Chapter Forty-Six: The Mist Spirit Mountains

Chapter Forty-Six: The Mist Spirit Mountains

Shen Ce never imagined the elder would take the map. He lamented inwardly but could only watch as the man departed, powerless to intervene. In his disappointment, Shen Ce caught sight of a slip of paper carelessly dropped on the floor. Unable to resist his curiosity, he quickly snatched it and stowed it in his storage space.

After retrieving the note, Shen Ce dared not linger. He turned to leave along another row of bookshelves, only to see the frail elder return! Shen Ce’s heart skipped a beat, realizing the paper he’d picked up must have caused trouble. He watched silently, praying that the invisibility of Sarlos’s cloak was strong enough to escape detection.

The elder’s eyes snapped open, sharp and bright, though the rest of his body appeared weak and withered. He scanned the surrounding bookshelves, frowning but saying nothing, then finally left.

Shen Ce’s heart settled at last. He followed the elder from a distance, hoping to leave the place together. Shen Ce reasoned that even if the elder couldn’t track him, he would surely suspect someone else had been to the ninth floor. If Shen Ce didn’t return soon, things would go awry.

Yet, contrary to his expectations, the elder remained at the entrance to the ninth floor, sitting down to continue practicing dark arts. Unfortunately, his chosen spot was so inconvenient that Shen Ce could only wait in frustration. He guessed the elder was testing his patience—if the enemy did not move, neither would he. Shen Ce had no choice but to endure.

Two hours passed before the elder finally stood, muttering to himself with a furrowed brow, “Is there really no one? It’s been so long; there should have been a mistake.” Shen Ce knew the elder was preparing to leave. He suppressed any impatience and quietly followed the man out of the ninth floor.

Unfortunately, the stairways in the library were fixed. Shen Ce worried that returning later than the elder would cause problems. Suddenly, the skill “Bound Together Across the Ends of the Earth” came to mind. For the first time, Shen Ce felt grateful for the official “Heaven’s Parallel Paths” couple skill. He swiftly performed the required gestures, and in the next moment, he vanished, reappearing on the sixth floor of the library.

Sarlos, seeing Shen Ce suddenly appear by his side, showed no surprise, instead offering a wry smile. The attendants, unable to see Shen Ce, remained calm.

Shen Ce exchanged a quick glance with Sarlos, then slipped into the shadows nearby. He removed his cloak and pulled out a book on herbalist alchemy from a shelf. He chose a reading spot three meters away from the elven queen’s group, who were approaching.

The leading official immediately recognized Shen Ce, hurried over, glanced at the book he was reading, and said, “You’re too absorbed. Hurry up and join us.”

Shen Ce offered a polite, somewhat embarrassed smile, replaced the book, and rejoined the group. Not long after, the white-robed elder appeared, sweeping a cold gaze over Shen Ce and the attendants, ignoring the presence of the elven queen, and questioned the leading noble, “Are all your people accounted for?”

Shen Ce’s heart tightened. As expected, the elder still suspected someone else had entered the ninth floor.

The noble, though good-natured, could not tolerate the elder’s imperious manner. He replied haughtily, “Our group has always been complete. There’s no need for your concern, master.”

The elven queen, her mood soured by the white-robed elder, shot him a sidelong glance full of warning, then waved her hand tiredly and said to the official, “I’m exhausted. Let’s end here for today.”

Shen Ce let out a silent sigh of relief and walked beside Sarlos. The two returned to the royal residence without a word, and the elven queen, evidently fatigued, went straight to rest, sparing Sarlos and Shen Ce further trouble.

Back in their room, Shen Ce set a barrier and told Sarlos everything he had seen and heard that day. Sarlos listened intently, his expression calm, his words incisive: “So you still don’t know how to reach the Demon Realm?”

Shen Ce sighed, furrowing his brow as he recalled, “Not exactly. I only managed to glance at the map for a moment. What I saw was a mountain with an unusually distinct color—the entire mountain was purple. If we can find it, perhaps we’ll discover a clue to the Demon Realm.”

