Starting at the Nascent Soul stage, a rogue cultivator is incredibly poor.

Stone table

Qingyouzi sat quietly, his straw hat hanging low, the blue fire curtain casting a faint glow. The stone chamber was silent, save for the bitter aroma of the cool tea in the ceramic cup.

He tilted his head slightly, looking at the tightly closed stone door, and a barely perceptible curve appeared at the corner of his mouth, which was hidden by the blue flame.

With a slight thought, his vast and profound divine sense had already enveloped the area. The soundproofing on the stone door was indeed ingenious, but to him, it was nothing more than a slightly thicker layer of paper.

The two people behind the door were having what they thought was a private conversation, but every word they uttered was clearly heard by him.

"To establish a separate entity... to stand on equal footing..."

Qingyouzi silently recited these words in his mind, a cold smile flashing in his eyes, but a sense of vigilance lurked deep within.

When the benefits are great enough, even a tribal alliance is nothing more than a thin piece of paper. For them, this is an opportunity; for themselves, isn't it also a convenient way to avoid trouble?

Half an hour later, the stone door slid open, and the two walked out.

Elder Yang's expression returned to normal, but a cold glint of decisiveness flashed deep in his eyes.

Elder Long followed closely behind, his barely suppressed excitement evident in his eyes and brows, which could not be hidden from those who were paying attention.

Elder Long stepped forward and cupped his hands in greeting:

"We've kept you waiting, fellow Daoist. The Grand Elder and I have reached an agreement. We can now take one of the two items you require and give it to you as a sign of our sincerity."

His gaze was intense.

"Which one do you want right now?"

Qingyouzi's gaze slowly swept across the two faces. Although separated by the fire curtain, Yang and Long could vaguely feel a piercing light.

He spoke, his voice steady:

"In that case, give me the Boiling Blood Fruit."

He paused, then continued:

"Consider this a deposit. As for the other item... I will deliver it after I lift the restrictions on the Holy Mountain. I believe you two have no objections?"

Upon hearing this, both Elder Yang and Elder Long were slightly shaken.

Did the other party guess their plans, or...?

Various thoughts raced through their minds.

Finally, Elder Yang coughed lightly twice, breaking the brief silence.

"Fellow Daoist, you are very generous. This arrangement is excellent." Without further hesitation, he stepped aside and said, "Please follow me."

The three got up and left the cave.

The Snow Wolf Tribe covers a vast area. Even though it was late at night, many areas of the tribe were still lit with magic lamps, and patrol teams were regularly moving through the main roads.

Elder Yang led the way. After walking a short distance, he flicked his sleeve, and a nearly transparent spiritual light flew out from his sleeve, transforming into a light shield that enveloped the three of them. The light shield flickered slightly before merging into the surrounding night.

Invisibility formation.

Qingyouzi watched quietly without uttering a sound. Although this magic array was ingenious, it was sufficient for stealth movement within the tribe.

Even when patrolling guards came along the way, they ignored them.

The three walked deeper and deeper until they arrived at an unusually empty place.

Before me stood a massive palace, entirely constructed of gray-white boulders.

The palace doors were tightly closed. It stood over ten zhang tall and its surface was carved with intricate runes and giant wolf totems.

Surprisingly, there wasn't a single guard around this important palace.

Elder Yang stopped and explained in a deep voice:

"This place is the Ancestral Spirit Hall, a crucial site for our clan's heritage. Although the outer perimeter appears to be loose, it is actually protected by multiple layers of interconnected arrays, where a single move can affect the entire structure."

Having said that, he turned to look at Qingyouzi:

"Fellow Daoist, please wait here for a moment."

Qingyouzi nodded slightly.

Elder Yang stepped forward alone, making hand seals and chanting incantations.

A moment later, the eyes of a wolf-shaped relief in the center of the palace gate lit up faintly, and the heavy stone door silently slid open a crack inward.

Elder Yang slipped inside.

About half an incense stick later, the temple doors opened again.

Elder Yang stepped forward, now holding a jade box about a foot long.

The jade box was crystal clear, and one could vaguely see that inside was a strange fruit the size of a fist, fiery red in color, with what appeared to be flowing blood mist on its surface.

