Chapter 16: A Hidden World, The Geng Metal Sword Classic

Xia Gucheng carried Li Wudao swiftly through the high sky, soaring past one mountain after another.

“Achoo!”

The young boy sneezed, quietly wondering if he might have caught a cold from the chill.

At this moment, he was still unaware that someone had been watching him.

But even if he knew, he would only smile wryly, utterly unconcerned.

After a cup of tea’s time,

Xia Gucheng halted midair above a mountain peak.

They were at the outskirts of the Xuantiandao Sect, far from the main peaks, in an extremely remote location.

Ahead rose a towering Sword Peak, piercing deep into the clouds. From a distance, it appeared barren, almost void of any vegetation.

Surrounding rocky mountains stood tall, overgrown with wild grass. Jagged cliffs sliced sharply, plunging almost vertically, perilous in the extreme.

“Master, could this... possibly be the Mysterious Peak?” Li Wudao asked, a troubling thought creeping into his mind.

“That’s correct,” came Xia Gucheng’s terse reply.

Li Wudao fell silent.

This entire mountain was nothing but a desolate wasteland, albeit large; there wasn’t a single blade of grass. How could it be related to Mysterious Peak?

Had he not previously observed the other main peaks from afar, he might have actually believed it.

“Get down.”

Suddenly, Xia Gucheng tossed the boy from midair.

Caught off guard, Li Wudao nearly face-planted.

He cursed inwardly.

That old man, bullying me too much!

Damn it, luckily it wasn’t very high, or he really might have been injured.

Now, he somewhat regretted becoming a disciple; was this really his master?

The outskirts of Mysterious Peak were riddled with ravines and cliffs everywhere.

Seemingly intending to familiarize Li Wudao with the environment, Xia Gucheng chose to proceed on foot into the mountain.

Mysterious Peak was vast, with overlapping ridges stretching endlessly.

After walking roughly five miles, passing through many stone forests,

They came upon a small, dilapidated ancient building, barely the size of a courtyard.

This was a place of decay, desolate and lonely, littered with ruins, stone walls cracked and weathered by countless years.

“Master, what is this...?” Li Wudao was stunned; he hadn’t expected such relics within Mysterious Peak.

“This is the seclusion site of a powerful figure from ancient times.”

Xia Gucheng stood with hands behind his back, stepping over broken tiles as they pressed forward.

After several hundred more paces,

Li Wudao spotted a sheer cliff face inscribed with half a wall of characters. Unfortunately, time and weather had eroded the text, leaving only a faint hundred or so discernible.

“Could this be a martial technique inheritance?” he murmured, lingering before the cliff.

“A fragment left behind by an Emperor Realm cultivator. Nothing worth your attention,” Xia Gucheng’s voice came from up ahead.

Li Wudao was taken aback but then smiled wryly as he trailed behind.

Indeed, the old man appeared plain, but he was actually a top-tier Martial Emperor, naturally dismissive of Emperor Realm legacies.

Yet, if news like this reached the sect, it would surely cause a tremendous uproar.

As far as he knew, the sect leader and other peak masters were only Martial Reverence Realm cultivators; whether they possessed any Emperor Realm techniques was uncertain.

They might even fight tooth and nail over such a legacy.

Unfortunately, this place was so remote and barren, far from the Xuantiandao mountain range, that no one could imagine an Emperor Realm fragment survived here.

If not for being led here, Li Wudao would probably have long been lost.

Continuing further,

Li Wudao was amazed to find the depths of Mysterious Mountain were complex and ever-changing.

What had been stone forests and cliffs moments before now gave way to a narrow stream, beyond which the scene brightened.

He now stood within a spacious valley.

Everywhere was lush green, strange flowers and rare herbs growing abundantly, spiritual energy swirling gently, vitality flourishing!

To one side of the valley stood a broad waterfall cascading down, pooling into a clear pond teeming with nearly a hundred fish, water so transparent the bottom was visible.

At the valley’s entrance, a winding path paved with cobblestones stretched out.

Not far off, a grove of bamboo stood tall, and at its center, a pavilion with a single stone table offered a serene retreat.

Li Wudao was dumbfounded.

