Chapter 141: Crossing Cloud Peak

Qingyang Peak is exceptionally high. Flying at this altitude subjects one to immensely powerful gale-force winds. Anyone who has not stepped into the First-Grade Bone-Refining Realm would have had their flesh and skin sliced apart by these winds long ago.

Even martial artists who have entered the First-Grade Bone-Refining Realm cannot endure it for too long, especially when flying at such a rapid speed.

Xie Yuan noticed that Yang Ze's expression showed a hint of pain, yet he did not offer any assistance to help Yang Ze resist the gales. Instead, he observed Yang Ze to see how much he could endure.

The more he observed, the more astonished he became. Although Yang Ze's expression looked somewhat painful, the bone-refining power within his body continuously radiated outward, preventing him from sustaining any injuries thus far.

Before long, Xie Yuan reached the summit of Qingyang Peak, his figure coming to a halt as he landed on the ground.

Yang Ze touched his feet to the ground. In the instant he landed from mid-air, his balance wavered, and he swayed several times before standing firm.

Opening his eyes to survey his surroundings, he found the area entirely empty, devoid of anything at all. Looking downward, he could see the massive body of Qingyang Peak stretching endlessly into the distance.

Following the downward slope with his gaze, he could only make out a few structures. Beyond that, everything else was obscured, replaced entirely by layers of dense fog.

"A thousand years ago, this mountain was merely an ordinary peak on the vast continent of Jiuzhou. Its only notable characteristic, perhaps, was its height.

"Ever since the Misty Martial Academy settled here, however, this mountain was given a new name, and layer upon layer of formations and numerous restrictions were laid down, transforming it into one of the mountain gates of the Misty Martial Academy.

"The mist you see blanketing the entire Qingyang Peak is the grand array of our Misty Martial Academy. Within it reside various restrictions designed to ensure everyone's safety. If I hadn't been the one to bring you to the summit of Qingyang Peak today, the moment you stood here, the Qingyang Grand Array would have been triggered and blasted you into ashes," Xie Yuan said slowly.

He was not trying to scare Yang Ze; everything he said was the absolute truth. There were simply too many forbidden zones within the Misty Martial Academy, and ordinary disciples were by no means permitted to wander about recklessly.

Yang Ze reined in his wandering thoughts and stood motionless in his spot.

Glancing at Yang Ze, Xie Yuan continued, "Yang Ze, do you know where the Outer Court of our Misty Martial Academy is located?"

Yang Ze recalled when Ning Teng had brought him here previously, mentioning that the Outer Court and Inner Court lay behind Qingyang Peak. Yet, looking out now, he could not see any trace of them.

"This disciple has heard that the Outer Court lies behind Qingyang Peak, but I cannot see where it is," Yang Ze replied.

"It is only natural that you cannot see it. I will let you see where the Outer Court truly resides right now."

As his voice fell, Xie Yuan took a step forward, placing himself right in front of Yang Ze. With a wave of his right hand, a token materialized out of thin air. He pointed a finger at it, and a beam of light shot forth from the token, piercing straight into the mist ahead.

Struck by the beam of light, the fog began to churn and roil with increasing violence. Suddenly, as if a pair of giant hands were pressing down upon it, the mist was forcefully torn apart.

Despite the considerable distance between them, Yang Ze could still feel the sheer power contained within that beam of light.

With the gap torn open, the mist surged away toward the sides. Xie Yuan grabbed Yang Ze by the shoulder with his left hand, and stepping into the void, he pulled Yang Ze toward the opening.

Standing just outside the gap, Yang Ze beheld the scene on the other side. His eyes widened, and he could not help drawing in a sharp breath of cold air.

He saw a towering mountain piercing the clouds. The peak was filled with palaces and pavilions, veiled in drifting clouds and mist, dotted with bizarre rocks and sheer cliffs where patches of green vegetation and sturdy trees grew horizontally. Rather than lending the mountain a desolate, wild aura, this greenery added a touch of vibrant life.

Even from afar, numerous people could be seen moving about the mountain. Some were practicing martial arts, while others shuttled endlessly back and forth between various halls.

Noticing the change in Yang Ze's expression, Xie Yuan asked softly, "Does it feel vastly different from Qingyang Peak?"

Yang Ze nodded and said, "This peak is brimming with vitality, far beyond what Qingyang Peak can compare to. On Qingyang Peak, there is always an oppressive feeling."

"This mountain is called Hengyun Peak. The Outer Court of our Misty Martial Academy is located here. The disciples permitted to reside on this mountain are all Outer Disciples of the Misty Martial Academy.

"Do not assume this mountain is entirely free of formations either. Look up."

Yang Ze raised his head to look upward, but he saw nothing at all—until Xie Yuan reached out and tapped a finger gently between his brows.

A faint radiance blossomed across the surface of his eyes, and his vision immediately pierced through to reveal a massive grand array enshrouding the skies above Hengyun Peak. Borrowing Xie Yuan's power, he could sense that the might of this array far surpassed the one on Qingyang Peak.

"Now that you've seen it, let us leave." Xie Yuan pointed another finger, withdrawing the power he had lent to Yang Ze's eyes.

Yang Ze pulled back his gaze and looked ahead. He saw a suspension stone bridge extending from the summit of the distant Hengyun Peak, with individual stones floating suspended in mid-air, looking remarkably miraculous.

Xie Yuan stepped onto the suspension stone bridge, taking his first stride, and began walking steadily forward across the bridge.

