The Vertical-Pen Peak, a name well-earned, stood like a brush strokes against the sky, impossibly steep.

The ascent was marked by a single, slender path. Standing at the base, one could truly grasp the sheer arduousness endured by the cultivators of Three Mountains City who had carved this passage. Especially in that bygone era, when savage beasts roamed every slope.

It must have been forged step by bloody step, each footfall a descent into the soul.

The flesh and blood of the fallen formed the very steps, their departed souls safeguarding the living. Those who survived toiled with unwavering resolve, until at last they reached the summit, cleansing it of the monstrous inhabitants.

Two years hence, new savage beasts prowled these lands, and new purifiers had also arrived.

Jiang Wang was no stranger to ferocious beasts, but this was, after all, his first venture into this fabled lair. The promise of generous rewards had drawn many cultivators to Three Mountains City, yet the majority chose to align with the main force, targeting Yuheng Peak. Only a select few teams opted for Vertical-Pen Peak.

Li Jianqiu had departed at the break of dawn, leaving them without companions on the journey.

Under Li Jianqiu’s guidance, the group began their ascent. The initial stages of the path were uneventful, save for the occasional scattering of animal bones. The mountain path coiled upwards, with sheer cliffs on one side and treacherous drops on the other. Sporadic, eerie roars echoed through the valley, sending shivers down one’s spine.

“Be careful!” Li Jianqiu’s sudden warning rang out, though he made no move.

A serpentine beast exploded from the cliff’s edge. While bearing the form of a snake, it was covered in scales the color of the rock, a camouflage that rendered it nearly invisible when motionless.

Jiang Wang’s longsword was the first to leap from its sheath. The initial form of the Purple Qi East Arising Sword Art, with unerring precision, sliced across the beast’s gaping maw, severing its tongue. His other hand, already forming a seal, was not idle, thrusting a flame bomb into the snake’s mouth. His body followed the trajectory of the sword, and as the serpentine beast plummeted from the cliff, he gracefully returned to the mountain path. This sequence of movements was executed with fluid economy, devoid of any excess, a spectacle that brought a sense of satisfaction to the onlookers. Having seamlessly integrated Taoism into his combat, Jiang Wang’s fighting prowess had more than doubled.

“This kind of beast is called a rock snake. Its scales are remarkably resilient, and its mouth and abdomen are its vulnerabilities,” Li Jianqiu explained as he continued forward. “Junior Brother Jiang performed admirably. If the intensity and density of the beasts on Vertical-Pen Peak remain at this level, it seems we might reach the summit today.”

“Senior Brother Li seems quite familiar with this place?” Zhao Rucheng inquired.

“I have been here before,” Li Jianqiu’s response came from ahead. He had deliberately held back just now, wishing to assess the capabilities of his companions. The results pleased him.

Zhao Rucheng had reacted swiftly, adjusting his stance with practiced ease. If Li Jianqiu was not mistaken, the starting posture of his sword-holding mirrored Jiang Wang’s. It appeared they had both cultivated the extraordinary sword manual that had already spread like wildfire. Jiang Wang’s triumph in the Three Cities Debate a year prior, achieved through this very art, made it difficult to overlook.

Huang Azhan, who usually projected an air of foolish playfulness, had also completed his Taoist preparations in a remarkably short time.

However, the greatest surprise for Li Jianqiu was undoubtedly Jiang Wang. He had anticipated a significant improvement in Jiang Wang’s foundation, but this extent was beyond his expectations. Jiang Wang’s current strength far surpassed that displayed in the Three Cities Debate. With such a team, while their collective power remained to be seen, at least none would prove a hindrance.

Just ahead lay a turn, and as soon as Li Jianqiu’s form vanished from view, a violent surge of Tao Yuan erupted.

Jiang Wang quickly advanced a few steps and rounded the bend, only to see the remains of a centipede-shaped beast, severed into several pieces, strewn upon the path. In Li Jianqiu’s hands, two blazing swords burned with fierce intensity.

“Wind centipede, capable of flight,” Li Jianqiu explained, then added nonchalantly, “If there were many, they would be troublesome to deal with.”

On this narrow mountain path, encountering an airborne assault from ferocious beasts would indeed be challenging. Fortunately, for now, only a single wind centipede had appeared.

The continuous emergence of beasts indicated their entry into the infested zone, and everyone heightened their vigilance.

Huang Azhan meticulously layered his defensive states, employing techniques like the Stone Skin Art and Solidification, showering himself with a multitude of Taoist blessings. He didn’t limit himself, generously bestowing these enhancements upon Jiang Wang and Zhao Rucheng as well.

