Chapter One: Halfway Up the Mountain
"The wilderness is yellow, the red river is desolate, and half of the mountain's tigers are eating roe deer." Another year has arrived at the bleak golden autumn, and a large-scale movement of the roe deer group on the half-mountain has begun. In order to fatten up before the long and cold winter, they can safely spend the harsh wilderness winter that makes all ordinary beasts and low-level demons fearful.
The Half-Mountain is located on the edge of the Mangyuan, and further north is the Qianwanli Ridge, where top-level demon beasts roam free. The Qianwanli Spiritual Pulse is said to be hidden with countless terrifying demon beasts, and legend has it that at its deepest point lies an existence capable of destroying heaven and earth. However, this is merely a rumor circulating within the Mangyuan, with no way to verify it. Every year, numerous top warriors enter the edge of the Qianwanli Ridge forest in groups, hunting low-level demon beasts, but most never return. The countless white bones tell the tale of the horror that lies within. Many demon beasts are not easy to deal with, and some lucky ones do return, bringing back rich rewards that entice even more warriors to rush towards that land of death like moths to a flame.
Because it is the edge of Tianling, the half-mountain also has a mysterious color. The whole mountain is not high, but extremely vast. Towering trees are everywhere on the mountain. What's most peculiar is that on the other side of the mountain, there isn't a gentle slope, but a straight cliff, as smooth as if cut by a knife. The entire mountain seems to have been cut in half by someone with a knife. Legend has it that this was the battlefield of the great war between immortals and monsters thousands of years ago. Half-mountain lost its other half when the monster invaded the wilderness, and the human supreme immortal fought against the giant monster, using his divine power to slash down the mountain, cutting it in two. At the same time, he intimidated the group of monsters, making them retreat back to the depths of Tianling.
However, this sword also severed the original half of the mountain spirit vein, and the spiritual energy was no longer restored. The lower-level demon beasts gradually decreased, although it is said that this place is not suitable for demon beast cultivation, but it is a paradise for ordinary wild beasts. The increase in living things also attracted many low-ranking demon beasts that had not yet left the need for blood food to linger here, satisfying their desires.
Immortals are the respectful titles given by ordinary people of the Tianfu Continent to those who cultivate the Tao. In the eyes of ordinary people, these individuals can ride on clouds and drive away the fog, summoning the wind and rain at will, with nothing being impossible for them. Everyone fears them, and the demonic beasts that run amok in the Heavenly Ridge are simply considered their own backyard by the immortals. Many people have seen immortals step into the forest filled with demonic beasts on a path of sword light. Of course, what ordinary people do not know is that even these so-called immortals dare not venture too deep into this terrifying region.
On the waist of a mountain, there is a flat and dense grassland surrounded by dense forests. A group of deer are grazing on the lush green grass, with two adult strong deer wandering around the periphery, occasionally succumbing to the temptation of the green grass, lowering their heads to quickly nibble on it, but immediately lifting their heads, raising their long ears, vigilantly observing the surrounding dense forest.
A goat kid on watch duty looked over here, and Gan Ping couldn't help but hold his breath, not daring to move his head, his eyes darting to his father beside him. His father was also lying on the ground, a strong hand gripping a hunting fork with a sharp iron prong that glinted coldly in the light. At this moment, one of the goat kids slowly walked towards the outer circle, a young adult with a large appetite. The group of goats were crowded together on a small patch of grass, and he still hadn't eaten his fill. He gazed longingly at the lush green grass outside the circle, unable to resist the temptation, and began to nibble on the grass as he slowly approached Gan Ping and his father's direction. Fifty paces, forty paces, thirty paces... it was already within hunting range. If it came a bit closer, that would be even better.
Gan Ning's gaze was fixed intently on his father, whose large hands had veins bulging out as he tightly gripped the spear shaft. At this moment, a deer that was eating grass seemed to have sensed danger and suddenly lifted its head. A strong deer in the distance, which was sounding an alarm, also saw this careless guy leave his companions and was loudly calling for it to return. The lone deer looked longingly at the green grass on the ground, just about to turn around and go back, when suddenly a sturdy figure burst out from the ground in the distance, and a silver flash flew towards it. Seeing that the deer had the intention of leaving, Gan Ning didn't care that he was still some distance away, and directly jumped up, sending the hunting spear flying towards his prey. The spear pierced through the deer's neck, pinning it firmly to the ground, and the yellow birch wood spear shaft continued to quiver with residual force, emitting a buzzing vibration sound.
