The First Marquis of Daxuan

boom!
Su Mu crossed his arms and blocked in front of him, one foot already stepping off the crossbeam.

He glanced back at the mist-shrouded cliffs, but his face showed no sign of panic.

“This is the true peak master of Hengshan Sect. You were too weak just now.”

With a sudden tremor of his arms, an overwhelming aura erupted forth.

Visible waves of air surged and Yao Junhao's figure appeared before everyone's eyes, tumbling backward as he flew out.

This sudden change caused Xu Gu's expression to freeze instantly.

Just when it seemed Su Mu was about to be completely defeated, how did the situation reverse again?
The power that just erupted...

The expressions on everyone's faces turned serious.

This competition was truly full of exciting moments and twists and turns.

At first, when Su Mu unleashed the power of the Nine Mountains, everyone thought that Su Mu had already won.

As a result, Yao Junhao displayed his signature move, "Echoes of a Thousand Valleys," and everyone thought that Yao Junhao was about to turn the tables.

Now, things have gotten even worse. Su Mu has unleashed an extraordinary power once again, sending Yao Junhao flying.

Now, no one is quite sure who will win.

Even the elders like Xu Gu dared not say who was stronger than whom.

Su Mu and Yao Junhao are both rather strange. They are the kind of people who seem ordinary, but can unleash unimaginable power at crucial moments.

In other words, both of them were extremely good at hiding their true strength.

How much strength they are hiding is impossible for others to discern unless they truly unleash it.

"Come again!"

Su Mu laughed heartily, his figure blurred, and he took the initiative to attack.

Yao Junhao remained expressionless and continued to unleash his Echoing Sound.

The two figures disappeared at the same time.

All the people could hear was the sound of the energy colliding; they couldn't see the two figures at all.

Their speeds were so fast that they were difficult to detect with the naked eye.

"I can understand Yao Junhao's speed, after all, he's wearing the Wind-Riding Boots, but Su Mu's speed is also this fast?"

An elder of the Yokoyama sect said, sounding somewhat incredulous.

"Zhenyue Peak has always been known for its strength, but I didn't expect Su Mu to have such speed. In that case, the outcome is hard to predict."

"Another elder said."

"Hmph, don't you guys think about it? The Nine Mountains Prison Body isn't known for its speed, so how come Su Mu has such speed? He must have cultivated some kind of unorthodox and evil technique."

Xu Gu said coldly.

"Elder Xu, you are mistaken. We martial artists have all had some fortuitous encounters in our cultivation to the Dao Source Realm."
"You, Elder Xu, dare you say you've never practiced any martial arts techniques outside of the Hengshan Sect?"

An elder countered, "Su Mu has traveled abroad for a hundred years and has even cultivated the Nine Mountains Prison Body to the level of the Nine Mountains Power. If you say he didn't have some fortuitous encounters, do you believe it?"
"As long as he hasn't done anything to harm the Yokoyama Sect, what does it matter if he practices some other martial arts techniques?"

The elders and peak masters all nodded in agreement.

Xu Gu knew there was nothing he could do about it, so he snorted and stopped talking, continuing to look at the cross-section platform.

The sounds from the cross-section grew louder and louder, and the momentum became increasingly great.

Everyone tensed up, wondering who would win between Su Mu and Yao Junhao!

…………

boom!
Su Mu was in high spirits. The pent-up frustration he had felt since awakening the Great Celestial Venerable had finally been released.

He hadn't had such a close battle in a long time.

Yao Junhao's strength may not be comparable to that of the Great Celestial Venerable, but he is still an opponent that cannot be found in the Saha World.

He is a genuine Dao Source Realm expert.

This was also the first Dao Source Realm opponent Su Mu had ever faced in his life.

Moreover, Yao Junhao is a body-refining martial arts practitioner.

As everyone knows, those who cultivate their bodies are the most skilled martial artists in combat.

Su Mu felt thoroughly exhilarated during this battle.

He unleashed all his power and threw a punch.

Yao Junhao plowed the ground with both feet, his body retreating, leaving two deep marks on the crossbeam.

Yao Junhao only managed to regain his balance when he retreated to the edge of the cross-section, then lunged forward and knelt on one knee.

puff.

Yao Junhao opened his mouth and spat out a mouthful of blood.

