The First Marquis of Daxuan

"However, my path has one major drawback."

Su Mu sensed the changes in his own power and pondered to himself.

Even with the Nine Mountains Suppressing Prison Body technique, which is based on the Hengshan Sect's cultivation methods, it is merely a transformation of the body into the Nine Mountains.

But Su Mu's path is to become one with heaven and earth; the Nine Mountains are merely a part of heaven and earth.

This means that if Su Mu wants to perfect his Dao Source Realm, he must comprehend all the true meanings of heaven and earth.

Or to put it more simply, he wants to master all the martial arts techniques in the world.

A complete world requires mountains, rivers, lakes, oceans, flowers, trees, and plants, all of which require different Dao Source Realm cultivation methods to master.

"It's no different from when I cultivated the original state of mind back then."

Su Mu thought to himself, "I was able to master the primordial intent back then, and this is just another time."

With the system panel available, even practicing more techniques will only take a little more time.

What is impossible for others is not so difficult for Su Mu.

Just as he was pondering this, it was already broad daylight outside.

Zhang Qi's voice came from outside.

"Uncle Su, it's time. You should go to Hengduan Terrace."

Peak Master Yao of Panshi Peak is already waiting for you at Hengduan Terrace.

Zhang Qi announced loudly, "Not only Peak Master Yao, but all the peak masters of the other ten peaks have also arrived."

Su Mu banished the jumbled thoughts from his mind, got up, and left the room.

"Where's the sect leader?"

Su Mu asked casually.

"metropolitan?"

Zhang Qi was taken aback for a moment, then said, "The sect leader is in seclusion. Unless it is a matter of life and death for the sect, he will not show his face unless it is a major event."

Why would the sect leader possibly get involved in something as trivial as this?

You're not qualified to do this.

"By the way, Uncle Su, the Grand Elder also has matters to attend to, so he will not be watching the battle. However, the Grand Elder has ordered that if you, Uncle Su, are lucky enough to win even one or two moves today, then you will become the Peak Master of Zhenyue Peak, and the matter of abolishing Zhenyue Peak will be dropped."

"That's a good feeling."

Su Mu said calmly.

"Uncle Su, actually I think that being a peak master is not necessarily a good thing."

Zhang Qi muttered to himself as he led the way.

After spending more time with him, Su Mu discovered that Zhang Qi was quite talkative.

Perhaps seeing that Su Mu was not as domineering as when they first met, Zhang Qi has now reverted to his true nature and has been talking non-stop.

"Once you become the peak master, you have to recruit disciples, support Zhenyue Peak, and pay tribute to the sect. In short, there are a lot of messy things to do, which greatly affect your cultivation."

Zhang Qi said, "I know that many of my senior uncles are worried that becoming a peak master will interfere with their cultivation, so they would rather die than become a peak master."

Su Mu smiled without saying a word.

You are still too young and do not know the benefits of being a peak master. Do you really think that peak masters need to worry about these trivial matters every day?

The work is all done by the subordinates; why should the peak master do it personally?

However, on the other hand, Zhenyue Peak is all alone, so he might really have to worry about these things.

Of course, these are all things to follow.

To become the master of Zhenyue Peak, he must first defeat Yao Junhao of Panshi Peak.

"Uncle Su, how many peaks have you cultivated your Nine Peaks Prison Suppression Body to?"

Zhang Qi asked curiously, "To agree to Peak Master Yao's request, you at least need to cultivate the Nine Mountains Prison Body to the Six Mountains level, right? I heard that Peak Master Yao's Immovable Rock Body has already reached the Great Perfection stage..."

Although Zhang Qi was a bit talkative, he knew a lot about the gossip surrounding the Hengshan Sect, and Su Mu did indeed learn a lot of useful information from him.

They continued walking, and soon arrived at Hengduantai.

The Hengduan Terrace is located on the summit of a small mountain. The summit was flattened by a single sword stroke, forming a platform surrounded by cliffs on all sides, with a circumference of thousands of feet.

When Su Mu and Zhang Qi arrived, the area around the Hengduan Terrace was already crowded with people.

These people from all the peaks came to watch the spectacle.

The sudden return of the true disciple of Zhenyue Peak, who even took the initiative to challenge Yao Junhao, the peak master of Panshi Peak, is a major event that Hengshan Sect rarely sees in ten years.

