Chapter 116: The Old Man of Ghost Mountain

A few days later.

A flying vessel pierced through a sea of clouds, descending toward the ground. Standing upon the deck were Sovereign Guanqi and Jiang Min.

Several days prior, Xiao Cao had fallen into a deep slumber after consuming the Supreme Spirit Earth Root. Sovereign Guanqi had instructed Jiang Min to leave Xiao Cao at his cultivation cave and accompany him to a place called the City of Villains to hone her sword path and comprehend sword intent. Jiang Min followed him westward, crossing the borders of the Yushuang Kingdom, and arrived at the frontier where the Ten Nations of the Eastern Plains met the Great Hong Dynasty of the Central Plains.

On the vessel, Sovereign Guanqi gestured to the vast, boundless city below and said, "This is the destination of your journey: the City of Villains."

Jiang Min looked down. The city occupied an immense expanse, its borders lost to the horizon. All that could be seen were mountain-like black walls, a hundred zhang high, enclosing dilapidated, ruinous buildings. A dense, pervasive baleful aura, almost tangible, hung heavily over the city. Yet, not a soul could be seen within the walls; it appeared as an empty, desolate place.

"Such a dense baleful aura," Jiang Min exclaimed.

As the vessel descended through the clouds, Sovereign Guanqi explained calmly, "The master of the City of Villains is known as the Ghost Mountain Elder. He has reached the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage and cultivates by absorbing baleful energy. He requires a constant supply of slaughter and malice to fuel his practice, so he established this city and holds the 'Battle of Villains' once every year to harvest it."

"The Battle of Villains takes place annually and is open only to Foundation Establishment cultivators."

"Those who make it onto the Villains Ranking receive invaluable cultivation resources. They also have the chance to become disciples of the Ghost Mountain Elder, or be scouted by the Golden Core and Nascent Soul cultivators watching from above. For this reason, the event attracts rogue cultivators from all over, all hoping to gamble for a stroke of fortune."

The Battle of Villains. The Villains Ranking. Invaluable cultivation resources.

It was clearly a slaughterhouse designed to manufacture baleful energy. Every cultivator who entered was merely a tool for the Ghost Mountain Elder’s cultivation—a willing tool, at that.

Jiang Min stood on the vessel, looking toward the city gates. The gate they approached was only one of many, yet outside it, a massive throng of cultivators had already gathered—at least tens of thousands. More continued to arrive from all directions, among them many powerful Foundation Establishment cultivators traveling on artifacts.

The life of a rogue cultivator was difficult. With major sects, powers, and clans controlling the vast majority of resources, rogue cultivators struggled to survive. The incident Jiang Min had witnessed, where the Seven Great Powers seized an ancient chess formation and heartlessly drove away the rogues, was merely a microcosm of their reality. Cultivation treasures, secret realms, spirit veins, mines, advanced techniques—all were monopolized. To advance their cultivation, rogue cultivators had no choice but to seek opportunities wherever they could.

Thus, even knowing they were merely fuel for the Ghost Mountain Elder, wave after wave of cultivators continued to throw themselves into the fray, drawn by the rich rewards of the ranking.

Of course, there were likely others hidden among them—members of aristocratic families or sects, like Jiang Min, who had come to hone their skills.

"Eight years is a limited time for cultivation," Sovereign Guanqi continued. "You must seize every moment to comprehend sword intent. Slaughter is the fastest way to achieve this, and the sword intent forged in such a manner will be all the more powerful. Once you reach the level of sword intent, you will be able to contend with ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators. Even if you encounter a sword cultivator of the same rank, if your intent is stronger, you will be able to stand your ground."

Foundation Establishment cultivation was not merely the accumulation of spiritual power; it involved the arduous process of refining a Golden Core, a task that could not be achieved without years of patience. Therefore, to increase her combat effectiveness, she had to master the sword.

Jiang Min understood this. With the Taiji Martial Arts Meet and the Nine Sects Debate only eight years away, her time was short. She had to increase her combat power first before focusing on her internal cultivation. Based on her previous experience, she believed that as long as she did not fear hardship and engaged in frequent combat, reaching the realm of sword intent would not be difficult and would not hinder her spiritual progress for too long.

However, Jiang Min had a question. "Is it not said that the limit for a Foundation Establishment cultivator is the Sword Shadow?"

She had once seen Manager He Liang of the Martial Arts Hall at the Eastern Spirit Sect demonstrate his sword path, producing three sword shadows. She had also seen Lin Guanyu of the Ten Thousand Sword Sect, who had surpassed the limit of nine sword shadows, manifesting ten.

Sovereign Guanqi smiled faintly. "Do you know how rare it is among the Nine Sects and the Great Clans for a sword cultivator to manifest a Sword Shadow while still in the Foundation Establishment stage?"

