Chapter 11: Knight Holy Mountain (Part 1)
Ye Xiuliu’s attire today differed from usual. Clad head to toe in silver light armor, he carried not only the shield he typically used while training Long Haochen but also a heavy sword strapped to his back. Additionally, he tossed a travel pack to Long Haochen, instructing him to store it within his Forget-Me-Not ring.
Long Haochen’s outfit was even simpler; he wore no armor at all, carrying only a sword and a shield—the latter being the Radiant Shield gifted to him by Li Xin.
“Teacher, aren’t we heading to the Knight Sacred Mountain?” Long Haochen asked in confusion as he watched Night Asura lead him back, seemingly toward the rear of the Haoyue Branch Temple.
“Just follow me,” Night Asura replied indifferently.
Only because it was Long Haochen who voiced the question; had it been anyone else, they would likely have been scolded mercilessly by now.
As they entered the training grounds, the knights’ sessions had not yet begun. Most were probably still having breakfast in the dining hall, leaving the area unusually quiet.
Ye Xiuliu came to a halt, raised his right hand, and formed his fingers into a sword-like gesture, tracing invisible patterns in the air. Faint golden light coalesced into shimmering golden runes that pulsed rhythmically above him.
Long Haochen had witnessed such movements before; Li Xin had once performed the very same technique. Wasn’t this precisely the method for summoning one’s mount? Could it be that his own mentor had also become a knight before turning twenty and had visited the Knight Sacred Mountain?
Golden radiance surged upward, brilliant and dazzling beams of light weaving together to form a luminous golden gateway. Accompanied by a prolonged, resonant cry, a figure emerged from within the golden glow.
Upon clearly discerning that figure, Long Haochen’s eyes widened in astonishment. Although he had trained under Ye Hua for two years, this marked the very first time he had ever laid eyes upon his mentor’s mount.
It was a large bird entirely pale yellow in color. Emerging from golden light, it stood over two and a half meters tall. Its yellow feathers formed peculiar circular patterns, and its head appeared slightly rounded. Its body was exceptionally robust, faintly emanating an earthy yellow glow.
While training under his father, Long Xingyu not only drilled him daily but also imparted various kinds of knowledge, among which understanding magical beasts was inevitably included.
After a brief moment of surprise, Long Haochen recognized it as a rare earth-attribute flying magical beast called the Mountain-Shaking Roc, a sixth-rank magical beast.
Generally speaking, flying magical beasts are most commonly wind-attribute, though other attributes exist as well; however, earth-attribute ones are the rarest. This sixth-rank Mountain-Shaking Roc might not excel in flight speed, but in terms of carrying capacity and defensive power, it is unmatched by any other flying magical beast of the same rank.
“Master, so you are a Sky Knight,” Long Haochen said with a touch of envy.
Among the fifth-tier professions of knights, only those who possess a flying magical beast mount can be called Sky Knights; otherwise, they are all Earth Knights. Undoubtedly, under equal circumstances, Sky Knights are naturally more powerful.
A rare tenderness appeared in Ye Xiuliu’s eyes. The Mountain-Shaking Roc lowered its massive head, allowing him to stroke it twice, before spreading its enormous wings, which spanned over five meters, and crouching slightly.
Ye Xiuliu pulled Long Haochen, leaped lightly into the air, and landed on the back of the Mountain-Shaking Roc. Before Long Haochen could even react, a fierce wind surged as the roc took a few running steps, forcefully flapped its huge wings, and soared into the sky with both of them.
This was Long Haochen’s first time riding a flying magical beast, and he immediately felt somewhat nervous, instinctively gripping tightly onto the feathers on the roc’s back.
The scenery beneath their feet rapidly shrank; soon, the Mountain-Shaking Eagle had already carried them into the sky.
A faint yellow earth element emanated from the Mountain-Shaking Eagle, enveloping Long Haochen and Ye Hua within its protection, shielding them from the fierce winds. Its wings continued to beat steadily as it soared toward the distant horizon.
Long Haochen knew that a bonded magical beast mount shared a mental connection with its master; naturally, this Mountain-Shaking Eagle already knew where they were meant to go.
Soon, Haoyue City gradually diminished beneath their feet. The Mountain-Shaking Eagle climbed to nearly a thousand meters in altitude before leveling off into steady flight. Seated upon its broad back, the ride was surprisingly smooth.
