Chapter 046: Reaching the Summit

  Inside the room, the dense spiritual energy of heaven and earth continuously vibrated, like dozens of streams converging into Yang Tian's body. The river of blood and qi floating above his dantian churned incessantly. Just as this precarious momentum was about to burst, Yang Tian forcibly suppressed it, compressing and solidifying the energy within the blood river.

  When a ray of sunlight pierced through the window and illuminated the room, the slightly dim space gradually brightened with the sun's rays. Finally, a beam of light fell upon Yang Tian's face.

  "Hu." His tightly closed eyes slowly opened. Sensing that the blood and qi within his body had become slightly more solid, Yang Tian exhaled a breath of candle-like air, stood up slowly, and patted his somewhat stiff arms.

  "Xiao Bai, wake up." Seeing Xiao Bai still deep in slumber, a trace of drool lingering at the corner of his mouth, Yang Tian patted the little creature's head and smiled gently.

  "Wu wu." Xiao Bai's eyelids lifted, and its large, dark eyes rolled around before it pounced onto Yang Tian.

  "Today is the day Martial Mountain opens. Let's see just how miraculous this place is that countless forces are willing to pay any price to enter." After tidying up in the room for a while, Yang Tian walked out the door.

  Martial Mountain was an ancient battlefield, a burial ground for powerful beings, and also a place of countless legacies. However, obtaining these legacies required skill, as few could gain the recognition of the ancient powers whose influences had persisted to this day, even preserving their sect's heritage.

  Martial Mountain opened once every thirty years and was jointly controlled by some of the superpowers of the Eastern Continent. Occasionally, an invitation would be auctioned off for an astronomical price, sparking frenzied competition among major forces.

  Ten miles ahead of Martial City, a towering peak stood like a sharp sword piercing the clouds. Figures moved about on the mountainside, and the cries of exotic beasts echoed through the air. The overwhelming aura made passersby unable to help but glance sideways.

  At the base of the mountain, people had already begun climbing, but their progress was exceptionally slow. Some even looked pale, with beads of sweat the size of beans rolling down their faces, as if they were enduring immense pain.

  At the summit of the mountain, a boulder stood as if overlooking all living beings. Carved into it were the words "Martial Mountain." At the boulder's midsection, a white light gate shimmered, its tightly shut doors unmoving since ancient times, exuding an aura of having weathered countless trials.

  At the foot of the mountain, Yang Tian hurried over, his pace noticeably slower than usual. He gazed at the sea of black figures halfway up the mountain and murmured to himself, "It seems having an invitation doesn't guarantee entry. This martial pressure isn't something that can be easily overcome, especially for those who rely on pills to boost their strength."

  After a pause, Yang Tian walked over to several white-robed men standing at the base of the mountain. These were the individuals responsible for checking invitations. Although this place was controlled by the top forces of the Eastern Continent, there were still some bold individuals who tried to sneak in.

  "Halt!" One of the handsome young men, upon seeing Yang Tian shrouded in a black robe, a trace of gloom flashing in his eyes, immediately barked.

  Hearing this, Yang Tian frowned slightly but continued walking forward, ignoring the young man and heading straight for the man behind him.

  "How dare you! I told you to stop! Didn't you hear me? Are you up to no good? Take off that hood!" The cold gaze of the young man bore into Yang Tian. As a collateral descendant of the ancient Li family, there were some people he could afford to offend.

  The young man's angry shout drew the attention of many around him. He was a collateral descendant of the ancient Li family, known for his arrogance and frequent bullying of smaller family disciples, yet no one dared to stop him.

  "Why is this guy wearing a black robe? Does he plan to force his way in?" Peculiar glances fell upon the black-robed figure. Dressing like Yang Tian was indeed rare at Martial Mountain.

  "Is there a problem?" Yang Tian glanced back at him indifferently, then turned and handed his invitation to a slightly stunned young man beside him.

  "You..." A surge of anger rose in the young man's heart. When he saw Yang Tian produce an invitation, his fists clenched with a crackling sound, and he coldly snapped, "Don't think you can act arrogantly just because you have an invitation. Believe it or not, I'll kill you right now."

  "This is... the five-claw invitation from the Qingyang Empire." The man who took Yang Tian's invitation glanced at it and instantly froze. The five-claw standard was the exclusive invitation of the Grand Prince. He couldn't believe that the black-robed man before him could have stolen it from the Grand Prince.

  "Li Jidong, shut the hell up!" The man holding the invitation hurriedly roared, causing Li Jidong to immediately fall silent. Then, with a flattering gaze, he looked at Yang Tian and said, "Young master, please don't be angry. He didn't recognize your esteemed status. Please, go ahead."

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  "Mm." Yang Tian nodded and walked forward. Before he had taken two steps, he suddenly turned back and smiled faintly at the stunned young man, "So your name is Li Jidong. I'll remember you."

  With that, Yang Tian turned and began ascending the mountain.

  "What does he mean..." Li Jidong was momentarily stunned but quickly regained his composure, his face instantly turning ugly. He quickly walked over to the man who had just roared at him and asked in a slightly trembling voice, "Brother Huang, who... who is he?"

  "Heh, who is he?" The man chuckled, "The five-claw invitation from the Qingyang Empire. Who do you think he is? I heard that a couple of days ago, your family's direct descendant, Li Xuan, was sent flying thousands of miles away by a single punch from Qing Rufeng, becoming a topic of conversation for many."

  "A man of the Grand Prince." Li Jidong's eyes widened in terror, but before this terror could solidify on his face, a trace of suspicion emerged.

