Chapter 470: Softness Ascends with the Times

Along the way, one could only see perilous peaks, towering and jagged, piercing the clouds and stabbing the sky.

After being clutched in the giant eagle's talons and spending several quarters of an hour in trepidation, not even daring to draw a full breath, Ge Ji suddenly felt his body lighten, and then he plummeted rapidly from the high sky.

Fortunately, he possessed at least some degree of cultivation, and he hurriedly summoned a dim gray cloud to protect his body mid-air, which prevented him from crawling about in a mess or appearing even more wretched upon landing.

The gale whistled and blew, and the blue-white clouds drifting above were as soft as cotton, seemingly within reach, rolling about with the wind.

Ge Ji looked around in terror, only then realizing he had been brought to a thousand-zhang perilous peak. All around, he could only see thousands of emerald mountains and cliffs as if carved by a blade; even the cries of apes and birds from the deep forests could barely reach his ears. When he tried to look down, the mist was dense and chilling, making his hair stand on end.

He did not know the giant eagle's intention in bringing him to such a remote and inaccessible height.

Although he knew that such birds of prey, after catching fresh meat, often brought it to a great height to drop and kill it before slowly pecking and tearing at the flesh,

that was merely the behavior of ordinary hawks and falcons, done to conserve energy and the like.

Yet this creature, which could easily slaughter Feng Lian and shatter refined iron with a single shake of its wing, was clearly a powerful Great Demon. It perhaps even possessed an extraordinary background, so it naturally did not need to go through such troublesome efforts.

Come to think of it, Feng Lian had also died due to his own arrogance. If he hadn't drawn his bow to fire that arrow, he might have preserved his life and remained safe.

It was precisely because his hands were itchy that he had miserably thrown away his wealthy life; this was truly an absurd ending that Ge Ji had never anticipated.

Now, as Ge Ji's thoughts turned rapidly, desperately pondering how to find a way to survive,

the giant eagle in the sky suddenly swirled its body, and a handsome, refined Daoist in black robes appeared out of thin air, also landing on the peak with his hands behind his back.

The man was surrounded by light and clouds, his entire being luminous, resembling a celestial traveler from a heavenly palace, his presence overwhelming.

Upon seeing this, Ge Ji first felt as if facing a formidable enemy, and then he could not help but feel ashamed of his own inferiority.

"Not a Great Demon, but a cultivator of the Immortal Dao? Looking across the four continents, I fear only the Heaven Pool Sect could produce such a figure. But the Heaven Pool Sect's Daoist child does not look like this, and isn't the Liyang Continent currently fighting the Southern Sky Demon Kingdom again? If he truly is a Heaven Pool Sect cultivator..."

Although various doubts surged into his mind in an instant, Ge Ji's movements were not slow in the slightest. He hurriedly pushed his hands against the ground and performed a deep bow, his demeanor respectful.

Chen Hang looked at him and said:

"It seems you have guessed something?"

Ge Ji did not raise his head upon hearing this. He carefully weighed his words before cautiously saying:

"Since the Senior is neither a demon nor a monster, and has mercifully spared my lowly life, although I am dull-witted, in this situation, I have come to understand a few things.

I will not hide it from you, Senior. My name is Ge Ji, and I am the son of Marquis Ge of the Yucang Demon Kingdom. Although I am usually

not valued by the Marquis's mansion due to my birth, I am, after all, a son of the nobility and know many hidden secrets. If the Senior has any questions, I will certainly tell you everything I know without reservation!"

After expressing his loyalty without hesitation, Ge Ji hesitated for a moment before helplessly blurting out the truth:

"However, if it concerns the war between the Heaven Pool Sect and the Southern Sky Demon Kingdom, then I am powerless to help.

Regarding such major events of victory and defeat, although there are a few powers in the Mouwu Continent that certainly know the truth and are even fanning the flames behind the scenes, my family's status is far from enough to enter the game; we can only watch the excitement from afar..."

After saying this, Ge Ji swallowed hard, feeling somewhat uneasy.

Chen Hang pointed a finger, and in Ge Ji's terrified sight, the Abin sword suddenly transformed into a streak of red light and flew out, hiding in the sea of clouds to guard the surroundings.

"Exactly, exactly! Although this is a desolate place and others can hardly find it, one should still be on guard!"

