Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Within the Three Silent Mountains' Wood Spirit Dojo, an elderly man with snow-white whiskers was calmly elaborating on the day's lesson. Apart from his exceptionally long white beard, he appeared no different from any ordinary elder. However, he was reclining against the trunk of an ancient, towering tree, whose other branches sprawled across every corner of the dojo. The entire Wood Spirit Dojo had been constructed around this monumental tree.

A closer inspection revealed a subtle green luster enveloping the ancient tree, which seemed to intertwine seamlessly with the genuine energy surrounding the elderly figure.

At this moment, the white-bearded elder was faced with rows of young Taoist disciples, each with a potted plant in front of them, freshly grown. The lesson of the day entailed using their own spiritual energy to nurture and accelerate the growth of the plant in their care.

"Wood Spirit Root differs from other Spirit Roots. In cultivation, one must avoid arrogance and impatience, and refrain from being overly hasty. The paramount task is to establish a connection with vegetation, only then will there be any tangible progress."

However, as the old Daoist continued his soft muttering, the students grew increasingly drowsy.

Noticing this, the bearded elder furrowed his brow slightly. With a flick of his whisk, the ancient tree behind him extended its branches, gently tapping those dozing off.

"Awake, all of you! Your performance in this lesson will be part of your assessment. I'll be back in an hour to check on your progress," he said, only closing his eyes once he was certain the students were alert.

Seeing the elder begin to meditate with his eyes closed, a few students who were seated farther away couldn't resist whispering to each other.

One of them, holding his hand, shook his head repeatedly. "Master Lingyuan's lessons are the most soporific... Ouch, Senior Sister, look at my left hand, it hurts from that branch."

The one addressed as Senior Sister couldn't help but remark, "Serves you right. Who asked you to doze off? This time, the results will count towards your final grade. You still dared to sleep? Did you really want to end up at the bottom?"

Qing Xuan, who had been dozing, glanced at the plant in front of him with a disappointed look. "Sigh, my performance in Spirit Energy class has never been great. Elder Ling Yuan's lessons are just too challenging. How can they expect a Wood Spirit Root cultivator like me to excel in planting trees? I never manage to nurture anything worthwhile."

Senior Sister Qing Lian sighed in response but still urged him to take it seriously. "True as that may be, you really need to put in effort this time. Didn't you hear? Elder Ling Shen recently announced that whoever ranks last in this exam will have to go to the West as an exchange student!"

Upon hearing this, Qing Xuan instantly snapped awake, his expression turning tense. "I've heard about it too. It's terrifying. The elders say the West is a barbaric land filled with arrogant, hairy savages who eat raw meat. Unlike our Three Silent Mountains, a blessed land abundant in spiritual energy and treasures."

As he spoke, Qing Xuan gritted his teeth. "Moreover, none of the seniors who went there as exchange students have ever returned. It's like a place that devours people whole."

"Enough talk, I must strive now!"

Qing Lian nodded in approval. "Good that you realize it. Look at Qingzhi ahead, how diligent he is. You could learn from your junior."

Qing Xuan dismissed the notion. "That Li Qingzhi is the most mischievous one. There's no way he's being serious." With that, Qing Xuan focused on the plant before him. However, despite his efforts, the Nandina domestica merely grew conventionally, showing no signs of remarkable change.

Just as Qing Xuan was at a loss, a series of "crackling" sounds unexpectedly erupted from a tranquil corner of the dojo. The intermittent, peculiar noise was impossible to overlook.

Unable to resist the curiosity provoked by the boredom, Qing Xuan glanced in the direction of the sounds. This single look left him utterly stunned in place.

"Li Qingzhi," Qing Xuan gazed in astonishment at his mischievous junior apprentice brother, trying to keep his voice low but unable to conceal his surprise, "What are you up to now?"

A handsome youth with shoulder-length hair tied into a small braid was seen smiling as he gazed at the potted plant before him, as if admiring a masterpiece. However, the plant that had taken form before him was indeed quite a sight to behold.

This young Daoist, named Li Qingzhi, was supposed to have a regular weeping cherry blossom in his basin. Instead, the blossoms now hung ablaze, their flames flickering with an eerie pinkish-red glow that refused to be extinguished. The trunk of the tree had somehow turned into a bizarre silver-white, giving it an utterly surreal appearance.

Hearing his senior calling him, Li Qingzhi turned back with a smile and looked at Qing Xuan. "I'm practicing. This is my assignment for the day."

Fellow Apprentice Qing Xuan was dumbfounded. "B-Bu this is a lesson for Wood Spirit Root cultivators. How did you manage to produce flames?"

Li Qingzhi, however, remained unperturbed. Unsatisfied with his creation, he infused more genuine energy into the formation. Before long, the flames on the bud began swirling and dancing, giving off a surreal, almost mystical appearance.

