Chapter 248 Crossing Ghost-Wind Ridge (Location) Together

At this, he fell silent, then later began expounding the Dao for the Golden Core cultivators.

However, Golden Core realm cultivators were all high-level practitioners, and their cultivation journeys often involved some closely guarded secrets.

To prevent demons and evil spirits or vengeful foes from spying, the methods and mysteries of this realm could not be lightly imparted. Thus, Magnus the Virtuous Lord erected a barrier to expound the Dao to them in seclusion.

Their discourse leaned more toward the Golden Core adepts posing questions, while Magnus the Virtuous Lord illuminated their paths with wisdom.

Many of those Golden Core cultivators were disciples of Magnus the Virtuous Lord. Even those who weren't formally his disciples had essentially established a master-disciple relationship with him, which could be considered anything but superficial.

The sermon lasted for 3 days. Magnus the Virtuous Lord gazed upon the crowd who had gained profound enlightenment and said,

"This sermon concludes here. Should you still have questions, return after 1 cycle of 60 years."

"We bid farewell to the True Lord."

Everyone promptly rose to their feet, respectfully seeing off Magnus the Virtuous Lord as he departed.

Eldrin had just risen to his feet when the woman in cyan robes spoke with a gentle smile, "Allow me to introduce myself. I am Yu Qingyan (Person Name), pleased to make your acquaintance, Fellow Daoist."

"I am Eldrin." Eldrin cupped his hands in a polite salute. "It's an honor to meet Fairy Yu."

A smile graced Yu Qingyan’s lips as she replied with a touch of delight, “Since you hail from beyond the Heaven's Spine Mountains (Location), I wonder if you intend to remain within the Heaven's Spine Mountains (Location) or seek to traverse them entirely.”

As if worried Eldrin might misunderstand, she added, "I plan to journey to the Heavenly Abode Continent in a dozen or so days. If our paths align, fellow practitioner, we might traverse the Shadowgale Mountains together and lend each other support along the way."

Mount Galecrest

Eldrin's eyes flickered slightly as he recalled the information he had gathered about the Darkwind Mountain.

That peak of Howling Wind was a unique terrain within the Heaven's Spine Mountains (Location), serving as the sole passage to the Heavenly Abode Continent (Location).

The Mountain of Ghostly Winds was perpetually swept by the 9 Nether Gale Winds. Those below the Zi Mansion realm could scarcely hope to traverse it by sword flight, and even Zi Mansion cultivators would expend a tremendous amount of spiritual power to cross it.

Moreover, Mount Youfeng was home to the demon beast tribe known as the Youfeng Vultures. Born from the very essence of the mountain, these creatures were nearly inexhaustible in number. Even a Violet Palace Realm cultivator would find themselves mentally and physically drained dealing with them, facing the very real risk of falling in battle.

Therefore, to traverse the Shadowgale Peaks, not only must a Purple Mansion cultivator maintain peak condition, but most would also endeavor to travel in groups whenever possible.

At this thought, Eldrin contemplated inwardly: "Venturing alone through the Howling Wind Mountains does carry some risks."

"This Yu Qingyan seems to possess a Wind Spiritual Root (Spiritual Root), with her cultivation having reached Purple Palace, Mid Stage (Cultivation Realm). Should we journey together, she could likely share some of the burden."

At this thought, he smiled and said, "If I may journey with you, Immortal Maiden, it would be my utmost pleasure."

Seeing his agreement, a glimmer of delight flashed in Yu Qingyan's eyes as she said, "I've waited nearly half a year to finally meet a fellow cultivator willing to cross the Shadowgale Mountains together."

Now that Eldrin had fully recovered, they did not linger any longer. The very next day, the 2 set off, flying toward the Heavenly Abode Continent.

After flying over 600,000 li, the 2 finally arrived before the Mountain of Howling Winds.

"The 9 Nether Winds on Ghost-Wind Ridge (Location) are exceptionally fierce, and the expenditure of spiritual power will be tremendously high."

Gazing at the Shadowgale Mountain before them, Yu Qingyan retrieved an azure treasure ark: "We should proceed by treasure ark for now, conserving our spiritual energy to deal with any Shadowgale Vultures that might appear."

Eldrin nodded and boarded the azure treasure ark with her.

