I Have Come to Apply for the Position of Mountain King

Wang Hao stood beneath the mountain gate and looked up at the watchtower.

“Wandering Immortal Wang Xiaobai.”

“I’ve come to join your ranks.”

The One-Horned Brute atop the tower asked:

“What can you do?”

Wang Hao gave it some thought.

“The highest bounty order in the Immortal Realm has placed a reward of five complete Dao Fruits on my head.”

Inside and outside the mountain gate—

silence fell instantly.

Every Tribulation Immortal’s eyes lit up.

The One-Horned Brute slowly raised the greatsaber in his hand.

“Brothers.”

“Five complete Dao Fruits have delivered themselves right to our doorstep!”

Wang Hao rested a hand on the New Son of Heaven Sword.

“Not so fast.”

“I have one more condition.”

“What condition?”

“I want to apply for the position of chief stronghold leader.”

Before the gates of the Tribulation Immortal stronghold,

several hundred Earth Immortals fell silent for a full three breaths.

Then—

they burst into uproarious laughter.

The One-Horned Brute laughed so hard that tears nearly spilled from his eyes.

“First level of the Earth Immortal Realm.”

“And you want to be the chief stronghold leader?”

“Do you know what cultivation our chief stronghold leader has?”

Wang Hao said:

“Ninth level of the Heavenly Immortal Realm.”

The One-Horned Brute’s laughter abruptly stopped.

“You know, and you still dare come here?”

“Because he’s only a Heavenly Immortal.”

“Only?”

Wang Hao replied earnestly:

“I’ve killed one before.”

The bandits on the mountain gate laughed even harder.

Some clutched their stomachs.

Some repeatedly slapped the battlements.

One old immortal, left with only a single arm, laughed so hard that his head fell off his neck.

He picked it up and put it back in place.

“How many years has it been?”

“Black Mountain has finally had someone crazier than us.”

The One-Horned Brute raised his greatsaber.

“Wang Xiaobai, was it?”

“First, pay the fee to join.”

“How much?”

“One-third of a complete Dao Fruit.”

“I don’t have one.”

“An immortal artifact will do.”

“I don’t have one.”

“Immortal materials, then.”

“I don’t have any.”

“Then what do you have?”

Wang Hao pointed at himself.

“A bounty worth five complete Dao Fruits.”

The One-Horned Brute’s expression darkened.

“You’re toying with me?”

“I’m completely serious.”

“Take him down!”

Several hundred Earth Immortals charged out through the mountain gate at once.

Immortal light illuminated Black Mountain.

Weapons of every kind descended from all directions.

Wang Hao did not draw his sword.

He merely slowly raised his right hand.

“Heaven-Imprisoning, Earth-Overturning Palm.”

“First Palm.”

A golden palm imprint crashed down with overwhelming force.

The dozen or so Earth Immortals at the front were slammed into the ground at the same time.

The second palm fell.

Dozens of immortal artifacts veered off course.

Two flying swords even reversed direction, pinning their own masters to the city wall.

“Third Palm!”

The space before the mountain gate suddenly constricted.

More than a hundred Earth Immortals seemed to sink into an invisible swamp.

Their movements grew slower and slower.

Even the circulation of their immortal power became sluggish.

The One-Horned Brute’s face changed.

He opened his mouth and spat out a crimson Dao Fruit.

The Dao Fruit ignited.

His aura instantly rose from the fifth level of the Earth Immortal Realm to the ninth.

“Black Mountain Cleave!”

A blade radiance hundreds of zhang long split toward Wang Hao.

Wang Hao did not move.

He met it with the fourth palm.

Boom!

The blade radiance shattered.

The greatsaber in the One-Horned Brute’s hand exploded inch by inch.

His palm split open.

Before he could react,

Wang Hao had already appeared before him.

“Fifth Palm.”

The palm struck his chest.

The One-Horned Brute’s immortal armor caved in.

His body flew like a stone, smashing through three mountain gates.

At last, he was embedded in a black stone stele.

Wang Hao stepped into the stronghold.

The surrounding bandit immortals retreated one after another.

It was not that they had never seen powerful cultivators before.

But a first-level Earth Immortal blasting through the gates of Black Mountain in five palms was something they had never witnessed.

Wang Hao stopped before the One-Horned Brute.

“Can I apply now?”

The One-Horned Brute spat out a mouthful of blood.

“Yes.”

“Who’s in charge?”

“The Great Chieftain.”

“Lead the way.”

“I... I can’t move.”

Wang Hao glanced at the bandit immortals on either side.

“Carry him.”

Four Earth Immortals lifted the One-Horned Brute.

The One-Horned Brute looked utterly bewildered.

“Why are you carrying me?”

Wang Hao said,

“So you can lead the way.”

“Other people know the way too.”

“I don’t know them.”

“But do you know me?”

“I do now.”

The One-Horned Brute was even more confused.

The Immortal Bandits’ Stronghold was enormous.

The entire fortress had been built along seven black mountain peaks.

