The procession that wound its way up the overgrown path to Desolate Cloud Peak looked less like a noble sect moving in and more like a traveling circus of the insane.
Leading the charge was Ye Kai, the muscle-bound disciple who was currently functioning as a human moving van. A massive spirit-wood bed was strapped to his left shoulder, a mahogany desk was tucked under his right arm, and balanced precariously on his head was a giant wooden hot tub. Despite the crushing weight, he hummed a cheerful tune, occasionally stopping to kick a boulder out of the way.
Behind him scuttled Su Ling. She moved like a paranoid crab, darting from tree to tree. Every few steps, she would slap a yellow talisman onto a rock or a branch, muttering calculations about "kill zones" and "demonic sightlines."
Wei Wu, the blind boy, walked calmly in the middle, tapping the ground with his new unsharpened iron sword. He wasn't looking for obstacles; he was listening to the sorrowful song of the dying mountain.
Bringing up the rear was Jiang Chen, fanning himself with the golden invoice from the Administration Hall, looking every bit the arrogant young master inspecting his new estate.
"Ye Kai, put the hot tub in the courtyard," Jiang Chen commanded, pointing to a patch of withered weeds. "We need to soak the poverty away before we do anything else."
Ye Kai dropped the furniture with a ground-shaking THUD, cracking the stone pavement.
"Master," Ye Kai wiped sweat from his brow, looking around at the grey, rotting trees. "This place is... cold. And it smells like old socks."
"It's peaceful," Jiang Chen corrected, stepping over a pile of rubble. "It has character."
"No, Master," Su Ling whispered, her voice trembling. She held up her feng shui compass. The needle was spinning so fast it was emitting a high-pitched whine. "I have analyzed the energy signature. The Yin energy here isn't just natural decay. The Feng Shui reading isn't 'Weeping Widow'... it's 'Vengeful God'."
As if the mountain heard her, the wind suddenly died.
The temperature plummeted. Frost instantly began to creep up the legs of the new mahogany desk. The sunlight seemed to dim, strangled by a sudden, unnatural fog.
ROAAAAAR!
A sound like tearing metal echoed from the ruined Main Hall.
Blue spectral fire erupted from the broken windows, coalescing into a massive, terrifying shape. A spectral skull, twenty feet tall, hovered over them, its jaw unhinged, its eyes burning with green malice.
The pressure it released wasn't just spooky; it was a legitimate Soul Pressure. It felt like a freezing ocean crashing down on their minds.
"GET OUT!"
The voice didn't come from the air; it vibrated inside their skulls.
"I AM GRANDMASTER AZURE! THIS IS MY DOMAIN! LEAVE OR I WILL CONSUME YOUR FLESH AND DRINK YOUR MARROW!"
Ye Kai reacted instantly. "Master! A big floating head! I will punch it!"
He dropped into a horse stance, the Titan Gauntlets on his hands glowing black. He threw a punch that shattered the sound barrier. The shockwave blew away the fog, but the fist passed harmlessly through the ghost's face.
"Physical immunity?!" Ye Kai gasped, stumbling forward.
Su Ling shrieked, diving behind a rock. "Exorcism Protocol Alpha!"
She threw a bucket of salt she had been hiding in her sleeve. The salt hit the skull and sizzled, but the Ghost just laughed—a sound like grinding stones.
"Salt? You think salt can stop me?" The skull roared. "I have cultivated for a thousand years! Salt is just seasoning for the meal!"
The Ghost dived. Its massive jaws opened wide, aiming to swallow Jiang Chen whole.
Jiang Chen didn't run. He didn't even flinch.
He stood his ground, his cheap white robes fluttering in the spectral wind. He looked bored.
"System," Jiang Chen thought calmly. "Soul Defense Mode."
Ding!
[System Alert: Hostile Soul Attack Detected.]
[Activating "Divine Soul Reflector" (Passive).]
[Cost: 100 Bluff Points.]
The Ghost's massive jaws closed around Jiang Chen.
Ye Kai and Su Ling screamed. "MASTER!"
But inside the spectral darkness, Jiang Chen opened his eyes. They weren't their usual dark brown. They were glowing with a terrifying, absolute gold light—a special effect provided by the System to simulate the presence of a God.