At this moment, Su Mu's figure also came into everyone's sight.

He stood more than ten feet away from Yao Junhao, his body perfectly upright on the cross-section platform.

Won!

The same thought simultaneously popped into the minds of everyone in the audience.

The outcome is already clear.

It's clear that Su Mu won.

This true disciple of Zhenyue Peak, who had been away training for hundreds of years and suddenly returned, won.

Yao Junhao, the master of Panshi Peak, was defeated.

The result seems both unexpected and expected.

For a moment, everyone's feelings were somewhat complicated.

Even those elders and peak masters who wanted to see Xu Gu and his disciples fail were now filled with mixed feelings.

Yao Junhao lost, which made it more difficult for Xu Gu to become the Grand Elder again. However, at the same time, another person from Hengshan Sect rose to prominence.

With Zhenyue Peak rising again, it will inevitably seize some resources from other peaks. Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing for the other peaks is hard to say.

As the saying goes, there are no permanent enemies, only permanent interests.

They previously supported Su Mu against Xu Gu and Yao Junhao, but now they are starting to consider how to suppress Zhenyue Peak.

Elder Xu Gu of the Punishment Hall snorted coldly and left with a livid face.

The other elders and peak masters congratulated Su Mu on the surface, and then left one after another.

Only after everyone had left did Zhang Qi approach Su Mu.

"Congratulations, Uncle Su, on your first victory! A resounding success!"

Zhang Qi bowed and said, "With Martial Uncle Su's strength, Zhenyue Peak will surely be able to rise again."

Su Mu glanced at Yao Junhao, who was staggering away.

Will Zhenyue Peak rise again?

This is probably not an easy task.

He still owes hundreds of sect missions that he hasn't completed.

Now that Yao Junhao has lost, Xu Gu will definitely not let it go.

Su Mu could already imagine that the sect mission assigned to him next would definitely not be easy.

"Zhang Qi, would you be willing to transfer to my Zhenyue Peak?"

Su Mu pondered for a moment and asked.

Zhang Qi is a man of considerable cultivation and capable of handling affairs. Now that Zhenyue Peak is in dire need of rebuilding, it does need a capable assistant.

Su Mu didn't know which peak Zhang Qi originally belonged to, but judging from their interactions over the past few days, Zhang Qi shouldn't be the kind of disciple who received much attention.

Moreover, Zhang Qi was already at the peak of the Heavenly Fate Realm, yet Su Mu had never heard him mention his master.

Generally speaking, if he had an elder or peak master as his master, he wouldn't need to go to great lengths for him.

"Join Zhenyue Peak?"

Zhang Qi was stunned for a moment.

He did want to take on a less popular role, but joining Zhenyue Peak was something he had never really considered.

However, now that Su Mu has mentioned it, he has begun to seriously consider it.

In fact, Zhang Qi was a disciple of the main peak, Qingtian Peak.

However, his master died some years ago, so he lost his foundation on the main peak and has been ostracized all these years.

Otherwise, he wouldn't have come to burn the cold stove of Zhenyue Peak.

His master is dead, and he has no fellow disciples on the main peak. Joining Zhenyue Peak would be a good choice.

The only question is whether Zhenyue Peak can rise again.

Although Uncle Su defeated Peak Master Yao, revitalizing a peak cannot be achieved solely through strength.

Zhenyue Peak is currently only occupied by Uncle Su, who is penniless.

Zhang Qi's mind raced.

Zhenyue Peak is indeed in a bad situation right now, but that's precisely why it's my chance.

If Zhenyue Peak really becomes powerful, will it be my turn?
Zhang Qi quickly made his decision.

Since Uncle Su has already started this effort, why not add fuel to the fire and give it a shot?

Since he was already at the Heavenly Fate Realm, if Zhenyue Peak really couldn't recover, he could simply go out and train like his Uncle Su.

"Uncle-Master Su, I am willing to join Zhenyue Peak!"

Zhang Qi said in a deep voice.

Within the Hengshan Sect, disciples of the twelve peaks can move freely between each other, although it is rare for a disciple to switch peaks under normal circumstances.

After all, this is tantamount to betraying one's original leader.

However, Zhang Qi was too lazy to think about it now, since he hadn't received any support at the main peak anyway.

Furthermore, fortune favors the bold; one must always take some risks in everything they do.

