The small mountain wasn’t very tall to begin with. With the distraction of this matter, it only took a few monts before they were not far from the mountain’s peak. Looking up, Heart Prohibition Temple was already in sight. Turning around a large rock on the mountain path revealed a straight staircase with about a hundred steps leading directly to the main entrance of Heart Prohibition Temple.
At that mont, Jin Huan let out a soft exclamation. As an alchemist, his senses were keen, and his spiritual perception was powerful. He had noticed soone approaching from behind. However, given his status, he wouldn’t turn around. Instead, Lu Yang glanced back and said, “It’s that Daoist.”
Except for Jin Huan, everyone else turned around. They saw the handso Daoist from before walking slowly up the mountain path. With each step, he seed to be floating, as if carried by the clouds, or as if his feet barely touched the ground. He moved with an ethereal grace, as though he might ascend into the clouds at any mont.
Lu Yang furrowed his brow. “It seems like a divine movent charm, using a bit of mountain mist to lift his body and maintain such a speed effortlessly. His mastery of charm techniques is quite profound.”
As they spoke, they had already arrived at the temple entrance. With Jin Huan’s cultivation level, even if Lu Yang hadn’t ntioned it, he would have sensed it. Jin Huan nodded and said, “There are many extraordinary people in the mountains. We mustn’t be impolite.”
Yesterday, Jin Huan had already communicated with the people inside the temple. At this mont, a Daoist in a blue robe was waiting at the temple’s main entrance. He greeted them, saying, “Master Jin, please co in. The temple master has been waiting for so ti.”
The guiding Daoist appeared sowhat dull compared to the previous elegant figure, but Jin Huan didn’t mind. He left the accompanying guards behind and entered the temple with Lu Yang and the two young people.
As they lingered at the entrance, the handso Daoist also approached, maintaining his leisurely deanor, evidently also intending to enter the temple. The accompanying guards, recalling Jin Huan’s instructions, allowed him to pass. The Daoist casually followed behind Jin Huan’s group and even nodded in acknowledgnt to the temple’s attendant sweeping the front. The attendant, taken aback, quickly returned the gesture.
All this was observed by Jin Huan and the others, further confirming the Daoist’s status.
Entering the temple, Jin Huan’s group was guided by the attendant around the main hall to the right, while the handso Daoist turned left upon entry. His jade-colored robe flashed several tis around the corner steps before disappearing from sight.
Jin Huan remarked to Lu Yang, “Although this person is not very old, his cultivation is exceptionally profound, surpassing even Ah Chuan and Yan Qi. More admirable is his composed deanor, which is quite enviable.”
Though Jin Huan was praising him, he was more intent on motivating Lu Yang. Lu Yang, bowing slightly, remained expressionless, observing the two young people beside him. They were clearly drawn into the situation, but how much this would inspire them remained to be seen.
As Jin Huan spoke, the guiding Daoist had already moved quite far ahead, looking back with so confusion. Seeing this, Jin Huan smiled and said, “Every dragon has its own offspring. There’s no need to fuss about details… Let’s go!”
They set aside the matter and followed the guiding Daoist across the hall and bridge, soon arriving at a garden on the side. In the depths of the garden were pavilions and flowing water. An old Daoist, with snowy beard and hair but a youthful complexion, sat at the pavilion. He had no attendants by his side. Upon seeing Jin Huan’s group, he stood up.
Jin Huan, setting aside his usual imposing deanor, stepped forward, raised his hand in greeting, and addressed him as “Brother Yu.” The old Daoist descended from the pavilion to welco him, addressing him as “Master Jin,” which felt sowhat formal. Jin Huan didn’t mind. Lu Yang followed, bending deeply, adopting a lower posture. The old Daoist gave a slight nod and focused his gaze on the two young people behind them.
“Master Jin, are these the two children you ntioned?”
Jin Huan adjusted his golden robe slightly and smiled broadly, “Indeed, please have Brother Yu take a look and see if these two are promising talents!”
Without needing him to say more, Jin Chuan and Kuang Yanqi both stepped forward and knelt, addressing the Daoist as “Immortal Yu.” The old Daoist gave a faint hum and gestured for them to rise. The two young n stood up and took their positions, presenting their most upright deanor to the Daoist.
“Let them practice in the mountains; they are presentable enough.”
The Daoist’s words were indifferent, and he offered no further comnt. The two young n were sowhat taken aback, but the Daoist ignored them and led Jin Huan into the pavilion. Lu Yang and the two young people had no choice but to wait outside.
Once seated, Jin Huan said with a smile, “If these two can train within the mountain gate for a year or so, it would be a trendous opportunity for them. I won’t be greedy… quickly express your gratitude!”
Before Jin Chuan and the others could advance, the Daoist waved his hand, “Wait, wait. I’m just an old Daoist who has been idle here for many years. There is one benefit to this: I follow the sect's rules without favoritism. Inside the mountain gate, we rarely pass on the teachings lightly. If you want to send these two into the mountain for training, we need to see…”
At this point, he paused ever so slightly, and Jin Huan also sensed it, turning his gaze slightly. There, behind an arch on the side of the garden, the earlier ethereal and handso Daoist was walking through the forest with a leisurely stride.
