Chapter 100

Chapter 100

Seeing this, the black-robed Taoist suddenly hunched over. His Taoist robe tore open, and a head sprouted from each side of his neck. Four more arms burst forth from his back, each holding a weapon as they parried the incoming sword-light.

"Three heads... six arms," Mu Ming murmured to himself, his eyes narrowing at the sight.

This form was familiar to him. In his previous life, many temples had statues of protective deities with three heads and six arms.

There was also the famous Nezha, the Third Prince, who also assumed a three-headed, six-armed form in battle.

But he had always believed he had transmigrated into an ordinary ancient world, solely focused on improving his living conditions and making the most of this life.

He had never imagined that this world was one of cultivation, or that he would witness such bizarre and otherworldly scenes.

"What demonic nonsense! You're too ignorant, boy!" The black-robed Taoist's six arms struck away the sword-light one by one as he roared, "I cultivate a foreign divine path, and in the end, I too shall join the ranks of immortals!"

"You show no reverence for heaven and earth, wantonly taking life." The young man's eyes, like ink-wash paintings, gazed icily at the black-robed Taoist. "Both body and mind have succumbed to demonic ways, yet you still dare to dream of ascension?!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the young man's crane-feathered cloak fluttered. The sword in his hand let out a long, clear *zheng*, its blade wreathed in white lightning as it thrust toward the black-robed Taoist.

The black-robed Taoist raised his arms to block, but the young man's sword chopped off two of them.

The two arms fell to the ground and, along with the weapons they held, transformed into wisps of black smoke that vanished in an instant.

Seeing this, the black-robed Taoist panicked. Realizing that this young man not only possessed deeper cultivation but also practiced techniques that countered his own, he turned to flee.

But there was no escape.

The two arms on his back were severed as he turned, followed by a sword piercing through his heart.

Lu Wei and Mu Ming stared in dumbfounded amazement as the black-robed Taoist, under the young man's awe-inspiring sword energy, transformed into a burst of black mist.

Then they saw the young man, sword in his left hand, while his right hand—pale as ice and snow with distinct knuckles—scooped through the air, grasping the black-robed Taoist's nascent soul as it tried to escape in the mist.

The nascent soul looked exactly like the black-robed Taoist, only small enough to fit in the palm of a hand. In the young man's hand, it clasped its hands in repeated supplication, looking wretched and pitiable.

Yet the young man remained completely unmoved. Without any hesitation, he crushed the black-robed Taoist's nascent soul, scattering his spirit and soul and causing them to vanish from this world.

Only the final, long, piercing wail of the nascent soul remained.

After killing the black-robed Taoist, the young man sheathed his sword on his back and turned to walk toward Lu Wei and Mu Ming.

Even though the young man had killed a heinous evil-doer and helped them, his merciless and severe methods, combined with his icy and aloof demeanor, still made Mu Ming feel afraid. He couldn't help backing away two more steps.

Lu Wei, however, stepped forward and clasped his hands in salute to the young man. "Thank you, Daoist."

The young man nodded slightly. He showed no resentment at Mu Ming's fear, nor any pleasure at Lu Wei's gratitude. He seemed like a piece of eternal, unmeltable ice, completely devoid of emotional fluctuation.

He walked over to Master Shao, crouched down, and patted Master Shao's sunken chest several times. Then he placed a pill into Master Shao's mouth.

Visibly, Master Shao's chest mostly returned to its original shape. His complexion gradually regained color, and his nearly extinguished breath became stronger.

"Return and recuperate well for a month or two, and there will be no major issues." After this brief instruction, the young man stood up and waved his sleeve. The long sword on his back let out a clear cry, transforming into a stream of light that flew out and hovered before his blue shoes.

The young man stepped onto that stream of light and, in an instant, soared into the azure sky, soon disappearing from Lu Wei and Mu Ming's sight.

Lu Wei turned back to look at Master Shao, who was already able to sit up from the ground. He quickly stepped forward to help him. "Master Shao, how do you feel?"

Master Shao, leaning on Lu Wei's arm, stood up and sighed with emotion. "An immortal, an immortal... I never thought this old Shao would have such an extraordinary encounter in this lifetime. Wherever I go in the future, I'll have a story to tell."