After this frightening hunt, the roe deer scattered and ran towards the opposite forest. They were naturally timid, their only advantage was that they could run extremely fast. If they didn't have this advantage, they wouldn't be able to survive in this forest. A happy cry rang out, and a small figure jumped up beside Gan Ning's side, running quickly to the roe deer that had been nailed to the ground. The roe deer was already dead. This small figure ran to its side, stretched out its hand and used all its might to pull out the hunting spear from the dead roe deer's body, but no matter how hard it tried, it couldn't pull it out.
Gan Ning Cheng smiled and walked to his son, who was struggling with the hunting spear, and gently pulled it out. Little Gan Ning looked at his father's strong arms with admiration and said, "Dad is so powerful!" Gan Ning Cheng lovingly squatted down, wiped the grass leaves off his son's face, and said, "I'll make you a stew tonight." "Really? That's great, Dad's stews are the best!" Looking at his son's happy and joyful face, Gan Ning Cheng felt a pang of sadness in his heart, thinking that this child had no mother. He bent down, picked up the deer with congealed blood, and slung it over his shoulder, effortlessly carrying the over 100-pound deer as he walked towards another part of the forest. Little Gan Ping hurriedly followed his father, grabbed the hunting spear from his hand, and wobbled along, imitating his father, as they headed home.
Back at the wooden hut where the father and son lived, Gan Ning sincerely put the rabbit outside, hung up the hunting spear, then carried the game to a nearby river to clean it up. When he returned to the wooden hut, he saw Little Gan Ping holding a book, shaking his head and reading. It was a children's primer, originally at nine years old, Little Gan Ping was already too old for this kind of book, but who let them live in the deep mountains? These few books were all brought by peddlers from outside.
Xiao Ganping read while shaking his head, this was how the scholars outside read books according to what his father said. What made him puzzled was that with such a shaking head, could he still see the words on the book clearly? Fortunately, he had already memorized all of the book in his hand, so it didn't matter whether he looked at the book or not.
Actually, this book is not his favorite, Gan Ping's favorite is "Tian Fu Zhi", a book that talks about the outside world of Tianfu Continent. It's a thin book, but it records a lot of customs and stories about Tianfu Continent. For Gan Ping, who has never left the mountains, this thin little booklet is his dream.
Gan Ning was cooking meat soup while watching his son shaking his head, and he couldn't help but sigh in his heart. His son was nine years old and extremely intelligent, but being in the mountains could only hold him back. In another year, after the family's troubles had passed, he would take him back with him. He couldn't delay this child any longer; if not, he would find another place to settle down. He couldn't let his son spend his whole life cooped up in these mountains. Thinking of this, he secretly made up his mind.
Waft after waft of fragrance came from the pot full of meat soup, and Xiao Ganping threw aside his book and ran to his father's side, staring at the pot with wide eyes. Seeing his son drooling, Gan Ning couldn't help but laugh and rub his little head, scolding him with a smile: "You little stinker."
Just then, a loud roar came from the other side of the mountain, as if some kind of ferocious beast was angrily roaring. The father and son suddenly felt an earthquake, and Gan Ning's face changed greatly. He didn't care that the pot was about to tip over in the shock, and he quickly jumped up, stretched out his hand to pull down the skylight on the roof, then closed and locked the doors and windows. These few quick movements revealed his extraordinary skills. When he returned to Little Gan's side, he already had a tight grip on the hunting fork. At this time, the room was pitch black, with only the faint red glow of the charcoal fire in the stove. Little Gan was frightened by the loud roar earlier and grabbed tightly onto his father's clothes, feeling slightly more at ease.
Gan Ning quietly walked to the side of the tightly closed door, pulled open a wooden plank, and looked out. The wooden hut where the father and son lived was built with huge logs, sturdy and solid. After the doors and windows were locked, some low-level demon beasts could not break in. Of course, it was also because these low-level demon beasts were too stupid to find their target and went to search for other prey. Relying on this solid wooden hut, the father and son had avoided many dangers.
