Chapter 1196 Ascending Holy Spirit Mountain

"He's here!"

This phrase, like a pebble thrown into an ancient well, set the once calm waters trembling, as if creating a mighty wave. Everyone craned their necks and widened their eyes, gazing into the distance.

And they saw.

A figure in green, emerging as if riding on the wind from beyond the heavens.

He wore a broad-sleeved robe, exuding an unparalleled grace, akin to a young noble strolling in spring gardens, or a Confucian scholar journeying to the capital for exams, his demeanor utterly carefree.

"Is that Ye Qingchen?"

Many were seeing him for the first time.

Immediately erupted a clamor of astonishment, like mountains collapsing and seas roaring.

Clearly.

The infamous Ye the Demon, known for the cascade of heads he had taken in Southern Heaven, was not what they had imagined.

Yet Ye Qingchen cared not at all, continuing to walk unhurriedly with his hands behind his back. As his gaze swept over the Southern Heaven side, he recognized many familiar figures.

Not only was Zheng Jiuling among them, but also Kong Jing, Lu Yanwu, Lin Shifei, Zhou Sea, and even Ye Qing and Han Yue Ran were present.

They stood excitedly amidst the crowd.

Only Su Moran stepped lightly towards him, ascending the heavens step by step.

"When did you return to Southern Heaven?" Ye Qingchen asked with interest, looking at his former master.

"As soon as I heard the news of the Cyan Flame Sect's downfall, I came back!" Su Moran sighed deeply, "After all, I am a man of Southern Heaven; I cannot sit idly by while the Twelve Demon Sects of the Western Wilderness ravage the living!"

Ye Qingchen nodded slightly.

Su Moran's words were wholly reasonable.

"Then why have you come this time..." Ye Qingchen questioned, puzzled.

"You must be careful; the Eight-faced Buddha is terrifyingly strong! During the last righteous versus demonic battle, he was already at the Celestial Immortal Sixth Layer, and now he should have reached the Seventh Layer! Moreover, he commands eight puppet ghost gods, which are not weak!"

Su Moran spoke in a lowered voice, "Now that the Thirty-Six Sects are fragmented and the Twelve Demon Sects are in full force, Southern Heaven stands on the brink of disaster. You are now Southern Heaven's last hope, and you must not fall here. If you encounter danger, retreat immediately!"

Su Moran's eyes were filled with concern.

It should be known.

As the sole daughter of the previous master of Taotian Palace, Su Moran had access to more information than most, which was why she rushed to Holy Spirit Mountain to warn Ye Qingchen.

"Don't worry!" Ye Qingchen smiled, "First, I'll kill the Eight-faced Buddha, then I'll flatten the Twelve Demon Sects!"

At this, Su Moran's worry deepened.

Even though.

Many Celestial Immortals of Southern Heaven believed that Ye Qingchen was sure to win this battle. But those were people who hadn't encountered the Eight-faced Buddha; only those who truly understood him knew of his terror!

To date, the Eight-faced Buddha had never been defeated, even against the other masters of the Twelve Demon Sects, he could only force them to retreat.

And yet.

The battle at Holy Spirit Mountain was inevitable; the arrow had been strung and there was no turning back, no one could stop it.

At this moment.

Ji Xiuling, waiting at the mountain's base, approached with a radiant smile, respectfully bowing to Ye Qingchen and saying:

"Mr. Ye, the Eight-faced Buddha is waiting for you on the mountain!"

"You're still not back in the Western Wilderness? It seems you've forgotten what I once told you!" Ye Qingchen calmly glanced at her and said.

Ji Xiuling showed no fear, "Mr. Ye, I haven't forgotten! But if you want to kill me, you should first get out of Holy Spirit Mountain alive!"

"Very well!"

Ye Qingchen gave her a profound look.

Then, amid Su Moran's worried gaze, under the tense eyes of Ye Qing and Han Yue Ran, in the excited eyes of Zheng Jiuling, Zhou Sea, Lu Yanwu, and numerous Celestial South Cultivators, and among the cautious, mocking, and disdainful looks of the Western Wilderness demon cultivators,

Ye Qingchen smiled slightly, already hands behind his back, walking slowly towards Holy Spirit Mountain!

Holy Spirit Mountain.

Originally renowned due to a prodigy ascending to Golden Immortal here.

Therefore.

This mountain had once become the holy land for Southern Heaven cultivators.

However now, Holy Spirit Mountain was shrouded in a dense black mist, only its outline vaguely visible. Before everyone's eyes, as Ye Qingchen took a step, it was as if he was swallowed by the mountain itself!

Climbing the long stone steps, Ye Qingchen finally reached the summit. There, he saw a ghost god of tremendous size sitting on a gigantic stone chair.

This ghost god was entirely cloaked in black, exceedingly robust, his form supremely dense, exuding a frightening aura.

He sat on the stone chair with a gigantic urn as big as a vat at his feet. Patterns covered the urn, completely black, with several large holes on its surface. Upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a skull!

"Ye Qingchen, I've been waiting for you for a long time!"

Swish!

In the voice.

The eight sleeping faces on the ghost god awakened at once, eyes opening and emitting a chilling gleam as they assessed him like prey. A medley of voices, young and old, male and female, resonated, making one's hair stand on end:

"I was worried you wouldn't show up, and what I'd do then! After all, with your skill, if you chose to hide, I couldn't possibly overturn the entire Kunlun Realm!"

"Behold this sky curtain!"

The Eight-faced Buddha waved a mighty hand, stirring the black mist that enveloped Holy Spirit Mountain. The mist surged, seemingly transforming into countless black talismans, forming chains that encircled and bound the mountain, sealing off a realm.

"This is the Dark Sky Curtain, a grand array I specifically prepared. The formation's core is myself; once you enter, the array activates. No one but I can break it! Hence, between you and me, only one can walk away alive!"

"But since you're here, don't think about leaving alive!"

"Do you think you're bound to win against me?"

Ye Qingchen stood with arms crossed, observing the opponent with a smile that was not quite a smile.

Celestial Immortal Seventh Layer!

This was Ye Qingchen's most direct impression.

The other's strength should be greater than Su Qinhu's or Zhou Cunjian's. Furthermore, the eight faces on him also exuded formidable auras, each one not weaker than the Eight-faced Buddha himself!

'It's said that the Twelve Demon Sects of the Western Wilderness originated from ancient destroyed sects and forces. I always thought it was just rumor, but it turns out to be true!' Ye Qingchen thought silently.

"You are truly outstanding, at just twenty, and already called the Celestial South Fierce God, having slain over a hundred Celestial Immortals." The Eight-faced Buddha wasn't angered by these words; instead, he chuckled:

"It's a pity you're so young! You do not know my terror!"

"I'm known as the Eight-faced Buddha; each additional face represents a top-level Celestial Immortal! The world believes that controlling eight Celestial Immortal realm ghost gods is my limit! But in fact, I can have nine faces!"

The Eight-faced Buddha spoke, gesturing towards his head beneath the black robe, where one ordinarily had a face. But there, it was a chaos, without features, without a face.

"And you, Ye Qingchen, shall have the honor to complete this face!"

"Alas, you will face both body and soul destruction today!"

Ye Qingchen shook his head and sighed.

"Is that so?"

The Eight-faced Buddha's expression turned cold as he rose.

In that split second.

He was like an imposing mountain piercing the skies!