Mu Ming also hurried over to help support him. Looking at the hunter's corpse lying near the extinguished fire, he smiled bitterly. "This trip cost that hunter his life. We can only spend more silver to properly compensate his family."

Master Shao looked at Mu Ming, then at Lu Wei, and said, "Although that black-robed Taoist was a demonic heretic, his judgment might not have been wrong. According to him, both of you brothers have some innate foundation. I'm afraid you will have different destinies in the future."

Lu Wei remained silent, thinking to himself, *Could this be the reason 031 told me to wait patiently?*

But even if he had some "peach blossom bone" that attracted romantic affairs, he was ultimately a mortal body, possessing no aptitude for cultivation.

Judging by the black-robed Taoist's behavior, in the eyes of these cultivators who completely transcended human limits, he was at most a rare treasure, a cauldron or plaything. How could he possibly influence a great power's ascension?

Having experienced this upheaval, even though it was still early in the day, the three naturally had no mind to continue hunting. They extinguished the fire, had a sturdy horse carry the hunter's corpse, and returned along the original path.

...

A few days after Lu Wei and Mu Ming returned home, they spent silver to bury the hunter and properly settled the hunter's weeping family. This actually earned them a modest reputation for benevolence and righteousness.

After all, in the past, there were also cases where hunters leading employers into the mountains died due to various reasons. None were like Lu Wei and Mu Ming, who considered every aspect of the aftermath so thoughtfully and handled everything so neatly that no fault could be found.

After completing this matter, Mu Ming received an invitation from the county magistrate.

This was also a common occurrence.

Mu Ming held the scholarly title of *xiucai* and did business within the county town. He usually offered seasonal gifts and "ice and charcoal" contributions to the county magistrate, frequently stuffing silver into the government offices. His relationship with the magistrate was quite good; they often dined together and had regular interactions.

But it was somewhat peculiar that this invitation actually bore Lu Wei's name.

Even though Mu Ming always called Lu Wei "big brother," anyone with eyes could see that these two, from appearance to surname, were completely different and definitely not blood-related brothers.

Moreover, Lu Wei held no scholarly titles and could be said to be living off Mu Ming. Such a status, while not particularly lowly, certainly wasn't on the same level as the county magistrate.

If Mu Ming brought Lu Wei along to banquets and such, everyone naturally wouldn't comment. But it was absolutely unheard of for the county magistrate to personally send an invitation to Lu Wei.

Although Mu Ming and Lu Wei found it a bit strange, given their familiar and frequent interactions with the county magistrate, they didn't think too deeply about it. After all, anyone could make a slip of the hand.

Since the county magistrate had invited them, how could they not go?

So the next day, Lu Wei and Mu Ming dressed respectably and, according to the time and place on the invitation, went to the appointment.

The location was the small reception parlor at the county magistrate's residence.

Guided by a servant boy, Lu Wei and Mu Ming entered the parlor. They saw the young Taoist who had saved them in the forest a few days ago, along with two elderly Taoists, seated in the places of honor. The county magistrate, wearing his official robes, sat respectfully in the lowest seat.

Seeing Lu Wei and Mu Ming enter, the county magistrate quickly greeted them warmly and invited them to sit, introducing the three Daoists seated above.

The two elderly Taoists both had white hair and youthful faces, dressed in dark blue Taoist robes.

One was called Qi Yangzi. Slightly stout and robust, with a ruddy complexion, he appeared amiable and approachable. The other was called Taiping Sanren. His features were clear and bright, his build lean, possessing an air of immortal grace.

The young man's Taoist name was Zhen Xuan. Among the three, he appeared the youngest, yet he was the one held in highest esteem.

Qi Yangzi and Taiping Sanren actually had to address Zhen Xuan respectfully as "Martial Uncle."

"These three Daoists come from Haoyuan Peak, the number one immortal mountain in the world," the county magistrate said, rubbing his hands together and looking enviously at Lu Wei and Mu Ming. "Because you two have immortal fate, they have come specifically to guide you."

"We have already met a few days ago." Lu Wei clasped his hands in salute to Zhen Xuan. "Thank you, Daoist, for saving us."

Hearing this, Zhen Xuan looked over at Lu Wei with clear, cold eyes and nodded slightly. "So it was you."

Then he looked toward Qi Yangzi beside him and said, "Is he my tribulation of love?"

