Mountain-Viewing Cave Abode
Although Mountain-Viewing Cave is merely a separate residence for Golden Core cultivators, its owner Exalted Cultivator Guanyu, is renowned among cultivators in the surrounding states.
When the barbarian chaos first broke out, the Two Instruments Sect, sat idly by with wicked intentions, allowing the Mountain Barbarians to wreak havoc on the people. However, the cultivators of various states did not all sit idly by and wait for their doom.
Before the former Shannan Circuit, Shen Lingfeng, arrived with the Imperial Guards to quell the rebellion, Exalted Cultivator Guanyu, a Golden Core cultivator and Rogue Cultivator, had already become the leader of the rebel army in the surrounding states.
Even a loyal and righteous man like Lord Yin Shan initially served under Exalted Cultivator Guanyu when he first joined the army.
Even after Shen Lingfeng took charge of Cloud Horn Prefecture and the righteous army and imperial guards merged, Exalted Cultivator Guanyu showed no intention of clinging to power and directly handed over the command tent to Supervisor Shen.
After he led his troops out, he relied on his elite Jade Crocodile Dao Soldiers to guard the key positions, winning three battles against the Mountain Rong King without defeat, greatly preserving the vitality of Cloud Horn Prefecture, and truly benefiting all the people.
After the chaos subsided, Exalted Cultivator Guanyu left Shannan Circuit.
Some say he was hated by the Two Instruments Sect; others say that Exalted Cultivator Guanyu actually had no good feelings towards the Immortal Dynasty and was dissatisfied with the Immortal Dynasty's Imperial Guards stationed in Cloud Horn Prefecture, which is why he was disliked by Shen Lingfeng and forced to leave his hometown.
However, his illustrious achievements in Cloud Horn Prefecture are undeniable. Generally speaking, the villa he left behind would not have been touched by anyone.
About a hundred years ago, a cultivator brought news from outside the Shannan Circuit that he had personally witnessed the Exalted Cultivator Guanyu being swallowed by Fourth Tier great demon and dying. It was only then that his cave abode dwelling and several other residences in the Shannan Circuit were found and opened one after another.
The first to act were naturally the Golden Core cultivators. They had no sense of awe or shame whatsoever, and were eager to seize the biggest share of the benefits.
It should be noted that Exalted Cultivator Guanyu was not only an extremely rare Rogue Cultivator with Golden Core in the Shannan Circuit, but also highly accomplished in both weapon crafting and array formation, reaching the Third Tier rank in both.
Therefore, although Exalted Cultivator Guanyu was Rogue Cultivator, he was considered wealthy among his peers in the Golden Core stage. The cave abode he left behind was so difficult that even ordinary False Core cultivators could hardly enter it, let alone Foundation Establishment True Cultivator.
However, the rewards they gained from these Golden Core cultivators were not as substantial as they had anticipated.
However, they could understand it. Exalted Cultivator Guanyu Shang Rogue Cultivator was just a rogue cultivator, all alone, and he had been forced to leave his hometown. It would be strange if he had left behind any wealth in his cave abode.
Although most of the cave abode were looted by the Golden Core cultivators, there were still quite a few Foundation Establishment and False Core cultivators who were happy to go and find some leftovers.
But more than a hundred years have passed, and very few people are still able to reap the rewards.
However, among the villas left by Exalted Cultivator Guanyu, Mountain-Viewing Cave was an exception.
This villa seems to have been connected to a mustard seed space by the Exalted Cultivator Guanyu, making it unstable. Without a token, even Golden Core cultivator would find it difficult to locate. Even if Golden Core cultivator found it, it would be difficult to break the formation by force.
At its peak, six cultivators from different lineages gathered outside the formation, yet none were able to enter. In this light, the grand formation that the Exalted Cultivator Guanyu established in Mountain-Viewing Cave could be considered one of his most celebrated works.
At that time, the Golden Core cultivators figured out some tricks and discovered that only when the seven scattered Bright Moon Token were gathered together, all held by Foundation Establishment cultivators, and assembled at a designated time, would the grand formation of the Mountain-Viewing Cave be opened.
To the great surprise of the Golden Core cultivators, they were also unable to enter after the formation was activated. Not only were Golden Core cultivators unable to enter, but even those with False Core cultivation were not allowed to enter. Only cultivators below the Foundation Establishment were allowed to enter, with twice the number of Bright Moon Token allowed.
This was clearly far beyond the capabilities of Exalted Cultivator Guanyu, a third-tier high-grade array master. After racking their brains without finding a solution, the cultivators stopped thinking about it and simply selected their elites to explore the cave, and then searched for spiritual items after they came out.
However, the younger generation's harvest was a great disappointment to them. Although the items they brought out were of high quality, they were useless for achieving the Golden Core.
