa had already killed her way to the mountain peak. Her red hair cord snapped, her black hair flew loose, and she laughed uproariously as she dragged a terrifying demon out of an old, crumbling Buddhist pagoda.
A howl that pierced straight into the soul rang out. Several low-level cultivators died on the spot.
The cultivators clapped their hands over their ears and struggled to look.
It was an enormous pale snake, so huge it could coil around Sunset Mountain once. Its eyes were scarlet, its scales as broad as plates and the color of dried bones. A massive ulcer gaped in its belly. It had gone unhealed for who knew how many years, oozing pus and blood into the mountain stream and turning the once-clear water foul and stinking.
At the sight, the cultivators finally understood the source of Sunset Mountain's corruption. They also learned what sort of demon was sealed inside the legendary Leifeng Pagoda, the relic of a cultivation lineage.
"Mortal Transformation Realm? No. With demonic qi this dense, that White Snake may be close to the Spirit Connection Realm. I just don't know why it completely lost itself and became a frenzied demon, or why it was sealed inside that pagoda for so many years."
"No wonder County Magistrate Lu, who's nearby and has already stabilized his Mortal Transformation Realm cultivation, didn't come here to open the pagoda and take the snake. He must know how powerful that demon is."
"Gasp! Hurry, look! The Ancient Tomb Sect has gone mad..."
At a martial artist's cry, everyone witnessed another unbelievable sight.
The Ancient Tomb Sect's bizarre, horrifying swordplay had already left them astonished.
But now they saw the beautiful sect leader named Li Wa slap the White Snake and freeze it solid. Then she led dozens of disciples as they cut open the snake's belly and burrowed inside, sitting cross-legged within its flesh. Even Ge Xian couldn't help staring in a daze.
After roughly several dozen breaths, the enormous White Snake demon, large enough to coil around the mountain, began to melt. Its massive body turned into countless crystalline blood blossoms that surged madly into Li Wa and her disciples.
Right before everyone's eyes, their cultivation realms began to soar.
First, three delicate, fleshy flowers appeared atop the heads of the dozens of women in white. Their root-like veins connected to their brains. Martial artists with weaker cultivation felt their qi and blood roil and their heads spin if they looked for even a moment.
Many martial artists and travelers from the jianghu began shouting like mad:
"Three Flowers Gathering on the Crown!"
"This... this is impossible! Every member of the Ancient Tomb Sect has mastered Three Flowers Gathering on the Crown?"
"They're going to unite the martial world!"
Seeing every disciple of the Ancient Tomb Sect master Three Flowers Gathering on the Crown was astonishing enough.
But the next moment, when they witnessed the change in Li Wa, even more of them went mad.
She could no longer be considered human.
She grew taller once more, reaching over one zhang. Her whole body transformed into ice and jade, her eyes turned scarlet, and her beauty became almost demonic. Dense demonic qi poured out of her and gathered into hundreds, even thousands, of beautiful blood blossoms around her.
It seemed that any living being who met her gaze would have their soul and sense of self stolen away.
At last, the cultivators and martial artists understood!
The Ancient Tomb Sect had clearly known of the White Snake demon from the beginning, and had a way to control it. They had dragged it out, divided it up, and devoured it, advancing together as a sect.
Since all the disciples and elders had mastered Three Flowers Gathering on the Crown, then Li Wa, their sect leader, who had gained the most from this—she must now be...
"The Mortal Transformation Realm?"
"How can this be? You can reach the Mortal Transformation Realm through Guǐ Wǔ?"
"Sect Leader Li, y-you've reached the Mortal Transformation Realm?"
The Guǐ Wǔ Cultivators, who had been horrified and jealous, realized what had happened and cried out their questions.
Li Wa rose to her feet but did not answer immediately.
Instead, she flashed a bewitching smile, then suddenly opened her mouth and breathed out toward all of Sunset Mountain.
Whoosh!
A heavenly drizzle, and a spring breeze swept through.
In an instant, Sunset Mountain changed.
Everything in sight began turning to jade, including the horrifying chunks of bloody corpses. They all became objects like blood-red jade.
This sight sent the demon cultivators and Bizarre Martial Artists present into a frenzy.
"A divine ability!"
"Is this an Innate Divine Ability?"
"Ancient Tomb Sect leader Li Wa devoured a demon today, entered the Mortal Transformation Realm, and comprehended an Innate Divine Ability. With a single breath, she turned Sunset Mountain to jade!"
The cultivators and Bizarre Martial Artists felt as though they were witnessing the most unbelievable thing in the world.
In the Cultivation World, it was common knowledge—and one of its ironclad rules—that those who cultivated strange martial arts had a limit of the Foundation Establishment Realm. Lacking a visualization method, they could never fully shed their Mortal Coil, nor comprehend an Innate Divine Ability of terrifying power.
But on this day, had that ironclad rule been broken?
The Demon Cultivators were merely stunned, but the Bizarre Martial Artists invited to the gathering were utterly swept up in a frenzy.
Then, as soon as they heard another cool, clear voice drift down from the Jade Sunset Mountain Peak, they were overcome by an uncontrollable joy.
"Fellow martial artists!"
"A few days ago, while reading some ancient texts, I had an insight. From the 'Spirit Flesh Union Longevity Borrowing Method,' revered by the ancient Qi Refiners, I came to understand a Method of Mortal Transformation for those of us who practice martial arts."
"This method can help all fellow practitioners break through their shackles and cast off their Mortal Coil. So I, Li Wa, have no intention of keeping it to myself."
"In three days, the Martial Discussion Convention will be held at Sunset Mountain. I will reveal the method publicly then, and anyone who practices Guǐ Wǔ may learn it."
"While we're at it, I'll also hold a Martial Arts Competition for Marriage for my child, to find them a good husband."
As each sentence rang out, everyone knew that Sunset Mountain's foot would not be the only place swept up in the coming frenzy. Cultivators of Bizarre Martial Arts across the entire world would surely be overcome with joy and rush here, heedless of all else.
Before you continue