Ge Ji tremblingly touched his neck, and seeing his head was still secure, he could not help but beam with joy and let out a long sigh of relief.

"Let us first talk about the major powers of the Mouwu Continent and this Yucang Demon Kingdom you mentioned."

Chen Hang found a flat blue stone, sat cross-legged, and said to Ge Ji.

The Yucang Demon Kingdom, the Qiaoshan Sect, and the Panming Palace.

After experiencing various calamities, the current Mouwu Continent is jointly dominated by these three major powers.

Whether it is the trillions of living beings or the infinite mountains, rivers, and lakes, everything is under the rule of these three!

Among them, the founding monarch of the Yucang Demon Kingdom was an ape demon who achieved the Dao. The princes and nobles in the kingdom are also mostly true demons. Although there are demons and ghosts mixed in, there were several rebellions due to dissatisfaction with the demons' esteemed status, resulting in rivers of blood.

But the rulers have always been the Ape Clan from beginning to end, never wavering. Calling it a Demon Kingdom is quite appropriate.

The direct descendants of the Qiaoshan Sect are a group of corpse demons. This group not only worships the Ponuo Temple of the Wuxiang Heaven as their supreme sect, gaining a great backer, but also absorbed many demonic cultivators and heterodox paths during several extraterrestrial invasions to enrich their foundation.

The various Daoist traditions within this sect are mixed, which can be described as a hundred flowers blooming, but the factional struggles are also the most intense, even more dangerous than the situation in the Yucang Demon Kingdom.

As for the final Panming Palace, it is ruled by Heavenly Demons.

Legend has it that the several palace masters of the Panming Palace were all born as Heavenly Demons. Their ancestors once flourished in the Faxi Continent, but later, after being defeated in struggles and infighting, they crossed the vast sea to reach the Mouwu Continent and completely took root there.

In terms of strength, among the three, the Qiaoshan Sect is naturally the most powerful.

Since this sect latched onto the Ponuo Temple, its strength has advanced by leaps and bounds. In just a hundred years, the territory under its jurisdiction has increased by nearly thirty percent, forcing the Yucang Demon Kingdom and the Panming Palace to spit out quite a few

benefits.

Later, due to the pressure of the situation, the Demon Kingdom and the Panming Palace rarely set aside old grudges and formed an alliance.

The latter even brought over Demon Gods from the Faxi Continent to hold the line, which finally curbed the Qiaoshan Sect's momentum and restrained some of its arrogance.

And this truly proves that the Panming Palace has a deep connection with the Heavenly Demon royal family entrenched in the Faxi Continent; in fact, many years ago, they originated from the same source...

At this time, after speaking at length, seeing Chen Hang nod slightly, Ge Ji felt as if he had been granted amnesty.

But the next moment, when asked about his family background, Ge Ji's expression could not help but become somewhat awkward.

"To tell you the truth, my father was once a disciple of the Qiaoshan Sect. Because he was not favored by his teachers and had no hope of learning the Dao, he risked stealing a Daoist book and fled to the Yucang Demon Kingdom with a few brothers.

Later, he performed great meritorious service in the military, which is why he was granted the title of Marquis in the Demon Kingdom as a human, enjoying glory and wealth.

As for me... I presume the Senior has already seen that I am not of pure human body; I have half the blood of a Heavenly Demon." Ge Ji shook his head and said.

From Ge Ji's words, it could be seen that his father, Marquis Ge, had risen step by step in this alien Demon Kingdom with a mortal body, which was truly an anomaly.

That Ge Ji was clearly Marquis Ge's offspring, yet he was not favored by his father; in the final analysis, it fell upon his mother.

"Meaning your mother was of Heavenly Demon origin? Back then, because she valued your father's talent and appearance, she forcibly kept him by her side. After a few years, when she became pregnant, she released your father and even made him raise the child, ignoring them completely?

Heh, the way these demons act is truly entirely based on their own whims; it is bizarre!"

After Ge Ji finished speaking, Chen Hang raised an eyebrow but did not speak.

The Five Qi Qiankun Circle, which had been watching the excitement from the side, could not help but jump up, shouting and screaming.

Ge Ji was first startled by this artifact spirit that suddenly popped out, and then, seeing the Five Qi Qiankun Circle speaking loudly, he subconsciously panicked.