The Mountain-Viewing Cave opens once in each round, five times in a row, and each time it is the same.
The greatest gain for the cultivators who ventured into the cave was that a Foundation Establishment True Cultivator brought out a slightly less potent Golden Core Formation Pill and a section of the longevity- spirit medicine Evergreen Vine, which is only effective for Foundation Establishment and Qi Refinement Second Tier.
These two items are certainly valuable, but they are of little use to these Golden Core cultivators themselves.
What they longed for was the Third Tier Law Treasure and high-level array plate forged by the Exalted Cultivator Guanyu, but it had not yet appeared.
Therefore, the Golden Core cultivators of Shannan Circuit found this place boring and gradually lost interest in Mountain-Viewing Cave. Subsequently, this Golden Core villa gradually became a battlefield for top Foundation Establishment from the surrounding states, and the seven Bright Moon Token changed hands several times and were scattered in various places.
That year, all cultivators holding the Bright Moon Token would know that the Mountain-Viewing Cave would appear in Pu Prefecture.
--Outside a small Qi Refinement sect in Pu Prefecture, the moon was like a silver plate, and the water was clear and turbulent.
Several men and women dressed in various styles gathered together, including the Daoist Black Shoes, Kang Dabao, and Jiang Qing.
A gentle breeze rustled through the trees, carrying a faint, fishy smell. A robust, middle-aged cultivator glanced sideways at the sect, then fixed his gaze on Yuan Feng and his sister, scoffing, "Your Yuan Household really is incorrigible; you're far too ruthless."
The flying sword on Yuan Feng's back was still stained with blood. He was about to retort after hearing the reprimand when he seemed to remember something.
After glancing at a female cultivator standing behind Yuan Xiyue with a protective barrier, he changed his expression and bowed to Yue Lin, saying, "Steward Yue is right, but this matter is of great importance, so it's best to be careful."
"The sixteenth young master of the Yuan Household is also thinking of the bigger picture. If Elder Yue feels sorry for them, he can send some disciples to treat and settle the mortals here well," a withered old man with wrinkled skin and white hair said with a smile, trying to smooth things over.
"Old Master Lang is indeed kind-hearted." Yue Lan snorted coldly and said nothing more.
Yuan Feng is one thing, but the Jingnan Yuan Household widely circulates that he has been cultivating with the Golden Core for half a century, thus becoming the Golden Core seed of the Jingnan Yuan Household.
Yue Lan scoffed at this claim. Just by looking at the former's air of affluence, Yue Lan could almost conclude that this fellow was hopeless on the Dao Path, so he didn't take him seriously.
But Lang Yi is no ordinary old man. Don't underestimate him just because he's an ordinary Rogue Cultivator. He's a ruthless character who escaped unscathed from a False Core cultivator sixty years ago.
He's probably over two hundred years old now, but he still firmly holds the title of the number one cultivator in Hong County. Even ordinary False Core probably wouldn't want to compete with him.
It must be understood that people become shrewd with age, and things become strange with age. Who knows how many powerful techniques these Foundation Establishment cultivators, who have been in the Foundation Establishment for over a hundred years, are hiding?
Seeing that Yue Lan was putting on airs and ignoring him, Yuan Feng sneered inwardly. The Yue Household was the most bullying of the weak and fearing of the strong. If his ancestor were here, Yue Lan Huiyi matter how many Qi Refinement and mortals died.
As for relocating and settling these inferior cultivators? How many Spirit Stones would that cost? You, Yue Laowu, may be a hypocrite, but how could you possibly bear to do that? It's much more worthwhile to let them remain here to be corrupted by Evil Cultivator or devoured by Demon Beast.
Don't be fooled by your sweet words now. If it were just a matter of drawing your sword and killing someone to make this beauty smile, you hypocrite wouldn't even blink an eye.
Hehe, speaking of which, with Chu Yanran's beauty, even I, this young master, would be happy to be her devoted subject for a few days.
Bah! Still putting on airs like you're the descendant of the founder of the Two Instruments Sect? That Yue Lin is only Yixin on sending women into Kuang Liuting's house; he doesn't show a shred of heroism.
You, a lonely ghost abandoned by the Yue Household's main sect, dare to speak to me like that? Once we're inside the cave, let's see what you've got.
Madam Qi had remained silent all along, spoke up calmly. She had no intention of speaking up for this pitiful little sect, and now was not the time to settle those sordid matters with the Yuan Household.
She parted her lips slightly and said softly, "Pu Prefecture is the territory of the Stone Mountain Sect, and we cannot delay. Fellow Daoists, please produce your appraisal documents as soon as possible to avoid attracting attention. You all know who the Grand Elder of the Stone Mountain Sect is, so I need not say more."