Why would someone like him, with no background, get to benefit from something without any risk?
"Alright, from now on, you are the deputy peak master of Zhenyue Peak."

Su Mu casually said, "Now I'm giving you a task: go to the other eleven peaks and get back what they took from Zhenyue Peak."

"Yes."

Zhang Qi wasn't interested in the title of deputy peak master, since Zhenyue Peak only had the two of them right now.

However, he was very interested in collecting debts.

Previously, Zhenyue Peak's assets had been divided up by the other eleven peaks, and Su Mu had already sent him to demand them back once.

However, all the peak masters refused that time.

Now that Su Mu has agreed to Peak Master Yao Junhao's request, if the other peak masters don't want to end up like Yao Junhao, they'll have no choice but to obediently return the items.

Based on Zhang Qi's understanding of the various peak masters, they definitely didn't want Su Mu to come knocking on their door, and it was inevitable that they would obediently return Zhenyue Peak's belongings. As long as they could get back the assets that had been seized from Zhenyue Peak, then Zhenyue Peak would have the resources, and a resurgence wouldn't be entirely impossible.

Zhang Qi was already quickly calculating in his mind how to preserve and increase the value of Zhenyue Peak's assets.

It must be said that Zhang Qi is a talent for management. He didn't have the opportunity to demonstrate his abilities on the main peak before, but now, there are only two people on Zhenyue Peak. Su Mu obviously doesn't want to deal with these trivial matters, so all the work falls on Zhang Qi's shoulders.

This actually gave Zhang Qi a chance to shine.

"I'm going to the sect's library. You handle the rest. If any peak is dissatisfied, tell me, and Qin Ou will personally go to talk to them."

After Su Mu finished speaking, his figure transformed into a streak of light and disappeared.

…………

While Zhang Qi was busy collecting debts from the other peaks, Su Mu was hiding in the Hengshan Sect's library, browsing through its collection of books.

Before coming to Hengshan Sect, he had learned about Hengshan Sect, but after all, it was impossible for Du Rongcheng to investigate every detail of Hengshan Sect.

Moreover, Su Mu knew very little about the Great Qian Dynasty outside of the Hengshan Sect.

Previously, in order to deal with Yao Junhao, he didn't have time to learn about anything else and only focused on cultivating the Nine Mountains Prison Suppressing Body. Now that he has defeated Yao Junhao and has some free time, he naturally wants to learn about this world.

Most importantly, he needs to find a way to enter the Hengshan Sect's cultivation secret realm; that is his primary purpose in coming here.

In addition to the individual small libraries of each peak, the Hengshan Sect also has a large library for the entire sect.

The library has seven floors, containing not only the records of the past generations of Hengshan Sect, but also various martial arts techniques collected by Hengshan Sect. The higher the floor, the more precious the techniques.

Su Mu had agreed to Yao Junhao's request, and now that he was the peak master of Zhenyue Peak, these seven floors of the library were not considered secrets by him.

Of course, the true core techniques of Hengshan Sect, including the Hengshan Body Refining Technique, are hidden in the sect's secret cultivation realm, which even the peak masters are not allowed to enter at will.

This was also information that Su Mu had found in a senior's notes in the library.

The Yokoyama Sect's cultivation secret realm is a place resembling a small world, formed by the remnants of the martial arts will of the sect's founder after his death.

It is said that the founder of the Yokoyama sect had reached the Primordial Realm before his death, possessing the great power of "creating something from nothing".

The Primordial Realm is a realm above the Ultimate Dao Realm.

Even in the Great Qian Dynasty, the number of legendary powerhouses who reached the Primordial Realm was extremely limited.

The cultivation secret realm of the Hengshan Sect was left behind by such a powerful figure. It contains his lifelong insights into martial arts and various fortuitous encounters.

In the past, some disciples of the Hengshan Sect entered the cultivation secret realm and obtained opportunities, achieving rapid advancement.

The current sect leader of Hengshan Sect is in seclusion in a cultivation secret realm, attempting to break through to the level that his ancestor once reached.

"In the beginning, something came from nothing; that was truly a power of creation."

Su Mu thought to himself.

Martial arts cultivation is actually about pursuing destructive power; the higher the cultivation level, the stronger the destructive power.

