Fang Zhiyi squeezed out what he thought was a friendly smile. "Old... elder, I heard there were immortals here, so I came specially to seek the way of the immortals..."
The old man let out an "Oh," his face full of understanding. "Seeking immortality is no easy task... Life up on the mountain is very hard, young friend. You should turn back..."
Fang Zhiyi frowned. This old man was almost certainly a mountain spirit, some lackey working for the so-called immortal. Why was he putting on airs?
The mountain spirit noticed Fang Zhiyi staring at his face. "Young friend? Why are you staring at me?"
Fang Zhiyi smiled and waved him over. "Come closer, and I'll tell you."
The mountain spirit leaned in, puzzled.
"Old geezer, are your bones itching for a beating?"
But as soon as he said this, the mountain spirit reacted in a way Fang Zhiyi never expected. He displayed an agility unbefitting an old man, leaping back several paces and even flipping into a somersault, staring at Fang Zhiyi with utter vigilance.
"Not another insolent fool?"
Fang Zhiyi was confused.
But the mountain spirit kept scrutinizing him from head to toe. Fang Zhiyi looked bewildered, and then the mountain spirit suddenly transformed into a puff of white smoke and vanished.
"Huh?" Fang Zhiyi was at a loss.
But just after the mountain spirit disappeared, where he had been standing, a winding staircase leading upward was revealed.
Fang Zhiyi couldn't figure out what had just happened. Was he really that intimidating? No—he had carefully concealed his aura before coming here... But after thinking it over for a while and coming up with nothing, Fang Zhiyi simply shook his head, stepped forward, and walked onto the staircase that was barely wide enough for one person.
"Just wait! Your turn's coming too!" Not long after Fang Zhiyi climbed the stairs, the path began to fade away, and the mountain spirit reappeared, rubbing his lower back with a furious expression. "Two run-ins in one day with reckless young hooligans—what rotten luck!"
Everything proceeded just as in the original plot. Fang Zhiyi knocked on the door. An acolyte opened it, sized him up for a moment, then let him inside.
Before him, over a dozen mortals had already arrived. When they saw Fang Zhiyi being led in, they didn't react much—some muttered to themselves, while others whispered among each other.
Among these people were a scholar, a hunter, and even a child.
The acolyte walked to the front, cleared his throat, and announced: "Since all of you have entered this gate, it means you are willing to sever all ties with worldly affairs. Starting today, whether you catch the Immortal Master's eye will depend on your conduct."
Many faces lit up with longing.
The acolyte swept his gaze over the crowd, and Fang Zhiyi noticed a subtle change in his expression. When he looked at the younger ones, his interest was visibly higher; at the older ones, he frowned. But when his eyes met Fang Zhiyi's, his expression was rather flat.
Fang Zhiyi was confident in his ability to conceal his aura. After all, having absorbed so many heretical cultivators' souls, he had mastered a wide range of techniques by now.
"Later this evening, the Immortal Master will host a banquet for you at the Invitation to Immortality Terrace. For now, rest at your leisure." After saying this, the acolyte turned and left.
As Fang Zhiyi was pondering, someone patted him on the shoulder.
He spun around suddenly and saw a man dressed as a scholar. The man was about thirty, his face covered in stubble.
"Little brother, you came seeking fame and fortune too?"
Fang Zhiyi nodded, then turned and sat down on a random stone bench. But the scholar followed him. "I arrived before you, so I'm at least your senior apprentice brother, right?"
Fang Zhiyi looked at him with a hint of amusement.
The scholar began introducing himself.
His surname was Chu, full name Chu Xiangye. His family was fairly well-off, but he had repeatedly failed the imperial exams. Chu Xiangye was nothing but a bookworm, ignorant of worldly affairs. In a fit of anger, he had thrown away his sacred texts and started reading the popular novels circulating in the markets. Once he started reading them, he became obsessed, dreaming day and night of becoming an immortal.
So, after his wife nagged him to the point of irritation, Chu Xiangye abandoned his parents and wife, sneaking out on his own to seek immortality. He nearly died in a tiger's jaws, but was fortunately rescued by an old man in the nick of time, who then guided him here.
Chu Xiangye had an endless stream of chatter, his head full of fantasies about what he would do once he became an immortal.
"When that happens, we'll turn stone into gold. Who would care about high offices and fat salaries?" Chu Xiangye said, practically spitting with excitement. Fang Zhiyi sized him up.
This guy reminded him of an old tale.
Among the crowd was also a burly man with a vicious face and an incredibly loud voice. His speech was crude and vulgar, constantly cursing about others' ancestors, which kept almost everyone at a distance from him.
Chu Xiangye followed Fang Zhiyi's gaze and lowered his voice: "Junior brother, don't get involved with that one. He's a complete brute. Earlier, he tried to drive us off the mountain."
Fang Zhiyi nodded.
"I wonder what the immortal was thinking, letting such a violent man in."
Fang Zhiyi smiled. "After all, 'drop the butcher's knife and become a Buddha on the spot.'"
Chu Xiangye sneered. "That saying is nonsense. Why should a wicked man become a Buddha just by putting down his sword?"
