The Immortal’s Cave and a Fated Encounter

Inside the Mufu Mountain mess hall, several disciples, clad in white robes, were indulging in drink and boisterous boasts.

“Have you heard? The disciples who went missing half a year ago were actually wiped out by mountain bandits,” a disciple whispered quietly.

“Mountain bandits? Jiang Yu was among the missing, wasn’t he? And there was Wu Yuan, who’s even stronger than an elder. Wu Tian is a genius at clearing out bandits; how could they have been completely annihilated?”

“I heard they encountered cultivators, and only one female disciple survived in the end.”

“What? So many masters died, but a female disciple lived? She most likely made some shady deal with the cultivators.”

“Ah, never mind that. Since these elite disciples are dead, our chances of pursuing Muyu and Nolan have significantly increased.”

“Dream on…”

As they chatted, a white-haired girl entered through the doorway and walked directly to their table.

Upon seeing her beauty, the men were momentarily stunned. The girl cupped her fist in a polite salute and asked softly, “Greetings, Senior Brothers.”

“Uh… is there something you need, Junior Sister?” one of the disciples asked, looking perplexed.

“I heard that some inner disciples encountered an immortal’s cave dwelling, and I wish to inquire about its exact location.”

At the mention of an immortal’s cave, the disciples fell into thoughtful silence for a moment.

“Junior Sister is referring to the incident at Fog Mountain, then?”

“Precisely. I won’t ask without offering anything in return. How about fifty merit points?”

One disciple quickly waved his hand. “Hey, it’s no secret. Forget the merit points. Fog Mountain is in the southeast, about eight hundred li away.”

“Thank you!” The girl expressed her gratitude, then turned and departed without lingering.

****

“Are you an idiot?! She offered merit points, and you refused!”

“No, do we even have such a beautiful female disciple in our sect? I must be drunk. I’ll pay for the meal, alright?”

****

Having inquired about Fog Mountain’s location, Lin Tian did not rush to depart. Instead, he returned to the mountaintop to make further preparations.

Half a year passed in the blink of an eye.

Mufu Mountain began recruiting new disciples once more. Prince Qin Jiu came searching for Luo Yingkong but did not find her. Luo Tao also returned to Sifang Town for the festival.

Thousands of li away, within an exquisite cave dwelling, Zhang Yu knelt on one knee.

“Master, this disciple has some trivial matters that I cannot put aside. Please allow me to descend the mountain for a period.”

Seated high above, an old man with a long, white beard narrowed his eyes as he regarded Zhang Yu.

“Zhang Yu, with your aptitude, your cultivation speed should be faster. I’ve given you so many pills, yet after more than half a year, you’re only at the eighth layer of Qi Refinement.”

“This disciple will redouble my efforts in the future…” Zhang Yu lowered his head.

“Very well. Mortal affairs must be severed as early as possible, lest they disturb your state of mind. You have one month. Go.”

“Yes! Thank you, Master.” Zhang Yu was slightly agitated, but he did not immediately withdraw. The old man asked with a hint of confusion, “Is there something else?”

“Master, I was once a disciple of Mufu Mountain. There are some minor matters I need to attend to there. Could Mufu Mountain be entrusted to this disciple?”

“Mufu Mountain? I thought it was something important. It’s just a place full of mortals; you can do whatever you wish with it.”

As the old man finished speaking, he tossed a jade pendant before Zhang Yu. “This is a top-grade magical artifact. Infusing it with spiritual energy will create a protective barrier that even ordinary cultivators cannot break.”

He continued, “However, its drawback is that once activated, you cannot launch an attack from within.”

“Thank you, Master!”

Zhang Yu exited the cave dwelling, a subtle smirk playing on his lips as he thought to himself, Mountain bandits! And everyone who bullied me will pay the price!

****

The following morning, Lin Tian affixed a Thousand-Mile Talisman to his leg and set off for Fog Mountain.

His cultivation over the past six months had exhausted all his pills, leaving his progress stuck at the sixth layer of Qi Refinement. Yet, the spiritual energy within his body was significantly denser than before.

