As the words fell, a dizzying sensation washed over him, as if the universe was tilting and the earth was rolling; yet, upon blinking, Chu Weiyang felt that this hazy transformation originated from his own mind and spirit.
When he looked again, the surroundings were still filled with the bustling sounds of the lush mountains, and behind the wooden table stood that unruly young man.
However, as Chu Weiyang's words echoed, an inexplicable feeling in the void told him that everything before him had changed—
He suddenly caught a whiff of the earthy fragrance, and the leaves around him rustled in the gentle breeze, as if spring's beauty had emerged.
Even the unruly young man's face seemed to come alive.
In Chu Weiyang's ears, the young man's voice initially sounded distant and vague, but then it pierced through some barrier, becoming clear and vivid.
"Um... 'Five Organs Food Qi Essence Technique'? This foundational method, can it be practiced alongside other techniques?"
As the words fell, Chu Weiyang was still immersed in the novelty brought by the dizziness.
Just as he hesitated on how to respond, a buzzing sound suddenly emanated from his sleeve, followed by a white jade poisonous snake coiling around his wrist, revealing its presence from within his robe.
Perhaps the jade snake was also puzzled; just a moment ago, it was in the damp environment of an island, and now, after a swirl of smoke, the world had transformed.
The young man looked down at the buzzing sound, glanced at the white jade snake, and instinctively raised his eyebrows in surprise, only to furrow them again, as if he were looking at something too ordinary.
Chu Weiyang smiled shyly.
"My master left early, leaving behind only the 'Five Organs Food Qi Essence Technique.' Over the years, I have mingled around and only occasionally encountered the methods of poisonous cultivation..."
The young man raised his head to look at Chu Weiyang, hesitating to speak, before finally pursing his lips, picking up a brush, and writing something in front of him while continuing to inquire.
"Um... you are practicing the poisonous cultivation method, right? No need to go into detail; just remember to take good care of your spirit snake after you ascend the mountain. Otherwise, if something goes wrong and it gets caught and turned into soup, you can't blame anyone else! Next question, who is this companion of yours...?"
Hearing this, Chu Weiyang turned his head again.
The face of Chunyu Zhi before him was delicate, perhaps a bit youthful, with a hint of innocence mixed in.
Upon closer inspection, there was a softness in her brows that he had never seen before.
In the silent exchange of glances, Chunyu Zhi's clear eyes flashed with a moment of panic, and then she awkwardly turned her body, avoiding Chu Weiyang's gaze.
Perhaps having steadied her mind, Chu Weiyang's thoughts became lively again.
He looked back at the unruly young man.
"This is my friend; she practices a family inheritance technique. Hearing that I was coming to the Holy Sect to witness the grand ceremony, she asked to accompany me to see the world."
Upon hearing Chu Weiyang's words, Chunyu Zhi seemed to have calmed down from some embarrassment and confusion.
She followed closely behind Chu Weiyang and added in a clear voice, "I practice a family inheritance technique, proficient in some talismanic studies. It is said that my ancestor was a disciple of the Danqing Yuan Sect, from the Qingmo Daozhuan lineage."
Without mentioning any specifics about Tingchang Mountain, upon hearing the names of Danqing Yuan Sect and Qingmo Daozhuan, Chu Weiyang was still quite astonished.
It seemed to point to a hidden lineage, subtly indicating the source of the incense lineage of the once-revered Danxia Laomu.
However, the Danqing Yuan Sect... this name was far more obscure than the Panwang Yuan Sect, having long ago disappeared into the wilderness of the southern frontier.
Among the three, it was the unruly young man's reaction that was more pronounced.
He displayed an expression of sudden realization.
"No wonder! I was just about to ask; your aura resembles that of the Dan Dao and divine talismans, with a hint of the essence of transformation. So you are indeed a descendant of the Qingmo Daozhuan lineage! I am disrespectful!"
As he spoke, the unruly young man lowered his head again, jotting down a note in the book, before finally asking the last question.
"Then let’s record your names. Don’t think about making up any nonsense; you must know that names carry fate. In front of our sect's holy teachings, every word is tied to karma!"
Upon hearing this, in a daze, it felt as if thunder rumbled from a distant world, shaking Chu Weiyang's spirit.
Yet the earlier inexplicable feeling still lingered in his heart.