Long Haochen was, after all, not yet fourteen years old; it was his first time experiencing such a marvelous sight. This Mountain-Shaking Eagle was clearly an adult magical beast, and the sensation of flight was truly wonderful! If only he could possess a magical beast like this when heading to the Knight Holy Mountain this time!
Ye Hua said indifferently, “Are you very envious?”
Long Haochen nodded without any attempt to hide his affirmation.
Ye Hua said, “You have the same opportunity. Now, I will explain some crucial points you must remember when seeking a magical beast partner within the Knight Sacred Mountain.”
“Yes.”
Ye Hua continued, “The Knight Sacred Mountain is a miraculous place founded by the ancestors of our Knight Temple. Built upon mountain ranges through the efforts of several generations, it is, more accurately, a colossal magic formation itself. Within the bounds of the Sacred Mountain, magical beasts of any rank will feel an innate affinity toward humans, while their own powers will be suppressed.”
“The longer a magical beast has lived within the Knight Sacred Mountain, the more spiritually attuned it becomes. Any human under the age of twenty, possessing spiritual energy exceeding two hundred, bearing the attribute of sacred light, and holding a token of our Knight Temple, will naturally gain the affection of these beasts upon entering the Sacred Mountain.”
“What you must remember is that there, you are seeking a companion who will stand by your side for the rest of your life, not merely a mount. It will become your most loyal friend. Unless you die, it will inevitably accompany you throughout your entire life—even more reliably than your future spouse.”
“Finding a mount within the Knight Sacred Mountain involves a strong element of luck. If fate decrees it, you might find a suitable partner the very moment you step foot into the sacred mountain. But if fate is not on your side, even staying there for ten or a hundred years won’t make any magical beast willing to acknowledge you. Therefore, entering the Knight Sacred Mountain is, in a sense, a journey to seek destiny.”
Hearing this, Long Haochen asked, “Teacher, then how should I go about finding this destiny?”
Yehua sighed softly, gently stroking the feathers of the Earth-Shaking Roc beneath him. “Everyone’s path to destiny differs. When I encountered my Earth-Shaking Roc back then, it was barely over a foot tall. The moment I first saw it, I felt an intense sense of affinity deep within my heart. It naturally walked up to me, took flight, and landed upon my shoulder. With the Temple Token, I easily completed the procedures for establishing an equal contract with it. To this day, it has accompanied me for over thirty years. Thus, once you enter the Sacred Mountain, never force anything; let everything unfold naturally. When you encounter the destiny meant for you, it will naturally become a lifelong asset.”
“Most magical beasts within the Knight Sacred Mountain do not attack humans, though some possess irritable temperaments. When you enter their territory, they will issue a warning. In such cases, the Temple Token will provide an indication. Do not rashly attempt to encroach upon their domain. If a beast deems you destined to be its companion, it will seek you out naturally. Such magical beasts are typically among the more powerful entities residing in the Sacred Mountain.”
Long Haochen committed every word of Night Hua’s guidance to memory, daring not to be careless in the slightest. A companion; my teacher is right. Soon, I shall have my own mount and partner. But what kind of mount will mine be?
“Teacher, does finding a mount within the Sacred Mountain relate to my own innate talent?” Long Haochen asked curiously.
Night Hua nodded and replied, “Certainly, there is a connection. Simply put, a mount’s acceptance of you equates to its recognition of your talent. The more powerful the magical beast, the higher its requirements for a partner. Speaking of which, my own luck back then was truly remarkable.”

The Knight’s Holy Mountain (Part Two)
As he spoke, Ye Hua’s gaze unexpectedly turned exceedingly gentle.
“Haochen, do you know what my innate spiritual energy is?” Ye Hua asked. At this moment, not a trace of coldness could be heard in his voice.
Long Haochen shook his head.
Ye Hua said, “My innate internal spiritual energy is only nine.”
“Huh?” Only nine? Long Haochen clearly remembered his father saying that if one’s innate internal spiritual energy did not exceed ten, it would be extremely difficult to break through from the third rank to the fourth rank in their profession.
Ye Hua smiled, but his expression was more agonizing than tears.
“Yes, only nine. The heavens, in granting me a brilliant mind, also cursed me with such worthless talent. Despite exhausting my wits to devise countless cultivation secrets, I could ultimately advance no further than the Sky Knight realm. I fear I shall never even brush against the level of a Radiant Knight in this lifetime.”
