Huaiyin Mountain (Part 1)

Ning Ye certainly would not agree to his tedious request.

Xu Yanwen was a man of heaven-sent talent, and with the backing of a powerhouse like Ancestor Moyin, he had all the resources and aptitude he could ever want; naturally, he could afford to find some amusement when bored.

Ning Ye, however, carried a blood feud and had to live in constant fear day and night; how could he possibly waste time hanging around with him?

Seeing him refuse so stubbornly, Xu Yanwen grew a bit angry: "You really don't know what's good for you. With me as your backer, everything you do will be convenient, and even if you get into trouble, I can shoulder it for you."

Ning Ye sneered inwardly; the things he intended to do were things that not only could Xu Yanwen not shoulder, but even his master couldn't handle.

So, he simply shook his head: "Sorry, I really don't have the time."

Xu Yanwen grew anxious: "It won't take much time, just accompany me occasionally when I go to see Fairy Niaohua, that's all."

Fairy Niaohua, Chi Wanning, was a disciple of Ancestor Qingmu, one of the five ancestors of the Divine Palace. It was said that she was also a genius, possessing a Water Spirit Body, which allowed her to progress through water-based techniques at an astonishing speed. However, what she was most praised for was not her strength, but her appearance.

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, then Chi Wanning was the undisputed, recognized beauty of the Divine Palace.

Her fame far exceeded her strength, naturally attracting countless geniuses to pursue her.

It could be said that in front of Chi Wanning, ordinary geniuses had no qualifications to pursue her; one had to be the kind of peerless genius that appeared only once every three thousand years.

Unfortunately, the Evergreen Realm didn't have many three-thousand-year cycles, but there were quite a few peerless geniuses who appeared every three thousand years. In the current generation of the Black and White Divine Palace alone, there were several; it was said that He Yuansheng, the son of the Sect Master, was a once-in-ten-thousand-years genius—cultivated with the full devotion of the Sect Master and consuming countless resources, he reached the Hualun Realm in just five years. His "genius" was so brilliant it was unprecedented.

Xu Yanwen was naturally not afraid of "geniuses" like He Yuansheng, but he was quite "fearful" of the Zither Scholar.

This was because Chi Wanning also loved music, and Yang Ziqiu and Xu Yanwen were the most skilled in music among all the geniuses.

Both used this to get closer to Chi Wanning, until Xu Yanwen discovered he had a natural disadvantage—Chi Wanning did not like flute playing.

This was hardly surprising; a jade maiden would naturally play the zither, so how could there be any reason to play the flute?

With his innate disadvantage in talent, and watching Chi Wanning and Yang Ziqiu grow closer, Xu Yanwen was naturally unhappy.

Today, he had caught a glimpse of Ning Ye by chance and hadn't thought much of it, but he noticed that the infatuated female cultivators were unusually obsessed with him. After asking around, he realized that Ning Ye's hideous, scarred face served as a foil, making everyone feel that Xu Yanwen was exceptionally handsome today.

With this realization, Xu Yanwen was moved to act; after asking a shopkeeper about Ning Ye's identity, he had chased after him.

He had expected that offering benefits would make the other party easily agree, but he hadn't expected to run into such a stubborn fool. Seeing that Ning Ye was completely unmoved, Xu Yanwen grew desperate: "That Chen Changfeng won't let you off easily. Without my protection, I fear you will die at his hands sooner or later."

Ning Ye shook his head lightly: "I haven't even taken him to heart."

Ning Ye's plans were vast; if a mere Chen Changfeng could make him falter, then there was no point in thinking about what lay ahead.

Seeing him like this, Xu Yanwen was helpless.

This man wasn't too bad; without resorting to threats, he simply tossed over a transmission talisman and said: "Whenever you change your mind, come find me."

With that, he departed.

Ning Ye began to ponder.

There was one thing Xu Yanwen was right about: this Chen Changfeng needed to be dealt with.

Although a small fry didn't pose much of a threat, it would be very troublesome if he caused trouble at a critical moment.

But if he only targeted Chen Changfeng, the goal would be too obvious, and it would be easy to trace it back to himself. Very well, he might as well go on a killing spree just once.

"What? You want to go to Huaiyin Mountain?"

In the Seven Killings Cave, within the Absolute Blade Valley.

Zhang Liekuang looked at Ning Ye in astonishment.

Huaiyin Mountain was located at the southern end of Nine Palaces Mountain. The mountain was not large, but it was extremely dangerous, with demons and monsters often running rampant. The Black and White Divine Palace certainly could have wiped out the demons there, but they often used this place as a trial ground for their disciples.

