Chapter 8: The Azure Cloud Gate

  Collect red tickets, more is better.

  Qingyun Gate, located on Mount Qingyun, was founded by the first generation ancestor of Qingyun Gate, Qingyun Old Man, over 3,000 years ago. Generation after generation has passed down to this day. Although Qingyun Gate is not a top-notch cultivation sect in the Tianyuan Continent, it still has a place in the cultivation world.

  Wang Gan followed Zhou Qing and Yunlu, two disciples of the Qingyun Gate, as they traveled from the city of Mingfeng, traversing mountains and rivers, a thousand miles away, giving Wang Gan, who lived in an industrialized world on Earth in his previous life, a good taste of the ancient and primitive landscape.

  The mountains are majestic, the rivers are vast, the sunset is solitary, the autumn water is long and the sky is high. The various beautiful scenery is breathtaking, and it makes people feel relaxed and happy. Of course, in this world without skyscrapers or steel wheels, countless heroes and chivalrous men have performed legendary stories on the vast land.

  Looking at the mountain range in front of him, shrouded in mist and clouds, like a fairyland, Wang Gan's mind was deeply shaken. He yearned even more for the world of cultivators.

  "Is this Qingyun Mountain?"

  Unconsciously, Wang Qian muttered to himself, his eyes deep and hazy, like a fleeting illusion.

  "Not bad, Wang Qian brothers, this is Qingyun Mountain, and my Qingyun Gate is located in the midst of Qingyun Mountain. Since our ancestors founded the sect, generation after generation of our predecessors have been operating here. This mountain range, although it looks majestic and beautiful with floating clouds, contains countless powerful and terrifying formations. If an outsider enters, they will likely lose their way in a short time and be forced out of the mountain. If someone has hostile intentions, under the powerful formations, they will also be crushed to dust by the power of heaven and earth!"

  Along the way, Wang Qian and Zhou Qing's relationship also became harmonious. Seeing his shocked expression, he himself opened his mouth to explain, with a strong sense of pride in his tone.

  "Alright, big brother, Wang Qian was at most a Jianghu figure in the past. He has never seen such divine skills before. With us two as guarantors, he will definitely become a disciple of Qingyun Gate. At that time, he will naturally understand these things. Hurry back, I haven't seen my dad for some days now. This time, I followed you out without even saying hello, so you must put in a good word for me!"

  Yunluo at this time was no longer the kind of spirit that had no road, but instead became very obedient.

  Wang Qian secretly smiled to himself, all the way here, he already knew that Yunluo's decision to come down from the mountain this time was entirely her own doing. Now that she is about to return to the mountain, she is afraid of being blamed by her father and has lost her usual vigor and energy due to anxiety.

  "En, let's wait for him to come down from the mountain, I'll plead for you with Shifu."

  Zhou Qing's face was also solemn, and he obviously realized that his own master's test was not going to be easy to pass.

  "This Yunlu holds a not-so-low position in Qingyun Gate, his father is a Yuan Tai realm cultivator and also a powerful figure, honored as an elder of Qingyun Gate. Yunlu and Zhou Qing feel intimidated, which isn't unexpected. However, as long as I temporarily become an outer disciple of Qingyun Gate, my plan will be considered successful."

  Wang Gan was also secretly thinking about his own plan. From the beginning, he had a good impression of Yunluo when he saved the two of them, but more importantly, he wanted to establish himself in the cultivation world. Zhou Qing and the others were disciples of the Qingyun Gate, so naturally, the Qingyun Gate became one of his choices. Now that they were about to enter the Qingyun Mountains, as long as he could join the Qingyun Gate, he would be extremely satisfied.

  As he stepped up the mountain, he soon arrived at the foot of a precipice. King Qian's mind stirred, and he felt that the seemingly steep rocks in front of him had another mystery, like ripples on water, constantly fluctuating, and the void was faintly emitting vast spiritual waves.

