"Welcome, Envoy Chen Qing, to Wudang! Please, Envoy, ascend the mountain!"

The resounding declaration from several Wudang disciples sent ripples of astonishment through the onlookers, while simultaneously resolving their earlier bewilderment.

After all, to have Zuo Chengzong himself descend the mountain in welcome, accompanied by the Six Cranes, was an exceedingly rare honor. They had speculated endlessly, yet none had guessed correctly.

"So, it's him?"

"So, Zuo Chengzong's so-called 'Brother Chen' is actually the Demon Saber Chen Yuan."

"That explains it. Only Chen Yuan, the former champion of the Hidden Dragon List and the Immortal Ascension Battle, could possibly warrant such an elaborate reception from Zuo Chengzong."

"Indeed. Given Chen Yuan's strength and talent, the Six Cranes escort is not excessive. His status rivals that of a Transformation Yang True Man."

Those nearby wore expressions of sudden comprehension, their murmurs filling the air.

"Tsk, a true man should be so! I, Li, would also wish to receive such a welcome from Wudang Mountain, one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects." A young martial artist named Li sighed enviously, gazing at the scene unfolding in the sky.

"Could it be... Brother Yi Feng?"

The young man had barely finished his sigh when another young man nearby, seemingly recognizing the familiar voice, asked in disbelief.

Li Yi Feng, hearing his name called, instinctively turned around, equally astonished. He cupped his fist in a greeting and asked, "Brother Da Wan?"

"It is indeed Wu!" the other man replied eagerly.

"Oh, it really is Brother Da Wan! It's been ages since we last met. What a coincidence! Are you also here in Liang Prefecture for that matter?" Li Yi Feng inquired.

"Brother Li is as perceptive as ever. Correct, I, Wu, am also here for that."

"Destiny! It must be celebrated with a few drinks. I, Wu, shall host a banquet at Jvliu Pavilion later. You must come! And tonight, this brother will take you to the pleasure houses for some fun."

"Haha, very well, I shall take you up on that, Brother Wu."

"Then I, Wu, shall go ahead and wait inside for you."

"Rest assured, rest assured, I will definitely be there..."

The reunion of the two young martial artists, acquaintances of old, stirred a small wave of interest nearby, but only a small one. Most eyes remained fixed on the six celestial cranes in the sky.

After all, Li Yi Feng and Wu Da Wan were merely rising talents from the You and Liang Prefectures. Although impressive, they were still far from the peerless geniuses like Chen Yuan and Zuo Chengzong, renowned throughout the martial world.

"In that case, thank you very much." Chen Yuan cupped his fist, smiling at Zuo Chengzong.

He wasn't surprised that the Wudang disciples addressed him as "Envoy Chen Qing." It felt normal, partly because news of his appointment as the Golden Envoy of Liang Prefecture hadn't yet spread.

And likely Zuo Chengzong hadn't disclosed it just now either.

Secondly, the title "Envoy Chen Qing" had almost become synonymous with him. After all, he had made his name most prominently in that position, leaving a lasting first impression on others.

Even when Sima Ke, Princess Pingyang, and Guo Zifeng encountered him, they still tended to use the title "Envoy Chen Qing" rather than Commander Chen.

Zuo Chengzong nodded, then stepped forward onto the largest crane in the center. Chen Yuan followed suit, standing beside him on its back.

Its wings stretched nearly ten zhang, easily accommodating them both.

"Let's go!"

At Zuo Chengzong's command, the cranes below moved in unison. The five cranes, bearing five Wudang disciples, led the way, while Chen Yuan and Zuo Chengzong followed behind.

They left behind only their silhouettes for the martial artists in the prefectural city, their eyes filled with envy.

"These cranes seem to possess sentience, don't they?" Chen Yuan asked, somewhat surprised by the Wudang disciples' use of cranes. Although he had heard that Wudang's cranes were extraordinary, he couldn't help but be curious.

"Brother Chen is correct. These cranes used to greet guests possess intelligence comparable to children of seven or eight years old. As for the one beneath our feet, its intelligence is close to twenty years old. It can even speak human language and its strength is comparable to a Core Realm Grandmaster." Zuo Chengzong explained with a smile.

"Speak human language?"

Chen Yuan's eyes flickered. Although he had heard of great demons in the Southern Border who had wreaked havoc centuries ago, understanding that their intelligence might be akin to humans, he had never witnessed the ability to speak human language firsthand.

