Nine Peaks Ridge

At first, Zhou Chun did not understand what Zhou Fei had meant by those words.

But when an elderly Zhou Family man in red arrived at the scene riding a red Fire Crane, he understood Zhou Fei's meaning.

This old man in red was a Foundation Establishment elder of the Zhou Family, ranked third among its current three elders.

After Elder Zhou Quan arrived and learned the details from Zhou Fei, his gaze immediately turned icy. He raised a hand and patted the Spirit Beast Pouch at his waist, releasing a yellowish-brown spirit pet that resembled a groundhog.

After giving the spirit pet several instructions, he had it run over to the places where those Rogue Cultivators had previously lingered and sniff wildly.

A moment later, the little creature began chattering at Zhou Quan, then turned into a yellow blur and shot into the mountain forest.

Seeing this, Zhou Quan immediately instructed Zhou Fei and the others, "You return to the Lineage and report the matter to the Patriarch first. This old man will go exterminate those blind little rats!"

Then he mounted his Second Rank demonic beast, the Fire Crane, and gave chase.

The Zhou Family had only recently migrated from another country, so the local Rogue Cultivators had no idea what methods they possessed. That was why they had been foolish enough to attack Zhou Family disciples near the Zhou Family mountain gate.

Had they been Rogue Cultivators from Feng Kingdom, once they heard the name of the Zhou Family of the Three Absolute Sect, they would never have dared ambush and kill Zhou Family disciples near the Zhou Family mountain gate unless they were completely certain they could silence everyone.

For all the fools who had dared do such things in the past had ultimately become feed for the spirit pets raised by Zhou Family cultivators.

Watching Zhou Quan's figure vanish above the forest on his Fire Crane, Zhou Fei quickly recovered and waved at Zhou Chun and the others. "Let's go. We should return to the Lineage first as well. With the Third Elder acting personally, those foolish thieves are surely dead men walking!"

Thus, the group continued along their original route. After traveling more than seventy li, they finally arrived at the Zhou Family's current mountain gate—Nine Peaks Ridge.

Nine Peaks Ridge lay deep within a region of towering mountains and steep ridges. It was a land of spiritual beauty formed by nine elegant peaks, stretching more than twenty li from east to west and seventeen or eighteen li from north to south.

Originally, this place had been the stronghold of a Rogue Cultivator force from Misty Prefecture. Each of the nine peaks had been occupied by a Foundation Establishment cultivator, while another two or three hundred Qi Refining cultivators lived and cultivated there year-round.

After the Three Absolute Sect was broken apart, the Zhou Family, which had nowhere else to go, quickly set its sights on this place.

After investigating and learning that this group of Rogue Cultivators had no great ties to any major sects or Lineages, the Zhou Family launched a full-scale assault on Nine Peaks Ridge and forcibly seized this treasured cultivation ground.

Less than three months had passed since that great battle involving hundreds of cultivators, and traces of it could still be seen in many places within and around Nine Peaks Ridge.

For instance, forests that had been burned down and peaks whose mountainsides had partially collapsed from the fighting.

According to Zhou Yong, although the Zhou Family had a Violet Palace cultivator overseeing the battle and numerous Second Rank spirit beasts comparable to Foundation Establishment cultivators assisting them, they had still lost more than a dozen clan members before securing victory.

Now, when Zhou Chun looked toward Nine Peaks Ridge, all he could see was a vast expanse of white Formation mist. He could not make out the true scenery within.

Led by Zhou Fei, the group circled around the area for a while before arriving outside a valley entrance between two mountains.

Once they reached this place, they did not need to say anything. The Zhou Family cultivators guarding the entrance within the valley mist had already recognized Zhou Fei and Zhou Yong, calling out to greet them and asking about Zhou Chun's origins.

After Zhou Fei explained, with Zhou Jingwen and Zhou Yong offering their own guarantees as proof, the Zhou Family cultivators inside quickly manipulated the formation. The Formation mist leading into the valley churned, revealing a passage wide enough for two people to walk abreast.

After the four of them followed the passage for less than a hundred zhang, the view suddenly opened before them, and their sight was no longer obstructed as they clearly saw the world inside.

Within the world enclosed by the formation, nine spiritual peaks of varying heights stood in the four directions, east, south, west, and north, surrounded by dozens of large and small hills.

Forests, streams, lakes, waterfalls, secluded pools, grasslands, mountain ravines, deep valleys...

Every kind of terrain and landscape could be found in this little world.

Within the forests, monkeys could be seen frolicking among the treetops, while tigers and leopards flashed their agile forms as they darted and leaped.

Beside the streams, deer, sheep, cattle, horses, and other beasts quietly grazed on tender green grass, while black bears played in the water and caught fish.

Within the lakes, enormous turtles floated on the surface, basking their shells in the sun.

Beneath the waterfalls, several terrifying blue-black giant pythons coiled themselves around pillar-like rocks, allowing the rushing currents to wash over them as though they greatly enjoyed it.

On the grasslands, young Zhou Family boys chased and played with giant wolves, while girls held white foxes larger than themselves and groomed their fur, picking away insects.

By a secluded pool, two elderly Zhou Family men used a stone as a chessboard, each holding black and white pieces as they fought one another across the board. Not far away, a horned boar-like demonic beast snorted and grunted as it pressed heads with a green ox demonic beast in a contest of strength.

As Zhou Chun took in this scene, after his initial discomfort passed, he quickly came to like this place.