Everyone in the sect who didn't have anything important to do came to watch the battle.

Even the peak masters from each peak came to join in the fun.

Upon seeing Su Mu arrive, everyone bowed to him in greeting.

Although none of them knew Su Mu, they had investigated before and found that Su Mu, as a true disciple, lived a secluded life in the sect and rarely interacted with his fellow disciples. Later, he traveled for hundreds of years, and almost no one in the sect knew him anymore.

However, there is indeed such a person in the sect's disciple roster.

While no one was entirely without suspicion, no one believed that anyone would dare to impersonate a disciple of the Yokoyama Sect.

That being said, there's not much benefit in impersonating such a true disciple. Zhenyue Peak has long since declined and is now penniless. Moreover, Su Mu's challenge to Yao Junhao as soon as he returned is tantamount to courting death.

If he were truly impersonating a disciple of the Hengshan Sect, he would have no reason to do these things.

Of course, there are also those who want to wait and see.

Whether someone is a true disciple of the Yokoyama Sect or not, once they step onto the arena, they'll have nowhere to hide.

Everything else can be fake, but this cultivation level is absolutely impossible to be fake.

"You're Su Mu?"

Yao Junhao looked at Su Mu and said coldly, "For the sake of being fellow disciples, I will give you one more chance. If you kowtow to me and admit your mistake now, then today's battle will be over."

"Kneel and admit your mistake?"

Su Mu said calmly, "I don't know where I went wrong."
Mr. Su went on a trip and returned home to find that a thief had stolen his belongings. He asked the thief to return the items. What, was it my fault?

When did this principle first come into being?

"You keep calling yourself a thief. Zhenyue Peak is one of the twelve peaks of Hengshan Sect. There are no people on Zhenyue Peak. The sect's arrangement is perfectly fine."

Yao Junhao said with a livid face, "If you dare to utter any more vile words, I will tear your mouth apart."

"If we're talking about who can speak better, then I, Su, am ashamed to admit my inferiority."

Fortunately, in the Yokoyama Sect, we speak with our fists, not our mouths.

Su Mu said calmly, "A loud voice is useless."

"Peak Master Yao, please."

He casually made a gesture of invitation.

"If you won't listen to reason, you'll have to suffer the consequences. In that case, don't blame me for not showing any consideration for our fellow disciples!"

Yao Junhao snorted coldly.

Xu Gu, the elder of the Punishment Hall, looked rather grim below the stage, inwardly cursing Yao Junhao for being so slow.

Why waste words with that brat Su Mu? The important thing is to take action and cripple him!

Yao Junhao is obedient, but he's not very bright!

Xu Gu snorted coldly.

Upon hearing Xu Gu's cold snort, Yao Junhao knew that his master was already expressing his dissatisfaction.

"Su Mu, prepare to be attacked!"

Yao Junhao shouted loudly.

boom!
In an instant, his body doubled in size, becoming thicker and stronger, and even the skin on his body turned the color of stone.

A loud bang was heard, and the earth began to shake.

A surge of immense power flowed from the earth's veins into Yao Junhao's body.

In the blink of an eye, Yao Junhao's aura had become extremely powerful, and ripples appeared in the air with every move he made.

A glint flashed in Su Mu's eyes as he looked at Yao Junhao, but he didn't rush to make a move.

This was his first time fighting against a Dao Origin Realm expert.

to be frank.

Somewhat disappointed.

This Yao Junhao is far inferior to the Great Celestial Venerable.

Su Mu had personally witnessed the Great Celestial Venerable slay the Void Beast Celestial Venerable. The power the Great Celestial Venerable displayed back then was far more terrifying than Yao Junhao's current power.

"There are different levels of strength even within the Dao Origin Realm. You, Yao Junhao, are nothing special."

Su Mu shook his head, his figure swayed slightly, and he disappeared in an instant.

Xu Gu and the others in the audience changed their expressions.

This speed—

"No wonder Su Mu is so arrogant. It turns out he's not a Celestial Venerable on the Road to Despair; he's also at the Dao Origin Realm!"

Xu Gu sneered inwardly, "But this kid is still a frog in a well. So what if he's at the Dao Source Realm?"
"A mere junior who has just broken through to the Dao Source Realm dares to challenge me? He's simply courting death!"

It's too late, but it's soon.

Yao Junhao roared and threw a punch.

Click click click.

