Chapter 93: Spirit Vulture Peak

Ahead lay Lotus Terrace Mountain, the main peak, along with the Scripture Pavilion, the Discipline Hall, the Medicine Hall, and more.

As White Elephant Daoist spoke, Gu Changqing studied the scene before him. He also took in the iron-chain bridges stretching from Lotus Terrace Mountain to the eighteen surrounding peaks, hanging in the sky like a vast spiderweb.

There were quite a few people in Lotus Ridge. Even from outside the mountain, he could see some crossing the iron bridges, others leaping between the peaks. On one mountain peak, two paper cranes rose into the air and flew straight toward the northwest.

Many others were working the spiritual fields in the mountain valleys.

According to White Elephant Daoist, Lotus Ridge had more than two thousand loose cultivators in all, of uneven strength.

After a cultivator refines the marrow and changes the blood, they can live to be one hundred and fifty. So when many of them near the end of their lives, they come down the mountain to take a disciple and leave behind their inheritance.

In time, more and more loose cultivators gathered here.

“Besides Lotus Terrace Mountain, there are the eighteen outer peaks,” White Elephant Daoist continued.

“These are divided into the upper three peaks, the middle six peaks, and the lower nine peaks. The masters of the upper three peaks are all great cultivators in the late Foundation Establishment stage. The masters of the middle six peaks are also Foundation Establishment cultivators. As for the lower nine peaks, they have no peak master at all.”

“Every so often, the peak masters of the upper three and middle six will gather everyone and give public lectures on the Dao to answer questions and clear up doubts.”

“When it comes to cultivation, there are the method, wealth, companions, and place. The method and wealth need no explanation. Companions are the senior cultivators who can transmit the Dao, teach, and resolve confusion, or fellow practitioners with whom one can discuss and cultivate together. As for place... the caves on the upper three and middle six peaks are much better than those on the lower nine peaks. And then there are fellow Daoists on the same peak to support one another...”

“Does Brother Gu have any plans?” White Elephant Daoist looked at Gu Changqing.

He had already explained the situation in Lotus Ridge to Gu Changqing on the way.

The upper three peaks were naturally the best: the finest caves, the strongest power, and late Foundation Establishment masters giving lectures on the Dao.

Next came the middle six peaks.

Those nine peaks had peak masters, and though the cultivators under them were not numerous, they were strong and tightly bound together.

With Gu Changqing’s strength, it would not be hard to get in. He only needed to pay a yearly fee of spirit stones.

For the mountains below the middle six peaks, it was one hundred spirit stones a year. For ordinary cultivators, that was a great deal, but for Gu Changqing, it was nothing much.

White Elephant Daoist himself belonged to the middle six peaks. He had not paid his way in; rather, it was a benefit of his present post. Because of that, he returned once every three months to listen to the lectures of a Foundation Establishment elder.

“I’m not the sort who likes to read people’s expressions,” Gu Changqing said with a smile. Of course he was going to the lower nine peaks.

He did not care about the lectures of Foundation Establishment elders or about how rich the spiritual energy was in the mountain caves.

He had come this far entirely by relying on himself.

Besides, the lower nine peaks were a mixed crowd. Among the upper three peaks of Lotus Ridge, there were only a little over a hundred people in total. The middle six peaks together had only five or six hundred. Everyone else was in the lower nine.

White Elephant Daoist thought for a moment, and did not try to dissuade him. With Gu Changqing’s strength, he could go to the upper three or middle six peaks whenever he wished.

He only lowered his voice to remind him, “Brother Gu, private fights are not forbidden on the lower nine peaks. But if things get too big, it will be hard to clean up afterward, and under no circumstances must anyone be killed. If a life is taken, then trouble will follow.”

“To tell the truth, there are a few demonic cultivators hiding in the lower nine peaks. They have been there for decades, and have never caused much of a stir.”

“Lotus Ridge truly is full of talent,” Gu Changqing said with a hearty laugh.

Calling it open to all kinds of teaching would be too generous a description of Lotus Ridge. In truth, it hardly taught at all.

If one wanted to learn, one had to spend spirit stones to enter the first nine peaks.

As for the lower nine peaks, they were not open to just anyone. One also had to meet a certain annual sect contribution quota.

The contribution was not hard to earn. One could, like White Elephant Daoist, hold a post in the sect, tend spiritual fields or medicinal herbs, or submit herbs and materials required by the sect. There were many ways to obtain it.

If one was wealthy enough, one could even hire someone to do it for them.

Borrowing books from the Scripture Hall also cost sect contribution.

The three of them walked uphill as they went. Along the way, they could see spiritual fields planted with spirit rice and medicinal herbs. Some cultivators summoned rain to irrigate them, while others used dao arts to exterminate pests.

There were also cultivators sitting on giant rocks, playing zithers and drinking wine, amusing themselves.

The place did indeed seem lively.

Along the way, people greeted White Elephant Daoist from time to time.

They reached the mountainside, where a plaza had been carved out between the peaks. It was the most bustling place in all of Lotus Ridge.

