Chapter 1: Climbing the Mountain to Pay Respects (Part 1)

  In the sky, two figures stood thousands of miles apart, gazing at each other. One of them had his feet on a seven-colored auspicious cloud, and his entire body was constantly emitting soft golden light. He looked to be in his twenties, with a solemn expression, an upright posture, and a faint aura surrounding him.

  Another figure was in stark contrast, his feet treading on dark clouds, wearing a black robe, with a crimson cloak floating gently behind him. He looked to be in his thirties or forties, with a face full of ferocity.

  The young man said faintly: "Since I've seen you today, we should make a clean break between us."

  The middle-aged man snorted and said: "Since you want to die, then Ben Zong will fulfill your wish."

  Although separated by thousands of miles, it cannot hinder their voices in the slightest.

  Golden light and dark red blood light lit up at the same time, colorful auspicious clouds and dark clouds approached like lightning.

  "Boom——"

  The golden light suddenly became so dazzling, and in an instant, tens of millions of rays of colored light burst forth.

  "Ah! Impossible, you, how could you... Did you already...?" The middle-aged man's voice was filled with terror.

  "Not bad, you guessed it. Heaven and earth, only I am the lone immortal. Go die." Thousands of rays of light merged with golden light into a single, mighty force that suddenly departed...

  "Don't"

  …………

  The sun was high in the sky, emitting its scorching rays. It was a sweltering summer noon, and the dry earth had lost all its moisture. Even a gentle breeze would stir up clouds of dust, making it hard to breathe. "Damn this weather, it's so hot I'm going to die," a young voice exclaimed in frustration. By the side of the dirt road, under a big tree, sat two half-naked boys, leaning against the trunk and dozing off in the shade. The boy who spoke was older, about eight or nine years old, with a slender build, yellowish skin, high nose bridge, small eyes, and a messy mop of short hair like dry grass. Sweat dripped from his forehead and temples, and his face looked impatient.

  "Dragon brother, don't complain, this weather isn't something we can control. As the saying goes, 'a calm mind is naturally cool'. But I really hope it rains heavily now and takes away some of the sweltering air." The speaker was a boy who was slightly younger than the mischievous boy with messy hair, and he looked much more handsome than him. He had a clean white shirt draped over his shoulders, fair skin, big eyes, double eyelids, and neatly combed black hair that fell to the back of his head. He was about 7 or 8 years old, slightly shorter than the other boy.

  The big brother glanced at the mischievous child and snorted, saying: "Alright, Douya, don't speak so eloquently, it sounds awkward. Your family's condition isn't great either, but you still insist on crying every day to go to school. What's the use of going to school in this godforsaken place? I think you'd be better off coming with me to chop firewood, that way we can also earn some extra money for your family." These two children were from nearby villages. The big brother's name was Hailong, and his parents had passed away when he was very young, leaving him only a thatched hut that couldn't keep out the rain in summer or the wind in winter. He had to rely on the kindness of some villagers to survive. Now, he made a living by chopping firewood every day, exchanging it with villagers for food. The mischievous child he called Douya was from the same village, named Zhang Hua, and they grew up together as the best of playmates. Zhang's family condition wasn't much better than Hailong's; his parents could barely make ends meet by farming a small plot of land next to the village. Children from poor families like theirs matured very early, even though they were not yet ten years old, but they always tried to act like adults, even imitating the way adults spoke.

  After hearing what Hai Long said, Zhang Huan, who had previously been elegant and refined, suddenly revealed his true nature, chuckling: "Dragon brother, how can I be compared to that old bookworm? Let me show off my literary skills a bit, it's the only way to display my level! Chopping firewood? No way, you know I'm the laziest person around. Besides eating and sleeping, I don't want to do anything else."

  Brother Long slapped Zhang Hua on the head and scolded with a smile: "I knew you were like this. What's the point of learning more things, it's clearly an excuse for not wanting to do farm work. I think, the characters you recognize may not be more than a few dozen compared to me. If we brothers add up, the characters as big as a watermelon can probably fill a basket."

  Zhang Hao slightly angrily said: "If you knock on my head again, I'll get angry with you. I have great ambitions, although being lazy is a major goal."