  Zhou Qing held a jade plaque in his hand, and with a flick of his finger, he shot out strands of green true yuan. The jade plaque radiated a brilliant light, and the mysterious characters of the talisman seal faintly appeared. A pale blue glow illuminated the mountain wall in front of him, causing ripples in the air, and a doorway materialized before him.

  Three figures flashed, and Zhou Qing's siblings naturally used their subtle and mysterious light body skills. As they dodged and weaved, they seemed to be like a whirlwind of green clouds, floating and fluttering like the wind, with a speed that was astonishingly fast, and in the blink of an eye, they were already dozens of feet away.

  Wang Gan looked ordinary, relying solely on his strong physique, taking big strides, one step at a time, stomping on the ground, rumbling loudly, as if a string of bombs were exploding non-stop, but the speed was not slow either, with each step covering several meters, and the frequency of his legs was astonishingly fast.

  Zhou Qing listened to the rumbling sound behind him, his face a mixture of helplessness and amazement. He remembered the first time he traveled with Wang Qian, it was just like this, completely lacking in elegance, simply a rough and wild appearance. However, deep down, he was secretly astonished by Wang Qian's physical strength, which was simply incredible, beyond what could be described as divine or unparalleled.

  After a while, a continuous building appeared in front of him, all of which were exquisite courtyards with a subtle and elegant layout. Wang Qian secretly admired that this Qingyun Gate was like a paradise on earth, a magnificent country in the mountains.

  Along the way, Wang Qian saw one by one, wearing a green robe, some were practicing spiritual energy, some gathered together to discuss their experiences, and many courtyards had closed doors, with a faint glow flowing around the courtyard, with array patterns and symbols floating on top, apparently in seclusion.

  "What a great place for spiritual practice, with such a rich and dense spiritual energy, the scenery is so elegant and refined, it's indeed a divine craftsmanship, not ordinary at all."

  He couldn't help but feel a sense of emotion as Wang Qian followed Zhou Qing along the way, and most of the cultivators they met greeted Zhou Qing with a nod or a smile, calling out "Shixiong" (senior brother) this and that. As for Yunluo, where was the nervousness she had felt at the foot of the mountain? She was now like a proud peacock, strutting around with an air of confidence, as if inspecting her own territory. When she saw her disciples, they all showed her great respect.

  Wang Gan sighed inwardly, even in the world of cultivators, one's birth was still important. Yunluo, although her cultivation wasn't great, many disciples here were similar to her, or even stronger, but just because she had a good father, she naturally received different treatment.

  "Wang Qian, see that? I can be very fierce! From now on, if anyone bullies you in Qingyun Gate, just report my name and I'll guarantee your safety!"

  Yunlu smiled complacently.

  "Sister, let's go see Master first and then take Wang Qian to where the outer sect disciples are."

  Zhou Qing arranged Wang Qian in a courtyard and after calling out to him, left with Yunlu.

  He casually closed the distant gate and sat down beside a stone table in the courtyard, sizing up his surroundings while turning over thoughts in his mind.

  "This is the place where inner disciples reside, and the Qingyunmen disciples who can live here are at least cultivators who have entered the Xiantian realm. Compared to martial artists of the same level in the Jianghu, they are much stronger. However, I just arrived, and even with Yunluo and Zhouqing's connections, I could only start as an outer disciple. Now, I don't even have a single point of immortal true yuan."

  After a moment of contemplation, Wang Gan had a clear understanding of his current situation. First and foremost, he needed to establish himself among the outer sect disciples, find a suitable cultivation method, and then gradually improve his cultivation level. With his current undead zombie soldier realm cultivation, equivalent to the foundation-building period of a Xian Dao cultivator, having this trump card in hand meant that as long as he didn't expose himself in public, his safety was still relatively guaranteed.

  "With the 'Undying Classics' in hand, my starting point is already much higher than that of ordinary people. Even if the path to immortality is difficult, I must reach the peak and take a look. The universe is infinite, and its secrets are boundless. Even if I exhaust all my strength, I may not be able to understand it clearly. Let's just take things one step at a time. Maybe in the future when I'm strong enough, I can return to my hometown and take a look."

