Chapter 219

"Believe me or not!"

He Pingsheng ignored her, turned away, and left Jin Lan behind as he walked on.

Jin Lan, dressed in a red short skirt exposing most of her skin, hurried after him, saying: "Alright, alright, I won't ask that question anymore!"

"How about we make a deal?"

He Pingsheng looked at her face, then slowly lowered his gaze, and replied: "Not interested!"

He walked off again.

Jin Lan was furious.

She kept running to catch up, saying: "Damn it, what do you think I am? That's not what I meant!"

"Stop right there!"

"I'm being serious!"

He Pingsheng showed no sign of stopping.

Jin Lan waved her hand, and her clothes transformed into the blue Daoist robe she had worn before.

She changed back because it was easier for travel.

"Wait, wait…" Jin Lan walked over and grabbed He Pingsheng's Daoist robe, saying: "Let me finish! You've misunderstood!"

He Pingsheng stopped again.

Jin Lan took a deep breath, her eyes no longer seductive but clear, and said: "I'll tell you the truth—I was sent by Lord Longyuan to capture you and take you out!"

He Pingsheng said nothing.

Jin Lan continued: "I know I can't catch you, and I have no power to take you away!"

"But you can't escape no matter what!"

"Not long now—soon the entire area around Divine General Mountain will be filled with imperial forces!"

"By then, trying to flee will be as hard as climbing to heaven!"

"Besides, Lord Longyuan is a Nascent Soul cultivator with immense spiritual sense!"

"How do you think you can escape?"

Indeed.

At least for now, He Pingsheng had no way to escape.

"Keep talking," He Pingsheng thought—if this woman said so much, she must have an agenda.

Maybe he could extract more information?

"You're doomed!" Jin Lan went on: "The current Qi royal family is greedy, stingy, and jealous of talent!"

"They don't seek expansion or external struggle—they only think of securing their throne!"

"What do you think will happen if you, a great destiny bearer, fall into their hands?"

Before He Pingsheng could guess, Jin Lan answered herself: "They'll drain your destiny dry, then kill you!"

"I'm not exaggerating!"

Jin Lan's clear eyes fixed on He Pingsheng, showing utter sincerity: "But I have a way to save you!"

He Pingsheng naturally didn't believe her lies; he replied lazily: "Nothing in this world is free. I'm no kin or ally to you—why would you help me?"

Jin Lan said: "Of course I won't help you for nothing!"

"Let's make a deal!"

"Deal?" He Pingsheng asked. "What kind of deal?"

Jin Lan shook her head: "Can't say yet… Let's go to Divine General Mountain first!"

"Prove to me you're a child of heaven, a true great destiny bearer!"

"Only then will I help you!"

"Otherwise, you have no right to make a deal with me!"

"Lord Longyuan may think you're a great destiny bearer—but what he thinks isn't necessarily right!"

Boom…

The next moment, a giant bat soared into the sky.

Jin Lan leapt onto its back: "Little brother, get on—sister'll take you to Divine General Mountain!"

He Pingsheng had no better option; he jumped onto the bat.

The giant bat flapped its fleshy wings and shot upward swiftly.

Less than half an hour later, they landed at the foot of a mountain peak.

Divine General Mountain!

Looking up, the peak pierced the heavens, encircled by three layers of white clouds.

Faintly visible, sometimes the summit vanished, sometimes the wind scattered the clouds above, revealing just a glimpse of the peak.

"Why not fly straight up?" He Pingsheng asked Jin Lan.

Jin Lan shook her head: "Can't. This peak holds the relics left by the founding Divine General of Qi. Though not his burial site, his aura still lingers here!"

"Any disciple coming here seeking opportunity must climb on foot—to show respect!"

He Pingsheng nodded.

If that's the case, then climb they would.

After all, both were Foundation Establishment cultivators with ample physical strength and spiritual power.

Climbing bare-handed would take no more than half an hour.

From afar, the peak looked thin and tall, its sides nearly vertical cliffs.

But once atop, they found the summit was vast.

It spanned ten thousand zhang.

Roughly thirty to forty li wide and long.

He Pingsheng said: "This whole mountain feels like a giant spear!"

"Exactly!" Jin Lan's gaze swept the surroundings: "Some once suspected this mountain was forged from the Divine General's weapon, seeking ways to refine it!"

"Too bad—only Foundation Establishment disciples come here, none with the power to refine such a divine weapon!"

"Everyone in the world suspects this mountain is a spear!"

"But no one can take it away!"

"Hehehe…"

"Look over there…" Jin Lan nodded toward the distance.

He Pingsheng followed her gaze; through the mist, ancient trees stood gnarled and weathered, like sentinels on the ridge.

On the flat summit, cultivators occasionally flew past.

Others had arrived ahead of them.

"Let's go… right in the center of this mountain is what we're after!"

The two walked side by side for about half the time of an incense stick, then saw a massive black energy barrier.

The black barrier hung like an inverted bowl over the earth, its surface shimmering with talismanic patterns.

It was a formation.

Or rather, a seal.

Beneath the black barrier, hundreds of cultivators walked and touched the surface, hoping to enter.

Jin Lan said: "This is a barrier—not everyone can enter."

Only those who enter may gain the qualification to comprehend the intent of the spear.

"Each time Divine General Mountain opens, thousands of cultivators come—but fewer than ten ever enter this barrier."

"Sometimes more—seven or eight."

"Sometimes less—even no one at all."

He Pingsheng knew little of Divine General Mountain; he frowned: "That doesn't make sense. I heard enlightenment takes years of cultivation!"

"Even if we enter, just one month—how could we possibly comprehend spear intent?"

Jin Lan stared at him, then smiled: "You misunderstand… you don't attain enlightenment here."

"The Divine General's spear intent is vast and overwhelming, contained by this massive barrier, slowly coalescing into something called 【Spear Intent Crystals】."

"Everyone who enters here is searching for Spear Intent Crystals."

"Once you obtain one, return home and meditate on the crystal—you'll naturally comprehend the spear intent over time."

"Of course, these things aren't easy to find."