Four words flashed in his mind: “A hidden paradise!”

The scene was truly a celestial haven.

Neither the scenery nor the spiritual energy could be matched by any of the other main peaks.

The name “Mysterious Peak” was truly fitting.

Though a valley, it was spacious inside, with even a small lake, and all manner of basic facilities complete.

“Many rooms are nearby. Just pick one to stay in,” Xia Gucheng said, yawning as he lay down in a rocking chair by the little lake.

“Master, is there any kind of welcoming gift?” Li Wudao rubbed his hands in anticipation. “Like a heavenly-level technique, a ninth-grade spirit pill, or a divine artifact—anything will do, I’m not picky.”

Suddenly, Xia Gucheng sat up sharply from the chair and snorted:

“Kid, do you even know what you’re saying? Those things are priceless! No!”

Li Wudao smiled awkwardly. “Well, then... could you at least give me something? I don’t have anything on me; I can’t just practice empty-handed.”

He was playing the pity card.

“Go away, go away, stop bothering me. Practice first; when you reach the first level of completion, then come find me.”

Sighing, Xia Gucheng retrieved an ancient tome from his robe, then lay back down, turning over.

Li Wudao picked it up from the ground and glanced at it.

The “Gengjin Sword Manual.”

It appeared to be a sword cultivation technique.

Li Wudao stroked his chin. The book looked aged, oxidized and yellowed, even faintly musty.

He pinched a corner of the manual with distaste.

He couldn’t help but doubt whether this old man was reliable.

Yet, having joined the Xuantiandao Sect, naturally he had to cultivate the sect's techniques.

Otherwise, he would risk exposure and attract the covetous attention of powerful beings.

Sighing, he wondered which was better: this or the “Seven Star Sword Art” given by the system.

Shaking his head, Li Wudao turned to choose a room.

Just then, Xia Gucheng suddenly spoke:

“Wait. I’m out of wine in my gourd. You’ll have to go down the mountain and fetch some.”

Li Wudao’s steps faltered, and he smiled bitterly. “Can’t I just not go?”

He was utterly exhausted, hair in disarray, simply wanting to slack off a while, with no desire to leave.

“Twenty miles from here lies Hero City, where there’s a tavern called the Drunken Jade Pavilion. They have a wine called ‘Drunken Jade Brew.’ Fill the gourd with that.”

Xia Gucheng lay in the rocking chair, speaking casually and comfortably.

“If you don’t bring back the wine before dark, don’t blame me for kicking you out.”

With that, he placed the gourd on the ground and began to snore softly.

Li Wudao wanted to cry.

He was probably the most miserable prime disciple in Xuantiandao Sect’s history—just one day into the sect, and now facing the risk of being kicked out.

“Could he at least give me some money for the wine? Having the disciple pay out of pocket?”

He poked the old man, but there was no response.

He was definitely asleep.

Well, no pain, no gain.

It was only a jug of wine; even if it was expensive spirit wine, he should be able to afford it.

He now had a million taels of gold—wealthier than the prince’s mansion.

A sliver of the setting sun appeared on the horizon; dusk was approaching.

Without delay, Li Wudao grabbed the wine gourd and rushed down the mountain.

For efficiency, he even spent tens of thousands of gold taels to purchase a Scalewind Steed.

This was a hybrid magical beast raised by the sect; resembling a fine horse covered in azure scales, swift as the wind, capable of traveling ten thousand miles a day, favored by many disciples as transportation.

Half an hour later,

Hero City.

After some inquiry, Li Wudao easily found the Drunken Jade Pavilion.

The tavern was famous, located along the city’s main thoroughfare.

It was the largest tavern in the city, five stories tall, renowned far and wide, bustling with business.

Unlike ordinary taverns, the clientele were mostly martial artists.

He saw a variety of cultivators from different factions and even spotted disciples from Xuantiandao Sect purchasing items together.

Li Wudao tied up his steed, took the gourd, and entered the tavern.

He approached a waiter and casually asked about the Drunken Jade Brew.

“How much... ten thousand gold taels per dou of wine?!”

Li Wudao was stunned, doubting his own ears.

Wasn’t this highway robbery?