Chapter 67

Lu Sheng stepped forward with a steady gait. He was tall, and each step he took was equivalent to two steps of an ordinary person. In a few breaths, he was already near the two elders. He clasped his hands in a salute and said in a deep voice, "Are the two seniors the immortals of Qingxuan?"

The elder in the red robe looked at Lu Sheng, a smile on his face, and said, "Becoming an immortal is not that easy. You three, follow me."

He pulled out three paper kites from his sleeve, which expanded in the wind to the size of a person. They landed on the ground, spread their wings, and firmly grabbed the soil with their feet. If one didn't look closely, they would truly believe they were real white cranes.

Shen Lian and Lu Sheng were both bold. They didn't hesitate and mounted the paper cranes, exchanging a smile. They had met by chance, but it seemed they would be fellow disciples from now on.

One was strong and muscular, yet a scholar;

One was handsome and refined, yet from the江湖 (jianghu, a term referring to the world of martial arts and chivalry).

Only the frail young boy, looking at the paper crane, felt some fear and dared not get on.

It was unknown how he had passed the Heart-Questioning Path, or how he had survived the perilous time before the mountain gate was opened. Could it be merely because his presence was weak?

Shen Lian had observed him for a long time and was certain that he had never practiced martial arts and had no foundation in Daoist techniques.

The fear of the paper crane was indeed not feigned.

The elder in the red robe smiled and said, "Little boy, are you afraid?"

"I'm not a little boy, my name is Xiao Hei," the frail young boy said softly, his tone weak.

He kept his head down, not daring to look at the elder in the red robe.

"Haha, Xiao Hei, if you don't even dare to ride this, how did you come to Qingxuan?"

"I want to learn immortal techniques, I must join Qingxuan," the young boy said, his eyes showing a determined look that was completely at odds with his timid appearance.

"Do you only want to learn immortal techniques and not seek immortality?" the elder in the gray robe suddenly asked, his eyes like lightning, his tone stern.

The young boy was almost frightened to fall over by his gaze but still answered seriously, "I only want to learn immortal techniques, the most powerful ones."

"Why?" the elder in the gray robe asked coldly.

"I want to take revenge."

"If you learn immortal techniques in the future and take your revenge, what then?" the elder in the gray robe continued to press.

"I don't know," the young boy shook his head.

The elder in the gray robe waved his sleeve and said, "Kneel and kowtow to me three times." He did this suddenly without giving a reason, which was surprising.

The elder in the red robe frowned and said, "Brother Ge, what are you doing? Before meeting the sect leader, one must pass the 'Heaven and Earth Mirror' to verify their background. You cannot take disciples arbitrarily."

The 'Heaven and Earth Mirror' was a precious treasure of the Qingxuan Sect. If one had sufficient magical power, it could see through everything in the nine heavens and ten earths, making it extremely powerful.

The elder in the gray robe looked deeply at the elder in the red robe and said calmly, "What about someone who secretly teaches a non-disciple the Profound Extreme Technique?"

As he spoke, the elder in the gray robe glanced at Shen Lian.

Shen Lian faced him calmly. He had already recovered from the shock. The chess game earlier was intentionally used to impart the technique. After all, how could a person of the immortal realm casually display a chess game containing a technique?

At the same time, he admired the two elders even more. They could casually play chess and hide a profound technique within it, without any deliberate effort, which was truly awe-inspiring and admirable.

However, he was still puzzled as to why the elder in the red robe did this.

"I didn't secretly teach anything," the elder in the red robe laughed, trying to cover it up.

"You're called Xiao Hei, so I'll call you that. Kneel and kowtow to me three times, and I'll teach you immortal techniques," the elder in the gray robe said, his tone softening, ignoring the elder in the red robe.

This time, the elder in the red robe did not stop him.

A disciple always chooses a good teacher, and a good teacher also chooses disciples. The three of them coming here was a matter of destiny.

Although they still needed to pass the 'Heaven and Earth Mirror,' it was mostly just a formality.

Qingxuan, though declining, was not so blind as to allow someone to play such tricks.

In fact, Qingxuan used to have no such rule. It was only because of an incident a hundred years ago that this rule was established.

Thinking of that incident, even the elder in the red robe, with his many years of cultivation, felt a lingering fear and did not want to recall it further.

The young boy obediently kowtowed three times and followed the elder in the gray robe.

A breeze rose, and the paper cranes spread their wings, floating high. Lu Sheng, being tall, had to hold on tightly to the paper crane.

Despite the protection of the two immortals, his face still turned pale.

After all, when faced with the situation, looking down from such a great height, it was thousands of feet, and the wind blew, making Lu Sheng not dare to be careless at all.

Shen Lian focused his mind, though he had put aside his fear, he couldn't help but marvel at the difference in treatment. The elder in the gray robe, though strict, was extremely caring towards the frail young boy, as if he were a long-lost illegitimate child. He didn't let him ride the paper crane but instead took out a cloud boat-shaped magical tool, and the three of them sat in it, soaring high in the sky, steady and calm.

Even so, the young boy still tightly held onto the elder in the gray robe's clothes, not letting go.

It was unknown what the elder in the gray robe saw in this boy that he favored him so much.

The image of Qingxuan left to the outside world was actually just an illusion. After climbing the mountain, they saw that it was a vast and open land, clearly a new continent, with no sight of the sea.

After a while, the cloud boat swayed, creating a strong wind, almost overturning the paper cranes that Shen Lian and Lu Sheng were riding.

The cloud boat dove down and landed on a mountain peak.

Shen Lian and Lu Sheng's paper cranes swayed for a moment and followed suit.

After landing, the fresh air hit them, and Shen Lian couldn't help but take a deep breath to relieve the dizziness from the high altitude. Lu Sheng immediately got off the crane, leaning on a rock, breathing heavily.

After all, they were mere mortals, and the experience of being in a life-and-death situation, out of their control, led to their current reaction.

The surrounding area was rich in heavenly energy. If ordinary people lived here, they could extend their lives by at least twenty years and remain free from illness.

The elder in the gray robe put away the cloud boat, and the paper cranes flew into the elder in the red robe's sleeve.

Under the guidance of the two elders, they followed a mountain path, turning left and right, and suddenly the path opened up to a grand hall.

Shen Lian looked up, and the plaque on the hall clearly read 'Qingxuan.' The hall doors slowly opened, and a young Daoist boy, with his hair tied in a topknot, said in a clear voice, "Uncle Masters, the sect leader asked me to open the door for you."

"Every time, the same thing. Brother Sect Leader never gets tired of it," the elder in the red robe muttered.

Indeed, every time someone came to the hall to see him, the sect leader would call the Daoist boy to open the door in advance. The first time, everyone was amazed and admired his profound cultivation, but after many times, they were no longer surprised. Only the sect leader himself still enjoyed it.

The elder in the gray robe coughed, patted the young boy's head, and signaled him not to be afraid.

The hall was very spacious, with two rows of pillars, seven on each side, all pure green, carved with ancient patterns.

There was nothing else in the hall except for a stone couch in the center, where a Daoist sat in meditation, with white hair and beard, a ruddy complexion, but deep wrinkles at the corners of his eyes, showing some signs of old age.

In terms of appearance, he was like a celestial being in a painting, transcending the mundane world.

The two elders bowed and said, "Sect Leader, these three are as you predicted, they have arrived first."

The Daoist, dressed in a purple and gold Eight Trigram robe, opened his eyes and looked at the three of them.

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