Dong— Dong—
The resonant chimes drifted through the clouds, back and forth. As the center of the Three Thousand Worlds, the Five Divisions of the Primordial welcomed the dawn of a new day. The Sun Star ascended from the eastern sky, and the myriad stars faded from the firmament.
In the northwest of the Eastern Divine Continent, near an inconspicuous corner bordering the Central Divine Continent, a grand formation—smooth and silken as an overturned glazed bowl—enveloped several dozen emerald peaks.
Under the sunlight, the formation's barrier refracted a faint multicolored glow. Streams of qi, visible to the naked eye, drifted back and forth within.
Among the mountains, immortal birds and spiritual beasts frolicked in delight. Through the mist, a few silhouettes would flash into view, then vanish.
Wisps of smoke rose gently; strains of string music drifted down.
On open patches of ground beside woodland pavilions, many figures sat cross-legged in meditation or soared and danced through the air, composing a tableau of an immortal mountain.
With the morning light, a white cloud drifted slowly from the edge of the Eastern Sea, heading straight for the grand formation.
On the cloud stood two figures, one tall and one short. The tall one was an old Daoist with graying hair, who led a clever-looking little girl of about eight or nine.
The cloud drifted, and so did the heart. With the clear breeze as companion, what worry could there be?
The old Daoist began to sing:
"From Hongmeng's birth, Dragon and Phoenix's calamity, Ten thousand ages, a thousand eons, pass in a snap. No Terrace of Immortals, no Ascension Pavilion sight, Only the songs of Ninefold Heaven lingering in the night. Crossing men, crossing self, crossing the dark river's flow, Laughing at men, laughing at gods, banishing all woe. You ask why my heart to this homeland still clings— The bones of ancient sages brought fortune on their wings."
"Ling'e, listen well!
After the ancient War between Sorcerers and Demons, the Heavenly Dao elevated the Human race. Human qi-refiners gradually occupied most of the lands beyond the Northern Bearing Continent, spreading across the Three Thousand Great Worlds and countless small worlds. But the Southern Continent, being the seat of human destiny, restricted our entry and exit.
This place is the Eastern Divine Continent, one of the foremost cultivation grounds in the Three Realms.
Ling'e, look at those immortal mountains ahead. Are they not elegant and spirited, truly magnificent?"
The little girl nodded obediently. Her spirited eyes blinked softly, and her still-baby-faced cheeks carried a hopeful smile.
She replied, her voice like a young bird's first song—sweet and moving, yet tinged with a hint of timidity: "Mm, they really are magnificent!"
"To occupy a spirit vein in a place so close to the Central Divine Continent—our sect's strength is truly immense!"
The old Daoist stroked his beard, quite pleased with himself. In his pride, he even gave his fly whisk a flick.
The girl, dressed in a small lotus-petal skirt, asked quietly: "Master, then why don't we go occupy a spirit vein in the Central Divine Continent?"
The old Daoist was momentarily stumped. He gave an awkward laugh. "The Central Divine Continent has too many formidable figures. Claiming a spirit vein there would mean no peace day or night. It's better to be quiet and free here...
Ling'e."
The girl imitated the proper form, cupping her hands and bowing her head. "Your disciple is here!"
"Today, your master is bringing you into this immortal sect. From now on, you must cultivate diligently, never slacken even a little. Strive to achieve success soon—step onto the immortal path, seek eternal life, and attain the fruit of freedom!"
The girl tilted her head. "But Master... have you become an immortal yet?"
"Cough!" The old Daoist covered his mouth with a cough. "Your master made some mistakes in his cultivation in earlier years, but becoming an immortal is only a matter of one or two decades.
Come, follow your master into the formation.
You must remember, our lineage is called the 'Immortal Crossing Sect.' Our founding patriarch is the illustrious Master of Disaster Relief of West Kunlun, renowned on the current Immortal and Spirit Rankings. The lineage he passed down is called the 'One Qi True Heavenly Way'—a profoundly profound method of eternal life!
Have you remembered all that? This is your foundation from now on, never forget it."
"Mm! Your disciple remembers everything!"
The girl nodded very seriously. The old Daoist flicked his fly whisk, guiding the white cloud slowly toward the formation ahead. He also took out a palm-sized jade talisman.
The talisman emitted a faint green glow, and the mountain-protecting grand formation slowly split open a gap, allowing the old Daoist to bring the girl inside on the cloud.
No sooner had the master and disciple entered the formation than several white cranes swooped low through the clouds, carrying young disciples in Daoist robes and colorful skirts—the disciples on patrol duty.
They came forward to greet the old Daoist, addressing him as "Uncle Master Qiyuan." After learning that the girl was his newly accepted disciple, they gracefully departed on their white cranes.
The girl's big eyes sparkled, reflecting the retreating figures of the two graceful female disciples.
"Master, when will Ling'e be able to ride an immortal crane and fly through the sky?"