Visible spiderweb-like cracks appeared in the air, resembling shattered glass.

Yao Junhao's punch directly cracked the space.

At that moment, Su Mu's figure appeared as if he had deliberately run into Yao Junhao's fist.

Su Mu's expression remained unchanged as he threw a punch as well.

As he unleashed a punch, the phantom of an ancient divine mountain appeared behind him.

Boom!

Su Mu and Yao Junhao both took a step back.

"Nine Mountains Prison Body?"

Yao Junhao narrowed his eyes slightly as he looked at the illusory image of the Primordial Divine Mountain that appeared behind Su Mu.

"But it's only the power of one mountain; it's still far from enough."

He strode forward and threw another punch.

"If one mountain is not enough, then add a few more."

Su Mu laughed heartily and said loudly.

With a tremor of his arms, illusory images of ancient divine mountains appeared.

In the blink of an eye, the phantom images of nine ancient divine mountains appeared behind Su Mu.

Jiuyue!

Xu Gu and the others in the audience suddenly stood up, their faces showing disbelief.

The power of the Nine Mountains—this is the Nine Mountains Prison Suppression Body cultivated to its perfect state.

The previous peak master of Zhenyue Peak only cultivated to the level of the Eight Mountains Power before his death. This Su Mu has become the disciple in the history of Zhenyue Peak who has cultivated the Nine Mountains Prison Body to the highest level.

This strength—

Everyone's eyes instinctively turned to Elder Xu Gu of the Punishment Hall.

With this kind of strength, he's not only qualified to fight Yao Junhao, but he'd even be qualified to fight this elder.

Moreover, it's really uncertain who will win and who will lose. Several peak masters and elders wore mocking expressions.

Xu and his apprentice thought the other party was an easy target, but they ended up kicking a hornet's nest.

The power of the Nine Mountains—

There are probably very few people in the Yokoyama sect who can defeat Su Mu.

Who would have thought that a true disciple who had been missing for hundreds of years would make such a sensational return?

Those peak masters who took Zhenyue Peak's items are now starting to consider how to return them.

With Jiuyue's appearance, this competition has become utterly meaningless.

Yao Junhao was only one of the weaker peak masters, but Su Mu, who had cultivated the Nine Mountains Prison Body to perfection, was definitely the strongest among all the peak masters.

"Impossible! This is absolutely fake! You can't fool me!"

Yao Junhao, the peak master of Panshi Peak, stared intently at the nine ancient divine mountains behind Su Mu, his face full of disbelief.

"You absolutely cannot cultivate the Nine Mountains Prison Body to its perfect state!"

Yao Junhao roared, "I absolutely refuse to believe it!"

A blinding golden light suddenly burst forth beneath his feet.

Whoosh!
Yao Junhao's speed increased dramatically, his figure becoming so fast that it was difficult for the naked eye to follow. He rushed in front of Su Mu, and his moves fell like a raging storm.

Below the stage, several elders looked at the elder of the Punishment Hall with disdain on their faces.

"I never expected Elder Xu to pass on even the Wind-Riding Boots to Peak Master Yao. Elder Xu, you really dote on this disciple."

"An elder said, his words tinged with sarcasm."

Even if you're shameless, so what if you lent the Wind-Riding Boots to Yao Junhao?
You probably never imagined that Su Mu had cultivated the Nine Mountains Prison Body to the level of the Nine Mountains Power.

"It's just a pair of boots. I'm just rewarding my own disciple. Do you expect me to explain this to you?"

Xu Gu's face was ashen as he spoke coldly.

He cursed inwardly, thinking that by giving the Heavenly Soldier Wind-Riding Boots to Yao Junhao and making up for Yao Junhao's lack of speed, he could crush Su Mu.

Unexpectedly, Su Mu had actually cultivated to the level of the Nine Mountains.

With the power of the Nine Mountains, even he would have to be careful when facing such strength.

With cultivation reaching this level, one is already qualified to cultivate the Hengshan Body Refining Technique of the Hengshan Sect. Given time, it is even possible to break through to the peak of the Dao Source Realm!
Xu Gu narrowed his eyes, a fierce glint flashing in them.

Since Su Mu has such talent, he is already qualified to serve me.

If Su Mu is unwilling to serve him, then he will have no choice but to destroy him.

If they cannot be used by me, then they are the enemy, and don't blame me for being ruthless!
Xu Gu sneered inwardly.