"Indeed. This crane is nearly two hundred years old, but within its kind, it is still in its youth. Its lifespan far exceeds that of human martial artists."

"Since Wudang Mountain possesses such spiritual beasts, I imagine there are even more terrifying ones?" Chen Yuan remarked, his eyes twinkling.

Zuo Chengzong didn't conceal the truth, as such matters could be discovered at a certain level, even with a small price. He replied, "Wudang Mountain does have a sect-guarding spiritual beast of immense power. It was subdued six hundred years ago by a strongman from our Wudang, and is the ancestor of these cranes."

"I, Chen, have truly broadened my horizons today."

This wasn't mere flattery; he had indeed just learned this. Of course, it was also because he had never paid attention to such matters before.

After all, it didn't concern him much.

Anyone with even a slight understanding wouldn't find it too surprising.

"Brother Chen jests. Sect-guarding spiritual beasts aren't unique to Wudang. As far as I know, several other forces also possess them, though they rarely make themselves known. Only the crane clan, with their innate understanding of spirituality, has been able to form a large group." Zuo Chengzong smiled faintly.

During their conversation, they had already approached Wudang Mountain. It had to be said that these cranes were quite fast.

Faster than ordinary Core Realm Grandmasters.

In a mere quarter of an hour, they had crossed a great distance, arriving before Wudang Mountain. The previous prefectural city, seemingly at the foot of Wudang, was actually quite far away, only appearing close visually.

Chen Yuan carefully sensed his surroundings, feeling as if the mountain was shrouded in a great array.

Even before getting close, he could feel the surrounding Heaven and Earth spiritual energy becoming significantly denser. This was, of course, quite normal, as Wudang Mountain was hailed as one of the Ten Great Immortal Sects.

With a deep foundation, this mountain, though seemingly not very tall, was in reality a blessed land of immortals.

According to Chen Yuan's information, Wudang Mountain's strength was, at least outwardly, quite strong, ranking among the top compared to other Immortal Sects.

In the Transformation Yang realm alone, there were seven True Men in this generation.

Known as the Seven Sons of Wudang!

All of them were disciples of that old madman.

Seven Transformation Yang realm experts was definitely not a small number. Shu Mountain, hailed as the number one sword sect in the world, only had five Sword Immortals on the surface. Of course, this was only a matter of realms, not representative of everything.

Primordial Spirit Refinement is Transformation Yang; Yang God True Monarchs also belong to the Transformation Yang category.

"We've arrived."

Zuo Chengzong and his party, riding the cranes, hovered in the sky. They each reached out and took out a unique token before commanding the cranes to enter the Wudang Mountain's boundaries.

This made Chen Yuan feel even more impressed, truly a sect of immortals!

He didn't sense any danger, but looking at Zuo Chengzong and the others' actions, either there was a very hidden array, or someone was specifically watching them.

Regardless of which, it was extraordinary.

He didn't curiously ask, because asking wouldn't get him anywhere. It was better to quietly follow along.

The five cranes led Chen Yuan to the mountainside. Here was the heart of Wudang Mountain. As far as the eye could see, there were palaces and temples.

On the vast training grounds, hundreds of Wudang disciples were practicing.

Some were practicing swordsmanship, some were meditating, some were flying through the air, and some were controlling talismans.

It seemed chaotic and disorganized, but that was Wudang Mountain's tradition, never restricting disciples to one path of cultivation. Otherwise, it would be a sword sect or a heretical sect.

They belonged to the Taoist School!

After leading the way, the Wudang disciples took their leave. Zuo Chengzong, on the other hand, led Chen Yuan around Wudang Mountain, introducing the various sights.

Meanwhile, he sent someone to the summit to inform the Old Celestial Master about Chen Yuan's request to meet him.

This was Chen Yuan's first time visiting a sect at the level of an immortal sect, and it did open his eyes. It was vastly different from ordinary sects.

He knew that there was an area within the imperial city reserved for the royal family's experts and honored retainers to cultivate, but he didn't have the authority to enter and didn't know what secrets it held. He had only heard some things from Zhang Yantong.

The vast imperial city must have some secrets.

Through Zuo Chengzong's introduction, Chen Yuan roughly learned some of Wudang Mountain's secrets. For example, the total number of disciples with generation names in Wudang Mountain didn't exceed a thousand.

It could be described as striving for perfection.

Each one could be considered to have decent talent.

This place gathered almost half of the geniuses in the northern region, so the entry threshold was very high. They had to have a clean background and enter the mountain from a young age to cultivate a sense of belonging.