He thought little of it and calmly responded, "I am Chu Weiyang, and this friend is Chunyu Zhi."
As the words fell, the unruly young man suddenly flicked his fingers, and a wisp of flame illuminated the page in front of him.
The paper recording Chu Weiyang and Chunyu Zhi's names was instantly engulfed in flames, turning into a wisp of green smoke that drifted away into the misty mountains.
In the next moment, two beams of spiritual light cut through the layers of fog, descending directly into the unruly young man's hands.
With a flip of his hand, two jade talismans were pushed towards Chu Weiyang and Chunyu Zhi.
"Chu... forget it, Chu Shidi, with both the Five Qi and poisonous cultivation, you can barely be considered a disciple of the Xuanming Dan Ding lineage. During the ceremony, you and Daoist Chunyu will temporarily reside at Qing Ding Peak of the Xuanming lineage, in the Gen Hall and the Gui Courtyard. The jade talismans in your hands are the keys to the restrictions; you can go wherever you want with them."
Upon hearing this, as Chu Weiyang took the jade talismans, he wanted to express his gratitude, but the unruly young man suddenly seemed to remember something and hurriedly said.
"Right! Chu Shidi, we are family now, so I’ll speak frankly. Your poisonous cultivation methods, whether for raising snakes or internal refining, are... rather ordinary. There is an elder on Qing Ding Peak; I can't directly mention his name—
He likes to wear a crimson robe and cannot tolerate any flaws in your cultivation methods. His temper is quite fierce, um, very intense. Therefore, I advise you to avoid him if possible, lest you suddenly receive a scolding without knowing why."
As the words fell, Chu Weiyang's expression changed dramatically.
He stared blankly at the unruly young man, then began to ponder.
"Thank you, Shixiong, I understand the gravity of the situation. Thank you!"
The higher they ascended the mountain.
Following the path recorded in the jade talismans, they moved closer to Qing Ding Peak.
The stone path in the mountains became increasingly grand and majestic, but the number of travelers grew sparse.
By the latter half of the journey, only Chu Weiyang and Chunyu Zhi remained on the long mountain road.
Along the way, a prolonged silence seemed to freeze the awkwardness in the air.
He had once seen Chunyu Zhi's soul and true spirit, and on that day, he had personally refined her true spirit into a法剑.
In the days that followed, there had been torment, interrogation, and taming...
They had never known each other in a normal way, and even though Chu Weiyang had grown accustomed to the voices that occasionally echoed in his mind, he still could not adapt to Chunyu Zhi appearing before him as a real person.
At a loss.
In this heavy atmosphere, suddenly, that clear voice resonated once more in Chu Weiyang's mind.
"When I was young, I used to hide in the scripture pavilion of the mountain gate, reading stories recorded in various texts as if they were tales! I remember very clearly, not just one story, but several, about ordinary foolish children encountering immortals in dreams and receiving teachings!
No matter how the years change, your true self remains in the ancient cultivation cave of the outer sea. I can still communicate with you through the法剑's restrictions, which is already a clear proof. You must understand the difference between reality and illusion.
Everything before you, the towering mountain gate, the grand ceremony, countless cultivators, and you, and me— all of this seemingly vibrant life, including all phenomena and the heavens and earth, is but an illusion!
Let alone the heavenly materials and earthly treasures within this mountain gate; even a handful of soil or a grain of sand, since it is illusory, cannot manifest in reality. Only one thing is real— the Dao and the lineage! That is the only truth!
What that young man said at the end had a deeper meaning! All karma is destiny; this elder may very well be the source of your current fate! After all, it’s worth a try. Even if you lose this illusory life, it is still worthwhile."
This familiar mode of communication made Chu Weiyang instinctively look at the figure beside him, observing Chunyu Zhi's real form, her tightly pursed lips, and suddenly, he felt a sense of the two realms of reality and illusion overlapping before his eyes.
Yet it was this unreal feeling that made Chu Weiyang increasingly understand the distinction between the real and the illusory.
Thus, in silence, Chu Weiyang's voice also transmitted through the法剑's restrictions to Chunyu Zhi's mind.
"Your general idea is not wrong, but Miss Zhi, your statement is still a bit reckless. This life is illusory, but this fate is real. There is no reason to recklessly expend your life force. It is better to proceed cautiously and test the waters step by step.