Sarlos stroked his chin, eyes narrowing as he regarded Shen Ce with a hint of scrutiny. “A mountain entirely purple? Are you referring to—the Mist Spirit Mountains?”

“Mist Spirit Mountains?” Shen Ce repeated softly. He recalled hearing the name from Shui Linglong, whose friend was tackling a quest map there. Shui Linglong had accompanied her friend for some time; the quest monsters weren’t difficult but were extremely scarce, making them hard to find.

Sarlos nodded, a trace of doubt in his voice. “I only know the Mist Spirit Mountains fit your description, but they’re in the east of the Continent of Light. Could they really connect to the Dark Realm?”

Shen Ce could only smile wryly. “We’ll have to try—maybe there’s a teleportation array to the Demon Realm hidden within the Mist Spirit Mountains.” As he spoke, he remembered the item he’d picked up on the ninth floor.

He quickly took out the slip of paper from his storage space. He hadn’t had time to examine it in the library, but now, upon reading it, his expression grew solemn. “It’s actually a forbidden spell from the Light Priesthood.”

The elder’s strange demeanor had led Shen Ce to expect something related to dark arts. He was surprised to find the slip contained a forbidden light spell.

Sarlos, noticing Shen Ce’s voice growing softer as he held the paper, said, “Let me see.”

Shen Ce quietly handed the note over. Its contents had shocked him. Compared to this forbidden spell, his previous light magic seemed feeble and insignificant.

But as expected, forbidden spells exacted a heavy price—not something an ordinary person could bear. The spell, “Divine Imprisonment,” required sacrificing one’s own life as a medium to borrow power from the Supreme God, gaining destructive strength. Yet, using it meant the caster would die, often sooner than their enemy. Worse still, according to the note, the player's experience would be completely wiped, reverting them to level zero.

Sarlos glanced at the paper, his voice deep and cold, tinged with contempt. “Divine Imprisonment? Ridiculous. Sacrificing your own life—what’s the point, even if you destroy your enemy?”

Shen Ce pondered, finally agreeing. “Exactly. Forget losing all experience—even high-level players wouldn’t risk such a thing.” In “Heaven’s Parallel Paths,” dying once could cost four or five levels of experience; regaining those levels would leave one far behind peers.

Sarlos’s gaze lingered on Shen Ce. After a moment’s silence, he returned the note, saying blandly, “The elven queen will remain in the capital for four more days. We’ll head to the Mist Spirit Mountains then.”

Shen Ce nodded. Four days felt brief, but both he and Sarlos had to accompany the elven queen throughout, and time seemed to drag. Though bored, Shen Ce could only endure.

Four days later, Shen Ce and Sarlos finally saw off the formidable elven queen. They collected their rewards for serving as the elves’ hosts—reputation and gold. Unexpectedly, their couple affinity also rose, greatly aiding their use of couple skills.

Together, they set out for the Mist Spirit Mountains. Before leaving, Shen Ce consulted Shui Linglong about the area, learning that its greatest feature was the scarcity of wild monsters. Shen Ce was pleased—they were searching for a path to the Demon Realm, not grinding for experience.

Upon arriving, Shen Ce was captivated by the unique and eerie landscape. Flora and fauna were sparse, but the entire mountain was indeed purple, resembling a massive amethyst from afar—so beautiful it seemed unreal, though up close the bare rocks lacked charm.

The Mist Spirit Mountains were not tall, but their peaks stretched endlessly. Shen Ce decided to use the couple skill “Wings of Union” to soar above the mountains with Sarlos. Thanks to their increased affinity, the skill lasted nearly ten minutes. They alternated flying and resting, surveying the mountain range from the sky. The view was stunning, but they found no useful clues.

As they flew above the peaks, Shen Ce noticed one mountain stood out—the purple hue was deeper and richer than the others. Not wanting to miss any chance to reach the Demon Realm, Shen Ce resolutely led Sarlos down into that mountain range.