Ning Ye naturally refused his ridiculous request.
Xu Yanwen was a born genius, with a powerful figure like Ancestor Moyin backing him. He had resources and talent in abundance, so of course he could amuse himself by looking for something to do.
But Ning Ye bore a blood feud. He had to stay on his guard day and night—how could he waste time hanging around with Xu Yanwen?
When Xu Yanwen saw that Ning Ye wouldn't budge, he grew annoyed. "You really don't know what's good for you. With me as your backer, everything you do will be easier. Even if you get into trouble, I can help you handle it."
Ning Ye sneered inwardly. The things I'm going to do are beyond your ability to handle, let alone your master's.
So he merely shook his head. "Sorry, I really don't have time."
Xu Yanwen grew anxious too. "It won't take much time. Just come with me now and then when I visit Fairy Niaohua."
Fairy Niaohua, Chi Wanning, was a disciple of Ancestor Qingmu, one of the Five Ancestors of the Divine Palace. She was said to be a genius, born with the Water Spirit Body, and her progress in water-based arts was astonishingly fast. But what people praised most wasn't her strength—it was her beauty.
If Young Master Xiao Xu Yanwen and Zither Scholar Yang Ziqiu could still compete for the title of the Divine Palace's most handsome man, Chi Wanning was universally recognized as the Divine Palace's number-one beauty.
Her fame for beauty outshone her reputation for strength, naturally drawing countless geniuses to pursue her.
In Chi Wanning's presence, ordinary geniuses didn't even qualify to court her. Only peerless talents who appeared once every three thousand years could hope to do so.
Unfortunately, there weren't many three-thousand-year spans in the Evergreen Realm, yet peerless talents who appeared once every three thousand years were plentiful. The current generation of the Black and White Divine Palace alone had several. He Yuansheng, the headmaster's son, was said to be a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius. The headmaster had personally cultivated him, pouring countless resources into him, and in just five years he had reached the Hualun Realm. His talent was dazzling beyond compare, a genius without precedent.
Xu Yanwen naturally wasn't afraid of "geniuses" like He Yuansheng, but he was "afraid" of Zither Scholar Yang Ziqiu.
That was because Chi Wanning also loved music, and Yang Ziqiu and Xu Yanwen were arguably the two most skilled musicians among all the geniuses.
Both men used music to get closer to Chi Wanning, but Xu Yanwen soon discovered he had a natural disadvantage: Chi Wanning didn't like the sound of the flute.
It was no wonder. A pure-hearted maiden played the zither—what reason would she have to play the flute?
Xu Yanwen was at a natural disadvantage when it came to talent. Watching Chi Wanning and Yang Ziqiu grow closer and closer naturally left him displeased.
He had happened upon Ning Ye today and hadn't thought much of it at first. But then he noticed that the female cultivators who fawned over him were especially infatuated with him today. After asking around, he finally understood: with Ning Ye's hideous face beside him for contrast, everyone thought Xu Yanwen looked exceptionally handsome.
That gave Xu Yanwen an idea. After asking a shopkeeper about Ning Ye's identity, he had hurried after him.
He had assumed that offering benefits would make Ning Ye agree easily. Instead, he'd run into someone as stubborn as a rock. Seeing that Ning Ye was as impervious as water to oil, Xu Yanwen grew anxious. "That Chen Changfeng won't let you off easily. Without my protection, you'll probably end up dead by his hand sooner or later."
Ning Ye shook his head gently. "I haven't even taken him seriously."
Ning Ye had grand ambitions. If a mere Chen Changfeng could tie his hands, there was no point thinking about what lay ahead.
Seeing how unmoved he was, Xu Yanwen could only sigh helplessly.
Still, he seemed like a decent fellow. He didn't threaten Ning Ye; he simply left him a communication talisman. "If you ever change your mind, come find me."
With that, he left.
Ning Ye sank into thought.
There was one thing Xu Yanwen had said that was right: Chen Changfeng needed to be dealt with.
A small fry wasn't much of a threat, but if he started causing trouble at a critical moment, he could still be a nuisance.
But if Ning Ye went after Chen Changfeng directly, it would be too obvious, and the matter could easily lead back to him. In that case, he might as well go on a killing spree.
"What? You want to go to Huaiyin Mountain?"
Inside Absolute Blade Valley, at Seven-Kill Cave, Zhang Liekuang stared at Ning Ye in astonishment.