"Once you've cultivated the Five Qi within your chest, you can ride objects," the old Daoist Qiyuan said, stroking his beard with a smile. "What you see as immortal cranes are actually Dharma artifacts in disguise. Don't be impatient. Cultivation must proceed slowly.
Your master will first take you back to our peak and handle the various entry procedures.
Although our lineage currently consists of only three people—you, me, and your senior brother—we still occupy an entire mountain peak within the sect. That is truly a great honor."
When Qiyuan said this, a hint of pride appeared on his weathered old face.
But the girl's attention was not on "occupying an entire mountain peak" at all. She counted on her fingers.
Three people?
"Master, but there are only two of us here."
"Oh? Did your master not mention it on the way? Look at my memory."
Qiyuan looked up at the few white clouds drifting across the sky, then said lightly: "You have a senior brother above you. I took him as a disciple a hundred years ago. Now, well... he's a talent who can stand on his own. It's just... hehehe..."
The girl stood on tiptoe. "Master, your laugh sounds really strange."
"Ling'e, you must remember this," Qiyuan said, looking down at his precious disciple he had just picked up from a great world. His expression turned serious, his eyes held light, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to form two big characters—solemnity.
The girl was exceptionally gifted, quite clever, and had known etiquette and learning since childhood. Seeing her master so serious, she immediately perked up and listened attentively.
The old Daoist suddenly let out a long sigh, as if deflated. He lowered his voice: "Your senior brother's training... well, it also had a problem. He often talks nonsense and holds some heretical views.
You can seek his guidance on cultivation, but never, ever listen to his teachings on how to conduct oneself in life!
Your master will personally teach you about life and getting along with others."
The girl blinked. Though she didn't fully understand, she obediently nodded: "Mm! Your disciple understands!"
The old Daoist finally breathed a slight sigh of relief. He gently waved his fly whisk forward.
"See, this is our Little Emerald Peak."
Following the tip of the fly whisk, nestled among several towering peaks was a somewhat "underdeveloped" low mountain.
Unlike the scenes elsewhere in the sect—"carved beams and painted rafters hidden in the forest, flying eaves and pagodas topping the peaks"—this mountain was more rustic and simple, like a place rarely visited by people.
In the dense thickets, many rare birds and beasts could be seen. The only structures were two thatched cottages beside a small lake halfway up the mountain, along with several medicinal gardens nearby.
The old Daoist, content and at ease, guided the white cloud to descend directly to the mountainside, passing through another simple formation.
This formation only served to block external detection. Due to the rules of the Immortal Crossing Sect, only the forbidden area at the rear mountain had a protective grand formation within the mountain-protecting barrier.
They landed before the thatched cottage, and the white cloud dispersed on its own.
The girl's cloth boots stepped onto the dew-dampened grass—soft and gentle. The fragrance of grass and trees accompanied the clear breeze, making her unconsciously revel in the beauty of the lake scenery. Her pink little lips let out a soft sigh of admiration.
The mountain sunlight had just settled, and the small lake shimmered with rippling light.
Several spiritual fish leaped out of the water, their scales dripping with crystal droplets, as if welcoming the new little qi-refiner.
The old Daoist watched his young disciple's reaction with a smile and called out: "Changshou! Won't you come out and meet your junior sister?"
The girl instinctively looked toward the closed door of the thatched cottage, a hint of anticipation rising in her heart.
A senior brother cultivating in an immortal sect—he must certainly be a heroic, majestic, and elegant immortal, just like the heroes and champions in the legends she had heard since childhood who slayed demons and vanquished monsters...
But the thatched cottage remained silent, with no movement inside.
The old Daoist called again: "Changshou? What are you hiding in the house for? Embarrassed, are you?
Strange. His aura is clearly inside."
Muttering to himself, the old Daoist pulled the girl toward the thatched cottage and pushed open the two wooden doors. A strange medicinal fragrance rushed out. The old Daoist's eyes widened as he saw the source of the aura he had sensed—
A small paper figure placed on the wooden bed!
"Oh?"
The old man and the little girl suddenly began to sway, back and forth. The old Daoist's expression changed, and he yanked the girl back out, unable to stop himself from cursing:
"Damn it, it's Changshou's Soft Immortal Incense!"
The girl felt the world spin. Although her master was pulling her, she immediately began to fall sideways.
Splash!
The sound of water?
Just as she was about to hit the ground, the girl followed the sound to look.
On the lake, a tall figure was bursting upward. He wore only a pair of black trousers, his well-built and evenly proportioned muscles glistening faintly in the sunlight. His wet long hair flung two sparkling curtains of water...
The sunlight was just right. The young man's fairly handsome face reflected in the girl's eyes, making her little face instantly flush red.
But she had not yet begun cultivation and could not withstand the potency of the incense. Before she could fully fall, she completely lost consciousness, her little face still red.
Sure enough, it was exactly as she had imagined...
A heroic senior brother!