“I completed my external spiritual energy cultivation at the age of fifteen, becoming a knight. At that time, I was brimming with ambition, hailed by all as a genius. Yet, on the day my divine awakening concluded, it struck me like a bolt from the blue: my innate internal spiritual energy was merely nine—the waste among wastes. My teacher, who had once valued me so highly, refused to teach me any further abilities; he didn’t even tell me where the Knight Holy Mountain lay. How unwilling I was at just fifteen! I refused to believe that low innate internal spiritual energy precluded one from becoming a powerful knight. I truly could not accept it. I believed that through my own efforts, I could surely break through my limits and shatter the shackles imposed by heaven.”
“Thus, relying solely on my own two feet, I journeyed to the Knight Temple and claimed my rights. Then, again using only my own legs, I traveled to the Knight Holy Mountain and entered its depths. Every knight under the age of twenty is permitted to remain within for no more than one month; if they fail to find their destined bond within that time, the temple token will automatically transport them out of the holy mountain.”
“Day after day, I searched tirelessly. Whenever I encountered a magical beast, even one as weak as a level two or three creature, I was willing to communicate with it. Yet, even these feeble beings looked down on me.”
“Time passed day by day. Finally, the month came to an end, and I was about to be teleported away. I truly could not accept it; my heart overflowed with unwillingness! I raised my head to the sky and let out a piercing cry, weeping bitterly in fury. I knew that if I were teleported out just like that, I would forever remain useless, without even the slightest chance of becoming a powerful knight.”
“It was at that moment that I encountered it. Hearing my anguished cries, it descended from the heavens and landed upon my shoulder. It seemed to understand the pain within my heart. From then on, it became my only family, my dearest companion. I would willingly give my life to protect it; it was as dear to me as a brother born of my own flesh and blood.”
“As he spoke these words, tears unexpectedly streamed from the eyes of Ye Hua, who was usually cold and impassive. Meanwhile, the Mountain-Shaking Eagle slowly turned its head, gazing at him with gentle eyes, as if offering him comfort.
Yehua gently patted its back. “Rest assured, old friend, I’m fine.”
“Haochen, I am an orphan. In this world, I have never experienced true familial love. The former me never believed in ethereal concepts like fate. That was until I met it, met my dear brother. Only then did I understand that fate truly exists. It made me feel the presence of familial bonds; it constantly inspired me to strive in cultivation through various methods. It took me twenty years to gradually break through from a good-for-nothing to the realm of a Sky Knight, enduring countless trials of bottlenecks along the way. Such feelings are something a gifted child like you could never comprehend.”
“After saying all this, there is only one thing your teacher wishes to tell you: once you have your own partner, you must treat it well and truly regard it as family. Fate may occur only once in a lifetime; you must seize it firmly and protect it diligently. Otherwise, should it perish, you will harbor regrets for the rest of your life.”
Listening to Yehua’s emotional account, Long Haochen’s fists tightened unconsciously, filled with respect both for his teacher and for the Mountain-Shaking Eagle beneath him.
My own efforts have indeed been substantial, yet compared to my teacher’s, what do they truly amount to? If I possessed only the same innate talent as my teacher, could I, like him, strive day after day for decades toward a goal that seems nearly impossible?
“Teacher, rest assured, I understand. I will protect my companions with my life and communicate with it through my heart.”
Yehua nodded slightly. “Although that fat bastard Nalan told me not to ask, Haochen, I truly wish to know your innate internal spiritual energy. This determines the target you should seek for a mount. The more powerful a magical beast, the more arrogant it tends to be. Your talent has always been beyond my comprehension. Perhaps, here at the Knight Sacred Mountain, you will indeed bring your teacher a tremendous surprise.”
“Teacher, I…” Long Haochen hesitated as he looked at Yehua. Long Xingyu had told him that the number representing his innate internal spiritual energy was an extremely important secret. Yet, facing this teacher before him—a man known as Asura, yet possessing a heart burning with passion and such unwavering dedication—should he really continue to hide it?
Yehua waved his hand and sighed softly. “Never mind. This is your personal privacy. Not even that fat bastard Nalan knows, right? You needn’t say anything; it saves me from being provoked.”
