Chapter 1089: Black Soul Mountain

"You just said you could safely get me out of the Black Soul Realm. Can you also get me to the Heavenly Mystery Realm?" Yun Che asked.

"The Heavenly Mystery Realm?" Ji Ruyan said, surprised. "Are you looking for information or something specific, Young Master? If you could tell me first, the Black Feather Merchant Guild's greatest strength lies in its intelligence network. Perhaps... you won't need to travel to the distant Heavenly Mystery Realm; I might be able to help you myself."

Yun Che hesitated slightly and said, "I'm looking for Nine-Star Buddha God Jade and Emperor Immortal Grass."

Ji Ruyan paused, but to Yun Che's surprise, she didn't say "impossible." After a brief silence, she replied, "I will try to find these two rare items, though the hope is slim. If we ultimately fail, going to the Heavenly Mystery Realm is indeed the best option. However, since you are pursuing this, you must return alive from the Soul Sect... I still hope you will be more rational and retreat if it proves too difficult."

"Is the Heavenly Mystery Realm really that miraculous?" Yun Che frowned. The old man he met earlier had also said that in the Heavenly Mystery Realm, as long as you could afford the profound stones, you would not return disappointed.

"The name 'Heavenly Mystery' for the Heavenly Mystery Realm is by no means an exaggeration," Ji Ruyan said. "It is also the only star realm that all the King Realms highly respect."

"Are they truly capable of peering into heavenly secrets?" Yun Che slightly curled his lips.

"The Heavenly Mystery Realm has made several major prophecies throughout history, and all of them have come true," Ji Ruyan stated. "Whatever information you need, as long as it doesn't violate human ethics and they are willing, they can provide accurate and infallible results. There has never been a report of error or failure."

"You must know, Young Master, that the Profound God Convention, which will shake the entire God Realm, is set to be held in two years and originated from the Heavenly Mystery Realm."

"...Huh!?" Yun Che was quite surprised. "It originated from the Heavenly Mystery Realm? Was it because of some prophecy from there?"

"Precisely," Ji Ruyan slowly nodded. "To my knowledge, ten years ago, the Heavenly Mystery Realm issued a prophecy that within thirty years, the Eastern Divine Region, and possibly the entire God Realm, would face a great calamity. The severity of this calamity would be unprecedented. The Four King Realms began preparing early due to this prophecy. The main purpose of this suddenly convened Profound God Convention, with its entirely different mechanism from previous ones, is to select the thousand most talented young profound practitioners from the Eastern Divine Region and then use the full power of the Heaven's Gaze Pearl to accelerate their growth, preparing them to face the potential great calamity."

Yun Che, however, remained unmoved. "I've never believed in such a thing as 'heavenly mystery.' And this prophecy only mentions 'possible,' which, frankly, is just a loophole for their own mystification. Besides, I've never heard of this so-called prophecy at my level in the middle star realms. How do you know about it?"

"The words 'great calamity' would undoubtedly cause immense panic, so it must be kept secret... However, this Profound God Convention is highly unusual, and there have indeed been similar suspicions in various places. Although the Black Feather Merchant Guild's power is limited, its intelligence network is extremely vast, and it interacts with a great many people. In terms of information capability, it might be stronger than you imagine, Young Master. Furthermore, while the concept of 'heavenly mystery' may sound ethereal to anyone, perhaps... your views will change after you visit the Heavenly Mystery Realm once."

Yun Che's eyebrows twitched, and he nodded. "Alright then. I'll trouble you to use the Black Feather Merchant Guild's intelligence capabilities to help me search for Nine-Star Buddha God Jade and Emperor Immortal Grass. If you genuinely find them, I will certainly provide appropriate compensation. As for whether I return alive, you needn't worry about that."

"I will do my utmost, and as for compensation," Ji Ruyan shook her head, "there's no need. If I can truly help you, Young Master, it will be my good fortune."

Yun Che's gaze slightly lifted, and he re-examined Ji Ruyan, his tone noticeably softer than before. "Miss Ruyan, you already know I'm just an insignificant person from the lower realms, all alone. There's no way I could possibly help your Black Feather Merchant Guild, so why are you still helping me like this?"

Ji Ruyan smiled faintly. "Because the person you are willing to risk your life to fight is the Soul Sect, whom I despise the most. Furthermore, I greatly admire your righteous path and noble cause, Young Master."

"Righteous path? Noble cause?" Yun Che gave a self-deprecating smile, then soared into the air. "I told you, this is merely a debt I owe... a debt I must repay!"

His voice faded, and Yun Che's figure vanished into the night.

East of Black Soul City, from high above, mountains snaked endlessly into the distance. As far as the eye could see, the entire range was shrouded in dark gray mist, exuding a heavy, ominous aura. Distant beast roars sent shivers down one's spine, making one hesitant to proceed.

"Black Soul Mountain Range!" Yun Che murmured as he stood before the mountains.