However, trial disciples needed to be at least at the mid-stage of the Cang Xiang Realm to make the trip. Now, Ning Ye was only at the very beginning of the early stage, yet he actually wanted to go to Huaiyin Mountain; he certainly had a lot of nerve.

"Yes, this disciple wishes to go to Huaiyin Mountain." Ning Ye confirmed again.

Zhang Liekuang snorted: "With your current strength, isn't it a bit too early to go to Huaiyin Mountain?"

Ning Ye replied: "Master often says that the path of the Seven-Kill Lineage lies in brave and vigorous advancement, while this disciple has always hoped to advance with both hardness and softness. During this time, this disciple has often pondered what it means to advance with both hardness and softness. After much thought, I feel that the truly brave do what others dare not, and the truly wise plan before they act. If one wishes to advance with both hardness and softness without losing the courage of blood, then hardness should be focused on the big picture, and softness should be applied to the details."

Zhang Liekuang snorted: "That is not the style of my Seven-Kill Lineage."

"But it conforms to this disciple's own path, and I hope... it will not disappoint Master too much."

Zhang Liekuang looked at him, his thunderous eyes softening slightly: "That is true. Since you wish to be fierce in the big things and subtle in the details, then I shall grant it. I will give you one day to venture to Huaiyin Mountain. By the way, do you have any other requirements?"

"This disciple has no other needs."

"Hmph, do not rely on talismans!" Zhang Liekuang responded coldly, his words like a biting frost.

Three days later, a fully prepared Ning Ye set off for Huaiyin Mountain.

Huaiyin Mountain was located just behind Nine Palaces Mountain, and the mountain was filled with demons and monsters, including many powerful ones.

These demons were restricted by the formations of the Black and White Divine Palace and could not leave Huaiyin Mountain, but they were quite arrogant within the mountain. It was common for unlucky disciples to die inside.

Because of this, even those disciples at the peak of the Cang Xiang Realm often traveled in groups.

However, disciples generally did not look for temporary members, and newcomers like Ning Ye were basically not taken seriously. So, after arriving at Huaiyin Mountain, Ning Ye entered the mountain directly. Some disciples who were still waiting for friends saw this and were shocked. There was no mockery; those who dared to enter the mountain alone were either fools or had real confidence. But seeing the other party's second-layer cultivation, they couldn't figure out where his confidence came from, so most likely, he was just a fool.

Upon entering the mountain, Ning Ye did not head straight in; instead, he withdrew his consciousness into the Thousand Mechanism Hall and activated the Kunlun Mirror to begin surveying the surroundings.

Demons are unlike cultivators; they rarely possess the concept of concealing their own aura. By following nature and adhering to the Heavenly Dao, their movements are actually easier to detect. Because of this, the Kunlun Mirror quickly discerned the movements and positions of the surrounding demons, and not only that, it even identified the resources nearby.

When used effectively, an information advantage is more important than any other.

With the demons' movements known, Ning Ye knew exactly what he had to do.

Withdrawing his consciousness, Ning Ye walked directly into the mountain, choosing a small path that no demons had traversed, and drove straight in.

Zhang Liekuang assumed he would only circle the perimeter, never imagining that Ning Ye had no intention of doing so at all—the reason he entered the mountain was because he needed certain materials, and since he could not let the Black and White Divine Palace know about them, he had to collect them himself.

The outer reaches of Huaiyin Mountain did not contain what he wanted, so he had no choice but to venture deeper.

Fortunately, with the Kunlun Mirror guiding the way, Ning Ye traveled without alarm or danger, encountering not a single demon as he made his way into the interior of Huaiyin Mountain.

This was already a very deep region; any demon that appeared here could be at the peak of the Cang Xiang Realm, capable of taking Ning Ye's life with a single slap. Although the Kunlun Mirror could point out a safe path, it was ultimately not a foolproof method—demons move, too.

If one happened to pass by while Ning Ye was traveling and they collided, Ning Ye would have no choice but to await his death.

Therefore, Ning Ye could only move in fits and starts, constantly using the Kunlun Mirror to peer into his surroundings. Using the Kunlun Mirror consumed his mental energy, and gradually, Ning Ye grew somewhat exhausted, forcing him to find a place to rest for a moment.

Fortunately, he had finally found his target.

It was a pale, withered tree, with some skeletal remains lying horizontally beneath it.

Death Spirit Locust Tree!