Gan Ning Cheng nervously peered through the observation port on the door, gazing outside. He knew that this time it was going to be a big deal. Having lived on Half-Mountain for over ten years, he had learned some things. Behind Half-Mountain, there lived a powerful demon beast. Although many people claimed that the strongest demon beast had been driven into the depths of Heaven's Ridge by the immortals, Gan Ning Cheng deeply believed that the demon beast in the back mountain was truly terrifying. Perhaps to those high-and-mighty immortals, it was just a small demon beast, but in his heart, it was a nightmare. Nine years ago, after a loud roar, he and his pregnant wife had encountered a terrifying beast tide, which included a low-ranking demon beast. As a result, his wife had been seriously injured and died soon after giving birth to their son, Gan Ping. What would happen this time? Thinking of this, Gan Ning Cheng's hands gripping the fork handle began to sweat.
It's strange that this time there wasn't a frantic beast secretly escaping, and after a long time the outside was still quiet, which made Gan Ning Cheng have a hint of doubt. Could it be that he had miscalculated? Just as he was in a state of unease, a gust of wind carrying a fishy smell swept past the wooden door, and Gan Ning Cheng secretly cried out "not good", thinking about pulling Xiao Gan Ping into the cellar behind to hide.
A gust of fierce wind blew in, carrying a pungent smell, the solid wooden house was struck by three golden lights, those golden lights were like axes, cutting the solid wooden house into several segments, the entire roof flew up, revealing the father and son hiding inside.
Xiao Ganping was already trembling with fear, tightly hugging his father and not daring to let go. At this moment, a huge figure appeared in front of the father-son duo. Even though Gan Ning had mentally prepared himself, he was still startled. The wind howled like a dragon, and the air reeked of blood. He sensed that it was probably a tiger demon, but he didn't expect it to be so enormous and ferocious. The tiger demon in front of them was over two zhang long, its iron whip-like tail swishing back and forth. Its massive tiger head had two copper bell-sized eyes that shot out cold glints, and its mouth revealed two sharp tiger teeth, making it look even more savage. Its paw was as big as a winnowing basket, with each claw tip resembling an iron hook, leaving no doubt that it could easily tear the father-son duo apart.
Gan Ning gazed at the ferocious tiger demon, gripping his hunting spear tightly, and secretly sighed in his heart. It seemed that he and his son were doomed to die here. Thinking of this, he pushed his son behind him with a loud shout: "Ping'er, run quickly!" As for whether this little child could escape from this dangerous forest, he couldn't care about it anymore. The longer he could hold on, the better.
But at this time, the tiger demon opposite did not pounce over, but instead squatted down, watching the father and son with great interest. Gan Ning suddenly felt a kind of illusion, as if the tiger demon opposite was teasing him, and he couldn't help but feel a little flustered. What did this tiger demon want to do? Just as he was thinking wildly, he felt something pounce onto his leg, and when he looked down, it was his son who had been pushed away earlier running back, tightly hugging his thigh. It made sense, after all, the child was only nine years old, where could he run to?
Gan Ning Cheng couldn't help but feel a sense of despair as he gazed at the tiger demon squatting in the distance. It seemed that he and his son were doomed to die here. Thinking this, he instinctively tightened his grip on his weapon. Come on, even if it's death, I must protect Ping'er first. Gan Ning Cheng's martial arts skills came from his family's tradition, and in the secular world, he was considered a top-notch expert. With this desperate determination, even low-ranking demon beasts couldn't be underestimated. Without three parts of courage, who would dare to live on this half-mountain for so many years? The hunting spear in his hand was made of Huang Jia Mu wood, one of the few types of wood known in the mortal world that could be used to make spiritual weapons.
Lingbing, is the Tianfu continent's term for certain weapons that can cause massive harm to humans or demonic beasts. They are forged from various unusual materials, and Huangtong wood is one of the simplest kinds. To create a weapon from Huangtong wood, one must use it to kill living beings, and the wood will naturally absorb the blood and vital energy of those killed, condensing into a vengeful spirit that eventually becomes a Lingbing material. Finally, using rare minerals like Thousand-Year Cold Iron, a sharp gunhead is forged, making this weapon extremely damaging to humans or demonic beasts. In the mortal world, such a weapon is a treasured jewel coveted by countless warriors, and possessing one can instantly boost one's combat power several levels, especially when it comes to intimidating demonic beasts.
