Note: Read chapter 100 if you haven’t already.

** Chapter One Hundred And One: The Youngest Grandmaster**

The black mountain was not tall, even shorter than the tallest hall in the Yan palace. But the black mountain gave every cultivator present here peerless terror and pressure. Both inside and out of the Yan palace, many people had been to Deer Mountain, and seen the battle between Yuanwu and the top grandmasters. Just as the presence of the black mountain rose, these people uncontrollably trembled.

The unique yin ghostly presence came from the Qi. Only that grandmaster from the Qi Dynasty would have such a black mountain.

That Qi grandmaster, in the Deer Mountain Conference, had proven to the world that he was the strongest of all grandmasters next to Yuanwu.

The imperial study was destroyed as the cost to the rise of the black mountain. This not-so-tall black mount did not have any plants, but was covered in countless gravestones. Each gravestone was different in terms of material and shape. They were also shrouded in different black flames.

The similar dark black flames, that felt different in one’s perception, waved on the mountain like wild grasses.

The Zhongshu Marquis looked up the black mountain. His eyes narrowed but his eyebrows suddenly turned white. He had endured for half of his life in a Yan border city, planning for today. He looked like he was about to succeed, but a black mountain suddenly came down. How could he not be angry, how could he not grow old?

The Yan Emperor looked mockingly at him. Seeing the sudden wrinkles and white eyebrows appeared on his face, he said scornfully, “You know you do not have much time. Soon, my Silver Army will fight its way back in. If you do not surrender right now, what else do you want to do?”

As he spoke, the cold metal lights in the surrounding palace scattered like a tide hitting the beach and turning powerlessly to foam, dissipating.

A hint of scorn and madness appeared on Zhongshu Marquis’s face. He looked at the Yan Emperor and said seriously, “I still want to try.”

The Yan Emperor sneered. “Try?”

Zhongshu Marquis nodded, and said coldly, “He is not Yan Ying, everyone knows Yan Ying is dead.”

The Yan Emperor stopped speaking. He could sense the change in the black mountain behind him and knew there was no need for him to respond.

The gravestones on the black mountain start to tremble and sway. The black dust and soil tremble at the bottom of the gravestones. A dark presence did not charge towards the sky, but deep down to a place that cultivators could not sense.

Countless cultivators outside the imperial palace paled. In their senses, the black mountain had changed the entire palace to hell. The invisible yin energy spreading through the palaces that some seal weapons and flying swords could not be used.

Zhongshu Marquis hung his head. His black hair turned white at this moment. His hands pressed on the empty air on the ground in front of him.

A small and crystal golden staff fell from his fingertip. Everything in the garden that had not broken, including the white jade bridge that had been unharmed during battle, shattered into thousands of pieces. The multiple experts standing guard in front of the monarch vomited blood, flying backwards uncontrollably.

The Yan Emperor grunted. Many air bubbles appeared in the air in front of him, flying around like boiling water.

After all this happened, the ground in front of Zhongshu Marquis gave a muffled sound. The small and crystal staff was as big as a fingernail when it fell from his fingers, but when it landed, it became a small crystal tower the height of a person.

The sky was golden yellow, and many flames appeared. The coldness in the Yan Capital suddenly faded like a scorching flame had come. Those golden flames were the fire of the sun.

Zhongshu Marquis looked expressionlessly at the black mountain, and the fire of the sun came, following his thoughts.

The Qi Dynasty, especially the way of the yin and ghosts passed down in one line, was the weirdest cultivation method in the world. It controlled the yin energies left behind by dead cultivators and powerful beasts. This yin presence feared the hot flames of the sun the most, so he would use the fire of the sun.

In an instant, the streams of sun fire fell on the black mountain like spears. Countless holes were created on the black mountain. Numerous gravestones were broken. Where the holes were, there was no spraying soil or stone, only waves of thick smoke.

Vital energy surged out of Zhongshu Marquis. His body seemed to become transparent, shining like he was a god.

Seeing this, the rebel army circling the imperial garden created waves of cheers. Many cultivators felt the yin energy filling the palaces fading. The shadow over their hearts was retreating and their confidence started to recover. The black mountain was so ruined like it would turn to thick smoke and black dust at any moment.

But at this time, a low-lying shadow slowly had split from a valley near the top of the black mountain. A black-haired young man, like he was waking up after a long time, turned underneath the ground and sat up.

His face was very white, so white he was almost transparent. His eyes were living, but his body had no life, not even a hint of warmth, as cold as a gravestone in winter. Because his skin was so bloodless and pale, it was possible to see the blood veins in his body. The blood in his body was black. What flowed in his body was not red blood, but black energy.

The cheers suddenly stopped.

