Chapter 517: Rising Reputation

Chapter 517: Rising Reputation

Dust filled the air, as if a long curtain was slowly parting.

Shen Yi stood with his hands hanging by his sides, and in his line of sight, a majestic and awe-inspiring mountain gradually appeared. It seemed like an insurmountable chasm stood before him, stretching beyond the horizon. In comparison, the Nameless Mountain outside could only be considered a lowly mound.

In the moment he saw its true form, a heavy and oppressive feeling that made one's entire body tremble descended upon Shen Yi.

Boom!

The Nameless Mountain was infused with spirit souls, so it was naturally impossible for one's bones to be crushed.

But Shen Yi still felt as if his entire body was about to be ground into powder.

His body suddenly bent forward, and his knees trembled uncontrollably, almost causing him to kneel on the ground.

Instinctively, Shen Yi wanted to summon the Netherworld Immortal Armor for protection, and his fingertips landed on his forehead, ready to open the Jade Capital Immortal City.

However, his attempt was in vain.

Standing here was merely a spirit soul, and all his so-called reliance was rendered useless within the Nameless Mountain. He could only rely on himself.

Shen Yi finally understood why only body tempering cultivators had the chance to approach this opportunity.

Only those who had experienced demon core body forging, demonic blood body scorching, and phoenix fire body tempering, like himself, would have a slim chance to straighten their backs under this heavy oppression.

"Huff."

Shen Yi closed his eyes, and his facial features became distorted.

The hands capable of tearing apart the demons of Jade Capital clenched tightly, but they did not cause any changes in the heavens and earth. The only effect was to make it extremely difficult for him to take a step forward.

In front of this treasure mountain, the black-robed figure seemed insignificant, walking slowly and even stumbling, but never stopping.

Compared to the trials other cultivators had endured, Shen Yi's few years of cultivation experience were insignificant.

However, when it came to the hardships endured for cultivation, even though the torment he received during each feedback from the panel was unbearable, when the time spent on the panel was terrifyingly long, the accumulated pain also reached a horrifying level.

Enduring hardship was not something to boast about, especially since the main reason for this pain was mostly due to Shen Yi's reckless modification of cultivation techniques, indiscriminate consumption of pills, and even treating demon cores and demonic blood as daily sustenance.

But these experiences had indeed brought him to the foot of the mountain.

Shen Yi slightly lowered his gaze, looking at the winding mountain path beneath his feet. After a moment of contemplation, he took a step onto the gravel path.

As his boot touched the mountain path, the spirit soul seemed to materialize.

Shen Yi's body crackled, and with a boom, he was crushed by a vast force, not even having a chance to resist throughout the process.

His elbow, which supported his body, was almost shattered, and the black robe was quickly soaked in crimson blood.

However, under such immense force, not even the smallest pebble on the mountain path moved.

After a brief moment of rest, Shen Yi glanced at his elbow, his expression calm to the extreme.

Even if his body had truly split open, or even melted until only white bones remained, he had experienced it all before. Moreover, this was just an illusion created by the Nameless Mountain.

But the sensation felt so real.

It was evident that this mountain indeed held something extraordinary.

Thinking of this, Shen Yi raised his head and looked upwards, but his sight was blocked by the mountain wall and greenery, preventing him from seeing the peak.

He exerted force with his palms again, attempting to lift his body.

Just then, the previous heavy force assaulted him once more. Before Shen Yi could stand up, he felt a repulsive force, as if trying to push him out of this world.

"..."

He suddenly remembered the words of the Mountain Movers Sect's Daoist Priest, who had said that the Nameless Mountain would forcibly expel the spirit soul if it couldn't withstand the pressure.

In other words, if he really wanted to stand up, his spirit soul would collapse?

After a moment of contemplation, Shen Yi suddenly realized that the force surrounding him seemed to have softened, as if to allow cultivators to carefully comprehend it.

His face changed slightly.

Oh no, this wasn't about stubbornness; it was a test of one's mind.

If this mountain path was a trial, it was likely not about enduring the force, but about comprehending and assimilating the true intention within this force.

Shen Yi wasn't lacking in confidence.

The problem was that he didn't have much time to slowly comprehend here. If he really spent thousands or even tens of thousands of years, even if the Mountain Movers Sect allowed it, by the time he left, the entire Nanyang Sacred Land might be trampled by others, and even the senior Xuan Qing might be captured and burned as firewood.

