Under the gazes of Zuo Yue, Mi Luo, and the disciples of Fubo Mountain—a mixture of gratitude and envy—Nie Kong and Zhan Tianlun departed Fubo Mountain.

Now possessing a far more suitable environment for cultivation, Nie Kong felt absolutely no attachment to the low-tier minor sect where he had stayed for only a single month. This wasn't due to callousness; from beginning to end, the relationship between him and Fubo Mountain had been a transaction clearly understood by both sides.

Back in Shuiyun Town, the reason Yan Luo agreed to accept Nie Kong, overlooking his youth, was solely to preserve Fubo Mountain’s reputation, and the innate talent Nie Kong displayed with the "Mo Ming Pearl" certainly brought the sect considerable prestige.

After officially becoming a Fubo Mountain disciple, Zuo Yue and the others agreeing to let him cultivate in the "Dead Spirit Cave" atop the mountain was not a sudden act of benevolence, but rather a shrewd recognition of Nie Kong's potential and the immense benefits he could bring the sect. Today, Mi Luo and the others were so anxious about his safety for precisely the same reason.

The outcome proved their judgment was excellent.

As Nie Kong ascended, he indeed delivered the promise of Fubo Mountain’s promotion to a mid-tier sect—all considered, Fubo Mountain had profited tremendously.

Currently, Nie Kong was extremely expectant regarding the Zhan Clan, that supreme-tier, family-structured sect.

If the cultivation environment there was truly as Zhan Tianlun described, perhaps it wouldn't take long for his main body's cultivation to reach the fifth-tier level.

Of course, once the main body and the avatar achieved equal cultivation levels, the pace of advancement would naturally slow, making a recurrence of the miraculous 'three tiers in one month' impossible. Nevertheless, no matter the reduction, it would undoubtedly surpass the cultivation speed he experienced on the Tianling Continent...

Eight days later.

The setting sun gradually sank into the earth, painting the sky in a magnificent, blood-red hue. Across the boundless, sweeping grasslands, a wide road, several zhang across, stretched out straight ahead. Even though evening had fallen, silhouettes of travelers could still be seen along the route.

Suddenly, a dense mass of black vapor, resembling a churning, writhing dragon, sped in from one end of the road, yet it moved with such lightness and fluidity that it caused no disturbance to the pedestrians. The passing figures were long accustomed to such sights, though when they glanced at the black cloud, their eyes involuntarily revealed reverence and awe.

After another moment, the black vapor abruptly halted, its density rapidly thinning and receding. In the blink of an eye, two figures emerged from within, their appearances growing progressively clearer. One was a burly man carrying a broadsword on his back; the other was a black-clad young man, perhaps twenty years old, with refined features.

These two were Zhan Tianlun and Nie Kong, journeying from Fubo Mountain!

"Brother Nie Kong, look—that is the War God Mountain of our Zhan Clan," Zhan Tianlun called out, pointing ahead down the road with a hearty laugh.

"Oh."

Nie Kong quickly followed Zhan Tianlun’s gaze. At the end of the road, a colossal mountain range erupted from the ground—it first tapered sharply inward from both sides toward the center, forming a shape akin to a gigantic cone. Yet, where the range reached the apex of this cone, it abruptly shot upward into a sudden, sharp peak, like a drawn sword piercing the clouds. The summit was lost to sight, but even from this distance, Nie Kong could sense an aura of unmatched sharpness!

Along the way, Nie Kong had heard Zhan Tianlun mention the War God Mountain numerous times, and now the actual mountain stood before his eyes. Truly, seeing it surpassed all description. The mere form of the mountain delivered a profound shock to any first-time observer.

"We're finally here."

After gazing intently for a moment, Nie Kong let out a long breath, a faint smile touching his lips.

Since arriving at the foot of Fubo Mountain that day, Zhan Tianlun had employed some unknown technique, wrapping Nie Kong in black mist just as he had appeared, moving at breakneck speed. They had traveled nonstop for eight days to reach this location.

Eight days prior, Nie Kong had been a resident of the Netherworld for over a month, but his impression of it was still limited to places like Shuiyun Town and Fubo Mountain. This journey toward the Zhan Clan had gradually filled out that picture.

In general, the Netherworld was indeed much more desolate than the Tianling Continent, and the living environment considerably harsher. However, the Netherworld still possessed great cities boasting populations exceeding a million. The Netherworld had no nations, only sects; cities were controlled entirely by these sects.

The owners of those massive, populous cities were basically supreme-tier and high-tier sects. As for low-tier sects like Fubo Mountain, merely controlling a small town like Shuiyun Town was already considered quite good.

There was another fascinating aspect: the 'Nether Source.' The higher its quality, the higher the layer of pitch-black death qi condensed from the surrounding void hovered above the ground, and vice versa. Take Fubo Mountain, for instance: the death qi layer was only tens of meters above the ground, signifying a relatively low-grade 'Nether Source'—though not the worst, otherwise the Heart-Devouring Sect, Gale-Chasing Valley, and Yin Soul Sect would not have coveted Fubo Mountain's 'Dead Spirit Cave.'

As for the Zhan Clan's 'Nether Source,' it ranked among the very best throughout the entire Netherworld.

