Xianye

Chapter 477 Gentleness Rises with the Times
Along the way, one sees towering, precipitous peaks that pierce the clouds.

After being held in the giant eagle's claws for several quarters of an hour, Ge Ji, who dared not even breathe, suddenly felt a lightness on his body and then plummeted rapidly from the sky.

Fortunately, he had some skill in martial arts, and he quickly lifted a hazy gray cloud in mid-air to protect himself, so that he didn't fall and scramble around in a mess when he landed, making him even more disheveled.

A strong wind howled, and the soft, fluffy blue-white clouds overhead seemed almost within reach, tumbling wildly in the wind.

Ge Ji looked around in terror and realized that he had been brought to a perilous peak thousands of feet high. All he could see were towering green mountains and sheer cliffs. Even the cries of monkeys and birds in the deep forest were hard to hear. Looking down, he saw a thick fog that made his hair stand on end.

He had no idea why the giant eagle had brought him to such a remote and untouched place.

Although I usually know that birds of prey like these often take their prey high into the air and drop them to their deaths after catching them, they then slowly peck at the scraps of flesh.

But that's just what ordinary eagles do, to save their energy.

This being, capable of easily killing Feng Lian and shattering refined iron with a single flap of its wing, is clearly a powerful demon of considerable strength. Perhaps it also possesses an impressive background, so there's no need for such troublesome efforts.

In truth, Feng Lian died because of his own arrogance. If he hadn't drawn his bow and shot that arrow, he might have been able to save his life and live peacefully.

But just because of an itch on his hand, he tragically lost his life, a truly absurd ending that Ge Ji had never imagined.

At this moment, Ge Ji's mind is in turmoil as he racks his brains trying to figure out how to find a way to survive.

The giant eagle in the sky suddenly spun around, and then a handsome and elegant Taoist in black robes appeared out of thin air, also landing on the mountaintop with his hands behind his back.

His body was surrounded by radiant clouds, making him appear as a celestial being, with an imposing aura.

Upon seeing this, Ge Ji was initially alarmed, but then felt ashamed of his own inferiority.

"Not a great demon, but a cultivator of the immortal path? Looking across the four continents, perhaps only the Heavenly Pool Sect could produce such a figure. But the Dao Child of the Heavenly Pool Sect doesn't look like this, and isn't the Liyang Continent currently fighting against the Southern Sky Demon Kingdom? If he really is a cultivator of the Heavenly Pool Sect..."

Although a series of doubts suddenly flooded his mind, Ge Ji did not slow down at all. He quickly pushed the ground with both hands and performed a full prostration, with a respectful demeanor.

Chen Heng glanced at him and said:
"It seems you've guessed some of it?"

Upon hearing this, Ge Ji did not look up. He carefully considered his words before cautiously saying:

"Since you are neither a demon nor any other kind of monster, and you have mercifully spared my life, I may be dull-witted, but I have come to some understanding in this situation."

"To be frank, senior, my name is Ge Ji, son of Marquis Ge of the Yu Cang Demon Kingdom. Although I am not valued by the Marquis's household due to my humble origins, I am still a son of a duke or marquis and know many secrets. If you have any questions, senior, I will certainly tell you everything I know!"

After unhesitatingly declaring his loyalty, Ge Ji hesitated for a few moments before reluctantly revealing the truth:

"However, if it concerns the war between the Tianchi Sect and the Southern Sky Demon Kingdom, then I am powerless to help."

Such a momentous event, with its outcome so significant, is certainly known to several factions in the Mowu Continent, who may even be pulling the strings behind the scenes. However, my family's power and influence are far from sufficient to get involved; we can only watch the spectacle from afar…

After saying this, Ge Ji swallowed hard, feeling a little uneasy.

Chen Heng pointed, and to Ge Ji's horrified gaze, Abi suddenly transformed into a streak of red light and flew out, disappearing into the sea of ​​clouds, remaining vigilant.

"Indeed, indeed! Although this place is a remote wilderness, and it is unlikely that others will be able to find it, we should still be on guard!"

Ge Ji shakily touched his neck and, seeing that his head was still safe, couldn't help but smile with relief.

