Zhen Nan Prefecture, stretching three thousand two hundred miles south of Chuanzhong Pass, oversees twenty-seven counties. Within its borders, mountains and peaks rise in succession, towering ridges majestic and hills competing in splendor, with peaks and ridges meandering like dragons and snakes, amidst which the Golden Sand River roars through, muddy waves cleaving the mountains.
Once, this place was flourishing, rich in flowers and fruits, transported to various prefectures in Shu. Now, with the mountains covered in white, the forests dyed completely, it has become a desolate silence, with a thousand miles devoid of human habitation. The entire prefecture and its twenty-seven counties fell into the hands of Demons in the last battle. Countless commoners became displaced, and along the road north, scattered White Bones were everywhere, along with Demons and wild beasts who had fed on human flesh, roaming and ravaging the mountain forests.
North of Zhen Nan Prefecture, over forty miles away, there stands a desolate mountain over two hundred meters high.
The mountaintop is full of shattered rocks, broken woods, arrows buried in the crevices of stones, and broken Long Spears!
In the desolate and bleak snow, a half-shattered Black Bottom Gold Edge Flag stands obliquely, flapping in the wind.
Beneath the banner, a black crow stands on a sinisterly white human skull, pecking at the rotten flesh in the eye sockets with its sharp beak, pecking twice, then stopping, lifting its head, its yellow eyes rolling from side to side, with pupils like black thin lines scanning the surroundings.
Suddenly, with a swoosh, a sound of breaking through the air emerges.
The crow flies up in fright, cawing twice, ready to flap its wings and leave.
The next second, with a puff, black feathers scattered, and the snow on the ground bore several broken feathers.
The sound of wind blowing followed closely, and a silhouette appeared beside the banner.
The figure crouched down, looking at the sinisterly white skull, then extended a hand, brushing away the snow sand and stones beneath the skull, revealing the green Iron Armor underneath.
As more was brushed away, it appeared that the person was standing upright.
The figure then directly waved a sleeve, blowing away the sand-like snow below, revealing the complete form of this Iron Armor.
The Green Armor kneels on one knee facing north, grasping the Mountain-cutting Banner with one hand, leaning on a sword with the other, its belly ruptured by a bowl-sized hole.
And this banner is the Mountain-cutting Banner of the Fifth Mountain!
The Fifth Mountain, at the outbreak of the battle, defended Dingshan Pass with several mountains, later the Great Martial Vault Demon slew two Taichang Temple dispatched by the Court to negotiate in Ten Thousand Mountains, breaking Dingshan Pass, the Mountain-cutting Army fell swiftly, the Fifth Mountain also fought while retreating, exhausting its troops.
They perished here amidst the desolate mountains thousands of miles south, buried beneath the white snow and bleak dust, with no tale of their deeds, only spoken of their defeat, their fight concluded.
Iron Armor Cold Light remains, but the Fifth Mountain of yore is unseen!
A young sigh, revealing the depth of vicissitude and bleakness.
Then, the figure stamps the ground, the earth beneath cracked, burying the Green Armor beneath soil and stone.
Following this, he pulls out the Mountain-cutting Banner of the Fifth Mountain, plants it atop the small mound, then looks up, through the vast wind and snow, gazing far away, eyes brimming with Spirit Light, seeing the distant white sky, filled with torrential Demonic Qi, laden with oppressive terrifying aura.
Silver-haired, with Divine Light flowing, clad in white, gazing upon the torrential Demonic Qi afar, his gaze flickering urgently.
There, in the conquered Zhen Nan Prefecture Pass by the Demons!
His last training halted here, but this time, he intends to venture into this Demon Cave.
A few days ago, Chuanzhong Pass urgently announced a reward for investigating the situation of the Demon’s Transmission Array, presumably an urgent matter, and he accepted the post...
Of course, he is not the only one here this time.
As Zhao Quanzhen’s thoughts swirl, two silhouettes slowly coalesce in the air beside him.
One clad in hemp garments, whose hair is white like a crane, Immortal Form Bone; the other with black and white interspersed hair, a wooden hairpin inserted, clad in black feather robes with white lining underneath, retaining a tuft of beard on the chin, face resembling a sleeping silkworm, holding a Jade Ruyi, with eyes exuding an innate authority.
The two are Zhao Quanzhen’s teacher, Ling Yunzi, and his master uncle, Yangshan, one of the Eight Great Mountain People of Enlightenment Mountain!
Ling Yunzi and Yangshan bowed their heads, gazing at the small grave mound before them, their expressions carrying traces of loneliness.
"The gentleman is buried beneath the spring mud, the bones consumed; I am betrothed to the world with snow covering my head."
"This verse crafted by predecessors indeed feels similarly poignant."
"I did not expect the war between Shu and the Demons to be so brutal; if one doesn’t personally experience it, merely hearing those words, it’s hard to fully comprehend. Those old fellows in Grotto Heaven Blessed Land should come watch, they have enjoyed the carefree life enough, it’s time to come out."
Yangshan hung his brows lowly, his tone imbued with some sighs and emotion, speaking as he looked upon the grave mound before him,
"Are these also Mountain-cutting Army?"
"Yes!" Zhao Quanzhen muffled a response from his nose, then gazed at the flapping half-banner in the wind, solemnly said, "This is the Fifth Mountain’s Mountain-cutting Banner; this Mountain-cutting Army has already exhausted itself in previous battles."
"And there’s the Second Mountain, Eighth Mountain, Tenth Mountain, Eleventh..."
Zhao Quanzhen has trained on the front lines for a while, knowing and remembering these reports, because during his training journey stretching two thousand three hundred li outside Chuanzhong Pass, what struck him immensely were these Mountain-cutting Army soldiers’ remains, many soldiers in life fought tooth and nail against Demons, perishing in mutual destruction.
And he also engaged with the Ninth Mountain Army in the tail of the last battle, the blood courage of these Mountain-cutting Army soldiers imparted him, a secluded cultivator from deep mountains, immense impact.