At the edge of the Gobi Desert, a village built of rough stones lies quietly on the horizon, like an ancient rock weathered by time.
However, there were only thirty-odd low stone houses, their walls mottled, revealing an undeniable poverty.
When Li Qingshan rode the Divine Rainbow and descended from the sky with Zhang San and the others, the entire Stone Village was alarmed.
Led by an elderly man with snow-white hair but still bright eyes, dozens of young men, armed with gleaming iron spears and bone knives, quickly assembled.
They were wiry and strong, their eyes filled with the resilience and vigilance honed by their survival in the Gobi Desert, and they stood guard tightly in front of the old man.
Li Qing's robes fluttered, and the Daoist aura around him flowed naturally, concealing the vast and unfathomable aura of the Eighth Transformation of the Dragon Transformation Realm expert, leaving only a captivating tranquility.
His gaze swept over the crowd, finally settling on the elderly man at the head of the group. His voice was gentle yet carried a power that struck straight to the heart. "You are Zhang Wu, Source Heavenly Master Lineage?"
The old man's body trembled violently, a trace of undisguised fear flashing deep in his cloudy eyes, and he subconsciously clenched his fist.
Upon seeing this, Zhang San quickly stepped forward and respectfully explained, "Immortal Master, this is my cousin, Zhang Wu, the current elder of Stone Village."
Zhang Wu glanced at his cousin's expression and sensed Li Qingshan's unfathomable yet utterly harmless aura. The tension in his heart eased slightly, and he sighed, cupping his hands and saying, "I dare not conceal from you, Immortal Master, my ancestors were indeed of the Source Heavenly Master Lineage."
However, if the immortal master has come for the " Source Heaven Book," he will likely be disappointed.
That heavenly book has long been lost in the Demon Mountain, beyond human reach.
Li Qingshan nodded slightly, not surprised by this, and stated his purpose directly. "I know that the ' Source Heaven Book ' is not in the village."
I have come here to obtain a piece of Stone Garment.
If you grant my request, I will surely repay you.
Fifth Master Zhang stared at Li Qingshan for a moment, and then sensed a trace of unfathomable aura emanating from the other party, far surpassing any cultivator he had ever seen in his life. He was already seven or eight parts convinced.
He pondered for a moment and said, "Immortal, your cultivation is profound, and I should not say more."
But that Demon Mountain is truly a forbidden place, inhabited by inexplicable demons and evil spirits, and teeming with ominous creatures lurking beneath its surface.
Throughout history, countless people who believed themselves to have supernatural powers have entered this place, only to vanish without a trace, like a clay ox sinking into the sea.
Our ancestor also entered in search of the Heavenly Book, but in the end, alas!
"The road ahead is fraught with peril, but I have my own plans."
Li Qingshan's tone was calm, yet carried an unwavering resolve.
Seeing that he had made up his mind, Fifth Master Zhang stopped trying to dissuade him and turned to walk into the largest stone house.
Before long, two strong men carried out a large wooden box that was yellowed and full of signs of age, with some rotten wood chips even peeling off the box.
" The Stone Garment that the immortal sought is here."
Fifth Master Zhang took out an old key and unlocked the iron lock on the box.
The moment the lid was opened, an ancient scent, a mixture of decaying wood and the dust of time, filled the air.
At the bottom of the box, a Stone Garment made of countless dark stone flakes, along with a stone helmet of the same material, lay quietly.
Fifth Master Zhang presented the Stone Garment armor and helmet with both hands, his fingertips tracing their cold, rough texture. A complex mix of reminiscence and reluctance flickered in his eyes. Finally, he solemnly handed them to Li Qingshan: "I hope this will help you, Immortal, be safer in that Demon Mountain."
Li Qingshan took it, and with a slight movement of his divine sense, he realized that this Stone Garment could naturally block divine sense from probing. The stone was made of a special material and carried the restrained and mysterious aura unique to the old skin of the Divine Source.
"It really is made of Divine Source Stone Skin."
He understood and put the treasure away.
Despite being a powerful expert at the Eighth Transformation of the Dragon Transformation Realm, he possessed no Divine Source, only some exotic and ordinary sources obtained from previously wiping out forces like the Azure Cloud Sect. Thinking of this, he couldn't help but smile slightly.