…………

Zhang Qi's face showed both surprise and delight.

He had long seen that Uncle Su was no ordinary person, but he never expected Uncle Su to give him such a huge surprise.

The power of the Nine Mountains!

Uncle Su is defying the heavens!

Zhang Qi was so excited that his whole body trembled slightly.

Although he possessed the cultivation of the peak of the Heavenly Fate Realm, he was merely an ordinary disciple in the Hengshan Sect, with no particular background.

He had only hoped to curry favor with Su Mu if Su Mu ever came to power, so that he could at least have some goodwill towards him.

Zhang Qiben said that the effects would not be seen for decades.

After all, Su Mu had just returned from his training and his cultivation level was not top-notch. It would definitely take time for him to regain control of Zhenyue Peak.

He never imagined that this Uncle Su wasn't simply lacking in talent and had taken a dead-end path.

This Uncle Su is absolutely a genius that Hengshan Sect has seen only once in a hundred years!
That's the power of the Nine Mountains!

Even in his imagination, Zhang Qi could only imagine that his Uncle Su had cultivated to the level of the Seven Sacred Mountains, or at most the Eight Sacred Mountains.

The power of the Nine Mountains was something he could never have imagined in his wildest dreams.

"Uncle Su has already cultivated the Nine Mountains Prison Body to perfection. Once he becomes the peak master, he will be qualified to cultivate the Hengshan Body Refining Technique. With Uncle Su's talent, he will probably be able to reach the peak of the Dao Source Realm in less than a hundred years."

"At that time, he'll be qualified to be the Grand Elder of the Hengshan Sect."

Zhang Qi thought to himself, the thought of this possibility made him feel so happy he wanted to faint.

This cold stove has really burned me.

When Uncle Su returned from his training, no one in the sect had any faith in him. It was I, Zhang Qi, who did all the work for him. This favor is enough for me, Zhang Qi, to live on for a hundred years.

…………

pedal!pedal!pedal!
Yao Junhao, the master of Panshi Peak, retreated several steps, leaving a trail of footprints several inches deep on the ground.

His arms hung down, and his fists trembled slightly.

"Rock Peak is nothing special."

Su Mu remained expressionless and said calmly, "Peak Master Yao, shall we continue?"

Although he showed no outward signs of it, he was quite satisfied with his own strength.

The Nine Mountains Prison Body is quite powerful; it's worth investing all the points I've accumulated recently into it.

Before leaving the Saha World, he worked tirelessly to forge thousands of divine weapons in order to leave some foundation for the Great Xuan, and the points on his system panel had accumulated to an astonishing level.

He thought he might need those points after arriving in Daqian, so he kept them untouched.

until yesterday.

He obtained the Hengshan Sect's cultivation techniques, so he started from the most basic introductory techniques and then poured points into all of them, all the way up to the Nine Mountains Prison Body, directly raising them to the highest level.

The only downside to doing this is that all the points he painstakingly accumulated will be used up again.

He felt a little sorry for it then, but now that feeling is nothing to worry about.

The power of the Nine Peaks Prison Body was even stronger than he had imagined.

In the contest of strength, Yao Junhao was completely defeated.

If it were a life-or-death struggle, Yao Junhao would certainly still have a fighting chance, but from the perspective of just sparring, Yao Junhao has already lost.

"I have one last trick up my sleeve."

Yao Junhao's eyes were red and he was breathing heavily as he said, "If you can withstand this move of mine, then I will admit defeat, and I will return everything that Panshi Peak took."

"Then stop talking nonsense and come on."

Su Mu said calmly.

"Take the move."

Yao Junhao roared and suddenly started running wildly around Su Mu.

With the added power of the Heavenly Soldiers' Wind-Riding Boots, Yao Junhao's speed reached its peak.

As he ran, a gust of wind swept up.

The expressions of the surrounding audience changed slightly, and even Xu Gu, who was about to leave, stopped and frowned slightly.

Is he going to use that move?

An elder said in a deep voice, "Old Xu, when it comes to being cunning and shrewd, you really are the best. No wonder you gave the Wind-Riding Boots to Yao Junhao. Although the Nine Mountains Prison Body is strong, it may not be able to withstand this move."

The other elders nodded.

The expressions of the various peak masters varied, some showing regret, others helplessness.

