Chapter 163 – Luo Shen Mountain
At the beginning, Qinghan hunkered with half-closed eyes, pretending to doze off. Because he was so embarrassed to sit with Qingwu and her grandfather, so he figured out silence would be the best policy. Yet, when Ye Qingniu mentioned the Luo Shen Mountain, Qinghan opened his eyes, which were filled with curiosity. Instead of acting absentmindedly, he strained his ears, hoping not to miss any detail.
To Qinghan, the Luo Shen Mountain was a place he felt both familiar and strange with. Obviously, this was the very place where his father had been assassinated by four upper-level Demonic Kings, when he had ventured there alone. Although the Ye Family immediately came to his help, once they received the reports from the scouts, when they arrived, however, his father was already nearly dead. By the time his father was carried home, he only groaned out several words, before he passed away.
Since Qinghan was a child, he was told of his father’s story time and time again, yet he had never had a chance to explore this frequently-mentioned Luo Shen Mountain. Now, since Elder Qingniu had the mood to talk about it, Qinghan grasped this opportunity to inquire more about it, “Elder Qingniu, why are there so many treasures in the Luo Shen Mountain? Just now, you mentioned there are even Immortal-level items? I thought that a saint-level item is already a super treasure. What kind of special function will Immortal-level items manifest? Oh, sorry, one more question, why do we have to wait another five years, before we can venture on this mountain?”
“Yeah, grandpa, I share the same confusion with Qinghan. Would you please take us to the mountain when we get close to it? I’ve heard that the Luo Shen Mountain is founded by an ancient Giant Immortal, isn’t it? Oh, it’s also said, that the number of treasures there is countless! Come on, grandpa, tell us more. You know, it’s boring just sitting here silently.” Qingwu interrupted naughtily. In front of her grandfather, she couldn’t show any intimacy with Qinghan, in case Elder Qingniu would raise suspicion. That was why she said that she was bored.
“Errr… Alright, since I’ve nothing special to do right now, I’ll tell you something about this mysterious mountain. After all, you have to get yourselves familiar with this mountain if you really decide to go on the Heaven Path five years later. Ok, strictly speaking, Luo Shen Mountain isn’t even a mountain at all. Rather, it’s a channel to connect different turbulent flowing spaces!” Elder Qingniu stroked Qingwu’s hair and explained patiently.
“Not even a mountain? It’s a channel? What are flowing spaces by the way?” Qinghan was completely captured by the fancy new stuff, and he couldn’t help but wanting to get to know as much as possible about it.
“The flowing spaces… Errr… I’ll let you know more after you break into the Realm of the Emperor. Kids, just listen carefully and don’t disrupt me, alright? Plus, sometimes it’s beyond my knowledge to explain it in details, because all of these legends are inherited by our ancestors.” Elder Qingniu shook his head, and refused to answer Qinghan’s questions.
“A long, long time ago, approximately 100,000 years, a super powerful immortal emerged. Unfortunately, this mighty immortal got severely injured one day, and he hid all of his treasures he owned in his lifetime in a place named the Soul Emperor Pavilion. Among various flowing spaces, he designed a plethora of Little Immortal Pavilions, as well as the channels bridging between these places. As for the cultivators living in the Material Space, every ten years, they’re allowed to go in the mountain to find treasures. If anyone is lucky enough to obtain the most valued item in a Small Immortal Pavilion, he or she, after becoming an immortal, will be given the privilege to enter the Soul Emperor Pavilion to obtain the ancient legacy!”
Looking at the bewildered faces of both Qinghan and Qingwu, who acted as if they were listening to a fantasy story, Elder Qingniu laughed out. When he was a young man, and was first told of the truth of the Luo Shen Mountain, he had had exactly the same perplexed expression as these two youngsters. Therefore, he stopped in the middle, giving the two kids more time to digest the shocking content.
“Luckily, in our Flaming Dragon Space, that is the Flaming Dragon Continent, there exists a Small Immortal Pavilion, and the Luo Shen Mountain is its channel! However, only those in or above the Realm of the Emperor can enter. In other words, those below the Realm of the Emperor will definitely die inside it, if they dare to ignore this criterion.”