The Daoist noticed their gazes and nodded in acknowledgnt. He stopped by another small bridge and flowing water in the garden, looking as though he was leisurely observing fish.
Seeing that Jin Huan and the others showed no sign of surprise, the old Daoist thought it was simply a matter of their usual deanor. He was a person of character, and he couldn’t help but inwardly praise their “freedom,” though he wanted to inquire about this person’s identity. However, since they were discussing sothing important, he hesitated to interrupt, but his thoughts turned quickly, and he continued:
“…we also need to see whether Master Jin’s contributions to the mountain gate over the years are in accordance with the sect’s rules. Though it may seem mundane, it is fair.”
Jin Huan was confident about the so-called “sect rules.” Seeing the Daoist’s reaction only confird his suspicion that the handso Daoist had a deep connection with Heart Prohibition Temple and the old Daoist. He might even be a new disciple of the old Daoist in recent years.
With his conclusion in mind, Jin Huan no longer paid attention to the other side. He smiled and gestured for the two young people outside the pavilion to co forward. Jin Chuan and Kuang Yanqi, being perceptive, quickly unfastened their bags, revealing stone and wooden boxes inside. They respectfully brought the boxes into the pavilion and placed them on the stone table, then bowed and withdrew.
Jin Huan opened the two boxes personally, displaying the items inside. First, the stone box: “Eleven Dragon Fish Grasses. Though not many, over the past ten years, they could be exchanged for several Cold Jade Heart Cleansing Pills. Is there enough left for one person to enter the mountain for training?”
The Daoist smiled, “Last year’s count was sufficient.”
Jin Huan then pointed to the wooden box: “I’ve heard that a ‘Seven Luminous Origin Stone is needed inside the mountain gate. I specifically arranged for one to be brought from the East Sea. If we offer this, could we possibly ensure another person’s entry?”
“The Seven Luminous Origin Stone is a request from Brother Wang of the mountain gate, valued at 255 ‘rits.’ Your residence has the right to ‘special handling,’ and only one-tenth is required for entry. So, 250 rits are needed, which is also sufficient.”
Seeing these items, the Daoist was evidently not trying to be difficult and smiled, “Master Jin has indeed made thorough preparations. You clearly understand the rules of the mountain gate’s rits. It’s quite comndable.”
Jin Huan smiled slightly, having set aside his major concerns. As he was about to speak again, he heard soone ask:
“Excuse , how many ‘rits’ are worth thirteen Dragon Fish Grasses?”
The question did not co from anyone around the pavilion. As people turned in surprise to locate the source of the voice, they saw the graceful Daoist, who had been leaning against a pillar observing fish, descending from the bridge and approaching the pavilion. Under the gaze of everyone, he remained calm and walked steadily, his voice resonating clearly:
“I have thirteen Dragon Fish Grasses. How much would they be worth?”
Morning sunlight stread through the gaps in the trees, casting a brilliant glow on him.
When the handso Daoist crossed the bridge and spoke, an awkward silence fell over the garden. Especially for the Daoist in the pavilion and Jin Huan, their eyes t, and their emotions were montarily unmasked in their haste.
They both saw clear shock in each other's eyes: “Isn’t he one of yours?”
In this situation, the first to react was Lu Yang, the steward outside the pavilion. With a serious expression, he understood the gravity of the situation, his face turning ashen. “You…”
The handso Daoist was indeed Yu Ci. He used the divination techniques he had learned from the Twin Immortal Sect to gain entry into the observatory.
He hadn’t expected Jin Huan and the old Daoist to remain so composed, or perhaps slow to react. He thought getting past the gate was already a considerable achievent, and reaching the garden was the limit. He was prepared for being exposed but had his counterargunts ready.
However, the situation exceeded his expectations. Both sides misunderstood his identity and chose to feign ignorance, allowing him to overhear everything without any concealnt. Given the circumstances, it was possible he could stay until their discussion ended.
But that wasn’t his intention. His main goal was to trade the Dragon Fish Grasses fairly, using only straightforward ans. If the current situation persisted, regardless of his true intentions, it would beco entangled and lose its clarity.
Thinking deeper, after witnessing the spectacle last night, he had no intention of offending the white-haired Daoist in the pavilion. Thus, he decisively spoke up, revealing his identity. Facing the gazes of the five people inside and outside the pavilion, he stepped forward, his muscles initially tense, but he relaxed as he descended the small bridge.
Yu Ci disregarded Lu Yang’s disapproval and stood outside the pavilion, staring at the old Daoist with a white beard. “I am Yu Ci, a wanderer from the mountains. I have thirteen Dragon Fish Grasses and wish to make a trade with the Daoist here, as I had no other ans.”
Only then did the two key figures in the pavilion fully understand the situation. The old Daoist seed to accept it, but Jin Huan's face turned crimson with anger. He slowly turned his gaze, his eyes flashing with golden light, piercing directly at Yu Ci.
Yu Ci felt a shock to his core as if he were facing a blazing sun that blazed fiercely, casting out imnse blood-red light, overwhelming everything. At that mont, his sense of reality was distorted, as if he were being swallowed by the imnse crimson sun that seed to fill the sky.
This was the “Great Radiant Sun Technique,” a fearso technique of the Sun Light Sect that had intimidated Cliff City for a century!
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