Even if he truly comprehended the immortal art, he couldn't turn back time.

Thinking of this, Shen Yi summoned the panel. He wasn't sure if the mountain before him could be considered a cultivation technique. Logically, it should be, but there were no specific words to describe it.

[Mountain Technique: Uninitiated]



A prompt line flashed across his vision, but like the small techniques, there were no specific word divisions.

A treasure mountain with such profound mysteries must hold more than just a small technique.

It was highly likely that he hadn't fully comprehended this cultivation technique yet.

Shen Yi glanced at the remaining millions of years of his demon lifespan, then looked up again. This time, his gaze seemed to penetrate the stone wall and greenery, directly reaching the summit.

The only regret was that within the Nameless Mountain, he couldn't receive assistance from the demon souls.

Relying solely on himself, he might waste a lot of his demon lifespan.

...

At the foot of the Nameless Mountain in the Mountain Movers Sect.

Yang Yunheng retrieved the treasure pill and returned, only to discover something unusual as soon as he landed.

He saw that his Daoist Priest was not observing the mountain as he usually did.

The Daoist Priest had stood up at some point, silently staring at the black-robed figure sitting on the ground.

"Daoist Priest, the treasure pill has been retrieved."

Yang Yunheng spread out his palm, looking at Shen Yi with confusion.

He had been away and didn't see the drop of sweat that rolled down, so he didn't know what had shocked Yan Chongzhang.

"Good."

Yan Chongzhang finally sighed, turned around, took the treasure pill, and glared at Yang Yunheng.

It wasn't that he was stingy with the cultivation technique of Nameless Mountain.

It was just that he was annoyed at the Senior Elder's vague words, which didn't prepare him mentally, and he almost lost his composure just now.

He had thought that Shen Xiao You had good talent, but he never expected it to be so astonishing.

At least from the current progress, it seemed even more impressive than Yan Chongzhang back then.

After spending so many years, he still hadn't reached the second milestone on the mountain path, which was equivalent to only comprehending one and a half techniques.

If it were this Shen Xiao You, he would have probably already comprehended the second technique completely.

It was truly a pity that he was born in Southern Flood.

"Cough, cough."

Yang Yunheng suddenly coughed lightly twice.

As if guessing what the Daoist was thinking, he passed over the treasure pill and discreetly signaled him.

It wasn't too late to make amends now.

If they could recruit Shen Xiao You into the Mountain Movers Sect and give him a chance to seriously observe the mountain, then even if they no longer had the opportunity to cultivate after tens of thousands of years, they could still leave a new powerful spiritual technique for the sect, one that was extremely suitable for Body Tempering Cultivators, which would be far more valuable to them than other spiritual techniques.

"..."

Yan Chongzhang frowned and took the treasure pill, standing in place deep in thought.

It wasn't that he was worried about Shen Yi affecting him; not only was there a huge age gap between them, but with his status in the Mountain Movers Sect, he didn't need to consider such messy things.

It was mainly because, in front of the Southern Flood Daoists, he was eyeing their sect's disciple, which was not a very upright act.

If word got out, it would be a laughingstock.

As Yan Chongzhang hesitated, he couldn't help but look at Yang Yunheng's face, wanting to discuss it further.

Just then, he saw the Senior Elder's aged face twitch violently, and his pupils instinctively constricted, revealing a discomposed expression of gritted teeth.

"He... he..."

"Yan Daozi!"

Wei Yuanzhou suddenly called out softly.

Yan Chongzhang hurriedly turned around and saw that Wei Yuanzhou and Su Hongxiu had already subtly blocked his way, while Bai Wu was at the back, protecting Shen Xiao You who was sitting cross-legged.

The reason for this sudden change was that Shen Yi's black robe had become damp with sweat, as if he had just been drenched in water.

Under his dark hair, his originally fair face now showed a sickly pallor, as if he had reached the end of his life.

Even his lips had lost their color.

"..."

Yan Chongzhang stared at Shen Yi, opening his mouth to say something, but nothing came out.

He swallowed hard, and after an unknown amount of time, he finally snapped out of it. Facing the three Daoists' slightly unfriendly gazes, he lost his enthusiasm to explain and simply handed over the treasure pill, "This is normal, feed it to him... My master is still in closed-door cultivation in the sect. If he really wanted to take action, he wouldn't need to use such despicable means."

