This mountain range spanned over 5 million miles in width.
Its peaks and valleys formed an unbroken chain of countless towering mountains.
In its harsh environment, venomous creatures and demonic beasts ran rampant, and the terrain was impossibly complex, making it nearly uninhabitable for mortals.
However, due to the abundance of spirit veins and high-level resources, it became a haven for rogue cultivators and demon clans.
Many Purple Mansion cultivators and even Golden Core rogue cultivators resided here, along with reclusive Nascent Soul cultivators. Deep within the range, several Nascent Soul demon emperors made their lairs.
What truly made Elian wary was the Black Fiend Demon Ridge, a territory controlled by demonic cultivators.
The Ji Immortal Clan had attempted to eradicate the Black Fiend Demon Ridge multiple times over millennia, and in ancient times had succeeded in destroying it more than once. However, the ridge always resurged every thousand years, giving rise to new Nascent Soul demonic cultivators.
The current ruler of the Black Fiend Demon Ridge was the Black Fiend Ancestor, a formidable late-stage Nascent Soul demonic cultivator who practiced the Black Fiend Demonic Qi technique.
Three centuries ago, after the Black Fiend Ancestor seized control of the ridge, the Ji Clan launched two consecutive campaigns to eliminate it but failed both times.
What was terrifying was that places like the Black Fiend Demon Ridge were not unique. Throughout the Eastern Wilderness, similar demonic sanctuaries were numerous. Even when righteous cultivators eradicated them at great cost, they always returned after a millennium.
Moreover, new demonic sanctuaries continued to emerge, such as the Demon Lair, which had appeared 1,300 years ago. It became a refuge for demonic cultivators and a bloody, terrifying haven for evil practices.
These sanctuaries often had unique environments where righteous cultivators' energies could be corrupted, significantly weakening their power.
Even when righteous experts used pure yang methods to obliterate these sanctuaries, the sheer number of demonic strongholds in the Eastern Wilderness rendered their efforts largely futile.
For Elian, both the territories of demon emperors and the Black Fiend Demon Ridge were off-limits.
To ensure his safety, he took a detour of hundreds of thousands of miles, crossing 100,000 miles of wilderness through the domain of the Nascent Soul cultivator known as Haoran True Monarch.
Haoran True Monarch, whose true name was Jiang Haoran, was a renowned Nascent Soul cultivator in the Eastern Wilderness. Practicing the Haoran Righteous Qi technique, he was the bane of all demons and devils.
Two thousand years ago, relying on his immense power, Jiang Haoran ventured deep into the Heavenly Spine Mountain Range, slew a demon emperor, and established his domain at the majestic Haoran Peak. His actions opened a passage for humans between the Ji Continent and the Tianlu Continent.
Haoran True Monarch's profound cultivation deterred even Nascent Soul-level demons and devils. Within his domain, no creature above the Purple Mansion stage dared exist.
This allowed Elian to traverse the vast Heavenly Spine Mountain Range with confidence.
Flying through the range, Elian covered about 2 million miles before the terrain grew increasingly treacherous, with his energy expenditure multiplying several times over.
"These peaks must be nearly 100,000 miles high," Elian murmured, exhaling deeply as he gazed at the towering mountains piercing the heavens.
In all his lives, such grand mountains were a rare sight.
At these altitudes, the fierce winds were astonishing. Ordinary Qi Refining cultivators would find it impossible to proceed, while only those at the Foundation Establishment stage or above could barely fly, albeit at great cost to their energy.
Realizing he was nearing the highest point of the Heavenly Spine Mountain Range, Elian urged his flying sword onward.
After traveling another hundred thousand miles, he reached the snowy peaks and spotted a magnificent city at the range's edge.
"Haoran Peak."
Haoran Peak was the cultivation grounds of Haoran True Monarch. Most human cultivators traveling through the Heavenly Spine Mountain Range would stop here to rest.
Out of respect for the True Monarch's deeds, many offered spirit stones as a token of gratitude.
Flying into Haoran City, Elian noted that the city was sparsely populated, but all its residents were Foundation Establishment cultivators or higher.
The city housed about two to three thousand cultivators, most of whom were Foundation Establishment or Purple Mansion stage. A dozen or so emitted powerful auras, clearly Golden Core cultivators.
"This truly deserves to be called the domain of a True Monarch."
"A fifth-rank cultivation ground with such power far surpasses that of Chu Kingdom," Elian thought, awed but not surprised.
The Chu Kingdom, spanning less than a million miles, was insignificant compared to the Heavenly Spine Mountain Range's 30 million miles.
Respectfully offering a few spirit stones, Elian did not leave immediately.
Having traveled millions of miles, he was utterly exhausted. With the treacherous Ghostwind Mountains still ahead, he needed to recover before continuing.
Renting a cave dwelling in Haoran City, Elian began meditating to restore his essence.
Two months later, feeling somewhat refreshed, Elian was startled by the sound of an ancient, resonant bell tolling from the mountain peak.
His brows furrowed slightly, and as he stepped outside, he saw a crowd of cultivators flying toward the source of the bell, their faces alight with joy.
Curious, Elian stopped a Foundation Establishment cultivator and asked, "Excuse me, what does this bell signify?"
The cultivator, initially irritated, quickly changed his attitude upon realizing Elian was a Purple Mansion cultivator. He responded respectfully, "Senior must be new here."
"Every sixty years, Haoran True Monarch opens his lectures on the Dao. All cultivators are welcome to attend."
Elian was shocked. A Nascent Soul True Monarch lecturing on the Dao for lower-level cultivators was an incredibly rare opportunity.
Most of the cultivators in the Heavenly Spine Mountain Range had no personal connection to Haoran True Monarch. Yet this True Monarch took it upon himself to guide them, helping to illuminate their paths.
For two millennia, Haoran True Monarch had held these lectures every sixty years, resolving countless doubts for countless cultivators.
Such magnanimity and vision were worthy of the title of Haoran True Monarch. No wonder he was held in such high esteem.
Astonished, Elian followed the crowd to the peak of Haoran Mountain.
The snow-covered summit hosted a grand dais, with three thousand cushions arranged neatly in rows.
The foremost seats were reserved for only a dozen individuals—all Golden Core cultivators. These usually imposing figures now sat quietly, waiting respectfully for Haoran True Monarch's arrival.
Behind them were three hundred cushions for Purple Mansion cultivators, while the remaining seats were for Foundation Establishment cultivators.
Elian casually found a seat among the Purple Mansion cultivators and quietly observed his surroundings.
None of the cultivators seemed familiar, but many smiled and nodded at him, intrigued by his striking appearance and unfamiliar face.
A green-robed woman seated nearby glanced at Elian and remarked with a hint of curiosity, "I see your cultivation is not weak, yet you are unfamiliar. You must have come from beyond the Heavenly Spine Mountain Range."
"Yes," Elian replied, smiling.
"The lady has sharp eyes."
...
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I need POWAAA! Gimme Power Stones :D