"You're overthinking it. I didn't know Yao Junhao had already mastered the 'Echoes of Ten Thousand Valleys' technique."

Xu Gu said calmly, but a hint of surprise flashed deep in his eyes.

Echoes of Ten Thousand Valleys is a signature move of their Rock Peak. This move uses extreme speed and a powerful physical body to simulate the echoes of countless mountains and valleys, creating a sound that can split rocks, directly attacking the enemy's internal organs, consciousness, and soul.

The Nine Mountains Prison Body is powerful, but the Myriad Valleys Echo is not about strength; it is precisely what can counter the Nine Mountains Prison Body!

No one expected that Yao Junhao would turn the tide against all odds!
Zhang Qi's smile froze, his eyes filled with worry.

How could they possibly turn the tide against all odds?
Uncle Su, you must hold on!

Zhang Qi prayed silently in his heart.

…………

Su Mu stood on the cross-section platform, while Yao Junhao spun around him rapidly.

Amidst the howling wind, a sharp sound rang out. At first, it was barely perceptible, but gradually, the sound grew louder and louder, to the point that Su Mu felt a piercing pain in his eardrums.

As the voice grew louder and louder, a look of surprise appeared on Su Mu's face.

He felt his internal organs, and even his soul, begin to vibrate, as if resonating with that sound.

Sonic attacks can also affect the soul.

This is indeed a very rare move.

The advantage of the Nine Peaks Prison Body lies in its strength, but this sonic attack directly bypassed the contest of strength and attacked his internal organs and soul.

The internal organs are one thing, after all, the Nine Mountains Prison Body can make his physical body as thick and heavy as an ancient divine mountain, so this damage has almost no effect on him.

But attacking the soul is a different story.

The attack on his soul left Su Mu feeling disoriented.

If Yao Junhao were to launch a sneak attack at this moment, his reaction would definitely be affected.

The moment this thought arose, Su Mu felt a surge of powerful energy coming from behind him.

boom!
The power exploded instantly in his back, and affected by the sound of the rock-shattering explosion, he was unable to dodge it.

As Su Mu was struck by Yao Junhao's punch on the cross platform, staggering forward, a gasp of surprise rang out from the audience.

Elder Xu Gu of the Punishment Hall showed a look of surprise and delight.

Originally, I thought Yao Junhao was doomed to lose, but I never expected that this honest and obedient disciple would give me such a big surprise. Just like how I didn't like him before, but he later surpassed me and became the only Dao Source Realm disciple under my tutelage.

Yao Junhao is truly the kind of person who surprises people without making a sound.

Su Mu, Su Mu, it's a pity you met us, master and disciple!

You're hiding your Nine Mountains Power probably because you want to make a name for yourself, right?

You want to use my Rock Peak as a stepping stone?

Now look what's happened, you've become my stepping stone to Rock Peak!

My position as an elder in the Merit Hall is secure; Little Yao has made a great contribution this time.

Xu Gu was overjoyed.

Some were happy while others were sad. Xu Gu was overjoyed, but the faces of several elders who were not convinced of his authority darkened.

After many twists and turns, it was thought that Su Mu could suppress the Xu family, but unexpectedly, the Xu family was so lucky that Yao Junhao actually mastered the ultimate move, Echo of Ten Thousand Valleys.

The twelve peaks of Hengshan Sect have different cultivation techniques that are mutually reinforcing and restraining. If the power of the Nine Peaks Prison Body cannot restrain the Rock Body, then this move, Echo of Ten Thousand Valleys, can just right restrain the power of the Nine Peaks Prison Body.

Now that Yao Junhao has mastered the Echo of Ten Thousand Valleys, while Su Mu has cultivated the power of the Nine Mountains, it remains to be seen who will emerge victorious.

All eyes were on the cross-section platform.

The sound of rocks splitting echoed as Yao Junhao relentlessly attacked Su Mu at an unbelievable speed.

Su Mu seemed to have no power to fight back, and could only passively take the beating, retreating step by step until he was back to the edge of the cross platform.

Elder Xu Gu of the Punishment Hall couldn't help but burst into laughter.

"Little Yao is just like me."

When I was his age, I was only slightly better than him.

Given time, young Yao will be more than qualified to be an elder, don't you all think?

Xu Gu glanced around, then spoke with smug satisfaction, as if victory was already assured. (End of Chapter)