The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

Mu Chen took the head, his brows furrowed: "Lord Zhao Dun?"

Lu Zheng nodded: "Lord Zhao Dun asked me to tell you to seal Huang Laoxie's head in an iron box, send it to Weicheng, and attach a letter of accusation, questioning He Zongzheng about why he privately mobilized the Southern Region aristocratic families' army. Lord Zhao Dun demanded that He Zongzheng come to Heyang City alone within three days to report back, otherwise he would personally lead troops to raze Weicheng to the ground."

Upon hearing this, a look of understanding flashed in Mu Chen's eyes. He understood Zhao Dun and his father's plan: to lure He Zongzheng into a trap and completely eliminate his power.

"I understand." Mu Chen nodded. "Brother Lu, thank you for your help."

Lu Zheng said calmly, "This is my duty."

Meanwhile, Yu Youwei of the East City Chamber of Commerce was sitting in the music room, her fingertips gently plucking the strings, playing "Ambush from Ten Sides." The music carried an unsettling atmosphere, as if foreshadowing an impending storm.

Suddenly, the music stopped abruptly. Yu Youwei looked up at the door and said, "Uncle Long, come in."

The door was pushed open, and Uncle Long strode in, his expression grave: "Miss, something has happened."

"Speak," Yu Youwei said calmly.

Uncle Long whispered, "I just received news that Huang Yaoshi was killed by a mysterious expert while attempting to assassinate Mu Chen. That person wielded a black jade sword and his strength is unfathomable."

Yu Youwei frowned: "The Ink Jade Sword? Isn't that Mu Chen's sword?"

Uncle Long nodded: "That's right. But it wasn't Mu Chen who made the move, but a young man named Lu Zheng."

A hint of doubt flashed in Yu Youwei's eyes: "Lu Zheng? Isn't he Mu Chen's attendant? How could he have such strength?"

Uncle Long said in a deep voice, "Miss, I suspect that Lu Zheng is not the real Lu Zheng, but a wisp of the primordial spirit of Sword Emperor Xie Xuan."

Upon hearing this, Yu Youwei's expression changed drastically: "Xie Xuan's primordial spirit? How is that possible?"

Uncle Long whispered, "Miss, Xie Xuan has already gone to Hulao Pass with Mu Suifeng. If a wisp of his primordial spirit appears in Heyang City, then the situation at Hulao Pass has probably already changed."

Yu Youwei remained silent for a moment, then stood up: "Immediately write a letter to He Zongzheng, instructing him to return to Weicheng and prepare for battle."

Uncle Long nodded: "Yes, Miss."

Inside Hulao Pass, Mu Suifeng and Xie Xuan stood side by side, overlooking the vast wilderness beyond the pass.

"Hulao Pass is now under our control," Xie Xuan said calmly. "Wu Lianjiang and his secret guards have been eliminated. Next up is Handan."

Mu Suifeng nodded: "He Zongzheng has probably already learned of the news, we must speed up our actions."

Xie Xuan smiled slightly: "Don't worry, everything is going according to plan."

Just then, a guard hurried over and whispered, "Sir, news has spread that you have been assassinated and your fate is unknown."

Upon hearing this, Mu Suifeng's lips curled into a cold smile: "Very well, He Zongtang will definitely think this is an absurd rumor, but he cannot stop our plan."

Xie Xuan nodded: "Next, it's up to Lord Zhao Dun."

At the summit of Dushan Mountain, Jiang Chuan stood on a giant rock, gazing at the distant Cangling Mountain. The morning sunlight bathed him, gilding him with a golden glow.

"The Heart of the Black Serpent..." Jiang Chuan murmured to himself, "As long as I find it, my cultivation will surely soar to new heights."

He felt the power of the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir flowing slowly within his body, refining his meridians and soul. Jiang Chuan knew that his body had undergone a qualitative leap, and he was only one step away from breaking through the bottleneck and entering a higher realm.

“The depths of Dushan are more dangerous than I imagined.” Jiang Chuan recalled Qing Tian’s words, a resolute glint in his eyes. “But no matter what, I must fulfill my master’s last wish.”

He took a deep breath and strode towards Cangling Mountain. The mountain path was rugged and overgrown with thorns, but Jiang Chuan's steps were exceptionally firm.

Three days later, on the city wall of Heyang, Zhao Dun, clad in armor, gazed intently towards the distant Weicheng.

"He Zongzheng, you have privately mobilized the armies of the Southern Region's powerful families with ulterior motives. Today, I, Zhao Dun, will act on behalf of Heaven to eliminate this scourge!" Zhao Dun shouted.

Behind him, the soldiers of the Heyang City garrison shouted in unison, their voices shaking the heavens.

"Let's go!" Zhao Dun waved his long sword, and the army marched towards Weicheng in a mighty procession.

The war has officially begun, and conflict between Heyang City and Weicheng is imminent.