"KNEEL."
Jiang Chen spoke one word.
But through the System's amplification, that one word hit the Ghost like a divine hammer dropped from the heavens.
BOOM.
The spectral skull didn't just stop; it exploded from the inside out. The Ghost screamed in pure agony as it was blasted backward, its massive form shattering into motes of blue light before forcibly compressing down.
In seconds, the terrifying monster was reduced to a tiny, shivering blue orb hovering just above the dirt.
The orb—Grandmaster Azure—trembled violently, smoke rising from its edges.
Jiang Chen walked over, the golden light in his eyes fading back to normal. He adjusted his collar and looked down with disdain.
"You have spirit," Jiang Chen said coolly. "But your technique is sloppy. You tried to consume a soul that is heavier than this mountain. Did your mother never teach you not to bite off more than you can chew?"
The orb shook. "You... you aren't a mortal! That Soul Pressure... that was Divine Will! Are you an ancient reincarnator? A God in disguise playing with mortals?"
"I am the Landlord," Jiang Chen said coldly, snapping his fan open. "And you are late on rent."
The Ghost immediately prostrated, forming a tiny, comical spectral body that bowed so low its head went into the dirt.
"Forgive me, Senior! I have eyes but failed to see Mount Tai! My name is Azure. I was the Peak Master here five hundred years ago. Please, spare me! I'll be your servant! I'll do laundry! Just don't dissipate me!"
"I'll call you Bob," Jiang Chen decided. "Now, Bob. Why are you so aggressive? Usually, remnant souls are dormant to save energy. You possess too much vitality for a dead man."
Bob's spectral expression turned serious. He floated closer to Jiang Chen, glancing around nervously as if afraid of being overheard.
"Senior... surely you feel it? The vibration in the earth?"
"Vibration?" Jiang Chen raised an eyebrow.
"The World is shifting," Bob whispered, his voice grave. "I attacked you because I need to gather strength. I need to protect this Peak. Because They are waking up."
"Who?"
"The Old Monsters."
Bob pointed a transparent finger at the ground.
"Senior, the Heavenly Dao Barrier that separates the Five Regions... it is dissolving. My connection to the earth tells me that in thirty to fifty years, the Southern Region, the Northern Wastes, and the Central Plains will merge into one Great World."
Jiang Chen paused. This was heavy lore. He kept his face impassive, but internally, he was taking notes.
"When that happens," Bob explained rapidly, "the limit on cultivation—currently Emperor Level 9—will be broken. The Saint Realm will open."
"For thousands of years, the ancestors of the Great Sects haven't died. They buried themselves underground in 'Death Seclusion', slowing their heartbeats to once a year. They are waiting for this moment. When the barrier breaks, they will climb out of their coffins to fight for the Saint Realm."
Bob shivered. "The current Sect Leaders? The Elders? They are nothing. They are children guarding the house while the tigers sleep. When the Old Monsters wake up... blood will flow like rivers."
Jiang Chen absorbed this.
So, the world was about to enter a Battle Royale of ancient super-grandpas. And he was currently a fake expert with a counterfeit cultivation base.
"Interesting," Jiang Chen said, masking his internal panic with a smirk. "So you think hiding in this peak will save you?"
"The Hidden Dragon Vein!" Bob said excitedly. "It's under this mountain! I sensed it centuries ago but died before I could find it. If I can absorb just a little bit of it, I can reform my body before the Great Era arrives!"
Jiang Chen smiled. It was a predatory smile.
"You mean the Vein I'm about to dig up?"
Bob froze. "Dig up? Senior, you can't! If you unseal the Vein now, the Qi surge might wake up the sleepers early! And... and it's buried in a very disrespectful place!"
"I don't care about the sleepers," Jiang Chen lied. "If the world is going to end in thirty years, I plan to be strong enough to slap it in the face."
Jiang Chen turned to the overgrown backyard.
He pointed at a rotting wooden shack with a crescent moon carved into the door.
The ancient Outhouse.
"Bob," Jiang Chen asked. "Is the Vein under there?"
