It loomed majestically and vast, the entire Iron Mountain Range stretching for thousands of kilometers.
The mountains were rich in ore veins, and mining pits and tunnels pockmarked the landscape, among which stood a mountain riddled with holes.
This was Iron Mountain!
The highest peak in the entire Iron Mountain Range, and the only peak within the range devoid of any ore veins.
At the summit of Iron Mountain, it was already a sea of people.
The Xu and the Hu families would engage in a decisive battle at the peak of Iron Mountain, with the loser becoming a vassal to the victor - a piece of news that had, with the Xu family's deliberate exaggeration, already spread throughout Iron Mountain City.
"Who do you think will win this battle?"
"Who else could it be? It's definitely going to be the Xu family. The Hu family has been in name only since the Iron Blade King, Hu Yi..."
"That's a pity, though. The Hu family has been good to us, while the Xu family is much harsher!"
"How dare you slander the Xu family? Seize him!" A commotion suddenly erupted from the crowd, and a few burly men, blending in with the crowd, immediately dragged away those who had been talking earlier.
They were brought to the central square at the top of Iron Mountain.
Xu Tao and Xu Shiheng had long been waiting there, and beside Xu Tao stood a young man in a golden long coat, disheveled and carrying a longsword on his back.
The two were chatting merrily when suddenly they saw five poor men being dragged up.
Xu Tao frowned and asked, "What's going on?"
The subordinate reported, "Your Highness the Princely Heir, these people were secretly insulting your father..."
"Kill them then!" Xu Tao waved his hand.
The muscular strongman gestured, and regardless of the desperate pleas of the poor men, beheaded them on the spot. As heads rolled, Xu Tao's voice rang out, "Hang their bodies in front of the square as a warning to others!"
Five stakes were erected in front of the square.
Each stake was over twenty meters tall, the bodies of the five men suspended in the air, their figures swaying in the fierce cold wind, a sight of utter desolation.
The surrounding crowd kept silent, only looking at those five bodies, feeling the wind blowing even colder through their bones.
"Brother Jin, I really can't thank you enough for coming all this way!" Xu Tao laughed, squinting at Jin He.
This Jin He was of the Tenth Level of Shentong Realm Cultivation, no different from Xu Tao.
Xu Tao's master was the Great Elder of the Nine Profound Sect, Jin Sheng, and Jin Sheng was Jin He's grandfather. This was the reason Xu Tao treated Jin He with such respect.
Jin He chuckled, "Junior brother is too polite. It was grandfather who asked me to come and support you. But now you have stepped into the Tenth Layer of the Divine Skills Realm; it seems my coming may have been somewhat superfluous!"
"What are you talking about, brother? Having you here gives me a real sense of support!" Xu Tao laughed heartily, speaking words like a breath of spring, making them particularly comfortable to hear.
"Tao'er, the people from the Hu family have arrived!" Xu Shiheng suddenly said in a low voice.
Xu Tao was startled and looked in the direction indicated.
The Hu Family's party was coming up from the base of the mountain, led by Hu Qingbi and Xiao Yi, followed by some of the Hu family elders and strong figures.
Their numbers were vast, nearly all prominent warriors of the Hu family had arrived.
"The Hu Family has come out in full force!"
"Considering it's a matter of life and death for them, it's no surprise they're making such a big move..."
Xu Tao was sitting boldly with a leg crossed over the other, his eyes narrowed to slits, completely ignoring Hu Qingbi as his gaze was fixed firmly on Xiao Yi.
The corners of his mouth lifted slightly, curling into a cold arc, "So this is the kid who killed my eldest brother and third brother, huh? Seventh Layer of the Divine Passage Realm? Hmph, I could snuff him out with a flick of my finger!"
Jin He also showed an indifferent expression.
Both the Nine Profound Sect and the Ten Thousand Buddhas Temple were powers second only to the Royal Martial Arts Academy, and they recognized all the masters of the younger generation on the Tianqing Kingdom's Heavenly Qing Dragon and Tiger List.
They had never seen Xiao Yi before.
Jin He's eyes sparkled as he spoke, "Xu, let's finish up the fight here quickly! I've heard that the service at Iron Mountain City's Misty Rain Pavilion is quite something!"
Xu Tao grinned and said with ease, "Why bother with Misty Rain Pavilion, Brother Jin? Once I've taken care of the Hu Family, I'll let you have Hu Qingbi for some fun."
"Hmm? Isn't that a bit much? She is, after all, yours..." Jin He's gaze towards Hu Qingbi was filled with greed and desire, yet he appeared to be in a difficult position.
Xu Tao laughed loudly, not bothering to hide it, and declared, "What's mine is yours, brother. Besides, she's just a woman. I've decided, tonight I'll have Hu Qingbi take good care of you!"
Jin He grinned, "Why not together?"
Xu Tao paused, then laughed, "Alright, let's do it together!"
These comments, when heard by the Hu Family, turned their faces iron blue, and fury blazed within them.
Hu Qingbi's chest heaved with intense emotion, her eyes cold as ice, "These two bastards..."
Xiao Yi patted her shoulder, "Don't worry, let them be smug for a moment!"
It was this pat on the shoulder that caused Jin He's face to suddenly darken. In his view, Hu Qingbi was already his plaything; how could he allow another man to touch her?
Jin He snorted coldly and pointed at Xiao Yi, "Xu, I really don't like that kid. Break his filthy arms and legs first!"
Xu Tao immediately stood up and walked towards Xiao Yi and his group, his gaze falling coldly on Xiao Yi as he arrogantly said, "Which hand did you just use to touch Qingbi? Cut that one off, and I might leave your corpse intact. Otherwise, I'll slice off your flesh piece by piece..."
Hu Qingbi's eyes widened in fury, "Xu Tao, don't go too far!"
"Shut up, you cheap woman!"
Xu Tao snorted and, raising his hand, swung it towards Hu Qingbi's face, "You are already a toy I've given to Brother Jin. You should be keeping yourself clean, how dare another man touch you? Go stand aside and wait..."
Xu Tao's voice stopped abruptly.
The hand he had lifted was firmly grasped by Xiao Yi.
No matter how much he exerted force, he couldn't free himself from Xiao Yi's grasp for a moment. Xu Tao's face twisted with a savage look as he glared at Xiao Yi, "Kid, you've wasted the only chance you had to keep your corpse intact, I..."
"What a lot of nonsense..."
Xiao Yi roared and swung his fist, aiming it straight at Xu Tao's face.
Behind him, it was as if a Wrathful Vajra stood proud between heaven and earth, and amid the chaotic gust of wind, Xu Tao's features were completely distorted, his handsome face was utterly disfigured.
With a muffled sound.
Xu Tao's body flew backward like a kite with its string cut, flat on his back, skimming the ground. The wind he swept up tore open the summit of Iron Mountain.
Like a vicious scar crawling over the mountain's peak.
He was flung more than thirty meters away...