"Madam Qi is right." When Yuan Feng heard Chu Yanran speak, he first looked at her with interest, and when he heard the words "Grand Elder of the Stone Mountain Sect," his eyes lit up, and he replied with a smile.
The gaunt old man shook his large head, agreeing repeatedly.
"Yanran, are you really going to take Qi Buxiu in? This is a dangerous place." The beauty spoke, Yue Lan naturally had no objection. He gave her a kind reminder, but the jealousy in his eyes was almost impossible to hide.
"I will protect my husband; Fellow Daoist Yue need not worry about him," Madam Qi said coldly, her beautiful eyes filled with undisguised disgust.
Qi Buxiu remained calm, letting the various gazes of the Foundation Establishment cast upon him. He stood behind Madam Qi without uttering a word. To be fair, such composure was a skill that could be considered respectable.
Qi Buxiu's old and thin appearance was not much to look at. Seeing that the four people, including the Daoist Black Shoes, had not spoken for a long time, Lang Yi across from them turned his gaze over.
He dared not look at the Daoist Black Shoes too much, but he did have some impression of the other three.
The first to be affected was Sect Leader Kang Da. Back then, in order to curry favor with Fei Nanying, he agreed to let the latter place this horse bone (his son-in-law) by his side to cultivate. However, the long-awaited benefits never materialized, so he could hardly be considered to have been truly devoted to this mediocre son-in-law of the Fei Household.
I originally thought that Kang Dabao had only cultivated the Wood Technique and obtained the Foundation Establishment Pill from the Fei Household. Even with some good luck, he would only achieve an ordinary Azure Leaf Dao Foundation. However, I never expected that Kang Dabao would actually achieve Ice Leaf Dao Foundation after that.
Moreover, just a few years later, he was able to hold off a group of the Hongyi Sect Foundation Establishment True Cultivator the Hongyi Sect in the Cold Crow Mountain Range without falling behind.
Even more horrifying is that, regardless of whether Kuang Liuting had left any tricks on him, Core Master Xue Wu, the False Core Hongyi Sect had finally managed to replace, actually died at the hands of Kang Dabao.
During this trip to Mountain-Viewing Cave, Fei Nanying had already spoken to him, instructing him to take good care of him, which shows how much he valued the trip.
Lang Yi prided himself on his ability to judge character, but he had to admit that he had misjudged Kang Dabao. If he had known this earlier, he would have been much better at befriending him.
This old cultivator was shrewd and experienced. He knew that after all that had happened, Sect Leader Kang Da was now much more valuable, and a sense of regret arose in his heart.
As for Jiang Qing, there's no need to say more. Although Hong County and Pingrong County are quite far apart, Lang Yi had long heard of this outstanding junior in the prefecture.
Seeing him now, I can see that his reputation is indeed well-deserved. Based on my Lang Yi two hundred years of cultivation, I have only seen a handful of people who can surpass him in sword intent. Moreover, almost all of those people are only at the Golden Core stage or a False Core.
Hearing that Jiang Qing Dao Foundation and Kang Dabao were both Ice Leaf cultivators, but Jiang Qingdaoji was more than ten years younger and only approached forty, even though he had lost an arm, his future was still very promising. As Lang Yi looked at him, a hint of envy appeared in his eyes.
The other Foundation Establishment Late Stage Cultivator who accompanied the Daoist Black Shoes was rather unremarkable.
Xu Liuxian, along with several homeless and jobless wanderers, practiced cultivation in Hong County, calling themselves the "Four Friends of Cold Mountain." He was skilled in the Bright Yang Fire Art, possessing some ability, but that was about it.
I don't know when he became so familiar with the Chongming Sect and his group; it's just his good fortune.
Lang Yi harbored no ill will toward Kang Dabao and his group, so he did not conceal his gaze. The Daoist Black Shoes closed his eyes and ignored them, but Sect Leader Kang Da greeted them with the courtesy due to a junior.
Ultimately, Kang Dabao learned his woodworking technique from Crane Spirit Mountain. Although Lang Yi only instructed him to curry favor with Sima Fei, and it's hard to say that he owed Kang Dabao any favors, the sect Sect Leader Kang Da was a respectable person, and he always had to maintain appearances.
I heard some time ago that Lang Yi to find a way to obtain False Core and spiritual items from the state court. Judging from this, it seems that this old cultivator came here most likely to earn some False Core pills to take back with him.
One must be extra careful once inside the cave; this kind of cultivator, who is nearing death but possesses considerable skill, is not to be trifled with.
If they were truly entangled in some kind of conflict of interest, forcing such a person to harden their heart, they wouldn't recognize the Earl of Nan'an or the Sima Fei, not even if the Emperor of Great Wei were brought to them.
There were many people in the room, and it wasn't just Lao Xiu who was watching him; there were also two women behind Yuan Feng who were keeping a close eye on him.
