The Trial of Mount Yujue

Ji Ning felt the space around him twist and churn—a sensation very similar to being teleported away from Serpentwing Lake by the aquatic palace.

"Oh?" The scene before him cleared. Standing beside him was his junior apprentice-brother, Mu Northson, along with the other cultivators.

"We're here?" Northson's eyes went wide as he looked around. "That was fast."

Ji Ning carefully surveyed their surroundings. They were standing inside a teleportation array atop a mountain. The array was roughly a hundred zhang tall—clearly a smaller version than the one at the Crimson Dragon Mountains. Beyond it… an endless expanse of wild marsh and desolate wilderness stretched as far as the eye could see. Mountains, marshes, and untamed lands sprawled in every direction, with no end in sight.

"Two million li in a single instant." Even though Ji Ning had known about such travel before, experiencing it firsthand still filled him with awe. "I've heard that some Immortals have the ability to teleport a million li in the blink of an eye. I wonder when I'll be able to do the same."

"Everyone out."

"Hurry up."

An aged voice rang out. Two plainly dressed old men were standing outside the teleportation array, urging the newcomers along.

The group of cultivators filed out of the array platform.

"Listen up, all of you," said a slightly plump, gray-haired old man. "This place is Mount Yujue Wasteland. For you, the only safe spot in the entire wasteland is right here! We have Yinglong Guards stationed here year-round, and a grand formation protects the area. No one dares to cause trouble here."

Ji Ning and Mu Northson both took a careful look. The teleportation array had been built atop a mountain peak. Other immortal caves and dwellings stretched in a chain across the peak, suggesting a considerable number of people were stationed here.

"I have a few more things to tell you," the plump old man continued. "First: within three months, you are not to return here. If you come back to take shelter, it will count as a failure."

"Second: while you are roaming Mount Yujue Wasteland, you must be extremely careful. Never stay in one place for too long—say, a month. You must understand: there are far more monsters in the wasteland than there are humans. They know this terrain far better than you do. If you linger in one spot for too long… you'll make it easy for the great monsters to band together and surround you. However, resting for half a day or a day from time to time is fine."

Ji Ning and the others listened attentively.

This was life-or-death advice.

"Third: while the great monsters of Mount Yujue Wasteland are indeed dangerous, the environment itself is even more perilous. In some places, you might find torn, fractured space… and if you're not careful, you could end up ejected from this major world entirely. At your level of strength, you would die without a doubt."

"Fourth: because of the environment, it's easy to lose your sense of direction here. Don't try to rely on your instincts to tell north from south! Use the sun, moon, and stars in the sky to determine direction. Otherwise, if you rely on feeling alone, you'll never find your way back—you'll wander in circles within the wasteland forever."

"Alright. Those four key points are all I have for you. Go on, now. I hope to still see you in three months." The plump old man waved his hand.

The thin old man finally spoke as well: "If you find the danger too great and don't think you can handle it, it's better to come back early. You'll fail the trial, but at least you'll keep your life."

"Go on, go on." The plump old man gestured.

"Go," the thin one echoed.

Ji Ning and the hundred or so cultivators glanced at the faintly visible immortal dwellings on the mountain peak. They could also feel a powerful energy emanating from the peak—the strength of a formation.

Swish! Swish!

Streaks of light began to fly rapidly off the mountain peak, shooting into the distance. Some cultivators traveled alone; others banded together in pairs or small groups.

"Senior apprentice-brother Ji Ning, which direction should we take?" Northson asked.

"Any direction is the same." Ji Ning swept his gaze across the horizon and pointed north. "There are more mountains over there. Let's go that way."

"Alright." Northson nodded.

Whoosh.

A dragon-headed warship materialized in midair. The two of them boarded it. At the moment, the warship was only about ten zhang long—they were obviously keeping a low profile as they ventured into Mount Yujue Wasteland. Flaunting a ship that was too large would only let the great monsters spot them sooner.

Soon, the hundred cultivators scattered in every direction.

The two old men responsible for maintaining the formation watched them go. The thin one sighed emotionally, "I envy them. I can feel the vibrant, surging vitality radiating from them. They're still so young. Youth is capital. They have plenty of time to keep fighting, to go further on the path of cultivation. But we… we've lost that chance."

"At least we've lived a few hundred years," the plump old man said with a chuckle.

"I wonder how many of this batch will survive," the thin one said, staring into the distance.

"It'll be good if half make it," the plump one replied. "But even knowing the danger, these people still come. Once they become Yinglong Guards—with access to the Guard's vast collection of Dao scriptures and treasures—they can walk the path of cultivation faster and more steadily. And those who truly excel might even be sent to the Grand Xia Dynasty's capital, to be personally groomed at the Yinglong Guard headquarters!"

—

The dragon-headed warship flew through high-altitude clouds and mist.

"The skies here are actually the safest place in Mount Yujue Wasteland, relatively speaking," Northson said, standing at the bow of the ship.

