Chapter 177: Five Creek Mountain

As the old man put away his mask, a female cultivator standing nearby couldn’t help but speak up.

“Who is that disaster cultivator? How dare he disrupt our plans! Is there someone powerful backing him?”

She had seen the earlier disturbance as well.

The cursed cultivator hadn’t disappeared; instead, they’d glimpsed the true location of the Demonseed Sect. This wasn’t something an ordinary rogue cultivator could accomplish.

“This person isn’t simple,” the old man said. “He blocked the secret technique I set on the bone slip.”

After putting away his mask, the old man sat back down. The Demonseed Sect’s current position was somewhat delicate.

As the leader of the sect and a cultivator at the peak of Foundation Establishment realm, every move he made was closely watched by countless eyes. He had known about the Blackstone Secret Technique for quite some time and, to avoid detection from spies on Blackstone Mountain, had deliberately nurtured two demonic seeds. Yet despite his precautions, someone had still managed to snatch them away—a fact that weighed heavily on his mind.

“Have those below spread the word: Anyone who captures this man can come to the Demonseed Sect and exchange him for two Foundation Establishment spirit artifacts and one Foundation Establishment level Demonseed cultivation manual.”

The old man’s index finger traced patterns on the table. In moments, he’d drawn a mask that looked almost exactly like Chen Luo. The mask seemed alive, capturing even the essence of Chen Luo’s soul despite his changed appearance.

Seeing the black-robed old man’s face, Chen Luo realized the old man had also sensed him. This mask was created by replicating his presence.

When the woman nearby heard the old man’s words, her expression shifted.

Two Foundation Establishment spirit artifacts and a cultivation technique for the Foundation Establishment stage would be enough to drive any rogue cultivators wild with envy.

“Isn’t this too much?”

“Do as I say.”

With a wave of his hand, the old man ended the conversation and turned to ask about several problems he was most concerned with.

“How is the arrangement for the Hundred Monsters Alliance coming along?”

“I haven’t gotten all the details yet. Those monster cultivators are very cautious; it’s hard for our people to get inside.”

“Then find a way!”

The old man cut off the woman’s chatter. His aura of peak Foundation Establishment dissipated, forcing her to swallow the rest of her words back down.

“Go ahead and take care of both tasks at once.”

“Yes sir.” The female cultivator nodded and quickly withdrew.

Five Creek Mountain.

A cart pulled by an ox trundled along a narrow road. Chen Luo lay on a bed of straw inside, yawning as he went. An old farmer drove the cart, urging the slow-moving ox forward without much hurry. From time to time, the old yellow ox stopped to nibble tender grass sprouting beside the path.

“How far is it to Shangxi Town?” Chen Luo asked casually, spitting out a piece of straw in his mouth.

After killing Han Lin, Chen Luo had fled Black Bear Ridge. He’d traveled north all day until he was well away from the ridge before slowing down. Then he’d rested for several days in a village, leaving only yesterday.

Not knowing where he was, Chen Luo had found an old farmer heading into town. After paying him a few silver coins, he’d easily arranged a ride on the ox cart.

The cultivation world called this place “Demon Cultivator Land,” but to those who lived there, their home had always been just… home. They paid little attention to the powerful masters who came and went above them.

“We’re almost there,” the old farmer replied. “Another hour should do it.”

Lao Zhang, driving the cart, was a tenant farmer for Lord Huang in Shangxi Town. He made the round trip every month to deliver fodder for Lord Huang’s donkeys.

Half an hour?

Chen Luo glanced at the ox cart’s speed and spread his senses outward. Soon, he detected signs of human presence ahead.

Wherever people gathered, their collective energy would accumulate. Chen Luo had discovered this technique, called Gaze of Qi, in Han Lin’s storage pouch—it was a method used by monster cultivators. Luckily, his own spiritual power shared some traits with monster cultivation, aided further by the brains from the tiger and deer monsters. After reading about it, he quickly mastered the technique.

The human energy wasn’t very strong.

Chen Luo looked away; many monster cultivators knew this simple trick as part of their repertoire.

Some monster cultivators who focused on fate magic used Gaze of Qi to observe the rise and fall of human dynasties, deciding when to enter or leave the scene. Tiger-type monster cultivators could also use it to find their伥鬼—vengeful ghosts bound to them. Compared to these advanced uses, Chen Luo’s grasp of Gaze of Qi was still basic, limited to finding directions.

“My injuries are mostly healed now, but that old man left behind some lingering curse effects.”

Closing his eyes, Chen Luo once again entered the pitch-black space he’d experienced during the initial curse.

This was a realm only perceptible to divine souls—the very foundation of human consciousness.

An ordinary cultivator wouldn’t notice such details even if they survived this place. But Chen Luo, guided by insights from the desiccated brain, recognized the old man’s deliberate trap and understood the dangers posed by lingering curses.

In that pitch-black space, Yue Qingshan’s mask still existed, albeit shattered into several pieces. When Chen Luo’s divine soul entered, the fragments emitted wailing sounds aimed at corroding him.

The corrosive effect drifted unpredictably, having minimal impact in its current state. One would never hear it without entering the space.

“It’s time to start working on Elder An’s unfinished Spiritgathering Pill.”

