Behind Mount Zijin.
In a Taoist temple.
"Aren't you going to try your luck against them?"
An old Taoist priest, clad in robes, stood before a woman and spoke softly.
The woman shook her head slightly. "Not yet."
This woman was the complete opposite of Ye Qingxin. In her eyes, it was as if she could see everything, or as if another world existed within them.
Such genuine emotion, such innocence, made it impossible to harbor any disrespect towards her.
The old Taoist priest nodded slightly, saying no more. He calmly gazed ahead, silent.
"Tai Shang Wang Qing, Tai Shang You Qing, originally should have been one cultivation technique. However, during times of war, due to various reasons, they split into two. Tai Shang Wang Qing, in the end, makes one forget everything, even themselves, aligning with the Heavenly Dao and becoming its punisher.
Tai Shang You Qing is the opposite of Tai Shang Wang Qing. Its boundless great love is a gift from the Heavenly Dao, bestowed upon those who have never committed wicked deeds. These are clearly two extremes.
The so-called Heavenly Dao does not truly exist; it is merely a side effect of these two cultivation techniques, or rather, the inevitable outcome when a single technique reaches its ultimate conclusion."
After a long while, the old Taoist priest finally spoke slowly, sighing, his eyes filled with a trace of pity.
A single cultivation technique splitting into two, and them not falling into madness was already fortunate. Their order should have been Tai Shang Wang Qing as the precursor and Tai Shang You Qing as the sequel; together, they formed one complete technique.
"I, my whole life, have wished to merge these two techniques into one. But for so many years, I have only encountered this era twice. The first time, I had just begun my path. Back then, I witnessed the battle between Tai Shang Wu Qing and Tai Shang You Qing. Neither side could gain an advantage, and neither could overcome the other.
The second time is this present era, when I am already old. My wish, I fear, cannot be fulfilled. Child, I hope you will not become what I imagine. I hope you can find the precursor."
After speaking, the old Taoist priest returned to the main hall and sat cross-legged on a prayer mat.
"Caw, caw, caw."
At this moment, a magpie suddenly flew over.
It wagged its tail up and down, chirping, then its tail tilted upwards.
This meant a distinguished guest was arriving.
"Wu Liang Tian Zun, it seems a distinguished guest is visiting today. I shall go out to welcome them."
The front hall of Mount Zijin.
A great battle seemed imminent. The Taoist Demon Subduing Formation had been deployed, encircling Ye Qingxin. Long staffs were planted on the ground, vigilantly guarding against her.
"You useless fools, do you think you can stop me?"
Ye Qingxin slowly raised her head and spoke. Her five slender, graceful fingers, in the sunlight, appeared so fair.
However, this simple gesture caused everyone present to feel an extremely terrifying aura rapidly spreading through the area!
"Wu Qing Sword Intent!"
Daoist Li instantly became alert, his gaze turning incredibly solemn.
Tai Shang Wang Qing did not merely encompass a cultivation technique, but also a complete set of skills including swordsmanship.
"Demon Subduing Formation, rise!"
Daoist Li roared, his eyes suddenly turning dangerous.
Meanwhile, Ye Longlin, who was halfway up the mountain, looked up and saw streaks of white jade swords appearing in the sky above the summit. An aura of ruthlessness swept across Mount Zijin.
Ye Longlin narrowed his eyes, looking towards the summit, his gaze flickering.
"What is it?"
Mu Hanqi also sensed Ye Longlin's abnormality and asked curiously.
"Something has happened at the summit. Could there be any other experts on Mount Zijin?"
Mu Hanqi tilted her head, seeming to recall something, and nodded. "Yes, it is said there is a large Taoist temple at the summit. It is one of the important branches of the Taoist sect, which rarely appears in the world, and it is not easy for anyone to enter the Taoist sect. My grandfather once said something like, 'In chaotic times, Taoist priests descend the mountain; in prosperous times, they remain behind closed doors,' or something like that. I'm not too sure."
Upon hearing this, Ye Longlin became even more certain of his thoughts. He looked down at Mu Hanqi in his arms and said softly, "Hold on tight!"
Before Mu Hanqi could react, Ye Longlin instantly soared into the air. His toes brushed against the air, and in front of him, leaves seemed to form a sky-piercing path, soaring towards the clouds.
His toes danced upon the leaves, ascending into the heavens.
However, despite such a grand display, the countless tourists on Mount Zijin paid no attention whatsoever!
"Why do I feel colder? The higher we go, the colder it gets."
"Aren't you stating the obvious? The higher the altitude, the colder it gets, of course. Otherwise, anyone could climb Mount Everest."
"Don't you guys feel that the wind is gusting? Hiss."
Ye Longlin stood proudly in the sky, his gaze fixed on the summit. Yet, looking down, he saw nothing.
"Nine Palaces and Eight Trigrams. The Taoist sect truly is the sect with the longest heritage."
Ordinary people had no idea that a Taoist sect existed on the summit, nor did they perceive the unique aura of martial artists.
To ordinary people, this world was very simple.
"And then what? How do we get down? I'm afraid of heights!"
Mu Hanqi felt the whistling wind, her voice trembling.
Of course, she would be afraid of heights! Although Mount Zijin was only over four hundred meters in altitude, they were now in the air. A single glance downwards made her feel like she was going to die.
"Watch me."
Ye Longlin smiled and flicked his finger. The entire sky seemed to ripple, and then, the two of them rapidly descended and disappeared.
The front hall of the Taoist temple.
Ye Qingxin stood in the very center of the Bagua diagram on the ground. Around her, Taoist disciples lay sprawled on the ground, not dead, but at least unable to get out of bed for a month.
Suddenly, Ye Qingxin narrowed her eyes, looking at the sky, a playful smile appearing on her lips.
"Ye Longlin, you want to stir up trouble in this mess too?"
Ye Qingxin spoke slowly, having directly uttered Ye Longlin's name upon sensing his aura.
After landing on the ground, Ye Longlin crouched down on one knee, and Mu Hanqi gracefully sat on his lap. Looking at the surrounding scene, she quickly stood up, her face slightly flushed.
"My fiancée and I were sightseeing on Mount Zijin and sensed the aura emanating from above, hence we came to investigate."
Ye Qingxin glanced at the two of them, her brow furrowing. The aura they exuded made her feel uneasy, almost instinctively wanting to kill them.
Tai Shang Wu Qing believed that emotions and love should not exist in this world, hence it held an inexplicable hostility towards those in love.
"What do you think you're doing? Provoking the entire Taoist sect? If that's the case, I can call the Ye family to collect your corpse."
Ye Qingxin looked at the two with great annoyance. "If you continue to stay here, I cannot guarantee I won't kill you first!"