  Hailong chuckled and approached Zhang Hua, under Zhang's vigilant gaze, he knocked him on the head again, this time with more force. Zhang Hua let out a loud cry, pounced forward, and the two of them wrestled each other to the ground amidst their coarse language. Hailong was clearly stronger than Zhang Hua, and in no time at all, he pinned him down, chuckling: "Admit defeat!"

  Zhang Hao was defeated, but he refused to concede verbally. He snorted and said with a hint of resentment: "It's too hot outside, I let you win because I didn't want you to get heatstroke. Can't you see that?"

  "Hmph." The dragon king pushed Zhang Huan aside, wiped the sweat from his head, and sat down under a big tree, saying: "You little guy always has something to say. It's too hot, I won't bother with you anymore. By the way, earlier you said you had great ideals, what are they? Tell me, let me hear, how far-reaching is your ideal..."

  Zhang Hao said with a smile: "My ideal is of course very far-reaching." The mysterious approached Hai Long and whispered: "Boss, do you still remember the story about the immortal that Uncle Sun from the village told? I have accurate news."

  Hai Long was startled, sat up straight and opened his mouth. The Sun Grandfather in Zhang Huan's mouth was the storytelling king of the village, often telling strange and bizarre stories to amuse the children, among which one about immortals was the most attractive to them. Hai Long looked at Zhang Huan with a weird expression: "You little devil, are you out of your mind? That's impossible! Who can fly?"

  Zhang Hao said: "How can there not be? It must be true. My dream is to learn how to fly like those immortals, and when that happens, won't the sky and earth be ours to roam freely? About a year ago, two people dressed in luxurious clothes came to our village on horseback, they seemed to have come from afar and happened to stop by our house for a drink. As you know, my dad is very hospitable, so he treated them with great courtesy. I was sleeping at home that day, but when I heard there were outsiders, I ran out to take a look. Coincidentally, I overheard their conversation. Before, I didn't believe in the existence of immortals either, but after hearing what they said, I realized it's actually true! They said that in Lianyun Mountain, about 100 miles away from here, there is a certain sect where some immortals live, and this time they came to pay their respects. That sect has many immortals who can fly! Listening to the longing tone of those two people, it must be true!"

  Hearing Zhang Huan say this, Hai Long suddenly became spirited and widened his eyes, saying: "Really? Really? Are there really immortals?"

  "Of course it's true. Those two outsiders also said that this sect recruits disciples every five years, and it seems like there aren't any special requirements - as long as you can recognize characters, that's enough. There isn't even an age limit! If I could become a god, that would be great! Whatever I want to eat or drink, I can just conjure it up with a wave of my hand - heh heh, that kind of life is most suitable for someone like me who loves to eat and is lazy. Little Bug, now you know why I went to learn how to write from Old Scholar, right?"

  Hailong was stunned by Zhanghao's words, and he didn't even notice when Zhanghao called him the nickname he hated the most. He had never thought that Zhanghao's ideals would be so grand.

  Zhang Huan looked at the stunned expression on Hai Long's face and felt even more pleased with himself. He patted Hai Long's shoulder and said, "Little bug, this is my secret, you know. If it weren't for the fact that you're my best brother, I wouldn't have told you. How about it? From now on, let's go learn to read together. In four years, when you're thirteen and I'm twelve, we can go to that certain sect together to become apprentices. Who knows, after a few years of studying the arts, we might be able to return home in glory! When I get back to the village, I'll turn into a mountain of gold for my parents, and let them enjoy some happiness too." Thinking about this made Zhang Huan burst out laughing.

  The dragon blinked and muttered, "If we go there to pay our respects, will they feed us? As long as I can eat my fill, I'll go with you." How could he not yearn for the legendary gods?

  "Of course, we'll have a good meal, and it's only right that we should eat well. Didn't Grandpa Sun say that immortals all eat ambrosia and drink jade dew? Come learn characters with me. When we both become immortals, even becoming an emperor won't be impossible!"

  Hai Long rubbed his head and said, "Isn't it four years later? Let's talk about it. I don't believe in such vague things." He said this because he was looking at Zhang Hua's complacent expression and felt annoyed in his heart, but actually he had already believed a little.

  Zhang Hao said with a smile, "You let me waste so much saliva, I knew you didn't have any great ambitions. Even if you and I went together, I'm afraid they would only take me and not pay attention to you."

