Ever since the Stone Emperor declared his presence to the world, the spiritual mountain he possessed had stood suspended high above the Battlefield of Gods and Demons, exuding divine brilliance day and night. Divine rays streamed outward in waves, and auspicious clouds rolled endlessly.
Though called a mountain, it wasn't just a simple peak.
It was a central main peak, surrounded by eight floating islands orbiting in the air. These eight islands encircled and complemented the central peak, enhancing its towering majesty and otherworldly beauty as it pierced the skies.
From above, one could see the central peak and the surrounding space of a thousand miles arranged in a peculiar, irregular bagua (eight-trigram) formation, all suspended in the air. If the main peak could float, then of course the other islands could as well. Like stars orbiting a celestial body, the eight floating islands revolved around the peak.
Eight immense ribbons of waterfalls cascaded from the main peak to the surrounding islands, pouring down with a momentum like the Milky Way descending from the heavens. These waterfalls weren't real water—they were liquefied heaven-and-earth spiritual energy, creating a magnificent waterfall illusion. As the energy struck the floating islands, it stirred up waves of divine light that rose in reverse flow, enveloping the main peak in radiant glow. The scene was dazzling and dreamlike—words could barely do it justice.
This spiritual mountain was like an immortal's dwelling, a true wonder that stirred awe and longing.
The heaven-and-earth energy, condensed into liquid, descended like divine nectar, nourishing the vast orchards on the islands. Each drop of falling energy was rich in vitality, transforming into sweet spiritual dew that fed countless rare and exotic fruits.
What was most astonishing was that each of the eight floating islands was not ordinary land—they were Fruit Mountains, each cultivating a different species of spiritual fruit.
On one island grew peach trees. Yes, it was a massive peach orchard, with countless peach trees in bloom, vibrant with pink blossoms. The dense petals produced a pinkish mist—the infamous Peach Blossom Miasma. This wasn't ordinary fog, but a highly toxic, aphrodisiacal poison that could only form after many years in a dense peach grove. It was intoxicatingly beautiful and dangerously seductive. Even powerful cultivators could fall prey to its effects.
Yet within the peach flowers, one could see many huge spiritual peaches, some already ripe, others still green. This seemingly defied the natural cycle of seasons—but for spiritual trees, such irregularity was entirely normal.
At the center of the peach grove stood a single colossal peach tree, ancient and towering, its roots tangled and its canopy lush. The spiritual peaches it bore radiated waves of divine light, shimmering like ripples in water—clearly not ordinary fruit. Their aura and vitality far surpassed typical spiritual herbs.
On a second island grew mulberry trees, heavy with dense leaves and clusters of red, black, and deep purple spiritual mulberries, glistening and fragrant enough to make anyone's mouth water. Each was clearly imbued with powerful essence.
At the center of the mulberry grove was also a giant mulberry tree, its fruit even larger and more potent than the rest.
The third island held plum trees, whose fruits were equally alluring. The fourth was covered with grape vines, bearing rosy pink grapes that sparkled invitingly in the sun—tempting enough to pluck and savor immediately.
The fifth island was home to pear trees, their flowers blooming profusely, filling the air with intoxicating aroma. As the saying goes, a single pear blossom can overshadow even crabapples—the beauty of the bloom was beyond compare.
The sixth island featured apple trees, their fruits a unique sky blue, reminiscent of the ocean—unusual yet not unpleasant.
The seventh was filled with banana trees, their golden-yellow fruit ripe and fragrant.
The eighth island shone with fiery red jujube trees, their fruit like clusters of tiny flames, vibrant and pleasing to the eye.
Each of the eight islands cultivated one type of fruit. Together, they formed the Eight Spiritual Fruits, and many were already ripening.
At this moment, numerous young women in palace robes weaved through the orchards, each carrying fruit baskets. They moved in groups, laughing like tinkling bells.
"Sisters, let's hurry up! Lord Stone Emperor is preparing to host a grand banquet for the geniuses of all races on the battlefield. The banquet's name will be the Rare Fruit Banquet, and these spiritual fruits are the most important treasures of the feast!"
"Indeed! The Eight Spiritual Fruits of Duxiu Peak are no ordinary delicacies. Take the spiritual peaches, for example—they're incredibly precious Longevity Peaches, called Ten-Thousand-Year Longevity Peaches. Most aren't the true ten-thousand-year kind, but even the common ones can increase life span by a hundred years—called Hundred-Year Longevity Peaches. There are also Thousand-Year Longevity Peaches. As for the true Ten-Thousand-Year variety, only the Peach King Tree can bear those. Just one peach can add ten thousand years of life!"
"It's true. The supply is extremely limited. According to Lord Stone Emperor's instructions, only three of the true longevity peaches will be picked for the banquet—no more, no less. One is obviously reserved for the lord himself, but who will receive the other two? That remains to be seen."
These girls were no ordinary humans. In fact, they weren't human at all.
They were Flower Spirits, a race that had long lived in the spiritual mountain. They had once slumbered in stillness but began to awaken once the mountain accepted a master. Now they thrived happily across the Fruit Mountains.
They skipped joyfully among the orchards, immune to the toxic miasma of the peach groves.
"So many geniuses will attend the banquet... With so few supreme fruits, this is bound to spark contention," one Flower Spirit said cheerfully. "And don't forget the Flame Jujubes in the jujube grove—they're also longevity fruits! While not as potent as the peaches, they're far more plentiful. Each one grants a year of extra life, though only one per day can take effect. Still, the sheer quantity makes them precious."
"Even better, the Jujube King fruit can add a hundred years of lifespan. But just like the peaches, Lord Stone Emperor has only authorized three sets, each with ten fruits. No more, no less."
This was clearly a method of stratification—only three top-tier feasts would be served. Who got to enjoy them and who didn't would become a matter of pride, rivalry, and potential conflict. Between proud geniuses, no one easily yields. It was inevitable that the banquet would become a battleground. One could even say that the Stone Emperor never intended for the banquet to be peaceful.
"Let's move. Though it's a Rare Fruit Banquet and needs no extravagant dishes, the Eight Treasure Wine we've been brewing still needs to be prepared. It's been aging deep within the mountain, and now it's time to bring it out. We can't afford to make any mistakes."
This spiritual mountain was known as Duxiu Peak—Peerless Peak.
The main peak was not only precipitous and magnificent but also exuded a kind of unrivaled elegance, as if it alone stood supreme among all mountains.
What made it truly a spiritual mountain was the innate spiritual vein within it—an innate (pre-natal) spiritual meridian, incredibly powerful. It drew in heaven-and-earth energy so densely that the aura turned to liquid, forming waterfalls that nourished the eight orchards.
The energy here wasn't post-natal spiritual energy—it was pure innate energy, concentrated and abundant. In such an environment, even a pig could become a spirit beast if it slept here for a century.
This was a supreme cultivation sanctuary—a place where progress was a thousand times faster. With an innate spiritual vein drawing in divine energy, this was also a land attuned to natural laws and Dao resonance, making enlightenment much easier.