Within the unique geographical environment of Flowing Fire Prefecture and the deliberate manipulation of the ward at Mount Anqiu, the blood of any living creature would automatically linger in the air.
This formed a “blood mist” that was a darker red than the crimson haze that hung over the prefecture year-round.
It was said that if those with weak wills stepped inside, they would hear the wails of their former comrades in their final moments.
Take Wang Hongqiao, for example; the moment she entered the blood mist, she couldn’t help but hear the voices of her sisters before they committed suicide. Some criticized their parents’ cold-heartedness, while others complained about the injustice of this world…
“**[Zhen Zi: Wanxiang Leiyin]**.”
Yun Heng raised his hand casually, tracing a minimalist golden rune in the air with his fingertip. The rune transformed into a ripple of clear light that surged outward.
Wherever it passed, the blood mist melted away like boiling water poured over snow, and the resentful shrieks turned into shrill wails before abruptly stopping.
The distorted illusions froze and shattered, revealing a clear path behind them, as if he had simply brushed aside a cluster of annoying thorns.
The three girls behind him froze in place.
The defensive talisman in Jiang Keke’s hand had just begun to glow when it became still. The flood dragon aura instinctively triggered by A Xiang had not yet fully risen before it stagnated.
Wang Hongqiao’s pupils constricted even further.
For the first time, she had a direct understanding of the methods possessed by this Young Master who had promised her revenge.
“Miss Hongqiao, although you are the guide, it is better for me to walk at the very front.”
Yun Heng adjusted their positions, placing A Xiang and Wang Hongqiao in the middle while Jiang Keke was responsible for the rear.
In the next second, the gong-and-drum dharma tool expanded automatically, becoming a protective umbrella over the heads of the four.
It lowered a golden curtain that moved with them, used to block out the erosion of the blood mist and fire poison.
There were nine barriers in Mount Anqiu, and the levels became more difficult the further in one went. In other words, the first level of the outermost layer, like the “blood mist,” was actually quite simple.
Even an ordinary Golden Core Stage cultivator could easily pass through it as long as their mind was somewhat clear.
Yun Heng reached out and pressed his hand against the golden curtain formed by the gong and drum, feeling the fire poison from the outside world. He frowned.
Although he was protected by a dharma tool, the fire poison here was still exceptionally rampant.
If he stayed for too long, his weak constitution would inevitably be invaded by it. This was to say nothing of the natural toxic miasma composed purely of fire poison in the third barrier.
“Miss Hongqiao, for the road ahead, I will be relying on you,” Yun Heng said softly.
“No problem, leave it to me,” Wang Hongqiao answered nervously.
Although she resented her parents, she kept her great-grandfather’s teachings close to her heart. She knew that the safe path through Mount Anqiu was a kind of “key” that had to be passed down, so she recited it day and night until it was etched into her soul.
However, Wang Hongqiao was still a bit apprehensive. After all, from his outward cultivation at least, Yun Heng was only at the Early Foundation Establishment Stage.
The various killing arrays permeating this blood mist were things that even many in the Golden Core Stage or even the Nascent Soul Stage would find difficult…
However, this apprehension vanished without a trace when Wang Hongqiao witnessed Yun Heng’s methods. Every time he acted, it felt as if he were crushing her understanding of the concept of a “cultivator.”
Take the final killing array they experienced before leaving the blood mist.
Although Wang Hongqiao did not understand the profound mysteries of these formations, she could see that if they took a single wrong step, the Golden Core Stage wraiths surrounding them would pounce and tear them to pieces.
Yet, Yun Heng simply uttered something like “**[Xun Zi]**,” and more than half of those wraiths scattered like smoke. Then, Yun Heng used two fingers like a sword, and with a flash of golden light, the eye of the formation was shattered…
‘Is this… really the Foundation Establishment Stage?’
‘Was the Foundation Establishment Stage always such a powerful existence…?’
‘Young Master said I could also become Foundation Establishment Stage. Does that mean… no, no, Young Master is an extraordinary person. A commoner like me shouldn’t indulge in such fantasies.’
This was not only Wang Hongqiao’s internal monologue but also Jiang Keke’s.
Of course, neither of them dared to ask a single question. After all, these were clearly Yun Heng’s special cultivation techniques and methods, which were not for them to covet.
“Yun Heng, amazing!”
However, someone else didn’t think that way.
A Xiang hugged Yun Heng’s arm and shook it, her eyes sparkling. “I, also, learn!”
“Sure.”
Yun Heng retracted the curtain of the gong-and-drum dharma tool, leaned down, and rubbed A Xiang’s head with a gentle smile. “But before that, you have to learn how to read and speak properly.”
“Why?” A Xiang tilted her head, very confused.
“Because you won’t understand what I’m talking about,” Yun Heng said patiently.
