Yellow Court Daoist

"Forty-eight thousand years ago, a vile demon passed through Buting Mountain and was ambushed by the Yin Wind Cave lineage of the Hundred Barbarians Mountain. After escaping, it was captured with the 'Five Cloud Peach Blossom Miasma' by the Red-haired Ancestor of Red Wood Ridge and thrown into the Five Elements Divine Furnace to be tormented with secret medicines. Yet, five hundred years later, the demon escaped from the Five Elements Divine Furnace, the supreme treasure of Red Wood Ridge. Seizing the chance while the Red-haired Ancestor was in seclusion, it slew seven Earth Immortals of the ridge and made its escape. On the way, it encountered the blockade by the Killing Department of my Sahpo Divine Sect. The demon, despite being seriously wounded, broke through the blockade and slaughtered nearly all of our Earth Immortals from the Killing Department, ultimately disappearing without a trace."

"I too was turned to dust in that very battle, struck by the demon's Thunder Prison technique. My immortal body and the Blessed Land were both shattered, barely managing to retain a thread of my Divine Soul to flee into the cycle of reincarnation, reincarnated in the Red Smoke Realm."

...

As heaven and earth inverted and the Void twisted and turned, Lu Qingfeng revealed his figure.

After steadying himself, he looked around and only saw endless Black Mountain and Black Water in all directions. Birds and beasts roamed the mountains, shrimps and crabs filled the waters, the sun and moon hung high in the sky, and the earth below exuded a fragrant mud.

Reaching out into the air and grabbing something, he brought it to his nose. A familiar yet unfamiliar aura flashed by, and recalling the information forcefully extracted from Du Jiuyou, Lu Qingfeng finally confirmed, "It really is him."

His thoughts churned, filled with emotion.

"Has he truly fallen into the Demon Dao?" Frowning slightly, Lu Qingfeng suddenly remembered the hundred difficulties caused by the interceptions of the Hundred Barbarians Mountain, Red Wood Ridge, and the Sahpo Divine Sect. Thinking about the youth helplessly crashing between the three forces, and suffering five hundred years of torment in Red Wood Ridge, a wave of pity washed over him.

"Hundred Barbarians Mountain."

"Red Wood Ridge."

"Sahpo Divine Sect."

A chill flashed through Lu Qingfeng's eyes as he swayed slightly and immediately dived into the dense forest, vanishing without a trace.

...

The sky has the Nine Layers Heavens, known as the dwelling of the Ling Kong Immortal Realm - the 'Nine Heavens'.

The earth has Nine Layers of Earth, the destined place of the Samsara Hells - the 'Nine Nether'.

The Nine Nether has no end, with no sky above or earth below.

The Underworld occupies only one area, in addition to realms like the Netherworld Blood Sea, the Filth Buddha Land, and the Demon Abyss among many Earth Realms, of which the Demon Abyss is the most chaotic and crawling with all types of beings.

Within the Demon Abyss, there is a place called 'Buting Mountain'.

The vast Earth Realm is boundless and limitless. Within it, several ancient nations left from antiquity are situated. Interlaced within them are immortals, demons, monsters, buddhas, humans, gods, and ghosts living together, with power structures as complex as overlapping teeth, impossible to disentangle.

Among these.

Located in the southern part of Buting Mountain, the Earth Realm known as the 'Southern Border' – a place of countless mountains and rivers – is home to many demon figures and Sword Immortals traveling to and from Qingming. They have carved out their own territories, either preying on the stronghold barbarians and tribal people or enjoying worshipped offerings from the barbarian nations. Each employs their methods and exerts their ferocity.

Yungou Mountain is one of these places.

Yungou Mountain has a favorable terrain and extraordinary Spiritual Energy, and thus is occupied by a Demon King of True Immortal Level who calls himself 'King Yun Gou'. This King Yun Gou has gathered all the lesser demons of Yungou Mountain and trained three thousand demon soldiers, creating an imposing force. He also rallied the surrounding caves and tribal barbarians, raising them as slaves - firstly as laborers, and secondly as provisions for himself and his demon subordinates.

His rule is indeed eye-catching.

