Zhang Yiren’s stalwart frame shook, and he solemnly clasped his fist. “Many thanks for lending us your aid. Please allow me to thank you on the marquis’s behalf.”

He’d already spent the past few days worrying about Chen Zheng’s safety.

If Su Yi and his companions were willing to venture into Bloodthistle Yao Mountain in search of him, that would undoubtedly be just perfect.

Zhang Yiren then proceeded to describe the Spiritmartial Marquis’ departure five days prior in full detail, including the exact time, place, and intended route.

“When do you think we should set out, Fellow Daoist?” asked Ning Sihua after looking over the beast skin map.

“There’s no time to lose. Let’s set off first thing at dawn.” Su Yi immediately made up his mind.

It was true that, given the date, there were still about four days until the beast wave began. 

But it would be better if they reached the danger zone deep within the wilderness of Bloodthistle Yao Mountain before the beast wave launched. 

Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong both agreed

After learning that Luyang, Kongtong, and Starcliff Academies were mixed up in this too, they understood that the earlier they ventured onto the mountain, the better.

That night, Zhang Yiren arranged for housing for them.

Su Yi sat casually in his room, facing Huang Qianjun, and said softly, “If you have questions regarding cultivation, you can ask me now.”

He couldn’t help but feel a bit guilty about what happened today. It seems…. I never really gave Huang Qianjun any real guidance with his cultivation.

Otherwise, how could a mere first-level Grandmaster have bullied him so badly?

As a result, Su Yi decided to use this night as an opportunity to instruct Huang Qianjun properly.

Huang Qianjun took a deep breath, thought about it, then started humbly requesting guidance. 

Back in the Cloudriver Prefectural Capital, Su Yi gave him a secret cultivation technique, the Great Celestial Origin Art. Ever since, his cultivation had increased by leaps and bounds; he’d reaped no small benefit already.

But with his powers of comprehension, he couldn’t fully understand the Great Celestial Origin Art’s subtleties.

This was the perfect opportunity. How could Huang Qianjun possibly let it slip past him? 

“Brother Su, what exactly is full spiritual awakening of the acupoints?” This was Huang Qianjun’s first question.

Su Yi didn’t find that the least bit strange. Huang Qianjun was already in the early-stage Qi Accumulation Realm, and he cultivated the Great Celestial Origin Art. Naturally, he was already different from the martial artists of the mundane world.

If nothing else, they couldn’t possibly know about something like full spiritual awakening of the acupoints.

Su Yi immediately described it in detail. His words were concise yet comprehensive. They were easy to understand, yet fascinatingly deep.

Just listening, Huang Qianjun felt as if someone had pulled apart the clouds, allowing the sunlight to shine through. Everything suddenly seemed clear.

He forced his delight back under control, then asked another question.

Just like that, one of them asked, and the other answered. It was like a question-and-answer session between master and apprentice.

It was two hours passed before Su Yi said, “I’ve already taught you all the secrets to success in the early-stage Qi Accumulation Realm. If, after all this, you still can’t beat Ma Shanwei three months from now, don’t tell anyone we know each other.” 

Huang Qianjun scratched his head awkwardly, then solemnly clasped his fist. “Brother Su, please rest assured!”

It was then that a strange moan suddenly emanated through the night sky, starting and stopping, only faintly discernible. 

Su Yi was stunned. He rose and walked up to the window, then gazed into the distance, where he saw a hall shrouded in darkness. A long line of people were waiting outside. 

Those strange moans came from within the hall.

“That’s…?” Su Yi’s expression was strange, but he could vaguely guess what was going on. 

Huang Qianjun’s expression was suddenly ambiguous. He laughed, “Brother Su, do you still remember the Deathbringer’s Gate Corpse Madam, Liu Xianglan?”

Su Yi instantly understood. “That’s her?”

How could he not remember? Back in Cloudriver Prefecture, at Humble Tranquility Cottage, the Spiritmartial Chen Zheng captured Liu Xianglan alive and brought her back to the Greenplate Army. He said that the soldiers of the Greenplate Army were hot-blooded and vigorous, and that at night, it was hard to avoid having a surplus of energy with no place to vent…

“That’s right. It’s her,” sighed Huang Qianjun. “You have no idea how rare women are here in this military encampment. Ever since Liu Xianglan showed up, the entire army has been in an uproar. Whenever we’re not fighting, numerous people line up to play every night…”

Even Su Yi couldn’t help but gasp. How ridiculous of a scene was that?

Riding a thousand, ridden by ten thousand. One pair of lips for all to taste.

That was just too perverse!

Su Yi retracted his gaze and shut the window. Suddenly, he asked, “Don’t tell me you and…..”

Huang Qianjun hurriedly denied it. “Brother Su, how could I possibly be that desperate?”

“Oh,” said Su Yi.

Huang Qianjun originally planned to stay a while and have a nice chat, but when he saw that Su Yi’s thoughts were elsewhere, he considerately bade farewell and left.

Su Yi didn’t delay. He immediately sat cross-legged on the beast-skin-covered bed and started cultivating and pondering. 

I’ve refined less than ten percent of my true essence into Dao Astral Force. During this trip to Bloodthistle Yao Mountain, there’s sure to be no lack of opportunities for combat.

If I can take advantage of the fighting to refine all of my true essence, my cultivation will reach the pinnacle of the Qi Accumulation Stage!

And once I’ve done that, breaking into the Grandmaster Realm will be as easy as turning over my hand!

The Four Realms of the Martial Dao were Blood Circulation, Qi Accumulation, Inner Furnace, and Anāsrava.

