Chapter 168: The Mistveil Mountains
Though it was still afternoon, the Cloudveil Resthouse remained dim—sunlight barely reaching the secluded area it sat in, thick mist curling endlessly along the eaves like silent serpents.
The broken floor, shattered furniture, and blood-stained walls still echoed the chaos that had just taken place. Yet in the midst of it all, Su Tianhao stood quietly, holding the semi-transparent box in his hand. The Ethereal Mind Crystal glowed faintly within, pulsing with soft purple light—steady, silent, like a sliver of fate handed down by the heavens.
His heart had yet to settle.
Zhan Kuang's appearance had been like a divine storm, sweeping through and leaving behind a trail of awe, unanswered questions, and an undeniable shift in Su Tianhao's path.
"He knows," Su Tianhao muttered again, brows furrowing.
Not only had Zhan Kuang seen through his lies—he had helped reinforce them.
Why?
What was a man like that truly aiming for?
And what did this mean for him going forward?
He tucked the crystal into his spatial ring and turned to the group still bound at the side—the female receptionist, her colleagues, and the resthouse protectors. Their faces were pale, shaken, not yet recovered from the ordeal.
A pang of guilt struck him.
'If I hadn't lodged here... would they have been dragged into this because of me?'
Without hesitation, he crossed the room and began untying the enchanted ropes and peeling off the white talismans.
"Sorry for causing so much trouble," he said, cupping his fists with quiet sincerity.
The protectors exchanged glances before nodding. "Don't worry, Young Master. Those men were the villains. We can only count ourselves unlucky to have been caught in the middle."
Su Tianhao smiled bitterly. Their words were generous, but he could see the truth in their eyes—it was bitter.
His gaze shifted to the female receptionist—the one who had received him warmly at check-in.
"I'm sorry for everything that happened."
She looked at him, wiping the last of her tears. "No... i-it's okay."
"Even so, I'd like to compensate for the damage," he said, shaking his head.
"This—"
The protectors' eyes brightened.
---
After settling the Cloudveil Resthouse's affairs, Su Tianhao was left with only three thousand spirit stones.
Before leaving, he visited his room one last time. With the protectors' permission, he retrieved the massive bathtub from the bathroom—not a luxury, but a necessity. The Supreme Dragon Vein Awakening Art's initial stage required soaking in water alongside prepared spiritual resources. It was why he had requested a large bathroom in the first place.
---
He walked through the city streets at an unhurried pace, mind turning over calculations.
'Right now, I have too many powerful enemies. First Mo Tianye. Now the Blood Shadow. Cloudrise City is no longer safe for me.'
It was almost absurd—four days in the city, and it had already become a death trap.
'The Qingyun Sect examination is still a little over a month away. I need somewhere to stay. Once I'm inside the sect, I can shake off most of these problems.'
He believed that once he joined and displayed his abilities, the sect's protection would make him untouchable to the likes of the Blood Shadow or the Phantom Blade Faction. He would be nurtured carefully like a glass jade being polished in the hands of a master artisan.
'But where do I go for this one month?'
After turning it over, only one answer came to mind.
The Mistveil Mountains.
The Mistveil Mountains were home to the Qingyun Sect, and Cloudrise City had been built at their foot as a cultivation hub. Surrounding the range was a vast and ancient forest known as the Verdant Mist Forest—a sprawling expanse of towering trees, rolling fog, and untamed spiritual energy. Its name came from the swirling mist that clung to its canopy, casting everything in a soft emerald glow. Though breathtakingly beautiful, the forest was anything but gentle. Spirit beasts prowled its depths, rare herbs thrived in dangerous pockets, and countless cultivators had entered seeking fortune only to vanish without a trace. It was a place of opportunity and peril—a fitting crucible for anyone seeking to temper themselves before ascending the path of cultivation.
'That's it. If I want to prepare for the sect trials and stay hidden, there's only one choice.'
The Verdant Mist Forest.
