"Boom!"
A deafening roar echoed across the southwestern lands.
In the Redwood Ridge, atop the Tian Gou Cliff, there stood a wooden palace.
At its highest point sat a man in deep meditation.
Dressed in blue robes with fiery red hair, his imposing figure exuded an aura of power.
His breathing was steady, his nostrils flaring like a dragon's, emitting a radiant red light.
His blood energy surged like a towering column of smoke.
Awakened by the thunderous sound, the man's eyes snapped open, glowing with a divine light.
He gazed toward the direction of Rotten Peach Mountain, his eyes shining with brilliance.
In an instant, he leaped into the air, transforming into a streak of red light.
"Chang Bao! Follow me out of the mountain!"
The man's voice thundered across Tian Gou Cliff.
"As you command!"
Another streak of light shot up from the cliff, following the first.
In the Hundred Barbarians Mountain, within the Yin Wind Cave, there stood a palace of white bones.
On a jade bed inside the palace, a man sat in deep contemplation.
This man had a face as fair as jade, with sharp eyebrows that extended to his temples.
He was an exceptionally handsome man, with long, flowing black hair and a green robe that shimmered like emerald, adding a sinister charm to his appearance.
The loud noise roused him from his meditation.
His peach-blossom eyes opened, revealing a captivating gaze.
He looked toward Rotten Peach Mountain, unable to hide the joy in his eyes.
In a flash, he transformed into a gust of wind and vanished from the jade bed.
"Xin Chenzi!"
The man's voice echoed through the cave.
"Your disciple is here."
Another voice responded, gradually fading away.
On Wangchun Mountain, within the Azure Dragon Cave Heaven, in the Li Pearl Courtyard, an old Daoist was watering flowers with a pot.
Hearing the loud noise, the old Daoist looked toward Rotten Peach Mountain, his face lighting up with joy.
But then he sensed the immense energy emanating from Redwood Ridge and Hundred Barbarians Mountain.
He shook his head.
"Fight, fight, let them fight. After all, it's something within our territory. But if anyone dares to damage these mountains and rivers, this old Daoist won't stand for it."
Then, as if sensing something else, he chuckled.
"Good, this old man is too lazy to move. Let the younger generation handle it. It saves me the trouble of worrying about the Azure Dragon Cave's share."
Outside the cave, in a temple on Wangchun Mountain, Liu Tianfang heard the loud noise and looked toward Rotten Peach Mountain.
He recalled that one of his disciples, Cheng Qieqing, had volunteered to go to Rotten Peach Mountain to retrieve a body.
His heart grew uneasy, and he immediately transformed into a sword light, heading straight for Rotten Peach Mountain.
The ground had collapsed, and the Earthly Fiend surged into the sky.
In just a few dozen breaths, the area around Rotten Peach Mountain was in chaos.
By the Peach Blossom River, at the Drunken Dragon Bridge, a dozen Miao tribesmen sat on the ground, staring in confusion at the dust and radiant light rising from Rotten Peach Mountain.
"What's happening?" someone asked.
"Is it an earthquake?"
"What about Master Cheng?"
They looked at each other, bewildered.
The Miao man who had been saved by the mist from the "Peach Capital" sword seemed to have gone mad, trying to rush back.
The others held him down.
"Are you crazy? Did you see what just happened? The mountain collapsed! That's years of accumulated miasma and poison!"
The man struggled desperately.
"I killed Master Cheng! It's my fault!"
They held him tightly, afraid they might lose control and rush in themselves.
Tears and rain mixed on their faces.
As they wept, the area suddenly became turbulent.
A vast red cloud swept in from the north, instantly clearing the dark clouds and rain.
A chilling green wind rolled in from the south, dispersing the heat brought by the red cloud.
Beneath these two overwhelming phenomena, a clear dragon's roar sounded from the north.
Though the roar was young, it was impossible to ignore.
The red cloud condensed, forming two men standing in mid-air.
The leader had red hair and wore blue robes, while the man beside him had black hair, Miao attire, and facial tattoos.
The green wind also coalesced into two men standing in the northern sky.
The leader had long hair and wore green robes, while the man beside him wore a golden crown and white robes, but was missing an arm.
The sword light accompanied by the dragon's roar transformed into a handsome man.
He stood in the north, keeping a distance from the two men formed from the red cloud.
The red-haired man in blue robes nodded first toward the sword-wielding man.
"Daoist Liu Tianfang has arrived."
According to Daoist tradition, the surname comes before the Daoist name.
So even though the man's secular surname was Liu, after taking a Daoist name, he was referred to as Liu Tianfang.
Liu Tianfang returned the greeting, saying, "Greetings, Senior."