When Chen Yuan first arrived in this world, his decision to walk the path of the imperial court was, in itself, a helpless act. He was too old. Not to mention immortal sects, even top sects like the Azure Cloud Sword Sect wouldn't accept him.

Of course, he didn't need it either.

During their conversation, Zuo Chengzong also asked about Chen Yuan's situation since their separation in the East Sea, curious about how he had grown. Chen Yuan could only respond with half-truths.

Because he spoke so fluently, Zuo Chengzong didn't suspect anything. He even expressed envy for Chen Yuan, saying that he was very free and able to roam the martial world.

He was also able to crush the schemes of the Eastern Ying dwarves for the sake of the Central Plains martial artists, and was a model for their generation.

Faced with Zuo Chengzong's praise, Chen Yuan just smiled and humbly said a few words.

Then Chen Yuan changed the subject, saying that after he killed the Tang Sect Master Tang Xianzhuo in Shu Prefecture, Zuo Chengzong's exaggerated praise had caused him a lot of trouble and he had been pursued and killed many times.

Zuo Chengzong felt a little guilty and repeatedly apologized, saying that he just wanted to make Chen Yuan more famous at the time, but he never expected that he would accidentally cause trouble.

As a result, some of Chen Yuan's enemies became even more murderous towards him.

They chatted for a long time, and they both found it very interesting. They agreed that after Chen Yuan finished visiting the Old Celestial Master, they would find a quiet place to sit down and discuss the Tao.

As the saying goes, speak of the devil. Just when the two of them had just agreed, a ray of light fell from the top of the mountain and went straight to Zuo Chengzong. He reached out and caught it. It was a section of incomplete bamboo slips.

There were only four words on it:

"Bring him up here."

After confirming that there was no problem, Zuo Chengzong put away the bamboo slips and smiled at Chen Yuan:

"Brother Chen, the Old Ancestor has agreed to see you. Come with me."

"Okay."

Chen Yuan nodded without hesitation.

Zuo Chengzong took Chen Yuan directly to the top of the mountain. At first, Chen Yuan was a little curious, why wasn't there a strict guard at the residence of this Old Celestial Master?

But he quickly realized.

That Old Celestial Master wasn't an ordinary person, but the Old Madman who shook the world, who had once carried the True Martial Sword and destroyed a top sect with a True Monarch in charge.

He was vaguely regarded as the most ruthless person in the world.

Did such a person need guards?

The higher they went, the denser the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy became. At the deepest point, it was even more terrifying than the spiritual energy in the secret realm. Taking a deep breath, one could feel refreshed,

And one's cultivation would improve a little.

Originally, Chen Yuan thought that the top of Wudang Mountain must be even more majestic and comparable to the existence of the imperial palace, but after arriving, he found that it was not the case at all. There was only an ordinary small palace on top, and basically nothing else.

Most of them were things like written stones and spiritual herbs.

Zuo Chengzong took Chen Yuan to the top of the mountain, faced the small palace and bowed, his expression extremely solemn. Seeing this situation, Chen Yuan also bowed.

Then... he saw some of the situation inside.

It was a stone statue, holding a bronze ancient sword in his hand, and above the stone statue were four large characters:

"True Martial Emperor!"

There was no need to say much about the bronze ancient sword in his hand. It must be the famous True Martial Sword, and this ordinary small palace was the True Martial Hall!

Just when Chen Yuan was confused about where Celestial Master Zhang was, a change suddenly occurred in front of him and Zuo Chengzong. The void was twisted and unsteady, and in an instant, it was as if a gap had been opened.

Looking intently, an old man with gray hair and a solemn expression was looking at them.

The old man was wearing a purple Taoist robe with mysterious patterns embroidered on it. He was not very tall and his appearance was very ordinary, but such a seemingly ordinary old man made Chen Yuan dare not underestimate him in the slightest.

The source was because there was no trace of aura leaking from the other party, like a mortal, but Chen Yuan could not feel the other party's existence. He was close at hand,

But it felt like they were thousands of miles apart.

"Disciple has met the Ancestor."

Zuo Chengzong bowed, his expression respectful.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan also bowed and cupped his fists, saying in a deep voice:

"Qingzhou Chen Yuan has met the Old Celestial Master!"

In the past, Chen Yuan could only be called Nanling Chen Yuan, because his strength and status were not enough, but now, with his Celestial Pill cultivation base and the power of the Sky Survey Golden Envoy, it was enough to call himself Qingzhou Chen Yuan.