The young man stood up. His black hair had grown longer than he was tall, dragging on the ground behind him. His features were very young, about the same age as Ding Ning and the others. But his hair, his body, skin, and flesh were all filled with an eerie and powerful presence.

The moment he stood up, a patch of black clouds appeared in the sky. The black clouds obscured the fire of the sun. Most importantly, the sunlight was no longer dazzling. The youth opened his eyes completely. Not just his pupils, but his entire eyeballs were pitch black, as dark as ink.

Then he saw Zhongshu Marquis. He took a step from the mountain valley towards the man. When he took his step, the black mountain disappeared into a cloud of black smoke, retreating into his body.

In everyone’s sight and perception, the black mountain was taken into his body with his step. The black mountain seemed to be a part of him. Or rather, it was just his lifebond item.

Zhongshu Marquis’s face grew pale. He did not sense the presence of a lifebond item, yet his perception clearly told him that the black mountain had merged completely with the other.

Most of the power and cultivation of the black mountain and the grandmaster had been inherited to this person. He did not sense a lifebond presence because … the yin and ghost method of the top grandmaster of the Qi was different from any other cultivation method in the world. They were not on the same path! Undoubtedly, the youth he was facing had directly surpassed the barrier to realm seven and became the youngest grandmaster of the world!

His heart beat rapidly. This did not fit with the theory of breakthroughs. It was hard to understand, but this was true. In the next moment, he screamed. He faced the youth coming with the black mountain, his right hands stretched out. He touched a thin fragment of seal paper and swiped towards the young man.

The thin seal paper gave off a terrifying seal essence. The world seemed to be cut in half. In front of the seal essence, countless gravestones suddenly appeared.

Countless gravestones filled the world. Countless grave stones were cut in half and turned to black smoke.

But in the black smoke, the young man with floor length black hair had reached Zhongshu Marquis.

Zhongshu Marquis’s eyes narrowed into thin lines. Fire flamed out of his eyes. Behind him, in the empty air, a shadow appeared.

This shadow was very short, a dwarf. But his hand held a very long sword. This sword was extremely fast, no less than the sword lights of Yantai Guanjian during the Min Mountain Sword Trials.

In a flash, the sword light brushed against the Zhongshu Marquis’s waist and stabbed into the youth’s chest.

But in this moment, the fire in Zhongshu Marquis’s eyes turned to more shock and even despair!

** Chapter One Hundred And One: The Youngest Grandmaster**

The black mountain was not tall, even shorter than the tallest hall in the Yan palace. But the black mountain gave every cultivator present here peerless terror and pressure. Both inside and out of the Yan palace, many people had been to Deer Mountain, and seen the battle between Yuanwu and the top grandmasters. Just as the presence of the black mountain rose, these people uncontrollably trembled.

The unique yin ghostly presence came from the Qi. Only that grandmaster from the Qi Dynasty would have such a black mountain.

That Qi grandmaster, in the Deer Mountain Conference, had proven to the world that he was the strongest of all grandmasters next to Yuanwu.

The imperial study was destroyed as the cost to the rise of the black mountain. This not-so-tall black mount did not have any plants, but was covered in countless gravestones. Each gravestone was different in terms of material and shape. They were also shrouded in different black flames.

The similar dark black flames, that felt different in one’s perception, waved on the mountain like wild grasses.

The Zhongshu Marquis looked up the black mountain. His eyes narrowed but his eyebrows suddenly turned white. He had endured for half of his life in a Yan border city, planning for today. He looked like he was about to succeed, but a black mountain suddenly came down. How could he not be angry, how could he not grow old?

The Yan Emperor looked mockingly at him. Seeing the sudden wrinkles and white eyebrows appeared on his face, he said scornfully, “You know you do not have much time. Soon, my Silver Army will fight its way back in. If you do not surrender right now, what else do you want to do?”

As he spoke, the cold metal lights in the surrounding palace scattered like a tide hitting the beach and turning powerlessly to foam, dissipating.

A hint of scorn and madness appeared on Zhongshu Marquis’s face. He looked at the Yan Emperor and said seriously, “I still want to try.”

The Yan Emperor sneered. “Try?”

Zhongshu Marquis nodded, and said coldly, “He is not Yan Ying, everyone knows Yan Ying is dead.”

The Yan Emperor stopped speaking. He could sense the change in the black mountain behind him and knew there was no need for him to respond.

The gravestones on the black mountain start to tremble and sway. The black dust and soil tremble at the bottom of the gravestones. A dark presence did not charge towards the sky, but deep down to a place that cultivators could not sense.

Countless cultivators outside the imperial palace paled. In their senses, the black mountain had changed the entire palace to hell. The invisible yin energy spreading through the palaces that some seal weapons and flying swords could not be used.

