Chapter 373: Chapter 373: The Mysterious Xuanhuang Mountain
The sound echoing from the Xuanhuang Mountain rang throughout the Nine Heavens Realm, heard by all living beings, including the father and son, Qin Chuan and Qin Zi.
"Dad, do you want to compete for the position of Xuanhuang Celestial Lord? With your strength and foundation, the chances are great!"
Qin Zi said excitedly.
His eyes burned as he looked at his father, full of expectation, as if already envisioning the scene of his father becoming the Xuanhuang Celestial Lord.
As for himself.
He hadn’t thought about it at all.
First, he had some self-awareness, and second, his father was still here, where would he get his turn?
Compared to the high risks and responsibilities of being Xuanhuang Celestial Lord, he’d rather be a wealthy second-generation, arrogant and presumptuous!
"Heh, it’s not that easy."
Qin Chuan stood with his hands behind his back, shaking his head as he said, "Such opportunities will surely be watched by countless truly terrifying beings. To rashly participate in the contest is to court disaster, with the slightest mistake leading to eternal doom!"
"Ah?!"
Qin Zi shrank his head and then laughed dryly, "Is it...really that serious? There aren’t any particularly powerful experts in the Nine Heavens Realm now."
Qin Chuan shook his head and said sternly, "What you see is only on the surface. The waters of the Nine Heavens Realm run far deeper than you imagine, not to mention... the strong from the upper realms are already watching."
"I see." Qin Zi nodded thoughtfully, feeling a heaviness in his heart.
Qin Chuan patted his son’s shoulder to comfort him, "You don’t need to be too pessimistic. Though we’re not competing for the position of Xuanhuang Celestial Lord, we can still strive for other opportunities in the Xuanhuang Mountain."
Hearing this, Qin Zi’s fighting spirit reignited.
"Yu Zi."
Qin Chuan called towards the empty air beside him, and soon, an old man with a celestial-like demeanor appeared.
"Young master."
Yu Zi said respectfully.
This fellow looked like an enlightened sage, but the gleam in his eyes betrayed cunning and slyness.
"Tell me roughly about the situation in Xuanhuang Mountain."
Qin Chuan said.
"You don’t know?"
Yu Zi was taken aback; a figure like Qin Chuan not knowing about Xuanhuang Mountain was like Emperor Tianlin being unaware of Tianwang—it made little sense.
More importantly, how did he become a prominent figure without knowing such important common knowledge?
It’s really baffling.
"Just talk."
Qin Chuan glanced at him lightly.
"Yes, yes, yes!"
Yu Zi dared not be verbose anymore and began to narrate:
"Xuanhuang Mountain is the source of our Xuanhuang Heaven and a place of worship. It’s said that it can connect to a great world above the upper realms; in fact, the Nine Great Heavenly Realms all originate from there."
"Of course, this is just legend. Whether such a world truly exists is uncertain, as no one has ever verified it."
"The interior of Xuanhuang Mountain is vast, divided into five parts: the Heaven Sacrifice Platform, Immortal Ascension Land, Hell Valley, Reincarnation Bridge, and Endless Abyss. Among them, the Endless Abyss is the most mysterious and unreachable; even the titans cannot enter or even spy on it."
"Generally, whenever Xuanhuang Mountain opens, only one of the four regions in front is accessible, and each region is perilous, where danger and opportunity coexist, even with some eeriness."
"I once entered the Immortal Ascension Land and was nearly scared to death; it was nothing like an immortal ascension place, but rather a mass grave!"
"In that place, everything appears radiant with light, countless silhouettes of immortals soaring in harmony, but from the soil below occasionally exposes skeletons, shrouded in black mist, sending chills down the spine."
Qin Chuan frowned and said, "So it seems, Xuanhuang Mountain isn’t a place of pure benevolence?"
"More than that, it’s actually a place of great calamity! Anyway, I don’t want to go again."
Yu Zi said with lingering fear.
