Dragon's Hidden Mountain, next to the cracked boulder.
Su Qingxue struggled to her feet, forcibly suppressing the chaotic energy within her body. She stared intently at the young man holding her sword, her eyes filled with shock, reluctance, and finally, a deep mixture of confusion and yearning.
"Who… who are you?" Her voice was hoarse, her Grandmaster pride utterly shattered.
Shan Hu tossed her rapier in the air and caught it, speaking casually. "I am the new owner of this mountain, Shan Hu. What's your decision?"
Su Qingxue gave a bitter laugh. She knew resistance was pointless. She had always considered herself the pinnacle genius of Longcheng's martial arts, yet before this man, she wasn't even qualified to take a single move.
Her internal struggle stemmed from a desperate curiosity—she had to know if there existed a realm beyond the Grandmaster in this world!
"I choose the second option." Su Qingxue took a deep breath, her voice complex but firm. "I am willing to stay and become your… Mountain Guardian."
She chose the pursuit of the unknown.
Shan Hu smiled contentedly. He tossed the rapier back to her. It traced a precise arc and landed cleanly, hilt-deep, into the soil right beside her feet.
"Very well. Grandmaster Su, your task is to clear all mortal traces within five hundred meters of this mountain and ensure absolute isolation. I require a perfectly quiet environment."
Su Qingxue retrieved her sword and respectfully cupped her fists. "Understood, Master."
Shan Hu ignored the title. He turned and headed toward the depths of the mountainside.
"Don't call me Master. Call me Shan Hu. Once I complete the array setup, I will give you some actual cultivation methods."
On the mountainside, a clear spring flowed from the cliff face, forming a small waterfall and a quiet pool beneath it.
Shan Hu confirmed this was the core of the formation. He sat down cross-legged, taking out the ten dull "Spirit Jades" and placing them around his body.
"Earth's spiritual energy is too thin. Restoring the spiritual meridian requires immense resources. But for now, fixing this natural Spirit Gathering Array Core will suffice."
Shan Hu focused his mind. The Immortal Emperor's "Nine-Revolutions Heavenly Refinement Art" began to circulate. He didn't draw upon vast Immortal Power; instead, he extracted a sliver of his purest Emperor Will.
He raised both hands and made a subtle, sweeping gesture toward the pool and the cliff face.
"Earth Vein guides water, Heavenly Array returns to origin—Activate!"
As he chanted softly, the ten Spirit Jades instantly glowed faintly. Then, their stored energy was activated by Shan Hu's Emperor Will, instantly bridging and connecting the dormant spiritual vein deep beneath the earth.
To Su Qingxue's astonishment, the scene before her transformed into something divine!
The previously clear pool began to glow with a faint cyan spiritual light. The waterfall's flow accelerated, and the withered branches and dry leaves in the surrounding forest quickly burst into vibrant green, growing at a visible rate.
The mountain mist rapidly thickened, no longer simple humidity, but a refreshing aura that invigorated the spirit! Su Qingxue inhaled deeply, feeling that this gas was a hundred times purer than the True Qi she cultivated within her Dantian!
"T-this is true power…" Su Qingxue's heart pounded. She finally understood that her once-prided "Grandmaster True Qi" was a ridiculous joke.
Shan Hu gently pressed his hands down, locking the array core into the bottom of the pool. He then used his Emperor Will like a carving tool, meticulously restructuring and inscribing the mountain rock and water veins, repairing the damage of a hundred thousand years of wear.
Five minutes later, silence returned.
Shan Hu retracted his hands, letting out a soft exhalation. He felt the array core was restored, and the spiritual energy from a ten-mile radius was being slowly but surely drawn toward the mountain.
The ten Spirit Jades around him were now fully charged, glowing with a soft, warm luster.
He turned toward Su Qingxue in the distance.
"Come here. As a reward for your guardianship, I will give you your first cultivation method."
Su Qingxue didn't dare hesitate, hurrying forward.
Shan Hu offered no paper or scroll. He simply extended his finger and gently tapped her forehead!
"Your previous methods were impure and childish. This is the "Azurewood Longevity Art". It's barely an introductory breathing technique in the Immortal Realm. Follow this method to refine Wood-Attribute True Essence based on your existing True Qi."
A complete, complex set of cultivation information instantly flooded Su Qingxue's mind.
She felt an esoteric yet perfect cultivation system form in her head! Compared to this system, her Grandmaster methods were street-vendor secrets, while the Azurewood Longevity Art was a fundamental law of the cosmos!
"This… this is an Immortal Art!" her voice trembled.
Shan Hu ignored her excitement. He sat down again, cross-legged, and began absorbing the meager spiritual energy gathered by the array core.
"Go. As instructed, clear the area near the mountain base and begin your cultivation."
Su Qingxue knew she had stumbled upon the greatest fortune imaginable. She bowed respectfully and ran down the mountain. The fear of Shan Hu had completely transformed into zealous reverence.
The moment Shan Hu began his subtle absorption, a powerful energy wave, though shielded by the mountain's natural formation, rippled outward like a stone dropped in a calm lake.
Longcheng, top floor of the city's most luxurious downtown apartment.
A withered old man in black robes was seated cross-legged in a bizarre array made of metal and runes.
He suddenly snapped his eyes open, two bright beams of light slicing through the air ahead of him!
"This fluctuation! It's faint, but incredibly pure! An Array Core from a natural spiritual vein has definitely been activated!"
"How could such a premium source of fortune be hidden in this mortal city of Longcheng?!"
Greed and ecstasy flashed across the withered old man's eyes. A vicious smirk twisted his lips.
"Heh, Qin Muyue and his useless thugs have no idea they were guarding a gold mine. Perfect. My Black Fiend Sect is in desperate need of resources. This Array Core belongs to me!"
He rose, his figure vanishing like a phantom from the top-floor apartment.