Chapter 1320: Wouldn't Even Be Able to Afford a Meal

"Where did you learn those Divine Abilities?!"

At the sound of the voice, the surrounding ghosts and monsters scattered.

The figure that had just left reappeared before Chen Changsheng's eyes.

The man had lost his former calm demeanor. He suddenly reached out, trying to grab Chen Changsheng by the neck.

Chen Changsheng raised his hand, summoned the Listening Rain Sword, and slashed out.

Wei Shujian let out a surprised gasp and immediately dodged out of the way.

"A Sword Cultivator?"

Chen Changsheng watched him, sword in hand, and said, "Just the basics."

"So you do have some real skill."

Wei Shujian did not attack again. Instead, he asked, "Tell me, where did you learn that fire art?"

"What does it have to do with you?" Chen Changsheng asked.

Wei Shujian said, "That is a secret technique of my Qinghuo Daoshan."

"Hmm..."

Chen Changsheng paused in brief surprise before replying, "This Chen comprehended this method from the true fire of an inner core left behind by a deceased Supreme Immortal."

"Who?"

"They say he was known as Exalted Chilian."

Wei Shujian froze, a look of realization dawning on his face.

He narrowed his eyes, stepping forward to press in close, and demanded, "Where?"

Chen Changsheng recalled for a moment and said, "Roughly a thousand li to the south, there is a wasteland. It burns like a furnace, devoid of any living creature, stretching for a hundred li."

Hearing this, Wei Shujian was finally convinced.

He could not help but re-evaluate the unremarkable man in the cyan robe standing before him.

In the past, he had naturally gone to look for himself, but the true fire of that inner core had long since lost control. The intense heat waves had prevented him from taking a single step closer, so in the end, he could only offer his respects from afar.

"You walked into the center?"

"The center?"

"That is, where the true fire was located."

"You could say that."

Wei Shujian snorted softly and said, "Consider yourself lucky. After all these years, the true fire is nowhere near as strong as it once was. If it had been back then, you would have long since been reduced to cinders."

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng asked in return, "What is your relationship with Exalted Chilian?"

Wei Shujian did not answer. With a raise of his hand, a row of nether flames lit up around them, faintly illuminating the path up the mountain.

"Come up the mountain."

Seeing this, Chen Changsheng followed him.

On the way up the mountain, countless spirits watched him. From the shadows, pairs of eyes locked onto him; some were lucid, while others had long since lost their minds and devolved into ghosts and monsters.

Chen Changsheng asked, "There didn't used to be this many spirits here, did there?"

"Mhm."

Wei Shujian affirmed and said, "They were all attracted by the nether energy here. Of all the spirits lingering in this world, which of them doesn't harbor resentment? After staying in a place like this for too long, they inevitably lose their minds and end up in this state."

"Roughly how many are there?" Chen Changsheng asked.

Wei Shujian thought for a moment, then replied, "I haven't counted. Probably close to ten thousand."

Chen Changsheng was slightly taken aback. "To think there are so many."

Wei Shujian said, "This is nothing. A truly top-tier ghost cultivator will construct domains of nether energy to summon spirits and gather darkness. Some can even recruit hundreds of thousands of spirits to supply their own cultivation."

Wei Shujian gave him a glance and noted, "For someone with such profound Dao Cultivation, your worldly experience is rather shallow."

Chen Changsheng smiled, not bothering to refute it.

The man before him was not wrong. Chen Changsheng's knowledge of this Cultivation World was indeed somewhat lacking.

Moonlight shone on the mountaintop. The nether energy was strongest here, as this was also Wei Shujian's Dao field. The endless streams of nether energy from the mountain continuously surged toward the peak to fuel his cultivation.

"Wouldn't a place of such concentrated nether energy require many years to build up?"

"Indeed..."

Wei Shujian said, "This place has been built up for roughly three hundred years."

Having reached the mountaintop, Chen Changsheng could also clearly see the spirit striking the bell. His gaze locked onto the figure, highly curious.

Apart from the two of them, this was the only spirit that dared to remain on the peak.

Wei Shujian said, "That person was once the sect master of this Immortal Mountain."

"Oh?"

"My Master died at his hands."

A guess formed in Chen Changsheng's mind. "Exalted Chilian?"

"Correct."

Wei Shujian said, "This Immortal Mountain beneath your feet was once called Qinghuo Daoshan. There were nearly a hundred disciples in the sect, and for a thousand li in every direction, Qinghuo Daoshan reigned supreme."

"Back then, people in this world used to say that all the true fire in the world was divided into three parts, and my Qinghuo Daoshan held one of them."

Chen Changsheng paused for a moment. "Let This Chen sort this out..."

After thinking it over for a short while, Chen Changsheng finally pieced the story together.

"You are Exalted Chilian's disciple, and this place is Qinghuo Daoshan, which means that Exalted Chilian actually died at the hands of a fellow sect member?"

"That's right."

Wei Shujian said calmly, "My Master died at the hands of the sect master."

"For what reason?"

"Nothing more than internal sect strife, fighting for the position of sect master."

Wei Shujian stared at the spirit striking the bell and said, "The human heart is ugly. The things done for profit are entirely too disgraceful to look at. Fellow disciples drew weapons against one another, and even ruthlessly delivered the killing blow."

"What was the point of keeping an Immortal Mountain like that around? It was better they all just died."

Chen Changsheng thought about it and asked, "Is there anything good about being the sect master?"

"The position of sect master isn't important."

Wei Shujian said, "What is important is the Azure Fire in the sect master's hands. It was because of this object that my Qinghuo Immortal Mountain enjoyed such great renown in this world. A wisp of Azure Fire is half a step to ascending to immortality, passed down from generation to generation."

"Having that Azure Fire is equivalent to stepping half a foot onto the path of ascending to immortality."

Hearing this, Chen Changsheng fell deep into thought.

Wei Shujian raised his hand, and a cluster of cyan-green true fire appeared in his palm.

"It is this."

Chen Changsheng looked at the true fire and said, "I can't see anything profound about it."

"This Azure Fire does indeed look rather ordinary on the surface."

Wei Shujian said, "The prerequisite is knowing the true use of this Azure Fire; otherwise, it is merely a useless cluster of flames."

Chen Changsheng asked, "What is your intention in showing this to This Chen?"

Wei Shujian took two steps forward and said, "How about I give it to you?"

"Heh..."

Chen Changsheng gave a dry laugh, turning his head to leave.

Wei Shujian said, "You might as well wait for me to finish speaking first."

"There is nothing to say."

Chen Changsheng said, "This Chen has no interest in playing these little games with you. Farewell."

Seeing him head down the mountain, Wei Shujian followed after him.

He said, "A wisp of Azure Fire is half a step to ascending to immortality. Do you really not want it?"

"Have you ascended to immortality?"

Wei Shujian said, "Ghost cultivators cannot ascend to immortality."

"Your Qinghuo Daoshan's 'ascending to immortality' is certainly unique."

Wei Shujian offered a helpless smile, but he said, "Life and death are inherently unpredictable. That has nothing to do with the Azure Fire."

Chen Changsheng halted his steps and said, "Stop right there. If you want to lay a trap, at least make it look decent. Does This Chen look that easy to fool?"

Hearing this, Wei Shujian also grew a little indignant, saying, "You really don't know what's good for you! Do you think I actually want to give it away? It was this Azure Fire that chose you!"

Chen Changsheng paused. After a sigh, he said, "Forgive This Chen for speaking bluntly, but with your swindling skills, if you were to go to the Mortal World, I'm afraid you wouldn't even be able to afford a meal."