Chapter 371: Misty Mountain

"Alas, but this is far too difficult," the old man said with a bitter expression, looking completely dejected.

’In Chu Feng’s eyes, this First Celestial Tribulation was actually quite simple, not difficult at all.’

’But for an ordinary Martial Cultivator, it was incredibly difficult—so much so that almost no one could overcome it.’

’Even now, he’d never personally seen anyone succeed. Though he refused to believe that no one had ever made it, that was the reality of the situation. At least, not among anyone he knew.’

’Perhaps he’d learn more after coming into contact with more of the Hidden Sects.’

"Yes, it is difficult. But now, Senior, I believe it’s time you told me what you know," Chu Feng said with a smile.

’He wasn’t worried about the old man trying to deceive him. If he really dared to go back on his word and mess with him, Chu Feng would teach him the meaning of regret and kill him on the spot.’

"Mm. Since you’ve told me the truth, I can’t go back on my word. Of course, whether you can find anything useful will be up to fate."

"A thousand years ago, an ancestor of my Cloud Mist Sect went into the mountains to gather herbs and accidentally stumbled upon a certain place. According to him, the place was perilous to the extreme. The slightest misstep meant death. In any case, it was full of strange and mysterious phenomena. He nearly died there."

"He never said how he managed to escape, so the details are unclear. All we know is that he was already gravely injured by then. Not long after he got out, he passed away."

"What mountain was it?" Chu Feng asked, his curiosity piqued.

"Misty Mountain!" the old man said.

"Misty Mountain?" Chu Feng frowned. He’d never heard of such a place.

"Misty Mountain is in the central region of the Great Xia Country. It has many other names, such as Misty Immortal Mountain and the Ten Thousand Immortals Divine Mountain. The official name, however, is Misty Mountain. For many years after that, several of our Cloud Mist Sect ancestors went to explore it, but none of them ever found anything."

"That’s the gist of the information. Whether you believe it is up to you, young friend. If you don’t, you can just treat it as a story," the old man said.

Chu Feng looked at the Sect Leader of the Cloud Mist Sect and nodded. He carefully sensed the man’s Divine Soul fluctuations and detected no signs of deception.

"Alright, I understand. I hope you can succeed in crossing the tribulation this time, Senior, and step into the Nascent Soul Realm!" Chu Feng said.

"Heh. You’re so young... I wonder what your strength is like. How about we exchange a few moves, young friend?" the old man said with a smile.

"Then please, Senior, make your move," Chu Feng replied, also smiling, showing not the slightest hint of fear.

"My Cloud Mist Sect may be reclusive and have few disciples, but in the entire Martial Arts Realm of the Great Xia Country, we are absolutely among the top ranks. So, you’d best be careful, young friend. Even though I’m not in my best condition right now, I’m still not someone an ordinary Human Martial Arts Peak Realm cultivator can compare to," the old man said.

The moment he finished speaking, he struck. Two longswords flew from their sheathes, slashing toward Chu Feng.

The two were sitting opposite each other, not far apart to begin with.

But Chu Feng merely shrugged. Then, perfectly calm again, he smiled at the old man.

"That’s... the Celestial Sword Sect’s Celestial Sword Technique! I never imagined the Celestial Sword Technique could be so powerful!" The old man’s expression was grim. A bloody line had appeared on his cheek.

Although the old man had launched two attacks, Chu Feng had repelled them both. In the same exchange, Chu Feng had managed to land a blow of his own, inflicting a shallow cut with just a wisp of Sword Qi.

If they had been fighting for real, that single exchange would have been enough to kill the old man.

"It was nothing special," Chu Feng said.

"I believe you now, young friend. You truly don’t need a Soul Cultivation Skill. With your strength, crossing the Celestial Tribulation will be a simple matter."

"When I fought the Heaven-Slaying Sword Emperor, we battled for a full day and night until we were both utterly exhausted. It ended in a draw. But after exchanging just one move with you, young friend, I find that you are even stronger than the Heaven-Slaying Sword Emperor was back then!" the old man exclaimed.

"That’s not quite right," Chu Feng said, shaking his head.

"I have an impudent request, and I hope you might agree to it, young friend. After I die, should the Cloud Mist Sect ever face trouble, I would ask you to look after them. I’m a little worried about my disciple," the old man said with a sigh.

"As long as it’s within my power, that’s not a problem. However, Senior, you need to be more confident. If you’ve already convinced yourself you’re going to die, then there’s no point in even attempting the Celestial Tribulation," Chu Feng said.

"Hahaha, you’re right, young friend. But I feel more at ease now than ever before. It’s as if a great weight has been lifted from my heart," the old man said, laughing.

The two sat in the wooden cabin, chatting cheerfully over tea.

Just like that, they talked from day into night, and from night into the next day.

As the pale light of dawn appeared in the sky, the sun gradually began to rise.

"The accommodations here are a bit humble, I hope you don’t mind, young friend. You can stay in this cabin," the old man said.

Then, the old man left and entered an adjacent wooden cabin.

Everything here was very simple.