"Now that I have obtained the Stone Garment, I have settled a karmic Cause and Effect."
What difficulties are you facing? I will do my best to help.
If you have no other requests, then you may exchange one thousand catties of ore.
Li Qingshan looked at Fifth Master Zhang.
Upon hearing this, Fifth Master Zhang fell silent, his eyes flickering as if he were weighing his options.
Just then, a young man with a stubborn look in his eyes and a face full of grief and indignation suddenly rushed out of the crowd with a "thump."
With a thud, he knelt before Li Qingshan, his head touching the ground, his voice choked with sobs. "I beg the Immortal Master for mercy, to impart to us our humble immortal techniques. We do not seek immortality, but only to protect our village from the humiliation and slaughter of those damned bandits!"
This kneeling seemed to ignite some long-suppressed emotions, and suppressed sobs and cries of grief rose from the crowd.
Zhang San and Zhang Wu exchanged a glance, both with bitter expressions, and recounted the blood and tears of Shizhai to Li Qingshan.
This place is close to the Primordial Ancient Mine, where shallow mineral deposits are occasionally discovered, but this has also attracted swarms of bandits and brigands.
They forced surrounding villages to pay a fixed amount of Source Stone each month; if they couldn't collect enough, they would abduct women and kidnap young men.
Women were provided for his sexual pleasure, while young men were driven to the mines to perform near-death digging.
The young man who had just knelt down had his sister kidnapped by bandits, who ultimately subjected her to unspeakable humiliation, leaving no trace of her remains.
Li Qingshan listened quietly, his gaze sweeping over the faces etched with the marks of suffering.
The Northern Region is rich in resources, which could have allowed those who rely on resource gathering to live a prosperous life. However, the cruel laws of the cultivation world are vividly demonstrated here.
Ordinary people at the bottom of society are like weeds, exploited layer by layer, unlike in their previous lives when they faced excessive exploitation.
The lower classes can also rise up in rebellion and unite their strength to resist.
In the Shrouding the Heavens World, no matter how many mortals gather to resist, they are no match for cultivators with supernatural powers, like a mantis trying to stop a chariot.
Behind the bandits are smaller sects, and these smaller sects, in turn, must pay tribute to the higher-level holy lands and Desolate Ancient Family. This is a cold and solid web of exploitation.
Although he was troubled, he was not a compassionate saint.
Heavenly Dao is merciless; only by constantly striving for self-improvement can we truly succeed.
With his eyes slightly open, he had already taken in the physical attributes of everyone in the village.
The vast majority of people are of mediocre talent and have no affinity with the Tao.
Only a handful of people, along with a young man named Wang Shu and Lei Bo, and his sister, who possess a thin layer of mixed Silver Blood Royal Clan blood, are still able to embark on the path of cultivation.
"Get up."
Li Qingshan gently supported the young man, and a soft Daoist force lifted him up. "I can pass on a cultivation technique to you. Although it is not a peerless inheritance, if you practice diligently, it will be enough to protect you here."
He then took out a hundred catties of elixir and pushed it towards Fifth Master Zhang, saying, "This hundred catties of elixir is for you, in case of emergency."
The villagers were filled with joy and gratitude.
Looking at the pile of Source Stone, then at Li Qingshan, Fifth Master Zhang finally shook his head and said sincerely, "Since the immortal master has agreed to impart immortal techniques, it is already an immense favor."
This source, this old man, can no longer receive.
"If you insist on exchanging them, Immortal Master, once you return from Demon Mountain, you can simply take a few stone tools left by our ancestors. Those items are of little use in the village."
He seemed unaware of the true value of those stone tools left behind by the Source Heavenly Master.
Upon hearing this, Li Qingshan burst into loud laughter, his voice echoing across the surrounding area, brimming with a heroic spirit. "Hahaha, very well! Then I will return and bestow upon you another protective treasure!"
Having collected the Source Stone, he was already fully aware of the stone tool that Fifth Master Zhang had mentioned.
Seeing that his attempts to dissuade him were futile, Fifth Master Zhang could only give detailed instructions on the strange occurrences that might be encountered inside the Demon Mountain and how to deal with them. Although he knew that his instructions would have limited effect, they were given with good intentions.