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--- Chapter 277 ---
Han Yuan and Old Dragon unhurriedly made their way to the center of the Misty Mountain Range, arriving at a hidden peak among others known as Moon's Wine Peak.
Moon's Wine Peak was a place where the late Misty Mountain Sage used to stay.
"Why is it called Moon's Wine Peak?" Han Yuan asked curiously.
Old Dragon hesitated for a moment before sighing. "Misty Mountain Sage was a woman of great talent, and very few men could capture her attention."
"Even the most talented among them seemed ordinary in her eyes. Her disappointment led her to drink wine to drown her glooms. At night, the moon shines most clearly from this peak, soothing her mood. That's why it's called Moon's Wine Peak!"
As Old Dragon concluded this brief story about the Misty Mountain Sage, he couldn't help but recall some unpleasant memories. He shivered at the thought of it.
'Well, damn.' Han Yuan was genuinely surprised. He hadn't expected the infamous Misty Mountain Sage to be such a lonely figure.
Nevertheless, Han Yuan understood Misty Mountain Sage's strong pride as a talented woman who wanted a partner as capable as herself, if not stronger. Then, again, unfortunately, during Misty Mountain Sage's era, there were not many outstanding men who could win her love.
She is in a way similar to Queen Medusa. If Han Yuan didn't defeat Queen Medusa outright, she wouldn't be so infatuated with him.
"Do you know about Yao Chen?" Han Yuan glanced at Old Dragon.
Old Dragon raised an eyebrow and nodded. "Hmm, I know a little about Yao Chen. He is a talented Half-Saint and Alchemist."
"He belonged to the Ancient Yao Clan but was expelled due to his lack of Dou Di's bloodline. In fact, he was one or two generations younger than the previous master and was actually one of her suitors. However, she found him to be an eyesore and didn't like him."
"As for the reason behind that, I'm not sure..." Old Dragon continued. "I suspect the previous master may have beaten Yao Chen so much that he developed something."
"..." Han Yuan was surprised to learn of this fascinating history. Yao Chen had been a brave warrior in his youth. It seems that it's like a teacher, like a disciple.
They landed on Moon's Wine Peak and spotted a pavilion made of white jade, which faced the cliff and the sky. Old Dragon bowed several times as a sign of respect before leading Han Yuan inside.
Upon entering the pavilion, Han Yuan noticed that the interior space was noticeably larger than the building should be. "Huh, is this a work of spatial power?"
"Yes, Misty Mountain Sage had a high level of mastery over spatial power, which put her ahead of others," Old Dragon sighed, explaining. "Too bad, her severe depression and lack of motivation ultimately limited her cultivation realm, leading her to choose an alternative path."
"The barrier here is called a space-folding barrier, which can expand inner space multiple times while keeping the stability of the space within."
"It is not really rare, as Ancient Clans also possess similar knowledge, but Misty Mountain Sage used her own method."
"Space-folding barrier, huh..." Han Yuan recalled information from the inheritance he received from the system, which indeed mentioned such concepts.
However, he understood that mastering it required a level of spatial power roughly comparable to that of a Half-Saint or third-class god-level. Yeah, this level of mastery transcends mortal boundaries.
Han Yuan shook his head helplessly, following Old Dragon deep into the pavilion as he introduced many of Misty Mountain Sage's inheritance, treasury, and, more importantly, the barrier core that kept the whole mountain range functioning.
Looking at the massive piles of ancient Magical Beast's bones and magic cores before him, Han Yuan couldn't help but smile. "Damn, she is so rich!"
He chuckled inwardly, thinking, 'How many artifacts can I create with these bones? At the very least, I can raise the rank of Lightning Omen to Rank 8! Achieving Rank 9 isn't out of reach either!'
Han Yuan also confirmed with Old Dragon that the crater they were in, located within the Misty Mountain Range, was created by the fall of a supermassive meteorite countless years ago.
Furthermore, Misty Mountain Sage theorized that this meteorite fell due to a clash between two experts beyond the Dou God Realm.
According to Old Dragon, Misty Mountain Sage discovered this site by chance and turned it into her base. The entire mountain range not only serves as a reservoir for rare outer space materials, which significantly affect the energy of heaven and earth, but also makes the growth of medicinal herbs and magical beasts at least twice as fast and more concentrated at 'certain' points.
"Wait, metal..." Han Yuan felt a realization dawn on him. He turned to Old Dragon and asked, "Has Misty Mountain Sage ever found a special metal with immense vitality, as if it were a condensation of life force?"
"The metal should be emerald-green in color, right?" Old Dragon asked back.
