Chapter Thirty: Cloud Spring Mountain (Seeking Follow-up Reads and Recommendations!)

“The Ninth Grade realm is not so easily attained,” Su Ye sighed softly. Though he had already reached the First Realm, he could not guarantee he would be able to ascend to the Ninth Grade in a brief period.

“You may go to Yunquan Mountain to cultivate. That mountain was once the sanctuary of an old friend of mine, but he passed away more than ten years ago. To prevent this blessed land from falling into the hands of demons, I sealed it with a secret art,” Qu Zhang said.

Qu Zhang’s friend had been a cultivator of the Ninth Grade, his strength in life surpassing even Bai Song’s. Thanks to Qu Zhang’s protection, Yunquan Mountain remained much as it had been during his friend’s lifetime.

Since Qu Zhang cultivated by drawing on the power of incense and prayer, a place like Yunquan Mountain was of little use to him, which was why he chose to entrust it to Su Ye.

“My thanks to you, City God,” Su Ye said, a touch of excitement rising in his heart. If Yunquan Mountain was truly as Qu Zhang described, there was a real chance he could reach the Ninth Grade before Bai Song recovered from his wounds.

“How far is Yunquan Mountain from Jinhua County?” Su Ye inquired.

“It borders Lanyin Mountain, and lies a hundred miles from the county seat,” Qu Zhang replied.

“It borders Lanyin Mountain? Is that not where Lanruo Monastery stands?” Su Ye asked in alarm.

He knew well that the ghosts of Lanruo Monastery were the most powerful in all of Jinhua County. To cultivate so close to such a place—how could he dare?

“It is indeed Lanyin Mountain, but you need not fear those ghosts,” Qu Zhang said. “Ning Caichen and his wife were my friends in life. After their deaths, they fell into the Ghost Path and destroyed the monks of Lanruo Monastery—a tangled affair, to be sure.”

A sigh escaped Qu Zhang as memories resurfaced. Since Ning Caichen and his wife’s descent into the Ghost Path, they had severed all ties with him.

Still, the couple had been pure and virtuous in life, and even in death they had not wrought evil. Now, they cultivated quietly on Lanyin Mountain, keeping at bay an ancient tree demon lurking in its depths.

“In any case, you need not worry about the ghosts of Lanruo Monastery. So long as you do them no ill, they will not trouble you,” Qu Zhang reassured him.

Su Ye wished to ask further about Ning Caichen and his wife, but Qu Zhang clearly did not wish to speak more of it.

“It seems the situation at Lanruo Monastery is quite different from what I imagined. The leader of those ghosts is none other than Ning Caichen!”

Suppressing his scattered thoughts, Su Ye smiled and said, “I must ask you to wait one more day, Lord City God. Once I have arranged matters at home, I will set out for Yunquan Mountain.”

“So it should be. Come tomorrow at this hour, I will find you,” Qu Zhang agreed. With that, his form melted once more into a swirl of shadow and vanished before Su Ye.

“Su Ye, are you alright?” Once Qu Zhang departed, Little Li slipped into the courtyard, leaping into Su Ye’s arms, her emerald eyes filled with worry.

“I suffered some injuries, but nothing too serious. You needn’t worry.” Su Ye stroked the soft fur of the little fox and continued, “The one who just left was the City God of Jinhua County. He has asked me to cultivate at Yunquan Mountain. Bai Song has been gravely wounded by the City God and should not cause any more trouble for some time. Still, I remain uneasy. While I am away, I must ask you to watch over the Su family,” Su Ye said gravely.

Little Li was a First Realm demon, her strength by no means weak among her peers. Yet this time, they were facing Bai Song, a Ninth Grade heretic, so Su Ye had not let her show herself.

Now that Bai Song was wounded by Qu Zhang, even if he wished to act, he would not do so personally. As for his followers, like Xu Tao, they were of the First Realm, on par with Little Li. Before leaving, Su Ye would leave her some talismans and ask Qu Zhang to keep an eye on things. The Su family would be safe.

The day passed quickly. Once all was in order, Su Ye set out with Qu Zhang for Yunquan Mountain.

“This is Yunquan Mountain,” Qu Zhang said, pointing to a low hill ahead.

Su Ye looked up. He could sense a mysterious aura shrouding the hill, obscuring its true appearance.

Seeing Su Ye’s reaction, Qu Zhang seemed relieved. Then, gathering a mass of shadow in his palm, he conjured a bronze seal—the badge of his office as City God, and a tool of many uses.

As Qu Zhang raised the bronze seal, a dark azure light surged from within, instantly connecting the seal to the aura of the low hill ahead.

With a thunderous rumble, the shroud upon the hill dispersed, and the true face of Yunquan Mountain was revealed.

Soaring a hundred yards high, the mountain was lush with verdant foliage. From its summit, a waterfall cascaded down like a jade ribbon—a scene of breathtaking beauty.

“Rest easy and cultivate here on Yunquan Mountain. Do not trouble yourself over the affairs of the Su family; I will see to them,” Qu Zhang said with a sigh. Glancing back once at Lanyin Mountain not far off, he lingered no longer, and vanished in a gust of shadowy wind.

Su Ye paused for a moment at the foot of Yunquan Mountain, then cast a glance toward Lanyin Mountain. He could clearly sense that, once the seal on Lanyin Mountain was lifted, two ghostly auras drifted down from its slopes.

Yet the two ghosts merely watched from afar, making no move to approach.

After Qu Zhang left, the two ghosts also returned to Lanyin Mountain.

Recalling Qu Zhang’s instructions, Su Ye paid them no further mind. Without delay, he gathered his belongings and made his way up Yunquan Mountain.

He soon reached a broad plateau halfway up the mountain. There, he found several wooden cottages, with a few fields carved out before them.

The fields, untended for ages, had grown wild; yet amidst the weeds, Su Ye could make out traces of medicinal herbs, evidence that these plots had once served as herb gardens.

Drawing his gaze from the fields, Su Ye entered the cottages.

This had been the sanctuary where Qu Zhang’s friend once cultivated, and these cottages his dwelling.

“The place is still rather clean, and there’s some lingering aura of Qu Zhang here. He must have sealed it with his arts,” Su Ye mused, quickly inspecting the rooms. After a bit of tidying, he entered a special quiet chamber for cultivation.

This chamber served as both study and meditation room, furnished with a worn straw mat and two rows of bookshelves.

Entering the chamber, Su Ye’s gaze fell upon the shelves.