Mountain within the Mountain

The interior of the massive peak was hollow! They stood at the mountain's summit, on a ledge barely wide enough for three people to stand abreast. Within the colossal volcanic crater, a sea of crimson fumes continuously surged up from below, only to be held back by restrictions and gather at the crater's mouth into a thick blanket of crimson clouds. The view deep within the mountain was entirely obscured by this crimson haze. Having arrived here, the Fire Jade Centipede grew increasingly agitated, but Qin Sang kept it restrained with a restriction, leaving it unable to stir. Qin Sang looked down, staring into the crimson clouds for a moment before asking, "What kind of magic treasure do you wish to refine, Fellow Daoist? And what can Fellow Daoist Xiang and I do to help?" Bing Han replied unhurriedly, "You'll understand once you take a look down below, Fellow Daoist Qin." As she spoke, she produced a Cold Ice Pendant and handed it to Qin Sang. Qin Sang took it and immediately felt a wave of coolness seep into his body. The character "Xu" was carved onto the Cold Ice Pendant. When he channeled true essence into the character, he immediately sensed a resonance connecting to the forbidden ground's grand formation, bringing an instant, refreshing chill. "The fire poison below is fierce; relying on the Cold Ice Pendant will save you a great deal of trouble." Having offered that brief explanation, Bing Han lightly tapped her foot and dove into the clouds. Qin Sang flashed forward in pursuit. He had originally intended to activate his fire lotus seed to condense a suit of fire armor for protection, but with the Cold Ice Pendant in hand, he held back for the time being to see how things unfolded. The two figures plummeted swiftly. Under the influence of the Cold Ice Pendant, the crimson clouds parted to either side. Qin Sang had heard that for Xuling Sect disciples, provided their cultivation was sufficient, the finest place for artifact refinement was the Mountain within the Mountain. Yet, throughout his journey, he had not seen a single soul. They plunged to an unfathomable depth. Ahead of him, Bing Han suddenly halted. Qin Sang pulled up short. He noticed that the crimson clouds had vanished, yet the entire expanse was saturated with an intensely pure fiery aura, so concentrated that nothing met the eye except brilliant crimson. "Is this the Mountain within the Mountain?" Following Bing Han's gaze, Qin Sang made out the silhouette of a mountain in the depths. In truth, it was inherently a naturally formed stone. Tapered at the top and broad at the base, it took the shape of a peak and matched the scale of an actual mountain—truly a Mountain within the Mountain in every sense. The stone mountain was crimson throughout, blending seamlessly into the surrounding fiery aura. Its surface was uneven and rugged yet devoid of sharp edges, seemingly worn smooth by the subterranean fire veins over time. Qin Sang descended slowly and looked beneath the stone mountain. To his astonishment, the space below was completely empty. Without any support whatsoever, the stone mountain floated suspended in midair. Closing his eyes slightly and sensing carefully, he realized that the stone mountain's suspension was not caused by restrictions or spirit formations, but was an extraordinary natural wonder. Subterranean fire veins pierced through the surrounding mountain walls and converged here, forming a topography resembling fiery dragons cradling a pearl. Such terrain was exceedingly rare, and the stone mountain was that very dragon pearl. Perhaps the stone mountain had once been merely an ordinary boulder. Tempered by the fiery aura over countless years, it had undergone a metamorphosis. The stone mountain had become nearly translucent, with a jade-like texture, appearing as though flames burned deep within its interior. Magnificent and dreamlike. This was nature's divine handiwork, and Qin Sang marveled at the spectacular sight. He found it rather strange: outside, he had clearly felt the tremors of the subterranean fire veins, yet this place was utterly serene. Bing Han darted toward the Mountain within the Mountain. "Back then, an earthquake struck the Xiaohan Realm, and our founding patriarch discovered this place by chance. Deeming it the finest choice for our sect's foundation, he established our sect here. That this mountain transformed into what it is today is partly due to heaven and earth, and partly the credit of our ancestral masters." As they spoke, Qin Sang and Bing Han landed on the mountain. At that moment, the Fire Jade Centipede's reaction grew even more violent—whatever was drawing it lay within the Mountain within the Mountain as well! Only then did Qin Sang