Chapter 37: Three Steps
“The Bureau of Immortal Inspection possesses a specially crafted Formation-breaking Stone. It’s made from secret spirit-mined metal, appearing ordinary on the outside, but within it’s infused with formation-breaking seals from various immortal sects, gathering the strengths of a hundred schools. Once activated, it can instantly destroy all formations below the Fifth Rank.”
“Moreover, if there are formation patterns nearby, the Formation-breaking Stone will react. To set up an ambush quietly, without a sound, won’t be easy.”
“We can only capture them like turtles in a jar and intercept them here.”
“Fortunately, at those demonic beast nests along the way, we’ve already placed the Beast-luring Incense made from the mirage demon’s inner core.”
“That should be enough to delay them for a while.”
Fu Yuying waved her hand.
In the dim twilight, the many powerhouses of the Luofu Cloud Cavern disappeared one after another into the gloom.
The Bureau of Immortal Inspection had been established at the founding of the Great Qian Dynasty and had existed for over a thousand years.
It gathered the strengths of a hundred schools and constantly innovated.
Many cultivation methods and divine arts from immortal sects, once refined, could unleash even greater power in the hands of the immortal officers of the Bureau.
Some of the talismans and artifacts they crafted were even designed specifically to counter certain sects and lineages.
Among these, the most troublesome to the immortal sects was this Formation-breaking Stone.
Though difficult to forge, its effectiveness in breaking through barriers was unparalleled.
A supreme-grade Formation-breaking Stone could even shatter the grand protective formations guarding an immortal sect’s sacred mountain.
“This stone…”
At that moment, Shen Yanzhou—still pacing near the mouth of the canyon—suddenly sensed something strange beneath his foot.
It felt different from the other stones he had kicked aside earlier.
When he stepped on it, he clearly felt a deeper, colder hardness.
Even through his boots, a faint chill seeped into him.
Without changing expression, Shen Yanzhou crouched down and brushed away the gravel by his feet.
He then saw a flat, dark stone with faint vein-like lines spreading across its surface.
“No problem—it should be this one.”
Suppressing the faint urgency in his heart, Shen Yanzhou finally exhaled softly, picked up the stone, and examined it in his hand.
At first glance, it looked like an unusually textured stone.
But held in his palm, it carried a sensation unlike jade or crystal—its cool aura seemed to pierce the soul itself.
The Stone Tablet of Trial.
He quietly tucked it into his robe, then finally found a slightly open spot and sat down on a large boulder.
After reaching Minor Accomplishment in the Selfless Sword Heart, Shen Yanzhou’s perception was no weaker than that of ordinary martial artists.
After all, it was a mental cultivation technique.
The canyon was filled with miasma, poisonous insects, and weak demonic beasts.
With his sword-heart cultivation, slaying those lesser creatures posed no issue.
But the key lay in the trial ground left behind by that late Martial God.
The first step: enter the Cold Pool.
With the tablet in hand, the Soul-devouring Flood Serpent should not attack him.
The second step: question the Martial Heart.
Yet whether it was him or the body’s original owner—neither possessed any “Martial Heart.” They hadn’t even properly touched upon the martial path of this world.
If it were a test of comprehension, Shen Yanzhou could “cheat” his way through.
But the concept of the Martial Heart was far too abstract.
Should he bluff his way through based on his past-life knowledge of clichés?
As for the third step—it required facing the lingering will left behind by the late Martial God, answering several questions.
It sounded simple, but was harder than the second step, for that will possessed wisdom and was no mindless puppet.
It all depended on “fate.” If that Martial God’s remnant will deemed him fated, the questions would naturally be easy.
But if not—what use would it be even to pass the first two trials?
“The safest way is to wait for Wu Ruyue to arrive.”
“But there’s no such thing as guaranteed success without risk.”
Rubbing his temples, Shen Yanzhou no longer hesitated.
He rose to his feet and strode toward the miasma-covered canyon mouth.
“Eh…”
“Master Shen, what are you doing?”
Chu Xiuer, who had been secretly watching Shen Yanzhou, was stunned.
She had thought he was finally going to rest for a while.
Yet in the blink of an eye, while she dozed off, she saw his figure already swallowed by the canyon mist.
Her sleepiness vanished instantly.
Panic filled her face as she hurriedly gave chase.
Shen Yanzhou seemed to hear her voice.
He paused briefly, turned back with a gentle smile, and waved.
“Miss Xiuer, no need to follow me. I just want to climb up and take a look at the mountaintop…”
With that said, he turned and continued walking forward.
The sky had darkened.
Fine drizzle fell like threads of silver mist, and from afar came the roars of distant beasts.
The canyon mouth was dense with miasma, like a frigid wind blowing straight from the Netherworld, carrying a biting chill.