  His mind was clear and refreshed, and Wang Gan felt his own spirit becoming very lively.

  In this way, Wang Qian's emotions calmed down and he sat quietly in the small courtyard, not thinking or pondering, his mind tranquil, completely entering a state of emptiness.

  However, he didn't dare to practice here. Now it's daytime, the scorching sun is in the sky, and the fierce sun fire is burning endlessly in a distant place nine days away. He is still a zombie at his core, and as a corpse soldier, he cannot change between yin and yang. Practicing in broad daylight, if he accidentally triggers the sun's true fire, it would be enough to burn him to ashes.

  Moreover, this is the location of Qingyun Gate, and there are countless powerful cultivators here. For those old monsters who have reached the Nascent Soul stage, their divine sense is extremely strong, and if they are not careful, even the slightest movement in their cultivation will be discovered, and everything will be ruined.

  Half a day later, Zhou Qing returned, but Yunlu was not by his side.

  "Brother Zhou, where is Cloud Lu?"

  "Wang Qian, brother, Yun Shi's sister was left behind by Master. This time she rashly followed me down the mountain, and Master is very unhappy. To be honest, even I was scolded. However, Wang Qian, your matter is not a problem, Master has already agreed to let you stay at Qingyun Gate. But since you don't have any true yuan in your body, no cultivation at all, you can only start as an outer gate disciple."

  Zhou Qing's expression was a bit awkward. After all, Wang Qian had saved his life, but now he could only be an ordinary outer disciple, which made him feel a little embarrassed too.

  "Brother Zhou, where did you get this idea from? You brought me to the Upper Immortal Gate Sect and let me stay here to cultivate. I'm already deeply grateful for that. A person should know their own worth, and when I ask myself, I'm not some kind of extraordinary genius. Of course, I should start as an outer sect disciple. Every single disciple here has come up step by step like this, haven't they?"

  Wang Gan had expected this result and was also very satisfied, so he wouldn't blame Zhou Qing.

  "Alright, Wang Qian brothers, I'll take you to the outer disciple's cultivation place now. After receiving the identity jade card, from then on, you will be my Qingyun Gate's disciple."

  Zhou Qing pulled Wang Gan and walked towards another mountain peak.

  The bright moon is in the sky, silver light fills the ground, the dark night curtain falls, Wang Qian sits in a small courtyard of a thatched hut, gazing at the night sky, his heart slowly calming down.

  From this moment on, Wang Qian was no longer a lonely and wandering soul in the world of Tianyuan Continent, but a formal outer disciple of Qingyun Gate, although it wasn't an impressive achievement, he finally had a formal identity.

  He is now wearing a cyan long gown, with a cloud pattern embroidered on the sleeve, which is the formal sign of an outer door disciple of the Qingyun Gate. Now Wang Qian has a general understanding of the Qingyun Gate. The disciples of the Qingyun Gate are divided into four levels: outer door disciples, inner door disciples, core disciples, and legendary true transmission disciples. Outer door disciples are all postnatal realm disciples and cannot even be considered as cultivators. Inner door disciples are all prenatal realm disciples. Core disciples have reached the foundation building realm, and there are also legendary true transmission disciples who have reached the yuan fetus realm and are comparable to ordinary elders. Some true transmission disciples are even more powerful than most elders. These people are the backbone of the Qingyun Gate. Once they break through the Houtian boundary, they will have the opportunity to compete for the position of the gate master of the Qingyun Gate. Every generation's gate master must be produced from among the true transmission disciples.

  However, the true transmission disciple is too far away for Wang Qian. He is now just an outer door disciple, and his superficial strength, even among the outer door disciples, is a bottom existence, because he has not made any progress so far.

  "Tomorrow morning, I can go to the Transmission Pavilion to receive a cultivation method and try out my reincarnation technique. After being reborn from death, I wonder if I can cultivate the Immortal Dao."