He had also thoroughly researched the Five Elements Array. While its use consumed a vast amount of spirit stones, its advantage lay in its rapid deployment. Moreover, the smaller the array, the sturdier its defensive wall. When shrunk to a mere ten feet, it could withstand bullets with ten times the normal power!

He had also experimented with the female cultivator’s flying artifact. Though it allowed him to ascend, it couldn’t fly high and was incredibly slow, rendering it largely useless.

It took him two days to traverse the eight hundred li. A thick mist gradually enveloped the path, with only trees and rocks for company. A stone tablet stood ten feet away, carved with the large characters for ‘Fog Mountain.’ Lin Tian knew this must be the place.

Absorbing a spirit stone to restore his magical power, he cautiously began to ascend the mountain.

The mist on the mountain was even denser, obscuring objects beyond six feet. To prevent getting lost, Lin Tian marked the trees he passed. There was no clear path up the mountain, forcing him to push through dense bushes. His clothes became damp with dew, sending chills through his body.

After walking for half an hour, he found it strange that he hadn’t encountered a single living creature. It felt as though he was the only one in the entire forest.

Another hour passed, and Lin Tian sensed something amiss. He climbed a pine tree to survey the terrain. Upon reaching the treetop, he froze. He hadn’t traveled far at all; the stone tablet marking Fog Mountain was still visible not far behind him.

What is going on?

After descending, he retraced his steps. The path was familiar, and his marks were still there. After a moment of thought, he resumed his ascent, but this time he hastened his pace.

Empowered by spiritual energy and utilizing his Cloud-Treading Steps, the scenery suddenly shifted after an hour. The surrounding mist vanished, and he looked around to find himself on flat ground.

Fog Mountain was now behind him!

Did I just pass through Fog Mountain? Lin Tian found it incredible. One moment he was climbing, the next he was on the other side of the mountain.

After a brief contemplation, he returned to the base of the mountain. Concentrating, he conjured a fireball in his hand. A wave of heat emanated, instantly dispersing the surrounding mist.

Lin Tian continued his ascent, fully focused on sensing the environment and any changes in the scenery. Halfway up the mountain, he suddenly stopped, his head feeling heavy and dazed.

This is it!

He hurled the fireball towards a dense patch of trees! Miraculously, the fireball passed directly through the trees and vanished! Without a second thought, he charged into the tree line, his figure disappearing as well, as if the area was protected by an illusion.

The scene he entered was like a paradise, filled with abundant spiritual energy. A single deep breath was enough to invigorate one’s mind and body.

Following a pebble path, he passed a pond where several red and white carp swam. As Lin Tian approached, they darted beneath the lotus leaves.

Ahead, a massive boulder had a cave carved into it. Lin Tian cocked his pistol and cautiously peered inside. After a brief scan, sensing no life force within, he breathed a sigh of relief and stepped inside.

The cave was not deep, yet it was fully equipped with a bedroom, a main hall, and an alchemy room. The main hall was empty, but in the alchemy room, Lin Tian found an alchemy furnace, which he immediately stored in his spatial pouch without hesitation. There were also some scattered pills, but their medicinal properties had long since dissipated due to age.

Moving to the bedroom, he found several books placed beside the pillow: the Qi Guiding Heart Technique, the Three Harmony Array Formation, and a notebook.

Flipping through the first two pages of the notebook, he saw records of cultivation insights. The further Lin Tian read, the more astonished he became, for it even detailed experiences in breaking through to the Core Formation stage! This suggested that the cave’s former owner was likely a Core Formation grandmaster!

With little else remaining, Lin Tian collected everything before exiting the cave dwelling.

He circled the area once more when a medicinal fragrance suddenly wafted towards her. Lin Tian followed the scent and discovered a medicinal garden behind the stone mountain!

A thrill ran through him, and he was about to rush over when he heard a child’s voice call out, “Who goes there?! How dare you trespass in this place!”

Lin Tian was startled. There was actually someone here! Remembering the cultivation insights he had just read, he realized this was likely the owner, and someone he absolutely could not afford to offend!

Just as he was about to retreat, a black flood dragon with wings swept overhead, blocking his path!