This was according to Zhan Tianlun, and Nie Kong did not doubt it. From his current vantage point, he could see no trace of black mist surrounding the War God Mountain above, below, or to the sides—indicating just how distant the death qi layer was from the peak.

"Brother Nie Kong, eager to test the results of cultivating on War God Mountain, aren't you? I guarantee you won't be disappointed, haha, come on..." Seeing the anticipation in Nie Kong’s eyes, Zhan Tianlun laughed heartily. He reached out, grasping Nie Kong’s wrist, and a faint, almost imperceptible thread of thin death qi lifted Nie Kong half a foot off the ground before Zhan Tianlun strode forward powerfully.

He didn't employ the previous mode of travel, yet Zhan Tianlun’s speed was in no way diminished. Each stride covered fifteen to twenty meters of space beneath his feet, and in a flash, the two figures were already a hundred meters away.

Zhan Tianlun’s method bore a striking resemblance to the 'Instant Movement' skill Nie Kong executed using his Pet Backpack. Of course, in terms of sheer mystery, the 'Instant Movement' skill, which involved merging the body with the void, still held a slight edge.

After a brief observation, Nie Kong’s attention returned to the War God Mountain.

The wind howled past their ears, punctuated by the rhythmic thudding steps of Zhan Tianlun, sounding almost like a resonant war drum echoing across the grassland. The closer they traveled, the clearer the outline of War God Mountain became in Nie Kong’s vision.

It was only then that Nie Kong noticed the densely arrayed assortment of structures at the base of War God Mountain. Surrounding these buildings was a city wall, which from afar appeared like a thick, squat ring tightly encircling the mountain's foundations. After several minutes, Zhan Tianlun’s pace gradually slowed, becoming lighter. When the drum-like thudding faded, Zhan Tianlun and Nie Kong stood before the city wall, where, a dozen meters ahead, lay the arched entrance of the city gate.

The passage was notably long, perhaps twenty meters, and the wall itself was imposing, soaring thirty to forty meters high.

Based on what Nie Kong had observed on his journey, the city walls of Netherworld settlements were constructed exceedingly tall. According to Zhan Tianlun, this was primarily to defend against the attacks of 'Nether Beasts'—creatures equivalent to Spirit Beasts on the Tianling Continent. However, despite traveling for eight days through numerous wilderness mountain ranges, Nie Kong hadn't spotted a single Nether Beast.

Upon entering the city, the main road continued straight ahead.

People bustled back and forth, and the roadsides were lined with shops—lively and prosperous, yet everything was orderly, without confusion or congestion.

Listening to Zhan Tianlun describe the side paths, Nie Kong committed the details to memory while observing his surroundings. Many of the pedestrians nearby emitted fluctuations of death qi, suggesting they were ordinary Black Spirit Masters. Furthermore, Nie Kong spotted several men whose brows similarly flashed with Nether Stars—they were likely disciples of the Zhan Clan.

About fifteen minutes later, the view suddenly opened up. At this point, the buildings ceased along the roadside. Ordinary pedestrians consciously stopped their advance, no longer moving forward, because the War God Mountain stood only a hundred meters ahead.

Between the towering forest trees, broad white jade steps wound continuously upward. A red, ethereal glow emanated from the sides of the path, complementing the surroundings and illuminating the somewhat hazy route brightly, making every detail visible.

Nie Kong and Zhan Tianlun began to ascend the steps...

Not a single person was visible on the path; the silence was profound. Yet, both Nie Kong and Qingyue sensed the presence of numerous Black Spirit Masters concealed nearby. Their positions were extremely secretive, and judging by the intensity of their aura fluctuations, they should all be at the fifth-tier level. If Nie Kong’s spiritual sense hadn't vastly surpassed his cultivation, or if his sensitivity to life force and death qi hadn't been so acute, he would never have detected them.

"Truly worthy of a supreme-tier sect!" Nie Kong’s heart skipped a beat. A fifth-tier Black Spirit Master, placed within a low-tier sect, would be enough to become its leader. Yet, here in the Zhan Clan, they were assigned as mere guards. Of course, any leader of a low-tier sect possessing fifth-tier cultivation would undoubtedly accept the opportunity to serve as a guard for the Zhan Clan without hesitation.

After ascending nearly a hundred meters with a sense of profound respect, Zhan Tianlun led Nie Kong onto a side path, and the tiered road beneath their feet began to curve. Subsequently, Nie Kong started to observe small and large palaces of various designs, along with exquisitely styled houses, nestled within the surrounding forests beside the path, occasionally catching sight of figures moving in small groups.

"We're here!" Soon, Zhan Tianlun paused before a modest hall, turning his head with a smile. "Brother Nie Kong, I'll first take you to register with the on-duty elder inside—that way, you can officially be considered a disciple of the Zhan Clan."

As he spoke, Zhan Tianlun drew the black sword from his back and placed it on a stone platform beside the hall door. Just as he was about to step inside, he suddenly turned back, a mysteriously knowing smile spreading across his face: "Brother Nie Kong, be careful. The sensation inside this hall is vastly different from the outside."

"Uh?"

Nie Kong nodded in slight surprise and followed Zhan Tianlun across the threshold. The moment his entire body entered the hall, a vast and peculiar aura surged toward Nie Kong from all directions...