CHAPTER 232: CHAPTER 193, KING OF THE NINTH MOUNTAIN: QIZHENZI!

Heaven Mountain, one of the seven major mountain ranges of Great Hui, spans the western boundary of Great Hui.

Its mountain range consists of three roughly parallel ridges, with dozens of peaks towering over two thousand zhang tall.

Divine Banner Peak is one of them.

Due to Heaven Mountain’s altitude, it has abundant ice ravines and caves.

The lone Divine Banner Peak rises high into the clouds, towering halfway to the heavens, with its lower slopes encased entirely in snow and ice.

Not even birds dare venture here. Because of its towering terrain and narrow breadth, even the powerful Core Formation cultivators and Night Travel Mages of Central Earth rarely linger, typically circling halfway around the mountain at most before moving on.

Chen Jichuan soared on his sword, heading straight for the summit.

At the center of the summit was a ’Heavenly Pool,’ tens of zhang deep, its waters dried up for over a millennium.

Within lay a cave.

The cave opened along its walls, an ancient spring, eerie yet vast and profound.

Chen Jichuan descended into the cave, concealing himself within.

...

Heaven Mountain was vast and majestic, with its nine tallest peaks each occupied by a Great Demon, earning them the moniker ’Nine Mountains’ among Central Earth’s cultivators.

Within these Nine Mountains.

In addition to the various Great Demons, there were flesh-eating Yakshas, terrifying Evil Ghosts, venomous practitioners of the Demon Path, and vile Evil Monks...

Indeed, a thorough den of filth!

These fiends were usually adversaries in Central Earth, lacking the camaraderie to band together and having angered both the Righteous Path and the Evil Path. With no place to stand, they fled to the Nine Mountains.

The cold climate, the isolating peaks—few mortals could survive here.

Even Central Earth’s Three Mountains Dharma Teachings and other major Righteous Path sects found it difficult to intervene.

No established Ghost Kings or Demon Kings from Central Earth wished to be marooned in such a desolate land either.

Thus, this territory was long ignored.

Over time.

The vile nature of the Nine Mountains grew rampant; all manner of monstrosities converged, turning this majestic Heaven Mountain into a place of turmoil and corruption.

Yet, despite the abundant demons and monsters, they remained disjointed and posed little threat.

That was until decades ago.

A Daoist by the name of ’Qizhenzi’ appeared, punching Great Demons and Yakshas, tearing apart Evil Ghosts and Evil Gods, kicking aside Demon Monks and practitioners of the Demon Path, subduing the Nine Mountains, and earning the title of ’Nine Mountains King.’

From then on, in the eyes of outsiders, the demons and monsters of the Nine Mountains seemed united, creating an imposing and terrifying momentum.

Decades passed.

Eventually, this drew the attention of Central Earth’s major powers.

Great Hui’s Grand Ancestor Emperor Chen Jichuan and Great Hui’s Capital Taiping Prefecture City God, Lord Chengtian Jian Country, Guardian of the People, and King of the Manifest Spirit spearheaded an alliance, mobilizing Great Hui’s various sects, Magic Teachings, wandering knights, and mages to crusade against the Nine Mountains and eliminate this growing threat.

These two figures.

One as Great Hui’s Grand Ancestor, acclaimed as ’the greatest War God of ancient and modern times,’ had earned fame as the Side-by-Side King even during the prior dynasty’s mid-period.

Later, he founded Great Hui. Over ten years of war, nearly fifty late-stage Core Formation Military Generals died by his sword and fist, and hundreds more Core Formation Martial Artists fell to him.

During that decade, the entire world’s Martial Artists lived under the shadow of the Grand Ancestor Emperor.

And yet, this Grand Ancestor did not covet imperial power.

He abdicated after a mere seven years on the throne, wandering the world freely, befriending countless influential figures over the past century.

His network was extensive, his reputation unparalleled.

As for the Taiping City God, there was little more that needed to be said.

This City God emerged six hundred years ago, driving out the White Lotus Sect and transforming Taiping Prefecture into a genuine paradise, regarded as the safest and most peaceful place in the world.

For centuries, he enjoyed the incense offerings of an entire prefecture, and likely the entire nation, amassing unimaginable power and wealth.

Known for his gracious nature, the City God cultivated relationships with countless notable, understated, and mysterious figures over these six hundred years.

While not as renowned as the Grand Ancestor Emperor.

His network of connections could rival anyone’s.

Among his subordinates were numerous divine attendants.

Notable among them, the Civil Judge was once a long-term official at Prince Chen’s Mansion and the teacher of Zhang Yanghao, the founding Prime Minister, known as ’Mr. Guishan’ Yangg Shi.