---
The Mistveil Mountain Range was a sight unlike anything Su Tianhao had seen before—ancient and foreboding. Hundreds of colossal peaks pierced through the heavens, their summits hidden behind drifting clouds. Rolling hills and towering trees veiled in swirling mist painted the landscape in shades of green and silver, forming a natural expanse teeming with life and spiritual energy.
Su Tianhao stood at the edge of it all and felt something catch in his chest.
He had heard of the Mistveil Mountains but he had never imagined they would look like this. It was like stepping into a painting brought to life.
The Verdant Mist Forest, like the Dragonspire Forest before it, was divided into three regions—outer, inner, and core.
The outer region was relatively tame, home mostly to grade 1 and grade 2 spirit beasts—suitable for novice cultivators seeking early experience. The inner region stretched deeper and wider, filled with grade 3 to grade 5 spirit beasts of considerably greater danger. As for the core region—almost nothing was known.
Long ago, the Qingyun Sect had claimed it entirely, sealing it beneath a massive formation array that cut it off from the outside world. No one entered without the sect's permission. No trespasser ever returned.
Before the sealing, the core was said to be home to grade 6 and grade 7 spirit beasts. But the true reason behind why the Qingyun Sect had sealed it remained a secret—swallowed by rumours and speculations.
Some said the sect had discovered an Inheritance ruin deep within—the remnant of an ancient immortal's legacy.
Others believed a beast tide had been on the verge of erupting, and sealing the core was the only way to contain it.
But the most chilling rumour claimed the sealed core wasn't hiding something from the world. It was protecting the world from something darker within.
Su Tianhao stood there a moment longer, engraving the view into memory.
Then he walked forward.
Before entering, he activated the Shrouded Dragon Veil's Phantom Cloak. With it active, predators couldn't sense him coming. And if he encountered one in his path, he could manoeuvre long before it registered his presence.
The forest received him with the fragrant scent of blooming flowers and the earthy aroma of moss-covered bark, damp soil, and lingering dew. The gentle rustle of leaves carried on a cool breeze threading through the underbrush. Shafts of pale green light filtered through the thick canopy overhead, casting shimmering patterns across the forest floor. Faint chirps, distant howls, and the low hum of spiritual energy added a strange, layered rhythm to the silence—serene and quietly threatening in equal measure.
The deeper he walked, the thicker the mist became—brushing against his skin like silken threads soaked in spiritual qi, heightening his senses, sharpening his awareness.
Soon he reached the inner region. The air grew heavier. The mist denser. The presence of powerful spirit beasts became palpable. Trees stood taller and older here, their roots twisting like ancient serpents across the forest floor. Every shadow seemed to conceal a predator, and the silence carried a tension that could snap without warning.
Despite it all, Su Tianhao remained calm. Satisfied, even.
The outer region held nothing for him. Only in a place like this could he truly grow.
His golden eyes swept the area until they found what he was looking for—a massive tree standing apart from the others, broad and ancient.
He moved toward it in a trail of golden light, reached the trunk, and climbed with swift, practiced ease. He settled onto a wide branch near the top, robes and hair fluttering in the wind. From there, he could survey a wide stretch of the forest in every direction.
"Ahh~"
He exhaled deeply—not from exhaustion, but from something closer to release.
He wasn't in a hurry to begin training. The first thing he did was think.
'My main priority is to grow stronger. But with so little time, how much can I achieve?'
A little over a month remained before the Qingyun Sect entrance examination. That wasn't enough to close the gap between him and the likes of Blood Wood or Mo Tianye through raw cultivation alone.
'I have to be ready for the worst. I can't always hope to be rescued. I need my own means of escape.'
He thought back to the Phantom pursuit earlier that morning.
'Without the Shrouded Dragon Veil, that chase might have ended very differently.'
A chill ran through him. A sense of urgency followed.
'That's right—the Shrouded Dragon Veil.'
He had neglected the technique after reaching Great Success. Even during the massive growth boost that had followed Blood Grin's demise—when he had felt the technique straining toward a breakthrough—he had never pushed toward it.
'I have all this knowledge, and I've still been ignoring what's right in front of me. From now on, I take every opportunity that comes my way.'
He closed his eyes. His mind descended into his inherited memories.