“Teacher, I will tell you.” The words almost slipped out of Long Haochen’s mouth instantly. He valued emotions above all else; just in that fleeting moment, the loneliness deep within Yehua’s eyes had pierced his heart profoundly.
“Hmm?” Ye Hua’s eyes lit up, his gaze burning intensely as he looked at him.
Long Haochen took a deep breath and said, “Master, for over two years now, you have been strictly teaching me all kinds of knowledge and skills related to the Guardian Knights. Although you were harsh, even resorting to scolding and beating to push me, I know that everything you did was for my own good. Even when cultivating with my father, many aspects were not as direct and effective as your guidance. Without you, I would never have achieved my current progress. I heard from Hall Master Nalan that I am your only personal disciple. You have held nothing back, imparting to me all the insights you have accumulated over many years of research. How could I possibly be ungrateful? In my heart, you are both teacher and father. To others, my secrets will forever remain secrets, but to you, I am simply revealing them to my own father.”
Looking at Long Haochen, the muscles on Ye Hua’s face twitched slightly. He slowly turned his head away, not wanting him to see the glistening moisture that had formed in his eyes. He had never expected that this talented disciple of his, who was usually silent, never resisted any arduous training, and was as obedient as a beautiful little kitten, would speak such words. Beneath his seemingly fragile exterior, he seemed to possess a powerful heart.
Several strange notes escaped from Long Haochen’s mouth, and immediately, a layer of pale golden light enveloped both him and Ye Hua.
Spiritual Shield, a third-tier defensive skill for Guardian Knights. It has the effect of blocking skill detection and muffling some sounds. It is a single-target defense. With Long Haochen’s current level of spiritual energy, he can barely cast the Spiritual Shield to cover both himself and his teacher.

Knight Sacred Mountain (Part 3)
“Hmm?” So cautious? Ye Hua looked at Long Haochen with some confusion. At that moment, Long Haochen’s voice rang out.
“Teacher, my innate internal spiritual energy is ninety-seven.”
“Mm.” Ye Hua replied, still immersed in the warmth of Long Haochen’s words comparing him to both a master and a father. A cozy feeling filled his heart, indescribably comforting. Having never married in his entire life, it was only natural for him to regard such a sensible and cherished disciple as his own son.
“Ninety-seven. Huh? What did you just say?” Ye Hua whipped his head around so abruptly that even the few glistening tears in his eyes were flung away. His voice changed completely; the word “what” had turned into “whaddya.”
Long Haochen smiled gently and said, “I told you I shouldn’t have mentioned it. I knew this would be the result.”
Ye Hua’s body visibly twitched; he swallowed hard and with a fierce wave of his hand, a spiritual barrier far more powerful than Long Haochen’s erupted from him, once again enveloping both master and disciple within its protection.
“You… you said your internal spiritual energy is ninety-seven?” Ye Hua’s eyes nearly bulged out of their sockets.
Long Haochen nodded.
“No, that’s impossible,” Ye Hua declared firmly. “When you first arrived at the branch temple, Nalan Shu, that fat bastard, conducted a spiritual energy assessment on you. The result was two hundred and sixty-eight. Since you’ve undergone Divine Awakening, your external spiritual energy must be at its maximum value of two hundred. Therefore, no matter how exceptional your talent, your innate internal spiritual energy cannot exceed sixty-eight!”
Long Haochen scratched his head and replied, “At that time, my internal spiritual energy had actually already surpassed one hundred. It temporarily decreased because I fused with a Spiritual Stove. Haven’t you noticed that after studying under you for about a month, my internal spiritual energy increased significantly? That was because the spiritual energy from the fused Spiritual Stove had recovered.”
“A Spiritual Stove… You… you actually possess a Spiritual Stove…” Ye Hua nearly plucked out the feathers of his Shocking Mountain Eagle, staring at Long Haochen with an expression of sheer frenzy.
“You little rascal, do you know what I want to do right now?” Ye Hua’s eyes blazed with menacing light.
Long Haochen was stunned. “Teacher, what are you planning to do?”
Ye Hua felt an overwhelming urge to burst into tears. “I want to kick you right off this cliff. Damn it, why did you have to tell me that! I’m practically insane; why did I even ask? I brought this humiliation upon myself, absolutely upon myself!”