Zhongshu Marquis hung his head. His black hair turned white at this moment. His hands pressed on the empty air on the ground in front of him.

A small and crystal golden staff fell from his fingertip. Everything in the garden that had not broken, including the white jade bridge that had been unharmed during battle, shattered into thousands of pieces. The multiple experts standing guard in front of the monarch vomited blood, flying backwards uncontrollably.

The Yan Emperor grunted. Many air bubbles appeared in the air in front of him, flying around like boiling water.

After all this happened, the ground in front of Zhongshu Marquis gave a muffled sound. The small and crystal staff was as big as a fingernail when it fell from his fingers, but when it landed, it became a small crystal tower the height of a person.

The sky was golden yellow, and many flames appeared. The coldness in the Yan Capital suddenly faded like a scorching flame had come. Those golden flames were the fire of the sun.

Zhongshu Marquis looked expressionlessly at the black mountain, and the fire of the sun came, following his thoughts.

The Qi Dynasty, especially the way of the yin and ghosts passed down in one line, was the weirdest cultivation method in the world. It controlled the yin energies left behind by dead cultivators and powerful beasts. This yin presence feared the hot flames of the sun the most, so he would use the fire of the sun.

In an instant, the streams of sun fire fell on the black mountain like spears. Countless holes were created on the black mountain. Numerous gravestones were broken. Where the holes were, there was no spraying soil or stone, only waves of thick smoke.

Vital energy surged out of Zhongshu Marquis. His body seemed to become transparent, shining like he was a god.

Seeing this, the rebel army circling the imperial garden created waves of cheers. Many cultivators felt the yin energy filling the palaces fading. The shadow over their hearts was retreating and their confidence started to recover. The black mountain was so ruined like it would turn to thick smoke and black dust at any moment.

But at this time, a low-lying shadow slowly had split from a valley near the top of the black mountain. A black-haired young man, like he was waking up after a long time, turned underneath the ground and sat up.

His face was very white, so white he was almost transparent. His eyes were living, but his body had no life, not even a hint of warmth, as cold as a gravestone in winter. Because his skin was so bloodless and pale, it was possible to see the blood veins in his body. The blood in his body was black. What flowed in his body was not red blood, but black energy.

The cheers suddenly stopped.

The young man stood up. His black hair had grown longer than he was tall, dragging on the ground behind him. His features were very young, about the same age as Ding Ning and the others. But his hair, his body, skin, and flesh were all filled with an eerie and powerful presence.

The moment he stood up, a patch of black clouds appeared in the sky. The black clouds obscured the fire of the sun. Most importantly, the sunlight was no longer dazzling. The youth opened his eyes completely. Not just his pupils, but his entire eyeballs were pitch black, as dark as ink.

Then he saw Zhongshu Marquis. He took a step from the mountain valley towards the man. When he took his step, the black mountain disappeared into a cloud of black smoke, retreating into his body.

In everyone’s sight and perception, the black mountain was taken into his body with his step. The black mountain seemed to be a part of him. Or rather, it was just his lifebond item.

Zhongshu Marquis’s face grew pale. He did not sense the presence of a lifebond item, yet his perception clearly told him that the black mountain had merged completely with the other.

Most of the power and cultivation of the black mountain and the grandmaster had been inherited to this person. He did not sense a lifebond presence because … the yin and ghost method of the top grandmaster of the Qi was different from any other cultivation method in the world. They were not on the same path! Undoubtedly, the youth he was facing had directly surpassed the barrier to realm seven and became the youngest grandmaster of the world!

His heart beat rapidly. This did not fit with the theory of breakthroughs. It was hard to understand, but this was true. In the next moment, he screamed. He faced the youth coming with the black mountain, his right hands stretched out. He touched a thin fragment of seal paper and swiped towards the young man.

The thin seal paper gave off a terrifying seal essence. The world seemed to be cut in half. In front of the seal essence, countless gravestones suddenly appeared.

Countless gravestones filled the world. Countless grave stones were cut in half and turned to black smoke.

But in the black smoke, the young man with floor length black hair had reached Zhongshu Marquis.

Zhongshu Marquis’s eyes narrowed into thin lines. Fire flamed out of his eyes. Behind him, in the empty air, a shadow appeared.

This shadow was very short, a dwarf. But his hand held a very long sword. This sword was extremely fast, no less than the sword lights of Yantai Guanjian during the Min Mountain Sword Trials.

In a flash, the sword light brushed against the Zhongshu Marquis’s waist and stabbed into the youth’s chest.

But in this moment, the fire in Zhongshu Marquis’s eyes turned to more shock and even despair!