However, upon reaching this Primordial Realm, things reach their extreme and then reverse; the pursuit is no longer destruction, but creation.

Su Mu seemed to understand something.

"To enter the secret realm for cultivation, one must either make great contributions to the sect or complete a top-tier sect mission."

Su Mu thought to himself.

The missions of the Hengshan Sect are divided into ten levels: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, H, I, G, and D. Level A is the most difficult mission, which is extremely difficult even for those at the Dao Source Realm.

Missions of this caliber are actually rare within the Yokoyama Sect; on average, a Grade A mission might only appear once every ten years.

Aside from completing a top-tier mission, other opportunities to enter the secret realm include winning first place in the new disciple competition.

Su Mu is now the peak master of Zhenyue Peak, so naturally he cannot participate in any new disciple competition.

He suddenly realized that having too high a status wasn't necessarily a good thing.

If he had known all this earlier, wouldn't it have been better if he had just pretended to be a newly initiated disciple?
With his current cultivation level, he would definitely win easily in the competition for newly initiated disciples.

Now, it's actually harder to enter the secret realm.

"According to the rules of Hengshan Sect, after cultivating a peak's unique skill to its peak, one is qualified to learn Hengshan Body Refining Technique of Hengshan Sect. Although the name of Hengshan Body Refining Technique is ordinary, it is the supreme unique skill of Hengshan Sect and an unparalleled technique that can be cultivated to the Tai Chu Realm."

Su Mu recalled the information he had obtained from the library and thought to himself, "Looking across the entire Great Qian Dynasty, there are no more than two palm-sized martial arts techniques that can rival the Hengshan Body Refining Technique."

If I can learn the Hengshan Body Refining Technique, then this trip will have been worthwhile.

However, just like entering a secret realm for cultivation, I need a pledge of allegiance if I want to learn the Hengshan Body Refining Technique...

According to the rules of the Hengshan Sect, to cultivate the Hengshan Body Refining Technique, one must not only master a peak-level martial art but also complete a task for the Hengshan Sect.

It's not that the Hengshan Sect has too many rules, but rather that these rules are the foundation for a sect's long-term development.

The secret techniques of a sect are not so easy to learn.
"A-level mission..."

Su Mu muttered to himself.

…………

Su Mu returned to Zhenyue Peak from the library.

At this point, Zhenyue Peak had completely changed its appearance.

The overgrown weeds have been cleared away, and the palaces are all being renovated.

Zhang Qi was directing his servants to do various tasks.

These outer sect servants were all borrowed from the sect by him, and he only needed to pay a small amount of spirit stones.

"Peak Master, you're back."

Zhang Qi greeted Su Mu, saying, "I've already gotten everything back, and most of it is fine."

Some items were used, but each peak provided compensation, so I think it's fine. The ledger has been placed in your room, Peak Master; please take a look later.

"Also, I've registered this batch of newly recruited disciples within the sect. According to the rules, Zhenyue Peak will also receive a few."

However, at that time, Peak Master, you will need to go and select them. It would be best if some disciples were willing to voluntarily join our Zhenyue Peak; otherwise, the people we end up with will probably be some undesirable individuals.

Zhang Qi said.

Zhang Qi had been with the Yokoyama Sect for many years, so he was naturally very clear about these intricacies.

Hengshan Sect recruits disciples in the name of the sect. New disciples will uniformly practice the introductory techniques. Only those who can master the introductory techniques will become formal disciples and be assigned to various peaks to continue their training.

This allocation is generally bidirectional: disciples choose peaks, and peaks also choose disciples.

Only the disciples who were not ultimately selected were forcibly assigned to certain peaks, and these were generally those who did not have much talent.

Su Mu also saw relevant records of this process in the library.

However, he didn't care much.

If he really is the peak master of Zhenyue Peak, then he must care about things like recruiting disciples.

But he is not.

He's a fake.

He didn't come here to revitalize Zhenyue Peak.

"talk about it later."

Su Mu casually asked, "Have you checked out the sect missions? Are there any missions suitable for me to take on?"
Zhenyue Peak owes several hundred sect missions, which need to be completed first; otherwise, I'll be too embarrassed to ask the sect for resources.

"I've looked into it."

Zhang Qi said, pulling a piece of paper from his pocket, which was densely filled with various tasks.