"Yes!" Han Yuan's eyes gleamed.
After a moment of contemplation, Old Dragon led Han Yuan to a corner of the treasury, where a unique and unknown object was stored. He selected one of the sealed jade boxes and opened it casually, revealing a small pile of finger-sized emerald-like gems.
Han Yuan's breath caught in his throat. "Yes, as expected—Life Gold!"
"So many of them, too!" he exclaimed.
"Life Gold?" Old Dragon mused. "That's a fitting name for this heavenly treasure."
"The previous owner discovered these metals scattered throughout the Misty Mountain Range. She said these metals are the crystallization of heaven and energy, the purest life force. Unfortunately, she had no use for them because in her realm, Life Gold is not potent enough."
"For someone at the Half-Saint level, this small amount of vitality is too weak to help them reach a higher realm..."
"As for us magical beasts, this metal can indeed help us cultivate faster and purify our bloodlines, but its effect becomes negligible after a certain stage because it can't elevate our bloodlines to our ancestors' level."
"Well, we can also use these to heal our injuries, but some injuries are beyond what this little metal can assist with."
"At most, it can only suppress the injury."
Old Dragon chuckled, "The previous master said this metal is only useful to nourish young talents."
Han Yuan narrowed his eyes and sighed inwardly, 'As expected, reaching Dou Saint isn't so simple.'
"Do you have any use for this, master?" Old Dragon asked curiously.
Han Yuan smiled and replied, "I have a secret method that can utilize this metal as a catalyst to open one's spiritual sea."
"As you know, if you weren't a talented alchemist, formation master, or barrier-making expert, cultivating spiritual power or Soul Force is very difficult."
"Moreover, this metal is an excellent material for crafting artifacts."
"Spiritual sea, artifacts..." Old Dragon nodded in understanding. "Then, I hope these metals can help, master."
Han Yuan replied with a smile, "I will have a surprise for you later."
"If possible, can you look for more of them later?" he added.
"This old servant will follow the master's orders," Old Dragon said solemnly, prepared to search for more Life Gold later.
Han Yuan waved his hand, "Just look for it slowly, I become more and more interested in Misty Mountain Sage."
"Say, Old Dragon, I've observed the Misty Mountain Range, but I still couldn't detect where the Misty Mountain Secret Realm is..."
"Where is it exactly?"
"Ah, this?" Old Dragon chuckled in amusement.
"Well, follow me."
"Alright." Han Yuan followed Old Dragon to the underground area. He saw a long, decorated hallway, and under Old Dragon's control over the core area, a hidden mechanism opened a secret path.
Walking into the secret path, they arrived at a waterfall under the Moon's Dew Peak. However, due to the spatial barrier, this waterfall was hidden from the spiritual sense, all kinds of spying ability, and even divination.
Old Dragon smiled, "The secret realm, or should I say, the small plane lies behind this waterfall."
"Master, just walk in, and you will enter the secret realm."
"What's with that look on your face?" Han Yuan frowned, watching Old Dragon's amused expression. "Are you planning to prank me back after that trial?"
Old Dragon waved his hand, "Please be assured, master. I don't mean any harm."
"I can guarantee there is nothing that would harm you in the secret realm, I swear on my life."
'Well, let's see what kind of surprise is waiting for me...' Han Yuan still had his suspicion, but he still walked into the waterfall anyway.
Yet, once Han Yuan stepped into the waterfall, he noticed this waterfall wasn't a waterfall at all, but a wormhole!
Swoosh!
---
The world blurred, and Han Yuan found himself in an unfamiliar space, a vast meadow with nothing but grass.
"Ah, yes, gamer's greatest weakness..." Han Yuan caressed the grass in the meadow. "Ah, Old Dragon is really playing with me."
"No, he's not." A lazy voice brushed Han Yuan's ears.
"Who's there?" Han Yuan's eyes widened as he turned around, spotting an alluring woman in a loose yet revealing green robe.
She has fair skin, a beautiful face, which wore a lazy expression, a pair of light-blue eyes, and her long black hair was styled in a bun and ponytail that ran down her back.
She's the epitome of sleepy beauty.
The woman yawned as she stretched her charming body, "How long has it been, my inheritor?"
"Hmm, my head feels fuzzy, I've been sleeping for too long..."
"Y-You're Misty Mountain Sage?" Han Yuan connected the dots and said in disbelief.
She rubbed her eyes and giggled softly, "Well, if you're not dumb, it is not hard to assume that, I guess."
"I am the Misty Mountain Sage, Murong Yun, and my motto is to peak early and retire early. Throughout heaven and earth, only I am the sleepy one!"