The Three Great Holy Lands and the Nine Great Sects together occupy sixty-four Spiritual Mountains. Each Holy Land claims ten peaks, while the Nine Sects divide thirty-four among themselves.
But the number-one mountain among the hundred and eight Spiritual Mountains—Sunrise Peak—has ended up in the hands of a bunch of bandits. What right do bandits have to share these peaks with the great powers? This leaves many people feeling like a bone stuck in their throat, thoroughly displeased.
Yet the bandit chief is absurdly strong—nobody dares provoke him. Even Thousand-Mechanism Guard commander Jason Duke was defeated by his hand.
Now that the Three Great Holy Lands and Nine Great Sects have arrived, most people figure that the bandit chief's days of swaggering are numbered.
Sure enough, Jade Pool Holy Land sent out invitations to all the Spiritual Mountain lords, inviting them to a banquet at Kunlun Peak tomorrow. Word is, the bandit chief even got an invite.
"What a joke! He's just a bandit chief—what right does he have to attend the Jade Pool banquet? I'd be ashamed to be seen with someone like that." The Cloudrise Sect young master was especially displeased when he heard the news.
Cloudrise Sect is one of the Nine Great Sects and has close ties to the Great Han Empire. Thanks to imperial support, its strength surpasses the other eight sects.
The young master, Sean Yuan, was born with a silver spoon in his mouth—arrogant and domineering, but also a cultivation prodigy. At just twenty-two, he'd already stepped into the Heaven-and-Man realm, able to contend with the Holy Sons and Saintesses of the Three Great Holy Lands.
His old servant tried to advise him: "Young master, there's no need to be angry. In my opinion, Jade Pool Holy Land invited him not to recognize his status, but to make him hand over Sunrise Peak."
Sean Yuan paused, looking thoughtful. "If I kill that guy and take Sunrise Peak for Jade Pool, do you think Serena would look at me differently?"
Serena Sima, the Jade Pool Saintess, is the undisputed prodigy of her generation. At just eighteen, she stepped into the Heaven-and-Man realm, her cultivation unfathomably deep. Even more rare, she possesses breathtaking beauty—enchanting enough to topple kingdoms. Every Heaven's Chosen of her era is smitten, dreaming of marrying her.
Sean Yuan is one of those who wants to marry her.
The old servant hurriedly warned, "Young master, you mustn't! This banquet is personally hosted by the Jade Pool Saintess. No matter her reasons for inviting that little bandit, he's still her guest. If you rashly kill him, you'll definitely earn her displeasure!"
"Can't do this, can't do that... If I can't kill him, then I'll just teach him a lesson!"
War Heaven Peak—originally called Plum Blossom Peak—was renamed after Battle-War Holy Land took it over.
Inside a lavish, gold-and-jade tent, a striking young man in white robes sat at the head position, flanked by six white-haired elders.
"Holy Son, I'm afraid the Jade Pool Saintess has other motives for this banquet—most likely, it's about the ownership of Sunrise Peak!" one elder said gravely.
Another elder chimed in, "Sunrise Peak is the number-one mountain in the Blackwind range. If Jade Pool takes it, they'll have the upper hand over Battle-War Holy Land. That's why I suggest we seize Sunrise Peak first."
The other four elders quickly joined in, all urging the young man in white to take Sunrise Peak first.
"Is that what everyone thinks?" the young man asked, his expression unreadable.
The young man in white was Howard Jiang, the Holy Son of Battle-War Holy Land. At twenty-five, he was the oldest among the Heaven's Chosen, and only broke through to the Heaven-and-Man realm last year. Still, his combat power was the strongest of all.
Rumor had it that he could've entered the Heaven-and-Man realm at eighteen, but he deliberately suppressed his breakthrough, only stepping in six years later.
With six extra years of accumulation, his combat power was unmatched the moment he broke through.
The six elders couldn't quite read the Holy Son's intentions, so none dared speak rashly.
"What do you all think of Jason Duke?" Howard Jiang asked the six elders.
One elder replied, "Just a court dog."
Another said, "He may be Heaven-and-Man, but he's nothing to fear."
A third added, "Just a Ji-clan lackey!"
Howard Jiang waved them off, signaling for silence. Internally, though, he was disappointed—his elders were far too arrogant. They were only half-step Heaven-and-Man themselves, yet looked down on a true Heaven-and-Man.
A so-called half-step Heaven-and-Man is someone who can't truly break through, but uses special pills to boost their power to Heaven-and-Man levels—without actually reaching the real realm.
So, their strength can sweep through the Ninth Stage of Innate, but they're still a notch below a true Heaven-and-Man.
"I may not be a match for Jason Duke," Howard Jiang admitted.
"That's impossible! Holy Son, your combat power is unrivaled. How could Jason Duke possibly be your equal?" one elder protested.
Howard Jiang continued, "He's Ji Jichang's personal disciple."
The six elders fell silent, their expressions growing serious.
Ji Jichang is the founding emperor of the Great Zhou Empire, and one of nine who emerged from the Divine Temple a century ago. His cultivation has reached late Heaven-and-Man, on par with the Holy Lords of the Three Great Holy Lands.
There are only six top experts in the world.
They are the Holy Lords of the Three Great Holy Lands and the founding emperors of the Three Great Empires—all of them at late Heaven-and-Man realm.
As for the other three who emerged from the Divine Temple, their cultivation is a step lower, only reaching mid Heaven-and-Man realm.
Howard Jiang's expression was complicated. "If Sean Shen could defeat Jason Duke, it means his combat power is at least mid Heaven-and-Man. I'm unrivaled among my peers, but that's only within the younger generation. If I went all out, I could probably kill Jason Duke, but I definitely couldn't beat him!"
"Does the Jade Pool Saintess know all this?" one elder asked.
"Jason Duke is her uncle by marriage," Howard Jiang said meaningfully.
"Then isn't the Jade Pool Saintess inviting Sean Shen just to have him killed?" the elder pressed.
Howard Jiang smiled. "It's not that simple. In any case, we'll just watch and see!"
Empress Peak—again, not its original name, but renamed by Xifei Fei, the Saintess of Pureheart Holy Land.
Pureheart Holy Land only accepts female disciples, all of whom are stunningly beautiful. As for Xifei Fei, the Saintess, her beauty rivals but is distinct from Serena Sima's. Unfortunately, Pureheart's rules forbid disciples from marrying—if they do, their cultivation is abolished and they're expelled.
"Senior aunts and uncles, what do you think Jade Pool's Saintess wants with Sean Shen?" Xifei Fei asked the eight middle-aged women in the tent. Though they were all middle-aged, each was striking in her own way.
"She's probably trying to recruit him. Jason Duke's strength may not be obvious, but he's definitely not an ordinary Heaven-and-Man!" one of the women said gravely.
Xifei Fei nodded. "It is interesting. Sean Shen is just a bandit's son—no inheritance, no master—yet he's cultivated to such a realm."