Chapter Six: Divided by the Enchanted Mountains

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(Today I had to go on a sudden business trip. It took me an hour to get home after waiting for the ferry. I’ve just arrived and the update is late. My apologies to everyone, I offer my humble respects.)

“With the Misty Mountain as the boundary, to the east lies the Spiritual Realm, to the west the Swordmasters’ Sect.” The old man, holding a chunk of tiger meat, began to map out the world with grand gestures, his words flying fast and loose. No matter how you looked at him, he seemed more like a street corner storyteller than a sage.

“To the south is the plain, home to four great nations, ten lesser kingdoms, and countless sects and clans of all sorts. The northern mountain ranges are the domain of the demons; that demonic tiger and the fox spirit both came wandering from there.”

“Misty Mountain is at the center of this world?” Zhou Yu straightened up, asking earnestly.

The old man gave Zhou Yu a puzzled look, thinking to himself, Could it be this kid really did ‘cross over’ from another world just as he said? How could he know so little?

“Are you truly from another world?” the old man finally asked, still finding it hard to believe, even though Zhou Yu had explained it all clearly a few days before.

Zhou Yu nodded. “What would I gain by deceiving you?”

The old man thought that made sense. He put down the tiger meat and said seriously, “In that case, stick with me from now on. I’ll teach you everything I know. This way, the Iron Sword Sect won’t die out, and you’ll gain the skills to survive in this world.”

Zhou Yu realized the old man genuinely believed him now. He immediately knelt and bowed three times respectfully. “Disciple pays his respects to Master.”

“Good, good, good! You’re a clever one, so let’s not waste time with empty rituals. From now on, as long as Iron Sword the Invincible Iron Man draws breath, no one shall harm you!” The old man took a swig of wine. “Even with a crippled arm and my old age, there aren’t many in this world who can best this broken-down old man.”

Zhou Yu stood, rolled up his sleeve, and showed the old man his watch. “Master, this is called a watch. It crossed into this world with me. It can tell time, but it also has other functions.” As Zhou Yu spoke, he pressed the red button. The watch emitted a green glow, forming a light screen.

Since the old man genuinely intended to take him as a disciple, Zhou Yu decided to reveal the secret. They would be together for a long time; if the old man discovered the watch later, it might cause trouble. Better to be honest now.

A petite girl in a maid outfit, the AI named Du Niang, appeared in the light screen.

“Du Niang, greet my master,” Zhou Yu instructed.

“Honored King, how can you take a mere mortal as your master?” Du Niang spoke aloud.

The old man jumped back in shock. “Where did this adorable girl come from? Hmm! No demonic aura, no human scent!”

Zhou Yu explained, “Master, this is advanced technology, a product of the civilization in my world.”

“What is advanced technology?” the old man asked.

Zhou Yu scratched his head. “Advanced technology... is just the lower form of theology. When science reaches its peak, it finds theology has been waiting there all along.”

“I get it, no need to make it sound so mysterious. It’s a formation, and this girl is the formation spirit,” the old man concluded, growing more confused the longer he listened to Zhou Yu’s explanations. High technology, theology—it was clearly just a formation.

That’s one way to understand it, Zhou Yu thought, and let the matter rest.

“That green light wave—is that also from this formation?” the old man asked, then continued without waiting for an answer, “But why does she call you King?”

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Zhou Yu didn’t conceal anything and told the old man everything from start to finish.

After hearing it all, the old man sat in thoughtful silence, staring into the roaring campfire.

“Master, you don’t believe me? Honestly, I don’t quite believe it myself,” Zhou Yu said, poking the fire with a stick.

“I believe you.” The old man’s words startled Zhou Yu. “It seems that rumor was true after all.”

“What rumor?” Zhou Yu asked urgently.

The old man lifted the wine jug and took a long drink. The wrinkles on his face smoothed, and his cheeks flushed with color.

“As I said, Misty Mountain is the world’s center. To the east, the Spiritual Realm; to the west, the Swordmasters’ Sect. These are the two strongest sects in the world, with the Spiritual Realm even more powerful. But the Spiritual Realm has always kept to itself. There’s a legend that the Spiritual Realm has been waiting for the arrival of a ‘god.’ If you’re not lying to me, then this must be it. Otherwise, why would it all fit together so well?”