"Let's start by talking about the major powers of Mowu Continent, and the Yu Cang Demon Kingdom you mentioned."

Chen Heng found a flat bluestone and sat down cross-legged, then spoke to Ge Ji.

……

……

Yu Cang Demon Kingdom, Qiaoshan Sect, Panming Palace.

After experiencing numerous calamities, the current Mowu Continent is jointly ruled by these three major powers.

Whether it is trillions of living beings or countless mountains and rivers, they are all under the rule of these three families!

The founding ruler of the Yu Cang Demon Kingdom was an ape demon who attained enlightenment. Most of the nobles and nobles in the kingdom were also true demons. Although there were monsters and ghosts mixed in, they were dissatisfied with the high status of demons and rebelled several times, resulting in bloodshed.

However, the ruling party has always been the Ape Clan, and this has never wavered. Calling it a demon kingdom would be quite fitting.

The direct descendants of the Qiaoshan Sect are a group of corpse monsters. Not only did they become the top sect leader of the Po Na Temple of Wuxiangtian, thus gaining a powerful backer, but they also absorbed many demonic cultivators and heretics during several battles against the heavens to enrich their foundation.

This sect is a melting pot of various schools of thought, a veritable flourishing of diverse ideas, and at the same time, the factional struggles are the most intense, making it even more dangerous than the situation in the Yu Cang Demon Kingdom.

As for the final Panming Palace, it is ruled by celestial demons.

Legend has it that the masters of Panming Palace were all born from demons. Their ancestors were once very powerful in Faxi Continent, but they were defeated in the struggles and infighting. That's why they crossed the sea to Mowu Continent and settled down there.

In terms of strength, the Qiaoshan Sect is undoubtedly the most powerful among the three.

Since aligning itself with the Po Na Temple, this sect has experienced a meteoric rise in strength. In just over a hundred years, its territory has increased by nearly 30%, forcing the Yu Cang Demon Kingdom and Pan Ming Palace to relinquish many benefits.

Later, due to the circumstances, the Demon Kingdom and the Panming Palace reluctantly put aside their old grudges and formed an alliance.

The latter even brought in a demon god from the Land of Bliss to suppress the Qiaoshan Sect, which dampened their momentum and made them less arrogant.

This indeed proves that the Panming Palace has a close relationship with the Heavenly Demon Royal Family that entrenched in the Faxi Continent, and that they even originated from the same source many years ago...

After speaking at length, Ge Jigang saw Chen Heng nod slightly and felt as if he had been granted a pardon.

But the next moment, when asked about his family background, Ge Ji couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed.

"To tell you the truth, my father was once a disciple of the Qiaoshan Sect. However, seeing that he was not favored by his teachers and had no hope of learning the Dao, he risked stealing a Daoist book and fled to the Yu Cang Demon Kingdom with a few brothers."

He later made great contributions in the army, which made an exception and granted him a marquisate in the demon kingdom, allowing him to enjoy wealth and honor despite being human.

As for me… I'm sure this senior has already seen that I am not a pure human; I have half demon blood within me.” Ge Ji shook his head and said.

From Ge Ji's words, it can be inferred that his father, Ge Hou, with an ordinary body, managed to rise to prominence step by step in this strange demon kingdom, which is truly an anomaly.

Ge Ji was clearly the son of the Marquis of Ge, yet he was not favored by his father. Ultimately, this was due to his mother.

"It means that your mother was born a demon. She took your father by force because she valued his talent and appearance. After several years, she became pregnant and then released him. She even left the child to be raised by your father and did not care about him at all."

Hey, these demons really do things entirely based on their will; it's quite bizarre!

After Ge Ji finished speaking, Chen Heng raised an eyebrow but did not say anything.

The Five Qi Universe Circle, which had been watching the commotion from the sidelines, couldn't help but jump up and shout.

Ge Ji was startled by the sudden appearance of the artifact spirit, and then, seeing the Five Qi Universe Ring speaking loudly, he instinctively became anxious.

Looking around, he saw that he was in a secluded place and didn't have to worry about being overheard, so he felt a little relieved.