This man was exceptionally talented, so much so that the Grand Ancestor Emperor of Great Hui once praised him: "Yangg Shi speaks righteously and acts with integrity, moral and learned."

Universally respected.

After his death, the Taiping City God appointed him as Civil Judge, respected by the incense offerings of the populace.

His Martial Judge was equally extraordinary, once the infamous Vice Judge of Guandong, a formidable figure across forty-two prefectures. Known for his disdain for corrupt officials and his withdrawal into ancient temples due to the treachery of court officials, he was deeply dedicated to the Martial Arts.

He had dealings with the Grand Ancestor Emperor as well.

Upon his death, the City God valued his refined martial skills and noble character, appointing him as Martial Judge of the City God Mansion.

Both the Civil and Martial Judges were remarkable talents.

Beyond these two.

Other entities under the City God Mansion—major divine forces, generals such as Sweetgrass General, Ox and Horse Generals, Day and Night Wandering Gods, Chains General—all hailed from respected backgrounds.

Gathered into one mansion, all serving under the City God, it illustrated the extent of the Taiping City God’s connections and influence.

With just one word, illustrious figures flocked to his call.

Thus, with the joint initiative of the Grand Ancestor Emperor and Taiping City God.

In an instant.

All of Great Hui was mobilized; experts from all walks of life set out, traveling thousands of miles to converge upon the Nine Mountains.

...

"These years."

"I’ve sparred with the White Lotus Sect demons, crossed blades with the Black Mountain Ghost King’s forces, and stormed Song Family’s Manor in Da Liang Mountain during my campaigns. In my conquest of the nation, I fought to the death against countless heroes of the time."

"Decades ago, I arrived at Heaven Mountain, battled through Nine Mountains’ monsters, and earned the title of ’Nine Mountains King.’"

Seated cross-legged deep within the cave of Divine Banner Peak’s Heavenly Pool, Chen Jichuan reflected on his life.

Six centuries of existence.

Three hundred years of triumph and struggle.

Among the world, he had fought countless battles against monsters, ghosts, Military Generals, and Martial Artists, while also exchanging lessons with mages from various major Magic Teachings.

Prince Chen.

Grand Ancestor Emperor.

Nine Mountains King.

Crowned in glory, renowned across the world.

Yet, despite his unparalleled martial prowess and profound Daoist Skill, he was still shackled by Core Formation, trapped in the Night Travel Realm, unable to break through.

"Great Yann, Da Liang, Jade Spring, Qinling, and now this present world—all told, I have traversed five worlds and six lifetimes."

"Still unable to surpass Second-order."

Chen Jichuan felt the weight of hardship and realized the sheer difficulty of cultivation, occasionally feeling like a failure.

Yet upon reflection.

Considering the Qinling World and Great Hui, with their abundance of high-level cultivators, across history, only a handful of Supreme beings such as Emperor Yong and Sword Ancestor had emerged in the Qinling World.

In Great Hui, combing through its history, the number of Second-order cultivators was equally rare.

Generation after generation.

Hundreds of years, thousands of years.

How many exceptional figures and geniuses had there been? Tens of millions, at least!

All halted, all confined to First-order.

By that comparison, his own stall at First-order hardly seemed shameful.

Indeed.

Reaching First-order’s peak, achieving Core Formation Tenth Layer and Night Travel Tenth Layer, dominating with invincibility, he could relatively be considered above average.

At worst, he was hardly what one might call a ’failure.’

"Not excelling, not lacking."

Upon realizing this, Chen Jichuan felt more at ease, refocusing on his cultivation with greater diligence but also greater equanimity.

During his campaigns.

He fought across the lands. Though unable to break through, his martial skills grew sharper nonetheless.

During his travels.

He experienced the full spectrum of life, cultivated his temperament, slowed his pace, and encountered people and situations that nourished his spirit.

His Martial Arts grew stronger, and his Daoist Skill also imperceptibly advanced.

Core Formation.

Night Travel.

The barrier seemed no thicker than a paper window; piercing through would lead to Soul Refining and spirit platform realms.

Yet, it was this one step that stubbornly held Chen Jichuan back.

"Demons and monsters."

"Military Generals and Martial Artists."

"I’ve clashed with all of them, unleashing everything I had while facing opponents who wielded their ultimate abilities and strategies."

"But against the mages of major Magic Teachings, I’ve never truly fought to the death. While sparring often, both sides usually held back."

"The same holds for numerous righteous Martial Artists as well."

Chen Jichuan, as Great Hui’s Grand Ancestor and Taiping City God, had no reason to battle mages of the Righteous Path or allies of the Great Hui faction.

Launching unprovoked attacks against them was not an option.

