Chapter 16

Seeing the young cultivators obediently lining up at the entrance of the enclosure, Xiong Manshan nodded in satisfaction. He then loudly ordered everyone to prepare their travel permits. Afterward, he gave each passing young person a folded yellow talisman.

"Listen up, keep this talisman safe. If you encounter a fierce beast you can't handle in the Hundred Sparrow Mountain, this talisman can at least save your life. Once the talisman is activated, we will come to your aid. However, although this talisman can withstand a fatal blow, you must also have the ability to hold on until we arrive!"

Xiong Manshan's face was full of rugged features, and his words always made the young cultivators present feel a chill: "Of course, if you can save this talisman, you can take it out of the Hundred Sparrow Mountain. This talisman, which can withstand a full attack from a Fifth Layer Mortal Realm cultivator, is a gift from our Heaven-Shaking Sect."

Hearing Xiong Manshan's words, the young cultivators entering the Hundred Sparrow Mountain enclosure all looked at the talisman in his hand with bright eyes.

At this moment, Zhang Fengyi, who had been standing with the elder Chen Ji and had not spoken, suddenly waved to a young man in the queue, saying, "Ming'er, come over here!"

Amidst the envious and jealous gazes of the other young people, Zhang Yueming's face turned bright red. He lowered his head and walked over to the fair-faced cultivator Zhang Fengyi, saying softly, "Greetings, Uncle, greetings, Senior Chen!"

Chen Ji smiled slightly and said, "This is the rare genius Zhang Yueming of our county in recent years? Very good, very good. It seems that Junior Brother Zhang's family has a successor!"

Zhang Fengyi smiled and said, "He just has a bit of talent. Cultivation is not just about talent; I hope Senior Brother can speak well of this child in the sect."

Chen Ji nodded and smiled, "Of course, of course. I hope this child will be diligent in the future. Perhaps I will need to rely on him one day!"

Zhang Fengyi said to Zhang Yueming, "Hurry up and thank Senior Chen!"

Zhang Yueming quickly thanked him and saw that Chen Ji had a brocade pouch in his hand. "This contains some things the sect has prepared for you. Of course, there is also a small gift from the three of us. This is all we can do. You can enter the enclosure now."

Yang Junshan, who was at the back of the queue, clearly saw that the brocade pouch was the same as the one tied to his father's tobacco pipe, both being storage bags for holding items. He couldn't help but feel a bit envious, thinking about how in his previous life he had almost exhausted most of his savings to get a storage bag, while Zhang Yueming received one as a gift, and the person giving it even seemed to be flattering him. Moreover, who knew what deadly treasures were inside this storage bag? How could he bear it in his previous life!

Compared to these talented geniuses, he had already lost at the starting line. Now, with the help of a high-level cultivator, the gap between them had widened even further. Thinking about how Zhang Yueming had worked hard in his previous life and had become a third-generation direct disciple of the Heaven-Shaking Sect in just seven or eight years, the gap was so large that it was enough to make Yang Junshan feel hopeless.

Therefore, he must keep up with these geniuses and not let the gap widen further. This opening of the Hundred Sparrow Mountain enclosure was an excellent opportunity for Yang Junshan to directly change his fate and narrow the gap with these geniuses!

Unconsciously, Yang Junshan had already walked to Xiong Manshan's front with the queue. He glanced at the identity permit in his hand, and Xiong Manshan grunted, "Yang family of Chenyu County, your father is Yang Tangan. Who is Yang Tanchen to you?"

In a scene similar to his previous life, Yang Junshan remained calm and said slowly, "Reporting to Senior, he is my elder uncle."

Xiong Manshan looked Yang Junshan up and down, gave a strange "hehe" laugh, and handed him a talisman, saying, "Go in!"

Yang Junshan didn't even look at the talisman in his hand but firmly held it and lowered his head to enter the enclosure.

He knew without looking that this was an old and low-quality Shouzhuo Talisman. If the talismans others held could at least withstand a full attack from a Fifth Layer Mortal Realm cultivator, the old and shabby talisman in Yang Junshan's hand could barely withstand an attack from a Fourth Layer Dianxian Root cultivator.

In his previous life, one of the main reasons Yang Junshan returned from the Hundred Sparrow Mountain in a sorry state was that the talisman in his hand did not provide the expected protective power when he was attacked by a fierce beast. Although he survived the beast's claws, he was severely injured and had to escape from the location where the talisman was activated, thus not receiving any help. He spent the next three days in a safe place in the Hundred Sparrow Mountain, healing his wounds and waiting for the enclosure to reopen.