"It's not that we're completely indifferent. I have an older sister who, in her childhood, awakened her complete Heavenly Demon bloodline and shed her human form. Soon after, she was taken away by the servants sent by my mother, and even my father couldn't stop her."

"As for me, I haven't been so lucky..." Ge Ji said helplessly.

Chen Heng remained noncommittal, his mind drifting to another matter.

Yu Cang Demon Kingdom, Qiaoshan Sect, Panming Palace—though it is unknown whether the Eagle Mountain mentioned by the Taoist Kongkong is located in Mowu Continent.

However, if we were to say which group on this continent is most likely to know about this mountain, it would be these three families.

"If we want to obtain the maps of these three families, it is not an impossible task, but we should plan carefully to ensure that we succeed."

"Then this identity should be changed again..." Chen Heng pondered.

Seeing Chen Heng suddenly fall silent, Ge Ji, who was carefully dealing with the Five Qi Universe Circle, sensed something was wrong and his heart skipped a beat.

Because of his background, he was disliked by his father from a young age. Although he was taken care of by his clansmen, he still inevitably developed a timid nature.

As before, Ge Ji had unintentionally offended Feng Lian during a beast-fighting match. Knowing that Feng Lian's invitation to go hunting today was ill-intentioned, but knowing that no one would stand up for him, Ge Ji still had no choice but to go to the appointment, and was then captured by Chen Heng.

In his terror, he felt that Chen Heng intended to kill him to silence him. Just as he was about to kowtow and beg for mercy, a gaze fell upon him.

"Have you ever heard of Eagle Mountain?" Chen Heng asked.

"Eagle Mountain?"

Ge Ji racked his brains for a long time, but could not find the name in his mind.

Just as he was about to shake his head nervously, a sudden inspiration struck him, and he couldn't help but clap his hands hard, almost jumping up.

"I wondered what it was. Isn't this the old name of Fish Lake Mountain? The name of this mountain has been changed several times. Even the name Fish Lake was only established and spread thousands of years ago. If I didn't have nowhere else to go and usually hid in the library, an ordinary person would probably be completely confused!"

After Ge Jigang finished speaking excitedly, he seemed to think of something and hesitated before speaking again.

Since Chen Heng specifically inquired about this Fierce Eagle Mountain, he must also intend to enter this place.

But things are different now. Today, Yingying Mountain, or Yuhu Mountain, has become the fiefdom of King Yong in the Yu Cang Demon Kingdom. Because Yuhu Mountain is rich in a type of herb called Yuanzuo, King Yong ordered the mountain to be sealed off to prevent the earth's energy from being disturbed.

If outsiders try to trespass, not only will they have difficulty breaking through the mountain's protective formation, but if they simply make a commotion, the patrolling demon cultivators will come to capture them.

After Ge Ji carefully voiced this concern, seemingly worried that Chen Heng would be displeased, he quickly added:

"However, this mountain closure is only for ordinary cultivators. If the Prince of Yong's relatives and friends or those really important figures with backgrounds come to visit, the so-called mountain closure is just a formality."

Yuanzuozhi was originally a rare external medicine. Previously, this would have been fine, as the Prince of Yong's favor with the emperor was high, and he could easily maintain control both inside and outside the palace. However, since the palace coup, the Prince of Yong's influence had greatly diminished. To reduce resentment, every hundred years, the Prince of Yong would order his stewards to lift the restrictions, allowing outside cultivators to pay money and goods to enter the mountains to collect Yuanzuozhi.

At this point, Ge Ji counted on his fingers and realized that there were still forty-seven years until the next mountain opening.

For practitioners, these forty-seven years are neither a long nor a short time.

Upon hearing this, Chen Heng secretly shook his head. He would not wait in vain for forty-seven years in this Mowu Continent. Since that was the case, the only option was to work on the former.

"Although my Taoist practice is shallow, before coming to Hongjing, I still cast a few divinations for myself and barely got an auspicious hexagram of 'wind blowing across the land, gentleness rising in due time'."

Chen Heng pointed his finger, and a ball of precious light descended from thin air towards Ge Ji. He laughed and said:

"I have only been in Mowu Continent for a short time, and yet I have been able to meet Mr. Ge to answer my questions. Isn't this exactly in accordance with the auspicious omen?"