Decades ago, realizing this limitation, Chen Jichuan deliberately traveled to Heaven Mountain to engage the Nine Mountains’ demons and monsters, embedding himself among them to become the dominate ’Nine Mountains King,’ renowned across Great Hui.

Beyond a sincere desire to spar and battle the Nine Mountains’ monsters, he also coveted the ’Nine Mountains King’ identity to attract righteous experts for a deadly confrontation.

This served two purposes.

First, to seize the chance to eradicate the Nine Mountains, foreclosing a latent calamity that was destined to plague the world.

Second, to seek a thrilling battle at the twilight of his life, staking it all for a breakthrough.

"Faced with the ’Nine Mountains King,’ no righteous expert would hold back."

Chen Jichuan adjusted his breathing within the cave, silently awaiting the gathering of Great Hui’s elite experts.

...

Months later.

Within the Nine Mountains.

Chen Jichuan convened the Demon Kings, Ghost Kings, and Evil Path malefactors of various peaks.

At the summit of Divine Banner Peak.

Cold winds, sinister auras, sorrowful gusts, bleak mists, black energy, and blood clouds ominously spread across the mountain.

A tempest of blood and corruption.

A reek of death pervaded the air.

Every monster bore a dreadful countenance, casting Divine Banner Peak into a domain of ghostly malevolence and chilling wickedness. Ordinary folk who laid eyes upon it would surely find their three souls and seven spirits shattered in terror.

Chen Jichuan scanned the crowd—

Wolves, insects, tigers, leopards; elk, boars, foxes, otters, jackals; lions, elephants, legendary beasts such as suanni and猩猩s; wild hogs, mountain cattle; antelopes, mystical deer; tricksters and divine dogs... scores of Demon Kings comparable in cultivation to the mid to late stages of Core Formation, each swaying and snarling in malicious postures.

There were Ghost Kings veiling themselves in black mist, half-hidden within the Netherworld.

There were practitioners of the Demon Path and Evil Monks, each exuding the veneer of an eminent sage.

Gathered together.

A chaotic uproar.

These figures were rebellious and unrestrained, loathed by the Righteous Path and disdained by the Evil Path alike. Having fled to Heaven Mountain, they lacked retreat options. Only the Nine Mountains King’s unparalleled methods and leniency kept them nominally united under his rule.

But true solidarity among them remained a distant dream.

When strong enemies emerged, they would scatter like sand, none among the Demon Kings or Ghost Kings willing to trust these unfamiliar companions.

"A fragmented mess."

Chen Jichuan understood this clearly.

Yet his aim was merely to wield the ’Nine Mountains King’ title to lure righteous experts into a decisive battle, not to govern or unify these monsters.

Surveying the gathered fiends, Chen Jichuan was unimpressed but declared nonetheless, "This humble Daoist has received word: Great Hui’s Emperor Chen and the Taiping Prefecture City God are rallying Great Hui’s elite to march upon our Heaven Mountain, seeking to annihilate us completely. Their approach is aggressive, and we cannot stand idly by. This humble Daoist proposes that we confront these righteous experts here in the Nine Mountains. Should we triumph and eliminate these fame-seeking frauds, we could then break free from this bitter cold and enter the fertile lands of Central Earth, basking in generations of prosperity!"

Cloaked in a black Daoist robe, Chen Jichuan spoke with a resonant voice, a commanding presence infused with cunning persuasion.

"Siege the Nine Mountains?"

"How many have come?"

"Led by Emperor Chen and the Taiping City God? Have those two old bastards also joined the fray? That Emperor Chen was already unparalleled three centuries ago—if he’s coming, I won’t throw myself into the grinder!"

...

As Chen Jichuan’s voice fell, a louder commotion burst forth at the summit, with monsters shouting, snickering, and arguing without pause.

"Everyone relax."

"Heaven Mountain lies far from Central Earth—how many could possibly come?"

"Besides, this is our home ground; why should we fear them?"

"As for Emperor Chen—three hundred years ago, he was renowned as the Side-by-Side King. But after three hundred years, he’s likely long dead. What’s there to fret over?!"

"Even if he’s alive, even if he comes to the Nine Mountains, leave it to this humble Daoist to face him!"

Chen Jichuan spoke firmly, silencing the clamor.

"You?"

"Qizhenzi, you’ve made your claim—just don’t shrink away when the time comes."

The gathered monsters remained brash and unruly.

Some dreamed of invading the Central Plains.

Some had mild faith in Chen Jichuan’s words.

Others merely awaited entertainment, doubting him altogether.

Ultimately, a rough agreement was reached—they would confront the righteous forces.

Chen Jichuan, equally scheming, smirked faintly, an unrestrained sinister grin curling his lips.

This expression alone would draw disgust from anyone—

"What a treacherous demon Daoist!"

...