Iron chains linked the peaks together.

Countless immortal corpses hung from every chain.

Some had been dead for years.

Others were still struggling.

At the foot of the stronghold,

several thousand Earth Immortals labored in mine shafts, excavating black immortal crystals.

Slave marks were branded onto all of them.

Should their movements slow even slightly, the bandit immortals would whip them.

Each lash tore a wisp of origin essence from their souls.

Wang Hao cast a glance at them.

But he did not stop.

He was not the mountain king yet.

If he meddled too much,

he might be forced into taking the post ahead of schedule.

The bandit immortals escorted him all the way to the center of the stronghold.

A magnificent hall stood at the convergence of the seven peaks.

Before its gates stood a blood-red stele.

Upon it were carved the Immortal Bandits’ Stronghold’s three rules.

First:

Those who enter Black Mountain leave behind half.

Second:

Those unwilling to leave half behind, leave everything behind.

Third:

The mountain king is always right.

Wang Hao nodded.

“The third rule is good.”

The One-Horned Brute asked,

“What’s so good about it?”

“We’ll keep using it from now on.”

Inside the Hall of Brotherhood,

seven massive seats stood in a row.

Duan Tiantu, the Great Chieftain, sat in the center.

He stood nearly thirty feet tall.

His upper body was bare.

Different faces had been stitched across his skin.

Men and women.

Old and young.

Every face murmured in a low voice:

“Kill.”

“Plunder.”

“Devour.”

“Live.”

Seated on either side of Duan Tiantu were the other six chieftains.

The Second Chieftain, Yin Jiuzhu, was cloaked entirely in black, with only nine withered fingers exposed.

The Third Chieftain, Liu Hongyi, wore a blood-red gown. Her beauty was bewitching, yet she cast no shadow.

The Fourth Chieftain, Iron Buddha, had a body like an iron tower, eighteen soul-suppressing nails driven into his scalp.

The Fifth Chieftain, Bai Wusuan, held a white paper fan and looked like a mild-mannered scholar.

The Sixth Chieftain, the One-Eyed Daoist, had an enormous vertical eye in the center of his forehead.

The Seventh Chieftain, Tong Wuji, looked only thirteen or fourteen, cradling a heart that beat without end.

The pressure of seven Heavenly Immortals descended at once.

The floor of the hall cracked continuously.

An ordinary Earth Immortal would not even have been able to lift their head here.

Yet Wang Hao walked straight to the center of the hall.

Duan Tiantu looked down at him.

“Wang Hao?”

“Wang Xiaobai.”

“The Supreme Wanted Notice of the Immortal Realm says your original name is Wang Hao.”

“The man I used to be is dead.”

“Yet the bounty on you remains.”

“That only proves the Immortal Realm’s departments are incompetent.”

Duan Tiantu grinned.

The face of an old man stitched to his chest grinned along with him.

“You’re worth five complete Dao Fruits.”

“Why not turn yourself over to the Ascension Bureau?”

Wang Hao said,

“I can’t bear to part with myself.”

“Then why have you come to my Black Mountain?”

“To join the gang.”

“Why should I take you in?”

“Because the Ascension Bureau is coming.”

The atmosphere in the hall changed abruptly.

The nine fingers of Yin Jiuzhu, the Second Chieftain, trembled almost imperceptibly.

Duan Tiantu’s gaze darkened.

“You led the pursuers here?”

“Not led.”

Wang Hao corrected him.

“I delivered them.”

“What’s the difference?”

“Those you lead here are enemies.”

“Those you deliver are merchandise.”

Wang Hao raised a hand.

Bai Wuchen’s rotting Dao Fruit appeared in his palm.

The aura of an Enforcer of Laws from the Ascension Bureau spread throughout the great hall.

All seven chieftains sat up straight.

The folding fan in Bai Wusuan’s hand snapped shut.

“A Celestial Immortal Dao Fruit.”

“And one belonging to an Ascension Bureau Enforcer of Laws, at that.”

Duan Tiantu stared at Wang Hao.

“You killed him?”

“More or less.”

“How many people did the Ascension Bureau send?”

“Unknown for the moment.”

“And you still dare call them merchandise delivered to our doorstep?”

Wang Hao put away the Dao Fruit.

“Immortal-Robber Stronghold has seven Celestial Immortals.”

“And the Black Mountain Bewildering Array.”

“If you don’t even dare rob officials of the immortal court when they come knocking—”

“Then why call yourselves immortal robbers at all?”

“You might as well go home and farm.”

Iron Buddha suddenly rose to his feet.

The ground beneath him collapsed with a thunderous crash.

“Brat.”

“Are you trying to provoke us?”

Wang Hao looked at him.

“You could tell?”

Iron Buddha froze.

“You admit it?”

“The fact that you could tell means you’re smarter than you look.”

“Are you insulting me?”

“I’m praising you.”

“You’re clearly insulting me.”

“Then perhaps you’re not that smart after all.”

Iron Buddha let out a furious roar.