Gan Ning's hand held a yellow jujube wood hunting bow, which had been used for nearly five years and was about to reach its spiritual peak. If he took it down the mountain, using this one piece of spiritual wood to exchange for several thousand taels of silver would be easy. This was also the basis of his confidence in taking Gan Ping down the mountain. With this bow, plus the precious medicinal materials accumulated over the years, it would be enough for the father and son to spend the rest of their lives.
But to live a good life, you still have to get through the current hurdle. With Gan Ning's sincere and desperate heart, his courage immediately surged up. The demon tiger couldn't help but flicker its eyes, it wasn't one of those stupid low-level demon beasts that would pounce on blood food without hesitation. At this level, the demon beast already had some wisdom and didn't want to hard fight with Gan Ning. Although the yellow mulberry wood was only half-finished, the fork head was made of iron, but in the eyes of the demon tiger, it could see that the entire hunting fork was covered with a grayish-white aura, which would not be good for its strong body even if it touched it once.
As he thought of this, the demon tiger let out a low growl and a whirlwind of demonic wind erupted around him. A black gas burst forth from the ground and transformed into human form in an instant. Gan Ning was startled and took a closer look, exclaiming in surprise: "A vengeful spirit?" The person formed by the black gas had a pale complexion, with bloodstains all over his face, tattered clothes, and countless wounds on his body. His internal organs were already ruptured, and his two dry hands had long, jet-black fingernails. A pair of blood-red eyes stared fixedly at the father-son duo in front of him.
It is a Huli Jing, a kind of innate divine power of the tiger demon. Those who are killed by the tiger demon and become Huli Jing will be transformed into evil spirits that follow them around to serve as their minions. Such Huli Jing were definitely evil people when they were alive, committing all sorts of atrocities, which aligns with the cruel nature of the tiger demon. As one of the spiritual animals of heaven and earth, tigers are born with the ability to sense evil energy and distinguish between good and evil. A tiger demon that has cultivated for hundreds of years is even more so. When it encounters an evil person who commits all sorts of atrocities and is surrounded by evil energy, it will definitely torture them to death, and only then will their resentment be sufficient. Then, it will transform the appearance of the evil person at the time of their death into a Huli Jing, constantly tormenting them. Such a Huli Jing will harbor jealousy and hatred towards living people, never stopping until they die.
Only to see this ghost standing still in front of the father and son, his eyes flashing, wondering what he was thinking, hearing the tiger demon's low growl, pouncing forward, a sharp and sharp claw had already reached Ganning Cheng's chest. Ganning Cheng hastily raised the hunting fork to block it, then stabbed forward with one fork, hitting the ghost's chest, but saw that the ghost seemed unaware, another claw swung over, Ganning Cheng hurriedly retracted the hunting fork to block this ghost claw's attack.
Upon careful consideration, he finally understood that the ghostly creature was an intangible entity, and ordinary objects couldn't harm it. Only the half-finished spiritual spear in his hand could withstand a few blows. However, the iron spearhead was no match for the ghost in front of him. Thinking this way, Gan Ning treated the hunting spear as a signaling rod, using it to slash, sweep, jab, hook, block, point, and deflect. After a series of moves, he fought alongside his father against the ghostly creature. Meanwhile, Gan Ning had already retreated far away, watching anxiously as his father battled the evil spirit. The more they fought, the more anxious Gan Ning became. Beside him stood a tiger demon, eyeing them with an unblinking gaze, seemingly waiting for him to exhaust himself before making its move. If he died, it wouldn't be a big deal, but what about his poor son?
In a life-and-death struggle, how could he be distracted? The tiger demon saw an opportunity and swiped its paw, sending a golden gust of wind flying towards Gan Ning's chest. Gan Ning was shocked and hastily dodged to the side, but the golden gust grazed his arm, taking away a large piece of flesh and blood. He winced in pain, and his hand involuntarily loosened, allowing the ghostly demon to strike him with its fork-like claws. The hunting fork spun through the air before landing and lodging itself into the ground at an angle. Gan Ning was also struck by the massive force and fell to the ground, his face as pale as death. The ghostly demon let out a sinister laugh and pounced on Gan Ning, its black claws swiping towards his chest and abdomen, intent on tearing him apart alive.