King Yun Gou had once acquired a military manuscript from somewhere, which contained rudimentary training techniques for troops and the practice methods for a Battle Formation. Through ongoing study over time, he managed to train his three thousand demon troops to quite an impressive standard. Even other local leaders stronger than King Yun Gou did not dare provoke him lightly.

Furthermore, King Yun Gou himself was an enlightened Rhinoceros Spirit, having refined his pair of rhinoceros horns into treasures containing the Power of Liangyi Primordial Magnetism, capable of overcoming all kinds of Magic Artifacts. His personal power, even among those in the True Immortal Realm, was extraordinary, deterring anyone from seeking conflict, thus he lived a truly carefree life.

On this day.

King Yun Gou, donned in Bright Armor and wielding a Mixed Iron Axe, was training his demon troops on the south side of the mountain as usual.

Well into the latter half of the day.

He finally dismissed the demon troops and sent the lesser demons to patrol the mountain while he retired to his cave dwelling. Inside, the lesser demons had prepared delicious and juicy barbarians, gutted and cleaned, then put into a large pot to cook, emitting wafts of aroma.

"Smells so good!"

King Yun Gou, his face showing a greedy expression, was about to order the food be served when suddenly, his heart tightened. Without time to reach for his weapon, he could only release two beams of Xuan Light from the treasures refined from his own horns.

"Who dares ambush me?!"

King Yun Gou bellowed, and the Power of Liangyi Primordial Magnetism surged forth to protect himself. But the sudden assailant was intent on a conclusive strike, and the resulting blow sent him flying backwards.

His chest ached terribly, and a mouthful of fresh blood sprayed out.

"I cannot withstand this!"

Knowing the assailant was formidable, King Yun Gou didn't have time to get a clear look before feeling another strong gust heading his way. Without hesitation, he twisted his body and fled from the cave dwelling, transforming to his true form midair and disappearing without a trace.

The intruder chasing from inside the cave saw no sign of King Yun Gou.

"Great King!"

"What—"

The lesser demons inside and outside the cave were shocked at the sight. Everything happened in a flash; the assailant's surprise attack inflicted severe injury on King Yun Gou, who didn't dare to linger and transformed to flee.

Leaving the vast Yungou Mountain behind.

The group of lesser demons looked up.

And saw a figure of a young man revealed amidst the sky's Xuan Light.

The steadfast young man gripped a golden iron ring the size of a palm in his hand and carried a flaming red gourd on his back. Behind him stood three thousand Fire Crow Daoist Soldiers, with bodies of men and heads of crows, clad in armor and wielding sharp blades - their fiery might soared to the sky.

"From this day forth,"

"Yungou Mountain shall be renamed 'Vulture Mountain,' and I, Lin Feng, shall be the master of Vulture Mountain. Those who submit shall live, those who resist shall die!"

Lu Qingfeng stood high in the sky, his overwhelming presence combined with the three thousand Fire Crow Soldiers, pressuring every minor demon on the mountain to the point of breathlessness. King Yun Gou was beaten into a grave injury and was forced to flee. What other minor demons would dare to resist? One by one, they prostrated on the ground, hailing "Great King" as they all surrendered.

Thus, the ownership of the vast Yungou Mountain transformed overnight.

Moving on to the outer region of Yungou Mountain.

Severely wounded, King Yun Gou fled in a haphazard flight, eventually concealing his form and landing in a deep mountain valley.

He fell seated.

"Where did this mighty one come from? Such tyrannical strength." For a moment, King Yun Gou was shocked, and for another, he was furious. It was shocking that someone could enter his lair so quietly, and the ring they held displayed immense power, almost overpowering even his Primordial Magnetic Divine Horn. His fury stemmed from having no grudges with this person, yet as a Demon King of his own territory, he was now chased out like a dog losing its home.

It was both humiliating and infuriating.

His chest throbbed with pain.

King Yun Gou bit his teeth in secrecy, resentfully saying, "Let him be arrogant for a few days. Once I've healed my injuries, I will return to Yungou Mountain with a few friends to see how you flaunt your power!"

Within Yungou Mountain, he had painstakingly trained three thousand demon soldiers, and at the foot of the mountain, a hundred thousand barbarians gathered – all hard-won. King Yun Gou couldn't bear to have his domain so inexplicably seized.

As he spoke,

King Yun Gou's eyes caught a glimpse of a figure from the corner of his eye. Upon a closer look—

"Trouble!"