The pressure of a Celestial Immortal erupted.

The entire Hall of Brotherhood shook violently.

Immortal power began circulating through Wang Hao’s body on its own.

His right hand was already raised.

But Duan Tiantu suddenly laughed.

“Fourth Brother.”

“Sit down.”

Iron Buddha glared at Wang Hao.

In the end, he sat back down.

Duan Tiantu raised a hand.

A young immortal bound in iron chains was dragged into the hall by several immortal robbers.

He was covered in blood.

A black iron nail had been driven into the center of his brow.

Duan Tiantu said,

“If you want to join us—”

“You’ll have to offer a token of loyalty.”

“Kill him.”

The young immortal abruptly raised his head.

“I was only passing through Black Mountain!”

“I’m not from any of the immortal court’s agencies!”

“Fellow Daoist, save me!”

Wang Hao walked over to him.

The young immortal’s eyes were filled with desperate pleading.

“I ascended less than a hundred years ago.”

“My wife and children are still in the lower realm.”

“I don’t want to die.”

Wang Hao asked,

“Is that true?”

“It’s true!”

“What was your name in the lower realm?”

“Zhang Ping.”

“Where are you from?”

“The Azure Cloud Realm.”

“What is your wife’s name?”

“Lin Wan’er.”

“And your child?”

“Chen... Chen Changsheng.”

Wang Hao nodded.

“Those are all very ordinary names.”

Hope rose in the young immortal’s eyes.

“You believe me?”

“No.”

Wang Hao struck the top of his head with his palm.

The Stainless Kindling Flame burst forth.

The young immortal let out a piercing scream.

“You’ll die a horrible death!”

“Even as a ghost, I won’t let you go!”

Flames engulfed his entire body.

Yet his immortal body did not turn to ash.

Instead, it rapidly peeled away like an outer layer of skin.

Beneath it was a puppet made of black wood.

On the puppet’s chest was the insignia of the Bureau of Suppressing Abominations.

The great hall instantly fell silent.

The vertical eye on the One-Eyed Daoist’s forehead abruptly contracted.

Wang Hao smashed the puppet apart with one strike.

From its abdomen, he retrieved an Immortal-Scrying Mirror.

Within the mirror, the scene inside the Hall of Brotherhood was still reflected.

The smile on Duan Tiantu’s face gradually vanished.

“A skin-shedding puppet from the Bureau of Suppressing Abominations.”

Wang Hao tossed the Immortal-Scrying Mirror onto the floor.

“One puppet.”

“With acting that terrible.”

“And you interrogated it for so long.”

“The efficiency of Immortal-Robber Stronghold truly needs some restructuring.”

Duan Tiantu stared at him.

“How did you figure it out?”

“When living people lie, they feel fear.”

“It didn’t.”

Wang Hao said,

“It kept watching the positions of the seven of you.”

“As for having a wife and children…”

“I asked that casually.”

“And it made something up just as casually.”

The silver-haired youth whispered from within the sword,

“Master, what if it was telling the truth?”

Wang Hao replied through divine-sense transmission.

“Then we save them.”

“And if it was deceiving you?”

“Then this is how things are.”

The silver-haired youth suddenly understood.

“Master truly is kind-hearted.”

The Black-Robed Artifact Spirit said weakly,

“He had already prepared a third palm strike just now.”

“That was to save people.”

“Or perhaps to make them die faster.”

“Why do you always assume the worst of Master?”

“Because I am his dark side.”

“Then that explains it.”

At that moment, the Sign-In System appeared.

【Special location detected: Hall of Brotherhood.】

【Would you like to sign in?】

“Sign in.”

【Sign-in successful.】

【Obtained: Seven Emotions Mind-Disordering Incense.】

【Seven Emotions Mind-Disordering Incense: Colorless and odorless. It can amplify a target’s greed, fear, suspicion, anger, and other emotions. Effective against those below the Golden Immortal realm.】

【Intelligence obtained: The Hall of Brotherhood was built atop an ancient Fruit-Severing Platform. When the seven chieftains gather, the platform can forcibly strip away the source essence of their Dao Fruits.】

【Intelligence obtained: Every month, First Chieftain Duan Tiantu holds a Fruit-Dividing Banquet. Hidden within the Life-Bound Wine served at the banquet are Fruit-Eating Worms. Duan Tiantu has been slowly devouring the Dao Fruit source essence of the other six chieftains.】

【Intelligence obtained: Fifth Chieftain Bai Wusuan has already discovered the Fruit-Eating Worms. However, a soul seed planted by Duan Tiantu lies within his Dao Fruit, and he dares not speak out.】

【Intelligence obtained: At midnight tonight, Second Chieftain Yin Jiuzhu will open the Black Mountain Illusory Formation and usher three Heavenly Immortals from the Ascension Bureau into the stronghold.】

【Intelligence obtained: The head of Third Chieftain Liu Hongyi’s late husband is buried three feet beneath Duan Tiantu’s chair.】