Looking left and right and seeing that the place was remote and there was no need to worry about being overheard, he felt slightly relieved.

"It is not that she ignored us completely. I have an older sister who, because she activated the complete Heavenly Demon bloodline in her childhood, shed her human body. Soon, she was taken away by the family generals sent by my mother, and even my father could not stop her.

As for me, I did not have such good fortune..." Ge Ji helplessly defended himself.

Chen Hang was noncommittal, his thoughts turning to another matter.

Yucang Demon Kingdom, Qiaoshan Sect, Panming Palace—

Although he did not know if the Huiying Mountain mentioned by the Kongkong Daoist was in the Mouwu Continent.

But if there were any place on this continent most likely to know the information about this mountain, it would be these three.

"If I want to obtain the landscape maps of these three, although it is not as difficult as ascending to heaven, I should plan carefully to ensure nothing goes wrong.

Then this identity should also be changed again..." Chen Hang pondered.

Seeing Chen Hang suddenly lost in thought and silent, Ge Ji, who was carefully dealing with the Five Qi Qiankun Circle, felt a sense of foreboding, his heart skipping a beat.

Because of his background, he had not been favored by his father since childhood. Although he had clansmen to look after him, it was hard to avoid developing a cowardly temperament.

Just like before, because he had unintentionally offended Feng Lian during a beast fight, knowing that Feng Lian's invitation to hunt today was not well-intentioned, but knowing no one would stand up for him, Ge Ji had helplessly come to the appointment and was then captured by Chen Hang.

At this moment, in fear, he felt that Chen Hang intended to kill him to silence him. Just as he was about to kowtow and beg for mercy, a gaze fell upon him.

"Then have you ever heard of Huiying Mountain?" Chen Hang asked.

"Huiying Mountain?"

Ge Ji struggled to ponder for a long time but could not find this name in his mind.

Just as he was about to shake his head in trepidation, a flash of inspiration suddenly struck him, and he could not help but slap his palm hard, almost jumping up.

"I was wondering what it was; isn't this the old name for Yuhu Mountain? The name of this mountain has been changed several times, and even the name Yuhu has only been established and spread for a few thousand years. If I didn't have anywhere else to go and usually hid in the library, an ordinary person would be completely confused!"

Ge Ji had just finished saying this happily when he suddenly seemed to think of something and hesitated to speak.

Since Chen Hang had specifically asked about this Huiying Mountain, he must also want to enter it.

But today is different from the past; the current Huiying Mountain, or Yuhu Mountain, has become the fief of Prince Yong in the Yucang Demon Kingdom. Because Yuhu Mountain produces a type of spirit grass called Yuanzuo, Prince Yong had long ago ordered the mountain to be sealed so as not to disturb the earth's energy.

If outsiders want to trespass, not to mention that it is difficult to break the mountain-guarding array, just by accidentally causing some commotion, the patrolling demon cultivators would rush over to arrest them.

When Ge Ji carefully voiced this concern, fearing that Chen Hang might be displeased, he hurriedly added:

"However, this mountain sealing only applies to ordinary cultivators. If it is Prince Yong's relatives, old friends, or those big figures with real backgrounds who come to visit, the so-called mountain sealing is just a mere formality.

And Yuanzuo grass is a rare external medicine. If it were before, it would be easy to say; Prince Yong's mansion was in the height of favor and could naturally deter those inside and outside. But since that palace coup, Prince Yong's mansion's momentum is not as good as before. To reduce jealousy, every hundred years, Prince Yong will order the stewards below to open the array restrictions to allow outside cultivators to pay money and goods to enter the mountain to pick the grass."

At this point, Ge Ji counted on his fingers, and there should be forty-seven years until the next mountain opening.

For cultivators, these forty-seven years are not long, but they are not short either.

But Chen Hang just shook his head secretly upon hearing this. He would certainly not wait bitterly in this Mouwu Continent for forty-seven years. Since that was the case, he could only make a fuss about the former.

"Although my cultivation is shallow, before coming to Hongjing, I still cast

a few hexagrams for myself, barely obtaining a lucky hexagram of 'Wind moves on the earth, softness ascends with the times'."