That cyan treasure vessel was a lower-grade, third-tier treasure ship. The energy stored within such a vessel should, in principle, be sufficient to traverse over 1,000,000 li.

However, the Netherworld Astral Winds were far too fierce, causing the treasure ark’s energy consumption to surge and its flight speed to slow by dozens of times.

After merely 3 days of flight, Yu Qingyan’s Cyan Treasure Boat had already exhausted its energy, forcing her to disembark and prepare to continue her journey by sword flight.

Eldrin shook his head and produced the Crimson Blood Vessel, saying, "I've brought this vessel. It should be sufficient to cross the Ghost-Wind Ridge."

"What a fine treasure."

A look of pleasant surprise crossed Yu Qingyan’s face as she followed Eldrin aboard the Crimson Blood Vessel.

Chixue flew through the 9 Nether Abyssal Winds, traversing several 1000 miles in 1 go, when suddenly a piercing cry rang out.

Eldrin (Person Name) looked up and saw, at the horizon, a massive dark swarm of enormous black birds approaching.

"Look out, it's the Shadowgale Vulture!"

Yu Qingyan gasped in astonishment. Before her eyes swarmed at least several 100 1000 Netherwind Vultures—a sight that would make even a Great Perfection Purple Mansion cultivator immediately turn and flee.

Seeing the Shadowgale Vultures sweeping over like a raging tide, Eldrin swiftly maneuvered the Crimson Blood Vessel to veer sideways, attempting to circle around the flock from its opposite flank.

Yet countless Shadowgale Vultures clearly had no intention of letting them escape, swarming over like a tidal wave to attack.

"Wretched fiend."

Eldrin's gaze turned icy as he summoned the Celestial Li Twin Swords. They shot forth like 2 streaks of light, weaving through the air in a deadly dance. In an instant, they had slain over a 100 Shadowgale Vultures, carving out a breach in their ranks.

Yu Qingyan also joined the assault, summoning her life-bound treasure—the Zephyr-Corroding Soul-Shattering Vase. Torrents of azure gales erupted from the sacred vessel, sweeping through the skies and sending countless Shadow-Gale Vultures tumbling in disarray. Their very flesh and blood were eroded to nothingness under the corrosive winds.

The strength of these Shadowwind Vultures was mostly unremarkable. Among the hundreds of thousands of them, only 2 had reached the Violet Mansion realm. For now, they posed little threat to the duo.

However, the 9 Nether Yin Winds in this place greatly affected both of them. Even the speed of the Scarlet Blood Boat had slowed considerably, while the Shadowstorm Vultures could ride the winds, making it temporarily difficult to shake off these low-level demonic beasts completely.

Were it an ordinary Purple Mansion cultivator, once dragged to the point of exhausting their spiritual power, they would likely face the peril of falling.

The 2 of them were not particularly fortunate in their luck. A massive beast horde of this scale—numbering in the hundreds of thousands of Shadowgale Vultures—was actually exceedingly rare and not easily encountered.

Generally speaking, a Purple Mansion cultivator would have full confidence in defeating a flock of several tens of thousands of Shadowgale Vultures.

"Be careful."

Eldrin once again summoned the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss, cutting down several second-order demonic beasts as effortlessly as slicing through melons and vegetables. With a grave expression, he cautioned,

Yu Qingyan nodded, biting her lip as she said, "Steady yourself."

No sooner had she spoken than she activated the wind-attribute divine ability 'Breeze Riding Under the Clear Moon Evasion', channeling its power into the Purple Blood Skiff (Magic Treasure).

In an instant, the Crimson Blood Vessel became enveloped in a sheath of escape light. Not only was it unaffected by the 9 Nether Gale Winds, but it actually rode upon them, its speed increasing dramatically by a significant margin.

"What a formidable technique."

Eldrin had just finished marveling at the divine ability when his expression abruptly stiffened.

At the horizon’s edge, the 2 Violet Mansion Demon Vultures, seeing their attempt to flee, broke away from the horde and positioned themselves directly in their path.

"Not good!"

"Clang—"

The moment Yu Qingyan’s words left her lips, she saw Eldrin standing abruptly before the treasure ark.

In the very next instant, a sword’s keen cry pierced the air.