In the mountains of Dushan, Jiang Chuan stood at the entrance of Cangling Mountain, gazing at the deep valley, a sense of unease rising in his heart.

"The atmosphere here... is even more dangerous than Dushan," Jiang Chuan said in a low voice.

But he did not back down; instead, he stepped into the valley. He knew that the Heart of the Black Serpent lay deep within this valley, and he had to find it.

"No matter how many dangers lie ahead, I will not give up." Jiang Chuan gripped his sword tightly, his gaze resolute.

In the valley, the wind howled, as if bidding him farewell.

Jiang Chuan's figure gradually disappeared into the deep valley, leaving only a resolute silhouette.

The night at Cangling Mountain is so quiet that it seems as if time itself has stood still.

Jiang Chuan leaned against the cave wall, closing his eyes to rest. The power of the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir flowed slowly through his body, repairing his fatigue from the past few days. However, just as he was about to drift off to sleep, a violent tremor suddenly shook the ground.

"boom--!"

A deafening roar came from afar, as if the entire mountain range was trembling.

Jiang Chuan suddenly opened his eyes, quickly stood up, and gripped the Huangshan Sword tightly in his hand.

He rushed out of the cave and looked up at the source of the tremor. Fifty miles away in the valley, a giant three hundred feet tall slowly stood up. The giant's entire body was made of rock, and with each step it took, the ground trembled with a dull rumble.

"Mountain spirit..." Jiang Chuan muttered to himself, his face filled with shock.

Mountain spirits are legendary mountain beings, formed from the essence of mountain ranges. They possess immense strength, move slowly yet are unstoppable. Jiang Chuan never expected to encounter such a legendary being in Hidden Spirit Mountain.

"It seems I've already penetrated deep into the core area of ​​Dushan," Jiang Chuan thought to himself. He realized that the dangers of Cangling Mountain far exceeded his imagination, and the appearance of the mountain spirits was just the tip of the iceberg in this mysterious mountain range.

As dawn broke, Jiang Chuan decided to continue deeper into Hidden Spirit Mountain. He planned to climb the main peak, overlook the entire mountain range, and search for the possible hiding place of the Black Serpent. The Heart of the Black Serpent was his goal for this journey, and also the key to breaking through his cultivation bottleneck.

The mountain path was rugged and overgrown with thorns, but Jiang Chuan's steps were exceptionally firm. His body, refined by the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir, had long surpassed the limits of ordinary people. Even steep cliffs could be climbed with ease, as if walking on flat ground.

Several hours later, Jiang Chuan finally reached the main peak of Cangling Mountain. He stood on the summit, looking down at the mountains below.

However, to his disappointment, there was nothing unusual about the entire mountain range; there was no trace of the Xuan Snake, nor any suspicious aura.

"Could it be that the Black Serpent isn't here?" Jiang Chuan frowned.

He knew that if he couldn't find the Heart of the Black Serpent soon, he might not be able to leave Hidden Spirit Mountain before the heavy snow sealed off the mountain. And once the heavy snow sealed off the mountain, he would be trapped in this dangerous mountain range, his fate uncertain.

As night fell, Jiang Chuan found a cave on the mountaintop. He decided to spend the night there, studying the "Righteous Sword of Righteousness" in an attempt to improve his swordsmanship.

Inside the cave, Jiang Chuan lit a bonfire, the firelight reflecting on his face, making him appear particularly solemn.

He opened the "Sword of Righteous Qi" and carefully studied its sword techniques. However, no matter how he tried, he could not steadily condense the sword energy.

"Why do I always fail?" Jiang Chuan muttered to himself, his brows furrowed.

He recalled his cultivation process and realized that he had distributed his true energy evenly across the sword, without considering the different needs of various parts of the sword for true energy. This even distribution actually led to an imbalance of sword energy.

Just then, a clear, cold voice rang in his ear: "Your problem is that you haven't achieved an even distribution of your true energy."

Jiang Chuan suddenly looked up and saw a phantom figure appear before him. It was a woman dressed in white, with a beautiful face and a hint of indifference in her eyes.

"You are... a sword spirit?" Jiang Chuan asked in surprise.

The woman nodded: "You can call me Mountain Spirit."

The mountain spirit walked up to Jiang Chuan and said calmly, "The different parts of a sword—the hilt, guard, spine, body, blade, and tip—have different requirements for true qi. The hilt needs to be stable, the guard needs to be flexible, the spine needs to be tough, the body needs to be balanced, the blade needs to be sharp, and the tip needs to be razor-sharp. Only by achieving an even distribution of true qi can the stability of sword qi be maintained."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chuan suddenly understood: "So that's how it is... I always thought that uniform distribution was the same as average distribution, but I didn't expect there to be such a big difference."

The mountain spirit continued, "Although your pure yang true energy is powerful, it is too fierce and difficult to control. You can try to internalize it into green wood sword energy. Green wood sword energy is gentle yet resilient, and it is more suitable for swordsmanship training."

