Chapter 397: Immortal Sect Ruins

"That's right. This isn't an ordinary demon. Legend has it that it was formed from the primal wind of the mountain. The Misty Sect relied on this demon to control half of the Gale Tundra." The old man sighed, "According to our ancestors, the foothills of Wind Demon Mountain used to be rich in yellow jade ginseng, which people could harvest without risking their lives. But this wind demon caused trouble, and the yellow jade ginseng gradually disappeared, with only a few plants occasionally found high on the mountain."

"What happened then?"

"That was all over four hundred years ago. Later, when the Kingdom of Beiga incorporated this area into its territory, the Misty Sect naturally resisted. They unleashed the wind demon, which reportedly caused such havoc that almost no one was left alive on the entire Gale Tundra! Eventually, King Baoshu couldn't stand by and personally intervened to disperse the wind demon! Since then, the Gale Tundra gradually transformed into its current state."

He Lingchuan asked him, "The Gale Tundra isn't suitable for living. Why didn't the Misty Sect move elsewhere and insist on establishing their sect gate here?"

"Their ancestors were here, so they likely didn't want to move," the old man sighed. "In fact, isn't that true for us too?"

After the meal, news arrived: the guard team was indeed heading to Wind Demon Mountain.

The Soul Mirror was pleased. "Perhaps our opportunity has come."

He Lingchuan nodded slightly.

The good news was that, besides them, others were also plotting against this team.

The bad news was that, it seemed, he now had at least one more opponent.

After the meal, Second Boss Shi looked up at the sky. "There are many stars tonight, so it's unlikely to be cloudy tomorrow morning. It's a good chance for sightseeing."

However, He Lingchuan told Second Boss Shi, "Starting tomorrow, keep your distance from the guard team. Especially when entering the Wind Demon Mountain area, you should be at least ten *li* behind them."

Second Boss Shi was startled. "Brother He, do you think something will happen on Wind Demon Mountain?" He then chuckled, "Occasionally, there are landslides or rockfalls on Mount Pingshan, and caravans often reroute from Black Rock Stockade to Wind Demon Mountain. It's standard procedure; nothing will happen."

He Lingchuan shrugged. "I've said my piece; whether you listen or not is your decision." It wasn't his caravan, and he was merely extending a courtesy as a fellow traveler.

Second Boss Shi's smile faded slightly.

This trade route had been peaceful for many years, and caravans came and went without incident. Could something unforeseen happen on *this* trip? Moreover, King Baoshu's guard team was leading the way, and they weren't idle; but this individual, whom even Zhu Erniang of the Demon Nest Swamp—who devoured countless people—was wary of, surely wouldn't speak without reason?

That night, everyone went to bed early.

He Lingchuan decided not to sleep, instead taking a Hundred Goodness Pill to meditate and practice cultivation.

He could feel the increasing spiritual energy in the world recently, making his cultivation highly efficient.

Before the fourth watch, the caravan set off for Wind Demon Mountain.

This time, the Stone Gate caravan did not rush ahead, falling back at least fifteen *li* behind the guard team. It was clear that Second Boss Shi had taken He Lingchuan's words to heart.

The gap created was naturally filled by other merchants who moved ahead.

After all, the closer they were to the guard team, the safer people felt.

The mountain road became progressively higher, the mountains steep and perilous, and the main road narrowed into a winding path.

He Lingchuan's breath turned to ice. He turned his head and saw a layer of white frost clinging to Second Boss Shi's beard.

"Before the Black Stone Stockade road was opened, everyone had to pass through here," Second Boss Shi said, wrapping his head tightly with thick felt. "Otherwise, you'd have to make a detour of two hundred *li*, which is much harder than this path."

"So, when the Misty Sect occupied this place, you had to pay a toll to pass?"

Second Boss Shi gave a dry chuckle. "I wouldn't know. That was hundreds of years ago."

Along the way up the mountain, he pointed out several locations to He Lingchuan, identifying them as former sites of the Misty Sect.

This immortal sect had once been glorious, with buildings scattered throughout the mountains. Unfortunately, after four hundred years of wind and snow, not a single tile remained.

He Lingchuan saw nothing remarkable.

Second Boss Shi was an experienced traveler who could read the sky; last night he said there would be no clouds this morning, and indeed, the sky was perfectly clear.

Suddenly, a cheer erupted ahead.

"The sun's rising! Look, look!"

He Lingchuan looked up and sideways, and saw a ray of golden light strike the perilous peak opposite, turning the pure white snow a fiery gold.

Majesty and beauty, harshness and warmth, merged into a perfect unity on this natural palette.

Even the guard team stopped, stood silently facing the golden peak with clasped hands, and prayed.

Legend had it that those fortunate enough to witness the golden peak illuminated by the sun would find good fortune if they prayed at that moment.

He Lingchuan clasped his hands together, but didn't know to whom he should pray for luck.

His faith was not given to deities.

Yet, in that moment and place, before the magnificent snow-capped mountain, he particularly felt the immense power of creation and his own insignificance.

How should his path advance to gain the power to split heaven and earth?

To this day, could Heaven still provide an answer?

After traveling for another two hours, the peak was still ahead, just as tall and remote—

They had only circled about halfway around it.

The winding mountain road, with its countless turns, seemed endless.

He also pondered that if someone was deliberately forcing the guard team onto this path, it was almost time for them to make their move. After another few dozen *li*, the most perilous part of the journey would be over.