Shrouded Dragon Veil.
The technique appeared like a guiding light—glowing faintly, welcoming.
He felt the connection resonate deep within him, reaching his very bloodline.
'I've ignored you for far too long.'
The moment those words formed in his mind, the technique opened. Its mysteries unfurled one by one.
First Layer — Silent Pulse.
Second Layer — Illusory Flow.
Third Layer — Phantom Cloak.
Beyond the Third Layer was a wall of complexity and ambiguity—dense, impassable.
Su Tianhao stayed calm. He pressed deeper, tapping into his bloodline on a level he had never attempted before, letting the resonance deepen until it felt less like understanding and more like recognition.
Unbeknownst to him, the Ethereal Mind Crystal in his spatial ring had stirred—pulsing with intense purple light as if responding to something it recognised.
His body began to glow. But it wasn't the usual golden light. This was ethereal. Otherworldly.
Whoosh.
A wave of clarity broke across his mind like dawn dissolving darkness.
Shrouded Dragon Veil.
---
Fourth Layer — Formless Sovereign.
A technique that transcended all previous forms.
Where Silent Pulse concealed cultivation—Formless Sovereign suppressed even active spiritual energy, rendering it completely undetectable no matter how violently it surged.
Where Illusory Flow mimicked the aura of other realms—Formless Sovereign wove illusions over both energy and body, allowing the user to alter their appearance, voice, and presence—becoming anyone, or no one at all.
Where Phantom Cloak erased presence and allowed the user to appear mortal—Formless Sovereign erased the physical entirely, rendering the user invisible to both mortal eyes and spiritual perception alike.
In this state, the user became a sovereign without form—unseen, unfelt, unknowable. Walking between the cracks of reality itself. A ghost that left no trace in the world.
Warning: Only effective against cultivators within or below the Great Divide. Ineffective against those in the Martial Lord Realm or above
---
Su Tianhao's eyes snapped open.
For a moment he didn't move. Didn't breathe.
Then—
"Hahahaha!"
Laughter burst from him like a dam breaking—wild, unrestrained, echoing through the forest with pure, unbridled joy. Birds scattered from the canopy. Distant beasts stirred in alarm.
He couldn't help it.
Formless Sovereign.
This wasn't just an advancement. This was a transformation. A leap from shadow into nothingness itself.
With this technique, he could stand before a Martial Master and remain unseen. He could engage a Martial Soul Realm expert while suppressing his spiritual energy completely, leaving them blind to his true power. He could move through enemy territory like a phantom—untouchable, unknowable.
"With this, even if I can't defeat my enemies—I can always escape them!"
His hands trembled—not from fear, but from exhilaration that had nowhere to go.
He clenched his fists, feeling the resonance coursing through him—deeper than before, more settled, more his.
'No wonder Father left this technique in the inheritance. This isn't just a concealment method. It's a survival treasure.'
He took a slow breath and forced himself to calm down. His mind moved through the implications.
'The Blood Shadow won't be able to track me. Mo Tianye's men won't find me. Even if a Martial Grandmaster comes—they are within the Great Divine not above it. As long as I don't provoke a Martial Lord, I would always find a way out!'
A quiet, satisfied smile spread across his face.
"One month," he said softly, eyes moving across the endless green expanse of the Verdant Mist Forest. "One month to completely master this technique. One month to cultivate the Supreme Dragon Vein Awakening Art. One month to prepare for the Qingyun Sect examination."
His golden eyes hardened with quiet resolve.
"When I walk out of this forest..." His voice dropped low. "I'll be ready for whatever comes next."
The wind moved through the canopy, rustling his robes and hair as he sat perched on the ancient branch, silhouetted against the fading afternoon light filtering through the emerald mist.
Behind him, the Mistveil Mountains stood—silent, ancient, eternal.
Before him, the Verdant Mist Forest stretched without end—a crucible of danger and opportunity.
And within him, the Formless Sovereign stirred—waiting, patient, ready.
Su Tianhao closed his eyes.
A faint smile remained on his lips.
'Let them come.'
'Let them all come.'
'I'll be ready.'