Qi Yangzi patted his bulging belly and said, "It was the Patriarch who divined it—the time, location, age, appearance, and this unique Peach Blossom Bone structure unmatched in the world. It can't be anyone else."

Lu Wei asked in confusion, "A love tribulation?"

"Indeed," Qi Yangzi explained with a smile. "My Master Uncle is the Patriarch's closed-door disciple, possessing an immortal root carried over from past lives. His aptitude is extraordinary, ranking among the best in the world, and he is one of the few with the potential to ascend within the next century. However, he cultivates the Path of Emotionlessness, which requires experiencing an ultimate emotional tribulation to achieve perfection... According to the Patriarch's divination, you are my Master Uncle's love tribulation."

Upon hearing this, Lu Wei suddenly understood—this was what 031 had told him to wait for. "How can I assist the Daoist in facing this tribulation?"

"There's no need for anything special," Zhen Xuan said. "Just come with me to Haoyuan Peak and live out this life together. That will count as me having undergone the tribulation."

Though Zhen Xuan looked young, he was actually over five hundred years old.

Even in the worst-case scenario, if he failed to ascend in the future, given his current cultivation, he still had thousands of years of life ahead.

In contrast, mortals lived no more than a hundred years. Lu Wei's lifetime was but a drop in the vast ocean of Zhen Xuan's long existence.

Zhen Xuan had cultivated the Great Dao of Emotionlessness on the snowy peak of Haoyuan Peak since childhood, oblivious to the passage of time. It was only to undergo this emotional tribulation that he had to come down the mountain.

To him, it was merely a simple task—find a specific mortal, support him for a lifetime, and it would be done.

Lu Wei thought this sounded great.

The system had finally shown some conscience, giving him a simple vacation task that also offered abundant energy.

There was no need to exhaust himself with schemes or strategies. Under Zhen Xuan's protection, he could simply live out this life until its natural end.

"No!" Mu Ming slammed the table and stood up, pointing at Zhen Xuan. "Who knows if he's some swindler or evil cultivator? My brother and I are living just fine. How can a few empty words convince us to hand someone over?"

"Oh dear, oh dear, Brother Mu, you mustn't say such things," the county magistrate hurriedly stepped in to mediate, bowing repeatedly to the Daoists. "Ignorance is no crime, ignorance is no crime."

Immediately afterward, Lu Wei and Mu Ming, who came from humble backgrounds, received a crash course from the county magistrate about the world.

In this world, cultivation sects were numerous and lofty, their status transcending the mundane realm, and their combat prowess was unparalleled.

Children from royal and noble families underwent bone-assessment tests at the age of six to assess their talents. If they possessed the aptitude for cultivation, they would be sent to immortal sects, becoming crucial future assets for their families.

Due to the rarity of cultivation aptitude—something that could be encountered but not sought—and the fact that cultivators often secluded themselves in pursuit of longevity, rarely stepping into the mortal world, commoners had little opportunity for contact, with only legends circulating among them.

For impoverished youths like Lu Wei and Mu Ming, who came from humble origins, such knowledge was naturally beyond their reach.

Haoyuan Peak was the top-ranked cultivation sect in this world. Even the current emperor had to bow his head and treat it with reverence.

After hearing the magistrate's crash course, Mu Ming still felt unconvinced.

He and Lu Wei were living happily together, on the verge of mutual affection. How could Zhen Xuan suddenly appear and try to take Lu Wei away?

Was the Path of Emotionlessness so remarkable? Was undergoing a love tribulation so extraordinary?

Have you ever used a computer? A mobile phone? Watched a 3D movie? Do you even know what a "single dog" is?

However, before he could say anything more, the slender Taiping Sanren suddenly stood up and walked toward the hall's entrance. "Although you are older and your mind is unsettled, you possess an otherworldly immortal root. Starting cultivation now can still bring you some benefits. Follow me!"

Mu Ming was instantly left speechless, gaping. Then, as if pulled like a kite, he was lifted and flew backward, controlled by Daoist power, following Taiping Sanren out of the flower hall.

Only Lu Wei remained in the flower hall, facing the county magistrate and the two Daoists.

Author's Note: Unknowingly, this story has reached Chapter 100! Let's celebrate with some flowers~