17: One Hundred Thousand Mountains

On Zizhu Peak, Gu Changge withdrew his palm, patted Little Black Bird's head, and a slight curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"There was an unexpected gain; someone else will take the blame, saving me a lot of trouble."

"Myriad Law Pavilion thinks highly of itself, and Burning Heaven Palace is vengeful. This will be a good show to watch, hehehe..."

Little Black Bird tilted its head, as if saying, "Cunning."

Gu Changge laughed heartily, flicking a spirit fruit pit away with his fingertip.

In the distance, Xiao Ruobai was Cultivating facing the morning sun, golden battle Qi intertwined with the dawn light.

He vaguely felt a faint Spiritual Qi fluctuation coming from the south but didn't think much of it, only clenching his fists and operating the War Gods Stratagem even more fiercely.

He didn't know that his Master's casual palm strike had already cast a stone, enough to stir up monstrous waves, among the Seven Great Sects of Xuan Province.

Gu Changge looked at Xiao Ruobai, who was Cultivating nearby.

"Xiao Ruobai, come here."

Xiao Ruobai was just about to smash the profound iron bamboo in front of him with a punch when he heard his Master's call and quickly stopped his stance and turned around.

Sweat beads on his forehead slid down his pale cheeks, dampening his clothes.

He quickly walked to Gu Changge's front, respectfully cupping his hands: "Master."

Gu Changge lightly tapped with his fingertip, and a gentle Spiritual Qi landed on his shoulder, instantly calming the restless Qi within him caused by his eagerness for quick results.

"You've practiced this War Gods Stratagem quite solidly, already reaching the Middle Stage of the Foundation Establishment Realm. However, you've overly pursued thebreak out of power and neglected the circulation of Qi."

He flicked his finger at Xiao Ruobai's wrist.

"When you punched just now, the Spiritual Qi here was blocked for half a breath. If an opponent were to seize this flaw in actual combat, it would be enough to severely injure you."

Xiao Ruobai suddenly understood, looking down at his wrist: "Disciple was only focused on Breaking through the Realm, and indeed neglected these details."

"Cultivating is like sailing against the current; one must be brave and diligent, but also know how to balance intensity and relaxation."

Gu Changge stood up and paced, the leaves of the profound iron bamboo brushing against his fingertips, yet not a single one fell.

"You've been immersed in arduous Cultivation these past few days. Although your punching power has increased significantly, your actual combat experience is almost zero. If you truly encounter an enemy, you won't be able to respond calmly."

Xiao Ruobai's cheeks flushed slightly: "I ask Master for guidance."

Gu Changge stopped, looking towards the mist-shrouded direction of the back mountain.

"Actual combat doesn't necessarily mean fighting and killing. Sparring, breaking through Formations, or even maneuvering with Yao Beasts are all ways to accumulate experience."

He turned and patted Xiao Ruobai's shoulder, a meaningful smile playing on his lips.

"Follow me."

With that, Gu Changge led the way towards the back mountain.

His steps were not fast, his green robe appearing and disappearing among the bamboo shadows. His seemingly casual steps, however, precisely landed on the nodes where Spiritual Qi flowed most vigorously.

This caused the surrounding bamboo leaves to lean towards him, as if in worship.

Xiao Ruobai quickly followed.

He had been on Zizhu Peak for over a month but had never been to the back mountain. He had only heard Little Black Bird chirp about something strange hidden there.

Every time Master returned from the back mountain, he would have some Yao Beast meat in his hand.

Now, following Master deeper, he felt the Spiritual Qi in the air becoming increasingly dense.

It even condensed into visible specks of light. When inhaled into his lungs, the Spiritual Qi in his Dantian actually circulated on its own, feeling even more comfortable than meditating and Cultivating.

"Master, the back mountain is..."

"You'll know when we get there."

Xiao Ruobai quickly kept up. The further they went into the back mountain, the more he felt something was off with the surrounding air — it was clearly a familiar bamboo forest, yet faint streams of light flickered among the branches and leaves.