It's clear that Zhang Qi really put his heart into it.

He also considered that the sect missions owed by Zhenyue Peak were a big problem, so he had already investigated and found out the details before Su Mu even gave the order.

"With your strength, Peak Master, you can only accept missions of level D or above."

Zhang Qi said, "There are currently 127 missions at the sect level or above."

Are there any Class A missions?

Su Mu interrupted Zhang Qi and said casually.

He owes more than four hundred sect missions. If he were to do them one by one, wouldn't he be exhausted?
One Rank A mission is equivalent to dozens of ordinary missions. Most importantly, only by completing a Rank A mission can one gain the opportunity to enter the secret realm for cultivation.

"No, this one is not available."

Zhang Qi shook his head and said, looking at Su Mu with some surprise.

As expected of Martial Uncle Su, who dared to challenge the elders of the Punishment Hall on his very first day back in the sect, he immediately brought up a Class A mission.

Among all the elders and peak masters in the sect, very few dare to accept a Class A mission.

"If there are no Rank A missions, then forget it."

Su Mu said that apart from Class A missions, he had no interest in other missions.

"I need to leave for a while."

Su Mu continued.

Zhang Qi was taken aback. Why leave if you're not going to take on the mission? Zhenyue Peak is in dire need of rebuilding and needs you to oversee things.

Just as Zhang Qi was about to speak up to persuade him, he heard Su Mu continue.

"I have cultivated the Nine Peaks Prison Body of Zhenyue Peak to perfection. According to the sect's rules, I am now qualified to cultivate the Hengshan Body Refining Technique. However, there is one more condition for cultivating the Hengshan Body Refining Technique: I must cultivate one hundred Crimson Cloud Vermilion Fruits for the sect."

Su Mu said, "I heard that Danxia Sect has a Hundred Fruit Forest with many Crimson Vermilion Fruits, so I plan to go to Danxia Sect to buy a hundred Crimson Vermilion Fruits."

The Crimson Fruit is a rare and precious herb that can be used to temper the body. It has extremely demanding growth conditions and is very difficult to ripen.

As a body-refining sect, Hengshan Sect consumes a great deal of Crimson Cloud Vermilion Fruits. Therefore, there is a rule that if you want to cultivate the Hengshan Body Refining Technique, you must cultivate one hundred Crimson Cloud Vermilion Fruits for the sect.

Initially, Yokoyama Sect hoped that they would plant the trees themselves, but if they cultivated them themselves, it would take at least a hundred years for the saplings to bear fruit, and there could be no mistakes during that time.

So later, the disciples of the Yokoyama sect came up with many methods, the simplest of which was, of course, purchasing.

However, the Crimson Fruit is extremely rare, and even with spirit stones, it may not be possible to buy it.

Instead, we might as well try our luck in environments suitable for the growth of Crimson Cloud Fruit; with a bit of luck, we might even find some.

As for the Danxia Sect that Su Mu mentioned, it is one of the major sects of the Great Qian Dynasty, and its strength is no less than that of the Hengshan Sect.

The Danxia Sect is famous for its alchemy. They do indeed possess the Crimson Cloud Vermilion Fruit, but they would never sell it directly.

Previously, the Hengshan Sect had sent people to discuss the matter, but the Danxia Sect had firmly refused.

Buying elixirs is possible, but buying the Crimson Cloud Vermilion Fruit is absolutely impossible.

"Peak Master, the Danxia Sect's strength is no less than our Hengshan Sect's. Please don't act recklessly."

Suddenly, Zhang Qi had a thought and blurted it out unconsciously.

He always felt that what Uncle Su meant by buying the Crimson Cloud Vermilion Fruit wasn't a real purchase.

"Reckless behavior? I won't."

Su Mu shook his head and said calmly, "It takes at least a hundred years to grow the Crimson Fruit on Zhenyue Peak. I just want to save some time. Don't worry, I will give you spirit stones."

Hearing Su Mu say that, Zhang Qi panicked even more. He was afraid that Zhenyue Peak might decline again before it could rise again.
He had only just left Qingtian Peak and joined Zhenyue Peak.

"Peak Master, all the spirit stones in Zhenyue Peak combined are not enough to buy a hundred Crimson Cloud Vermilion Fruits."

Zhang Qi said weakly. (End of Chapter)