The sword radiance of the Celestial Departure Twin Blades illuminated the boundless night sky as they chimed in unison, descending together toward the Violet Mansion Demon Vulture.

The 2 Violet Mansion demon vultures narrowed their pupils slightly. With a swift beat of their wings, they summoned boundless power of the 9 Nether Abyssal Winds and unleashed their innate supernatural ability—the Abyssal Wind Slash.

Chapter 1: The Reborn Youth The biting cold wind swept across the mountain ridge, howling like countless vengeful spirits crying out in the night. Lin Xuan lay prone amidst the thorny bushes, his entire body covered in wounds. Fresh blood trickled from the corner of his mouth, yet his eyes burned with unwavering determination. "Zhou Tianhao... just you wait..." he murmured through gritted teeth. 3 days ago, he had still been the most promising young disciple of the Green Cloud Sect. But now, he had become a fugitive abandoned by everyone, all because of that woman's single slanderous accusation. Suddenly, a streak of crimson light descended from the sky, transforming into a graceful figure. The woman wore fiery-red robes, her features exquisitely beautiful yet carried a chilling aura. "Lin Xuan, hand over the Heavenly Fire Essence, and I might spare your life." Lin Xuan laughed coldly, his fingers secretly forming a seal. "Yun Ruoyan, for the sake of the Heavenly Fire Essence, you actually joined forces with the Demon Sect. Aren't you afraid the elders will find out?" The woman's expression shifted slightly, then she sneered, "A dead man tells no tales." As she finished speaking, she raised her hand and summoned the Li Fire Sword of the Returning Abyss. The sword glowed with a scarlet light, illuminating the entire mountain ridge. Just as Lin Xuan was about to desperately counterattack, a mysterious voice suddenly echoed in his mind: [Ding! Host's will to survive detected, Rebirth System activating...] [System binding successful. Current host: Lin Xuan. Cultivation: Qi Refining Stage, 7th Layer] [Detected host in critical condition, automatically consuming 1 Rebirth Point to activate Rebirth Mode] A blinding white light erupted, and Lin Xuan felt his consciousness rapidly fading. Before completely losing awareness, he saw Yun Ruoyan's horrified expression. When he opened his eyes again, he found himself lying on a simple wooden bed. The morning sun streamed through the window, casting mottled shadows on the ground. "This is... my room from 10 years ago?" He rushed to the bronze mirror and saw a youthful face reflected back at him—about 16 or 17 years old, with delicate features that carried a hint of immaturity. [Current Timepoint: Spirit Awakening Ceremony 3 days from now] [Main Mission: Join the Green Cloud Sect, reward: 1,000 Rebirth Points] [System Store: Unavailable. Unlock condition: Reach Foundation Establishment Stage] Lin Xuan took a deep breath, his eyes gleaming with unprecedented sharpness. In this life, he would definitely not repeat the same mistakes. "Yun Ruoyan, Zhou Tianhao... just you wait. This time, I will make you pay the price." He sat cross-legged and began operating the Green Wood Art. Countless specks of spiritual light converged, forming visible spiritual energy vortexes around him. The memories from his previous life allowed him to grasp the cultivation method with perfect proficiency. In just 2 hours, he had broken through to the 2nd Layer of Qi Refining. "Not enough... far from enough." He recalled that in his previous life, at the Spirit Awakening Ceremony 3 days later, he had only awakened a low-grade wood spirit root, which had limited his future progress. But this time, things would be different. He stood up and walked out the door, heading straight for the back mountain. He remembered clearly that there was an opportunity there—a stalk of 7-Colored Spirit Ginseng that would mature today. After traversing through 3 mountain forests, he finally arrived at a hidden cliff. Sure enough, a spirit ginseng radiating 7-colored light was quietly growing in the cliff crevice. But just as he was about to step forward, a sharp voice rang out: "Stop! That spirit herb is mine!" A young man in brocade robes emerged from the forest, pointing at Lin Xuan with a face full of arrogance. Lin Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly—it was actually Wang Tianba, the young master of the Wang Family who had often bullied him in the past. In his previous life, he had feared the Wang Family's influence and had always endured their bullying. But now... A cold smile tugged at the corner of Lin Xuan's mouth. "Scram."