Bob covered his spectral face with his hands. "Yes. The high concentration of... 'organic matter'... masked the energy signature for centuries. It is the perfect hiding spot. But... it is gross."
"Power has no smell," Jiang Chen declared. "Ye Kai! Bring the shovel!"
The Unsealing
Ten minutes later.
Ye Kai stood waist-deep in the pit where the toilet used to be. The smell was atrocious. Su Ling had fainted behind a rock. Bob was floating fifty feet in the air to avoid the fumes.
"Dig," Jiang Chen commanded from a safe distance.
CLANG.
Ye Kai's shovel hit something hard.
The ground shook violently. A hum, like a giant bell being struck deep underground, resonated through the soles of their feet.
CRACK.
Golden light began to leak from the mud, blindingly bright.
ROAAAAAR!
A golden beam of light shot straight into the sky, piercing the clouds and illuminating the night like a second sun. The phantom of a Golden Dragon materialized above Desolate Cloud Peak, roaring with a sound that woke up every dog, bird, and cultivator within a thousand miles.
The Spirit Qi on the mountain skyrocketed. The dead trees bloomed instantly. The grey rocks turned into Spirit Jade.
Bob sighed in ecstasy. "Oh... the purity! This is a Grade 9 Vein!"
As the Dragon roared, a notification rang in Jiang Chen's mind.
Ding!
[System Alert: Massive Energy Source Detected.]
[Source: Hidden Dragon Vein.]
[System Upgrade Conditions Met.]
[System Update 2.0 Available.]
[Requirement: Absorb 50% of the Dragon Vein's Core Essence.]
Jiang Chen frowned. "50%? That's half the mountain's power. What do I get in return?"
[Upgrade Preview: Feature Unlock - "Master-Disciple Investment Cashback".]
[Description: Any resource (Pills, Weapons, Techniques) gifted to a bound disciple will trigger a "Rebate Reward" for the Host.]
[Current Pending Investments: Titan Gauntlets, 5-Element Pills, Tortoise Array, Heart-Severing Scripture.]
[Estimated Cashback upon Upgrade: 10x - 100x Return.]
Jiang Chen's eyes lit up.
He had just given away a fortune to his disciples. He thought it was a necessary loss.
But now? The System was telling him that if he upgraded, that "charity" would turn into a massive profit.
"Invest one pill, get a hundred back?" Jiang Chen licked his lips. "That's not cultivation. That's insider trading."
He looked at Bob. "Bob, I have good news and bad news."
"What?"
"The good news is the Vein is open. The bad news is... I'm taking half."
"WHAT?!" Bob screamed. "You can't—"
"System," Jiang Chen ignored the ghost. "Initiate Absorption."
ZOOOOOM.
Jiang Chen's body turned into a vortex. The Golden Dragon in the sky shrieked as half of its golden essence was sucked straight into Jiang Chen's chest. The blinding light dimmed slightly, settling into a stable, manageable glow.
[Energy Absorbed: 50%.]
[System Upgrading... Time Remaining: 24 Hours.]
The Reaction
While Jiang Chen was busy upgrading, the rest of the Mystic Cloud Sect was in chaos.
At the Main Peak, lights flickered on in the Hall of Divine Order.
The Sect Leader, who had been in deep seclusion, opened his eyes.
"That roar... Dragon Qi? Within the Sect?"
At Violet Mist Peak, Elder Pill dropped her tea cup. She rushed to her balcony, sniffing the air.
"That smell! Pure, unadulterated Spirit Essence! It's coming from... the Trash Peak?"
At Iron Judgment Peak, the injured Wei Hong looked out his window, his face pale.
"Impossible. That scammer... did he activate a treasure?"
Within minutes, the sky was filled with streaks of light.
Flying swords. Spirit Boats.
Elders were shouting orders.
"Send the disciples!"
"Go to Desolate Cloud Peak immediately!"
"Find out what caused that light! If it's a treasure, secure it!"
Back at the peak, Jiang Chen dusted off his hands. He looked at the bubbling golden geyser that remained in the toilet pit.
He saw the lights approaching in the sky.
"Ye Kai," Jiang Chen smiled. "Get the empty bottles ready. We're about to have company."