It is indeed the Boiling Blood Fruit.

Elder Yang, holding the jade box, did not immediately hand it over. His gaze fell on Qing Youzi, and he slowly said:

"Fellow Daoist, the fruit is here. However, there is something I must say beforehand."

His tone was solemn:

"The matter of the sacred mountain concerns the hopes of our people for ten thousand years, and also involves certain internal matters."

He glanced at Elder Long, seemingly intentionally or unintentionally.

"I hope that what the three of us have conspired to do today will be known to no one else but you and me. What do you think, my friend?"

Upon hearing this, Qingyouzi understood.

This is to definitively classify the matter as a "private conspiracy" and keep it from the tribal chief and other elders.

He chuckled softly, the sound filtering through the curtain of blue flames, carrying a hint of understanding:

"Fellow Daoist Yang, you can rest assured. I swear by my inner demons that I will never reveal to any outsider the slightest thing about what I discussed with you two today, what we obtained, or where we went."

As soon as he finished speaking, he changed the subject:

"However... judging from your words, it seems you don't even want the noble clan leader to know? Could it be that you two intend to set off for the Holy Mountain immediately?"

Elder Yang's eyes flashed, but he had not yet answered.

Elder Long, unable to contain himself any longer, took half a step forward, lowered his voice, and spoke with a resolute tone:

"Fellow Daoist Qingluan is a wise person! Some things, you either don't do, or if you do, you must act swiftly and decisively, otherwise things will change! With the clan leader not yet back and the other elders' attention focused on the formation conference, this is the perfect opportunity to act!"

He looked at Elder Yang, his eyes urging him on.

Elder Yang remained silent for a moment, then slowly nodded and handed the cold jade box containing the Boiling Blood Fruit to Qing Youzi.

"Elder Long is right. The opportunity is fleeting. Fellow Daoist Qingluan, please accept the deposit. Afterwards... come with us to the Holy Mountain!"

Qingyouzi reached out and took the jade box. It was icy cold to the touch, but the surging power of the Boiling Blood Fruit inside could be faintly sensed even through the cold jade.

He scanned it with his divine sense, confirmed it was correct, and then put it into his storage bag.

"it is good."

He only said one word.

Without further hesitation, Elder Yang changed his hand seals, and the invisibility shield that enveloped the three of them shimmered, carrying them silently into the sky and disappearing into the vast night.

High in the sky, the cold wind was as sharp as a knife.

Three streaks of light, concealed by an array, streaked across the night sky like shadows, hurtling deeper into the Northern Plains. Gale-force winds howled, but were silently dispersed by the array.

On the third day at dusk, the light suddenly stopped.

The three of them were suspended in mid-air, and the scene before them was breathtaking.

An enormous, unimaginably massive, grayish-white stone wall stands abruptly on the boundless ice plain. It stretches endlessly to the left and right, and looking upwards, the sheer cliff rises thousands of feet into the clouds, disappearing into the hazy, windswept mist at the edge of the field of vision.

"This is the place."

Elder Yang transmitted his voice, which carried a hint of awe and excitement.

The three exchanged glances and nodded in acknowledgment. Then, their escape lights rose again, soaring straight upwards along the smooth, steep, and almost vertical giant wall!

The higher they flew, the stronger the chill and the fiercer the wind became. Ordinary Golden Core cultivators would likely find their magical power stagnating and their physical bodies unable to withstand the force at this point. Even Nascent Soul cultivators would need to circulate their magical power to protect themselves.

They flew for an unknown amount of time, traversing countless miles.

Finally, the stone wall ahead seemed to have reached its end?

The three stopped again and looked up.

Instead of the expected sharp mountain peak or platform, the top of the giant wall was a much wider, boundless expanse of land!

What kind of "mountain" is it?

It clearly resembles another, even more ancient and desolate "North Plain" suspended high above!

Qingyouzi stood beside the two, the curtain of azure fire swaying slightly in the fierce wind.

He silently "observed" this strange place, his divine sense cautiously probing forward like a tide.

Holy Mountain... Is this the Holy Mountain?