  "Wait, Qing Rufeng's invitation, dressed in a black robe... he must be Yang Tian!" Li Jidong suddenly remembered the instructions he had received from Li Hongtao earlier that day. He quickly took out a jade slip, muttered something into it, and then crushed it.

  "Yang Tian, you dare to mess with me? Just wait for your death!" Li Jidong glared at the black-robed figure ascending the mountain, a ferocious smile on his face. If it weren't for the prohibition against them climbing Martial Mountain, he would have already charged up.

  Higher up the mountain, a young man in a luxurious purple robe, his face slightly pale, was about to take a step forward when a jade slip suddenly appeared above his head. With a wave of his hand, the jade slip fell into his palm.

  A few moments later, the jade slip was crushed in the young man's hand. His handsome face twisted into a grimace, and a cold voice exploded in his heart, "Yang Tian, you've finally come. I'll deal with you inside."

  As he was lost in thought, several youths around his age had already passed him by some distance. Li Hongtao's heart sank, and he hurriedly quickened his pace to catch up.

  "It seems the higher you climb, the stronger the pressure becomes." Yang Tian continued his ascent, his pace neither fast nor slow. The waves of martial will pressing down on him made his head feel heavy.

  A black-robed figure had attracted the attention of many. On either side of him, tens of thousands of listless youths were climbing, some even trembling with each step, occasionally sitting down to recover their spirits.

  The entire Martial Mountain had a stone staircase leading straight to the summit. On the staircase, there were tens of thousands of youths, with more continuously pouring in. Most of them were the elite of the younger generation.

  Many individuals with overwhelming vitality were climbing. Martial Mountain was a great opportunity, and even saint-level figures had suppressed their cultivation, refraining from breaking through to the martial artist realm, just waiting for this day.

  At noon, a cold wind howled, and the peak was bitterly cold. The bone-chilling wind wailed like a ferocious beast. On the stone staircase, many people's lips turned pale. They not only had to withstand the pressure of the martial will but also endure the assault of the cold wind.

  A very few individuals swayed unsteadily. Some, lacking sufficient martial intent, felt their heads swell, their blood and qi unable to coalesce, leaving them unable to resist the wind's onslaught and causing them to fall from the mountain.

  At the center of the mountain, Yang Tian slowly lifted his foot. Unlike those around him, his pores were tightly closed, and his body was filled with mist. His internal organs vibrated, and a vast surge of vitality churned within him. His muscles contracted, tearing through the surrounding vacuum, and faint sonic booms erupted.

  "Which family's disciple is this? His vitality is so strong, only slightly weaker than some of the ancient family's reserve saints."

  "Yeah, look at his pace. He hasn't stopped at all. His martial will far surpasses ours." Two youths from the same family whispered to each other, watching the black-robed figure's relaxed demeanor with frustration, regretting not having trained harder as this great opportunity slipped away.

  Yang Tian continued his ascent, his body becoming more crystalline under the cold. He couldn't help but marvel at the wonders of the War Heaven Art. The higher he climbed, the colder it became, and most youths had to expend considerable effort just to resist the chill.

  "This little guy is really something, actually sleeping soundly. Does this martial pressure not affect him at all?" Hearing a faint snore, Yang Tian was momentarily stunned, unable to help exclaiming in his heart.

  Typically, exotic beasts were extremely fearful of martial pressure, especially the will emanating from Martial Mountain, which carried a hint of ancient aura. This innate fear stemmed from the depths of their bloodline.

  During the ancient war between humans and the hundred races, the beast race had suffered greatly. Thus, deep within their bloodline, there was a fear of martial will, let alone the will of Martial Mountain. Of course, this also depended on their cultivation level.

  After climbing for another two hours, Yang Tian was nearing the summit. He could vaguely see dozens of figures sitting at the peak. The number of people around him had decreased significantly, with most moving in starts and stops.

  The black-robed figure attracted much attention. Yang Tian's pace had not faltered, and he had overtaken many along the way, even leaving behind some with formidable vitality.

  Just as Yang Tian passed a white-robed youth holding a folding fan, a vicious gaze instantly locked onto him, the arrogant face filled with killing intent.

  At that moment, Yang Tian sensed the gaze and slightly frowned. He glanced at the white-robed youth behind him, then a cold smile appeared on his face as he continued forward.

  "Xiao Hai, that's the black-robed man from that day." Beside the white-robed youth, a cold-faced youth glanced at the black-robed figure and whispered.

  "Big brother, it's him, that black-robed man." Huang Hai's face was filled with rage. After offending the black-robed man that day, he had been confined to his family for three days, missing the auction. If it weren't for Martial Mountain opening, he would still be confined today.

  "This man is not simple." Sensing the vast vitality within the black-robed figure, Huang Bo's eyes flashed with caution, silently speculating about Yang Tian's identity.

  "No matter how strong he is, he can't withstand the two of us together." Huang Hai clenched his fists, a ferocious smile on his face.

  "Right, he must die!" Huang Bo nodded in agreement. Offending someone with such limitless potential had to be nipped in the bud.

  "Clowns." Shaking his head slightly, Yang Tian quickened his pace. When he saw two figures ahead, a trace of surprise crossed his face, "They're also going to Martial Mountain?"

  Ahead were Xing Hao and Yun'er, especially Yun'er, whose jade-like beauty drew many admiring glances. The green-clad girl, with her flawless face and three thousand strands of hair casually tied up with a jade hairpin, stood proudly like a green lotus, indifferent to the adoring gazes around her.