finally sense the fluctuations again, coming from deep within the Mountain within the Mountain. The tremor was faint, beating rhythmically like a pulsing heart. "Could it be that inside..." A look of surprise appeared in Qin Sang's eyes. Bing Han nodded. "Our patriarch concluded back then that a miraculous fire spirit would inevitably be conceived within the mountain. The forbidden ground's grand formation was laid out precisely for this reason—to accelerate the fire spirit's gestation. Over the years, our Xuling Sect has constantly prepared for it, yet none of us knew when that moment would arrive or in what form it would manifest. Not until a century ago did signs finally emerge, originating from a core piece of fire jade inside the Mountain within the Mountain." "You intend to refine the fire spirit together with this piece of fire jade into a magic treasure? No wonder you require Fellow Daoist Xiang's and my assistance," Qin Sang said, having largely grasped Bing Han's plan. "Correct! The fire spirit and the fire jade share a symbiotic bond. As long as we combine them with other precious spirit materials during refinement, turning the fire jade into a spirit embryo and leaving it to nurture within the Mountain within the Mountain, it possesses the potential to give birth to true spirituality!" Bing Han nodded. "This fire spirit was born here and is inextricably bound to the Mountain within the Mountain, allowing it to easily manipulate the power of the fire veins. It will instinctively resist. The methods prepared by generations of ancestors proved of little avail against it. After long deliberation, I finally came up with a method: with the aid of a special spirit formation, it can just barely be achieved. However, it still requires a spiritual fire of exceedingly high grade—one that instills instinctive fear in the fire spirit—in order to suppress it with ease." With that, Bing Han turned to look at Qin Sang. "Across the entire Beichen Realm, there are several fellow cultivators proficient in fire-manipulation techniques, but the only spiritual fire whose grade surpasses that of the Mountain within the Mountain is the Ancestral Holy Fire of the Qingyang Demonic Sect. Fellow Daoist Qin's spiritual fire, based on its performance on Shengang Peak, seems to be a cut above even the Ancestral Holy Fire. Fellow Daoist Xiang Qing attempted it just earlier, but the Ancestral Holy Fire within him is still too thin to completely subdue the fire spirit. Instead, he was targeted by the fire spirit, which caused fire poison to enter his body and nearly led to disaster, forcing us to stop in haste. If both of you join forces, it should be far easier. Refining this spirit treasure holds monumental significance for the entire Xuling Sect. Fellow Daoist, you now understand why I demanded such a strict oath from you." Qin Sang nodded. So the previous fluctuations in the subterranean fire veins had been caused by the fire spirit's resistance. Bing Han and Xiang Qing had tried countless times and failed, leaving her no choice but to seek his aid. "What remarkable vision and resolve, Fellow Daoist! Once the spirit treasure is forged, the Xuling Sect will enjoy enduring prosperity. However, you mentioned just now that you intend to refine it into a spirit embryo and leave it here to be nurtured. Waiting for it to birth true spirituality and become a true spirit treasure will take who knows how many years; you yourself will probably never get to wield it, will you?" In truth, this wasn't necessarily the only option. Bing Han was a master of artifact refinement. If she found a way to incorporate the fire jade into her natal treasure, it would be much easier to forge a spirit treasure. Doing so, however, would benefit only herself. Furthermore, it was contingent on Bing Han having the confidence to break through to the mid Nascent Soul stage or even the late Nascent Soul stage; otherwise, the generations of planning by the Xuling Sect would be wasted. Bing Han gazed quietly at the stone mountain and said softly, "If the spirit treasure is forged and future generations of the Xuling Sect can benefit from it, I can smile even in the underworld, having lived up to the title of Sect Master." Qin Sang fell silent, feeling several measures more respect for Bing Han. Among the righteous sect masters of the Xiaohan Realm he had dealt with—Daoist Chongyi, Bing Han, and even Dongyang Bo—all possessed sufficient grandeur of spirit and selflessness for the sake of their sects. "Let us go see that piece of fire jade first," Qin Sang said. It seemed the treasure attracting the Fire Jade Centipede was indeed this fire jade. Bing Han's process of refining the spirit embryo would be of immense reference value to him.