"The Soul Sect is not far from Black Soul City. Three thousand li east of Black Soul City lies a two-thousand-li mountain range known as the Black Soul Mountain Range. Beyond it is the location of the Soul Sect. The Black Soul Mountain Range is an extremely dangerous place, home to countless perilous profound beasts. Especially from dusk until dawn, a very dense gray mist spreads through the mountains, severely limiting the vision and spiritual perception even of Divine Path profound practitioners. The western part of the Black Soul Mountain Range is a common training ground for many profound practitioners seeking experience or opportunities, but only the strong dare to enter; ordinary practitioners would never approach. The eastern part, however, belongs entirely to the Soul Sect. If one rashly enters and is detected by a Soul Sect disciple, the consequences will be utterly tragic. No one dares to go near... You must be extremely careful."

This was the information Ji Ruyan had given him about the Black Soul Mountain Range.

Facing the formidable Soul Sect, Yun Che was as insignificant as a pebble beneath a mountain; a direct confrontation was absolutely, utterly impossible... Yet, he also had his own reliance.

"Soul Sect, prepare to face the wrath of a nobody!" Yun Che gritted his teeth and growled darkly.

Yun Che descended from the air and entered the Black Soul Mountain Range on foot. Though filled with hatred, he knew exactly what he was doing and had to proceed with extreme caution. The slightest misstep would mean seeking death. At the very least, he needed to get a general understanding of the environment, which would also make it easier to escape if danger arose.

As it was daytime, there was no thick mist in the Black Soul Mountain Range, but the moment he stepped in, a palpable sense of gloom could be felt. Yun Che pressed deeper in a straight line. Profound practitioners with varying attire and auras were visible everywhere. Ji Ruyan was right; only extraordinary profound practitioners dared to enter the Black Soul Mountain Range. Among the people Yun Che encountered, none had profound energy below the Divine Soul Realm, and he occasionally met powerful individuals at the Divine Tribulation Realm. Furthermore, all of them were traveling in pairs or even groups; he did not encounter anyone as solitary as himself.

Although it was still only the edge of the mountain range, the roaming profound beasts were already far more numerous than humans.

After obtaining the Royal Wood Spirit Orb given by He Ling, Yun Che's vision, hearing, and smell were far superior to before; he could even clearly sense the breathing of plants. Wherever his gaze landed, he could accurately name and identify the characteristics of every flower, grass, and tree without exception.

Avoiding the auras of profound beasts, Yun Che scanned the surrounding terrain while slowly but steadily venturing deeper into the Black Soul Mountain Range. As he approached the Soul Sect step by step, his gaze grew increasingly grim. At that moment, his eyebrow twitched slightly.

Hiss!! A black-lined snake suddenly shot out from a crack in a dead tree to his right. Simultaneously, another similar aura prepared to strike from his left. Yun Che swiftly reached out, grabbing the black-lined snake at its vulnerable seven-inch mark. A slight release of profound energy shattered its internal organs... In the very same instant, the second black-lined snake lunged like lightning towards his neck.

"Watch out behind you!!" Just as the voice rang out, a jade sword flew past, piercing the airborne black-lined snake with absolute precision. The sword then executed a graceful turn in the air, returning with a chilling sword qi, while the black-lined snake split into two. Where its spilled black blood landed, the vegetation instantly turned pitch black, a shocking sight.

Yun Che: "..."

The one who had thrown the flying sword was a slender man in dark robes. Accompanying him were a tall man in similar attire and a beautiful young woman who was clearly much younger than them. Judging by their auras, the slender man who had "saved" him had a slightly higher cultivation, likely Divine Soul Realm Level 3, while the tall man was much stronger, probably Divine Soul Realm Level 5. As for the woman, she was clearly under their protection, with her profound energy only at the mid-Divine Origin Realm. The three clearly belonged to the same sect, and judging by their movements, they likely specialized in swordsmanship.

"Brother, are you alright?" The three approached, and the slender man said, "These are the infamous Black Fiend Snakes of Black Soul Mountain. They're not only cunning and often hunt in groups, but they're also highly venomous. That was truly dangerous just now."

Yun Che nodded, glanced at them, and smiled. "Thank you for your help."

The tall man frowned, clearly annoyed by Yun Che's simple thanks. He let out a faint chuckle and said, "If my junior brother hadn't intervened just now, you'd be dead, and your corpse would be black. You should probably start thinking about how to repay us."

"Haha, brother, my senior brother is just joking," the slender man quickly interjected, trying to smooth things over. "Why are you here alone? How about... we travel together? We can look out for each other. It's truly too dangerous to be alone here."

"Yes, let's travel together!" the woman immediately added. Yun Che's already extraordinary appearance, coupled with his imposing presence and subtle noble aura, easily garnered favor from women. She said proudly, "My name is Gu Xiaolian. This is my senior brother and my third senior brother. They are both incredibly powerful and very famous. You've definitely heard of them."

