1 Hao Ren

Martial Central World, Southern Region, Southern Continent, Southernmost Kai Domain, South Bai Area, Black Heaven Mountain

Black Heaven Mountain was the only orthodox sect existing in a radius of a thousand kilometers. The sect was situated on a small mountain range consisting of nine peaks. The name 'Black Heaven' was derived from these nine mountain peaks which seemed to stretch to the heavens. Also, the tips of the mountains were black-colored due to the rare spiritual trees which only grew on this mountain range. Furthermore, they could only appear at the topmost peaks. The spiritual trees were named Black Heaven Trees too. The sect got its name from this more than from the mountain range. Coincidentally…the mountain range was also called the Black Heaven Mountain Range. It was all a little weird.

Aside from the nine peaks, there was actually a tenth mountain. However, it was so small that it was negligible. It was only around a hundred meters tall. The other mountain peaks were more than a thousand meters to the top, so in comparison the tenth seemed like a mole hill squashed between towering ant mounds.

The nine peaks all had a pavilion guarding them, and they were part of the Black Heaven Mountain. However, the tenth peak was different. There were actually a hundred other small peaks similar to it, just that they were much smaller, only around fifty meters tall. These small peaks were reserved for the residences of top disciples. The tenth peak was the biggest and was given to the number one disciple who was also the leader of all the disciples.

Currently, in the residence located on the tenth peak, a youth was standing respectfully in the courtyard. In front of him was another youth who looked even younger than him. He looked to be only sixteen years old and he was extremely handsome. He had sharp eyebrows that exuded majesty and looked refined, like an unsheathed sacred sword. This young man was not a disciple of Black Heaven Mountain. Instead, he was the junior brother of the Sectmaster, or Mountain Lord. Thus, he had the title of Martial Grand-Uncle.

The top disciple was also handsome, with long black hair flowing behind him in the wind like a soft, dark river. However, he wasn't very tall, and his face was androgynous. Compared to the Martial Grand-Uncle, he was more of a pretty boy with a white face. His handsomeness undoubtedly fell far below the former. After all, the youth before him was like an immortal walking in the mortal world. His appearance was perfect in every aspect, and it seemed like only gods would be able to rival him. However, there was something even more terrifying about the youth, which was his strength! That's right, even though he was not even twenty years old, he was already stronger than his senior brother, the Mountain Lord, who had lived for nearly a hundred years and had reached the ninth level of the Heavenly Core realm.

Of course, this was a fact that not many people knew. The top disciple had only known it by chance, which was also the reason that led him to having an amicable relationship with this peerless genius. 

"Martial Grand-Uncle, what brings you here? I'll prepare some delicacies if you want, and we can enter my residence to let me properly greet you." Bai Chuhan, the top disciple, respectfully said to Hao Ren.

"No need," Hao Ren waved his hand. "I was just passing by and saw you do your morning cultivation practice. I stopped to observe since I had nothing to do. You actually don't need to greet me. Continue your cultivation."

Bai Chuhan was stunned, then he felt awkward. He couldn't really ignore Hao Ren, could he? That would be extremely disrespectful and go against the Mountain custom and rules. Moreover, he himself respected Hao Ren deeply, and viewed him as his idol and goal to boost his motivation and spirit. After all, he was someone who surpassed the Heavenly Core realm at the age of sixteen! Probably only the top sects in the area would have geniuses like that. No, they would have definitely been twenty when they reached the Supreme Spirit realm. In that way, Hao Ren had far surpassed them in talent and cultivation speed.

Also, Bai Chuhan was certain that with his cultivation at the seventh level of the Profound Ascension realm, he would absolutely not notice if a Supreme Spirit cultivator decided to watch over him silently. That meant Hao Ren had intentionally revealed himself. He wanted Bai Chuhan to greet him! Was this his Martial Grand-Uncle's way of teasing him? He wanted to cry. 

However, Bai Chuhan did not know that he was thinking too much. Hao Ren was simply too lazy to hide himself. Or rather, it was simply unnecessary and the thought of doing that didn't even cross his mind. Why the hell would he need to sneak around in his own Mountain? He preferred to be open and brazen. There was nothing to hide.

"Alright, since I've observed you a little, I'll be going now." Hao Ren did not care that his actions nearly caused someone to break down. He was a person who went with his own pace. Other people would have no choice but to keep up with him unless they wanted to get into his bad books. Naturally, no one in Black Heaven Mountain would dare to anger him. "It looks like you're about to break through," he added indifferently.

"Yes, Martial Grand-Uncle!" Bai Chuhan hurriedly bowed his head. " It's all thanks to you that I'm able to achieve enlightenment in such a short period of time." This was not the first time Hao Ren had visited him, and moreover when he was cultivating. It was just that he would come at other times usually. He benefited even when the other party did nothing, since he was a Supreme Spirit realm cultivator and his mere presence could give lower realm cultivators a peek into higher enlightenment.

The Martial Central World had ten mortal cultivation realms. They were: Acquired Spirit, Innate Origin, Profound Ascension, Heavenly Core, Supreme Spirit, Epic General, Legendary Paradise, Mythical Monarch, Martial King, and Mortal Emperor.

The forces and powers were also divided into several levels. Black Heaven Mountain could only be placed in the fourth-lowest rank. The levels were: Division, Society, Pavilion, Mountain, Hall, Palace, Institute, Sect, Sacred Land, and Small World.

These levels corresponded to the ten realms of mortal cultivation. For example, the Black Heaven Mountain's founder was a Supreme Spirit realm cultivator, thus it was supposed to be a Hall-level force, or Supreme Spirit orthodoxy. However, because they had never produced another Supreme Spirit expert after the founder, they had been in danger of being demoted to a mere Mountain, and was subsequently truly demoted. Those in charge of assessing the forces of an area were the authoritative powers that had reached the Palace level and had at least one Epic General expert holding down the fort.

The overlord of the South Bai Area was the Asura's Gate Palace and they had six Epic General experts! Their Palace Master had already stepped into the seventh level Epic General realm, making him a high-level Epic General expert. Since the forces' level corresponded to their strongest expert, the Asura's Gate Palace was a high-ranking Palace-level power simply because of his existence.

Below the Asura's Gate Palace there were still the Four Palaces and Six Grand Halls. They were all located in the central region of South Bai Area, which was the most prosperous place there. In comparison, the Black Heaven Mountain Range was an extremely desolate and remote place, with the strongest cultivator only being the ninth-level Heavenly Core expert Mountain Lord of Black Heaven Mountain.