The Inner Furnace Realm was also called the Grandmaster Realm, while Anāsrava was also called the Xiantian Martial Ancestor Realm. Xiantian Martial Ancestors had reached Xiantian or “pre-celestial” level, in which you could cleanse the marrow and thoroughly remold the flesh, undergoing a metamorphosis akin to rebirth. 

If I step into the Grandmaster Realm with my fully awakened spiritual apertures, Hidden Meridian, and Dao Astral Force, my foundations will be so uniquely solid that I’ll have to need to worry about refining the character of ‘the five spiritual aggregates’ as I temper my organs….

Right, I can’t slack off on my soul cultivation either. In the Grandmaster Realm, the more powerful your soul, the higher the quality of the five spiritual aggregates you can refine, and the greater power you can release in combat….

I also have to remember to collect the spiritual materials I need to forge a new sword. 

……

Morning the next day.

The skies were dark and overcast. 

Zhang Yiren watched as Su Yi, Ning Sihua, and Shen Jiusong left camp and headed for Bloodthistle Yao Mountain. 

The mountain stretched for a thousand miles, its layout winding, vast, and primeval. Humans had seen it as a land of grave peril since ancient times.

Countless spirit beasts lurked on the mountain year-round, and baleful energy and poisonous gasses lingered in the air. Never mind ordinary people; even martial artists dared not step foot inside lightly.

Especially lately. As each once-in-a-decade beast tide drew near, strange and unsettling phenomena arose within the mountain at regular intervals. 

Currently, the skies above the mountain were completely shrouded in dense, blood-colored mist that lingered and refused to disperse.

From a distance, it was like a bloody dome, a truly shocking sight.

As soon as they set foot on the mountain, Su Yi sensed the dense, baleful energy permeating the air. It made one feel stifled and irritable. 

But this naturally had no effect on Su Yi at all. 

“Most likely, this is the path through which the Spirtmartial Marquis entered the mountain.” Shen Jiusong pointed to a nearby gorge. The cliff sides were steep and barren of even grass.

“I don’t know why, but I have a certain premonition that we might well encounter a grand stroke of fortune on this trip.” Ning Sihua pressed her lips into a smile. She wore crisp, clean military robes, and her long hair was braided. With her Waning Blueflame Moon Halberd in hand, she looked valiant and bold.

“Let’s go.” Su Yi forged straight ahead, leading the way.

He still wore his characteristic blue robes, and he had his long hair tied up in a bun.  He had a solitary aloofness to him, as if he’d transcended petty concerns. 

Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong followed shortly behind him. 

The entire path was rugged and steep, while the skies were a striking crimson. Baleful energy lingered in the air, and the atmosphere was stifled and oppressive.

Mere moments later, they encountered a swarm of attacking spirit beasts. 

All were ordinary spirit beasts, tiers one and two, but all of them were red-eyed and frenzied. They’d completely lost their rationality, and they charged with intent to kill with no heed for anything else.

There was no need for Su Yi or Ning Sihua to intervene. Shen Jiusong single-handedly and effortlessly disposed of the whole group. 

But what they didn’t expect was—

As they forged ahead, they encountered swarms of frenzied spirit beasts at regular intervals. All of them seemed to have gone mad; it was as if they knew nothing of fear.

Although this didn’t scare Su Yi or his companions, having the beasts bar their way again and again was irritating.

“It’s obvious that the ambient baleful, bloody energy in the area has affected the spirit beasts, making them bloodthirsty, irascible, and frenzied. They can no longer feel fear. If things go on like this, I’m afraid we won’t reach the inner region of the mountain today.” Ning Sihua furrowed her brow.

Four hours had passed since they first entered Bloodthistle Yao Mountain, yet they’d only covered just under a hundred miles. 

The reason was simple; throughout their journey, spirit beasts attacked them over and over again. Sometimes, they could avoid the beasts. Other times, they could only fight their way through.

“No rush. The tier of the spirit beasts we’re encountering along the way is going up. They’re getting stronger and stronger, too. Less than a hundred miles in, we’re already encountering tier-five spirit beasts. That’s a good sign.”

Su Yi sounded casual, but he looked rather eager. “I actually rather hope we encounter stronger ones on the road ahead. It would be even better if some tier-eight and nine-spirit beasts showed up.” 

Ning Sihua and Shen Jiusong looked at each other. They couldn’t understand what frame of mind Su Yi was in for him to say such a thing. 

Shen Jiusong smiled and asked, “Young Lord Su, are you looking for spirit beasts to test yourself against?”

Su Yi nodded. “You get better at fighting by fighting. That’s the only way to truly refine one’s power. If Bloodthistle Yao Mountain weren’t sufficiently dangerous, why would I bother coming?”

“Uh…” Shen Jiusong felt rather ashamed of himself.

He and Ning Sihua had come here in search of fortune.

But it was obvious that Su Yi’s goals were different. He’d actually come here in search of combat….

The corners of Ning Sihua’s lips rose, and she laughed, “In that case, it sounds like the high-level spirit beasts we’ll soon encounter are in for some rotten luck.”

Almost as soon as she said this, she heard faint, indiscernible whispering all around them.

Like ghosts whispering amongst themselves, or the bewitching music of the deepest recesses of the netherworld.

Ning Sihua’s smile froze, and she let out a low grunt as a pained look flashed across her face.

At almost the same time, Shen Jiusong felt his head buzz, as if a knife were twisting in his soul. He felt a rending agony, and his determined, steely features twitched and contorted. 

As for Su Yi, he staggered slightly before returning to normal. However, a strange light shone in the depths of his calm, inscrutable gaze. This seems to be…. The energy fluctuations of a restriction...