The Qichang Mountain Range, a vast barrier running horizontally between the lands of Zhuang and Yong, served as a formidable natural defense.

It was precisely this imposing range that, combined with the internal turmoil of the Yong Kingdom, had allowed Zhuang Chengqian to carve out his own territory and establish the Zhuang Dynasty.

Within the Qichang Mountains resided not only wild beasts but also fearsome demon beasts. For nascent cultivators just entering the extraordinary realm, it was a perilous place. However, Jiang Wang, having gained experience, now understood that in the extraordinary world, demon beasts were often synonymous with resources.

Looked at this way, the protracted friction between the bordering Zhuang and Yong kingdoms wasn’t merely political; it was a struggle for the valuable resources contained within the mountains.

Speaking of which, this was Jiang Wang’s first true journey into the Qichang Mountain Range. During his time in Tang She Town, he had only glimpsed it from afar. And the simple, honest Tang Dun was now a memory, a figure of the past.

As they flew above the Qichang Range, Ye Qingyu subtly observed Jiang Wang’s expression. The territory of Zhuang was now coming into view, and she worried that his emotions might become turbulent.

But Jiang Wang’s face remained impassive.

“Did you come here with your friend a few days ago?” Ye Qingyu inquired.

Jiang Wang simply replied, “Don’t tell An An. I told her I went somewhere else to handle some matters.”

Ye Qingyu nodded. The events of Maple Forest City Domain were indeed not a topic to be casually discussed, for both Jiang Wang and Jiang Anan.

Neither the Zhuang nor the Yong kingdoms stationed troops within the Qichang Mountain Range. This was due to a mutual understanding: neither side would allow the other to gain such a strategic advantage.

The struggle for control of Chi Yun Mountain involved four distinct forces: Lingxiao Pavilion, Qingyun Pavilion, Lingkong Hall, and Yunyou Weng.

By the time Jiang Wang arrived at their destination with Ye Qingyu, others were already waiting.

They were clearly divided into two groups, each with two individuals, positioned on the southern and northern sides.

From their attire, they appeared to be inheritors from Qingyun Pavilion and Lingkong Hall, their clothing styles distinctly reflecting the characteristics of Yong and Cheng respectively.

The people of Yong Country favored conservative and traditional clothing, primarily in shades of blue and gray. The people of Cheng Country, on the other hand, were somewhat influenced by the South Domain, particularly the Chu people, resulting in more vibrant clothing colors.

These individuals exuded an air of arrogance, their gazes seemingly directed at the heavens.

No one spoke, and Jiang Wang and Ye Qingyu certainly didn’t feel the need to engage in pleasantries. Perhaps it was a pragmatic realization: there was little point in exchanging greetings with rivals in a competition.

They were currently deep within the Qichang Mountain Range. Occasionally, demon beasts could be seen passing by, but unlike the mindless savagery of fierce beasts, demon beasts possessed a degree of spirituality. They mostly avoided these formidable cultivators from a distance.

Three of the four sides had arrived. They only awaited the arrival of Yunyou Weng.

Jiang Wang could understand the mystique surrounding Yunyou Weng. In his estimation, among the parties involved in the Chi Yun Mountain affair, Yunyou Weng, being a single-line transmission without a supporting force, was particularly vulnerable to external pressures. Therefore, any level of caution was not excessive; “mystery” itself was a form of protection.

“Lingkong Hall was originally quite strong,” Ye Qingyu explained via sound transmission, glancing towards the Zhuang country. “They originally occupied this region and held a status in Yong country similar to that of Lingxiao Pavilion in Yun country. However, they were crippled by the then great general of Yong country, Zhuang Chengqian, and forced to flee to Cheng country. After that, Zhuang Chengqian directly occupied this area and established the Zhuang Dynasty.”

Jiang Wang hadn’t realized the intricate entanglement between Lingkong Hall and the Zhuang Dynasty, an entanglement that even extended to the very founding of Zhuang.

He couldn’t help but sigh, “Zhuang Dynasty Taizu was indeed a heroic and talented figure.”

As a native-born Zhuang, he wouldn’t deny the greatness of Zhuang Chengqian, the Taizu, a legendary figure he had heard about and seen since childhood. But this respect didn’t diminish his hatred for the current Zhuang Emperor, Zhuang Gao Xian.

