Chapter 22: Pitfall Mountain

Chen Ming carried the Sect Leader to the Endless Swords Sect. There, he checked on Zhuo Qingyao and saw how she would soon recover, thanks to Li Changgeng’s pill. He was thinking of preparing something for her, certain that he wouldn’t be returning as soon as the last time.

Zhuo Qingyao’s auras complement each other. Cliff Falling Aura’s level might not be high, but it worked with the Dire Straits Aura, letting her practically hit that 10% chance each time.

He settled on sending Zhuo Qingyao to train on Cliff Mountain’s cliffs, filled with cliffs of course. The leader there was only a Great Fiend that just entered the Dao Initiation realm, but with Wang Meng looking out for her from the shadows, she shouldn’t encounter any difficulties.

Chen Ming left her a letter: ‘Disciple, you have reached the 7th stage of Dao Sense realm and need to go out to be aware of the Grand Dao. Your Master has left behind endless treasures on Cliff Mountain. You want them? Look for them!’

If other people saw this letter, then it would be the start of the Great Bandit Era.(1)

After arranging the letter, he sent word to Wang Meng to protect Zhuo Qingyao. While there he also took a fire attribute spiritual sword in passing, then changed to using the Fire Crow Art. He gathered some quality dried meat from the Regent’s estate than some wine that went well with it and then flew back to Savage Bull. The two of them drank and chatted without care, even made a sacred oath and became sworn brothers.

Savage Bull threw meat after meat in his mouth then stretched his hand towards Chen Ming.

Chen Ming saw the remaining meat in his hand and felt nervous.

Fiend General Savage Bull gobbled up the rest of the meat, “Brother, what is this dried meat, I have never eaten this kind of met before. It has such a rich flavor, it’s wonderful!“

‘It would be a wonder if you had eaten, beef that is!’

“This is something younger brother hunted, a deer by a creek in the White Mountain!“ Said Chen Ming.

Savage Bull’s expression was unclear, “So deer meat can taste this good…”

Of course, Chen Ming couldn’t tell what he was thinking, ‘Where would I even begin to guess what is in this thing’s head when it can’t even do elementary math? Too hard, it’s impossible!’

After the feast, Savage Bull said, “Right, why are we here again?”

The Great Fiends gave overlapping responses, “A cultivator told us to come to destroy the Endless Swords Sect.”

“So it was only this small matter. Let’s return to Pitfall Mountain, with brother joining us is more important. Right, what are you called, brother? “

“Ding! Neutralize Endless Swords Sect’s crisis, completed. Mission rating: average. Obtained 500 spiritual knowledge and 50 fame.”

Chen Ming mulled it over, ‘This way I will later be a trojan horse to the fiends, the best would be to be as inconspicuous as possible’, “Wandering Crow.”

On their journey through the Myriad Mountains, Fiend General Savage Bull informed Chen Ming of Pitfall Mountain’s influence. The ruler was an azure lion, known as Archfiend Azure Lion, older than a thousand years and has been controlling this mountain for the last hundreds of years.

Pitfall Mountain wasn’t just a mountain, as it had four immense chains buried in the surrounding cliffs tied to the mountain peak, dangling above the abyss around the mountain. The entire mountain was one gargantuan rock, lacking trees and filled with numerous caves of all sizes.

And Chen Ming was now stepping on the bridge leading to it. He rose many fiends’ eyebrows, after all, he was in human form. Did this mean he was an Archfiend?

Archfiend Azure Lion sat on a throne of bones as three of his four Fiend Generals stood at his beck and call.

Fire from a bonfire flickered inside the cave, revealing the only completely transformed human of the four of them, the Archfiend Azure Lion.

Archfiend Azure Lion had a blue standard draped on his body and azure hair akin to a wild lion. He had fierce features as if they were sculpted with an ax, holding a shinny human skull in his large and mighty hand, “Where do you think we should assign Wandering Crow?”

The four Fiend General, besides Savage Bull, controlled the kingdoms around Pitfall Mountain and the lesser fiends. The Fiend General White Wolf handled the kingdoms while Fiend General Gorilla and Fiend General Stag managed the fiends.

As for Savage Bull, Archfiend Azure Lion made him go around the Pitfall Mountain’s territories, but after bringing chaos everywhere he went, he clenched his teeth and made him his bodyguard.

Fiend General White Wolf replied, “Based on Savage Bull, Wandering Crow might be at the 4th stage of Dao Initiation realm, but since he can take human form, then he must have formed a Dao Seed. In the next thirty years, I’m afraid we’ll have another Archfiend.”

Archfiend Azure Lion nodded, ‘I knew this already, so what the f*ck do you mean by it?’

Fiend General White Wolf, “Therefore, this important matter is a matter between Archfiends. We don’t dare to involve ourselves, and request Sir Archfiend to make the decision!”

Archfiend Azure Lion’s thought, ‘Then why did I bother calling you here?’

“Let’s meet with Wandering Crow first!” Spoke Archfiend Azure Lion.

‘Since discussing it all day won’t have any damn result.’

Chen Ming entered the cave and felt the pressure given by the Archfiend, as his danger value was over 500.

A for the Fiend Generals, the highest belonged to White Wolf, 270, followed by Gorilla’s, 260, and the last being Stag, 240.

Azure Lion King has officially become the strongest person Chen Ming has ever encountered.

“Ding! You successfully infiltrated Pitfall Mountain, while your identity remained undiscovered. Triggered the undercover mission’s first objective: become a member of Pitfall Mountain. Reward: 300 spiritual knowledge, 30 fame.”

‘Eh? Only 300 spiritual knowledge? I guess even a mosquito has meat, it’s still worth ten 3rd stage of Dao Initiation realm cultivators I guess, since becoming a member of Pitfall Mountain was more than certain.’

Chen Ming gazed at Archfiend Azure Lion with his burning eyes, (he used the Fire Crow Art), “I finally meet you, Sir Archfiend. When I was but a mere crow, a great serpent cornered me, on the verge of devouring me. But thanks to you, Sir Archfiend, my life was spared, gracing me with the chance of seeing you again, still imposing and majestic as before!”

Archfiend Azure Lion’s thought, ‘I lived for hundreds of yeas, killed countless great serpents, how would I pay attention to a small crow?’ He was no fool, as he knew he used the great serpent as an excuse to reach to him, “Good little brother, it was a trifling matter, no need to care about it!”

Chen Ming shook his head, “That won’t do, this favor is something I must return!”

Archfiend Azure Lion thought, then followed with, “How about this, good little brother will temporarily become Eagle Peak’s master, leading the birds(bird fiends), and will meet again after you have broken through to Archfiend!”

Power couldn’t be given to the powerful. In any case, Eagle Peak was an ordinary area under his control. He would let Chen Ming do what he wanted and didn’t matter even if he became an Archfiend. He was just a glorified commander, with no Fiend Generals under him, that could only stay close to a man of power, like him.

“Ding! Completed undercover mission’s first objective. Reward: 300 spiritual knowledge, 30 fame.”

(1)    One Piece reference.