As luck would have it, he hadn't lowered his voice when he said this, and exactly at that moment, all the other conversations paused. His words carried clearly. The Ruffian immediately shot a glare over, his chest bare and a short knife hanging at his waist.
"You there, scholar! What did you say? Are you talking shit about your father?"
Chu Xiangye trembled in fear. "I-I never mentioned your name!"
The Ruffian charged over almost instantly, grabbing Chu Xiangye by the collar. "I know you're talking about me! Get the hell out of here!" He raised his fist to strike, but someone shouted them down.
"What's all this noise and commotion? The banquet is ready. Everyone, follow me!" The acolyte stared hard at the Ruffian with clear displeasure.
The Ruffian cursed under his breath and reluctantly released Chu Xiangye.
Fang Zhiyi ignored Chu Xiangye's grumbling, stood up, and followed after the acolyte.
The group trailed behind the acolyte through two stone archways, then along a corridor flanked by a massive fish pond, with mist rising from the water's surface.
Soon, they arrived at an open platform where several small tables were arranged. At the front stood four or five stone tables.
Under the acolyte's direction, everyone took their seats. Fang Zhiyi, the Ruffian, and a few middle-aged men were seated at the back, which visibly annoyed the Ruffian, who kept muttering curses under his breath.
"No wine, no food—and you call this ready?" the Ruffian shouted as soon as he sat down.
Although the others were irritated, no one said anything.
The acolyte simply stood beside the stone table at the head of the room, coldly watching everyone. An indefinable pressure spread through the space, and soon the entire crowd fell silent.
Just then, a string of laughter rang out. Everyone turned around to see a middle-aged man in Daoist robes approaching. His face was warm and genial, faint mist swirling around him. Behind him followed several oddly dressed people, politely deferring to one another as they walked in.
nto another world, I bought a slave for the first time, never expecting the silver wolf girl to be so cute... Lin Feng: I know it's cold, but you don't have to sneak into my bed! Yuna: Just sharing body warmth, if you dare do anything naughty, I'll definitely...
e bizarre and supernatural had descended. The previous emperor was a thoroughgoing tyrant; no longer satisfied with human women, he had set his sights on a stunningly beautiful supernatural entity. He met his end in his bedchamber, drained of all his vital essence. As the legitimate eldest son and crown prince, Wang Hao was thus hastily enthroned, becoming the young emperor of the Great Zhou Dynasty. No sooner had he awakened the "Imperial Sign-In Intelligence System" than he was assassinated by a Son of Destiny—a classic villain's opening. The Great Zhou, ravaged by the former emperor's excesses, was in national decline. The great families within its borders harbored their own treacherous schemes, martial sects began to defy the imperial court's decrees, and border armies, their pay and provisions in arrears, grumbled incessantly against the central government. Fortunately, the central capital was still held secure by the half-million Imperial Guards and fifty thousand Imperial Forest Army who obeyed the court's orders, along with the royal family's hidden reserves of power, barely managing to suppress the realm. As the Great Zhou's finances worsened and supernatural activities grew ever more frequent, the court sat atop a volcano. Ambitious plotters everywhere dreamed of overthrowing the dynasty, and even some reclusive ancient powers emerged, attempting to sway the tides of the world. At the first grand court assembly, the civil and military officials nearly came to blows, fighting tooth and nail over the allocation of fifty million taels of silver from the summer tax revenues. The spectacle opened Wang Hao's eyes—the Great Zhou's bureaucracy was not only corrupt but also martially proficient, a cabinet of all-rounders. Some officials even had the audacity to suggest the emperor release funds from the imperial privy purse to address the emergency. Wang Hao suddenly felt weary. Let it all burn.
ut it can buy an entire year of absolutely perfect training results! Su Yu stared at his empty wallet and decisively opened up various online loan platforms. “Borrow a thousand bucks! Recharge my vitality!” Boom! His vitality broke a hundred points, shattering the limits of the human body! “Borrow ten thousand bucks! Recharge my combat skills!” Boom! A basic punching technique so common it was everywhere instantly maxed out, revealing the ultimate assassination technique of Five Elements Unity—Inner Force! When a rich kid hired assassins for a midnight ambush, aiming to break both of his legs, they instead ran headfirst into a monster—a human-shaped tyrannosaur, brimming with dragon-like vitality. With just two fingers, Su Yu snapped a steel staff reinforced with alloy. Staring at the killer’s stash of stolen cash—a staggering quarter-million dollars—he showed a corporate-sincere smile: “Thanks for the pre-exam gift pack, Mr. Zhao! I’m gonna go re-invest this!” Three days later, at the National Martial Arts College Entrance Exam, while everyone else struggled just to reach the passing line, Su Yu threw a single punch—and more than a thousand vitality points literally detonated the entire arena!
lity and could only live as an ordinary mortal. He only wished to live a peaceful life. Yet he didn't know— The dog he adopted, because it ate his food, became a legendary demon king. The kitchen knife he casually forged became a peerless divine weapon, causing numerous experts to fight desperately for it. The young disciple he took in became an immortal lord that led an era, due to cultivating the techniques Ye Feng taught him. Even the skeletons he looked down on the most were ominous demon kings that suppressed countless worlds. Many years later, looking at the void shattered with a punch, Ye Feng murmured to himself: It turns out the peerless kings were myself all along...
