The death rate on Cultivator's Mount soared to ninety percent. For a newcomer like Joe Di to perish here caused no ripple at all.
At the foot of Cultivator's Mount, life went on as usual—some arrived, some departed.
Drew Chu had not come to Cultivator's Mount to extend his lifespan. He understood his own limits well—this was not a mountain he could climb. With his strength, to ascend Cultivator's Mount was certain death. He came only to comprehend the laws at the mountain's base. Many believed that Cultivator's Mount possessed a unique law of time, and that even a mere touch—without true understanding—could empower one to defeat stronger opponents.
So Drew Chu was here purely on a gamble. After all, he had come to Little Central Star; leaving without visiting the foot of Cultivator's Mount would be a regret.
But when he stood at the base and saw Joe Di standing atop Cultivator's Mount, he was utterly stunned. "Red Tassel Joe Di—how could he fall on Cultivator's Mount?"
Excitement surged through him. Others might not know what treasures Joe Di carried, but he did—he too had come from Ley Line Ravine. Joe Di had obtained two hundred ley lines there, all of them high or prime grade...
Drew Chu hesitated. The ley lines were tempting, but his own life mattered more. If even Red Tassel Joe had fallen on Cultivator's Mount, could he possibly succeed?
He wavered for a dozen breaths, then gritted his teeth. If fortune were so easily gained, it wouldn't be called fortune. He had to take a chance—perhaps luck would favor him.
"Wait..." A sudden voice called out to Drew Chu. "I saw you weren't planning to go up, but something changed your mind. What did you see?"
Drew Chu turned to see a long-haired man. He couldn't gauge the man's cultivation, but from his aura alone, Drew guessed he was at least fifth-layer Seabreaker Stage—while Drew himself was only ninth-layer Void Spirit Stage.
"Junior only wishes to try his luck, to see if he can cross a hundred steps," Drew Chu replied quickly and respectfully.
The long-haired man snorted coldly. "You have one more chance. If you don't tell the truth, I'll search your soul."
A chill ran through Drew Chu—he did not doubt the man's threat. On Little Central Star, even if you were killed, you could only blame your own misfortune.
He hated to let this long-haired man profit, but Drew Chu made a quick decision and shouted, "Senior, Red Tassel Joe fell on Cultivator's Mount! His ring contains two hundred ley lines, all prime and high grade..."
"What?" The long-haired man regretted letting Drew Chu speak so loudly. Two hundred ley lines, and all prime and high grade—what did that mean? Even the top power in the True Domain might not possess that much.
As soon as Drew Chu finished, he retreated quickly. The long-haired man no longer cared about him; his gaze was fixed on Joe Di.
He didn't know Red Tassel Joe personally, but he'd heard the name countless times. That iconic Red Tassel Blade was his hallmark. Now, a cultivator stood motionless a hundred steps from the base, the blade on his back, gazing up at the summit. Who else could it be but Red Tassel Joe?
The long-haired man didn't hesitate—he stepped straight onto Cultivator's Mount. Two hundred ley lines, all prime and high grade, were worth the risk. Besides, he'd come to Cultivator's Mount intending to climb it anyway.
Not only the long-haired man, but the other cultivators who heard the news also lost interest in comprehending laws at the base. Nearly ninety percent stood up. A few began to wonder if they should try their luck and ascend as well.
Messages spread from the foot of Cultivator's Mount, and in no time, rumors swept across Little Central Star—Red Tassel Joe had fallen on the mountain, and he possessed nearly nine hundred prime ley lines...
...
Ten thousand miles from Cultivator's Mount, at the edge of a marsh, a woman in a pale violet dress gazed intently at an eighth-grade yellow elm herb growing at the heart of the swamp.
Beside her stood a woman in green, though her cultivation was far weaker than the violet-clad woman.
"Sherry, this yellow elm herb is useful to me. Soon I'll harvest it, but you must remember—if the swamp's pull becomes too strong for me, use this rope to drag me out immediately..." As she spoke, two more figures sped northward; it was already the third group of cultivators she'd seen pass by.
"Yes, Senior Cynthia." The green-clad woman's face was badly scratched, but her reply was precise and earnest.
These two were Cynthia Winters and Sherry Jing. When Sherry Jing brought Cynthia Winters to the Five-Colored Teleportation Band below Little Central Star, Joe Di and the others had already entered the star.