"Look!" Li Qingzhi beamed, nodding repeatedly. "Finally, it's done! I've even given it a name – Firetree Silver Blossom!"

The previously solemn Wood Spirit Dojo erupted into a chorus of cheerful laughter, some directed at Li Qingzhi, others at his peculiar flower.

Senior Sister Qing Lian, always caring for Li Qingzhi, didn't join in the jesting like Qing Xuan. Instead, she wore a look of pleasant surprise. "Qingzhi's is beautiful and impressive. It seems like it could score highly."

Hearing this, Li Qingzhi felt a bit embarrassed but also pleased. "Thank you, Senior Sister Qing Lian!"

The joyful scene could have persisted for a while longer, until an errant flame, dancing from the cherry blossom bud, unintentionally drifted out of the flower pot and landed precisely where it shouldn't – on Elder Ling Yuan's long whiskers.

Three minutes later.

Elder Ling Yuan, who had been in deep contemplation with his eyes closed, trembled as he touched his singed beard. His anger erupted into a thunderous cry,

"Li Qingzhī!"

"You see what you've done!!"

After a bout of chaos, Li Qingzhi was escorted by Elder Ling Yun to face Elder Ling Shen, the Fire Spirit Elder, for reflection. Having grown up under Elder Ling Shen's care, this could be seen as an act of reporting misbehavior to a parental figure.

Outside the door, Li Qingzhi was in a daze, fixated on the two immortal cranes that Elder Ling Shen kept not far away. Inside, with a soundproofing spell cast, Elder Ling Yun stroked his newly restored beard and began to enumerate Li Qingzhi's offenses to Elder Ling Shen.

One of the pieces of evidence, the "Fire Trees and Silver Flowers," was placed between the two of them.

Elder Ling Yun sighed with a headache, "Elder Ling Shen, you had him visit my Wood Spirit Dojo a few days ago. Yet, he still couldn't get his mind off what he learned from you, causing utter chaos in the dojo. My wooden form nearly caught fire!"

Elder Ling Shen poured a cup of tea for Ling Yun and, after listening to his words, couldn't help but shake his head in resignation. "But Qingzhi can't cultivate a Fire Spirit Root. Continuing to train with me would only be a waste."

Ling Yuan paused for a moment upon hearing this, his expression turning intricate. "I understand. Li Qingzhi's Fire Spirit Root is of utmost importance and cannot be easily unsealed…" Here, he sipped his tea, deliberately cutting himself short before transitioning to Qingzhi's current situation. "Yet, even though you sealed his Fire Spirit Root after his birth, he still favors using fire-related spells. This doesn't bode well for him."

"And," Ling Yuan's face revealed concern, "even within the Wood Spirit Academy, Li Qingzhi frequently employs fire techniques. Sooner or later, the seal will loosen. This can't go on."

After a long contemplation, Ling Shen sighed. "It's not his fault. He was born with the Sacred Body of Fire cultivation. Even if his spirit veins are forcibly sealed, the desire to cultivate fire might still linger in his bones."

With that, Ling Shen closed his eyes briefly. "That's why I've made a decision."

Ling Yuan responded, "Please, Elder, enlighten us."

Ling Shen: "For this time's exchange program to the West, let Qingzhi go. Give him a low score so he can stay away from Three Silent Mountains. That would be a safe choice. Besides, with such a distance between the West and Three Silent Mountains, even if Qingzhi practices fire cultivation, it won't affect our spiritual veins."

Ling Yuan couldn't help but express surprise: "Isn't that a bit too harsh? Li Qingzhi has grown up in Three Silent Mountains. Although he can be mischievous, his nature is essentially good. Even with his fire spirit root sealed, he can still perform fire techniques and fuse fire and wood essence energies. His talent isn't bad at all."

Speaking of this, Ling Yuan glanced at the flaming cherry blossom created by Qingzhi. "Though somewhat crude, it shows creativity. Students like him who think outside the box are rare. It doesn't feel right for me to give him a low score..."

A hint of concern flickered in Ling Shen's eyes before he shook his head. "Forget it. Score him fairly. I'll reconsider the situation with Qingzhi."

The two elders continued their conversation for a while before exiting the room one after another.

Practitioners, in their movements and stillness, were not easily detected. When the two elders emerged, Li Qingzhi, who should have been standing at the entrance as punishment, was instead playfully racing around the courtyard with a pair of cranes, stirring up clouds of dust.

"Cough... Cough!" Ling Shen cleared his throat sternly. Li Qingzhi and the two cranes straightened simultaneously, losing their erstwhile majestic demeanor as they hung their heads, appearing guiltless.

Ling Shen glanced at his cranes with frustration, "Even you two indulge his nonsense!"