But it was too late. The Five-colored light ensued and swept over him; King Yun Gou, along with his Primordial Magnetic Divine Horn and himself, vanished in a flash.

Lu Qingfeng's mouth subtly rose as his figure faded, disappearing into the mountain valley.

...

Yungou Mountain was situated in the southwestern corner of the Southern Border; a place entwined in the clash of four mighty forces—Sahpo Divine Sect, Hundred Barbarians Mountain, Red Wood Ridge, and Sword Immortal Sect.

The Sahpo Divine Sect was to the north, with one of its ten departments—Killing Department—located over thirty thousand miles away at Yingsheng Peak. Hundred Barbarians Mountain was to the west, Red Wood Ridge to the south, and Sword Immortal Sect to the east. All sides intersected, and amongst them were numerous great demons, True Immortals, Old Demons occupying peaks, either cultivating or resounding with not insignificant forces.

The complexities among these various forces resembled a tangled web, indecipherable even to the Sahpo Demon Sect.

Moreover,

Hundred Barbarians Mountain, Red Wood Ridge, and Sword Immortal Sect would certainly not sit idly by and watch others sweep across the land and expand their power unchecked. With mutual restraint and entanglement, even a minor force like Yungou Mountain could find a crevice to survive. Should an opportunity arise, it could even become the fifth power, following the big four like Sahpo Divine Sect. For instance, Sword Immortal Sect started out with just one Sword Immortal cultivating in the mountains, teaching disciples. Over time, it grew and formed the impressive entity it is today.

However,

For Lu Qingfeng, currently occupying Yungou Mountain was justifiable with his cultivation, but making further advances was difficult. He had the wisdom to recognize this, and after seizing Yungou Mountain, he moved mountains around to set up a multitude of battle formations. He trained demon soldiers within and selected elite warriors from the hundred thousand barbarians to discipline in coordination with the three thousand Fire Crow Daoist Soldiers.

In a short period of time,

He managed Yungou Mountain so well that it was capable of both offense and defense, its strength even surpassing its former state. Yet he was in no rush to expand.

Gradually, the news spread.

True Immortals and great demons from all directions learned that Yungou Mountain had changed hands and was now known as 'Vulture Mountain.' The original King Yun Gou had fled without a trace, and the current master of Vulture Mountain was none other than Lin Feng, known as 'Vulture Daoist.'

This Lin Feng commanded three thousand Fire Crow Daoist Soldiers and possessed two formidable Magic Artifacts—a tower and a ring. Any great demon who approached was beaten without the slightest chance to retaliate and was forced to flee in panic.

Suddenly,

The name of Vulture Daoist rose prominently, firmly establishing his seat on Vulture Mountain, unshakeable.

Time passed by.

In the blink of an eye, a hundred years had gone by.

...

Heavenly Lion Peak.

This peak rose with craggy layers and presented a magnificent and striking landscape, the highest among the surrounding mountains. From it, one could gaze southeast at competition among thousands of cliffs and valleys, an expanse so vast and lofty that one's spirit could soar without limit. The peak resembled a giant lion looking upward, with a stone resembling the figure of a lion atop—hence the name, Heavenly Lion Peak.

Unknown to the common people, Heavenly Lion Peak was actually an offshoot of the Hundred Barbarians Mountain's Yin Wind Cave. 'Feng Yinzi,' the ninth disciple of the Old Ancestor of Hundred Barbarians Mountain, who cultivated here, possessed the formidable 'Hundred Poison Gu,' and had inherited some of the Old Ancestor's teachings, was indeed powerful.

Feng Yinzi had been cultivating in the mountains for many years, taking in numerous disciples and attracting various followers. Regrettably, most weren't significant; even those who had achieved some level of Cultivation could only reach the True Immortal Realm. Once their lifespan reached its limit, they inevitably turned to ash.

On this day,

Feng Yinzi's primary disciple, 'Lei Yunzi,' together with a burly man clad in Bright Armor and wielding a Mixed Iron Axe, walked side by side, ascending upward.

Lei Yunzi was quite excited as he said to the burly man beside him, "Teacher will surely be overjoyed to know that Brother Yun Gou has come to join us. He will undoubtedly use you well."