Chapter 76

As the ancient saying goes, the difficulty of the Shu path is harder than ascending to the blue sky!

This phrase describes the mountain paths in the western Shu region of Izumo, which are so difficult to traverse that they seem to stretch endlessly, with layer upon layer of misty mountains, one after another, without a clear end in sight.

The mountains are tall and steep, shrouded in clouds and mist, with a rainbow arching across the sky even in broad daylight, making this magical western Shu region resemble a mysterious fairyland in the clouds, evoking a sense of longing.

The mountains are also filled with myriad wonders, including many landscapes that defy the laws of nature, causing one to sigh in wonder.

The residents living around the western Shu region all know that deep within the mountains, there are three great wonders.

The Reverse Flowing River, the Flying Inverted Waterfall, and the Phoenix Rainbow Fairy Mist!

These three wondrous sights have led the surrounding residents to firmly believe that there are immortals living in the Shu Mountains, and that these immortals generally do not wish to be disturbed. Over time, this place has become sparsely populated.

But on this day, by the side of a massive river in the mountains, a tall and robust young cultivator appeared, riding a cloud tiger beast. Though his face was not particularly handsome, it was strong and resolute, with his long hair flowing freely in the wind, giving him a graceful and free-spirited appearance.

The newcomer, of course, was Qin Feng, who had traveled for dozens of days, his face weary from the journey.

At this moment, Qin Feng had already changed out of his Qin Family disciple attire and was wearing a simple blue robe. Though the robe was ordinary, it made him look much more efficient and capable.

This river in front of him must be the Reverse Flowing River.

Qin Feng glanced at the massive river and sighed.

Given Qin Feng's current perspective, anything that could evoke such a sigh must be extraordinary.

Because the water in this river does not flow from high mountains to lowlands, but rather from lowlands to high mountains, defying the natural terrain and flowing upward.

This is the origin of the Reverse Flowing River.

At the end of the river, Qin Feng saw a massive waterfall, several thousand feet wide, with the water flowing upward. At the top of the waterfall, the water formed a huge vortex, surging upward into the sky. From the outside, it looked like the waterfall's water was flowing in reverse, twisted by a powerful rotational force into a giant water braid, a supermassive pillar of water reaching up to the heavens, an astonishing and awe-inspiring sight.

The Flying Inverted Waterfall!

Above the Flying Inverted Waterfall, there was a colorful mist, with a rainbow arching across it, creating a scene that resembled a fairyland on earth.

"Damn! This Shu Sword Mountain is really grand!"

Qin Feng was amazed. The ability to alter the laws of nature in such a way was not something that ordinary magical techniques could achieve; it was almost a heaven-defying power.

Qin Feng knew that above the fairy mist was the Shu Sword Mountain.

But how to get up there?

Qin Feng was troubled. He was not a sword immortal and did not have a flying sword. Even if he could jump very high, he certainly couldn't jump all the way up to the sky.

"Sky Demon, do you have any good ideas?"

Unable to think of a solution, Qin Feng could only ask the Sky Demon in his palm.

The Sky Demon's eyes opened from his palm, glanced at the scene, and then retreated, while its voice echoed in Qin Feng's mind, "Figure it out yourself. Once you enter Shu Sword Mountain, it's best to summon me as little as possible. These so-called righteous sects are all hypocritical and despicable. If they see you, you'll have trouble."

Qin Feng was somewhat taken aback.

"Hypocritical and despicable?" Qin Feng naturally did not believe it, as he had met Zhan Bai, who was not like that. Shu Sword Mountain was a genuine righteous sect, a source of justice. It was likely that the Sky Demon had a stubborn bias against righteous sects.

Shaking his head, Qin Feng did not take the Sky Demon's words seriously.

But since the Sky Demon seemed unwilling to help, how could he get up there? Should he jump into the water and swim up? The method was feasible, but the force of the water and the waterfall was so great that even if he managed to get up, he would likely be stripped of his skin.

Thinking of the consequences, Qin Feng shuddered and immediately ruled out this method.

Just as Qin Feng was at a loss, an old man with a mustache suddenly appeared on the mountain path, saw Qin Feng standing there, and chuckled, approaching him.

Seeing someone, Qin Feng also looked over.

The man had a mustache, a thin face, and a pair of shifty eyes, looking to be around forty years old. But Qin Feng knew that he must be older, as cultivators' actual ages are usually greater than their appearance, especially for those who practice magic, who can even refine magical elixirs to lock their appearance at a certain age. Therefore, appearance was only a reference.

The man was dressed in a Daoist robe, primarily yellow with various colors, very ornate. He carried a bamboo-wood sword on his back, looking like a common exorcist.

While Qin Feng was sizing up the man, the man was also scrutinizing him with his shifty eyes.

To Qin Feng's surprise, the man was quite friendly, his eyes twinkling as he greeted him, "I am surnamed Qiu, and my fellow Daoists call me Qiu Hu. Young brother, are you also here to pay respects to the mountain?"

Qin Feng nodded but remained cautious, not saying much.

"That's it, I'm also here to pay respects, but this is my third time. If I don't pass this time, I'll probably never have a chance to follow the path of immortality."

"You've been here twice?"