It took a full hour for Ye Hua to gradually recover from this unstable emotional state. Yet, every time he turned to look at Long Haochen’s face, smooth and warm as jade, it seemed as though the number nine was written on his left cheek, the number seven on his right, and a Spiritual Stove perched atop his nose…
“Teacher, in your opinion, what kind of magical beast would be most suitable for me to form a contract with?” It was not until another hour had passed and Ye Hua’s emotions had completely stabilized that Long Haochen cautiously asked.
Yehua glanced at him. “Naturally, the higher the cultivation level, the better. Given your potential, those rank seven or eight magical beasts would likely feel ashamed in your presence and lack the confidence to become your partners. The best outcome would be finding a rank nine magical beast in its juvenile stage. By the way, what type of Spiritual Stove do you possess?” As he asked, he detached the waterskin from his waist and took a sip.
“The Holy Guidance Spiritual Stove.”
“Pfft—” Yehua spat out all the water he had just taken into his mouth. “Do you have any humanity at all? Can’t you be less ruthless?” His face was filled with indignation and despair.
Long Haochen asked puzzledly, “Teacher, are you alright? Among the Spiritual Stoves that we Knights can fuse with, the Holy Guidance Spiritual Stove seems to rank among the lowest.”
Ye Hua panted heavily, “If I keep talking to you, I’ll have a heart attack! What do you know? Yes, the Holy Guidance Spiritual Stove ranks low. But did you know that among our Knight Temple’s current three Divine Seal Knights, the two old fellows who originated as Guardian Knights both possess the Holy Guidance Spiritual Stove?”
“I didn’t,” Long Haochen replied honestly.
Ye Hua said with a hint of resentment, “The Holy Guidance Spiritual Stove can be considered the best spiritual stove for coordination between a knight and their team. Having a knight fused with the Holy Guidance Spiritual Stove increases any team’s safety by at least thirty percent when exploring ancient ruins. Fortunately, you’ve told me about this now. Once we return from the Knight Sacred Mountain this time, I will thoroughly guide you on how to utilize this Holy Guidance Spiritual Stove.”
The Mountain-Shaking Eagle continued flying northward. Even though its flight speed was relatively weak among all level-six flying magical beasts, it was still far faster than traveling on foot.
The Knight Sacred Mountain is located in the northeastern corner of the Temple Alliance, adjacent to the Knight Temple. It lies extremely far from Haoyue City, which is situated in the south of the Temple Alliance; reaching it requires crossing almost the entire territory of the Temple Alliance.
Within the Temple Alliance, all six Holy Temples are positioned along the borders, forming a protective ring around the Alliance’s lands. The headquarters of the Temple Alliance resides at the center of this territory, with roughly equal distances from each of the six Holy Temples. Precisely because of the guardianship and deterrence provided by these six Holy Temples, the demon race has been unable to further encroach upon human lands for many years.
Among the six Holy Temples, the Knight Temple is the most powerful, the Warrior Temple has the largest number of members, and the Mage Temple is the wealthiest.
The influence of both the Knight Temple and the Warrior Temple extends to nearly every village and town. The Mage Temple, however, covers at least every city of small-town size or larger.
The Assassin Temple, the Priest Temple, and the Soul Temple, due to their scarce membership, maintain branches only in major cities. Even in a medium-sized city like Haoyue, only the Priest Temple has a branch; the most mysterious Assassin Temple and Soul Temple have never established branches there.
However, this does not mean that the three Holy Temples with fewer members lack strength. Each possesses unique and formidable abilities, making them indispensable parts of the Holy Temple Alliance.
The Mountain-Shaking Eagle boasts exceptional endurance in flight, needing to land only once a day to rest. Long Haochen had already revealed his most crucial secret to his mentor and now cultivated his internal spiritual energy while riding on the eagle’s back. From such close proximity, Starry Sky could clearly sense the continuous rise in his disciple’s spiritual power.
Fifteen days later.
“We’ve finally arrived, old friend. Descend,” Starry Sky said with evident delight.
Long Haochen gazed into the distance, startled to discover that the horizon was engulfed in a hazy golden radiance, obscured by mist so thick that nothing could be made out clearly.
This pale golden glow covered an immensely vast area; within its luminous embrace, one could faintly discern what appeared to be ranges of mountains.
The Mountain-Shaking Eagle slowly descended to the ground, its massive wings stirring powerful gusts of wind that pressed the weeds below flat against the earth.
