Chapter 634: Fishing

In the dark void beyond the domain, a figure appeared. He wore a deep purple robe, his eyes cold as he gazed at the distant Thousand Mountains Star.

“Thousand Mountains Star,” the Master of Ghost Ink murmured.

He had always dreamed of entering the legendary ‘Demon Mountain,’ so upon hearing the news, he immediately rushed to Thousand Mountains Star.

“Is it true, as rumored, that Dongning, a Six-Tribulation Realm cultivator, still managed to enter the Demon Mountain?” the Master of Ghost Ink wondered, consumed by eagerness. “If he can enter, I should be able to as well!”

Having cultivated to his current realm, he increasingly felt that the path from the Six-Tribulation Realm to the Seven-Tribulation Realm was truly an insurmountable chasm! The further one progressed in Tribulation Realm cultivation, the greater the disparity in strength, but also the greater the difficulty of breaking through.

As for Six-Tribulation Realm Grand Cultivators, a vast river system might have several.

But what about the Seven-Tribulation Realm? That was a legend!

The Master of Ghost Ink also had aspirations; he, too, desired to reach the Seven-Tribulation Realm.

Whoosh.

The Master of Ghost Ink flew towards Thousand Mountains Star, but suddenly stopped.

Lightning gathered in the surrounding void, coalescing into a white-haired, white-robed man. He smiled as he looked at the Master of Ghost Ink and said, “So it’s the Master of Ghost Ink. This is a remote river system in my Three Bays Galaxy; how is it that the Master of Ghost Ink has come here?”

Meng Chuan’s Thunder Rule Domain was vast enough that he could detect any other living being that intruded upon it.

Ordinary cultivators were one thing, but the Master of Ghost Ink was a Six-Tribulation Realm Grand Cultivator. Meng Chuan was naturally surprised and immediately manifested a primordial spirit avatar.

“City Lord Dongning,” the Master of Ghost Ink said, looking at Meng Chuan, his cold eyes brightening with delight. “You have indeed reached the Six-Tribulation Realm.”

Meng Chuan looked at him.

The Master of Ghost Ink did not have a good reputation. He was known for being ruthless, malicious, and unscrupulous in his methods. Among the Six-Tribulation Realm cultivators in the Cang Alliance Space, his reputation was the worst, so Meng Chuan was naturally wary.

“City Lord Dongning, you’ve reached the Six-Tribulation Realm. Have you entered the Black Mountain Ruins again?” the Master of Ghost Ink asked.

“Yes,” Meng Chuan nodded.

As expected, he came for the Demon Mountain.

“How did you get in? I asked Fusui, and he said it had nothing to do with him, saying you entered the Black Mountain Ruins by your own means.” The Master of Ghost Ink’s voice held a hint of urgency.

“I can enter, but I cannot help others,” Meng Chuan said directly, having guessed the other party’s intent.

The Master of Ghost Ink frowned and asked, “City Lord Dongning, I just want to ask you, how did you get in yourself? Was it through a secret technique, an artifact, or something else?”

“Why should I tell you about such a secret matter?” Meng Chuan looked at him.

Information holds value.

Meng Chuan hadn't even found any information about the Demon Mountain’s existence at the Eternal Tower, and information about becoming an ‘ordinary member of the Demon Mountain’ was even more precious. How could he easily divulge it?

The Master of Ghost Ink persuaded, “Tell me, and I’ll owe you a favor. We are both members of the Cang Alliance; can you not help with such a small matter?”

“I cannot help,” Meng Chuan said calmly.

The Master of Ghost Ink looked at Meng Chuan and nodded. “I was out of line. Let’s discuss this as a transaction. Tell me how you entered the Black Mountain Ruins. For this information, how about thirty thousand units of Outer Domain Primordial Crystals?”

“Not for sale,” Meng Chuan refused.

Meng Chuan himself had not fully grasped the origins of the Demon Mountain.

The berserk forbidden creatures, the various troubles brought by setting foot on the Demon Mountain, and the mysterious voice from its peak… all made Meng Chuan extremely wary. Logically, such a place should not be unknown! Yet he couldn't find any information about it. Meng Chuan was naturally unwilling to spread more information externally.

“Neither for a favor nor for a price?” A cold glint appeared in the Master of Ghost Ink’s eyes.

“If you truly want to buy it, naturally I set the price. Two hundred thousand units, and I’ll give you the detailed information,” Meng Chuan said, looking at him.

“Hmph, hmph, hmph,” the Master of Ghost Ink laughed in exasperation.

Two hundred thousand units?

His accumulated wealth from years of cultivation barely exceeded five hundred thousand units, and much of that consisted of treasures useful for himself. To give up nearly half for a piece of information—was he mad?

“You must have just become a Six-Tribulation Realm cultivator, so you might not be aware,” the Master of Ghost Ink said, looking at him. “I currently follow the Seven-Tribulation Realm Grand Cultivator ‘Ancestor Kylin.’ I’ll give you one more chance: thirty thousand units for your information.”

“Master of Ghost Ink, I will not entertain you further. Furthermore, my Thousand Mountains Star is protected by formidable formations; no unfamiliar Six-Tribulation Realm cultivator is permitted within thirty million li without my permission.” After Meng Chuan finished speaking, his figure vanished directly. He couldn't be bothered to deal with him.