Shen Yanzhou’s tall, slender figure soon disappeared into it, vanishing from sight.
“You have no cultivation at all—how could you possibly climb the mountain on foot…”
“How foolish! Aren’t smart people supposed to be afraid of death?”
Hearing Shen Yanzhou’s faintly echoing voice, Chu Xiuer stomped her foot anxiously.
It wasn’t only because he had acted on his own.
More importantly—he bore the Shewu Gu within him.
His life was bound to her lady’s.
If anything happened to him along the way, wouldn’t it drag her lady down as well?
“Master Shen doesn’t seem like someone who acts recklessly.
He must have something he’s relying on.”
A graceful figure descended—it was Fu Yuying, who had also noticed the commotion, her brows slightly furrowed.
“But he’s been pacing at the canyon mouth all day. If he really had a plan, why wait until dusk to make his move?”
“Would he really throw away his life for a bit of freedom?”
At that moment, Chu Xiuer was no longer panicked but unusually clear-headed, her tone urgent yet reasoning.
Fu Yuying’s brows knit tighter.
She, too, could not fully read Shen Yanzhou’s intentions.
Though their lives were linked by the Shewu Gu, she had her own contingency.
Even if Shen Yanzhou died, she could dissolve the gu’s effect—at the cost of some life essence.
Just as Shen Yanzhou hid things from her, so too did she from him.
“If he truly only wishes to climb the peak to see the sunrise, Xiuer, you go after him. Protect his safety.”
“In this pouch are three paper swords and one Jade Armor Guardian, personally refined by my master. When danger strikes, release them—none below the Fifth Rank can harm you.”
After a moment’s thought, Fu Yuying drew out an embroidered pouch adorned with blue lotuses and handed it over.
Chu Xiuer was only at the Seventh Rank, Bone-tempering Realm.
In the vast Hidden Moon Mountain, it was already difficult for her to protect herself, let alone a man without any cultivation.
Fu Yuying did not believe that Shen Yanzhou—who had only recently been freed from the Nether Curse—possessed any real strength.
“Alright.”
Without hesitation, Chu Xiuer took the pouch and hurriedly followed after him.
……
The canyon was shrouded in darkness.
Miasma filled the air, thick with a cold, foul stench.
From time to time, icy drizzle fell, and within the shadows came the faint rustling of crawling poisonous insects.
Shen Yanzhou’s spiritual power spread out silently.
Although his vision ahead was obstructed, it did not hinder his steps in the slightest.
From time to time, he stepped on bones of some unknown beast—each time he applied a bit of pressure, they crumbled easily, clearly dried and weathered after many years.
“It seems I still underestimated how foul the stench here would be...”
He covered his nose and mouth, then took out a verdant bead from his robes.
The bead glimmered faintly with a dim green light, and in an instant, the thick miasma that had been rolling toward him dispersed—an invisible barrier seemed to form around him, isolating all poison.
This was a Dragon Gall Bead, taken from the belly of a venomous serpent native to Yun Prefecture, capable of warding off poison and neutralizing miasma.
Before departing the capital, Shen Yanzhou had already considered all possible contingencies—antidote pills, Dragon Gall Beads, Realgar Powder—he had prepared plenty of them in advance.
“As expected, there are still some blind and foolish beasts here.”
He had barely walked a few steps when he sensed movement from the slick, damp cliff wall in the distance.
The faint rustling echoed like scales sliding over stone—it was some sort of serpent slithering along the rock.
Through his extended spiritual sense, he saw a snake as thick as a grown man’s wrist, its entire body gray-green, resembling an old tree vine.
It hung there, flicking its tongue with a hiss.
Those faintly emerald eyes gleamed with bloodlust as they fixed on him—clearly, it possessed a measure of intelligence.
In the cracks of the higher rock ledges, several poisonous insects, having sensed his presence, began to crawl toward him.
Countless tiny feet rustled against the dead leaves, making sounds as soft as sea wind brushing sand.
Anyone with a fear of dense clusters would have shuddered at the sight.
Shen Yanzhou withdrew his gaze.
An invisible breeze swept across the void, and in that instant, it was as though autumn wind had scattered the leaves.
Centered on him, his Heart Sword expanded outward, forming what seemed to be a realm untouched by dust.
All the approaching poisonous creatures and serpents exploded with faint popping sounds.
The serpent hanging from the cliff wall, still flicking its tongue, had no time to react before its massive body was severed in half.
Scarlet blood splattered the cliff like spilled ink.
The snake’s basin-sized head fell to the other side, followed by the heavy crash of its thick body onto the heap of dry leaves, echoing through the empty, eerie canyon.
The rustling noises from before grew abruptly quiet.
Shen Yanzhou paid it no mind and continued deeper into the canyon.