"The limit of the Foundation Establishment stage is indeed the Sword Shadow, but the vast majority of sword cultivators, despite dedicating their hearts and souls to daily practice, never reach that level."

Jiang Min suddenly realized. Both He Liang and Lin Guanyu were the elite among the elite; most sword cultivators never advanced beyond the level of sword intent during their Foundation Establishment years.

As they spoke, the vessel descended to a hill far from the city gates. Sovereign Guanqi held out his hand, and two items materialized in his palm, shimmering with light: a small bronze mirror and a swirling, dense mass of liquid light.

"This is a top-grade magical treasure, the Heart-Protecting Mirror. Refine and wear it; if you activate it in a crisis, it can even withstand an attack from a Golden Core cultivator."

"This is a spirit treasure, the Thousand Faces. It can change your appearance to whatever you imagine. Once disguised, even a Nascent Soul cultivator will be unable to discern your true form."

"If a Nascent Soul cultivator attacks you, try to stall and send word to me; I will arrive in time."

Jiang Min accepted the items with both hands, her eyes lingering on the mass of liquid light—a spirit treasure, something far more valuable and powerful than a mere magical treasure.

"Thank you, Master," she said quickly.

Sovereign Guanqi smiled gently, his expression turning serious. "As your master, all I can do is point the way. The cultivation of a sword path must ultimately be done by you."

"A sharp sword is forged through grinding; a thousand hammer blows define the path of the sword. I do not ask that you rank on the Villains List. I only hope you achieve sword intent—and that you return alive."

Jiang Min tucked the treasures away and bowed solemnly. "Disciple will not fail your expectations, Master."

After Sovereign Guanqi departed, Jiang Min took out the Thousand Faces, refined it, and placed it over her face. With a thought, her appearance shifted into that of an ordinary-looking woman. She then refined the Heart-Protecting Mirror and wore it on her chest. Changing into a simple blue robe, she began to walk toward the gates of the City of Villains.

...

"So, the last Battle of Villains has already concluded, and the city is currently being cleared and repaired. There is still half a month before the next one begins."

Outside the gate, the crowd was like a surging sea. Jiang Min moved along the periphery, listening to the conversations of others to gather information. She saw a small group discussing the Villains Ranking. "Everyone receives a Villains Token upon entering. Once inside, you can seize them from others. The more tokens you have, the higher your ranking."

Jiang Min overheard this as she passed by.

"Seizing tokens..."

She had come only to hone her sword skills and had no interest in the ranking. However, the rule of seizing tokens alone was enough for her to foresee the bloodbath that would ensue once they entered.

Suddenly, she heard a voice calling out from a distance: "The Blood Gang is recruiting!"

Jiang Min looked over. Amidst the crowd, a woman in red sat at a stone table, sipping tea. The woman was not exceptionally beautiful, but every movement she made carried an undeniable, arrogant aura. Her cultivation was at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment. Six other Foundation Establishment cultivators surrounded her, shouting to the crowd—they were forming factions before the battle had even begun.

"That is Yan Honggu of Blood Sun Mountain. I can't believe she's actually here."

"I heard she is only one step away from forming her Golden Core. She must be aiming for the reward for the top three on the Villains Ranking—the Heavenly Yang Essence. That is a rare treasure that aids in forming a Golden Core."

Jiang Min stood at a distance, observing. She was not a local and had not heard of Yan Honggu, but seeing other cultivators flocking to join the "Blood Gang," she knew this woman was no small figure.

She walked elsewhere and encountered other Foundation Establishment cultivators at the Great Perfection stage, also recruiting to prepare for the token scramble. Two tall, similar-looking men, one in black and one in white, each riding a majestic grey wolf, were recruiting for the "Twin Eagle Alliance."

"Aren't those the famous Black and White Twin Eagles of the Qi River? They've been cultivating for years; they're finally ready to participate in the Battle of Villains?"

"Remember: the one in black is White Eagle, and the one in white is Black Eagle. They don't like it when people get their names wrong."

Jiang Min stood in the distance, arms crossed, leaning against a tree, taking in all these faction-building activities with a serious expression.

"I thought coming to this City of Villains would just be a matter of simple duels."

"It seems the situation is more complex than I thought."

Once inside, she would face not only elite Foundation Establishment cultivators but also temporary gangs and alliances. These people would work in unison to sweep the area for tokens, and a lone wanderer like her would certainly be a target.

Despite the disadvantage in cultivation, Jiang Min felt no fear. On the contrary, her blood surged, and her heart beat with power—it was the thrill of facing a challenge.

The scene before her was still peaceful, but she knew that once she entered the city, it would be a place of peril, filled with flashing blades and hidden swords.

She curled her lips into a faint smile, her heart resolute.

"If I can survive this, I will have the strength to participate in the Nine Sects Debate."