A withered leaf floated down from the sky.

It spiraled and swayed.

Finally landing on Cui Zhen’s forehead.

The handsome Great Demon remained seated on the ground, gazing up at the sky, and let out a silent sigh.

The world indeed harbored many misunderstandings about him.

The greatest of them all, perhaps, was "cold-blooded."

"If I’m not mistaken, you don’t actually care about what the likes of ’Master Ni Yu’ do, do you?"

Earlier in Falcon Wind Gorge, Master Ni Yu had desperately tried to stop Cui Zhen.

Because in her eyes,

once Cui Zhen faked his death, he must have been extremely resentful towards those who partook of his blood and flesh.

Back then, when Mo Zhen Venerable fell in battle,

his Pocket World was divided and devoured, treasures, elixirs, immortal opportunities, qi fortune... none were left behind.

"Indeed."

Cui Zhen chuckled: "Since I died, them dividing and consuming it was only natural."

When a person dies, it’s like a light being extinguished.

In a strictly hierarchical and brutal country like the Demon Country, was one to hope those people would erect a monument, expand a name, and celebrate his achievements through the ages?

Once dead,

one’s territory would be seized, and one’s people would wander homeless.

Howling Wind Valley is a living example... Immediately after the Tribulation Lord fell, this Holy Land was swallowed up.

The reason Cui Zhen acted in Li Lan Mountain to remove Silver Moon’s restrictions, allowing the Snow Tiger Spirit Cat to survive, was due to his own guilt.

Thus, it was both an explanation to the Tribulation Lord and to himself.

Cui Zhen knew.

The legacy he left behind during his lifetime was too vast.

Therefore...

He simply couldn’t pursue people like Master Ni Yu to the end. Was he to kill all the Great Venerables in the Demon Country in this rematch?

That’s unrealistic.

And utterly meaningless.

"In reality... I just want to uncover the truth of what happened all those years ago..."

Cui Zhen paused, his expression calm: "As for those outside the Nine Venerable, I am neither interested in nor care about them."

Nowadays, the whole Demon Country says that Mo Zhen Venerable has come back to life for revenge!

Sun Erosion betrayed him.

So...

Sun Erosion died.

This statement isn’t wrong.

But it was meticulously crafted by the Heavenly Phoenix Palace, deliberately released to unsettle all those Great Cultivators outside the Heavenly Phoenix Palace.

Honestly speaking, after Mo Zhen’s death, who at a high realm hasn’t gained at least a small benefit?

Mo Zhen seeks revenge.

Sun Erosion was the first... who is the second, and who is the last?

Master Ni Yu’s worries are purely unfounded.

From beginning to end, Mo Zhen has never taken this woman seriously.

"By the way..."

"Do you want to know what happened back then?"

The handsome Great Demon suddenly recalled something and raised an interesting topic.

Regarding his story, it is widely spread throughout the Demon Country. Everyone wants to know, what happened back then?

Just what kind of causes led to the all-powerful Mo Zhen Venerable being besieged and falling.

Since Cui Zhen remended, he has been investigating the truth.

Now nearly two decades have passed.

He’s gathered a rough outline of the truth from back then...

These past twenty years, he has always been a lonely pilgrim.

To repay the Cause and Effect, he chose Hidden Endurance. Before the right time, he must be alone, maintain secrecy, and remain cautious.

To Mo Zhen, this of course is nothing. A figure capable of reaching the Peak of Yang God naturally wouldn’t mind such solitude, but these small trivial burdens and hardships accumulate and eventually need an opportunity for release.

After a "brief" interaction with Xie Xuanyi,

Cui Zhen gained a general understanding of this young man.

In terms of stance,

the two are enemies.

But in terms of interaction...

Cui Zhen was glad to have a friend like Xie Xuanyi, someone straightforward and principled.

Cui Zhen initially thought today was an apt opportunity.

But when he turned around, he found,

the young Sword Cultivator of the Human Race who had been conversing with him for so long was polishing his Ancient Sword...

This guy, is he fooling around with me?

Cui Zhen’s expression immediately turned complex and strange.

"Sorry, I’m not interested in that story."

Xie Xuanyi politely replied while polishing his Ancient Sword, "Is this a story worth being curious about?"

"..."

Black lines appeared on Cui Zhen’s forehead, leaving him speechless.

Is this guy normal?

There shouldn’t be many in the world who don’t want to know this story, right?

"Who’s next?"

Xie Xuanyi suddenly spoke and asked such a question.

"Weren’t you not interested?"

Cui Zhen sniggered.

"I’m indeed not interested in what happened back then."

Xie Xuanyi said, "It’s just that I am very interested in what comes next."

Regarding the past, he can guess the gist without asking further questions.

The story of Mo Zhen’s downfall is likely as clichéd and uninteresting as his own ambush in the North Sea spanning a thousand miles.

Those like them always have someone to entrust something to.

Once you entrust your life to someone unworthy of trust,

such situations arise.

Among the Nine Venerable, how betrayals occurred and led to this siege... it’s destined to be a long story.

Xie Xuanyi has no interest in understanding it.

He only wants to know who is included in Cui Zhen’s current revenge plan.

The Tribulation Lord is already dead.

Sun Erosion has also paid the price.

Who next, and who... is the last?

"If I’m not mistaken, all the Nine Venerable betrayed me."

Cui Zhen spoke with an extremely calm tone: "But among them... some I can forgive. Like the Tribulation Lord, like the Peacock, and like Jinli. But some, I can never forgive."

He had roughly ascertained what had happened all those years ago.

His siege and attack in the Southern Country was instigated by Sun Erosion, with Great Marsh leaking his whereabouts, resulting in this encirclement...

After his death,

the Immortal Pills and Spiritual Medicine in the Pocket World were also completely consumed by Sun Erosion.

But.

In this siege, there was another unignorable figure who made a significant "contribution."

As he spoke,

Cui Zhen gazed northward.

"Screech!"

The pure white Snow Mountain suddenly echoed with the sharp cries of the crow.

A large flock of black crows rose from the deep forests of the Snow Mountain, like masses of pitch-black gloom. These creatures were known as Shadow Crows, existing in the extreme northern frozen and earthquake-prone regions of the Demon Country. Though they were winged birds, after absorbing the Power of Earth Abyss, they were destined never to soar, forever trapped beneath the clouds, unable to attain true freedom.

"..."

Xie Xuanyi looked towards where Cui Zhen was gazing.

Huge clusters of Shadow Crows took flight, sweeping over their heads.

The speckled shadows cast down.

Beyond the deep forests of this mountain range, further north, lies the Territory of Great Ape Mountain.

"Great Ape Mountain..."

Xie Xuanyi frowned and said, "The next person is in Great Ape Mountain?"

"Yes."

Cui Zhen nodded, his eyes showing a hint of coldness, his tone turning icy: "That ’monkey’ in Great Ape Mountain owes me a life. He should repay it."

...

...

(PS: This is a good cliffhanger for the end of this volume, "Mountain Peak" ends here. No breaks tonight, still updating, next volume should be the last one for this book and also the longest one.)