Chapter 1295: Immortal Mechanism Mountain
Zhang Ruochen stepped out from the war chariot and reached his hands into the void. The spatial structure twisted once more, and the previously closed path reopened, returning to its original form.
Qing Mo watched in stunned amazement. Even cultivators with extremely high cultivation levels would find it difficult to possess such means. She said, "Young Master Zhang, is this the power of space?"
Zhang Ruochen nodded. "The power of space is infinitely profound. Even a simple technique like Space Distortion will require me to spend a long time studying it."
At present, Zhang Ruochen had only achieved a preliminary mastery of Space Distortion, but he had taken a major step forward on the path of space, essentially having entered the threshold.
The three of them continued onward. By dusk, they finally entered the territory of Black Wind Commandery and arrived at the mist-shrouded Immortal Mechanism Mountain.
According to the Mad Alcoholic, the Sacred Master of Alchemy was living in seclusion within Immortal Mechanism Mountain.
Immortal Mechanism Mountain was one of the famous mountains in the Northern Domain. During the Middle Ages, it had been the dojo of a first-rate sect. Tens of millions of cultivators had trained there, with abundant spiritual energy and rich resources—truly a sacred land.
Standing at the foot of the mountain and looking up, the peaks stretched on endlessly, with hundreds of summits hidden behind the clouds. Occasionally, the roars of savage beasts echoed from within the mist, giving it an ethereal and mysterious feeling.
"Which force currently occupies Immortal Mechanism Mountain?" Zhang Ruochen asked Huang Yanchen.
She had gone to gather information not long ago and should have some understanding of the mountain.
Huang Yanchen pondered for a moment. "During the Middle Ages, Immortal Mechanism Mountain was the dojo of the Immortal Mechanism Sect, the number one sect in the Northern Domain. The sect was destroyed in the great turmoil at the end of the Middle Ages. After the turmoil ended, some forces tried to take over the mountain and occupy this cultivation sacred land. Unfortunately, they all failed and suffered heavy losses."
"Everyone knows that Immortal Mechanism Mountain holds countless treasures left over from the Middle Ages, including sacred medicines and important inheritances. Yet, to this day, no force has been able to establish control here."
Zhang Ruochen found this surprising. For such a cultivation sacred land to remain unoccupied meant that a terrifying power must be hidden within the mountain, one that could repel every force that had come to conquer it.
"What kind of danger lies within Immortal Mechanism Mountain?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Huang Yanchen's beautiful eyes fixed on Zhang Ruochen with unprecedented seriousness. "In the Northern Domain, there is a rumor. It is said that at the end of the Middle Ages, the Immortal Mechanism Sect was destroyed by a force from outside the realm."
"Before its destruction, the sect used a forbidden method to trap all the experts of that external force within the mountain. Every force that later tried to occupy Immortal Mechanism Mountain encountered bizarre and unpredictable attacks, suspected to be the remnants of those external experts."
This rumor genuinely startled Zhang Ruochen. "An external force capable of destroying a top-tier sect in the Kunlun Realm? Even a superior-level ruin realm, with the combined power of an entire world, might not have such strength."
Azure Dragon Ruins Realm was already a superior-level ruin realm, prosperous and glorious, but it could not compare to a top-tier sect in the Kunlun Realm.
Huang Yanchen paused for a moment, then added, "It wasn't a superior-level ruin realm. It is said to have been a great world comparable to the Kunlun Realm, perhaps even more powerful. The great turmoil of the Middle Ages might have been connected to that great world."
Zhang Ruochen remained calm, but his heart stirred with waves of shock. "Such a major event would surely be recorded in historical documents. Even if a great world as powerful as the Kunlun Realm exists, it would be deep in the universe and could not have reached the Kunlun Realm on a large scale."
Huang Yanchen smiled faintly. "These are just rumors. How can they be taken as absolute truth? There are even rumors that an undead demon god lives inside Immortal Mechanism Mountain. Could that be taken seriously as well?"
There were many rumors about Immortal Mechanism Mountain, some of which would send shivers down the spines of even Saints.
Regardless of whether those rumors were true, one thing was certain: this place was extremely dangerous and by no means a sacred mountain or holy land.
"Why would that Sacred Master of Alchemy choose to live in seclusion in such a place? How strange," Qing Mo remarked.
Zhang Ruochen was also full of doubts, but he still trusted the Mad Alcoholic to some extent. He wouldn't have pointed out a death trap to harm him.
Suddenly, Zhang Ruochen sensed something—a powerful fluctuation of sacred Qi. "A top-tier expert is heading toward Immortal Mechanism Mountain."
Zhang Ruochen, Huang Yanchen, and Qing Mo blurred into motion, darting into the mountain and hiding within a patch of mist.
Immediately after, the twelve white Buddhist beads on Zhang Ruochen's wrist emitted a white glow, completely enveloping the three of them.
These twelve beads were treasures refined by the Buddha Emperor, capable of concealing their auras.
A moment later, a patch of crimson cloud flew in from the horizon and descended at the foot of Immortal Mechanism Mountain.