One of them possessed a high level of cultivation and wore a jeweled flower crown; this was none other than Yuan Xiyue, who cultivated the Buddha Mother Wisdom Consort Dao.
The female cultivator's eyes were very cold and aloof, but once they fell on him, they didn't look away for a long time.
Sect Leader Kang Da certainly didn't think he had won the admiration of the eldest daughter of the Yuan Household family. He secretly thought, "Just as Yan Qingwei said, this woman already knows about Feng Wan?"
That was a crucial fortuitous opportunity for Core Formation and forming the Golden Core; it was obvious she wouldn't want to give it up.
Yuan Xiyue could understand it, but what puzzled the Sect Leader Kang Da Yuan Xiyue that another female cultivator in blue robes with a veil and a graceful figure was also staring intently at him.
Even with her high-level protective barrier, Yan Qingwei couldn't hide from Sect Leader Kang Da, so this blue-clad female cultivator was even less likely to be able to see her. Kang Dabao could see her true face, and her beauty surpassed even Yuan Xiyue's, perhaps not far off from Fei Shuhe's.
The Sect Leader Kang Da felt that she looked familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen her before. He felt a chill run down his spine under the female cultivator's gaze.
The number of people who have died at his hands over the years is not small; perhaps one of them was someone's "dream lover"? The plot of a widow seeking revenge plays out every few years in Shannan Circuit, so it's nothing new. One must be careful.
There are five forces in total. Chongming Sect is an ally of Master Qi and his wife, whose strength seems relatively weak. It is hard to say whether Lang Yi is an enemy or a friend.
As for the Jingnan Yuan Household, the conflict between Yuan Xiyue and Chongming Sect is irreconcilable, the blue-clad female cultivator is also eyeing Kang Dabao covetously, and there is also the rather arrogant Yuan Feng, the sixteenth young master, who, according to Yan Qingwei's intelligence, has the potential to reach the Golden Core and is not much inferior to the Daoist Black Shoes.
Kang Dabao was not optimistic, estimating that the Yuan Household would most likely have to fight with the Chongming Sect after entering Mountain-Viewing Cave.
And then there's Yue Lan across from me. I've met this direct descendant of the Yue Household and elder of the Two Instruments Sect's Battle Hall several times before, but I never expected to run into him here. Judging from the current situation, this guy must be the one causing Madam Qi's romantic troubles.
From this perspective, the situation of the two allied parties is hardly favorable.
Yue Lan was choked by Madam Qi, his expression slightly hardened, and he remained silent. He simply took out a token, bent his finger and tapped it lightly, the outer shell of the token was gently pushed open, revealing a broken silver mirror hidden inside.
The others followed closely behind until Madam Qi finally made her move and pieced the silver mirror back together.
The smooth silver mirror instantly emitted a fluorescent glow, and several cracks were slowly filled with liquid silver. When the liquid silver completely disappeared, the mirror flashed with silver light.
As if receiving a signal, the bright full moon drew down a beam of moonlight, casting it onto the surface of the mirror, instantly making it shine brightly.
Before long, two fish seemed to be playing in the water and chasing each other, faster and faster, until they formed a vortex and showed two colors, yin and yang.
Kang Dabao had never seen such a strange sight before and secretly admired it; Jiang Qing and Xu Liuxian also couldn't hide their surprise; even the Daoist Black Shoes, who had been resting with his eyes closed, opened his eyes and seemed to be deep in thought.
"Then this old man will first scout the way for you fellow Daoists." Lang Yi's face was ruddy, and a rare look of excitement appeared on his face.
At this moment, he couldn't remember any of the instructions or schemes. He just stared at the swirling vortex with his bloodshot eyes without the slightest hesitation. In just a moment, a whirlwind rose beneath his feet, and he landed steadily inside.
"Let's go!" Madam Qi glanced at the Daoist Black Shoes who hadn't uttered a word from beginning to end before pulling Qi Buxiu into the vortex.
"Yanran, wait for me." Yue Lan glanced at the Daoist Black Shoes after seeing the Qi Household couple disappear from sight, and then hurriedly followed them.
Yuan Feng showed no sign of anxiety, nor did he speak to Kang Dabao and the others who were still present. He simply laughed loudly, spread his cloak, summoned a cloud of energy, and was about to take the two women into the vortex and fall into the mirror.
Kang Dabao hadn't found anything unusual, but the female cultivator with the veil was at the back of the three, and before entering the mirror, a corner of her sapphire blue fairy robe was visible in the wind.
Sect Leader Kang Da could see clearly that a refined and elegant six-petaled blue lotus Dao seal appeared on it, startling him so much that his divine eyes narrowed and his divine sea cleared!
"The Jingnan Yuan Household. I remember now!! It's her!"
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