Finally, Li Jianqiu cast a helpless glance his way: “Is your Tao Yuan sufficient?” Only then did he cease his efforts with a disgruntled air.

Halfway up the mountain. A woman’s waist is graceful, a man’s is strong. The waist of the Vertical-Pen Peak… is perilous.

The mountain path terminated here, with no clear road ahead, only rugged rocks and gnarled trees with sprawling branches. And perched on the trees, nestled amongst the stones, either crouching or concealed, were no less than twenty ferocious beasts. Wolf-shaped, snake-shaped, avian, their forms varied, yet all bore the same terrifying visages and ferocious countenances.

Ferocious beasts lacked divine consciousness, so this was not an ambush in the true sense. More precisely, Jiang Wang and his companions had stumbled upon their resting place. And naturally, they erupted into action the instant they were discovered. The proximity of four sources of fresh flesh and blood ignited their greed.

Li Jianqiu grasped his twin flame swords in a reversed grip and charged into the throng of beasts. The flame swords danced, and flesh and blood blurred.

Zhao Rucheng drew his sword and engaged the beasts on one flank. Unlike Li Jianqiu’s direct assault, he maintained a controlled engagement, keeping the number of beasts he faced simultaneously to no more than three. His sword flickered left and right, often striking vital points.

Huang Azhan’s hand seals moved with blinding speed. Even when he had been applying states to himself earlier, Jiang Wang had noticed the remarkable swiftness of his hand movements. Now, he witnessed flame bombs erupting like a string of pearls, almost roaring and surging forward. He had channeled a single Ding-grade Taoism into an area-of-effect technique.

Jiang Wang, naturally, was not to be outdone. With his left hand, which had completed its hand seal, he pulled, and a vine wrapped around the wolf-shaped beast before him. Then, his longsword flashed, separating the wolf’s head from its body. Kicking the wolf’s corpse, he sent it flying, striking another tiger-shaped beast.

He had already leveraged the force and launched himself backward, falling through the air in a perfectly straight line, parallel to the ground. He was like a longsword, his body the very tip. The power of the Purple Qi East Arising Sword Art imbued the mortal steel, allowing this sword to cleave through the serpentine beast as if it were paper.

The snake’s corpse split in two, and Jiang Wang, with person and sword, passed through the spraying blood with exquisite precision, narrowly avoiding a single drop. An eagle-shaped beast swooped down, inadvertently flying through the airborne snake blood, shrieking as it was corroded.

Jiang Wang spun, and his longsword, released from his grip, shot out, piercing the eagle beast’s slender neck, beheading it with a single strike. The ordinary longsword, unable to withstand the rigors of this level of combat, shattered in mid-air.

Jiang Wang had been prepared. After completing a hand seal, he shook his hand, and a flame sword had already materialized. It was only at this moment that the snake blood, having descended to the ground, corroded the mountain stone into small pits.

Holding the flame sword diagonally, Jiang Wang charged forward, colliding with the tiger-shaped beast he had kicked away moments before. The flame sword pierced through its heart, and Jiang Wang’s left hand grabbed the beast’s neck, tossing it to one side.

This series of engagements was executed with remarkable ingenuity and fluidity. Had it not been for his Yuan Control Technique, which allowed him to manipulate his Tao Yuan at will, he would not have been able to achieve this level.

At this moment, Li Jianqiu had already traversed the beastly horde twice. Of the nearly twenty ferocious beasts, only two remained alive: two wind centipedes. They showed no sign of fear, and indeed, the concept of retreat was alien to them. Still, they continued their fierce dives, one from the left, one from the right.

Li Jianqiu launched himself upwards, his twin flame swords intersecting in mid-air. The two wind centipedes were sliced into four sections, falling alongside him.

Zhao Rucheng had already sheathed his sword, appearing entirely unpressured.

Huang Azhan…

“Senior Brother Li is mighty!”

Still capable of actively flattering, he too seemed to be in good condition.

Jiang Wang casually extinguished his flame sword. He could not compare to Li Jianqiu’s abundant Tao Yuan; he conserved it whenever possible. Nowadays, his Star River Dao Xuan generated nine Tao Yuan daily, and coupled with his own脉 cultivation, the accumulation of Tao Yuan was rapid. However, in this kind of high-intensity combat, it couldn’t sustain him for extended periods.

Li Jianqiu stepped over the beastly corpses and continued forward. Without the obstruction of the fallen beasts, Jiang Wang noticed a massive rock formation ahead, its surface etched with some form of inscription.