Many people set up stalls there to trade with one another, and the things sold here were much better than those in the market streets of Roaming Immortal City.

The Scripture Hall, the Medicine Hall, and the Merit Hall were all here as well. Around the plaza, there were also many shops opened by the sect itself.

“Brother Gu should go to the Registry Hall first and record his name. After that, we’ll be fellow disciples,” White Elephant Daoist said.

The entry process in Lotus Ridge was rather casual. One only needed to have one’s name recorded.

It was said that Lotus Ridge had two Golden Core experts, and they were the foundation upon which the sect stood.

However, those two experts rarely interfered in outside affairs. Most matters in Lotus Ridge were now handled by the peak masters and hall heads, and most of those peak masters and hall heads were disciples of the two Golden Core experts.

“Another one brought in,” a few cultivators in the Registry Hall said when they saw White Elephant Daoist and the three of them enter. They greeted White Elephant Daoist first.

“This is Brother Gu Changqing,” White Elephant Daoist introduced.

“Hm?” The Registry Hall cultivators looked mildly surprised. White Elephant Daoist was being so respectful. It seemed this Gu Changqing was no ordinary man.

Especially with that fierce, murderous air about him, he was clearly not someone to be trifled with.

As for Li Youling beside Gu Changqing, she was obviously only a martial artist.

“Daoist Gu.” The few of them nodded in greeting. Then one asked, “Where is Fellow Daoist Qu Cheng?”

“Fellow Daoist Qu ran into trouble on the road and died on the spot,” White Elephant Daoist explained.

“Oh?” The others glanced at Gu Changqing, still smiling, then at White Elephant Daoist. Their suspicion deepened.

They knew that when White Elephant Daoist sent word, Qu Cheng had already reached Roaming Immortal City.

How could a person die on such a short stretch of road?

If White Elephant Daoist’s record had not always been good, they would have suspected that he and Gu Changqing had joined hands to eliminate Qu Cheng.

Things like that had happened before.

“What is Fellow Daoist Gu’s current cultivation level?”

“Sixth level of Qi Refining,” Gu Changqing said with a smile.

White Elephant Daoist thought to himself that it was indeed so. He had known Gu Changqing’s strength was not weak, and that his methods were formidable as well.

“Brother Gu is truly gifted!” the others praised in turn, their smiles warm and their manner friendly.

After all, Gu Changqing did not look old, and his sixth-level Qi Refining strength was not weak. He was only one step away from the late Qi Refining stage.

“What is Fellow Daoist Gu’s place of origin?” they asked again.

“Near Pingyao,” Gu Changqing answered casually.

The others did not press further. After all, Lotus Ridge was full of loose cultivators and accepted all kinds of people, so long as they could contribute to the sect.

After a few perfunctory questions, they registered Gu Changqing in the ledger.

Then they issued him an identity token. Even Li Youling received one, though hers identified her as a maid attendant.

“Which peak does Fellow Daoist Gu wish to join?”

“Spirit Vulture Peak,” Gu Changqing said with a smile. He had liked the sound of the name from the moment he first heard it.

But as soon as he said it, the others all gave him a long look.

Spirit Vulture Peak was the best of the lower nine peaks, and also the most chaotic of the eighteen.

It was the best because, among the lower nine peaks, Spirit Vulture Peak had the richest spiritual energy. Several of its caves were even a little better than those on the mountainside of the middle six peaks.

It was the most chaotic because there was more fighting there than anywhere else. There was hardly a single easygoing soul on Spirit Vulture Peak.

“If you choose Spirit Vulture Peak, then you’ll have to find your own cave,” one of them said.

“That goes without saying,” Gu Changqing laughed, and with a habitual motion he pulled out more than a dozen spirit stones and tossed them onto the table.

The few of them all froze.

Gu Changqing had acted purely out of habit.

Seeing their stunned expressions, he turned it over in his mind and said, “A cup of tea on me, fellow Daoists. I still need to go find a cave on Spirit Vulture Peak. We’ll gather another day.”

“No trouble at all. Brother Gu is too kind,” they all said with smiles.

This Brother Gu was indeed a decent man. He had not only good cultivation and fine talent, but also, more importantly, an excellent manner.

After they left, White Elephant Daoist said to Gu Changqing, “Brother Gu should buy a formation array and barrier. Once you find a cave, set up the formation and barrier. Then if anyone wants to enter, they’ll have to break through it first.”

“Good idea,” Gu Changqing said, nodding.

Soon after, he and White Elephant Daoist reached the vicinity of the Artifact Hall and saw a shop.

A very familiar shop.

Treasure Pavilion!

“Why is Treasure Pavilion here too?” Gu Changqing asked in surprise.

“Brother Gu may not know this, but Treasure Pavilion is actually controlled by the descendants of one of the True Persons, Master Xu,” White Elephant Daoist explained with a smile.

Lotus Ridge had two Golden Core True Persons. One bore the surname Pei, and the other the surname Xu.

In other words, the force behind Treasure Pavilion was a Golden Core True Person.