From the cloud emerged twelve female soldiers clad in white battle armor, all young and beautiful. They were no mere ornaments; the sacred Dao aura emanating from them was formidable, and none were weak.
"What a formidable army. Which force do they belong to?"
Zhang Ruochen felt a chill in his heart. These twelve women were not ordinary cultivators—they were twelve female Saints. Their auras were very similar and interwoven. Any two, three, or four of them could form a battle formation. The power of all twelve female Saints seemed capable of stacking together.
In the Kunlun Realm, a force that possessed twelve Saints was already extremely powerful, enough to dominate a region.
But these twelve female Saints were even more extraordinary. Not only were they young and beautiful, but they also cultivated the same technique and stood in an orderly formation. They had clearly undergone rigorous training from a young age, knowing how to coordinate with each other. They were far more than just twelve individual Saints.
Even the seven ancient sects would find it extremely difficult to cultivate such a group of twelve Saints.
A beautiful woman clad in Phoenix Flame Sacred Armor stepped out from the fire cloud and stood before the twelve female Saints. Her aura was even more impressive, rivaling that of Zhu Qingyi.
Her features were exquisitely beautiful, her figure graceful, her chest full and firm, and her long crimson hair blazed like fire. A sacred sword was strapped to her back, and her eyes were sharp and intimidating. She was truly a female martial god.
"It's her," Huang Yanchen murmured.
"Who?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
"One of the Empress's personal guards, Canglan Martial Saint of the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maidens. She ranks first in combat power among the Nine Heavens Mysterious Maidens. I saw her once when I paid respects to the Empress at the Purple Micro Palace. Actually, Canglan Martial Saint has some connection to you," Huang Yanchen said.
"What connection could she have to me?" Zhang Ruochen asked.
Huang Yanchen replied, "She is one of the six sword bearers of the Nether King Sword Grave, the bearer of the Blazing Heaven Sword lineage. However, the Blazing Heaven Sword was lost, taken by a prodigy of the Azure Heaven Tribe named Situ Fengcheng."
Zhang Ruochen had heard of Canglan Martial Saint's name. From the Holy Maiden, the Talented Woman, and the Fate Divine Maiden he had encountered, he could roughly guess how powerful she was.
But for the Azure Heaven Tribe to have a prodigy capable of taking the Blazing Heaven Sword from her was truly astonishing.
Seeing Zhang Ruochen's surprise, Huang Yanchen added, "Situ Fengcheng is the senior disciple of Zhongying King and also Zhu Qingyi's senior brother. His talent far surpasses that of the Azure Heaven Crown Prince. Many believe his achievements will surpass Zhongying King's and that he will become the next Blood Emperor."
"What an era of geniuses."
Zhang Ruochen sighed, but his heart remained steady. After all, whether it was Canglan Martial Saint, Zhu Qingyi, or Situ Fengcheng, they had all been cultivating far longer than he had.
At his age, possessing such strength already put pressure on them. If they slackened even a little, he would surpass them.
Huang Yanchen continued, "The twelve female Saints following Canglan Martial Saint should be the White Feather Twelve Saints among the seventy-two palace female Saints. They were once just palace maids by the Empress's side, but they stood out, cultivated to the Saint realm, and their status naturally changed."
Women who could enter the Purple Micro Palace as maids already had extraordinary backgrounds, almost all being proud daughters of great families and clans.
Moreover, the Purple Micro Palace was said to be the place with the most abundant spiritual energy in the entire Kunlun Realm. It was only natural that some of the outstanding ones could become Saints.
Just then, another powerful fluctuation of sacred Qi flew in from afar.
Dozens of streams of black evil mist flew between the mountains, then merged together, condensing into a seductive woman with a black veil, none other than Zhu Qingyi.
"Rumble."
Loud sounds of breaking wind echoed from the ground.
Four Blood Saints flew over and landed behind Zhu Qingyi, each looking ferocious and menacing. When they landed, the soil in that area turned blood-red, as if it could seep blood.
Zhu Qingyi's eyes carried a cold smile. "I never thought that for the Sacred Saint Pill formula in Gu Songzi's hands, even the lofty Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden would personally come to Red River Prefecture."
Canglan Martial Saint said, "I came to Red River Prefecture not only to obtain the Sacred Saint Pill formula but also to retrieve the Blazing Heaven Sword."
"The Blazing Heaven Sword is in my senior brother's hands, but with your cultivation, I'm afraid you'll never get it back," Zhu Qingyi said.
Canglan Martial Saint glanced at the four Blood Saints behind Zhu Qingyi. "You dare to venture deep into Red River Prefecture with just a few Blood Saints? I admire your courage. Since you're here, don't leave."
"Do you think this is the Central Imperial City, where you have the final say? In Red River Prefecture, the rules should change."
Zhu Qingyi looked toward the sky. "Demon Heaven Tribe, Qi Heaven Tribe, Feng Heaven Tribe—why haven't you three tribes' cultivators shown yourselves yet? If we join forces to capture a Nine Heavens Mysterious Maiden, it will be enough to severely damage the morale of the imperial army."
(Chapter End)