Upon hearing this, Ge Ji was somewhat at a loss for words.

At Chen Heng's signal, he reached out and caught the ball of light. Upon closer inspection, he saw that it was a magnificent brocade pouch, filled to the brim, its brilliance dazzling.

"This……"

Ge Ji's body trembled, and he almost lost his grip on what he was holding. His mind went blank for a moment.

Chen Heng's voice came at just the right time: "This is a small token of my gratitude. I hope you won't find it offensive. However, this matter concerns my grand plan, so I'm afraid I'll have to trouble you, Mr. Ge."

After a long pause, Ge Ji finally composed himself. Seeing Chen Heng's politeness, he felt inexplicably flattered.

Seeing that he could hardly refuse, and recalling the cold treatment and ridicule he had received in the Marquis's mansion, he finally steeled himself and signed the contract.

Although he was subject to Chen Heng's control after signing the contract, he was able to save his life.

Ge Ji felt a great weight lifted off his shoulders, and his mind became much sharper as he began to ponder Chen Heng's intentions.

"If we want to quickly enter that Fierce Eagle Mountain, who should we seek out? Prince Jing or Duke Leyang?"

Ge Ji pondered for a moment.

Several days later, in the Yu Cang Demon Kingdom, Gongyan County.

Surrounded by mountains, with misty waters flowing gently—

A vast expanse of turquoise lake stretches out before you, its edge almost invisible. This is a famous lake in Gongyan County, renowned for its breathtaking scenery. Along its shores are countless tents of all sizes, with tall, armored soldiers guarding the area.

The eerie atmosphere was palpable, and the malevolent energy surged like dragons and pythons. Even from a great distance, one could sense the menacing aura emanating from the tent, sending chills down one's spine.

"..."

At this moment, on a mountain shaped like a sharp cone, although he had personally suggested to Chen Heng that they come here, Ge Ji couldn't help but feel weak in the knees upon seeing this grand scene from afar, and almost turned around and wanted to run away.

"Senior, please allow me to inform you that the person in this tent should be the seventh son of the Duke of Leyang. We—"

After Ge Ji managed to gather his thoughts, before he could say more than a few words, Chen Heng's gaze suddenly turned serious. He looked at a certain spot, paused for a moment, and then said calmly:

"Unexpectedly, in this kind of place, I was able to meet fellow practitioners from the eight sects and six factions."

"However, you've followed me here since yesterday, and now you've even come so close. Do you really think you can hide from my eyes and ears without me revealing your whereabouts?"

"There are still people here?!" Ge Ji was shocked.

He followed Chen Heng's gaze, trying to muster his strength, but all he saw was emptiness.

With a flick of his finger, Chen Heng unleashed a sharp sword light that swiftly cut through the void. Just then, a pool of crimson blood leaped out and was instantly cleaved in two.

After being cut in two, the blood seemed to have no effect, sizzling and fuming, continuing to attack Chen Heng from both sides, before being caught up and cut off halfway by the sword light that had also split into two.

Two becomes four, four becomes eight, eight becomes sixteen...

The blood seemed to have no risk of drying up or becoming damaged, and soon it multiplied into hundreds. The sword light did the same, evolving in accordance with its shape and momentum.

In the blink of an eye, it seemed as if the sky was filled with blood shadows and sword light flashed wildly, leaving Ge Ji dazzled and speechless.

Soon, as if by unspoken agreement, the two stopped at the same time.

The sword light vanished instantly, and at the same time, the hundred or so blood shadows merged back into a fist-sized ball of blood, silently hanging in the air, motionless.

"As expected of a true disciple of Yu Chen, you truly possess some skill. So, it seems that your ability to slay Yuan Shi's divine incarnation in the Ganliu Herb Garden back then was not merely a matter of luck?"

After a moment, a voice slowly rang out from within the blood-red light:

"I am Lu Rong, the master of Rongyi Mountain and a true disciple of the Blood River Sect. I have long admired your name, Master Chen Heng."

(End of this chapter)