Jiang Chuan nodded and immediately began to adjust his cultivation method according to the mountain spirit's guidance.

He slowly internalized the pure Yang energy, transforming it into Green Wood Sword Qi, and then reinfused it into the Huangshan Sword.

This time, he felt the flow of sword energy become much smoother.

The true energy at the hilt is as stable as a mountain, the true energy at the guard is as flexible as the wind, the true energy at the spine is as tough as iron, the true energy at the blade is as balanced as water, the true energy at the edge is as sharp as a knife, and the true energy at the tip is as sharp as a needle.

"We succeeded!" Jiang Chuan exclaimed with delight.

He swung the Huangshan Sword, and a cyan sword aura burst forth from the tip, easily cleaving a rock in two. The sword aura was stable and solid, without the slightest fluctuation.

"Very good," the mountain spirit said calmly. "You have taken an important step."

Jiang Chuan sheathed the Huangshan Sword and looked at the Mountain Spirit: "Thank you for your guidance. However, I have one more question—where exactly is the Heart of the Black Serpent?"

The mountain spirit remained silent for a moment, then slowly said, "The heart of the Black Serpent is not on the main peak of Hidden Spirit Mountain, but in a secret realm deep within the mountain's belly. That is the Black Serpent's lair and the source of its power."

Upon hearing this, Jiang Chuan also became somewhat solemn: "Deep inside the mountain... that place must be fraught with danger, right?"

The Mountain Spirit nodded: "That's right. The Black Serpent is the guardian of Hidden Spirit Mountain, and its power far exceeds your imagination. If you want to obtain the Heart of the Black Serpent, you must be fully prepared."

Jiang Chuan took a deep breath and said firmly, "No matter what, I will try."

The mountain spirit glanced at him and said calmly, "Courage is commendable, but courage alone is not enough. You need more wisdom and strength."

At the summit of Cangling Mountain, the moonlight, like water, spilled onto the snow-covered peaks, creating a silvery-white spectacle. Jiang Chuan, holding the Huangshan Sword, stood on a flat rock, his gaze fixed solemnly on the sword spirit opposite him—the Mountain Ghost.

The mountain spirit was still dressed in white, with a cold and indifferent expression.

She did not have a physical sword in her hand, but instead condensed a phantom sword shadow with her true energy, which shimmered with a cold light under the moonlight.

"Are you ready?" the mountain spirit asked calmly, a hint of sarcasm in his voice.

Jiang Chuan nodded, took a deep breath, and gripped the Huangshan sword in his hand: "Please give me your guidance."

Before he could finish speaking, Jiang Chuan made the first move. He unleashed the Rolling Sword Style from the Great River Sword Intent, the sword light flowing continuously like water, sweeping towards the Mountain Ghost. However, the Mountain Ghost merely waved his hand lightly, and the sword shadows darted through the sword light like ghosts, easily dodging Jiang Chuan's attack.

"Too slow," the mountain spirit said coldly. "Your sword intent, though continuous, lacks variation and is easily seen through."

Jiang Chuan's heart tightened, and he immediately changed his moves, unleashing the Azure Wood Sword Qi technique from the Five Elements Sword Manual—"Ten Thousand Trees Facing Spring." The sword light transformed into countless azure sword energies, growing vigorously like trees in spring, enveloping the mountain spirit.

However, the mountain spirit remained calm and unhurried. With a light slash of her sword, the sword energy scattered and fell like leaves blown by the wind.

"Fancy but ineffective," the mountain spirit commented indifferently. "Although there are many sword energies, their power is scattered and poses no threat whatsoever."

Jiang Chuan gritted his teeth and changed his moves again.

This time, he attempted to combine pure Yang true energy with green wood sword energy, the sword light carrying heat and vitality, and thrust straight towards the mountain spirit.

Seeing Jiang Chuan's transformation, the Mountain Spirit was quite approving, but her sword still showed no mercy. With a light flick, the sword struck Jiang Chuan's wrist like lightning. Jiang Chuan felt a numbness in his wrist, and the Huangshan Sword almost slipped from his grasp.

"Your power is well combined, but your control is too poor," the Mountain Spirit said coldly. "Your true energy is too fierce and difficult to control."

Jiang Chuan was panting, and fine beads of sweat had formed on his forehead. He realized that his swordsmanship was nothing but child's play in front of the Mountain Demon.

"Again!" Jiang Chuan shouted, and once again swung his sword at the mountain spirit.

This time, he attempted to combine sword intent with sword energy, the sword light carrying a sharp and fierce aura. However, the mountain spirit easily dodged his attack, even striking his vital point with a stone, causing him a sharp pain.

"Your swordsmanship is still far from sufficient," the Mountain Spirit said calmly. "If you want to become my master, you must surpass me within at least ten years."

Jiang Chuan, panting heavily, was exhausted, but he still refused to give up: "I will definitely do it."

The mountain spirit glanced at him and said with some approval, "I hope so." (End of Chapter)