The two cranes, accustomed to Qingzhi's daily offerings of dew, were well acquainted with the boy. They stretched their necks, pretending not to understand, and took a few steps aside to resume their celestial avian grace.

Qingzhi, regarding Elder Ling Shen as a respected senior, was then pulled by the ear to apologize to Elder Ling Yuan, whose beard was half singed.

...

The following day, the results of this year's final assessment were announced.

The identity of the "lucky one" who would be sent to the distant West as an exchange student, at the very bottom of the entire sect, was now set in stone.

As they saw Li Qingzhi's name on the list, the other sect members couldn't help but secretly rejoice: Excellent! It wasn't me!

In truth, Li Qingzhi wasn't surprised by the outcome. He had never been fond of those cultivation classes or the tedious copying and recitation of incantations. He had some interest in the fire spirit root curriculum, but Elder Ling Shen, who had raised him, particularly disliked his exposure to fire-related spells.

Curious, Li Qingzhi examined his grades closely and discovered that Elder Ling Yuan had actually given him a fairly decent score. However, his poor performance in physical training and script writing dragged his overall grade down to the very bottom of the class.

For some reason, Li Qingzhi, who had initially felt a bit down, cheered up. It seemed Elder Ling Yuan truly enjoyed his Fire Trees and Silver Flowers!

...

As they parted ways, Elder Ling Shen asked Li Qingzhi's senior brother Qing Xuan and senior sister Qing Lian to help him pack.

The two arrived at Li Qingzhi's room, ready to lend a hand. Senior Sister Qing Lian, who had always been fond of her little junior brother, asked, "Qingzhi, is there anything you need help with bringing?"

Li Qingzhi thought earnestly for a moment before responding seriously, "I've already packed my clothes. How about I bring some of the pickles from the back mountain? They keep well and are delicious."

Those pickles were a secret recipe that Li Qingzhi had acquired from the foot of the mountain. They were an excellent accompaniment to meals and had become a sensation in the sect for months. Even now, people often asked Li Qingzhi for the pickling method.

Qing Xuan had always found his mischievous junior brother irritating, and now he rolled his eyes to the heavens. "You're still thinking about your lousy pickles even when we're about to leave?"

Qing Lian shot a glare at Qing Xuan before nodding at Li Qingzhi. "Then go fetch some from the back mountain. I'll prepare the things Master Ling Shen mentioned for you to bring along."

"Thanks, Senior Sister!" Li Qingzhi's words were as sweet as honey when dealing with his gentle Senior Sister.

After Li Qingzhi left, Qing Lian took out a small bag and began packing his belongings, muttering to herself, "Clothes, food, gossip disc, Five Elements book, language charm, water-repelling pearl, Shadow Sword of the Ancients..."

Second Senior Brother Qing Xuan, who had been yawning by the side, lost his composure completely when he heard the name of one of the sect's six great treasures, the divine ancient sword known as Shadow Sword of the Ancients.

"Senior Sister? Did I hear that right? What did you put in there?!"

Qing Lian paused at the question and then quickly nodded. "Oh, right. I forgot."

With that, she retrieved the shimmering divine sword, its body glowing with an ethereal light, from her bag.

Qing Xuan sighed in relief but couldn't help stealing glances at the sword in Qing Lian's hand out of curiosity. "I told you it was the wrong place. You almost caused trouble. But how did you get this sword? Did Master give it to you? This is quite a valuable item."

To their surprise, Qing Lian cast a spell, transforming the appearance of Cheng Ying Sword into an ordinary peach wood sword before slipping it back into her backpack. Without looking up, she continued, "No, it's for Qingzhi. Master said that since Qingzhi is traveling, it's only proper for them to have a sword for protection."

Qing Xuan gritted his teeth in frustration. "Master is biased!"

How could this be considered just for personal use? This was the Chengying Sword! He had only seen it before in the Treasure Pavilion. How could Li Qingzhi take it away so casually?

Qing Lian chuckled. "Qingzhi is representing our Three Silent Mountains to learn. It's good for him to have some prestige, and he can showcase our mountain's treasures to the Western students."

"And besides, Qingzhi is so well-behaved. He definitely won't misuse it."

Qing Xuan harrumphed in anger but was powerless to do anything. "What's so obedient about him? Truly, poor students have more stationery. Forget it, it's Master's property anyway." With that, Qing Xuan averted his gaze, trying to distract himself from the sting of losing the sword.

However, seeing Qing Lian effortlessly lift a massive alchemy furnace into her Treasure Pouch, Qing Xuan couldn't help but feel a little agitated.

"Senior Sister... Are you planning to move the entire Three Silent Mountains inside...?"

