Chapter 1

Clang——

Clang——

The melodious bell sounds echoed back and forth among the clouds. As the center of the Three Thousand Worlds, the Five Continents of the Vast Wasteland welcomed the dawn of a new day. The Sun Star rose from the eastern sky, and the other stars retreated into the heavens.

In the northwest of the Eastern Continent of Victory, in an unremarkable corner near the Central Continent, a vast and smooth array, resembling an inverted glass bowl, enveloped dozens of verdant peaks.

Under the sunlight, the array walls refracted a faint rainbow of colors, and visible spiritual energy drifted back and forth within the array.

In the mountains, immortal birds and spiritual beasts played joyfully; amidst the clouds, figures occasionally flashed by like shooting stars.

Faint smoke rose, and strings of music fell softly.

On the open ground beside some forest pavilions, many figures sat in meditation, practicing breathing techniques, or flew and danced, forming a picturesque scene of an immortal mountain.

With the morning light, a white cloud slowly drifted from the Eastern Sea, heading straight for this vast array.

On the cloud stood two figures, one tall and one short. The tall one was an old Taoist with gray hair, and he was accompanied by a young and graceful girl, about eight or nine years old.

As the white cloud drifted leisurely, the old Taoist sang with a sigh:

"From the beginning of the universe, the dragon and phoenix faced calamity, and countless eons passed in the blink of an eye.

No longer can the immortal platform be seen, only the songs of the Nine Heavens remain.

Crossing the river to save others and oneself, laughing at humans and gods to dispel calamities.

Why do you still yearn for your homeland, when the sages of old sacrificed their bones to gain fortune?"

"Ling'e, listen well!

After the great war between the ancient shamans and immortals, the Heavenly Dao greatly favored the human race. Our human cultivators gradually occupied most of the land outside the Northern Continent of Great Cold, spreading across the Three Thousand Great Worlds and countless lesser worlds. However, the Southern Continent of Jambudvipa, being the source of human fortune, restricts our entry and exit.

This place is the Eastern Continent of Victory, one of the top cultivation grounds in the Three Realms.

Ling'e, look at these immortal mountains ahead. Aren't they full of wisdom and grandeur?"

The girl nodded obediently, her eyes, filled with spiritual energy, blinking gently. Her chubby face, still with baby fat, wore a smile full of anticipation.

She responded, her voice like a young bird's first chirp, melodious but slightly timid, "Yes, they are very grand!"

"To be able to occupy a spiritual vein near the Central Continent, our sect's strength is truly formidable!"

The old Taoist stroked his beard with satisfaction, a proud smile on his face as he flicked his拂尘 (duster) with a flourish.

The girl, dressed in a small lotus skirt, asked softly, "Master, why don't we go to the Central Continent to occupy a spiritual vein?"

The old Taoist was momentarily stumped, then chuckled, "The Central Continent is full of powerful figures. Occupying a spiritual vein there would bring daily unrest, whereas here we can enjoy peace and tranquility…

Ling'e."

The girl bowed her head and clasped her hands, "Disciple is here!"

"Today, I bring you into this immortal sect. From now on, you must practice diligently and not slack off for a moment. Strive to achieve cultivation quickly, tread the path of immortals, seek eternal life, and attain the fruit of freedom!"

The girl tilted her head and asked softly, "But Master… have you become an immortal?"

"Cough!" The old Taoist covered his mouth and coughed, "I made some mistakes in my early years of cultivation, but I will become an immortal in the next few decades.

Come, let's enter the array.

Remember, our sect is called the 'Immortal Crossing Sect.' Our founding ancestor, the Immortal Crossing True Person of the Western Kunlun, is a famous figure on the current Immortal God List. The cultivation method he passed down is the 'One Qi Righteous Heaven Dao,' an extremely profound method for eternal life!

Do you remember? This is your foundation, and you must not forget it."

"Yes! Disciple remembers!"

The girl nodded earnestly, and the old Taoist flicked his duster, riding the white cloud toward the vast array. He also took out a palm-sized jade talisman from his hand.

The jade talisman emitted a gentle green light, and the mountain-protecting array slowly split open, allowing the old Taoist to bring the girl into the array on the cloud.

As soon as the master and disciple entered the array, several white cranes swooped down from the clouds, carrying several young people dressed in Taoist robes and colorful skirts. They were the sect's disciples responsible for patrolling the mountains at that time.

They greeted the old Taoist, calling him "Uncle Qi Yuan," and inquired about the girl, who was the old Taoist's new disciple. After that, they gracefully rode the white cranes and left.

The girl's big eyes sparkled, reflecting the graceful figures of the two female disciples as they flew away.

"Master, when can Ling'e ride a crane and fly through the air?"