Long Haochen leaped down alongside his master. The fifteen-day journey had left him feeling no fatigue whatsoever; having spent each day in cultivation, his spiritual energy had increased by approximately fifty points.
“Old friend, you may return now.”
The Mountain-Shaking Roc lowered its head, reluctantly rubbing against Ye Hua before stepping into the reverse summoning array he had released.
“Master, does the Knight Sacred Mountain have a no-fly formation? Why don’t we simply fly there? It seems we still have over a hundred li to go,” Long Haochen asked.
Ye Hua replied, “There is no no-fly formation, but do not forget how many powerful magical beasts reside within the Knight Sacred Mountain. Though these beasts will not actively attack humans, any foreign magical beast flying overhead will provoke their wrath. Unless your mount possesses the strength to suppress all the beasts here, never attempt to cross by air. Let us proceed.”
Just as the master and disciple were about to head toward the Knight Holy Mountain, suddenly a fierce wind swept across the sky, and a massive figure descended from above.

The Knight Holy Mountain (Part 4)
With a flick of his wrist, Long Haochen removed his Radiant Shield; maintaining constant vigilance is an essential lesson for every knight.
The enormous figure slowly landed several dozen yards away from them. It was unmistakably a flying magical beast.
This flying magical beast appeared even more majestic than Ye Hua’s Mountain-Shaking Roc. Approximately six meters in length, its entire body shimmered with a pale golden hue. Possessing the head of a dragon and the body of a bird, it bore long, colorful plumes trailing from both its head and tail. Upon landing gracefully, it slowly folded its vast wings, raised its head, and surveyed its surroundings with striking elegance.
A seventh-rank magical beast: a Dragon Eagle. Long Haochen recognized its species at a glance.
The Dragon Eagle was a light-attribute flying magical beast. For knights, mounts possessing the light attribute were most precious, as they could significantly enhance a knight’s combat prowess.
Two figures leaped down from the Dragon Eagle’s back: a middle-aged man accompanied by a youth. The moment their feet touched the ground, their gazes immediately turned toward Long Haochen and his companions.
“Oh, I was wondering who it was. So it’s Brother Ye Hua! Long time no see!” Upon spotting Ye Hua, the middle-aged man paused briefly, but soon approached with a warm smile.
Ye Hua remained cold and aloof, making no move to greet him.
The middle-aged man wore pale golden armor that clearly radiated an aura of light. He carried no weapon and wore no helmet, allowing his long golden hair to cascade freely down his back.
He appeared somewhat younger than Ye Hua, with delicate facial features. His particularly slender eyes subtly conveyed a sharp, piercing intensity.
The young man beside him bore at least a seventy percent resemblance to the middle-aged man, appearing around seventeen or eighteen years old, tall and imposing, with a faint hint of arrogance on his face.
Stepping closer, the middle-aged man smiled and said, “What’s this? Could it be that Brother Yehua no longer recognizes me? Although we haven’t met in six or seven years, we grew up together since childhood. From afar, I spotted your Mountain-Shaking Eagle just now. Though this magical beast is only rank six, it’s exceedingly rare; I suspected it must be you.”
Yehua replied coldly, “Ghost Shadow, you’re still as full of yourself as ever.”
The middle-aged man’s expression shifted slightly, while the young man beside him could no longer contain his anger and snapped, “What did you say?”
“Enough.” The middle-aged man, Ghost Shadow, smiled faintly, his expression having returned to normal. “Yehua, your master has missed you greatly. It has been many years since you left our Xiu City, yet you have never returned to visit. Remember, a teacher for a day is a father for life!”
Yehua’s face grew even colder. “I need no lessons from you. Let’s go.” Without so much as glancing at Ghost Shadow, he took Long Haochen and began walking toward the Knight Sacred Mountain.
Watching their figures gradually recede into the distance, the young man couldn’t help but ask Ghost Shadow, “Father, who are they? Why are they so arrogant?”
Ghost Shadow replied indifferently, “Merely a worthless fool. He was once kicked out by your grandmaster. It seems he is bringing that youth beside him to the Knight Sacred Mountain to obtain a mount. That boy looks even younger than you. Once they enter the Sacred Mountain, if the opportunity arises, cause them some trouble.”