The stone slab path beneath their feet also shimmered with strange patterns. Taking three steps felt like crossing some invisible boundary.

"This... this is a Formation?" Xiao Ruobai exclaimed in surprise.

Gu Changge flicked his fingertip in the Void Realm, and ripples suddenly appeared in front, revealing three suspended glowing gates.

They each emanated a red, green, and gold halo.

He pointed to the leftmost red glowing gate: "Go in and take a look."

As soon as Xiao Ruobai stepped into the glowing gate, a gust of wind hit his face.

He opened his eyes and immediately gasped — how could this be the back mountain?

It was clearly a vast, boundless world that stretched as far as the eye could see. Mountains in the distance lay prostrate like giant beasts, ancient trees nearby were so thick that ten people would be needed to embrace them, and the air was filled with a rich smell of blood, mixed with the roars of Yao Beasts.

The sound carried a hint of ferocity, as if from ancient evil beasts, lurking in the darkness, waiting for prey.

Little Black Bird flew up happily from Gu Changge's shoulder, circled twice above the stone gate, and chirped once, its crisp cry seemingly cheering Xiao Ruobai on.

""This... where is this?"

Xiao Ruobai asked with a face full of doubt.

"I've raised some living creatures for you to practice with."

Gu Changge casually fiddled with the jade pendant at his waist, his gaze sweeping over the mist-shrouded peaks ahead.

"Do you see those mountains?"

He raised his hand and pointed to the leftmost dark green mountain range.

"From here to there, the highest Cultivation of these Yao Beasts is at the Core Formation Realm."

He spoke vaguely, yet with an undeniable certainty.

"I'll give you one day to kill one hundred Yao Beasts at or above the Foundation Establishment Stage. Remember, only those at Foundation Establishment and above count; anything below that number doesn't."

Xiao Ruobai's heart trembled.

Yao Beasts in the Foundation Establishment Realm already possessed intelligence, and their combat power far exceeded Cultivators of the same rank. To kill one hundred in a day was an almost impossible task.

But looking at Gu Changge's calm profile, he swallowed the words he wanted to ask — since Master arranged it this way, there must be a reason.

"Disciple understands."

At this moment, Gu Changge waved his hand, a flash of light passed, and the Supreme Emperor Weapon Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd appeared in front of Xiao Ruobai.

Gu Changge had already placed several Seals on this Supreme Emperor Weapon; what it displayed now was only at the Heavenly Human level.

It was temporarily enough for Xiao Ruobai. When his Cultivation was sufficient, he would gradually unlock the other Seals.

If he truly encountered an unbeatable opponent, the Supreme Emperor Weapon could unseal itself to protect its Master.

Although the Nine Heavens Dragon Soul Halberd was Sealed to the Heavenly Human level, its sharpness was still captivating.

"Take it. Don't fight head-on. If you can't win, run. Although this halberd is extraordinary, you must act within your capabilities."

Xiao Ruobai only felt a powerful force rushing towards him, almost making him unable to breathe.

He widened his eyes, his hands trembling as he took the halberd, his eyes filled with shock and awe.

The moment Xiao Ruobai caught the halberd, the Spiritual Qi in his body actually boiled spontaneously, as if resonating with the Dragon Soul in the halberd!

Although he didn't know it was a Supreme Emperor Weapon, he could still feel its extraordinary nature. It was as if holding it meant holding a world-destroying power.

His heart was shaken. Although he didn't know the origin of this weapon, it was definitely far beyond any Magic Treasure he had ever seen!

"Thank you, Master!" He exclaimed excitedly, cupping his fists.

Little Black Bird, squatting on his shoulder, immediately chirped, flapping its wings and flying to the top of Xiao Ruobai's head, even rubbing his hair proudly, as if encouraging him to move forward bravely.

"I'll wait for you outside the mountain. If you're not back before dark, you won't have dinner tonight."

"Master, rest assured, Disciple will not fail."

He took a deep breath, turned, and stepped into the edge of the dark green mountain range.