Elder Tao tossed out two Paper Cranes.
The Paper Cranes grew in the wind, and by the time they landed, they were colossal beasts, each as tall as a man with a wingspan of twenty feet.
"You damn Monkey, what do you think you're doing? You're supposed to be watching the house!" Du Youqian grabbed the Monkey as it tried to climb onto a Paper Crane and rapped it on the head.
He completely forgot that this Monkey was equivalent to a Cultivator at Qi Cultivation Perfection, while he himself was just a small fry at the Qi Cultivation First Layer.
The Monkey clutched its head, rubbing it pitifully. It bared its teeth at Elder Tao, as if to complain, 'That mean guy, he hit me so hard!'
Elder Tao chuckled, at a loss for words. "Alright, stop fooling around. You, Monkey, be good and watch the house. On my way back, I'll stop by the Marketplace and buy you some Spirit Fruits to eat."
The Monkey immediately dropped its act and grinned foolishly.
Elder Tao straddled a Paper Crane. It was as if life had suddenly been breathed into it; with slightly mechanical movements, it began to flap its wings.
It kicked up a whirlwind and soared into the sky.
And as he sat upon the Paper Crane, the old Daoist suddenly took on an air of otherworldly, immortal grace.
He looked indescribably dashing.
Du Youqian smiled faintly, suppressing the surging emotions in his heart. He straddled his Paper Crane, followed behind the old Daoist, and took to the sky.
In his first life, he had flown in airplanes and gone bungee jumping, so after some initial nervousness, he quickly adapted.
Sitting on the back of the Paper Crane, he looked back.
Soul-shaking Mountain, the lush green forests upon it, and the hunters' cabins and refugees' shelters that were barely visible among the trees, all shrank rapidly into the distance.
Meanwhile, Elder Tao's small, dilapidated Daoist Temple had long since vanished within its Array, impossible to find.
Du Youqian's Cultivation was poor, so riding the Paper Crane involved many stops and starts. The time he spent resting to recover his Magical Power actually exceeded the time he spent flying.
The Paper Crane's flying speed wasn't fast either. Over a short distance, it might have been slower than galloping on two fine steeds.
Its cost was also far greater than that of fine horses.
However, its ability to fly through the clouds, leaving no trace, was a great advantage. It could cross great mountains and rivers without obstruction, and neither the wars nor the bandits of the Human World would affect the journey.
A few days later, the two arrived at the Woniushan Mountain Range in the northernmost part of the Wu Kingdom.
From up in the clouds, Elder Tao gazed down at the winding mountain range below, his eyes glinting.
After a long moment, he sighed.
Then he guided his Paper Crane downward.
Soon, the two landed within the mountain range.
"Master, is the Chongzhen Sect located here in the Woniushan Mountain Range?"
"Yes."
Du Youqian was a little speechless.
In his last life, he had led a great army and fought several battles in Woniushan.
Hundreds of thousands of men had fought bloody battles in these mountains, yet they had never once encountered a Cultivator.
'And now you're telling me there's a Cultivation Sect here?'
Du Youqian suddenly felt that the decades he had spent in this life searching for the path to immortality had been a complete waste.
The two walked through the mountains.
Du Youqian asked, "Master, why did you sigh just now when we were in the clouds?"
"I was just thinking of an old acquaintance," the old Daoist said, a nostalgic look on his face.
"A friend of yours? Hero Liao Yilan?"
The old Daoist thought for a moment, then shook his head. "Not him. This old acquaintance... wasn't really a friend. We only met once."
"To have left such a deep impression on you, Master, he must have been a True Cultivator of the Dao," Du Youqian said casually.
The old Daoist chuckled. "Not quite. I remember... you're from the Jin Kingdom, aren't you? Perhaps you've never heard his name. But in the Wu Kingdom, even though he passed away nearly sixty years ago, his name is still known in every household."
Du Youqian suddenly had a premonition.
"His name was Du Youqian, the first Duke You De. In truth, with his achievements, it would not have been an exaggeration to make him a king. If not for him, I'm afraid the Wu Kingdom... would no longer exist. Looking back at the eight-thousand-year history of the Wu Kingdom, he was one of the few truly remarkable figures."
'Just as I thought.'