He had even resorted to intimidation.

Meng Chuan was from Cangyuan Realm, and Ancestor Cangyuan had recorded some of the hidden rules of the top powers in the River of Spacetime. Meng Chuan had a clear understanding.

Indeed, many Six-Tribulation Realm cultivators had ‘Seven-Tribulation Realm’ backing.

Looking at the entire River of Spacetime, while Six-Tribulation Realm cultivators were relatively numerous, Seven-Tribulation Realm cultivators were very few, numbering only twenty or thirty in total! Thus, each Seven-Tribulation Realm cultivator was considered a ‘faction,’ and most Six-Tribulation Realm cultivators would rely on a particular faction. With a Seven-Tribulation Realm cultivator and an entire faction backing them, their actions would be smoother, and their cultivation would receive various benefits.

For a Seven-Tribulation Realm Grand Cultivator, Six-Tribulation Realm subordinates were also very important helpers.

In the Master of Ghost Ink’s view, City Lord Dongning, a newly advanced Six-Tribulation Realm cultivator, probably hadn’t fully pledged allegiance to any Seven-Tribulation Realm cultivator and lacked significant backing. Thus, he should lack confidence and could be easily intimidated.

“According to Ancestor Cangyuan, while the Eternal Tower is loose and free, Six-Tribulation Realm members are still rare, and the Eternal Tower cares about the safety of every Six-Tribulation Realm member.” Meng Chuan understood this. Once he successfully transcended his tribulation, he would naturally report to the Eternal Tower, elevate his status within it, and become one of its core members. For a status elevation, the Eternal Tower needed to verify his ‘successful tribulation transcendence.’

“Gone?”

The Master of Ghost Ink was utterly astonished. City Lord Dongning just vanished, leaving him here?

He was a Six-Tribulation Realm Grand Cultivator.

“Good, very good,” the Master of Ghost Ink said, staring at the distant Thousand Mountains Star. No matter how reckless he was, he wouldn’t charge into the other party’s lair to attack; their lair was aided by formations, and going there would be suicide.

“I’ll remember you.” The Master of Ghost Ink was furious but helpless. With a flick of his sleeve, he immediately stepped into the River of Spacetime and departed from the Three Bays Galaxy.

For someone of the Master of Ghost Ink’s character, it was best to turn hostile immediately. If one responded kindly, more trouble would only follow.

In a bamboo forest, before a lake.

A white-haired old man sat there, fishing.

In the lake beneath his fishing hook, various timelines faintly appeared, and images of cultivators flickered within the water, but none were worth catching.

Whoosh.

In the distance, a woman in green robes flew over. After landing, she walked closer, stopping several yards away to respectfully say, “Ancestor World.”

Ancestor World was a terrifying existence whose fame echoed throughout the River of Spacetime.

“Yuxi has arrived,” the white-haired old man said with a smile, glancing at the woman in green.

The woman in green sighed inwardly.

Ancestor World was like a father and a master to her, the greatest being in her eyes. However, he was also nearing the end of his lifespan.

There were only three Primordial Spirit Seven-Tribulation Realm cultivators in the entire River of Spacetime, and Ancestor World was one of them. But even he could not resist time. He could only accept the arrival of his ‘lifespan limit.’

“Ancestor World, you will surely break through to the Eighth-Tribulation Realm,” the woman in green quickly said.

“Eighth-Tribulation Realm?”

The white-haired old man smiled as he looked at the woman in green. The outside world rumored that Ancestor World was close to the Eighth-Tribulation Realm, but only he himself knew that while it seemed close, it was still very far off! He casually waved his hand. “Enough, you may leave.”

“Yes,” the woman in green obediently withdrew.

The white-haired old man sat there, still fishing serenely. In the lake water, countless timelines and figures appeared.

“The latest intelligence from the Cang Alliance states that a Six-Tribulation Realm cultivator has entered the Demon Mountain?” The white-haired old man was somewhat surprised. He himself had joined the Cang Alliance in his youth and was currently its only Seven-Tribulation Realm member.

The Cang Alliance, an incredibly loose organization, yet it had a Seven-Tribulation Realm Grand Cultivator, which gave it considerable fame throughout the River of Spacetime.

Ancestor World’s power was immense. He held partial control over the Cang Alliance Space itself. Everything that happened within the Cang Alliance Space was automatically recorded and regularly transmitted to Ancestor World.

“City Lord Dongning, Meng Chuan, has become a Demon Mountain member?” the white-haired old man mused, as the fishing hook on his rod connected to a certain timeline.

In the lake water, Meng Chuan on Thousand Mountains Star appeared, Meng Chuan in Cangyuan Realm appeared, and Meng Chuan in the Demon Mountain appeared.

“And he’s a Cang Alliance member, just like me.” The white-haired old man gently lifted his fishing rod.

A white-haired, white-robed man directly flew out from the lake water and landed on the ground nearby.

Meng Chuan looked around in a daze. He saw a white-haired old man sitting there holding a fishing rod. The old man appeared ordinary, like a mortal elder, smiling as he looked at Meng Chuan.