Chapter 64

The woman smiled slightly and said, "It's your good luck to meet me; otherwise, you might wander for months and still not find the entrance to the mountain gate."

Shen Lian was dumbfounded by the scene before him. He saw a girl in a purple robe actually walking down step by step from the high cliff, as if an invisible ladder had appeared in the air.

In front of her was emptiness, behind her was also emptiness, and further away, the cliffs rose thousands of feet.

The girl's face showed no sorrow or joy, her clothes fluttering, her black hair flowing. She was not a celestial being, yet she surpassed one.

In a moment, Shen Lian, still in a daze, caught a whiff of a clear, pure fragrance, reminiscent of a starry sky without a cloud for miles.

The girl was now above him, about ten feet away, and with a slight point of her white fingers, Shen Lian suddenly felt a strange sensation under his feet. A cloud of smoke appeared, carrying him up gently.

It was only later that he learned the girl had used a Daoist technique called the 'Lesser Many Heavens Cloud Prohibition.'

In an instant, they were high in the sky, and the ethereal Qingxuan Mountain became increasingly real.

The clouds were misty, the twilight deep, and only then could one see the vast sky and the wide sea.

Riding the clouds and flying was a mythical skill of the immortals. It was Shen Lian's first experience, and it made him yearn even more for the wonders of immortality.

Before he could think much more, Shen Lian descended, the cloud of smoke dissipating, and he found himself on solid ground.

In the distance was a bustling town, with people coming and going.

Shen Lian turned to look for the girl, but she was nowhere to be found.

He knew that the girl must be a celestial figure from Qingxuan, with such extraordinary skills. He envied her ability to come and go freely, which was the true charm of seeking immortality.

At the entrance to the town, the three large characters 'Nanke Town' were carved on a boundary stone, prominently visible.

Each stroke revealed the passage of time.

Though it was called a town, it had fewer people than a village.

In sight, the town had only one street.

Logically, this place should not have seen a stranger in a long time, but the townspeople did not seem particularly excited to see Shen Lian.

Shen Lian was slightly alarmed, as in this world, similar to ancient Earth, many people were born, grew up, and died in the same place, never leaving.

The attachment to one's homeland was strong, and thus, seeing a stranger should have been very curious.

Curiosity is a human nature, and he did not believe that everyone here was so detached.

There were not many people on the street, perhaps thirty or forty, with children from a few to ten years old making up about half.

Whether adults or children, they looked at Shen Lian as if he were a dead man, and no one approached him to speak. Shen Lian did not take the initiative to talk either.

One day, he would be able to see that everyone here had some martial arts foundation, and a couple of them had even practiced the Divine Foot Scripture.

The Divine Foot Scripture is a martial art that combines movement and stillness. Shen Lian, who had practiced this technique to cultivate his qi, could easily recognize it.

The mysterious purple-robed girl might have called him a child of a certain family because of this.

However, Shen Lian's practice of the Divine Foot Scripture had already reached the point of penetrating the eight extraordinary meridians, and he could conceal it so that ordinary people could not see it.

In fact, although everyone here had martial arts skills, none of them had reached the level of penetrating the eight extraordinary meridians.

In the Daoist scriptures, penetrating the Ren and Du meridians is also called the foundation of cultivation.

This means that only after reaching this point does one have the foundation for cultivation.

Even with the most advanced techniques, it is not easy to reach this level, and if one does not penetrate the Ren and Du meridians before middle age, it will become increasingly difficult. Yang Xuan, the man in the green robe, might never have achieved this if not for the life-and-death situation that triggered his potential.

Apart from the scattered houses, the town had only one tavern, and only here could one stay.

This was what Shen Lian observed over time.

The tavern was called 'Yan Bu Gui,' and there were no couplets on the door.

Shen Lian entered the tavern, and a waiter came to greet him.

The waiter was very enthusiastic and asked, "What would the guest like to eat?"

"Can you tell me what you use for payment? Will this do?" Shen Lian took out a piece of gold leaf. Gold was a rare commodity almost everywhere.

"Because of the recent guests from outside, eating and staying here is free," the waiter smiled. He was over thirty, with a towel over his shoulder and thick calluses on his tiger's mouth, indicating he could have made a name for himself in the outside world but was just a waiter here.

"Why is that?" Shen Lian asked calmly.

The waiter laughed and said, "I'm afraid you won't have an appetite if I tell you."

"My appetite is usually good, so feel free to speak."

"Then I'll tell you. The boss said you are all going to die, and if we don't let you eat well, it would be too cruel," the waiter chuckled.

"I see. Since we are going to die, please bring me the best wine and dishes," Shen Lian smiled.

The waiter did not answer immediately but suddenly reached out and patted Shen Lian's shoulder. His fingers were slightly bent, a very powerful grappling technique, which required at least a couple of decades of practice to master.

However, Shen Lian casually stepped aside, and the waiter missed.

The waiter was slightly surprised and laughed, "I saw some dust on your shoulder and wanted to pat it off. No ill intentions."

Shen Lian lightly brushed the dust off his shoulder and smiled, "Thank you, but no need. Could you please bring me some wine and dishes?"

The waiter shrugged, showed him to a table, and then went to get the wine.

The tavern's hall was not small, and there were several people sitting sparsely.

Most of them were dressed in good quality clothes, with an air of distinction.

They were divided into several groups, each occupying a table.

Among them, Shen Lian was alone at a table, clearly isolated.

Those gathered together were mostly looking at Shen Lian and the others with varying degrees of attention.

Shen Lian counted silently. Including him, there were four people who were alone, and the others were divided into five tables.

They were all about the same age, with a few middle-aged people mixed in. If not for their prominent temples or clear eyes, they would be top-notch experts in the martial world.

According to Ye Liuyun, those under twenty were not eligible for Qingxuan, unless there were rare special circumstances.

These people of similar age were likely from martial families who knew about Qingxuan's recruitment or from secluded sects like Feixian Island.

The isolated ones were probably in a similar situation to him, either having stumbled upon this opportunity or obtained the information by chance.

With over a month before Qingxuan opened its mountain gate, there was undoubtedly a hidden competition among these people.