The space between heaven and earth suddenly trembled slightly. A wisp of golden Confucian text flashed across the air, and Ding Muchan and Dao Sheng Lieyun knew who had arrived. The two turned around together and said respectfully, "So it's the Revered Sage Elder who the Confucian school has sent~~~"
At the end of the faint golden Confucian text's disappearance in the wind, an old gentleman radiating scholarly fortune broke through the void. He wore a grey long gown, a wine gourd hung from his waist, and his face was kind and benevolent. He nodded at the young Daoist as a greeting, then turned his gaze to the man in the green shirt. "You've heard about Xiao Zhao's situation, haven't you? The changes in the Upper Realm have stirred the flow of spiritual energy in the Lower Realm. The stone he carried with him was a supreme treasure, meant to be opened at a more opportune moment. I never expected it would be opened so much earlier, and that it would instead sweep Xiao Zhao into that Hundred Flowers Realm. It has also completely disrupted my original plans."
The man in the green shirt nodded, "The Hundred Flowers Realm, as a broken world with severed spiritual fortune, was originally a discarded piece in the great battles of the Immortals. But it can also be considered a stroke of luck. It's just that my junior brother's cultivation is still too shallow. If he's not careful, he might suffer in the Hundred Flowers Realm. Hmph, even though the Hundred Flowers Realm was a discarded piece back then, there were still many people who schemed relentlessly within it. If my junior brother has fallen into the Hundred Flowers Realm, someone should descend to protect his path."
The young Daoist leaned against a white jade pillar behind him with his arms crossed and chuckled, "Elder, what does Wen Lin have to say? The movements in the Outer Heavens have been unusually significant lately. Those outer demons and inner demons are running rampant, with the momentum to sweep away the Upper Realm like a destructive force. The Military, Daoist, Eternal Secret Realm, and Longevity World have all sent fourteenth-realm experts to the Outer Heavens. What does the Confucian school say?"
"What else can they say?"
The old gentleman pursed his lips, "We scholars, dare to be the first in the world. Even if the Supreme Sage Ancestor doesn't act this time, the Second Sage certainly will."
"Mm."
The man in the green shirt nodded, "The undercurrents in the Outer Heavens have been brewing for more than a day. There's no rush. As for my junior brother, who will go to protect his path? If you don't go, Elder, it will have to be me, or perhaps Senior Sister Yue Chi."
"I'll make the trip then."
The old gentleman patted the wine gourd at his waist and chuckled, "The wine Xiao Zhao gave me last time is almost gone. It's time to get some more. Besides, I'm only good at teaching and reading. If I were to truly go to the Outer Heavens and fight those undefeated inner demons, I'd certainly be no match for your Military Saints."
"If that's the case, I'll trouble you, Elder."
The man in the green shirt nodded with a smile.
The old gentleman didn't leave. He took out three white jade wine cups from the satchel slung across his body and placed them on the railing. He poured them full with peach blossom wine from his gourd and said with a smile, "Come, have a taste?"
"Oh?!"
The man in the green shirt's eyes lit up. When he descended last time, Lin Zhao hadn't entertained him with such fine wine, only the local potent liquor that was fiery but lacked mellowness. He rubbed his hands and chuckled, "Is this the peach blossom wine brewed by Junior Brother's spirit-like friend, the Peach Blossom Demon Han Yurou?"
"Mm."
The old gentleman nodded and chuckled lightly, "Since your third senior brother isn't descending, he certainly won't get to drink it. Fortunately, I still have a bit of good fortune in this gourd, so it's your luck."
"Good, good, good."
The man in the green shirt picked up a wine cup, and with a "zizz," he drained it in one gulp. He savored it carefully and said with a smile, "Good wine, good wine! It truly has a mellow aroma. Excellent!"
As he spoke, he looked at the cup of wine in front of the young Daoist.
"Alright, alright..."
The young Daoist looked helpless, "This cup is also yours. After all, I'm not your junior brother. I'm not qualified to taste Lin Baiyi's fine wine."
"Sensible!"
The man in the green shirt gave him a thumbs-up and picked up the cup that belonged to Dao Sheng, draining it in one gulp as well. He chuckled, "Good wine, good wine! If I were to drink freely, I could drink a vat in one go!"
The young Daoist couldn't be bothered to deal with him and looked out towards the Outer Heavens, his fingers calculating the situation there.
"By the way."
The old gentleman coughed and said, "Xiao Zhao has awakened his third Sword Lake. As his senior brother, shouldn't you give him a gift or something to congratulate him on being on the cusp of the thirteenth realm?"
"Mm, I've already prepared it."
The man in the green shirt subtly took the old gentleman's wine cup, sniffed it, and smiled, "The fourteenth-realm Yan Beichen slew the thirteenth-realm demon king Man Yuan in the Rainbow Realm, shattering his treasured sword. He then refined Man Yuan's fiery demon core with the tip of the sword. The foundation of this sword tip... Elder, do you think it can compare to the sword tip of Mr. Qin's Han Niu Sword?"
"Oh?"
The old gentleman's face lit up, and he couldn't hide his smile. "It's alright, it's alright. Although this piece of sword tip, in its grasp of the Confucian Dao and its precision, is certainly inferior to my Suihan's Han Niu Sword, in terms of killing power, it's definitely a bit stronger than the Han Niu Sword. Not bad, not bad. It's a fitting third life-bound flying sword for my Xiao Zhao!"
The man in the green shirt drained the wine and beckoned, "Elder, since you're about to descend, why not hand over all the wine in that gourd? The sword tip is still with Yan Beichen, and Yan Beichen is currently killing demons in the Sea of Heavens. It's tens of thousands of miles from here to the Sea of Heavens, and without a drink along the way, I, Ding Muchan, won't be able to make it."