With the element of surprise, a single strike from his Selfless Sword Heart was enough to instantly kill any martial artist below the Seventh Rank, Blood-burning Realm.
The outer regions of the canyon were inhabited by only low-grade demons and beasts, not even ranked, utterly incapable of halting his advance.
Time gradually passed.
Outside, the sky darkened further.
Night descended completely, and within the canyon, not a trace of light remained.
Hidden Moon Mountain lived up to its name—there was no sign of moon or starlight.
The fine drizzle soaked Shen Yanzhou’s temples, dampening his hair.
Suddenly, his steps halted.
He gazed into the dark, his eyes narrowing.
Moments later…
He sensed a creature retreating into the distance—something like a cross between a leopard and a howling beast, covered in thick fur.
Its cultivation was at least at the Seventh Rank or higher.
However, that creature also merely lingered and did not approach.
Some primal instinct warned it that this frail-looking human man radiated a terrifying aura.
An aura that could end its life.
Shen Yanzhou withdrew his gaze.
Walking along the canyon wall, he followed the sound of an underground river—it wasn’t deep, and through the cracks of the cliff, he could hear water flowing and feel faint cold air rising.
He was certain that following this dark river upward would lead him to the Cold Pool where the Soul-devouring Flood Serpent cultivated.
At the same time that Shen Yanzhou was traversing the canyon depths—
Outside Hidden Moon Mountain, the Chilin Guards who had come to rescue him were confronting a bear-like demonic beast.
Not far away, amid thunderous roars and tremors, more beasts were charging in their direction.
The mountain, which had previously been eerily quiet, now resembled a volcano about to erupt—roars of beasts resounded one after another across the slopes.
Several immortal officers of the Bureau of Immortal Inspection stood nearby, frowning deeply.
“Suddenly these beasts appeared, blocking our path. Judging by their behavior, they’ve likely inhaled some kind of mirage insect incense—it must have triggered their mating frenzy, making them aggressive.”
“There’s no mistake. The Nether Cult has made its move. But along the way, we haven’t seen a single member of the cult.”
“Not even a ghostly shadow.”
“Regardless, we must first lure these beasts away. They clearly intend to delay us.”
As they spoke, several immortal officers took action.
Though they did not enter the fray directly, they continuously unleashed talismans and artifacts.
Streaks of spiritual light shot through the air like bursting suns, bombarding the bear-like demon.
Gu Ruoxi, despite her alluring demeanor, wielded formidable techniques.
Her flowing sleeves fluttered, releasing streaks of green wooden swords that turned into swift streams of light, weaving through the air like lightning—each strike sharp and deadly.
Wu Ruyue was among the group as well, fighting alongside Zhou Yang and the others against the approaching beasts.
None of them had expected this—what was supposed to be a smooth journey turned perilous before they even reached the heart of Hidden Moon Mountain.
The ground quaked; trees snapped like twigs.
Gigantic beasts shaped like white jade rhinoceroses charged forward, spitting flames, while crimson-furred apes pounded their chests and roared, their eyes burning scarlet.
In an instant, the mountains shook with furious roars.
Stones crumbled; ancient trees shattered.
The battlefield raged violently—the fierce currents of true energy tore through everything nearby.
“We cannot linger here—the Heir’s rescue is our top priority.”
“The scoundrels of the Nether Cult clearly intend to use the surrounding beasts to stall us.”
“Everyone, hold these maddened creatures off—we’ll advance ahead.”
Several retainers of the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion exchanged glances, then spoke.
They did not join the battle but instead began heading deeper into the mountain.
Gu Ruoxi and Chu Dao, along with the other immortal officers, nodded in agreement.
Zhou Yang and the others also understood the urgency—every moment lost only increased the danger to Shen Yanzhou—so they readily consented.
Wu Ruyue felt uneasy.
She had a nagging feeling that the retainers from the Demon Suppression Prince’s Mansion were not here to rescue Shen Yanzhou at all.
“I’ll go with you.”
Her figure moved like drifting snow as she broke away from the battlefield, swiftly following Daoist Qingfeng and his companions.
Elder Mo, seeing this, felt a pang of guilt.
He remembered how the Heir had once humiliated and threatened Wu Ruyue at the gates of the Wu Residence.
Yet now, she returned kindness for resentment, aiding them without hesitation.
“Miss Wu truly is a good person…”
“Heir, you must properly repay her kindness one day,” he sighed inwardly.
Daoist Qingfeng and the others, however, paid her little mind.
They knew this mission was fraught with peril.
Even with Wu Ruyue’s compassion, there was no guarantee Shen Yanzhou could return alive.
Besides—they had no intention of entering the Forest of No Return.
Splitting off from the Chilin Guards and the Bureau of Immortal Inspection only made it easier to conceal their true purpose.