Tai Mountain was renowned throughout the entire Great Zhou.
It wasn’t that Tai Mountain itself was special. Rather, three thousand years ago, a Martial Saint had risen to prominence and carved two words into a great stone on the mountain: "Strong Martial."
This stone thus came to be known as the Saint Sealing Stone, drawing countless Martial Artists to pay their respects, and Tai Mountain’s fame grew along with it.
"There was once a Sect in Shandong Dao that, priding itself on its immense power, tried to seize Tai Mountain for its headquarters. The move provoked public outrage, and the entire Sect was wiped out overnight. Ever since, no Martial Arts faction has dared to make a move on Tai Mountain. A place where a Martial Saint left his mark is not to be desecrated."
"Master, what Realm is a Martial Saint?"
"Realm?" He Qiaosheng shook his head, a look of reverence in his eyes. "Martial Saint *is* the Realm."
"Then Master, why did this Martial Saint choose to carve his words on Tai Mountain?"
"How could the likes of us ever hope to comprehend the thoughts of such a person? Some suspected that Tai Mountain held a secret, or perhaps that this Martial Saint left behind a hidden residence or a Martial Arts inheritance. Wave after wave of Martial Artists scoured the mountain, practically turning it upside down, but they found nothing. Now, most people don’t dwell on it. They simply come here on a pilgrimage."
"Of course, for the past few hundred years, there has been another reason for Martial Artists to come to Tai Mountain. The Celestial Sword Sect placed a Sword Inquiry Stone here to attract Sword Dao geniuses from all over Shandong Dao to test their talent."
At the foot of Tai Mountain, Lin Yan listened quietly to the conversation between He Qiaosheng and Jian Sheng, not interrupting his master and fellow disciple. He simply took in their words as he gazed up at the mountain.
The entirety of Tai Mountain rose sharply from the earth, its sheer face as imposing as a screen. Its overlapping peaks and ridges pierced straight through the clouds.
The mountain was a deep, dark green. From its base to its waist, ancient pines formed a dense, layered canopy, completely obscuring the rock beneath. Higher up, the pine forest thinned, revealing vast, greyish-white rock faces that looked as if they had been carved by a knife and hewn by an axe, perilous in their steepness.
Mist swirled around the mountain’s waist like a pure white sash, splitting it in two. The upper half vanished into the clouds, its true form hidden from view.
"Once we’re on the mountain, don’t get into arguments with anyone. And absolutely no fighting."
He Qiaosheng reminded Lin Yan and Jian Sheng. Seeing their confused expressions, he explained, "Many Powerhouses come to Tai Mountain, drawn by the Martial Saint Stone. Fighting here is considered an act of disrespect toward the Martial Saint. If a Powerhouse happens to be passing by when a fight breaks out, even I might not be able to protect you."
In Shandong Dao, He Qiaosheng’s status as a True Gang Realm Powerhouse was more than enough. The problem was that Tai Mountain also attracted many Martial Arts Powerhouses from other Paths. Those who could travel across Paths were, at a minimum, in the True Gang Realm—or even above it.
"Four years ago, an Elder from the Profound Celestial Sect in Deng State brought a few of his Direct Disciples to Tai Mountain. He happened to run into an old enemy, and the two came to blows right here. As a result, a mysterious Powerhouse sent them both flying with a single palm strike."
Hearing He Qiaosheng’s story, Lin Yan felt a chill. To become an Elder of the Profound Celestial Sect, one had to be a True Gang Realm Powerhouse at the very least, and an outstanding one at that. For someone like that to be sent flying by a single slap, one could only imagine the strength of the person who had intervened.
The three dismounted at the Horse Descending Pavilion. Lin Yan scanned the area. There were numerous stables near the pavilion, holding several hundred horses. And that wasn’t even counting those who had arrived on foot. Lin Yan estimated there had to be at least a few thousand people on the mountain.
Swordsmen made up the majority of the crowd. Most either carried a sword on their back or wore one at their waist. To Lin Yan’s relief, judging by their auras, most of these people were Skin Smoothing Martial Artists. There were some Blood Exchange Realm Martial Artists, but their numbers were small. It wasn’t so bad that Blood Exchange Realm Powerhouses were as common as stray dogs.
They were one last mountain hollow away from the peak. Before Lin Yan even rounded the bend, he heard a clamor of voices.
When he rounded the bend, the view opened up before him.
Tai Mountain Peak was a vast, naturally formed plaza of stone, dozens of acres in size. The ground was paved with bluestone slabs, their surfaces worn as smooth as a mirror by thousands of years of pilgrims’ footsteps.
In the very center of the plaza stood a colossal green stone, a hundred feet tall. Its surface was uneven and covered in natural grain, yet in the most prominent spot, two large words were embedded deep within it: Strong Martial.
The two words didn’t look as if they had been carved. Instead, it was as if someone had pressed them into the solid rock with sheer finger strength.
Each stroke plunged three inches into the stone, its edges as smooth as jade. Despite three thousand years of wind and rain, they showed no signs of erosion. The characters’ strokes were powerful and sharp, looking as if they might burst forth from the stone at any moment. A single glance was enough to feel an overwhelming, tyrannical aura wash over you.
’What a powerful aura!’
Even from a distance of several hundred feet, Lin Yan could feel an invisible pressure hidden within those two words, causing the Qi Blood in his body to churn.
He subconsciously focused his gaze, entering a state of Concentrating Spirit. Suddenly, the Martial Arts Tree in his mind trembled faintly. Its branches swayed and its leaves quivered as if drawn by some unseen Power. But after only a moment, the Martial Arts Tree fell still once more, returning to its tranquil state.
Lin Yan frowned slightly. ’This is the first time the Martial Arts Tree has reacted when I wasn’t in the middle of a breakthrough.’
’Could it be that the Martial Arts Tree also sensed the aura within the Martial Saint’s words?’
Just as Lin Yan was pondering this, before he could think on it further, a shout from the plaza snapped his attention back.
"I’ve had an epiphany!"
Beneath the great stone, among the crowd seated in meditation, a man in his thirties suddenly burst out laughing. Anyone with a discerning eye could sense his aura rapidly climbing as his robes began to flutter in a nonexistent wind.

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