The old gentleman was not stingy. He directly unhooked the wine gourd and threw it over, chuckling, "Drink to your heart's content, there's not much left anyway!"
The man in the green shirt shook it. Indeed, there wasn't much left. But he still tied the wine gourd to his waist, then clasped his hands in salute to the old gentleman and Dao Sheng. Immediately, his body shot up from the ground, transforming into a beam of sword light that rushed towards the Sea of Heavens at an incredibly high speed. The air was filled with the sound of thunder. There was likely no one else in the world with such an extraordinary manifestation of man and sword as one!
...
Early morning, Cuiwei Mountain.
Lin Zhao had sold talismans at a high price all night, but no one was interested. However, he wasn't in a hurry. Since he had no specific goal, it didn't matter where he stayed. Just then, his stomach rumbled. He packed up his talisman stall and turned towards a wonton shop. He sat down with a sigh and said, "Boss, a large bowl of wontons, extra wontons."
"Coming right up!"
The boss was a lean and shrewd-looking man.
Lin Zhao's gaze fell into the distance, and he saw a boy, about sixteen or seventeen years old, kneeling in the center of the mountain path ahead. He was on one knee, hands clasped in a fist, maintaining this posture for a long time. His body swayed from time to time, clearly on the verge of collapse, yet he persevered. Lin Zhao couldn't help but frown.
"Boss."
As the boss brought him a bowl of wontons, Lin Zhao pointed at the boy and asked, "What is he doing!?"
"Apprenticing."
A trace of mockery flickered in the boss's eyes, and he chuckled, "Every year, every month, there are countless commoners kneeling at the mountain gate to seek apprenticeship, just like him. After all, the years in the mortal world are limited. A hundred years are just a fleeting moment. Who wouldn't want to seek eternal life? There are so many immortal sects on Cuiwei Mountain, and the people who come and go on the mountain are hundreds of years old. Especially those fairies, who are clearly over a hundred years old yet look as beautiful as jade. Who wouldn't envy them?"
He shook his head and sighed as he looked at the boy, "This child's name is Chen Changsheng. He lives at the foot of Cuiwei Mountain. His father died when he was very young. His mother worked hard to raise him alone. Two years ago, this child's mother fell seriously ill. Many doctors were consulted, but none could cure her. All the family's savings were depleted. This child had no choice but to kneel at the mountain gate every day, begging the immortals to accept him as a disciple and bestow a spiritual medicine to save his mother's life."
"Is that so..."
Lin Zhao frowned and said, "Another basket of steamed buns."
"Coming right up, sir!"
Lin Zhao began to eat. He finished a bowl of wontons in a flash and then ate a few steamed buns. Afterward, he took most of the basket of steamed buns and walked over to the boy. He squatted beside him and offered the buns, saying, "Have some?"
"..."
The boy, Chen Changsheng, looked at Lin Zhao. Although his eyes clearly craved the food, he gritted his teeth and refused, gently shaking his head, "The immortals on the mountain respond to sincere hearts. If I eat something and then continue to kneel here, my heart will not be sincere, and I'm afraid... no immortal on the mountain will be willing to accept me as a disciple. Thank you."
"..."
Lin Zhao was quite speechless. Although he was a Nascent Soul Sword Cultivator, and in the Hundred Flowers Realm, Nascent Soul was already the extreme, he could be considered a top-tier "old immortal" in the eyes of mortals. However, he was just a sword cultivator. He had no issues with offense, but when it came to saving people... Lin Zhao had no idea how to refine immortal pills. Even if he accepted Chen Changsheng as a disciple, it would only delay the boy.
He took the steamed buns back to the wonton shop, finished eating, paid, and clapped his hands. He then went back to his stall to sell talismans.
In the morning, a disciple in red from a sect arrived in front of Lin Zhao's stall. He was a fourth-realm sword cultivator. Without saying much, he bought a rain-invoking talisman with some flying fish coins and headed up the mountain.
...
Cuiwei Mountain, mountain peaks.
On the peak with the most abundant spiritual energy in the center, numerous majestic palaces were built against the mountainside. Near the peak, spiritual cranes circled in auspicious clouds, creating an immortal realm atmosphere.
The Crimson Cloud Sect was part of Cuiwei Mountain's reputation as "Ten Peaks Linked Together," and the Crimson Cloud Sect was recognized as the foremost of the ten sects due to its immense strength. The other ten sects basically followed the lead of the Crimson Cloud Sect.
A disciple in red flew into the Ancestral Hall and handed the rain-invoking talisman to a robust old man, respectfully saying, "Ancestor, this is the rain-invoking talisman bought from that sword cultivator."
"Oh?"
The ancestor gently grasped the talisman and examined the energy secrets contained within its core. For a moment, he felt as if struck by lightning. He staggered back several steps, his gaze sharp. "Such powerful military energy... Is that sword cultivator truly only a sword cultivator of the Lower Five Realms?"
"Judging by his aura, he should be a fifth-realm sword cultivator, at most a sixth. He couldn't be higher."
"Excellent!"
The old man in red robes smiled and said, "If this talisman was drawn by him, then this young man possesses the innate demeanor of a Military Sage. Otherwise, it would be impossible for him to write such a powerful military talisman. If our Crimson Cloud Sect can win him over and make him our own, hmph, let alone Cuiwei Mountain, the entire world's mountains will obey our Crimson Cloud Sect's command in the future! Come, let's go meet him."