Lush green meadows and forests stretched endlessly ahead, while the clear azure sky arched high and vast above. Distant peaks were veiled in a hazy white mist, crowned with millennia-old snow that never fully melted. A few plump flower buds peeked out from the cliff's edge.
At the mountain pass entrance, twin waterfalls cascaded down from melted snow atop the peaks, tumbling along the rocky walls to form semicircular terraced pools below. The crystal-clear water shimmered with light, its mere sight making one's mouth water. The morning glow lingered as sunlight filtered through mist-like rays, catching droplets imbued with peach blossom fragrance that cooled both heart and mind with their delicate scent.
—This was the world-renowned Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff!
After seeing these mountains, no others would compare; after witnessing these waters, all others would pale.
The breathtaking beauty left Cai Zhao momentarily breathless. She suddenly thought staying here for three years might not be so terrible after all.
Song Yuzhi approached leisurely, smiling at the gaping young girl staring upward. "Junior Sister Cai, do you have anything to say?" Few could remain unimpressed upon their first visit to Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff, and he expected some awestruck remarks.
Cai Zhao blinked as if waking from a dream. "Huh? Oh! Yes, yes I do! Senior Brother..."
"I'm not the eldest disciple," Song Yuzhi corrected, his proud brows relaxing slightly.
"Oh, Second Brother then."
"Nor am I the second disciple," he continued.
"Third Brother?" Cai Zhao ventured cautiously.
Song Yuzhi nodded.
Cai Zhao instinctively looked around for Cai Pingchun and his wife, wanting to complain that Azure Tower Sect only sending their third disciple to receive Fallen Blossom Valley's delegation showed blatant disrespect—perhaps they should turn back. Unfortunately, her parents had disappeared somewhere with Cai Xiaohan in their arms.
Sighing, she turned back and took a deep breath. "Third Brother, I—"
"Do you think my father and elder brother care too much about appearances, dressing too extravagantly for martial artists?" Song Yuzhi interjected unexpectedly.
Startled, Cai Zhao replied, "Not at all, it's not excessive."
Trained in reading expressions from business dealings, she noticed Song Yuzhi's 'you're just being polite' expression and quickly elaborated: "Actually, connoisseurs know flashy appearances don't always indicate true value. Take you, Third Brother—though your attire seems simple, that robe must be woven from Ice Silk Gauze. How many in the Martial World would kill for just enough to make flame-resistant gloves? And those gold-threaded embroideries are surely Divine Needle Old Woman Zhuo's work. Ah, when our Fallen Blossom Town tried inviting Granny Zhuo to open a branch shop, we couldn't even find her shadow."
Song Shijun: ...
The unspoken implication: Your father's just a tasteless nouveau riche, while you're the truly extravagant one.
"Third Brother, Third Brother, Third—I mean, I still have something to say," Cai Zhao added with an appeasing smile.
Song Yuzhi closed his eyes briefly. "Speak freely, Junior Sister."
"Here's the thing." Cai Zhao straightened with solemn formality. "I know Azure Tower Town hosts many retired martial heroes with... complicated circumstances best left unspoken. I fully understand such matters. However—"She slightly raised her voice, using her usual gentle tone to persuade: "But Senior Brother Song, could you please ask our master to reconsider? Every profession has its own expertise—they’re hardly cut out for business. There are plenty of other things they could do instead. For example, those esteemed guests must have led quite eventful lives. If they have nothing to do, they could write memoirs about their past."
"Like the sweethearts they once missed by a hair’s breadth, the sworn brothers who later became bitter enemies, or the regrettable accidental injuries they caused. In our Fallen Blossom Town, there are several bookshops with fair prices, honest dealings, and covers illustrated by the renowned Wonderful Brush Scholar of the Martial World. The clientele also has excellent taste."
"The shopkeeper at the head of town prefers stories of tangled affections and impossible choices between lovers, while the one at the end of town favors tales of swords and dreams—like falling off a cliff, stumbling upon a martial arts manual, or being forcibly infused with power. But the old shopkeeper is planning to retire to his hometown to dote on his grandchildren. His son, the young shopkeeper, prefers stories of age-old grudges and generational vendettas... In any case, the pay is generous."
