Chapter 28: Chapter Twenty-Eight: San Yang Mountain, Gathering of Heroes

Dawn.

Dou Changsheng faced the rising sun.

He sat cross-legged atop a green stone, diligently cultivating the Three Yuan Qi Return Scripture.

This divine skill was of great importance to Dou Changsheng—it was undoubtedly a stroke of fortune; countless scattered cultivators spent their entire lives without ever gaining the chance to practice the Three Yuan Qi Return Scripture.

Even Iron Armor Lion Wang Xiong had labored repeatedly, even risking his life, all to secure a single primordial realm martial art.

Knowing this opportunity was hard-won, Dou Changsheng cherished it deeply.

Since obtaining it, he had trained daily without pause.

The Three Yuan Qi Return Scripture filled the gap in Dou Changsheng’s cultivation, granting him an internal martial core and teaching him how to condense the Five Qi.

The cultivation of Five Qi Converging on the Primordial involves refining the five viscera.

Heart, liver, spleen, lungs, kidneys.

Each completed stage transformed his primordial internal qi once, until it ultimately evolved into primordial true qi.

After a day of intense cultivation, Dou Changsheng felt his primordial internal qi had increased by another thirty percent.

A withered voice spoke: “After days of diligent practice, you have fully adapted to the Three Yuan Qi Return Scripture. You can now control the vast primordial internal qi within you. Given the strength of this scripture, your primordial internal qi is no weaker than ordinary primordial true qi.”

“With such a substantial reservoir of primordial internal qi, you can already defeat ordinary primordial realm martial artists in direct confrontation.”

“But this applies only to ordinary martial artists. If you face a scion of a great sect or noble family, and attempt to overcome a higher realm with a lower one, it will not work.”

“Among the Five Qi, the heart resides in the chest, between the two lungs, above the diaphragm, protected externally by the pericardium. Its shape is round with a pointed base, like an unopened lotus.”

“The sovereign organ—the root of life!”

“Ordinary cultivators follow the principle of starting with the easy and progressing to the difficult. The Three Yuan Qi Return Scripture does the opposite.”

“The first step: cultivate the heart.”

“In the capital, there is a mountain called San Yang Mountain. At its peak lies a clear spring named Qing Yang Spring. Its water is icy, radiating cold that freezes the ground three feet deep—even in the hottest summer, it feels like winter.”

“It is a sacred healing substance, capable of preserving the heart meridian.”

“Each year’s harvest of this water is monopolized by nobles and royalty; even a thousand taels of silver cannot buy a single drop.”

“By my count, this year’s opening of the Qing Yang Spring is near.”

“I have a modest favor to call in—I can secure you one slot. Take this letter, and you may enter San Yang Mountain to compete for the Qing Yang Spring. With this to protect your heart meridian and shield your heart, combined with your vast primordial internal qi, you can complete a transformation of your primordial internal qi in a short time.”

Dou Changsheng looked at the letter floating before him.

He accepted it with both hands solemnly, then carefully tucked it into his robe for safekeeping.

“If you fail to claim the Qing Yang Spring, our connection ends—may each of us find peace.”

The withered voice faded gradually, then vanished entirely. Dou Changsheng scanned the surroundings but saw no trace of its source.

In recent days of cultivation, Dou Changsheng had not only trained hard but also studied extensively the lore of the martial world. He now knew that after the three primordial realms came the Divine Marvel realm.

This too was a major realm; once entered, one could be called a Grandmaster.

Only those possessing extraordinary abilities were termed Divine Marvel.

For example, a Pure Yin Grandmaster could send his yin spirit out of the body, travel a thousand li in a single night, possess bodies, and perform feats so miraculous they seemed like immortal arts.

Without a cultivated spirit or insufficient spiritual intent, even a Grandmaster standing before you would remain invisible—mere flesh and blood could not perceive them.

Such a Grandmaster was personally guiding his cultivation.

This was truly a stroke of fortune. Dou Changsheng rose without delay, seized the Hero Sword, walked to the white horse, untied the reins, mounted, and rode southward straight toward San Yang Mountain.

The northern lands were in constant turmoil—he needed to stay far away.

Dou Changsheng knew this journey to San Yang Mountain was deliberately arranged by the Wang family Grandmaster to pull him out of the vortex.

Yes.

Though Dou Changsheng could not see the face or identify the person, he knew.

Whoever knew the Three Yuan Qi Return Scripture must be a high-ranking member of the Wang family of Xiangzhou.

This figure’s appearance eased Dou Changsheng’s mind—he was certain the Wang family of Xiangzhou bore him no ill will.

With no further worries, and without directly drawing him into Xiangzhou, Dou Changsheng understood: after all, he himself possessed none of the boundless destiny that lay ahead.

In the coming northern conflict, Dou Changsheng would be insignificant, unnoticed by all.

But he himself was too deeply entangled in the northern struggle.

His name was already on the Demon’s list.

The Wang family of Xiangzhou could not openly bring him into Xiangzhou—that was why this figure had appeared through the shadow court’s connections. This veil, though not foolproof, at least ensured that those who saw through it would pretend not to, leaving room for maneuver.

San Yang Mountain, a famed mountain of the world.

Qing Yang Peak was the main peak of San Yang Mountain.

The Qing Yang Spring, as a sacred treasure, drew martial artists flocking like moths to flame.

Even though it produced a fair amount, demand far outstripped supply—each took a little, another took a little—how much remained in the end?

The current master of San Yang Sect now wore a look of deep distress.

His yellowed hand kept stroking his goatee, sometimes pulling so hard he snapped several strands of his carefully trimmed beard. In the past, he would have been heartbroken at such damage—but now he was oblivious.

He held the letter in his hand, his fingers trembling, and finally sighed: “The Qing Yang Spring is about to open. The slots have already been assigned.”

“How can I possibly find another slot?”

The Purple Yang Daoist flicked his dust whisk, and the tea in the cup upon the Eight Immortals table rose into the air, glided gracefully through the sky, and flowed into Purple Yang Daoist’s mouth. After swallowing, he shook his head and said:

“All the assigned slots belong to formidable people.”

“Either scions of nobility or direct heirs of great sects.”

The master of San Yang Sect replied bitterly: “They are hard to provoke—so is the Nine Heavens Cloud Crane.”

“I was blind back then, ever thinking I’d become master of San Yang Sect.”

“Every year I must endure their arrogance.”

Purple Yang Daoist sighed: “Blame it on San Yang Mountain’s proximity to the capital.”

“Nobles walk everywhere. Great sect heirs are everywhere.”

“This is the capital of Jin, the foremost of the four nations. All martial artists of the world must come here to contend with the heroes of the land.”

“Since there are too many slots, let them duel.”

“Whoever loses, leaves—and let Dou Changsheng take his place.”

“Fair contest. Lose, and blame your own weakness. If you resent it, blame the Nine Heavens Cloud Crane.”

The master of San Yang Sect sighed: “I fear they will be cowardly—daring not to hate the Nine Heavens Cloud Crane, but hating us instead.”

“Since he entered the northern lands, the northern region, once erupting like a volcano, has suddenly fallen silent.”

“What power could achieve such a thing? How many in the world possess it?”

“One king died, and another young king arrived.”

“The Wang family of Xiangzhou now has another divine child.”

“This generation, the world’s destiny has been entirely seized by them.”

“What do they want with the Qing Yang Spring? They merely want to make their Wang family divine child famous.”

“If you want to climb the Hero List, go to the capital, to Xianyang, to Linzi, to Jiangdu.”

“Why pick on us?”