Zhou Yu frowned. Things seemed to be getting more real by the moment. Could he truly be the reincarnation of the Asura King? He said, “But I have no reason to lie to you.”

The old man studied Zhou Yu carefully, then sighed. “Indeed, you’ve no reason to deceive me.” The matter was too bizarre, but the old man could think of no other explanation.

“It seems the only way to get to the bottom of this is to take you to the Spiritual Realm,” the old man said, reaching for his wine again.

Zhou Yu thought for a moment. “There’s no rush. We need to consider this carefully. What kind of place is the Spiritual Realm?”

The old man regarded Zhou Yu with growing admiration for his calmness. “The Spiritual Realm has the most powerful cultivators in the world, each with their own path, but all of them are strong. The Realm Master stands at the pinnacle of power. You’ll learn more in time. What I’m more curious about is, what have you been through? Why are you always so calm?”

Zhou Yu smiled bitterly inside. What had he been through? He was just an ordinary person, but with dreams, with someone he loved, and he had always worked hard. But one day, before his dreams could come true, before his effort could bear fruit, the one he loved turned away.

“I’m just an ordinary man,” Zhou Yu replied with a smile, pushing aside his memories to focus on what lay ahead. Was he really going to drift aimlessly? Or take up the mantle of Asura King, save the world, and strike down the gods? The temptation was real.

As he pondered, a thought struck him. He asked Du Niang, “If I really am the reincarnation of the Asura King, will Heaven send someone after me?”

Du Niang replied, “Honored King, it is not easy to come here. Only an SS-ranked god, with the assistance of five S-ranked gods, casting a joint spell, can break through the void to reach this place.”

Zhou Yu’s eyes widened. After a long pause, he said, “Last time you said that, I didn’t believe it. If it’s true, then whoever comes after me must be an SS-ranked powerhouse! What rank is he?” Zhou Yu pointed at the old man as he asked.

“C-rank, almost at the next level,” Du Niang replied. “For a mortal body, C-rank is already very strong. At B-rank, one possesses demigod power.”

“Give me more detail,” Zhou Yu pressed.

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“A-rank already holds the power of a lower god, though not necessarily a divinity. Only with a divinity can one truly become a god. S-rank is equivalent to a mid-tier god, SS-rank to a high god. Usually, those who reach S-rank already possess divinities.”

“What rank was I originally?” Zhou Yu asked.

“Honored King, your power reached the heavens; you could shatter the Six Realms and create a new world. You had no rank,” Du Niang replied.

“You expect me to reach that level in ten years? All while being hunted by an SS-ranked powerhouse?” Zhou Yu found it all preposterous. If true, it was an impossible task.

The old man interjected, “What must come will come; you can’t run from it. All you can do is try your best. Judging from what this young lady says, the Spiritual Realm must have A-ranked cultivators. Its Realm Master is probably near godhood.”

“Doesn’t that mean I should head straight for the Spiritual Realm? Maybe I’d live a few days longer?” Zhou Yu’s voice was tinged with frustration.

“Honored King, if a god comes for you, the first place they’ll go is the Spiritual Realm. So you must not go there now,” Du Niang cautioned.

Zhou Yu gradually calmed down and asked, “Just how powerful are gods? If one arrives, can they simply divine my location?”

“Even gods cannot do that. They cannot foresee the future. At best, they can sense their surroundings within a certain range. As long as you don’t get too close, they won’t find you.”

“A range?” Zhou Yu asked.

“It varies by the god’s strength. An SS-ranked god can sense within a thousand kilometers,” Du Niang replied.

Damn, if a god flies around the world, I won’t be able to hide at all.

“Ascend to the peak of Misty Mountain,” the old man said. “Only there can you temporarily avoid a god’s detection.”

Zhou Yu gave a faint, noncommittal smile. In truth, if a god did come, being found was just a matter of time. There was no escaping it; at best, hiding on Misty Mountain might buy a little time. But there was nothing else to do—he would just have to take things one step at a time.

A thousand miles away, a man carrying a large iron chest sat cross-legged in meditation. After a long time, he opened his eyes and shook his head. “Where are you?”

At that moment, a towering figure appeared out of the mist, looming like a war god. “Hand over the iron chest you’re carrying.”

The man with the iron chest glanced back, the faintest hint of a smile on his lips. “B-rank?”