"What I mean is, managing food and drink, attracting customers, and keeping a cheerful demeanor is a serious skill. If these esteemed heroes lack the talent for it, they shouldn’t open shops. Leaving Azure Tower Town desolate and barely making any money is just wasting such prime locations."
The Azure Tower Sect held the highest status among the descendants of the Big Dipper Six Branches—indeed, it was the foremost in the entire martial world. Countless martial artists passed through each year, so the town’s foot traffic was substantial. To starve while sitting on a treasure trove—Cai Zhao’s heart ached with regret.
"Hey, Senior Brother, Senior Brother Song... Senior Brother Song, why aren’t you saying anything..."
Song Yuzhi’s faint smile vanished entirely. He stared at Cai Zhao for what felt like half a cup of tea’s time, as if a trumpet flower had suddenly sprouted on her face, then turned away expressionlessly, refusing to look back no matter how she called after him.
—Was this the girl raised by Cai Pingshu, the woman his father loathed to the core? Well, if Cai Pingshu had been this infuriating back then, his father’s restraint in not resorting to hex dolls all these years was commendable.
Watching Song Yuzhi’s retreating figure, Cai Zhao couldn’t quite grasp why he had suddenly gotten angry. Then she realized how out of place she was on the Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff. People bustled around her—sect disciples carrying loads or guiding fellow disciples to various lodgings.
Song Shijun, the leader of Vast Heaven Gate—second only to the Azure Tower Sect among the Big Dipper Six Sects—had coincidentally arrived at this moment. He wasn’t here for Cai Zhao’s apprenticeship ceremony or to visit his third son studying abroad, but to attend the bicentennial memorial ceremony for Old Ancestor Bei Chen.
Aside from the descendants of the six branches, several sects friendly with the Northern Star Lineage had also come to observe the rites. Earlier, Cai Zhao had spotted a few bald monks and nuns organizing crates by the cliff—likely members of Gharana Temple and Hanging Temple. Since Shijing Yuantai, the abbess of Hanging Temple, had never gotten along with her aunt Cai Pingshu, Cai Zhao decided to slip away quietly.
She wasn’t in a hurry to find her parents either. Thinking the spring scenery was too lovely to waste, she clasped her hands behind her back and strolled forward leisurely, like a carefree little shopkeeper surveying her domain.Legend has it that Nine Conch Mountain was originally a Mystic Iron Stone Pillar connecting the mortal realm to the celestial heavens, used to guide those destined for ascension. During the celestial upheavals, the pillar's top was broken off, and the Reception Palace above collapsed. The remaining part of the pillar in the mortal realm became a massive mountain range.
Due to the mountain's rich spiritual energy, nine primordial beasts came to cultivate here, and numerous demons built their nests. Thus, the celestial ladder turned into a demonic mountain, devouring countless lives and wantonly spreading miasma and poisonous swamps, ravaging the land, rivers, and fields, leaving bones strewn across the wilderness. The subsequent events unfolded just as Cai Pingshu told young Cai Zhao—the immortals quelled the demonic mountain, and Old Ancestor Bei Chen, who remained to guard it, renamed the place Nine Conch Mountain.
Telling such a distant story, Cai Pingshu actually wanted to familiarize Cai Zhao with the terrain of Nine Conch Mountain.
The main peak of Nine Conch Mountain was once called Sky Piercing Peak, and as the name suggests, it was incredibly high. To this day, no one is said to have crossed its summit. Like the abyss Cai Zhao had just passed, any master determined to climb Sky Piercing Peak never returned.
Sky Piercing Peak is not only perpetually covered in snow but also, due to the snow's long accumulation, has turned into ice so hard that no weapon can shatter it. It continuously encases the remains of creatures that perish on its slopes within its icy layers. In theory, Sky Piercing Peak should have no traps or mechanisms—its most terrifying aspect is its height, an endless, boundless height.
According to an elder who fled halfway up the peak, he climbed day after day, enduring unbearable, bone-chilling cold for three full months. The cold was so severe he almost believed himself dead. His initial resolve vanished in the howling winds, and the path ahead seemed endless. Though the azure sky was right before his eyes, no matter how much he climbed, the summit remained out of reach.