Hearing his own name from someone else's mouth, and mentioned in such a way, made Du Youqian feel a bit awkward and strange.
There was also a slight hint of embarrassment.
It felt a bit like running into a fanboy.
'One of the most remarkable figures in eight thousand years?'
'I wasn't that amazing, was I?'
'That's too much praise. Really, it's too much.'
The crucial thing was, he really couldn't remember where in his previous life he had met Elder Tao.
"Master, what... was your relationship with that Duke You De?" he asked tentatively.
"No relationship to speak of, just a single meeting. Watch your step. Stay close to your master and be careful not to fall into an Array."
Seeing that the old Daoist clearly didn't want to discuss the topic, Du Youqian could only suppress his doubts for the time being.
In the forest, startled birds took flight in a flurry.
After walking a hundred-odd paces, the view suddenly opened up before them.
A waterfall, like a belt of jade, cascaded from the heavens into a deep pool below.
A rainbow arched across the spray, which splashed about cheerfully. From time to time, majestic and powerful fish of all colors would leap from the pool.
By the side of the pool, there were many men and women dressed in Daoist Robes.
Some were washing clothes, others sat on rocks reading and shaking their heads, while another group was gathered together, talking animatedly.
There was also someone clutching a jar of wine; after taking a long drink, they began to practice with their sword, a solitary and beautiful dance, singing and moving to their own rhythm, lost in their own world.
Du Youqian raised his head and squinted at the space above the waterfall. There, some people rode their swords through the air, while others lay drunk upon the clouds.
There were also immortal cranes soaring, Qing birds singing loudly, and strange-looking Exotic Beasts paddling their limbs joyfully through the air.
And the backdrop to all of this was a tall, majestic archway, partially hidden in the mist.
Inscribed upon it in a large, ancient script was the name: Chongzhen Sect.
The waterfall seemed to be gushing out from within the archway itself.
What an immortal scene!
Although, it was still a bit different from the Immortal Cultivation Sect Du Youqian had imagined.
But it was still breathtaking enough.
Noticing the shock in his disciple's eyes, a smile touched the corners of Elder Tao's mouth.
He quickly suppressed his smile and cleared his throat. "After we enter the Sect's gate, you must be prudent in your words and actions, be humble and deferential. Understand?"
Du Youqian nodded. "I understand."
'It's not like I'm an idiot.'
'A small fry like me at the Qi Cultivation First Layer doesn't have the capital to be arrogant.'
~~~~~~~~
Elder Tao didn't wander around the Chongzhen Sect with Du Youqian, but instead led him directly to the Dharma Transmission Hall.
He was preparing to handle the official registration procedures for Du Youqian to join the Sect.
"Well well, Martial Uncle Tao, long time no see." The disciple on duty at the Dharma Transmission Hall was a middle-aged Daoist with small eyes.
He was extremely tall, with a thick, powerful build.
If he took off his Daoist Robe and put on a suit of Armor, he would look like a valiant general leading a charge into battle.
However, his attitude toward Elder Tao could hardly be called friendly.
To Du Youqian's ears, it even carried a hint of mockery and provocation.
A flicker of surprise passed through Elder Tao's eyes, as if he hadn't expected to run into this person here.
But his attitude was as humble as ever. He smiled and said, "Ah, it's Nephew He. Is your master doing well?"
The Little Eyes Daoist said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes, "Thank you for your concern. My master has a group of filial disciples who searched everywhere for Treasures of Heaven and Earth to heal him. His injuries healed a decade ago, and his Cultivation has even improved. In a few more years, he'll be able to attempt a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage."
When Du Youqian heard this, he was thoroughly shaken.
The Little Eyes Daoist's master was of the same generation as Elder Tao.
That person was at the Foundation Establishment Middle Stage, preparing to break through to the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.
And what about Elder Tao?
'He can't possibly still be in the Qi Cultivation Stage, can he?'
'Could it be that Elder Tao has been playing the pig to eat the tiger all this time?'
But thinking about it carefully, in the past year or so, Elder Tao had never once revealed his own Cultivation level.
Du Youqian had just guessed that Elder Tao was at the Qi Cultivation Late Stage, or perhaps Qi Cultivation Perfection, and had simply lost the chance to advance to Foundation Establishment because of his old age.
Now it seemed his guess was completely and utterly wrong!