Huaiyin Mountain lay at the southern end of Nine Palaces Mountain. It wasn't very large, but it was exceptionally dangerous, with demons and monsters roaming about. The Black and White Divine Palace could certainly have exterminated them, but it often used the place to test its disciples.
However, disciples had to be at least in the middle stage of the Cang Xiang Realm before they could go. Ning Ye was only at the very beginning of the initial stage, yet he wanted to go to Huaiyin Mountain. He certainly had some nerve.
"Yes. This disciple wants to go to Huaiyin Mountain," Ning Ye affirmed.
Zhang Liekuang snorted. "With your current strength, isn't it too early for you to go to Huaiyin Mountain?"
Ning Ye replied, "Master often says that the Seven-Kill Lineage's path lies in pressing forward with courage. But I've always hoped to advance with both strength and subtlety. Lately, I've often thought about what it means to combine strength and subtlety. After much consideration, I feel that great courage means doing what others dare not, while great wisdom means planning before taking action. To combine strength and subtlety without losing one's blood and valor, one must set one's sights high in matters of strength, and work carefully on the details."
Zhang Liekuang snorted. "That's not the way of my Seven-Kill Lineage."
"But it is the path I've chosen. I hope it won't disappoint you too much, Master."
Zhang Liekuang looked at him, the harshness in his eyes softening slightly. "That's true enough. Since you want to be fierce and bold in the grand scheme, yet meticulous about the details, I'll allow it. You have a day to make your own way to Huaiyin Mountain and take the risk. By the way, do you need anything?"
"This disciple needs nothing."
"Hmph. The Talisman Dao must not be relied upon!" Zhang Liekuang replied coldly, like a blast of wintry wind.
Three days later, fully prepared, Ning Ye set out for Huaiyin Mountain.
Huaiyin Mountain lay behind Nine Palaces Mountain. Demons and monsters ran rampant within it, including no shortage of great demons and monstrous fiends.
The Black and White Divine Palace's formations kept them from leaving the mountain, but within its bounds they were utterly brazen. It wasn't uncommon for unlucky disciples to die there.
For that reason, even disciples at the peak of the Cang Xiang Realm often went in groups.
But the disciples generally didn't bring temporary members along. And a newcomer like Ning Ye was practically beneath notice. So when he reached Huaiyin Mountain, he headed straight into the mountain alone. Some disciples waiting for their friends saw him and stared in surprise. No one mocked him. Anyone who dared enter the mountain alone was either a fool or confident in his abilities. But looking at his second-layer cultivation, they couldn't imagine what he had to be confident about. He was probably just a fool.
After entering the mountain, Ning Ye didn't go straight in. He first sent his mind into the Thousand Mechanism Hall, then activated the Kunlun Mirror to assess the surrounding area.
Demons and monsters weren't like cultivators. They rarely tried to conceal their presence. They followed nature and the Heavenly Dao, which made their movements even easier to detect. The Kunlun Mirror quickly sensed the nearby demons' movements and locations. It even revealed the resources in the area.
A well-used information advantage was more valuable than any other advantage.
With the demons' movements laid bare, Ning Ye knew what to do.
He withdrew his consciousness and headed into the mountain, choosing a narrow path untouched by demons and pressing straight onward.
Zhang Liekuang thought he would only wander around the outskirts, but he had no idea Ning Ye had never planned to do that. Ning Ye had entered the mountain because he needed certain materials, and the Black and White Divine Palace couldn't be allowed to know about them. He had to gather them himself.
There was nothing he wanted on the outskirts of Huaiyin Mountain, so he had no choice but to venture farther in.
Fortunately, the Kunlun Mirror guided him, and he made his way without incident, encountering not a single demon as he traveled deeper into Huaiyin Mountain.
This was already a very deep region. Any demon that appeared here might be at the peak of the Cang Xiang Realm, strong enough to take Ning Ye's life with one slap. Although the Kunlun Mirror could point out a safe route, it wasn't foolproof—demons moved around too.
If one came by while Ning Ye was walking and they happened to cross paths, he could only wait to die.
So Ning Ye had no choice but to keep stopping and starting, using the Kunlun Mirror again and again to scout the area. Using it drained his mind, and before long he was growing tired. He had to find a place to rest for a while.
Fortunately, he had finally found what he was looking for.
It was a withered tree, pale as bone, with several skeletons lying beneath it.
The Death Spirit Locust Tree!
Before you continue