Yang Ze stood in place, watching Xie Yuan walk away. His heart trembled; looking at those stones suspended high in the air, even with his boldness, he dared not take a step forward.

Yet, realizing that Xie Yuan had no intention of stopping to wait for him, Yang Ze took a deep breath, a fierce determination flashing in his eyes, and stepped forward as well.

His first step was lifted with extreme caution. As his foot pressed down onto the floating stone, a surge of energy sprang up from the surface of the stone, flowing along the sole of his foot into his body. Simultaneously, the eleven already-refined bones in his lower limbs automatically radiated bone-refining power, neutralizing this invasive energy.

Having completed his first step, Yang Ze slowly steadied his posture. When he looked ahead for Xie Yuan, he found that Xie Yuan had already covered a small portion of the distance.

Suppressing the panic in his heart, Yang Ze took a second step, then a third, walking forward one deliberate step at a time.

His pace was not fast, but every single step became firmer than the last. Each time his foot came down, another wave of energy would enter his body from the stone's surface, prompting his bone-refining power to surge forth and contend with it.

Yang Ze paid no heed to this internal clash; his sole focus was the path ahead. He was determined to reach Hengyun Peak.

Walking across the suspension stone bridge, a distance that did not look particularly long in reality took Yang Ze a very, very long time to traverse, until he finally saw solid ground appear ahead, along with Xie Yuan standing upon it.

Without speeding up, he steadily took his final few steps and landed firmly on the ground. The place where he now stood was a wide platform just beneath the summit of Hengyun Peak.

The moment he stood firm, Yang Ze looked back over his shoulder and saw that the misty entrance through which he had arrived had vanished, and even the suspension stone bridge was slowly dissolving from view.

"How does it feel?" A familiar voice suddenly sounded by Yang Ze's ear. Yang Ze turned his head to look and saw an old man with a goatee standing opposite Xie Yuan—it was none other than Ning Teng.

Seeing Ning Teng once again, Yang Ze immediately sensed that some subtle changes had taken place in him. He bowed solemnly and said, "Disciple Yang Ze pays respects to Elder Ning!"

As soon as Yang Ze uttered these words, the smile on Ning Teng's face grew even brighter, but Xie Yuan, standing with his back to him, wore a rather displeased expression.

"No need for such formalities. I didn't expect that in just a few short months, you would have already broken through to the First-Grade Bone-Refining Realm. Splendid, truly splendid. I have finally waited for you to become an Outer Disciple," Ning Teng laughed.

"I must thank Elder Ning for this as well. Without Elder Ning, there would be no Yang Ze today," Yang Ze bowed respectfully toward Ning Teng once more.

He spoke these words with utmost sincerity; without Ning Teng, he would have long since perished in the Chiyu River.

Little did he expect that right after he spoke, before Ning Teng could reply, Xie Yuan let out a cold snort and said, "Very well. I will not stay here to hinder your reunion. This old man has matters to attend to and will take his leave first."

With that, Xie Yuan immediately departed. Yang Ze watched him leave, feeling a bit puzzled.

"You, oh you. You really should thank Elder Xie properly this time. You couldn't have achieved this breakthrough without his indispensable contributions. The spirit cave, the medicinal pills—he provided all of them to you. Most importantly, even the 'Misty Qi' was given to you by him. That is something meant to cleanse your marrow, transform your bones, and completely remake your mortal shell," Ning Teng said, shaking his head after Xie Yuan had left.

"Misty Qi? What kind of thing is that?"

Seeing his confusion, Ning Teng realized that Yang Ze had no understanding of what Misty Qi was, and began to explain it to him.

"A single breath gives birth to ten thousand methods; the nine heavens hold boundless divine powers—this is the chant of our Misty Martial Academy. The 'single breath' in the chant refers precisely to this Misty Qi, representing the supreme cultivation art of our Misty Martial Academy.

"Once a martial artist's cultivation reaches the Fifth-Grade Qi Sea Realm, those who cultivate the Misty Qi can split three wisps of it from their origin Misty Qi. These three wisps possess the miraculous ability to transform one's foundation, turning the dead back to life and regrowing flesh on skeletal remains.

"A mediocre person who obtains it can be transformed into a genius; a dying person who obtains it can be instantly restored. Of course, those effects might be slightly exaggerated, but the preciousness of Misty Qi far exceeds your imagination.

"Since you have received Elder Xie's Misty Qi, and you haven't even finished absorbing it yet, once you absorb it entirely, your cultivation will rise even further, saving you several years of bitter toil. The benefits are too numerous to sum up in a sentence or two.

"Furthermore, the procedures for your entry into the Outer Court this time were all personally arranged by Elder Xie. Otherwise, do you really think you would have had the chance to walk across that Hengyun Stone Bridge? Walking across that bridge once is equivalent to several months of bitter cultivation for you."

Hearing this, a shock rippled through Yang Ze's heart. He had not expected Xie Yuan to have done so much for him. Viewed in this light, he now owed Xie Yuan a massive favor.

"This disciple is ashamed. I never imagined I would owe Elder Xie such a profound favor. Once this disciple has achieved mastery in my studies, I will undoubtedly repay Elder Xie manifold," Yang Ze said solemnly.

"Hahaha, this old man truly did not misjudge you. You know how to return kindness with gratitude. Very well, you have passed the assessment set by Elder Xie and myself, and now you have the qualifications to join the War Hall."

Amidst Ning Teng's laughter, Yang Ze finally realized that a subtle force had just washed over him a moment ago, compelling him to speak the true thoughts buried deep within his heart.