You mentioned being a disciple of the Panwang Sect, but my understanding of the sect's ancestors and legends is probably not as good as those long-standing true cultivators. I don't even know if this elder of Qing Ding Peak is a real person from ancient times or a fictional character manifested in this environment...
After all, the sect has declined too severely, and the lineage passed down to me has almost no foundation left. Otherwise, it would be easier to act. Now I am in a fog, completely lost. If I were to lose my life testing this, although it wouldn’t be a loss, what if I could never enter the illusion again?"
At this point, Chu Weiyang's voice was filled with gravity.
Falling into an illusion for no reason, unexpectedly "dreaming back" to the glorious mountain gate of the Panwang Sect in its heyday.
If he could access the profound techniques of the Panwang Sect's lineage from the illusion, those methods that could lead Chu Weiyang smoothly onto the path of refining poison...
Such an opportunity was far too precious, precious enough that even before he knew how the chance would unfold, he began to worry about failing to connect with the fate and being unable to enter the illusion a second time.
At that moment, that would truly be a regret beyond remedy!
"What regret?"
While he was lost in thought, suddenly, an old voice rang out from behind Chu Weiyang.
In a flash, Chu Weiyang felt a jolt of fear and surprise, stumbling forward a step before turning to look.
Beside the stone path stood a thin old man, draped in a crimson robe and covered with a black crane-feather cloak.
His white hair flowed in the mountain wind, exuding an unruly and unrestrained aura.
In the fleeting moment of eye contact, Chu Weiyang was met with the old man's ink-black eyes.
There was no distinction between pupil and sclera, as if two ink beads were embedded in the eye sockets.
This gaze made Chu Weiyang's heart race; it felt as if the old man could see everything, even things that should be beyond sight, easily peering into one's thoughts!
When he turned to look again, he noticed that Chunyu Zhi was standing rigidly beside him, as if her mind had been sealed.
Not only was her expression unchanged, but even her thoughts had long been silent.
Looking past Chunyu Zhi, he realized he had not paid attention to the path beneath his feet for a long time.
At this moment, the stone path led directly into a dense forest, and beyond the forest, a steep solitary peak soared into the clouds.
After a while, seeing that Chu Weiyang had not spoken, the thin old man seemed a bit impatient and asked again.
"Little boy, I just asked you, what regret?"
Amidst surprise and fear, Chu Weiyang instinctively looked at the old man, then met those ink-black eyes once more.
In a daze, the young man's spirit was unsettled, and even his usually sharp thoughts seemed to slow down and become dull, as if trapped in an ice cellar.
But perhaps due to an inexplicable sense of crisis, the last bit of clarity within Chu Weiyang erupted with unprecedented potential.
As his thoughts flowed, Chu Weiyang wrinkled his nose, raised his brow, and his eyes turned red.
Remembering the pain of the poisonous qi flowing through his meridians, tears fell in an instant.
"In response to the elder, I regret for my master!
His name was Guo Dian. He lived a miserable life, and in the last few days, he couldn’t even have a proper meal. Yet despite this, he still passed on the 'Five Organs Food Qi Essence Technique' to me, exchanging his own life for mine.
In this life, no matter what realm I reach or what achievements I attain, I will never forget my master, his kindness, and how he spoke to me about his dreams of the Panwang Holy Sect while leaning against a cold stone in his final moments.
I don’t know if a child like me, raised in the wild, can truly be considered a disciple of our sect, but my master truly...
Earlier, when I was at the foot of the mountain, that senior brother told me that I should be a disciple of the Xuanming Dan Ding lineage. I don’t understand what that means, but I think the Holy Sect senior brother must be right, so my master should also be from the Xuanming Dan Ding lineage.
Then this place must be where he dreamed of all his life.
When I see this mountain, I think of my master. He couldn’t see it with his own eyes, but here I stand as his disciple, and I can’t help but feel regret for him!"
As he finished speaking, Chu Weiyang almost shouted with a hoarse voice.
In that moment, as if recalling something, the old man suddenly lowered his head, blinking those ink-black eyes, and sighed.
"Alas, the Xuanming Dan Ding lineage... Ancestor, why is it that the suffering in the Holy Sect always falls upon my lineage's disciples..."