The Miao man beside the red-haired man also nodded toward Liu Tianfang from a distance.
"Bai Jiang, it's been a long time."
He used Liu Tianfang's secular Miao name, as if they were old acquaintances.
Liu Tianfang replied, "Indeed, it's been a while, Chang Bao."
He used the Miao man's Daoist name.
Everyone in the Miao tribe knew that the ancestor of the Hong family village was known by the Daoist name Chang Bao, a true disciple of Redwood Ridge, serving by the side of the Red-Haired Ancestor.
Since Hong Changbao was here, the identity of the imposing man beside him was self-evident—the master of Redwood Ridge, the leader of the Miao border sects, the Red-Haired Ancestor!
The Red-Haired Ancestor looked toward the opposite side and said, "Green Robe, your old illness has flared up. Shouldn't you be resting in bed? What brings you here?"
On the other side, the man addressed by the Red-Haired Ancestor was none other than the leader of the Southern Wasteland's demonic sects, the master of a million demon soldiers, the Green Robe Ancestor.
It was said that during a bout of madness caused by a cultivation deviation, the Green Robe Ancestor had devoured the arm of his chief disciple, Xin Chenzi.
Thus, the one-armed man beside him was likely Xin Chenzi, second only to the Green Robe Ancestor in the Hundred Barbarians Mountain.
The Green Robe Ancestor chuckled.
"Oh, it's just a minor ailment. But with a new Earthly Fiend emerging in the Divine Land, surely you don't think you can claim it all for yourself, Red-Haired? Not only would the Southern Wasteland sects object, but even the Azure Dragon Cave wouldn't stand for it!"
The Red-Haired Ancestor and Liu Tianfang remained silent.
Though Liu Tianfang was anxious to find his disciple, the moment he saw the Earthly Fiend surging from Rotten Peach Mountain, he knew this was no longer just about rescuing someone.
This was a never-before-seen Earthly Fiend!
Since ancient times, it was said that there were thirty-six Heavenly Fiends and seventy-two Earthly Fiends, a number decreed by heaven itself.
The emergence of a new Earthly Fiend could only mean one thing—an old Fiend was dying!
The appearance of a new Earthly Fiend in Rotten Peach Mountain was a tremendous opportunity for the entire southwestern region, with its hundreds of sects and schools.
As for the few juniors trapped within, they were no longer the most pressing concern.
Heavenly and Earthly Fiends were essential for Daoists seeking to break through the second realm of inner alchemy, the Life Storage stage.
They were also fundamental ingredients for forming a Golden Core, indispensable on the path of cultivation.
The founding patriarch of Dragon-Tiger Mountain, upon forming his Golden Core, manifested a dragon and a tiger—one Heavenly Fiend and one Earthly Fiend.
With just these two Fiends, Dragon-Tiger Mountain established a legacy that lasted eight thousand years!
Then there was Mount Sanqing, whose Six Dragons Returning to the Sun and Nine Heavens Cloud Forbidden Array was as renowned as the Life-Death, Light-Dark, Illusion-Destruction Two Forms Microdust Array of Mount Emei in western Shu.
It was rumored that the Cloud Forbidden Array contained a Heavenly Fiend!
Among the great Daoist sects of the world, any that had maintained an unbroken line of Golden Core cultivators possessed at least one Fiend.
To have one was a blessing from heaven; to have two was an unparalleled fortune.
Beyond the Daoist sects, these Fiends, born from the principles of yin and yang, purity and turbidity, were top-tier materials for refining techniques, artifacts, and elixirs.
Whether for Buddhist, heterodox, or demonic sects, they were invaluable treasures.
Even without refining them, simply observing them day and night could lead to insights into the workings of yin and yang—truly treasures of creation!
Given the emergence of this new Earthly Fiend, Liu Tianfang wouldn't be surprised if the Miao border sects and the Southern Wasteland sects went to war over its allocation.
End of Chapter.
1. This book will be available for purchase starting at midnight on November 1st.
I hope everyone will support it then.
2. After releasing the first chapter, I saw some comments from readers that surprised me.
Two people who had just fought to the death without holding back fell into such a massive chasm, with Fiend energy surging all around.
How could they possibly meet or survive, let alone have any further interactions? Perhaps some of you have been influenced by other novels, but rest assured, such things won't happen here.
And after writing about this young hero for so long, how could he possibly become the kind of person you're worried about?
3. An image of the "Peach Capital" sword has been posted in the bonus section at the end of the previous chapter.
You can take a look.
I've also included a comment with an image in the paragraph describing the sword in the previous chapter.
4. I hope everyone has faith in me.
5. Please vote and recommend! Comments and messages are welcome.
(End of Chapter)