Su Hongxiu observed Yan Chongzhang's change in demeanor.

Suddenly, she felt a strange sense of familiarity.

Back when she was in the Heavenly Sword Sect, whenever she occasionally guided other direct disciples, they would show a similar expression.

She had seen this look far too many times.

But the problem was... the person before her was a Daoist from the Mountain Movers Sect, whose strength was definitely not inferior to hers. Why would he show such an expression towards Shen Yi?

What exactly did Shen Zongzhu do in this mountain?!

"Thank you, Yan Daoyou."

Su Hongxiu nodded, indicating for Wei Yuanzhou to take the pill, but she didn't give it to Shen Yi to consume.

According to her intuition, the Mountain Movers Sect probably didn't have any ill intentions towards Shen Yi.

But Shen Zongzhu's status was too high, and with their status as Daoists, unless they were truly left with no choice, they had no right to feed him the pill without his knowledge.

"I suddenly feel a bit down."

Yan Chongzhang turned around, as if he no longer cared about losing his composure. Perhaps only Yang Daozhang, who had also observed this mountain, could understand his current feelings.

"I also don't quite understand."

Yang Yunheng finally managed to suppress his astonishment and smiled bitterly.

After witnessing Shen Yi's earlier display, his expectations for him were even higher than what Yan Chongzhang had guessed.

Even if he thought in the most exaggerated way, if Shen Xiao You sat there for several months and only comprehended a thread of Divine Peak True Intent, it would still be considered a very good harvest.

But the way he looked just now, not only did he enter Nameless Mountain, but he also saw the mountain path, stepped on it, and only after standing up again would he show such an expression.

This meant that not only had Shen Yi comprehended Divine Peak True Intent, but he had also likely glimpsed a portion of Divine Peak Technique.

This kid had taken the Mountain Movers Sect's true treasure!

And until now, less than an hour had passed.

Yan Daozi only felt a bit down, which was enough to see how firm his Dao Heart was. If it were someone else who was slightly more arrogant, they probably wouldn't be able to hold back and would have woken Shen Xiao You up to ask what had happened.

"Wait."

Yang Yunheng snapped out of his shock and suddenly looked at the three Southern Flood Daoists.

Something's not right... What kind of reaction is this? In the instant that Shen Xiao You showed signs of trouble, these three people simultaneously protected him with their physical bodies, and their subsequent actions after obtaining the pill were even more puzzling.

This young cultivator's identity seemed a bit unusual? But earlier, when Wei Yuanzhou paid respects to the mountain, he seemed to have overlooked this person and didn't introduce him further.

No matter how curious Yang Yunheng was, he couldn't directly ask and touch upon the Southern Flood Seven Sons' taboo.

No rush, no rush. When it came to recruiting Shen Xiao You, he still needed to inquire clearly before making a decision. To put it bluntly, if this kid was the son of some sect master, then the things the Mountain Movers Sect gave out would be all for naught.

With this in mind, Yang Yunheng directly stepped forward and stopped Yan Chongzhang, indicating for him to calm down first.

According to Shen Yi's previous reaction, and with these Daoists not willing to feed him the pill, he would soon be rejected by Nameless Mountain.

And so, the matter came to a close, just as he had expected.

As time passed and the sun set in the west, Shen Yi's stiff posture began to tremble slightly, and his complexion, which had shown signs of improvement, turned pale once again.

"Prepare to feed him the pill, or his spirit soul will be harmed," Yan Chongzhang said, relieved, reminding them again. After such a long time, it was enough for these Daoists to check if there was a problem with the pill.

Su Hongxiu took the pill and turned to kneel beside Shen Yi, gently supporting his shoulders, quietly waiting for him to open his eyes.

And then... they waited for an entire incense stick's worth of time.

"..."

She looked at the two from the Mountain Movers Sect with a puzzled expression, only to see that Yan Chongzhang and Yang Yunheng also looked equally confused, their astonishment even more evident than her own.

Shen Yi's eyelids twitched slightly, as if he could wake up at any moment, but his body hadn't moved at all.

"Is he unconscious?" Yang Yunheng couldn't help but ask, though what he really wanted to say was, "Is this Shen Yi trying to save face by pretending to be in a state of spirit soul detachment?"

Could the repulsion of Nameless Mountain be resisted with sheer willpower? Don't joke around, who hasn't climbed that mountain before?

...