"Wait a moment..." Cynthia Winters landed directly in front of a cultivator racing north, blocking his path.
The cultivator was furious at being stopped, but then he recognized Cynthia Winters.
Any cultivator who had visited Fivefold Plaza knew Cynthia Winters. She was a top prodigy of the True Domain, and even the Five Grand Sects of Little Central World showed her respect.
Though Little Central Star officially barred True Domain prodigies from entering, in reality, every opening saw them slip inside. It was an open secret—everyone turned a blind eye.
"Junior greets Fairy Cynthia." The cultivator, only first-layer Seabreaker Stage, dared not show the slightest disrespect before Cynthia Winters.
Cynthia Winters nodded. "I saw many heading north. You're going that way too, aren't you? What's going on?"
The cultivator hurriedly replied, "Word is, Red Tassel Joe Di has fallen on Cultivator's Mount, and he carried nearly a thousand prime ley lines..."
At these words, Sherry Jing, who stood beside Cynthia Winters, staggered—then dashed madly toward Cultivator's Mount.
Cynthia understood Sherry's urgency. Joe Di was Sherry Jing's Dao companion; if he had fallen on Cultivator's Mount, her distress was only natural.
But it wasn't just Sherry Jing who was anxious—Cynthia Winters was too. Joe Di possessed a Realmshatter Talisman, and Cynthia's main reason for keeping Sherry close was to force Joe Di to hand it over. Now that Joe Di had supposedly fallen on Cultivator's Mount, how could she let anyone else seize his ring?
Cynthia Winters flashed forward, racing toward Cultivator's Mount. With her ninth-layer Cauldron Lord Stage cultivation, she swiftly caught up to the fleeing Sherry Jing and swept her up with a single gesture.
When Cynthia and Sherry landed at the foot of Cultivator's Mount, the place was already packed. Sherry Jing immediately spotted Joe Di, now surrounded by more than a hundred cultivators. Most were rooted to the mountain, yet more kept charging upward.
Cynthia Winters remained calm. What drew her to Joe Di was not the ley lines, but the Realmshatter Talisman he possessed.
"Thank you, Sister Cynthia, for always looking after me. Without your help, I could never have reached sixth-layer Void Spirit Stage so quickly. I may never be able to repay your kindness." Sherry Jing bowed deeply, then turned and sped toward Cultivator's Mount.
The surrounding cultivators were startled by Sherry Jing's determination. Despite the steady stream of arrivals, few dared ascend the mountain. Most waited, hoping someone would seize Joe Di's ring—once it left the mountain, the real battle would begin.
Watching Sherry Jing rush up the mountain, Cynthia Winters sighed. She did not follow—Cultivator's Mount was notorious, its death rate far too high. Even as a True Domain prodigy, she wouldn't risk it lightly. Like many others, she chose to wait for someone to bring Joe Di's ring down.
Sherry Jing was her companion, though Cynthia's reasons for choosing her were far from pure. Still, she hoped Sherry would be the one to claim the ring. She knew, deep down, Sherry's chances were almost nonexistent—there was a ninety-five percent chance she'd be rooted to the mountain.
Cynthia Winters couldn't help but marvel at Joe Di's fortune—to be loved by someone as devoted as Sherry Jing. In today's cultivation world, women who loved a man for reasons other than resources were rare indeed.
She suspected that, among all those charging toward Joe Di, only Sherry Jing wasn't after the ring—she simply wanted to carry Joe Di down the mountain.
At this moment, Sherry Jing's mind held no other thought—she only wanted to bring Joe Di down from Cultivator's Mount. Nothing else mattered.
Of all the people she knew, only Joe Di saved others without any ulterior motive. He had rescued her several times, and even saved Shanshan, He Tai, and Yu Jie—never once for personal gain. Was there anyone else like him?
She had barely rushed forward a few dozen steps when a wave of sorrow washed over her. Despairing, Sherry Jing looked up at Joe Di, still dozens of steps away—unable to move at all.
Those few dozen steps felt like an insurmountable chasm. Sherry Jing stared dazedly at Joe Di's back. If only she could leave this place with him—how wonderful that would be. She didn't care for cultivation, nor for the endless scheming; she was weary of it all.