Daoist Master of Qing Xuan

The temple was located on top of the cliff, and there was a cave behind of it. Shen Lian could see the cave with his mind.

He no longer relied on his eyes to perceive the world anymore. This seemed to be one of the signs that marked him as different from a normal human being; in fact, he felt as though he had become a unique existence that was disconnected and connected to the world at the same time.

The fleeting feeling flashed past. What he felt was no coincidence.

There were plenty of immortal Zhenrens who resided on Zifu Peak. In fact, there were plenty who transcended beyond the mortal world. To mortals, this was known as “heavenwards levitation”.

Hints of their vital force were left behind and the plants were exposed to these. Despite that hundreds and thousands of years had passed, there were still some traceable signs. The younger disciples who had attained the state of immortality such as Shen Lian, were able to resonate with them.

The predecessors were succeeded by their successors, and the legacy of Qing Xuan was passed on as such.

Shen Lian reached an epiphany that Zifu Peak was the most important place in the whole of Qing Xuan, as there were many immortal Zhenrens who once resided here.

This was probably what people meant when they said it was not important for the mountain to be tall, as its spirituality derived not from its heights but from the presence of celestials.

He hid his own vital force and did not use any spells. He walked up the cliff step by step, and a yellow tree leaf fell from above. It touched his head gently before flying further away. Eventually, it fell into the stream and floated gently. At last, it was blocked off by the rocks in the stream and started circling downwards before sinking into the mud at the bottom of the stream.

Perhaps after some time, the leaf would be one with the mud and changed from the element of wood into that of the earth.

Wood was a sign of life, whilst earth nurtured all form of life.

Shen Lian slowed down his pace. Every step that he took was followed by signs of greenery; a budding plant would emerge from the earth and grow at a significant rate. Eventually, they bloomed and wilted. It did not take long before they returned to the earth as dust and sand again.

All of these happened at the time of a few breaths.

Every step he took signified a cycle of reincarnation. What was scarier was the fact that he did not disturb the Qi of heaven and earth at all. It was as though all these took place inconspicuously in accordance with the Dao rhythm.

Shen Lian walked past the stream, the treacherous path; surrounded by the heavenly wind, he had arrived at the tall cliff.

This was where he first saw Gu Caiwei use Taixu Strategy. It was an important day in his life.

It had been twenty-six or twenty-seven years since that day.

Despite that Shen Lian had spent two lifetimes as a human, but the timespan of twenty-six or twenty-seven years was considered as long in his life. Time could change a lot of things, but Shen Lian was glad that he was still who he once was.

After seeing his true nature, he realized what it meant to be him, and he was no longer in doubt anymore.

Slowly, he walked into the hall and saw the portrait of Grandmaster Qingshui. The portrait was painted by the Grandmaster. In the past, he was only able to see the image of clouds and the reflection in the pond – it was empty and blurry. However, now he could see the pond and the reflection of the clouds in the pond clearly – it was clear and there was nothing else.

In the past, he did not see the mountains and waters for what they truly were.

Now, he finally recognized them for what they truly were.

Shen Lian stared at the portrait and left without a pause. He walked to the back of the hall and got through an intangible layer of restriction. He saw a cave.

His master was inside – the genius who attained Dao twice, Fairy Ziling.

Words could not do justice to her indescribable excellence and achievements.

The entrance to the cave was sealed off with a layer of Xuan ice. It looked thin and seemed to be only a few inches thick. One could peep past the Xuan ice and see the lady in purple behind it. She was beautiful and frail, and her complexion was clear and glowy.

As Shen Lian stared at her, he noticed that her clothes were turning green. She opened her eyes and stared ahead coldly.

With just a glance, she seemed to be able to stare into the depths of one’s heart, stopping one from indulging in any desires that one might have harbored for her.

Shen Lian knew that even though he had hidden his vital force, both of them were from the same source. Despite the difference with Yin and Yang, and the five elements, but in essence, they were the same.

Naturally, Fairy Ziling would be roused from her sleep when he got close. However, he was looking at Qing Xiao.

Shen Lian had made contact with Fairy Ziling when he first entered into the mountain, and he knew that she was a nice and easygoing person. Despite her impressive supernatural power, she was gentle, just as Gu Caiwei, who had taken after her.

Back then he was a mere mortal. Even so, Fairy Ziling brought him to Nanke Town. Before that, she had even saved him from harm with the sound of her bells when he was captivated by the spirit-summoning messenger at the River of Spirits.

He was glad to have Ziling as his master. However, it was unfortunate that the both of them did not get to know each other better.

His impression of Ziling seemed like a dream – traceless, and beautiful.

However, he was looking at Qing Xiao. Despite his carefree nature, he still felt slightly nervous.

Shen Lian did not know why; logically, at his level of cultivation, it was difficult for him to harbor such feelings. Perhaps it was because of Qing Xiao’s seniority, or maybe it was due to her cold and detached demeanor.

“Master Qing Xiao, how are your injuries?” He spoke slowly with a slight hint of hesitation. Though, it did not matter; he was certain that her injuries were still not completely healed yet.

Qing Xiao did not answer. She stood up; her motion seemed fluid, but Shen Lian felt that there was a hint of rigidity.

It was not from her physical motion but from the lack of coherence in her psyche and Qi.

The hint of rigidity was something that he would not have noticed back if he had not attained immortality.

If it was not for the natural telepathic bond between Shen Lian and her, he might have overlooked it.

The incoherence was not caused by something as simple as her injuries.

Qing Xiao made no move. The thin layer of Xuan ice that could have warded off the attacks of the best weapons melted within seconds. It turned into a pool of water on the ground and flowed out from the cave.

The ground was nourished, and patches of grass were sprouting out.

The grass was dark green in color; they stood in solemnity.

She looked at Shen Lian with a blank face. As she stood quietly, she seemed so detached from the mortal world.

Anyone who set eyes on her would have felt ashamed of themselves; it was not for her beauty, but for her otherworldly qualities that rendered her fit to be worshipped.

However, Shen Lian did not have thoughts as such. He remained calm.

After the initial nervousness that he had, right now he could feel a strange bond with Qing Xiao. It was comforting, but not too.

Just as how spring had just come after winter, and the weather was fluctuating between warmth and cold.

Qing Xiao sized Shen Lian up and spoke, “Shen Lian, well done. Not only that you have attained so much, but you also did not repeat my previous mistakes.”

She seemed to be complimenting him, but her tone suggested that she expected no less of him.

She did not seem proud of him, and she definitely was not shocked by his sudden progress either.