Pulling his thoughts together, he realized the solution to breaking the curse was simple: he didn’t need to search far. The incomplete Spiritgathering Pill left behind by Elder An could do the job. Moreover, purifying this curse would further enhance his divine sense—true proof that blessings and misfortunes are two sides of the same coin.

Finally, the ox cart arrived at Shangxi Town.

Chen Luo bid a quick farewell to Old Zhang before heading towards the residence of Lord Huang, the town’s wealthiest resident.

If there were any cultivators here, Lord Huang would most likely be the one to know about them.

Chen Luo still had residual curses to deal with and needed ingredients for the Spiritgathering Pill. Both tasks required interacting with local cultivators.

He decided to put everything else aside until these two matters were resolved.

“As we’re celebrating our safe return thanks to Xian Shi Liu’s help, I’d like to toast him,” Lord Huang said as Chen Luo entered his courtyard.

A cultivator at the third level of Qi Refinement sat in the main seat enjoying food and wine. He had a weasel-like face with beady eyes, wore a small felt hat, and sported a tiny handlebar mustache. If not for the spiritual energy emanating from him, Chen Luo might have mistaken him for a brothel manager.

“No need for thanks,” Xian Shi Liu replied, stroking his pointed beard with a smug look on his face.

This whole ‘calamity’ was orchestrated by me, he thought. While being only at the third level of Qi Refinement means nothing in the cultivation world, it makes you godlike among ordinary people. Knowing he had no chance of ever becoming an immortal, Xian Shi Liu chose to come down to the mortal realm where he could live life freely.

Lord Huang, the head of the family, was fat and greedy, didn’t do good deeds, and lacked any powerful backers! This type of nouveau riche was perfect prey for Xian Shi Liu. He was already scheming ways to seize the Huang family’s assets and planning how to make Old Master Huang “die” suddenly from illness.

“You’re the only cultivator here? Are there any wandering cultivators nearby?”

Chen Luo had already scoured Shangxi Town and found that apart from this man, everyone else was an ordinary person.

“Who are you? Who let you in?! Don’t you know where you are?!” Lord Huang initially jumped with fear before turning to anger. With Xian Shi Liu by his side, he felt emboldened and saw this as a chance to teach the newcomer a lesson. He wanted to make it clear that not just anyone could come to Shangxi Town and cause trouble.

Xian Shi Liu at the head table broke out into cold sweat. He hastily rose and bowed, saying:

“Senior, I don’t know him.”

As soon as Chen Luo appeared, Xian Shi Liu had probed him with spiritual energy. To someone at the third level of Qi Refinement like himself, Chen Luo’s aura was completely unreadable. The probing spiritual energy disappeared before it even got close—a terrifying sight he’d only ever seen on those who had mastered the Qi Refinement stage.

Lord Huang, who had been trying to bluff his way through, now stood frozen. He glanced at Xian Shi Liu, then back at the uninvited guest, his legs beginning to tremble uncontrollably.

He wasn’t stupid; he could tell when things were beyond his control.

“Immortal Elder… I…” Chen Luo frowned, a hint of displeasure crossing his face.

Realizing his mistake, Xian Shi Liu quickly spoke up:

“All nearby cultivators are at Five Creek City,” Xian Shi Liu explained quickly. “With Immortal Five Creeks there, everyone is used to practicing cultivation in that area. If you have any questions or don’t understand something, feel free to ask for help.”

“Immortal Five Creeks?”

Who has the guts to call themselves an ‘immortal’?

“The Immortal Five Creeks are the five most powerful elders of our Five Creek Mountain,” Xian Shi Liu clarified. “Each one is a Foundation Establishment cultivator, and all cultivators on Five Creek Mountain can be considered their disciples or descendants.”

“Do these Immortal Five Creeks accept many students?” Chen Luo wondered aloud.

He was thinking about the Divine Lake Immortal Sect he’d heard so much about. Could this Immortal Five Creeks be following a similar path?

In a place like the Demon Cultivator Lands, accepting lots of students was definitely the fastest way to make money—and it was safe too.

“The Immortal Five Creeks do take outside students, but very few people catch their attention,” Xian Shi Liu said, sharing everything he knew. “Five Creek Mountain is only three hundred kilometers west from here. There’s a formation guarding the entrance—you’ll see it as soon as you arrive.”

After asking a few more questions, Chen Luo realized he wouldn’t get any valuable information from this ‘Xian Shi Liu’. He flew away on his sword.

A place that accepts so many students would be perfect for gathering materials.

Outside Five Creek Mountain, people came and went constantly.

As Chen Luo approached, he knew he had come to the right place. Compared to Shangxi Town, the human presence here was like a blazing furnace. Inside, he sensed three powerful energies—these must be Five Creek Mountain’s “immortals.” He wondered why there were only three of them.

Chen Luo flew past the checkpoint and didn’t land until after the formation.

The guards at the entrance bowed their heads in respect as they watched him pass.

On Five Creek Mountain, cultivators were considered the highest class of beings. Those who could fly through the air, like these immortals, were even more elite—they couldn’t be offended without consequences.

Hmm?

After flying past the checkpoint, Chen Luo entered Five Creek City.

At the gate, he saw a large notice with the word “Wanted” written on it. Next to each name, someone had drawn a red circle around it. The names lined up from left to right, with a portrait below each one. It looked just like a wanted poster for capturing bandits that Yue Country would put up outside its county yamen.

Chen Luo skimmed past the first few and focused on the last entry.