The young man nodded with excitement. “I’ll teach him a lesson. If I break one of his legs, let’s see which magical beast would still want to get close to him.”
Ghost Shadow narrowed his eyes slightly, a sharp glint flickering within them as memories from decades past slowly surfaced in his mind.
…
“Brother Ye Hua, you’re about to become a knight, aren’t you? Why is your spiritual energy increasing so rapidly? Do you have some secret technique? Please teach me!”
“Cultivation relies on one’s own efforts; there are no shortcuts.”
“Hmph. It must be that the teacher favored you and taught you a special cultivation method. Otherwise, how could you, being only three years older than me, deserve to become a knight?”
“Slap—”
“You dare hit me? You dare hit me…”
“It’s you I’m striking. If you dare speak ill of my teacher again, I’ll break all your limbs and throw you out of the Cultivation City Hall. Get lost, and don’t let me see you again.”
That year, he was twelve, and Ye Hua was fifteen.
..
“Ghost Martial, if you get the chance, break that brat’s limbs.” Having coldly uttered these words, Ghost Shadow then strode forward.
Ghost Martial, his face brimming with arrogance, paused slightly in surprise. “Break his limbs? Isn’t that a bit too cruel? Nevertheless, I like it.” A ferocious expression flashed across his face and vanished just as quickly.
Ye Hua walked forward in silence; his countenance remained as icy as ever, yet Long Haochen, who knew him well, could distinctly sense that his master’s emotions were somewhat unstable.
“Master, is that person your enemy?” Long Haochen asked in a grave tone.
Yehua glanced at him. “They were once my fellow disciples. Xiucheng is adjacent to the headquarters of the Temple Alliance, one of its largest main cities. My master was a Templar Knight of the Knight Temple, wielding a Mithril-based battle armor. At thirteen, I entered Xiucheng’s main temple; by fifteen, I had broken through to the third tier, hailed as the greatest genius Xiucheng had seen in a century. I was my master’s personal disciple. But one step leads to heaven, another to hell. When it was discovered that my innate spiritual energy was only nine, the genius became trash. I struggled for two more years within Xiucheng’s main temple, yet my cultivation speed was unbearably slow. Eventually, my master expelled me from the main temple. Among those who drove me out was Ghost Shadow. He was also the one who mocked me most viciously, calling me trash.”
Having said this, Yehua fell silent, as if he had merely recounted something entirely unrelated to himself. Yet his pace suddenly quickened; propelled by spiritual energy, he shot forward like an arrow.
Long Haochen’s fists involuntarily clenched. Silently, he vowed to cleanse this shame for his master. Although Yehua spoke simply, Long Haochen could imagine that his master must have suffered tremendous trauma to become who he was now. And Ghost Shadow was clearly one of the primary culprits.
Glancing back at Ghost Shadow and his son, now a hundred yards behind them, a faint glint shimmered in Long Haochen’s clear, pale golden eyes.
A distance of a hundred li meant little to them; in less than an hour, Long Haochen had already followed Ye Hua to the vicinity of the Knight Sacred Mountain.
The closer they drew to the Knight Sacred Mountain, the denser the aura of light elements became. A mist radiating a faint golden glow rose ahead, within which towering peaks loomed, visible yet elusive. Clearly, the Knight Sacred Mountain referred not to a single mountain but to an entire mountain range. As they approached, the mist seemed to disperse considerably, allowing them to see far more clearly.
Gradually, they entered the realm of the pale golden luminous mist. To Long Haochen’s astonishment, this mist appeared to consist of exceedingly pure light elements. Once inside, the concentration of light elements was at least five times greater than in the outside world, and remarkably free of impurities.
“Can you feel it? The light elements here are far denser than outside. This entire mountain range of the Knight Sacred Mountain itself constitutes a colossal formation, composed with each peak serving as a sigil. These light elements are drawn in by the formation. If we knights could cultivate here, our efforts would yield twice the results with half the effort. However, that is clearly impossible. Precisely because these light elements exist, they suppress the ferocity of the magical beasts. Therefore, within the Knight Sacred Mountain, no knight is permitted to cultivate—not even the elder guardians. Otherwise, disrupting the balance of light elements within the formation could very well provoke an uprising among the magical beasts contained therein. Once you enter, it is fine for your spiritual energy to circulate naturally within your body, but you must not attempt cultivation through meditation.”