Mortals, after all, are flesh and blood and cannot survive without food or water. Sky Piercing Peak has no vegetation or animals, so climbers must bring their own provisions. Yet they cannot carry too much, as over time, the food freezes and turns into sand-like ice fragments, not only failing to satiate hunger but also causing illness if consumed for long.
Those who died on the mountain were often individuals of extraordinary will, refusing to give up until they reached their goal. When their provisions ran out or were nearly exhausted, they either froze or starved to death on their way back or pressed forward, dying ahead.
Like this elder, many grew disheartened and gave up halfway.
In Ning Xiaofeng's view, there was no mountain in the world that couldn't be climbed. She believed Sky Piercing Peak must have been enchanted with a maze-like formation, likely set up by immortals in ancient times—so sophisticated that mortals couldn't break it.
Given that many elders skilled in formations had also perished on the mountain, Ning Xiaofeng merely indulged in idle talk, with no intention of challenging such limits.
Cai Pingshu often told Cai Zhao that the Azure Tower Sect was one of the most impregnable places in the world, and this was precisely why.
The sect's main residence, Dusk Micro Palace, faces south toward Wind Cloud Peak, with Sky Piercing Peak at its back. In front lies a bottomless abyss, and behind, a towering snow-capped ridge. Once the Iron Chains are drawn up, no adversary, no matter how formidable, could cross.What infuriated the enemies the most was that while Sky Piercing Peak was cold and lifeless, the area below where Dusk Micro Palace stood enjoyed perpetual spring. Above, there were sweet springs formed from melting snow and ice; below, there were mountain forests, orchards, meadows, and streams, along with wheat fields, rice paddies, vegetable gardens, and livestock farms left behind by some past sect leader's poverty alleviation efforts—abundant in variety and rich in flavors. In short, Dusk Micro Palace could never be starved out.
Thanks to this uniquely advantageous terrain, during the peak of the Demonic Cult's power, the Azure Tower Sect withstood countless sieges and ultimately turned the tide to victory.
During these sieges, the Demonic Cult loved to taunt, "You cowards of the Azure Tower Sect, come down if you dare!" while the Azure Tower Sect disciples would bluntly retort, "You scoundrels of the Demonic Cult, come up if you dare!" Thus, the cycle of vengeance continued, persisting to this day.
Once, a particularly ingenious Demonic Cult genius had a flash of inspiration—using poisonous gas as a weapon. They lit a raging fire on Wind Cloud Peak, hoping the rising heat would carry the toxic fumes to Dusk Micro Palace.
However, the poison smoke was blocked by the mist swirling between the two cliffs. Worse yet, if the mountain wind blew, the fumes would drift back toward the Demonic Cult members—a classic case of the biter bit.
One might wonder: if the mountain wind couldn't disperse the mist, why did it only blow toward Wind Cloud Peak when poison smoke was involved, despite usually shifting unpredictably?
...No one knew. Perhaps it was just nature's uncanny craftsmanship.
When Cai Zhao stood on Wind Cloud Peak, her view was completely obscured by thick mist—she couldn't even tell whether Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff opposite her was round or flat. Yet when she stood on Myriad Waters, Thousand Mountains Cliff and looked back at Wind Cloud Peak, she was astonished to find only a thin layer of haze floating above the abyss, allowing her to clearly see what the people on the opposite peak were doing.
Well, nature truly was uncanny.
Snapping off a charming, twisting peach blossom branch by the clear stream, Cai Zhao meandered into the woods, where the fragrance of fruit hung in the air. It was mealtime, and she paused beneath a towering fruit tree, eyeing the plump fruits dangling from its branches. In her mind, images of fragrant, steaming pork buns, seafood paella, and double-fried eel noodles flashed by like a revolving lantern.
Cai Zhao prided herself on being a low-key gourmet and refused to settle for a slapdash lunch. So she turned on her heel, deciding to give the Azure Tower Sect's kitchen another chance—perhaps the sect's cooks were unexpectedly skilled.
As her hunger grew fiercer, she quickened her pace. While passing through the orchard, she suddenly heard a clamor of voices, among which was a sharp, urgent girl's voice.
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