Qin Feng was taken aback and asked.

"Yes, Shu Sword Mountain opens its gates every ten years to recruit new disciples. I've been here twice before, but unfortunately, I didn't pass. This time, I'm well-prepared. Even if I don't become a formal disciple, I can at least become an outer sect disciple," Qiu Hu said confidently, then winked at Qin Feng and said mysteriously, "Young brother, you must be here for the first time, right? Ha, are you thinking about how to get up there? When I came here for the first time, I stood here for a whole day and couldn't climb up Shu Sword Mountain."

"Indeed, it's quite a challenge."

Qin Feng was honest, shrugging his shoulders to show his helplessness.

"Ha, no problem. It's your lucky day to meet me. Here's the deal: give me ten low-grade spirit stones, and I'll tell you how to get up there." Qiu Hu's eyes gleamed with greed, clearly intending to take advantage of Qin Feng.

"Ten low-grade spirit stones?"

Qin Feng was shocked, his face darkening. He had ten spirit stones in his storage ring, but Qiu Hu was clearly trying to extort him. Qin Feng would not let such a person have his way.

A cold light flashed in his eyes, and Qin Feng stepped forward.

Qiu Hu was startled, seeing the situation turn bad, and with a "swish," he drew the peach wood sword from his back. He also grabbed a handful of yellow talismans and shouted, "Brat, what are you doing? Quickly put down your storage bag for grandpa. Otherwise, I'll use the Nine Yang True Fire to burn you to ashes."

Qin Feng smiled. Qiu Hu was only a Seventh Stage Mortal Qi cultivator, far below his own level. Qin Feng had merely hidden his cultivation, and he hadn't expected Qiu Hu to be so bold.

What was even more ridiculous was that this old man was trying to play with fire in front of him.

Qin Feng stopped, folding his arms, and said coldly, "What if I don't give them to you?"

"Not give? Hmph! This old Daoist has killed many people and disposed of their bodies. Today, you're unlucky to meet me. Go to hell!"

Qiu Hu spat out a flame, lit the talisman, and performed a few movements with the wooden sword. He then blew on the fireball, causing it to grow and fly toward Qin Feng.

Originally, Qin Feng had just wanted to see how Qiu Hu would act. But when he saw the flying flame, his eyes narrowed in surprise.

This was interesting.

The fireball flew toward Qin Feng, but he didn't attack; instead, he dodged.

The flame then split into two, turning and attacking Qin Feng from both sides. When Qin Feng dodged again, Qiu Hu's face turned pale.

Qiu Hu gritted his teeth and formed a strange hand seal. The two fireballs collided in the air, and after a moment, they transformed into a fiery phoenix, the heat of which Qin Feng could feel even from a distance.

Qin Feng was even more surprised.

He hadn't expected Qiu Hu to have such skill in controlling fire.

In this aspect, Qin Feng indeed fell short of the old man.

The fire phoenix quickly flew to Qin Feng, but he caught it in his hand and easily extinguished it. He then walked to the terrified Qiu Hu, grabbed his collar, and lifted him into the air.

Qiu Hu was thoroughly panicked.

"Don't, don't kill me. You want to know how to get up the mountain, right? I can tell you, just don't kill me!"

Qin Feng smiled but did not immediately ask about the method to climb the mountain. Instead, he changed his tone and asked curiously, "Where did you learn this fire control technique?"

"This, this is something I developed myself. I am just a wandering cultivator, without a sect. When I was young, I accidentally obtained the introductory cultivation technique 'Pure Yang Decisive' from a dying cultivator. After reaching a bottleneck, I had to develop a set of fire tricks. However, after decades of refinement, it has become my proudest technique."

"You developed it yourself?" Qin Feng was surprised, re-evaluating the old man with white hair.

"You dare to lie!"

Qin Feng suddenly turned serious, raised his fist, and pretended to attack.

"Don't, don't kill me! I really did write it, and I even compiled it into a book called 'Nine Transformations of Heavenly Fire.' I have the book, it's in my chest." Qiu Hu, in a panic, even wet his pants. Qin Feng raised an eyebrow and took the book from Qiu Hu's chest, then threw Qiu Hu to the side.

He then opened the book and began to read.

The title was grand.

At first, Qin Feng had read the book with a casual attitude.

But as he read, his face remained calm, but his heart was gradually filled with shock.

The book contained some interesting techniques for changing the shape of fire, and most importantly, in the later pages, Qiu Hu had proposed a vague concept of fire magic and several bold hypotheses for enhancing fire-based attacks, which gave Qin Feng a sudden sense of enlightenment and felt very beneficial.

After a moment, Qin Feng gently closed the book.

Now was not the time to study cultivation techniques. He would have to wait until he had free time to thoroughly study the content of the book.

Perhaps he could combine his own fire techniques to develop a powerful killing skill.

Human wisdom should not be underestimated. Some people, though mediocre in talent and unable to reach the highest levels of cultivation, still have a passionate heart for cultivation.

Qin Feng remembered his master's words.

Seeing Qin Feng's gaze return to him, Qiu Hu shuddered, but Qin Feng smiled and said, "I'll take this book. Now, tell me, how do I get up there?"

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