Hearing this, Qing Lian paused her actions, looking slightly embarrassed. "Master said that it's not easy for Qingzhi outside, so she told me to bring whatever I can. Anyway, there's plenty of treasures in here." Qing Lian then suddenly smiled. "Even if you want to go in, you can."

Qing Xuan waved her hands repeatedly. "No need, no need. I'm quite comfortable here."

After a few hours, when Li Qingzhi appeared with a jar of pickles in his left hand, a few bottles of wine in his right, and several bags of unidentified seeds and grains on his back, Qing Lian attached the neatly organized Treasure Pouch to Li Qingzhi's side.

At this moment, Qing Lian and Qing Xuan, seniors from the same sect, bid farewell to Li Qingzhi with their most sincere words of parting.

Qing Lian smiled, yet her expression betrayed a tinge of reluctance. "Qingzhi, take good care of yourself when you get there. Master was occupied today and couldn't come, but he's very concerned about you."

Qing Xuan, on the other hand, rolled his eyes. "Just make sure you come back alive and don't disgrace our Three Silent Mountains."

Upon hearing this, Li Qingzhi chuckled, seemingly not overwhelmed by sorrow. He put down the items in his hands and gave each of his childhood companions a warm embrace.

"I'm off then!" he said cheerfully.

However, as Li Qingzhi turned around, the ease on his face was no longer there. After taking a few steps, he gazed at the mountaintop as if taking one last look at the Three Silent Mountains.

At that moment, within the Flame Spirit Dojo, where a soundproofing spell had been cast.

Elder Ling Yuan looked at Elder Ling Shen, who had remained silent for a long while, and couldn't help offering some comfort:

"Actually, this is for the best. It's an opportunity for Qingzhi to gain more experience while keeping him away from danger. If he were to stay on the mountain, the seal on his Fire Spirit Root could loosen at any moment."

Ling Shen sighed, his gaze fixed on Li Qingzhi's retreating figure in the Heavenly Mirror. With a worried expression, he said, "Although that's true, Qingzhi has grown up by my side. I didn't accompany him down the mountain because I was afraid he would feel reluctant... Well, everyone has their own destiny. I trust Qingzhi will thrive there, so there's no need to hold back in his cultivation."

"It is hoped that upon his return, he will infuse new vitality from the West into our midst."

Elder Ling Shen's and Elder Ling Yuan's conversation went unheard by all, including Li Qingzhi, who was unaware of Elder Ling Shen's watchful gaze as he departed.

Finally, Li Qingzhi halted at the foot of the mountain, turned to look up at the summit for a long moment. He bowed deeply towards the peak, whispering, "Master, I'm leaving," before turning away and leaving Three Silent Mountains completely.

Meanwhile, Elder Sister Qing Lian was walking towards Qing Xuan's monastery, engaged in conversation with her senior brother.

Qing Lian said, "I asked Qingzhi to take a companion beast with him. I wonder what he chose."

Qing Xuan: "The person's already gone, why are we still talking about him? Could it be those two cranes of Spirit God Master? That kid was sneaking around all day to feed them; looks like he had plans all along!"

Qing Lian: "No way, I just saw them flying in the back mountain."

After saying this, Qing Lian couldn't help but look at Qing Xuan. "Speaking of which, as his senior, why didn't you give Qingzhi something before he left?"

"Hmph, I wouldn't give that kid anything." Qing Xuan curled his lips. "As long as he didn't catch those cranes, that's fine. Those two are divine beasts... or not." Just as Qing Xuan let out a sigh of relief, he came to an abrupt halt upon seeing the scene before him, his eyes filled with disbelief. "What happened to the two stone lions in front of my courtyard?!"

"Did Li Qingzhi take my two stone lions as pet beasts?!"

Upon closer inspection, there were indeed newly engraved words on the ground where the stone lions had once stood:

"Leaving without knowing when we'll meet again, thank you, Senior Brother Qing Xuan, for the two stone lions as a memento!"

Below the mountain, Li Qingzhi, who had been somewhat melancholic due to the farewell, instantly brightened up upon hearing Qing Xuan's shout from the mountaintop. With a smile, he rummaged through his bags and retrieved the new peachwood sword, ready to embark on his journey by flying with it.

However, the moment Li Qingzhi wielded the sword, its once simple and unadorned peachwood body suddenly shimmered with an irresistible luster. The sword transformed from wood into a translucent, sharp, and holy stone. The legendary sword Cheng Ying, unseen for centuries, whisked Li Qingzhi into the sky at an astonishing speed!

Although Li Qingzhi was still confused about what was happening, he had never flown so swiftly on his sword before. As he soared through the air, he couldn't help but cry out in exhilaration, "Wuhu!"

The young apprentice tending to alchemy on the mountain slope wiped his soot-covered face, looking up at the unusually bright meteor-like trail that had appeared in broad daylight with a hint of confusion,

"What, what just flew past?"