“Yes,” Ye Qingyu agreed. “It’s a pity…”

What she pitied, she didn’t explicitly say. Even with her complete support for Jiang Wang, she couldn’t claim that Zhuang Gao Xian was incompetent or a muddled ruler. Especially now, Zhuang Gao Xian was, in fact, leading the revival of the Zhuang Dynasty.

Her pity was for Zhuang country abandoning Jiang Wang, forcing him through such hardships. Her pity was for Jiang Anan, leaving her homeland at such a young age.

“There’s nothing to pity,” Jiang Wang said calmly, looking left and right. “How long do we have to wait for Yunyou Weng?”

Ye Qingyu glanced at the sky. “At the latest, before sunset. Yunyou Weng will arrive because after sunset, Chi Yun Mountain becomes inaccessible. We have to wait; the mountain cannot be opened if any of the four sides are missing.”

“What if Yunyou Weng is killed?” Jiang Wang suddenly wondered. “Or what if Lingkong Hall was completely wiped out by Zhuang Chengqian initially?”

“I don’t know,” Ye Qingyu shook her head. “In all these years, the situations you’ve described have never occurred. If it truly happened, perhaps the secret of Chi Yun Mountain would be lost forever.”

“How long has Chi Yun Mountain been around?” Jiang Wang asked.

“It seems to have existed even before Lingxiao Pavilion was established,” Ye Qingyu replied.

It was truly fortunate that an inheritance with such strict entry requirements had managed to survive to this day, Jiang Wang mused. Throughout history, countless powerful inheritances had been swept away by the river of time. Just like the peak sword techniques of the Flying Sword Era, if some accident were to befall the Only I Sword Dao now, it would be declared lost.

The fact that Chi Yun Mountain had managed to preserve itself was, perhaps, a form of luck.

Perhaps… not just luck. Could there be some mechanism in place to ensure the continuation of the inheritance?

In the Tongtian Palace, Jiang Wang asked, “Jiang Nightmare, do you know about Chi Yun Mountain?”

Jiang Nightmare’s voice replied, “Things like this are secrets closely guarded by those four sides. How would I know? None of them believe in the White Bone Dao.”

Jiang Nightmare’s answer was flawless. But for some reason, Jiang Wang felt a strange unease. Jiang Nightmare’s latter sentence, in particular, felt like an unnecessary explanation. He hadn’t been thinking along those lines initially, but now the association sprang to mind.

Could Chi Yun Mountain truly have some connection to the White Bone Dao?

Yong, Zhuang, and Yun were the three countries closest to Chi Yun Mountain. They were also where Qingyun Pavilion, Lingkong Hall, and Lingxiao Pavilion were located – except for Lingkong Hall being driven out later… but after being driven out, Lingkong Hall chose to settle in Cheng country, which was just southeast of Zhuang, still quite close to Chi Yun Mountain.

Could it be that these three forces were originally guardians of the Chi Yun Mountain inheritance?

Considering it further…

When the Zhuang Dynasty was founded, Taizu Zhuang Chengqian crippled Lingkong Hall, forcing the inheritors of Chi Yun Mountain to flee and settle in Cheng country.

And during his lifetime, Zhuang Taizu Zhuang Chengqian also did something else quite famous: he suppressed the White Bone Dao! During his reign, suppressing the White Bone Dao was the national policy of the Zhuang Dynasty.

The White Bone Dao once vanished without a trace, only to recover after several centuries. Under the leadership of Ouyang Lie and Lu Yan, it was resurrected from the ashes, aiming to refine the White Bone True Dan and elevate the White Bone Dao Child directly to the peak of the extraordinary realm… only to have the White Bone True Dan seized in a planned scheme, and the Dao crippled once again.

But the previous documented strike targeting the White Bone Dao was precisely orchestrated by Zhuang Chengqian.

Was there any possible connection between Zhuang Chengqian suppressing the White Bone Dao and Zhuang Chengqian crippling Lingkong Hall?

Could the White Bone Honored God have therefore known the secret of Chi Yun Mountain?

Was Jiang Nightmare truly completely ignorant?

ps: Recommendation tomorrow. Seriously, I’ve waited from six hundred average orders to nearly a thousand… if a recommendation doesn’t come, I’m just going to seclude myself.

My dear readers, please subscribe, vote more, and recommend this book to your friends these days. Let’s make the recommendation effect look a bit better… I’ll also work hard to write the journey to Chi Yun Mountain more beautifully.

I currently have two ideas for the ending of this volume and am still weighing them.