After speaking, he realized his words seemed somewhat heretical, so he amended,
"Of course, this doesn’t mean Xuanhuang Mountain is inherently evil. It’s just so powerful that upon reaching a certain level, it naturally involves some mysteries beyond ordinary understanding."
"Like a knife that slashes ghosts, stained with their evil aura, but it doesn’t mean the knife itself is evil."
Upon hearing this, Qin Chuan nodded silently.
Mystery and fear often arise from the unknown, depending mainly on one’s ability and understanding.
If you can’t comprehend a phenomenon, you’ll naturally be afraid; if you can’t handle a danger, you’ll naturally feel terrified.
Yet those highly skilled often exhibit great courage!
"Let’s go to Xuanhuang Mountain."
After a long while, Qin Chuan said.
"Um... young master, can I not go?"
Yu Zi asked cautiously; having experienced some special things in the Immortal Ascension Land before, he harbored a shadow in his heart.
"Then stay home and watch over things."
Qin Chuan said calmly.
He was taking Qin Zi to face danger, naturally without dragging along others who might hinder his plans.
Leaving Shui Qingrou at home, with Yu Zi guarding, to protect Shui Qingrou lest any unexpected trouble erupt from the rear.
It’s widely known.
The woman of a chosen one is often prone to trouble, as if not causing issues would disappoint her status.
Qin Chuan naturally disliked wasting time on such matters and thus wanted to nip risks in the bud.
"Thank you, young master! Thank you, young master!"
Seeing Qin Chuan’s enlightened decision, Yu Zi was full of gratitude, repeatedly bowing in thanks.
"Let’s go."
Qin Chuan paid no attention to him, directly taking Qin Zi, soaring into the sky, disappearing at the horizon in an instant.
Qin Chuan now had the cultivation of a sixth Heavenly God, reaching a terrifying speed, crossing vast territories in a mere instant—yet even so, it took a long time to arrive at Xuanhuang Mountain.
The Nine Heavens Realm meanwhile was growing ever larger, already showing the grand magnificence of Xuanhuang Heaven from the past.
"Hiss! Is this Xuanhuang Mountain?"
Upon seeing the mountain, Qin Zi drew a sharp breath, not only he but even Qin Chuan nearly faltered.
Yet he steadied himself.
Stable as an old dog.
At the horizon, a magnificently towering Divine Mountain stood; though it felt as though miles away, it seemed as if already towering before them, truly overshadowing the sky and imposing over four seas.
This mountain, though existing within the heavens and earth, felt as if it contained the heavens and earth within itself, encompassing all.
Xuanhuang spanned the heavens, towering over Five Peaks and overshadowing the Red City; the Heaven Platform stood forty-eight thousand feet high, tilting southeast with desire!
"Boom, boom! Boom, boom!"
Golden sacred glow enveloped the mountain’s perimeter, this glow misting like smoke, sketching out astonishing vistas.
It seemed like a map of the stars.
Within the star map, numerous small mountain peaks weaved through the star rivers, converging toward the same destination—appearing slow, yet fast.
"Could these small peaks... be those forbidden Divine Mountains returning?" Qin Chuan mused silently to himself.
"Boom, boom!"
"Moo!!"
"Ah, slow down, you’re stepping on people!"
"Roar—"
Meanwhile, forward, the ground shook and trembled.
Immense clouds of dust rose from the foot of Xuanhuang Mountain, yet paled insignificantly against its towering presence.
Beneath the dust were countless small black dots galloping, too many to count—at least a trillion.
This spectacular scene couldn’t be seen by common folk, being too close to view such vastness; conversely, too distant blurred visible details, making it impossible to see clearly.
Only the eyes of a god could discern such grand scenes across similar distances, observing myriad living beings in this comprehensive spectacle.
An eagle soars in the vast sky.
Over the shoals below.
Competing freely under the frost of ten thousand kinds!
"Heh, a bunch of ants, they truly came. How could the position of Xuanhuang Celestial Lord fall to them?"
At this moment, a mocking voice sounded from a distance, seemingly someone talking to themselves.