Ji Ning nodded. "But we still need to be careful. If we notice any spatial distortion or ripples, we need to steer clear."

"I know. I'm keeping the ship slow," Northson replied.

"Mm."

"Look." Northson pointed through the thin clouds below. There was a massive mountain—majestic, bizarre, and tall enough to pierce the clouds. With the naked eye, one could see many monsters on that mountain. Some had taken human form and were moving about like an army in formation.

"Senior apprentice-brother Ning, there must be a Wanxiang-level great monster on that mountain," Northson said.

"As far as I know," Ji Ning said, "Wanxiang-level great monsters are fairly common in Mount Yujue Wasteland. Zifu-level monsters are everywhere. As for Primal-level monsters… they're extremely rare. Some monsters claim a mountain as their territory and rule as kings. Others roam alone. The ones who can establish a domain are usually the stronger ones."

Northson nodded.

"It's hard to just run into roving Wanxiang monsters," Ji Ning mused. "So our target should be the mountain kings. But from this distance, we have no way to judge exactly how strong a mountain king is. If we're unlucky, we might even run into a Primal-level demon."

"Then what do we do?" Northson asked.

Ji Ning had already thought of a plan. He looked at Northson. "Junior apprentice-brother, do you have any ideas?"

"I've thought of a few," Northson said, frowning. "First: we can tail other cultivators. Let them investigate first. Once they start fighting—and we confirm the target is a Wanxiang monster—then we strike."

"Mm, not bad," Ji Ning praised.

"Second: we find a monster mountain that doesn't look too impressive. Nine times out of ten, it's ruled by a Wanxiang monster."

"Third?" Ji Ning pressed.

"The master said that the human heart is unpredictable," Northson said, his eyes lighting up. "That means there might be cultivator bandits out there. Those who go around robbing others usually operate in teams. If a team of cultivators is doing that, there's no way they haven't killed at least one Wanxiang monster and harvested its head. So we set a trap… let them try to rob us, and then we turn the tables and rob them."

"But all three have their flaws. None of them are sure bets," Northson said, frustrated. "Still, we have three months. That should be enough."

Ji Ning smiled. "Your ideas are all good. But I have a simpler one."

"What is it?" Northson's eyes lit up with anticipation.

"Find a monster mountain that doesn't look that impressive," Ji Ning said with a grin.

"Isn't that just my second idea?" Northson stared.

"Once we find one… I'll sweep it with my divine sense!" Ji Ning laughed. "If the master senses it, it's probably a Primal-level monster. If not, it's a Wanxiang-level. And even if we're incredibly unlucky and run into an ultra-rare Primal monster, we can immediately use an escape technique to flee."

Northson was stunned. "Divine sense? Senior apprentice-brother, your soul has truly reached the divine sense level?"

Ji Ning nodded.

"You really are…" Northson was in awe. "Back when you first joined the college and defeated Senior Bloodshadow and the others, you were already capable of controlling multiple swords at once. Many of the senior disciples suspected your soul was extremely powerful—that it had reached the divine sense level. Some even thought you might be a 'reincarnated Immortal.' And now you're telling me you actually have achieved it! For over three years, you never said a word!"

"You never asked," Ji Ning said with a smile.

"Then… are you a reincarnated Immortal?" Northson's eyes went wide. "I've heard that reincarnated Immortals gradually awaken their past-life memories as they grow stronger."

Ji Ning shook his head. "I don't know. At least, I haven't awakened any memories of being an Immortal."

That was no lie. His past life had been anything but that of an Immortal.

"Oh." Northson nodded, then grew excited. "This is great! This trial for entering the Yinglong Guard might be incredibly difficult for others, but for you, senior apprentice-brother, it's a snap. We'll just use your divine sense to scout from a distance, confirm the target, and strike immediately. If we're unlucky enough to encounter an ultra-rare Primal monster, we can use an escape art and get out of there instantly. Simple!"

Ji Ning smiled. "If someone with a divine sense soul couldn't make it into the Yinglong Guard, that would be the real surprise."

"Bold words," Northson said with a grin. "Then this junior brother will just have to ride your coattails."

"No need to stand on ceremony between fellow disciples." Ji Ning's gaze dropped to the mountains below, starting to search for a suitable monster mountain to attack.

—

Only half an hour later.

Ji Ning and Mu Northson stood together on a patch of barren wilderness, staring at a steep, dangerous mountain ahead. With Ji Ning's eyesight, he could make out the shapes of monsters moving about on its slopes.

"This one. I'll scout it," Ji Ning said.

"Okay." Northson already had a talisman in hand.

Although the two of them could use simple earth-jumping techniques, they could only move a few li at a time. With a talisman, however, they could teleport a thousand li away. Ji Ning knew that even a Primal-level great demon would struggle to track his divine sense over a thousand li.

"Hua!" Ji Ning willed it, and a vast, surging wave of divine sense swept out, instantly shrouding the entire mountain.