Apart from him, no one else seemed worried. After all, this was within Baoshu Kingdom, trade was safe, and with the guard team ahead, what could possibly go wrong?

By this point, the distance between the main road and the perilous peak had significantly shortened, with several natural stone bridges intersecting, hidden in the dense undergrowth. Second Boss Shi pointed to a narrow side path. "From here, you can go up Wind Demon Mountain. I went up ten years ago and saw the ruins of the Misty Sect. If you walk fast, you can descend from the other side and rejoin the main road."

"Was the predecessor of the Misty Sect also an ancient immortal sect?"

"Based on what I saw on the mountain, it should be," Second Boss Shi remarked with emotion. "That place looked like the Lunar Palace; it didn't seem like a place for humans to live! Ancient immortals truly had incredible abilities."

He Lingchuan immediately said, "Would you come up with me?"

It was an immortal sect ruin; it was only right to go and pay respects, and see if the divine bone necklace had any requirements.

Moreover, Wind Demon Mountain was the highest point within a thirty-*li* radius, providing a perfectly clear vantage point to observe the entire guard team's journey.

If someone was truly plotting in secret, they wouldn't miss this strategic high ground.

He Lingchuan had been silently observing the snow mountain's terrain.

To be honest, as an outsider, he was unfamiliar with the local mountains and terrain, which was a significant disadvantage.

He possessed neither favorable timing, geographical advantage, nor human support.

To profit from potential future chaos, he needed to observe more meticulously and plan more thoroughly.

"Alright, alright," Second Boss Shi said, tightening his greatcoat. "But my horse can't go up there."

It wasn't a main road; the slope reached forty-five degrees, and the mountain rocks were rugged.

He Lingchuan patted the rock goat's large horns. "See what I'm riding?"

He pointed at the snow mountain and asked the rock goat, "Can you carry both of us up?"

The rock goat bleated twice and nodded repeatedly.

"No problem," He Lingchuan said, giving Second Boss Shi a hand to help him climb onto the goat's back.

It was quite stable to sit on. Second Boss Shi instructed his men to meet up ahead, then took a deep breath. "Okay, let's go."

"Let's go!" He Lingchuan shook the reins, and the rock goat leaped high, reaching the small path in two or three bounds.

It was truly bounding.

Second Boss Shi's backside was numb from the jolting. He looked down and saw they were already on a sheer cliff thousands of feet high, terrified, he gripped He Lingchuan's shoulder. "Slow, slow down! We're not in a hurry!"

This rock goat naturally foraged on mountains and was much more agile at climbing than other animals. After becoming a demon, its strength increased, so carrying two people was no trouble at all.

Most importantly, it possessed innate lightness and cushioning abilities, traversing sheer cliffs as if on flat ground, and surprisingly, it was not much slower than running on the ground, which would infuriate Newton.

It could fit all four hooves into a space no larger than a palm.

The mountain wind made Second Boss Shi sway precariously, and he was so regretful he almost vomited bitter water:

This goat didn't stick to the path and even liked taking shortcuts! It made several airborne leaps; it was enjoying itself, but Second Boss Shi happened to look down, and all he saw were bottomless abysses.

The mountain wind was also strong. If the rock goat slipped even once, all three of them would be gone!

Soon, the main group was left far behind and out of sight.

"Here, here, here, you can get down here!" Second Boss Shi pointed to a stone mortar-like depression, his face numb from the cold wind, making it hard to speak clearly.

The rock goat leaped lightly into the depression, returning to the planned route.

From here, they could climb to the mountaintop.

This section of the mountain path was quite wide, and the steps were not narrow, making it comfortable to walk. For two thousand years, disciples of the Misty Sect had ascended and descended this peak using such paths.

Second Boss Shi couldn't help but exclaim, "Going up and down the mountain like this every day must be exhausting!"

The mirror spoke again, its tone sarcastic from the start. "You don't actually think ancient immortal disciples walked in and out of their sect gates, do you?"

Of course, Second Boss Shi couldn't hear it.

He Lingchuan patted the mirror. "Then how did they travel? By flying on swords?"

"Of course!" the mirror said matter-of-factly. "Look at how those small paths in the mountains are built; do they look like they were frequently used?"

If it were a main thoroughfare, it would naturally be built as wide, flat, and straight as possible. But the small paths He Lingchuan saw were uneven and carved very haphazardly, looking very much like "just throw something together, a path is better than nothing."

Now, the two of them followed a natural crevice, burrowing into the mountain's interior.

Legend had it that Wind Demon Mountain was the main peak of the immortal sect.

Of course, during its peak, there were too many disciples, so not all of them necessarily lived here.

The path surprisingly widened, and the two soon reached a massive natural platform. Above them, a single rock formed a mountain, exceptionally majestic and spectacular. The rock face was cut smooth, so smooth that even the rock goat couldn't climb it.

The "Golden Peak at Sunrise" phenomenon, revered by thousands, was precisely the sunlight hitting the tip of this gigantic rock.

The platform below was enormous, at least three soccer fields wide side by side.

From this vantage point, one could not only gaze at the distant mountains but also clearly see the guard team opposite!

The wind here was unprecedentedly strong; the two and the goat were almost blown away by the mountain wind.

"Quick, get in there!" Second Boss Shi shouted against the wind, pointing ahead, and He Lingchuan then noticed another small path leading inward.