The tall man curled his lips, a look of undisguised arrogance on his face.

"No need," Yun Che said, and without another word, he turned and walked away.

"Hmph, this kid," the tall man sneered disdainfully.

"Third Senior Brother, what's his cultivation level? Is he also in the Divine Soul Realm?" Gu Xiaolian asked curiously.

The slender man replied, "Yes, Divine Soul Realm Level 2."

"Oh, how powerful," Gu Xiaolian blinked. "And I feel like he's around my age... maybe even younger."

"How could that be!" the tall man scoffed. "A Divine Soul Realm practitioner around thirty? Even the Soul Sect barely has any. Him? However, if he's under sixty, then he could indeed be called a genius. Unfortunately, he's an idiot to dare come to Black Soul Mountain alone. It's probably his first time, because he won't live to see a second."

"Senior Brother!" Gu Xiaolian was startled and quickly said, "Don't say that, he... he might hear you."

"So what?" the senior brother sneered disdainfully. "Whether he hears it or not, he's still an idiot."

As they spoke, two burly figures wearing identical black robes appeared in their sight. Upon sensing the auras of these two black-robed men, both were startled, and the tall man quickly suppressed his sneer. This was because the black-robed men were clearly exuding auras of the late Divine Soul Realm!

The two black-robed men spotted them at the same time. Their steps immediately slowed, then they exchanged a glance and surprisingly changed direction, heading directly towards the three. Their gaze was unmistakably fixed on Gu Xiaolian.

Noticing their stares, the slender man frantically whispered, "They mean trouble, let's leave quickly."

"Stop!" Just as they turned, a thunderous voice boomed behind them, making their bodies tremble. They dared not make another move.

The three slowly turned around. The slender man bowed and said, "I am Luo Mu of the Jade Sword Sect. May I ask what instructions you have for us, seniors?"

"Jade Sword Sect? What kind of thing is that?" said the black-robed man on the right.

"Hahahaha, who cares what it is? In the eyes of our Soul Sect, it's nothing but a fart. As long as there's entertainment, that's all that matters," the black-robed man on the left laughed wildly.

Soul Sect... These two words struck terror into the three's hearts. At that moment, they also caught sight of the black snake mark on the men's robes. The tall man stammered nervously, "So, it's... it's seniors from the Soul Sect. May I ask, seniors... what are your orders?"

"Orders? Hmph!" The black-robed man on the right suddenly darkened his expression. "You people have some nerve, daring to trespass on our Soul Sect's territory! Don't you know that the entire Black Soul Mountain belongs to our Soul Sect?"

"This... this..." the slender man stammered, flustered. "This junior would never dare, it's just... this junior has always known that only the area east of Black Soul Mountain belongs to your esteemed sect, while the western part..."

"Nonsense!" the black-robed man roared. "Since it's called Black Soul Mountain, then of course it belongs to our Black Soul Divine Sect! Not only did you trespass, but you dare to argue. Never mind, our Soul Sect is, after all, the dominant sect of the Black Soul Realm. We should be magnanimous and not bother with ignorant youngsters like you."

The three felt a surge of relief and were about to express their gratitude when the man extended a finger, pointed at Gu Xiaolian, and broke into a repulsive, lewd grin. "Just let us have some fun with this little girl, and we'll overlook your trespassing offense and forgive you. If we're particularly pleased, there might even be a generous reward, hahahahaha!"

The expressions of the two men instantly changed, and Gu Xiaolian's face turned ashen white. She immediately recoiled behind them, trembling with fear. "No... don't..."

"Senior Brother," the slender man's hands clenched tightly, his body shaking. He gritted his teeth and transmitted his voice, "Senior Brother, they're going too far... let's fight!"

"No! Do you want to die?!" the tall man quickly replied. "They're from the Soul Sect, the Soul Sect! And these two have such high profound energy; their status in the Soul Sect must be significant... Don't be rash!"

"Senior Brother, save... save me," Gu Xiaolian pleaded.

"Junior Sister Xiaolian," the senior brother's brow twitched. "They are... seniors from the Soul Sect. We can only... only let you endure this, otherwise... all three of us will die."

"Se... Senior Brother..." Gu Xiaolian froze, her face drained of color. She couldn't believe her ears.

"Hahahaha, good, you're sensible and obedient. Now, you two, hurry up and get lost! Don't tell me you want to join in the fun too?"

"No, no... We'll leave immediately, immediately!" Hearing the word "get lost," the senior brother felt no humiliation; instead, it was as if he'd heard heavenly music. He grabbed the slender man and forcefully pulled him away backwards.

"..." Gu Xiaolian slowly collapsed to the ground, her face etched with despair.

"Hahahaha..." The two black-robed men burst into raucous laughter simultaneously. "Tsk tsk, what a coward. We thought there'd be more entertainment."

Just then, a cold, emotionless voice suddenly echoed behind them: "You two, are you from the Soul Sect?"