Chapter 159: Mount Longhu

Mount Longhu is one of the three major powers of the Huaxia Kingdom. It is situated on Mount Monan, north of the southwest, and stands majestically by a lake like a towering spire. Though seemingly a humble region, no one dared to set foot here; after all, legends spoke of a true dragon manifesting and the White Tiger star descending to the mortal realm during the Age of Dharma Decline—and this was none other than Mount Longhu.

Furthermore, Mount Longhu belonged to the orthodox Zhengyi sect, protected by deities. Who would dare to provoke them?

One could say that compared to Mount Mao, Mount Longhu was even more powerful, save for the fact that Mount Longhu maintained a much lower profile! Yet precisely because of this, its influence within the Huaxia Kingdom grew increasingly transcendent, and no one dared to underestimate it.

At this moment, at the edge of Mount Longhu, as Jiang Xiaofei and the Ghost King stepped out from the ghost gate, a towering mountain piercing the heavens came into view.

Gazing upon this magnificent scene, Jiang Xiaofei could not help but sigh with emotion that Mount Longhu truly lived up to its reputation as the orthodox Zhengyi sect of the Huaxia Kingdom, seeing as even the gate-guarding disciples were formidable practitioners at the Profound Heaven Realm.

Right at the mountain gate stood two young men dressed in azure robes. Seeing Jiang Xiaofei and the Ghost King approach, one of them shouted in warning, "Who goes there? Do you not know this is Mount Longhu? Turn back and leave immediately!"

Hearing this, Jiang Xiaofei smiled and said, "I am Jiang Xiaofei, Sovereign of the Si Kingdom. I kindly ask you young brothers to announce my arrival, and inform Sect Master Qin Shan that I have an urgent matter requesting an audience."

"What? You are that Jiang Xiaofei who slaughtered the Ten Disciples of Mount Mao?" The young man's expression changed dramatically, filled with caution, and his companion was no exception. After all, Jiang Xiaofei's name had spread far and wide across Huaxia; he was the nightmare of the righteous path, having slain ten Dao-Extreme Realm masters, suppressed Xiaoyaoxiang, and ultimately survived the descent of the Eastern Emperor. How could these disciples hope to rival such a formidable combat record?

Naturally, Jiang Xiaofei could sense their nervousness. Seeing this, he lowered his voice again and said, "I sincerely ask you to go inside and announce me."

Seeing that Jiang Xiaofei's attitude was amiable, the young man relaxed his guard slightly and hesitated, "Wait here for a moment. I shall go inside and report."

With that, the youth walked through the mountain gate.

Jiang Xiaofei was not in a rush. After all, Mount Longhu was a renowned righteous sect; if they were to force their way in, they would undoubtedly suffer a bitter fate. Since they were asking a favor of others today, it was best not to lose their manners.

After a long wait, the young man emerged and said, "The Sect Master has agreed to see you. Please follow me."

Delighted, Jiang Xiaofei nodded, quickly following behind, with the Ghost King close at their heels.

Led skillfully by the youth through familiar paths, Jiang Xiaofei and the Ghost King arrived at a grand hall. Walking through it, Jiang Xiaofei felt a sense of awe regarding the profound strength of Mount Longhu, suspecting that even Mount Mao might fall short in comparison.

At that moment, the youth spoke, "This is the place. Please have a seat."

Jiang Xiaofei nodded slightly and said, "Thank you for your trouble, young brother!"

Without a word, the youth turned to withdraw.

Just as the youth stepped back, a middle-aged man clad in black robes walked into the hall—none other than Qin Shan.

Seeing Qin Shan enter, Jiang Xiaofei also stood up, showing considerable respect. Since he was currently seeking a favor from the other party, how could he possibly put on airs?

Qin Shan nodded slightly in acknowledgment and said, "Little Friend Jiang, please be seated. You and I can be considered old acquaintances. I simply did not expect that since our parting at Mount Mao, you would break through from the Dao Realm all the way to the peak of the Dao-Extreme Realm. Nor did I expect you to slay the Ten Disciples of Mount Mao. Truly, you are a dragon among men. This old man's judgment was indeed correct!"

With that, Qin Shan sighed softly and continued, "However, what brings Little Friend Jiang to see this old man today?"

Without exchanging polite pleasantries, Jiang Xiaofei went straight to the point: "This sovereign has come today to ask Mount Longhu for assistance in divining the whereabouts of the Yin-Yang Life and Death Coffin. If you can help me find its location, I will certainly offer a generous reward."