Hardly had Elder Qingniu finished these words, or both Qinghan and Qingwu glanced at each other, as they were shocked and speechless. At the same time, they both felt they were but a frog in the well, not knowing the vastness of the possibilities in this world. Before hearing this enlightening speech from Elder Qingniu, they had considered themselves visionary and knowledgeable; never had they thought so deeply about the Flaming Dragon Continent. What Elder Qingniu illustrated, nevertheless, was just showing the tip of an iceberg…
“Is the Luo Shen Mountain dangerous?” Qingwu patted on her chest, trying to slow down her palpitating heartbeat due to excitement.
“Yes, you have to pass three tasks, before you’re allowed to get out of the mountain. Take my word, you have to be extremely cautious in the process of searching for treasures! Ok, the first task you will encounter once you enter the Luo Shen Mountain is called the Psychedelic State. That ancient immortal designed a powerful fantasy world, in which many will be lost in their illusion and can’t get back out anymore. Only those in or beyond the Realm of the Emperor, who have enough soul force, are qualified to pass this task. That’s why I kept saying, that those below this required realm of cultivation, aren’t advised to take the risk. The second task is named the Puppet Hill. You will bump into various creatures, who are the same level of capability with you. You aren’t allowed to use any mental techniques while fighting, because these puppet creatures have no soul. Your use of techniques will slowly drain your Battle Qi, yet the enemies won’t be hurt at all. Unless you grasp the Laws of Heaven and Earth, you’re most likely fighting with those enemies forever… From what I’ve learned, all those, who have undergone this task, never came out of the mountain…”
“Wow… that’s… that’s impressive. What about the third task? Did anyone succeed? Since you have said, that no one has come back out, why are there so many treasure-level or even saint-level items in our continent? Where did they get them from?” Qinghan asked with burning blood in his veins, for he was so excited about it.
Ye Qingniu was annoyed and amused at the same time, “Little dumbass, if anyone ever succeeded the third task, he would directly go to the Little Immortal Pavilion, and get the most valued treasure. By that time, the entire Luo Shen Mountain will disappear… As for the items you mentioned, anyone in the mountain will have the luck to receive those treasure-level or saint-level items, which will shoot out from the center of the connecting channel. Of course, these treasures come out randomly, only those lucky ones can have a chance to get one or two. When the Heaven Path opens, the Flaming Dragon Continent will arrange Emperor-Realm cultivators to seek treasures. And the Heaven Path will be closed after ten days. Many of the cultivators will try their luck at the first or second task, seldom anyone has the guts to test the third one. I suggest you never to try the third task, it’s too dangerous! Life is more important than treasures!”
“Ah! This is going to be funny. Little Qinghan, keep on cultivating. I’m looking forward to go there with you in five years!” Qingwu didn’t take Elder Qingniu’s warning seriously.
“My father… what happened to my father when he was in the Luo Shen Mountain?” Without responding to Qingwu, Qinghan stared into the eyes of Elder Qingniu, trying to get an answer about the death of his father.
“Alas… your father was a reckless young man at that time!” Elder Qingniu shook his head helplessly, and sighed, “Your father gained considerable fame after his outstanding performance in the Prefecture War thirty years ago. Given his power, talent, and his eighth-grade battle beast, he was considered the most promising cultivator among the youngsters in the Ye Family. In order to prevent him from taking any risk, your grandfather prohibited him from taking part in the treasure-seeking adventure in the Luo Shen Mountain. I understand your grandfather’s concern, he was worried that the other races would do harm to your father, the then-most-popular young lord from the Ye Family. However, your father, stupid as he was, ran away from the family and went to the Heaven Path all alone. In the end, as you might already know, he was encircled and killed by four Demonic Kings…”
“Errr… thanks for telling me this!” Qinghan slightly nodded his head, and his curiosity of the Luo Shen Mountain grew more and more intense. As one of the three most deserted places on the continent, what would this mountain look like?
From XianXiaWorld