People and nature blended together in such harmony, animals and humans lived alongside one another so peacefully. Such a place could cleanse one's soul and make one utterly relaxed.

Before coming to this world, a place like this, a life like this, had been what an office worker like Zhou Chun dreamed of day and night—a place that could only exist in fantasy.

"Brother Chun, don't overthink it. This place may not compare with the Three Absolute Sect mountain gate we had back in Feng Kingdom, but it belongs solely to our Zhou Family. As long as our Zhou Family manages and develops it well, it may not be any worse than our days in the Three Absolute Sect!"

As they walked through the pathless mountain forest, Zhou Yong noticed that Zhou Chun seemed somewhat off throughout the journey. Thinking he was disappointed by the state of Nine Peaks Ridge, he hurriedly tried to comfort him.

Seeing that Zhou Yong had misunderstood, Zhou Chun shook his head repeatedly. "No, Brother Yong, you are worrying too much. This place is very good—extremely good. I am very satisfied!"

"Hahaha, satisfied is good, satisfied is good."

Zhou Fei, who was leading the way ahead, burst into laughter upon hearing Zhou Chun's words. Clearly, he too was very satisfied with the answer.

After another two quarters of an hour, the group finally arrived at the main peak of Nine Peaks Ridge, Pagoda Peak, where the Zhou Family Patriarch conducted his affairs.

Pagoda Peak resembled its name, looking like a round pagoda standing tall upon the earth.

It rose more than four hundred and seventy zhang high. Ancient trees towered across the peak, and spiritual energy was abundant. It was the finest cultivation site in all of Nine Peaks Ridge.

After climbing from the foot of the mountain along a newly opened trail to the mountainside, their view abruptly widened, revealing a cluster of palaces and pavilions built against the mountain.

Before Zhou Chun could properly inspect those halls and towers, Zhou Fei led them into a great hall bearing a plaque that read "Zhongping Hall."

Soon, Zhou Chun saw the Zhou Family Patriarch, Zhou Guyi, in the depths of the hall.

Like most sects and Lineages, the Zhou Family Patriarch was not the person with the highest cultivation.

Zhou Guyi was only at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage.

Yet he had become the Zhou Family Patriarch back when the Three Absolute Sect still existed.

To Zhou Family disciples like Zhou Fei and Zhou Chun, this Patriarch inspired even greater awe than the current Violet Palace Stage Grand Elder.

The Zhou Family Patriarch was broad and powerfully built, with resolute features and an imposing bearing. At a glance, one could tell he had long occupied a position of authority.

After Zhou Fei and the other three finished paying their respects, he did not rush to ask about Zhou Chun. Instead, he first had Zhou Fei report on the investigation at Red Cliff Market, then accepted the booklet Zhou Fei had compiled and written for review.

After skimming through the booklet at a glance of ten lines and finishing it in less than a quarter of an hour, he set it down and nodded lightly. "You have handled this matter reasonably well. I will record the corresponding merits for you."

Then his gaze shifted to Zhou Chun. "Now, tell me about your own matter. If I remember correctly, your name is Zhou Chun, yes? You were previously working at Leopard Garden?"

As the Zhou Family Patriarch, he had long committed to memory the names, appearances, and whereabouts of every adult Zhou Family cultivator.

Not long after seeing Zhou Chun, he had already recalled the relevant information about him. There had been no need for Zhou Fei and the others to introduce him.

When he heard the subject turn to himself, Zhou Chun hurriedly replied respectfully, "The Patriarch's insight is like a torch. This junior is indeed Zhou Chun."

Then he voluntarily recounted how he had fled all the way from Feng Kingdom to Jing Kingdom and how he had encountered Zhou Fei and the others.

However, he likewise omitted the part where he had fallen out with Li Han of the Li Family, changing it to say that after hearing halfway through the journey that the Three Absolute Sect had split apart, the two had gone their separate ways.

With his account being nine parts true and one part false, Zhou Chun naturally was not afraid of Zhou Guyi exposing him, and he also believed Zhou Guyi would not pursue the matter too deeply.

Sure enough, Zhou Guyi merely praised his experience as a refugee, commending his resolve and will to return to the Lineage despite the hardships and obstacles, and did not ask further questions.

Instead, after looking at him and pondering for a moment, he nodded lightly. "The Lineage has only just established its mountain gate, and everything is waiting to be rebuilt. This is precisely the time when we need capable people. Zhou Chun, you feared neither hardship nor danger, enduring countless trials to return to the Lineage. Such loyalty and sentiment deserve reward."

"Since the spirit pet you originally raised has already fallen in battle, I bestow this Rock Earth Tortoise Spirit Egg upon you to raise as a new spirit pet. I hope you will treasure it and make good use of it, serving the Lineage well in the future!"

As he spoke, he raised a hand and patted a Storage Bag at his waist, taking out a white jade box and handing it to Zhou Chun.

At once, delight filled Zhou Chun's face, and he was overwhelmed with joy.

Holding the jade box in both hands, he immediately bowed deeply to Zhou Guyi with a face full of happiness. "Many thanks for the Patriarch's reward. This junior will certainly devote himself wholeheartedly to serving the Lineage in the future and will not fail the Patriarch's and the Lineage's generous favor."

"Very well. Next, you will cultivate at Precious Lingzhi Peak. You may ask its Peak Master, Zhou He, about the Zhou Family's current circumstances and the rules you must observe within the Lineage."

After Zhou Guyi finished speaking, he lightly waved a hand, indicating that they could leave.

Zhou Fei and the others promptly bowed in farewell and departed.