“I, smart!” A Xiang huffed twice and puffed out her chest arrogantly, patting it with extreme confidence.
“Is that so?” Yun Heng smirked playfully. “In that case…”
***
Three minutes later.
A Xiang trotted over and swapped places with Wang Hongqiao. She didn’t want to talk to Yun Heng anymore and began to hug Jiang Keke’s arm to act spoiled.
Her face was covered in tear stains — she had been moved to tears of frustration because she had absolutely no idea what Yun Heng was talking about.
Yun Heng stood up and looked at Jiang Keke again, smiling. “What about you? How much did you understand?”
“Uh… I didn’t exactly understand it, but I remembered quite a bit.” Jiang Keke coughed twice and rubbed her nose.
In truth, she hadn’t remembered much at all.
Was he joking? She couldn’t even remember the terminology for the plan Yun Heng had explained two or three times before.
Did he really expect Jiang Keke to remember that pile of professional jargon within a few minutes when she didn’t even know how to write the words?
“Remember as much as you can. I’ll teach you slowly in the future anyway.”
It was perfectly normal not to understand.
Yun Heng was actually never stingy about spreading his original techniques. Unfortunately, there were too few people who could match his frequency of thought.
Throughout ten thousand years of his previous life, only Yue Wuhen had ever understood and mastered this Zhoutian Qimen.
But it was fine; he would teach her slowly.
Next, Yun Heng looked at Wang Hongqiao.
“No, Young Master, I didn’t hear a single word.” Wang Hongqiao quickly crossed her hands in front of her, having just removed them from her ears. She lowered her eyes and bowed her head, looking very uneasy.
Yun Heng was silent for a moment but said nothing more.
Once the group had finished resting, they began to head deeper.
The hidden realm Yun Heng needed to enter was behind the third barrier.
Once they reached that point, they wouldn’t need to go any deeper; they could simply use a formation to bypass the restriction and reach the interior of the hidden realm.
The third barrier was a natural shield made entirely of fire poison, which was a major test for Yun Heng. However, with Wang Hongqiao leading the way through a shortcut, it was actually quite easy.
On the contrary, this second barrier, the “Mountain Gate”… was the most difficult.
Even though Yun Heng was not using the aura-tracking function of the modified monster hunting mirror, the device was currently acting as if it had taken a stimulant. It was glowing a red so deep it bordered on purple, buzzing and flashing incessantly.
*Rustle.*
*Rustle.*
Jiang Keke tightly gripped A Xiang’s small hand, her expression extremely solemn. Although she was sweating slightly, she was indeed ready to fight at any moment.
A Xiang frowned, baring her teeth and hissing, looking as if she felt personally insulted.
Wang Hongqiao took a deep breath and then closed her eyes, remaining still. This was what Yun Heng had told her before they came in: ‘If a fight breaks out, just don’t run around.’
The ring on Yun Heng’s left index finger flashed with a blue light, transforming into a large, transparent bell that hovered over their heads, ready to drop down and protect its master at any moment.
Dozens of auras finally stopped hiding and slowly walked out from the nearby woods.
They came in various forms: there were earth fire poison scorpions with compound eyes gleaming like molten gold, lava demon wolves with bone spikes on their backs, rock-splitting giant apes that looked like moving volcanic rock, and red-beaked vultures circling at low altitudes… but without exception, they were all monsters at the middle Golden Core Stage or higher.
The highest cultivation among them had even reached the Early Nascent Soul Stage.
Jiang Keke subconsciously swallowed a mouthful of saliva, her heart pounding.
This was the first time she had seen so many monsters at once. And they were all monsters with cultivation levels far higher than their own.
‘I’m supposed to fight them…?’
‘For real?’
The little book boy looked at Yun Heng’s back — which remained as steady as a mountain — with a hint of worry and fear. She wasn’t sure if she could actually protect the Young Master once the fight really started…
However, the Young Master had said that he would be involved in at least three life-or-death battles later on. If she couldn’t even pass this “first match,” how was she supposed to handle the other two, let alone future battles?
Furthermore, coming here was all for the Young Master to improve his own cultivation. Even though she was just a personal book boy, neither her status nor her talent made her worthy of the Young Master’s favor…
Jiang Keke closed her eyes and took a long, deep breath.
When she opened them again, her body was no longer trembling, and her gaze was more focused and sharp than ever before.
As long as the Young Master gave the order, she would become his most effective fist. No matter how strong the enemies before her were, she would smash them deep into the ground!
Yun Heng, who had kept his divine sense on Jiang Keke the entire time, smiled faintly. He produced eight array flags out of thin air to anchor the surrounding space.
“My heart is the center palace, holding the pivot to command the eight gates… **[Zhoutian Qimen: Zhishu Yiming Jue]**, open.”
“Keke. Three, two — “
” — one!”