  "Damn it, what are you talking about? I'm not as good as you? Apart from looks, in what way am I inferior to you? Hmph, that little white face of yours is nothing special. Isn't it just going to learn from a master? Fine, I'll go with you, and we'll see who gets rejected in the end! Tomorrow morning, after I chop firewood, we'll go together to learn how to write, I'm the smartest person in the whole village."

  Zhang Haixin secretly smiled to himself, having grown up together since childhood, he naturally understood that Hai Long's competitive personality was the most unbearable when provoked. He put his arm around Hai Long's shoulder and shook off the mud-stained clothes, chuckling: "Alright, let's go, the smartest person in the whole village is coming to my house. Yesterday, Uncle Li brought some sweet potatoes, today you'll have something to eat."

  The dragon was clearly more interested in the sweet potatoes than in the immortal, and his small eyes shone brightly. "Wow, there's sweet potatoes to eat, great! These days I've been eating bran until my poop is almost dry. Finally can improve life, come on, let's go, go to your house to eat sweet potatoes." The two laughed and walked towards the nearby village.

  Four years later. Lianyun Mountain Range.

  The Lianyun Mountain Range is located in the western frontier, far from the Central Plains for nearly ten thousand miles. The mountain range consists of seventy-two peaks that rise and fall continuously, each one reaching high into the clouds. Among them, strange rocks and springs can be seen everywhere, and the unpredictable sea of clouds seems to have become a bridge between them, winding around the waists of the mountains. The name "Lianyun Mountain Range" comes from this.

  Lianyun Sect, located in the Lianyun mountain range, is one of the seven major Xiantian sects under heaven. Due to its remote location, its influence is far inferior to that of the other six major sects in the Central Plains. However, its history is the most ancient among all the major Xiantian sects. Legend has it that ten thousand years ago, Lianyun Ancestor sat at the summit of Jietian Peak, the main peak of the Lianyun mountain range, and attained enlightenment, achieving ascension to immortality and leaving behind a large number of precious Xiantian scriptures. A thousand years later, several people with good fortune unintentionally arrived there and obtained Lianyun Ancestor's handwritten notes. To express their gratitude to Lianyun Ancestor, they established the Lianyun Sect here. Normally, the seventy-two peaks of Lianyun are completely surrounded by the immortal arrays left behind by Lianyun Ancestor, making it impossible for outsiders to penetrate deeply into the sect.

  Today, it's the day of Lianyun Sect's disciple recruitment every five years. The top of Jie Tian Peak shot out millions of rays of light, and the seventy-two peaks shrouded in mist seemed to have changed, as the mist dissipated, winding small roads appeared on the outskirts of the mountain range. As long as you pass through these small roads, you can directly reach the outer twelve peaks of Lianyun Mountain Range, where it will be the test site for disciple recruitment.

  The requirements for Lianyun Sect to accept disciples are much stricter than those of the other six major sects. Every time they recruit, there are many people signing up, but only a few can pass the test. Originally, this place was already far away from the Central Plains, and with the harsh conditions, fewer and fewer people came to sign up. The heyday of thousands of years ago when tens of thousands of people signed up is no longer present. Five years ago, the number of people signing up did not even reach one hundred, and in the end, not a single person passed.

  Dilingshan, one of the twelve outer peaks of Lianyun Mountain Range. Four middle-aged men with simple clothes stood on top of the peak. They all looked ordinary, wearing the simplest linen clothes, each carrying a long sword behind their backs.

  "Sixth Brother, the Mountain Array has been open for four days now. How is it that our Earth Spirit Peak doesn't even have a single ghostly figure? Could it be that this time around, we don't even have a single person signing up? I recall five years ago, there were nearly a hundred people who signed up. If things continue like this, I'm afraid our Cloud Sect will have no one to inherit its legacy."

  The middle-aged man known as Sixth Brother sighed lightly and said, "Ninth Brother, you need to watch your words. What ghost shadow? If Master hears it, you'll probably be in for a beating. Ah, let's not mention that. We've been on this Spiritual Peak for twenty years and have never taken more than ten disciples at a time. Those who can pass the test are simply too few. It's gotten to the point where even our sect doesn't have a single fifth-generation disciple."