Yinshan Record

Chapter 539 Fortune and Misfortune are Hard to Determine (Part 1)
Tiandu Peak stands tall and soars into the clouds, the summit of all the surrounding peaks, where ice and snow remain year-round.

As the lifespan of the Jade Yang Mountain Patriarch was nearing its end, he was ultimately unable to enter the Void Stepping Realm. Disheartened, he chose to pass away on this peak. The reason was simple: this Heavenly Capital Peak was the highest in the surrounding area and the closest to the Nine Heavens. Passing away here could be seen as a way of consoling himself for all his past efforts.

However, when he reached the summit, he witnessed a vision that would change his life forever.

At that time, atop Tiandu Peak, two people were playing chess. Both of them possessed an air of otherworldly grace, and their every move exuded great power. They were sitting high on the peak, each holding a chess piece in a fierce battle.

The chess pieces they used possessed a power that commanded awe. One man's fingers seemed to ignite the brilliance of the sun and stars in the sky, while the other man's fingers held only the deathly stillness of a frozen void.

The patriarch of Yuyang Mountain stared in horror at the fiery flames between their fingers, which resembled the legendary great sun, possessing an intense heat capable of destroying everything and an all-consuming attraction. Just a glance at them was enough to make his soul tremble. The deathly stillness that froze everything seemed to symbolize the abyss that all things would eventually fall into, and its very existence filled him with a deep-seated despair.

What kind of beings are these two, and why are they playing chess on the summit of Tiandu Peak at this moment?
The patriarch of Yuyang Mountain was unaware of this, and had no way of knowing it, because his mind was completely absorbed in that game of chess. In the battle between the two, it seemed that countless fundamental laws were being explained and deduced.

This rare encounter deeply moved Patriarch Yuyang Mountain, who silently watched until the game ended. Deathly silence and radiant light finally merged into nothingness. In this game, Patriarch Yuyang Mountain saw infinite possibilities leading to the future.

Unfortunately, he no longer had time.

At that moment, one of them turned to look at him.

His voice was neither male nor female, and the moment he spoke, even the patriarch of Yuyang Mountain could no longer remember what he looked like.

It seems that this person has severed all ties with the world and disappeared from it.

"Today's game is another draw. I wonder if God would be interested in another game."

"The Celestial Venerable is truly adept at feigning ignorance; I have already lost."

The man called God was indeed of ordinary appearance, but tall with a slightly protruding head and hands that reached past his knees. He wore a simple scholar's robe, resembling a typical rural scholar.

“I have already used all my strength, but God still has some strength left. On the surface, I have a slight advantage, but in reality, it is still a draw.”

The man called God slowly shook his head.

“I also wish to stay in this realm for a long time, but firstly, Xuandu Palace is keeping a close watch on me, and secondly, that scoundrel Luo Yan is making things difficult for me in the void. Relying on the remains of Ling Weiyang in his possession, he has contacted many Heavenly Demon Kings to make things difficult for me. You know that I am burdened by my reputation, but I am a thorn in their side.”

"The Heavenly Lord is too modest. The Heavenly Lord has divided the realm into nine ranks, each with its own level of cultivation. He has already laid down invisible barriers for all beings in the realm. The mighty Juntian Guangle Heavenly Demon King is naturally far superior to that Mighty and Fearless Heavenly Demon King. If it weren't for you, the ancient Heavenly Court would not have perished so quickly."

"Qianhuan, what you're saying doesn't make sense."

Jun Tian Guang Le Tian Demon King smiled slightly, his demonic aura spreading a scorching heat to the surroundings like a blazing sun.

"Without your help, Yu Jingdao, we wouldn't have been able to handle this matter so well."

"God, please don't deceive people. What does this have to do with our Jade Scenery Sect?"

The being named Qianhuan smiled slightly and said, "I have played a hundred games with the God of Heaven, and we are still evenly matched. How about we try a different way of playing?"

Meanwhile, the Demon King Juntian Guangletian turned his gaze to the other side.

"Interesting, I'll bet with you this time."

Incense smoke curled in the Ancestral Hall. Master Cangyuan gazed at the offering table, while Elder Gu beside him wore a solemn expression. Xue Baizhi listened quietly as her sect leader recounted the sect's secrets, her heart churning with turmoil.

I never imagined that our sect's founder had such a past. Who was the deity he encountered on Tiandu Peak?