Inside Nameless Mountain.

Shen Yi sat cross-legged at the entrance of the mountain path, his dark eyes fixed on the rugged trail ahead.

He didn't stand up or take a single step forward.

However, the challenges of climbing the mountain fell upon him without exception, and due to his grounded understanding of the true intention, his progress was slow, and the torment he endured might have been even greater than that of other climbers.

Logically, he should have been repelled from the mountain long ago.

But the panel's calculations continued, and the mountain seemed helpless, allowing Shen Yi to stubbornly persist.

"Heh..."

Shen Yi exhaled, steadying his body to prevent it from leaning backward.

Without the company of demon souls, for thirty-seven million years, he had never set foot on this mountain path, but the scenery along the way was already etched in his mind.

In his gradually hazy eyes, a plain-looking stele faintly appeared.

It was haphazardly stuck by the roadside.

Yet, it seemed that even divine beings couldn't move it an inch.

The two hastily written characters on the stele seemed to remind climbers that they could take a brief rest.

Divine Peak!

Shen Yi used his last bit of consciousness to open the panel.

[Path Convergence. Divine Peak Technique: Not Yet Entered]



There were no prefixes, but the description of the realm was startlingly intimidating.

Shen Yi felt his mind go blank, and as he sank backward, he stared blankly upward at the Divine Peak Monument, which was only one-third of the way up the mountain... What was this complete mountain technique?

Until he felt a warmth.

When he opened his eyes again.

He was still sitting cross-legged, and before him was a low earthen slope.

The few Southern Flood Monks and the two from the Mountain Movers Sect had once again silently waited for three whole days.

If Shen Yi didn't wake up...

Even Bai Wu, who disliked touching others, was about to reach her fingertip towards his brow.

"..."

Yan Chongzhang glanced at Su Hongxiu and saw that she had finally lowered her hand, so he relaxed.

It wasn't that he feared this woman.

Even without his master's presence, he didn't think he would lose to this Sky Sword Daoist Elder in a one-on-one fight.

Yan Chongzhang didn't want a misunderstanding to cause a complete rift between the Mountain Movers Sect and the Southern Flood Seven Sons.

The reason he hadn't spoken until now was that even he, a Mountain Movers Sect Daoist, had begun to suspect that something was wrong with Nameless Mountain.

How could a cultivator be trapped in such a state of depletion and not be released?

"Shen Yi, you've finally woken up," Yang Yunheng relaxed, wanting to break the tense atmosphere. He forced a smile and asked, "Did you gain any insights?"

Upon hearing this, Yan Chongzhang also looked over seriously, feigning calmness, but his clenched fingers betrayed his inner gravity.

After three days, what had the other party gained within Nameless Mountain? Wei Yuanzhou and the other two looked worried but were also curious.

Heaven knows how they endured those three days, and now that they finally saw the Sect Master awake, even Su Hongxiu couldn't hold back.

"Mm."

Shen Yi soothed his spirit soul's fatigue, pondering for a moment before speaking softly, "I have a slight understanding."

Hearing these four words, Yang Yunheng and Yan Chongzhang were stunned for a moment, just as they were about to say something, they suddenly sensed a trace of the Divine Peak True Intention unintentionally leaking from Shen Yi.

It was a harmonious Divine Peak True Intention.

"..."

Shen Yi pursed his lips, thinking, 'Damn, I just escaped from that heavy oppression, and I'm too relaxed, revealing myself a bit.'

He wasn't worried about the Mountain Movers Sect being stingy, but he didn't want others to discover the panel.

"You—"

Yan Chongzhang suddenly took two steps back, thinking, 'What bullshit slight understanding? If the True Intention is harmonious, it means he has already memorized the entire Divine Peak Technique!'

It took him an entire lifespan to achieve that!

This guy only took three days?!

Yan Chongzhang steadied himself, thinking something, then suddenly turned and strode towards the main hall!

Screw decency! To hell with the Southern Flood Seven Sons!

To hell with being a Daoist!

This disciple, the Mountain Movers Sect must have him!

This person might be the only one from the sect's inception to the present who could grasp the entire mountain's technique.

Perhaps he could propel the Mountain Movers Sect to become a top Hongze force on par with the Boundless Dao Emperor Sect!

In the face of such an opportunity.

Forget about a few Southern Flood Monks, even if the Sect Master came, he wouldn't give them face!

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end