"How did you know that Mount Longhu possesses the ability to find the whereabouts of the Yin-Yang Life and Death Coffin?" Qin Shan asked with a hint of surprise.

Jiang Xiaofei replied, "The Ghost Taoist told me."

"So it was that old fellow," Qin Shan nodded slightly, then added, "However, you also know that Mount Longhu never assists outsiders. Helping you find the whereabouts of the Yin-Yang Life and Death Coffin is, I'm afraid, rather unlikely."

"I can trade an item for it," Jiang Xiaofei stated, immediately producing the Heaven-Sealing Divine Talisman. Although divine artifacts were immensely precious, they were trivial compared to the Yin-Yang Life and Death Coffin, which could resurrect Junyao.

Seeing this, Qin Shan shook his head and said, "The value of the Heaven-Sealing Divine Talisman is certainly great, but it is still not enough to exchange for the whereabouts of the Yin-Yang Life and Death Coffin."

"Then what do you want?" Jiang Xiaofei asked, his brow furrowing slightly.

At this, Qin Shan smiled and said, "I want you to enter my Mount Longhu sect. As long as you are willing to join Mount Longhu, helping you search for the Yin-Yang Life and Death Coffin will simply be my duty as your master."

"It's that simple?" Jiang Xiaofei asked, finding it somewhat hard to believe.

Qin Shan smiled faintly, "Of course, there are conditions."

"What conditions?" Jiang Xiaofei's brow furrowed once more.

Qin Shan said, "I want you to help Mount Longhu survive a great calamity a thousand years from now."

"What calamity?" Jiang Xiaofei asked, frowning deeply.

Qin Shan replied mysteriously, "A thousand years from now, you will know!"

"Very well then." Seeing this, Jiang Xiaofei did not say much more, though he had a lingering feeling that it was not a good omen. After all, anything capable of making Mount Longhu feel apprehensive must be unimaginably perilous. But that was a matter for a thousand years in the future; right now, the most important task was to find the Yin-Yang Life and Death Coffin and resurrect Junyao.

Naturally, Qin Shan could perceive the shifting emotions within Jiang Xiaofei. He smiled and said, "Now that you have agreed to become a disciple of Mount Longhu, it is time to perform the formal master-disciple ceremony."

"What? I still have to perform a master-disciple ceremony?" Jiang Xiaofei wore a look of utter reluctance. After all, who would willingly take someone whose cultivation base appeared to be merely at the Heaven-Transforming Realm as their master?

Seeing this, Qin Shan smiled and said, "Of course. Did you expect empty words to suffice?"

"Fine then," Jiang Xiaofei said with a helpless sigh, bowing slightly, "Greetings, Master."

At this, Qin Shan laughed heartily and said, "Boy, don't think you've gotten the short end of the stick. I happen to be a Divine Dao realm expert; you should consider this an honor."

"What?" Jiang Xiaofei was startled, feeling a wave of disbelief. After all, Qin Shan's cultivation aura unmistakably pointed to the Heaven-Transforming Realm. How could he possibly be a Divine Dao realm expert?

The Ghost King nearby also felt a sense of strangeness, but upon recalling that certain ancient monsters enjoyed concealing their cultivation levels, he relaxed.

Naturally, Qin Shan could sense their lingering doubts, but he chose to say no more. Instead, he walked toward the exit of the hall and said, "The whereabouts of the Yin-Yang Life and Death Coffin still require divination by my senior martial brother. The two of you, wait here for a moment."

"Then many thanks, Master," Jiang Xiaofei nodded slightly.

Without another word, Qin Shan instructed a young disciple standing by the door, "Go quickly and prepare tea for your Grand-Master. Serve them with utmost care."

The young disciple was utterly bewildered, but still answered respectfully, "Rest assured, Ancestral Master, this disciple will go prepare tea for my Grand-Master right away."

"Go on," Qin Shan nodded slightly before stepping outside.

This left Jiang Xiaofei even more curious about Qin Shan's true identity. In his view, Qin Shan's status within Mount Longhu could not possibly be as simple as that of a mere sect master; he must be an existence on par with the Eastern Emperor. Otherwise, how could he have suddenly become the "Grand-Master" of a Mount Longhu disciple?

However, looking on the bright side, taking a Divine Dao expert as a master wasn't a bad deal after all. After all, it's good to enjoy the shade under a big tree, especially when he was currently asking a favor from them.

Just as Jiang Xiaofei was lost in thought, a young man walked in carrying two cups of tea and said, "Grand-Master, please partake of the tea."