"Since that night, our patriarch has mastered two unique skills: the Shaoyang Lingguang Sword Qi and the Huifeng Kuxue Sword Qi. In just five years, our patriarch reached the Buxu level. Many of our sect's supernatural power manuals have sprung up like mushrooms after rain, and we have created a new one called the Five Weapons Sword Gu. The name of Yuyang Mountain is renowned throughout the Central Plains, which has laid the foundation for our sect's current success."

The expression on Cangyuan Zhenren's face showed a hint of regret.

From then on, Yuyang Mountain flourished. Not only did its founding patriarch seem to have divine assistance and quickly attain immortality, but subsequent generations of disciples also achieved the status of Longevity Immortals. Anyone could see that this newly reborn Yuyang Mountain was on the rise.

However, beneath this magnificent scene lie hidden worries.

The disciples of Yuyang Mountain consider themselves to be the righteous path of the world, traveling the world to slay demons and monsters. However, the insightful members of the sect have discovered that although there are many young disciples, fewer and fewer of them are becoming truly accomplished.

What's even more terrifying is that many young disciples are already deeply troubled by inner demons before they have even mastered the Rejuvenation Pill, while rumors of demonic possession frequently circulate among the core members of the sect who have achieved the Void Step.

If that were all, then so be it.

The thing that truly terrified everyone on Yuyang Mountain at the time eventually happened.

The founder of Yuyang Mountain, the most accomplished immortal within the sect, finally survived the tribulation and achieved the status of a Grandmaster of Tribulation Techniques, sweeping away the gloom that had lingered within the sect. All the rumors and gossip circulating in the Central Plains also dissipated.

Just when things were going well, the founding patriarch was corrupted by demons when he survived the Heavenly Tribulation. He eventually fell victim to the demonic tribulation while crossing the outer void. Although he was fortunate enough to return to the sect and pass away peacefully without being completely enslaved by the Heavenly Demons, he cast a shadow over the entire Jade Sun Mountain.

And this was only the beginning of Yuyang Mountain's misfortune.

Since the founding patriarch, very few of the many immortal cultivators in Yuyang Mountain have been able to survive the Heavenly Tribulation. In addition, the disciples of the sect have long been plagued by inner demons. Some have become depressed and cut off their path to enlightenment, while others have become corrupted by demons after achieving some success in their cultivation. They either fall into the hands of demonic cultivators or fall into the clutches of the Heavenly Demon.

The entire Yuyang Mountain was shrouded in gloom and despair, but a turning point finally arrived during the time of the eighth sect leader.

This eighth-generation sect leader was originally an ordinary person from the foot of Yuyang Mountain. He accidentally entered the forbidden area of ​​Yuyang Mountain while hunting in the mountains, but it turned out to be a blessing in disguise, as he became a disciple of Yuyang Mountain.

He was a born cultivator, overcoming numerous obstacles along the way. He not only conquered his inner demons but also, during the process of refining his elixir, uncovered the problems with the cultivation methods of Yuyang Mountain.

The root of the problem lies in the "Shaoyang Lingguang Sword Qi" and the "Huifeng Kuxue Sword Qi".

According to his research, while the "Returning Wind and Withered Snow Sword Qi" is extremely powerful and ruthless in its use, it is only superficially ferocious; in reality, it is still a legitimate Xuanmen technique. The truly dangerous technique is the "Lesser Yang Tomb Light Sword Qi." This set of sword qi from the Lesser Yang path appears grand and righteous, but it subtly influences a person's state of mind.

Those disciples who focus on cultivating this type of sword energy are more prone to developing inner demons. Therefore, the truly correct path within the sect is to first master the "Returning Wind and Withered Snow Sword Energy" and then practice the "Lesser Yang and Rising Light Sword Energy." The coldness of Returning Wind and Withered Snow can be used to suppress the inner fire stirred up by Lesser Yang and Rising Light. Otherwise, one will inevitably be tainted by inner demons before reaching a high level of cultivation.

The elders of Yuyang Mountain quickly verified what he had said, and based on this achievement, he was directly promoted from a disciple to an elder.

Not long after he attained the Dao and stepped into the Void, he became the Supreme Elder of Yuyang Mountain. Although he was theoretically ineligible to become the sect leader, for a mortal like him with no background, this was the best possible outcome.

What truly cemented the legendary status of this eighth-generation leader was yet to come.

(End of this chapter)