"You are the one who wants to see the poor Taoist?"

The gray-haired old man calmly fixed his gaze on Chen Yuan.

Whether it was his dress or posture, it was completely different from the rumored Old Madman.

Was there a mistake in the rumors?

This thought only flashed through Chen Yuan's mind for a moment, and then quickly dissipated. Facing Celestial Master Zhang's question, he immediately nodded:

"It is this junior who wants to see the senior."

"What for?"

Celestial Master Zhang continued to ask in a calm tone.

Chen Yuan raised his head and looked at Zuo Chengzong with some hesitation. The gray-haired old man frowned:

"Can't let others know?"

"It's best to keep it hidden."

The Old Celestial Master took a deep look at Chen Yuan, not thinking that the other party dared to tease him. Then, he looked at Zuo Chengzong and instructed: "Chengzong, you go down first."

"Yes, Ancestor."

Although Zuo Chengzong was a little curious about what secrets Chen Yuan didn't want him to know, he couldn't ask the question in this situation. He just nodded to Chen Yuan, and then jumped off the top of Wudang Mountain.

"Okay, speak."

The gray-haired Zhang Celestial Master said in a condensed voice.

Chen Yuan nodded and said in a deep voice:

"Actually, this junior came to Wudang Mountain to see the senior this time, as instructed by another senior."

"Who is it?"

The Old Celestial Master raised his eyebrows, his eyes a little curious.

Chen Yuan took a deep breath and said in a condensed voice:

"Senior, aren't you going to show yourself yet?"

As soon as he finished speaking, an invisible force quickly came out of the Emperor Slaughtering Saber behind him and enveloped the top of Wudang Mountain. As soon as this force came out, the pupils of the Zhang Celestial Master suddenly shrank.

He realized that the person who came was extraordinary.

Then, under Chen Yuan's gaze, the figure of White Robed Moro slowly walked out, suspended in the void and looked at the gray-haired old man in front of him with a smile,

He put his hands together and said:

"I have met Benefactor."

"Daoist friend is... someone from Spirit Mountain?"

Celestial Master Zhang frowned, and his face gradually became serious.

"Once was."

Moro responded with a smile.

"What about now?"

"I haven't been since two hundred years ago."

"Two hundred years ago..." The Old Celestial Master muttered softly, and suddenly seemed to realize something, and suddenly said:

"You are the head of the Four Great Bodhisattvas of Spirit Mountain, Earth Treasury Bodhisattva!"

"Yes."

Moro did not feel surprised. They had never met before, but they had definitely heard of each other's names. And the fact that Zhang Celestial Master said Moro's origin in one word shocked not only him, but also Chen Yuan.

The head of the Four Great Bodhisattvas of Spirit Mountain, Earth Treasury Bodhisattva!!!

This turned out to be Moro's original body.

Wait, aren't there still Four Great Bodhisattvas now? How could it be... Could it be a Bodhisattva who was added later?

A flash of understanding flashed in Chen Yuan's eyes. He had guessed the true identity of Senior Moro before, but he had never been sure. Now it seemed that he had entered his misunderstanding.

The Four Great Bodhisattvas are not fixed, and someone can replace them later!

It's really... surprising.

But thinking that Moro is now a Sixth Realm Immortal, the fact that his true identity was once the Four Great Bodhisattvas of Spirit Mountain no longer surprised him.

The leader always has some skills.

"Earth Treasury... haven't you already fallen?"

Celestial Master Zhang's eyes sank slightly, and he frowned and stared at the other party and asked.

"The Earth Treasury King Bodhisattva, the head of the Four Great Bodhisattvas of Spirit Mountain, has indeed fallen. Now, this monk's Taoist name is Moro!" The white-robed monk looked at the old man in front of him calmly and responded.

"Moro..." The Old Celestial Master pondered for a moment, and asked softly:

"Then what is the purpose of you finding the poor Taoist today?"

Chen Yuan also concentrated and prepared to listen to what was worth Moro actually taking the risk of exposing himself to see this Old Celestial Master.

It was a pity that Moro did not give him a chance and turned his gaze to him and said:

"Benefactor Chen, please leave the top of the mountain for a moment. If these things enter your ears, they may be leaked out."

Chen Yuan glanced at him. Although he was a little puzzled and disappointed, he still nodded, turned around and jumped off the top of the mountain, disappearing without a trace.

"Speak."

——————

"Begging for monthly tickets!"