Chen Hang pointed a finger, and a ball of precious light flew out of thin air toward Ge Ji. He smiled and said:

"And I have only just arrived in the Mouwu Continent, yet I can meet you, Ge Jun, to solve my doubts. Isn't this exactly corresponding to the lucky hexagram?"

Ge Ji was somewhat at a loss upon hearing this.

After he reached out and caught the ball of precious light under Chen Hang's signal, he looked closely and saw that it was a gorgeous brocade pouch, filled to the brim, its brilliant light dazzling the eyes.

"This..."

Ge Ji's body trembled, and he could barely hold the object in his hand, his mind going blank for a moment.

Chen Hang's voice also came at the right time: "A small token of gratitude, I hope you will not despise it. However, this matter concerns my grand plan, so I fear I must wrong you for a while, Ge Jun."

After Ge Ji was stunned for a long time, he collected his thoughts. Seeing Chen Hang being so polite, he inexplicably felt a sense of being flattered.

Seeing that it was difficult to refuse, and remembering the various cold receptions and ridicule he had received in the Marquis's mansion, he finally hardened his heart and signed the Dharma contract.

After signing the Dharma contract, although he had to be restrained by Chen Hang, he had at least saved his life.

Ge Ji felt a sense of relief, his mind becoming much more active, and he began to ponder Chen Hang's intentions.

"If I want to enter that Huiying Mountain quickly, who should I seek out? Prince Jing or Duke Leyang?"

Ge Ji pondered.

A few days later, Yucang Demon Kingdom, Gongyan County.

Surrounded by mountains, the smoke and waves are leisurely—

A large lake of emerald color spread out before his eyes, making it difficult to see the edge at a glance. This is a famous lake in Gongyan County, always with magnificent scenery. On the shore of the lake, there are dense camps of all sizes, with tall armored soldiers guarding back and forth everywhere.

Demon energy rolled, and the evil energy rushed into the sky like a dragon or python. Even from a great distance, one could sense the fierce and murderous intent in the camps, making one's heart tremble.

"..."

At this moment, on a large mountain shaped like a sharp cone, although he was the one who personally suggested coming here to Chen Hang, seeing this spectacle from afar, Ge Ji's legs were already somewhat weak, and he almost wanted to turn around and run.

"Senior, please listen. The one in this camp should be the seventh son of Duke Leyang. We—"

Just as Ge Ji barely gathered his thoughts, before he could say a few words, Chen Hang's gaze beside him suddenly became stern. He looked toward a certain place, paused for a moment, and then said indifferently:

"I didn't expect that in such a place, I could actually run into fellow Daoists from the Eight Sects and Six Schools.

However, you have been following since yesterday, and now you have even pressed close to here. I didn't point out your hiding place, so you really thought you could deceive my eyes and ears?"

"There is someone else?!" Ge Ji was terrified.

He looked in the direction of Chen Hang's gaze, trying hard to exert his spirit, but he only saw an empty expanse.

Chen Hang flicked his finger lightly, and a sharp sword light shot out rapidly. Only then did a

ball of bright red blood jump out in the void, and in an instant, it was slashed into two.

After being slashed into two, the blood seemed to be unharmed, sizzling and making a sound, pungent to the nose, and continued to squeeze toward Chen Hang from left and right, only to be caught up and slashed by the sword light that had also split into two.

Two became four, four became eight, eight became sixteen...

The blood seemed to have no fear of exhaustion or damage, and soon it split into hundreds. The sword light also did the same, adapting to the situation and evolving accordingly.

In the blink of an eye, it seemed as if the sky was full of blood shadows and flickering sword light, leaving Ge Ji dazzled and unable to speak.

And soon, the two seemed to have a tacit understanding and stopped at the same time.

The sword light vanished in an instant, and at the same time, the hundred or so blood shadows merged back into a ball of blood the size of a fist, hanging silently in the air, motionless.

"As expected of a true disciple of Yuchen, you really have some tricks. So, the fact that you were able to slash off one of Yuan Shi's divine descent bodies in the Ganliu Medicine Garden back then was not just a matter of luck?"

After a moment, a voice sounded leisurely from the blood light:

"I am Lu Rong, a true disciple of the Blood River Sect and master of Rongyi Mountain. True Person Chen Hang, I have long admired your great name." ===== CHAPTER 471 =====