"When you cultivate the five qi in your chest, you will be able to control objects and fly," the old Taoist Qi Yuan stroked his beard and smiled. "What you see are actually magical artifacts, not real cranes. Don't be in a hurry; cultivation must be done gradually.

I will take you back to our peak first and handle the various matters for your entry into the sect.

Although our lineage now only has three of us, we have our own mountain peak, which is a great honor."

When Qi Yuan spoke of this, his weathered face showed a hint of pride.

The girl's attention, however, was not on "having our own mountain peak." She counted on her fingers.

Three people?

"Master, but there are only two of us."

"Oh? Didn't I tell you on the way? Look at my memory," the old Taoist Qi Yuan looked up at the white clouds floating in the sky and said lightly, "You have an elder brother, a disciple I took in a hundred years ago. Nowadays, he is… well, a capable talent who can stand on his own.

But, hehehe…"

The girl tiptoed, "Master, you're laughing strangely."

"Ling'e, you must remember," Qi Yuan looked down at his precious new disciple, his face serious, his eyes gleaming, and the wrinkles on his face seemed to form the word "serious."

The girl, with her outstanding talent and intelligence, knew etiquette and knowledge from a young age. Seeing her master so serious, she immediately focused and listened attentively.

The old Taoist suddenly sighed softly, as if deflated, and said in a low voice, "Your elder brother, well, had some issues with his cultivation. He often rambles and has some deviant views.

You can seek his guidance on cultivation in the future, but under no circumstances should you listen to his views on how to be a person!

I will teach you about human relations and conduct."

The girl blinked, though somewhat confused, she nodded obediently, "Yes! Disciple understands!"

The old Taoist finally breathed a sigh of relief and gently waved his duster in front of him.

"Look, this is our Little Jade Peak."

Following the tip of the duster, they saw a somewhat "underdeveloped" small mountain peak nestled among several towering peaks.

Unlike the "carved beams and painted rafters hidden in the forest, flying eaves and pagodas hanging from the peaks" in other parts of the sect, this mountain peak was more simple and rustic, like a place rarely visited by people.

In the dense forest, many rare birds and beasts could be seen, and the few buildings were two thatched huts by a small lake on the mountain slope, along with a few medicinal gardens beside the huts.

The old Taoist, content and at ease, rode the white cloud and brought the girl directly to the mountain slope, passing through a simple array.

This array only had the effect of blocking external detection. According to the rules of the Immortal Crossing Sect, only the forbidden area at the back of the mountain had a protective array within the mountain-protecting array.

When they landed in front of the thatched hut, the white cloud dissipated on its own.

The girl's cloth boots stepped on the short grass still damp with dew, feeling soft and fragrant. The scent of grass and trees, carried by the gentle breeze, made her involuntarily intoxicated by the lake's beauty, and her tender little mouth couldn't help but praise softly.

The sunlight in the mountains had just set, and the small lake shimmered with ripples.

Several spiritual fish, with sparkling water droplets, leaped out of the water, as if greeting the new cultivator.

The old Taoist watched his young disciple's reaction with a smile and called out loudly, "Changshou, why don't you come out to meet your junior sister?"

The girl subconsciously looked at the closed door of the thatched hut, feeling a bit of anticipation in her heart.

The elder brother in the immortal sect must be a wise and valiant immortal, graceful and heroic, just like the heroes and valiant figures in the legends she had heard since childhood…

However, the thatched hut remained quiet, with no movement inside.

The old Taoist called out again, "Changshou? What are you hiding in there? Are you embarrassed or something?

Strange, I can sense your aura inside."

As he muttered, the old Taoist led the girl to the thatched hut, raised his hand, and pushed open the wooden doors. A strange medicinal fragrance hit them, and the old Taoist's eyes widened as he saw the source of the aura he had sensed—

It was a small paper figure placed on the wooden bed!

"Oh?"

The old and young suddenly started swaying, and the old Taoist's face changed. He quickly pulled the girl and retreated, unable to help but curse,

"Damn, it's the soft immortal incense that Changshou made!"

The girl immediately felt dizzy, and although she was pulled by her master, she immediately fell to the side.

Splash!

Water sound?

Just as she was about to fall, the girl couldn't help but look in the direction of the water sound;

On the lake, a tall figure was rising into the sky. He was only wearing a black long pants, his well-built and evenly proportioned muscles shimmering faintly in the sunlight, and his wet, long hair flicked out two bright water curtains…

The sunlight was just right, and the young man's rather handsome face was reflected in the girl's eyes, making her face instantly turn red.

But she had not yet cultivated, and how could she resist the effects of the medicine? Before she could completely fall, she fainted, her face still flushed red.

Indeed, it was just as she had imagined…

A valiant elder brother!