The carriage had traveled through the forest for a month and a half. The Dragon Ridge Mountains, although old, wasn’t considered a major range. People often crossed it on their way from Skyluan Region to the Ninelands Region.
There weren’t many powerful beasts inside, and so, one morning after the long journey, a gentle spring breeze blew, the sky was clear and sunny, and the wind softly rustled around them. The group had finally reached the far end of the Dragon Ridge Mountains.
“Young Master Xu, we’re almost at the Ninelands Region,” Cai Yue softly woke Xu Zimo and said,
“Once we get over that mountain ahead, we’ll reach Black Demon City. That city is within Ninelands.”“That was fast,” Xu Zimo stretched and looked at the skyline in the distance.
The mountain ahead was pure white. But unlike snowy mountains, this white looked more like floating clouds, light and ethereal. The mountaintop was shrouded in mist. Among all the peaks in Dragon Ridge, this one stood out and felt special.
In the month and a half of training, Xu Zimo had only mastered about half of his body’s strength.
Even though he was already at the peak of the Divine Vein Realm, he found the Heaven-Shattering God-Scripture to give him a much deeper control over power. This changed how he viewed the so-called Ten Primordial God-Scriptures.Once he mastered his entire body’s power, he planned to begin forming Power Vortexes.
Due to the steep slope, the group left the carriage at the base and prepared to climb on foot. Cai Yue chose to climb with everyone else.
“Young Master Xu, we want to cross this peak before nightfall and rest in Black Demon City,” Cai Yue said to him.
“Alright, let’s move faster,” Xu Zimo nodded.
…
At the mountain’s base, they found a staircase made of white jade.
It wound upward all the way to the peak.
Each step was built from solid jade and had clearly aged.
Some were cracked, and fallen flower petals had been crushed into smudges.
At the base of the stairs was a square white jade incense altar.
It held thick ashes and gave off a faint pleasant scent.
Carved into the altar were the words:
“Black Demon Temple Merit Altar.”
“There’s a temple up there?” Xu Zimo looked at Cai Yue and asked.
He had never been to the Skyluan Region before and didn’t know much about it.
“I don’t know either. My father brought me to Ninelands when I was little, but I was too young to remember much,” Cai Yue said, shaking her head. “I’m not familiar with Ninelands either.”
“Then let’s go take a look. We have to pass it anyway,” Xu Zimo said.
He didn’t count the number of steps, but the staircase stretched all the way to the peak. Because of the steep terrain, the stairs helped a lot.
As they climbed, Xu Zimo noticed many stone statues on either side of the stairs. But they weren’t the typical figures seen in Daoist temples, not saints or ancestral masters. They were statues of demons, ugly and menacing.
The group climbed the stairs all day. By afternoon, they finally reached the top of the mountain.
Climb the icy path to the east,
Sunset fires blaze to the west.Heaven is just one step away,While the mortal world lies ten thousand years below.As they reached the summit, someone nearby softly recited that verse.
Xu Zimo looked over and saw a young boy in Daoist robes walking toward them, struggling to carry a large bundle of firewood. He wiped his sweat and approached the group with a smile.
“Are you fellow cultivators here to visit the Black Demon Temple?” he asked.
“We’re headed to Ninelands, just passing by,” Xu Zimo replied.
“If you have time, you’re welcome to visit our temple,” the boy said. “Our master always teaches us to make friends with people from all walks of life.”
“Sure,” Xu Zimo smiled.
He turned to Cai Yue and the others. “What about you? Want to check out the temple or keep heading to the city?”
“Little Daoist, is Black Demon City related to your temple?” Cai Yue asked curiously.
“Long ago, Black Demons caused chaos in this land,” the boy explained. “Our founding master renamed this temple ‘Black Demon Temple’ to show we’d fight the demons to the end. After many years, we finally defeated the demons. To thank us, the people named the city after our temple, Black Demon City.”
“So that’s the story,” Cai Yue nodded. “Alright, I’ll go take a look too.”
“Please follow me,” the boy smiled and lifted the bundle of firewood again, leading the way.
Xu Zimo could tell the boy was an ordinary person with no cultivation. Otherwise, carrying such a small load wouldn’t have been so hard.
…
The mountaintop was quite spacious. After walking for over ten minutes, the group saw the temple.
It was large, taking up half the mountain, but appeared old and a bit rundown. Two lush bodhi trees stood on either side of the gate. The red outer walls were faded but still intact, showing their age.
The main gate was black and white, newly renovated and imposing.
“Please come in,” the boy said as he pushed open the temple doors politely.
Xu Zimo and the group followed inside. The temple stretched far, with no end in sight. Inside were many smaller temples lined up, and the place felt empty.
A temple this size should’ve been bustling, but there was no trace of spiritforce, it felt like an ordinary mortal temple.
“Not many people come here, do they?” Cai Yue asked.
“No,” the boy admitted, “our temple actually doesn’t allow outsiders. I’ve never left the mountain. I was just curious about the outside world, so I secretly brought you in.”
“That’s not really okay, is it?” Cai Yue said to Xu Zimo. “If your temple doesn’t welcome outsiders, maybe we should go.”
“Please don’t,” the boy begged. “Can’t you tell me some stories about the outside world? Oh, and our temple’s founder is really powerful. He almost always grants wishes. If you offer prayers, your future will definitely be smooth.”
Xu Zimo looked around. This peaceful and ordinary temple gave him an odd feeling, like something was brewing beneath the calm, like a storm about to break.
“Come on, hurry inside. If someone finds out I brought you, I’ll be in big trouble,” the boy urged.