Raise a sword!

According to Tiancan Daoren, his cave dwelling is located in the southwest of the northern foot of the Diming Mountain Range.

In Cang Kingdom, on the official road heading west, Jiang Peng was dressed in plain clothes, wearing a bamboo hat, and carrying a small bundle on his back, looking like a solitary traveler.

It was now the third day since they set off, and Jiang Peng was about to leave the area of ​​the northern foothills and step out of the territory of the Cang Kingdom.

"Several hundred years have passed. Although it can't be called a complete transformation, the Southern Mountain Region is now quite unfamiliar to me." Tiancan Daoren's tone was somewhat wistful.

During this period, he had been focused on Jiang Peng, and had never had the opportunity to communicate with anyone else, nor had he had any freedom whatsoever.

However, simply following Jiang Peng in his daily seclusion at the Cangshan Sect made Tiancan Daoren sigh with emotion every now and then.

Clearly, after hundreds of years of suppression, just looking at the outside world made this former Nascent Soul cultivator incredibly excited.

Jiang Peng is someone who likes to pour cold water on things.

"Senior, have you ever considered that even if I spare your life, I would never grant you freedom? You witnessed my search for the sealing method in the sect's library."

The Heavenly Crippled Daoist remained silent for a long time before finally letting out two soft laughs.

"We've survived for hundreds of years, so what's a little longer? You're a lucky guy, and I'm quite skilled."

"And then?" Jiang Peng raised an eyebrow slightly.

The Heavenly Crippled Daoist said confidently, "One day you will bring me out again. When your cultivation is no longer afraid of me, that will be the day I see the light of day again."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Peng neither confirmed nor denied it, and finally gave a noncommittal response.

"Perhaps."

After traveling along the official road for two more days, the mountains and forests became increasingly lush, and the spiritual energy between heaven and earth became even more abundant.

Jiang Peng knew that he had now completely left the northern foothills and arrived in the outer area of ​​the middle section of the Earthly Sound Mountain Range.

Nanshan Domain is a rather unusual place.

In this world, the cultivation world is led by Zhongzhou. In the other states, the closer a place is to Zhongzhou, the more prosperous its cultivation world becomes.

But the Nanshan region is different.

"Between the Southern Mountain Region and the Central Plains lies an eight-thousand-mile-long natural barrier, a bottomless canyon fraught with countless dangers."

The Taoist with Cripples recounted his experiences.

"The natural barrier separates the Central Continent and the Southern Mountain Region, so that low-level cultivators from the two continents have completely cut off contact."

"Furthermore, due to the geological features of the Southern Mountain Region, the Earth-Ringing Mountain Range beneath our feet is closer to the southern coast. In addition, the prosperity of the cultivation world in the South China Sea has ultimately led to the fact that the further away from the Central Plains the Southern Mountain Region is from the Central Plains, the richer the resources become."

Although Jiang Peng already knew all of this, he still listened with great interest as Tiancan Daoren repeated it to him.

"So, the northern foothills of the Earth-Ringing Mountains, seemingly closest to the Central Plains, are actually the area in the Southern Mountain Domain's cultivation world that is closest to the mortal world and also the most resource-poor?"

"That's right." Tiancan Daoren chuckled. "There are only three spiritual veins in the northern foothills, enough to support three small and medium-sized forces, and your Cangshan Sect is one of them."

The other two are, of course, Jade Pavilion Sword Pavilion and Illusory Sound Sect.

Jiang Peng pondered for a moment, then asked, "What if I want to go to Zhongzhou?"

"The usual trade route goes out to sea from the south, travels by sea to other states, and then passes through to reach the Central State."

"Some merchants in Zhongzhou also have high-grade flying boats that can cross the eight thousand miles of natural barriers... However, such flying boats are very expensive. Not to mention someone as lowly as you who has just reached Qi Refining, even a Foundation Establishment cultivator might not be able to afford them."

"Of course, if a Golden Core cultivator is confident in their superior abilities, it is not impossible for them to cross the chasm with their physical body... Several hundred years ago, several safe smuggling routes were already explored and confirmed in that eight-thousand-mile chasm."

Jiang Peng was taken aback.

"smuggling?"

But then Tiancan Daoren's tone suddenly turned sarcastic.

"Heh, if you want to do business in Zhongzhou, you have to abide by their rules! Kid, don't think that Zhongzhou is some kind of holy land for cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Peng asked a few more questions, but Tiancan Daoren refused to speak no matter what.

This Nascent Soul senior seems to harbor some resentment towards Zhongzhou.

Seeing this, Jiang Peng did not press the matter further.

The Central Plains were still too far away for him.

...

After traveling through the mountains and forests for less than a day, the road ahead became flat and open.

Before us lies the plains west of the Drumming Mountains, where man-made roads and occasional village settlements can be seen.

Jiang Peng was holding a map in her hand.

This map is a replica kept in the library of the Cangshan Sect, which Jiang Peng obtained by spending sect tribute.

"We have entered the territory of the State of Chen."

The Chen Kingdom was a mortal power that occupied the plains on the west side of the Earth-Ringing Mountains.

However, it is different from the Cang Kingdom.

Under the rule of the Cangshan Sect, the immortals and mortals of the Cang Kingdom were separated, and mortals and cultivators rarely interacted.

However, in the Chen Kingdom, immortals and mortals lived together, with cultivators managing mortals.

"I've never heard of any Chen Kingdom," Tiancan Daoren remarked.

According to Tiancan Daoren, after comparing his information with Jiang Peng's, they confirmed that the other party's cave dwelling was located in the present-day territory of Chen State.

But before Tiancan Daosheng died, there was no Chen Kingdom here.

"This used to be a wasteland in the Southern Mountain Region. Although the plains to the west are vast, they have no spiritual veins and the spiritual energy is not very rich. Therefore, the major powers do not care about it, and the smaller powers gather here."

The Heavenly Crippled Daoist divides power based on the highest level of cultivation within a sect.

According to him, any force without a Nascent Soul cultivator in charge is a small or medium-sized, insignificant force.

"The Chen Kingdom has only been established for a little over two hundred years," Jiang Peng replied.

Jiang Peng was not interested in the history of the State of Chen. He was just a passerby here, and what this country, where immortals and mortals lived together, was like was none of his business.

"There's a city ahead. Should we enter the city to rest, or head straight for the Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons you mentioned?"

The Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons is where the cave dwelling of the Heavenly Crippled Taoist is located.

It was a gloomy and dangerous place, where no living being should enter.

"According to the records on the sect map, the so-called Valley of Ten Thousand Poisons that you mentioned seems to have been renamed."

"What's your name?"

Jiang Peng flipped through the map, checking it several times before finally looking up.

"Now called Heartless Valley, it has become a gathering place for rogue cultivators... We won't go into the city anymore, Heartless Valley is just three hundred miles to the southeast."

"Heartless Valley, what a cliché name."

As for Jiang Peng's decision, Tiancan Daoren naturally had no objection.

So Jiang Peng deviated from the main road and headed southeast, entering the Earth-Ringing Mountains from the western plains.

Three hundred miles of mountain road is not far. Jiang Peng was confident that he was not afraid of late-stage Qi Refining cultivators or late-stage first-order demonic beasts. Therefore, in this area, which was only the outer edge of the mountain range, he traveled quite recklessly.

Finally, around dusk...

In front of this lush forest, Jiang Peng could already see a huge cliff.

In his mind, the slightly excited voice of the Heavenly Crippled Taoist rang out.

"This is it."