The reason Yang Junshan received such special "treatment" was simple. There was news that the Heaven-Shaking Sect was planning to select outstanding outer disciples to become inner disciples. As outstanding outer disciples, Yang Tanchen of Chenyu County and Xiong Manshan of Mengyu County became direct competitors, and Yang Junshan suffered as a result.

Putting the talisman in his waist pouch, he knew it still had some use.

The scene before him suddenly changed, and the environment around Yang Junshan was completely transformed. Looking back, the square in front of the Hundred Sparrow Mountain had already disappeared, replaced by a thick fog that completely isolated the Hundred Sparrow Mountain from the outside world.

A long, angry roar came from deep within the Hundred Sparrow Mountain, awakening the young people who had just entered the enclosure from their confusion. They realized they were now in a dangerous place, where they could encounter danger at any moment.

Su Baozhang shook his head, feeling a bit dizzy. When he looked up, he saw Yang Junshan already holding the carved large bow on his back, with two quivers of sixty iron-feathered arrows.

Su Baozhang took a few steps towards Yang Junshan but hesitated, looking as if he wanted to say something but couldn't.

Just as Su Baozhang was hesitating, Yang Junshan suddenly turned around and called out, "Brother Baozhang, shall we go together?"

Su Baozhang's expression relaxed, and he smiled, "Oh, sure, I was just thinking the same thing!"

Seeing Su Baozhang walking towards him, Yang Junshan smiled. Knowing from his previous life that Su Baozhang was grateful to his father for securing this opportunity, he had planned to enter the Hundred Sparrow Mountain with Yang Junshan to help him hunt for spirit beasts. However, the proud Yang Junshan had ultimately refused his suggestion and chose to act alone.

Su Baozhang, although delayed for three years due to a lack of jade coins, had continued to train and strengthen his body during that time, making him far more powerful than the Yang Junshan of his previous life.

When Su Baozhang had offered to help, it was clear he was assisting Yang Junshan. However, this time the situation was different. Yang Junshan had already demonstrated his strength by drawing a three-stone strong bow on the square outside the Hundred Sparrow Mountain, and Su Baozhang knew his own strength might not match Yang Junshan's. Moreover, as the son of the village head, Yang Junshan likely had better resources.

If Su Baozhang approached now, he might be seen as trying to cling to the village head's son. Su Baozhang had his own pride and wanted to repay the favor, but he didn't want to be misunderstood as seeking favor. This was why he had been hesitant.

Fortunately, Yang Junshan took the initiative to invite him, resolving Su Baozhang's dilemma, and he happily agreed.

After making some preparations, the two of them set out. Most of the young cultivators who had entered the enclosure had already left. Su Baozhang took a fine steel machete in his hand, ready to lead the way, but he suddenly heard a burst of mocking laughter around them.

Su Baozhang turned around and saw Yang Junshan also looking surprised, but he quickly recovered. Su Baozhang smiled awkwardly, raised his machete, and said, "My family is poor, so this is the only weapon I have. If..."

"No problem!"

Yang Junshan interrupted him, "The best weapon is in the hands of the user. The real power lies in the person and their mind. If used well, a machete can slay a fierce beast."

Su Baozhang's strong sense of self-respect made him very sensitive, and Yang Junshan's words immediately dispelled his concerns, making him look grateful.

Yang Junshan knew that Su Baozhang was a very intelligent person. When the great change occurred in Yu County, few people from the village managed to escape, including Yang Junshan and Su Baozhang. Yang Junshan had relied on his parents' protection, while Su Baozhang had relied on his own wit.

Yang Junshan, wanting to test him, asked, "Brother Baozhang, how do you plan to enter the mountain?"

Su Baozhang put a finger to his lips and whispered, "I've been keeping an eye on Zhang Yueming. He and a few others have already gone in that direction. This guy has the favor of the Heaven-Shaking Sect and the guidance of the mountain guards, so the direction he's going must have spirit beasts. We can follow him secretly and pick up the leftovers. I hope to find you a medium-grade spirit item first, and I only need a low-grade one to make this trip worthwhile."

Yang Junshan inwardly praised him. In his previous life, Zhang Yueming had indeed gained a lot in the Hundred Sparrow Mountain, and his followers also returned with something. Zhang Yueming had thus gained many followers, and Su Baozhang, acting alone, had also managed to gain something, likely because he had followed Zhang Yueming.

If Yang Junshan had not experienced his previous life, Su Baozhang's idea would have been a good one. However, Yang Junshan now knew the Hundred Sparrow Mountain better than Zhang Yueming, so...