The Fenghuo Mountain is located to the east of the Tianlong Imperial Dynasty, three hundred miles away from the imperial capital. The endless mountain range serves as a natural training ground.
The mountains are teeming with demons, thus, this area is also known as the Demon Beast Mountains of the Tianlong Imperial Dynasty. Fenghuo Mountain is situated at the southern end of the range, where there are a vast number of demons, but relatively fewer cultivators come here to train.
Those who can come here are all not ordinary people.
When night fell, Longao Tian ran with his flying sword for half a day and finally arrived in Fenghuo Mountain. She grabbed Chenmo's shoulder and threw him to the ground.
"You brat, I told you to behave when you followed me. What are you doing, holding my waist?"
Longao Tian raised his eyebrows, scolding him coldly and angrily.
Chenmo was just thrown down from a distance of half a zhang from the ground. He fell down unstablely but did not get hurt. He looked at Longao Tian with grievance and said, "I'm just an ordinary person. I'm walking on a flying sword, and I don't have a sense of security. If I don't hold you, I'll fall off from the sky, and my body won't be left unscathed; besides, we're both men, what's wrong with holding your waist? Do you really fear that I will take advantage of you?"
Ghost, you can't be a man with you... Longao Tian clenched his silver teeth and staring at Chenmo with hatred, "Be more careful in the future, I don't want people to misunderstand that I have a preference for men..."
I'm not a round face, with a long beard, wearing white socks... Chenmo silently muttered in his heart.
"Since we're already at Fenghuo Mountain, then you can take the lead."
Longao Tian can't wait to obtain the Jinchen Herb. The injury to her meridians has become a heartache for her. She wishes to find the Jinchen Herb immediately to heal her wounds.
Chenmo sighed helplessly and shook his head, "You're a martial artist, while I'm just an ordinary person. After a long journey, I am completely exhausted and starving. You won't let me rest or eat. How can I accompany you to find the Jinchen Herb?"
Martial artists are different from ordinary people; the higher their level, the less desire they have for food. They can resist hunger by absorbing the spiritual energy of the heavens and earth. As for Chenmo... a person is made of iron, but rice is steel; without a meal, one feels hungry.
Longao Tian was unable to refute Chenmo's words, although she was not pleased. She had to follow Chenmo's instructions. She took out food from her storage ring to feed Chenmo and then found a grassland for him to rest.
Time was pressing, and combined with physical fatigue, Chenmo did not mind, and directly lay on the grass and snored loudly.
After an unknown period of time, the sounds around woke Chenmo from his deep sleep.
Although Longao Tian was with him, the Fenghuo Mountain was a place where powerful demons often appeared, so Chenmo dared not sleep too deeply.
"What's wrong?"
The surroundings were still pitch-black, with a campfire burning nearby. Chenmo could see that Longao Tian's expression was very serious, her gaze vigilant on the front.
"There's movement..."
Longao Tian spoke in a calm tone, "There's something happening..." In this place, there are only two possibilities: demons or martial artists.
Either one requires caution: demons might eat people, and martial artists might kill to seize treasure.
A tall and thin figure emerged from the forest, gradually becoming clear to Chenmo under the light of the campfire; long hair tied into a ball shape with a simple bamboo skewer, a few strands of hair falling over his forehead, his fair cheeks with a slight touch of illness, looking like he was in his teens, dressed in a cyan blue daoist robe, walking slowly but every step seemed to carry wind.
"I am Daoist Zhang Huanzhi. I have come here to refine my skills and saw the firelight. I came to see what it was, disturbing your rest, I apologize..."
The young Taoist bowed with his hands together, speaking respectfully.
Longao Tian slightly raised his eyebrows and could see at a glance that the young Taoist in front of him had nine-level cultivation. With so many demons in the Fenghuo Mountain, even the weak ones were equivalent to humans starting at level seven, so a nine-level cultivator coming here was like sending himself to death.
Longao Tian had seen many arrogant dragon people like this before and didn't feel the need to remind him each time. He pulled Chenmo's hand and was about to leave when he noticed that the latter was frozen in place, motionless.
Zhang Huanzhi?
Ordinary person Zhang Huanzhi?
Chenmo's lips trembled slightly, and his voice changed, "You are Zhang Huanzhi from Tianshi Temple."
People in the Nine States may not know about the Tianlong Imperial Dynasty, but they cannot be unaware of the Tianshi Temple.
The Tianshi Temple has stood firm for a thousand years in the nine provinces, and has been invincible for a thousand years. It can be said that it is the most powerful organization in the nine provinces, and some of the top ten experts on the world-renowned Tianshi List are from the Tianshi Temple. Five of them are from the Tianshi Temple.
Now, Zhang Huanzhi is merely a ninth-level martial artist with no reputation. Without the reputation of the Tianshi Temple, no one would probably care about his existence.
However, in three hundred years, he ascended to the position of the Heavenly Master, subduing the heroes of the land, and with his own strength, pacified the chaos in the forbidden zone, achieving the reputation of being number one in the world.
"I am a disciple of the Tianshi Temple."
In response to Chenmo's question, Zhang Huanzhi did not hesitate to answer. His robe was too conspicuous, and those who could appreciate its worth would recognize it at a glance.
Longao Tian frowned slightly. The Tianlong Imperial Dynasty was far from the Tianshi Temple, and she had never come into contact with anyone from the Tianshi Temple. She was not familiar with their attire, so upon hearing Zhang Huanzhi's words, she became more respectful towards him.
But that's all. Her purpose in coming here was for the Jinchen Herb, and she didn't need to waste time on Tianshi Temple people.
Chenmo didn't leave, and Longao Tian pulled him to go.
"Why are you in such a hurry? He's Zhang Huanzhi from the Tianshi Temple, after all."
Chenmo was worried. He still wanted to chat with this future number one in the world.
"How does the Tianshi Temple matter, and what about Zhang Huanzhi? Is he more important than the Jinchen Herb?"
He's going to be the number one in the world... Chenmo muttered to himself, thinking that if Longao Tian knew this, she would be more excited than he was.
However, this is a matter that will only happen three hundred years later. Even if Chenmo says it now, Longao Tian may not believe it.
The Jinchen Herb grows deep underground, at a depth of hundreds of zhang. In the middle of Fenghuo Mountain, there is a crack, dark and deep as a abyss. Before even reaching the crack, one can feel an icy and ominous chill.
"Descend three hundred zhang from this place, and you will reach the place where the Jinchen Herb grows."
Chenmo pointed to the crack around the broken mountain, which was filled with a layer of dead grass. Longao Tian furrowed his brow and stepped forward, looking at the bottom carefully. "Are you sure there are Jinchen Herbs down there?"
"If you don't believe it, we can go back"
"Is there any danger below?"
"The more precious a treasure is, the more dangerous it is... This is an unchangeable law. What's your cultivation level?"
"Fourth-level Mid-period"
"That's enough."
Chenmo nodded slightly. The danger below is only for those who are not yet strong, but for him who has the skills to navigate, with the protection of a fourth-level cultivator, it is more than enough.
Longao Tian summoned her flying sword, standing on the sword with her foot, holding Chenmo with one hand while he grabbed her waist and held on tight. She frowned slightly, but considering that she needed Chenmo's help to obtain the Jinchen Herb, she had to suppress her discontent.
Descending from the ground, the temperature dropped sharply, as if entering an ice cellar.
The cold made Chenmo's body tremble uncontrollably. Just by tightening his grip on Longao Tian's waist, his hands unconsciously reached up, "Why does your chest muscle look so exaggerated, Xiao Tian?"
