A max-level player in Jade Dynasty: Awakening the Innate Dao at the start.

The sound of the wind it created as the fire poker cleaved through the morning mist was somewhat muffled.

Zhang Xiaofan stood on the stick, the hem of his Taoist robe flapping loudly in the airflow.

He didn't fly very high, only about ten feet off the ground, just enough to clearly see the contours of the mountains below.

The bamboo forest at Dazhu Peak rippled like green waves, while Tongtian Peak in the distance resembled a thick pillar piercing the clouds.

The summit is hidden in the morning light, with occasional glimpses of golden tiles.

After flying for about half an hour, he landed in front of the Rainbow Bridge at Tongtian Peak.

According to the rules, we have to walk from here on.

He put away the fire poker, the short, black stick shrinking to the size of his palm, and tucked it into his coat.

It felt warm to the touch, carrying a gentle throbbing sensation of blood connection.

Stepping onto the Rainbow Bridge, the white jade bricks beneath my feet are icy cold, and the cool air seeps up through my shoes.

The bridge was quite long; it took about the time it takes to burn an incense stick to finally see the pool of water in the middle of the bridge.

The pool water was a deep, vibrant green, and its depths were unfathomable.

The water surface was as smooth as a mirror, like a huge piece of jade.

A huge creature lay by the pool—a qilin's head, a dragon's body, and an ox's tail.

Its entire body is covered with bluish-black scales, each the size of a palm, gleaming with a metallic sheen in the morning light.

Its eyes were closed, as if it were dozing off, but its nostrils twitched slightly, exhaling two puffs of white air.

Spirit Lord.

The treasure of Qingyun Sect has lived for over a thousand years, and its cultivation is unfathomably deep.

When the patriarch Qingyunzi subdued it, it was already capable of going toe-to-toe with cultivators in the Taiqing Realm.

Zhang Xiaofan didn't stop walking.

When he walked to a place three zhang away from the pool, the spirit's ears twitched.

He lifted his eyelids slightly, revealing his amber-colored vertical pupils underneath.

His gaze was fixed on Zhang Xiaofan, cold and scrutinizing.

Zhang Xiaofan didn't look at it.

He continued walking forward, while secretly activating the true energy within his body.

A faint bluish-gold light seeped from her pores, like a thin mist.

They wrapped him and the stick in his arms up completely.

His aura was completely suppressed, to the point that even his breathing became barely perceptible.

The Spirit Lord's pupils contracted slightly.

It stared at Zhang Xiaofan for three or four seconds, then twitched its nose as if it were sniffing something.

But he couldn't smell anything—the golden light blocked out all other scents, even the faint malevolent aura of the fire poker was completely covered up.

Finally, it closed its eyes again, snorted, and the white vapor it exhaled created ripples on the water's surface.

Zhang Xiaofan walked over without looking back.

He could feel the gaze on his back, cold and heavy, like a mountain pressing down on him.

But he walked steadily, step by step, across the rainbow bridge and onto the ground of Tongtian Peak.

The Jade Purity Hall is just ahead.

Three years.

He stood outside the palace gate, looking up at the familiar, thick wooden door carved with coiled dragon patterns.

The door was ajar, and the interior was dimly lit. The shadows of the thirty-six coiled dragon pillars and the wisps of smoke rising straight up from the incense burner could be seen.

He entered through this very place three years ago.

Back then, he was still Zhang Wei, having just transmigrated, and his mind was a complete mess.

Kneeling on the cold jade floor, listening to Lin Jingyu's indignant accusations, and feeling the seven chiefs' gazes as if they were appraising merchandise.

Nobody believed in him, not even himself.

just now……

He clenched his fist.

A warm sensation came from my palm; it was the warmth brought by the flow of true energy.

He is at the eighth level of the Jade Purity Realm, practicing both Buddhism and Taoism, wielding the Divine Sword Thunder Control Technique, possessing the prototype of the Soul Devouring Staff, and having a three-eyed spirit monkey as a companion.

And... we're about to see the biggest secret of the Qingyun Sect.

He pushed open the door and went inside.

"Squeak—"

The sound of the door hinges turning echoed in the empty hall.

The smoke from the incense burner was scattered by the wind, forming swirling wisps.

The temple was quiet and empty, except for the statue of the deity looking down from above with a compassionate yet somewhat indifferent gaze.

Zhang Xiaofan walked to the middle of the main hall and stood still.

He didn't kneel or bow; he just stood there and waited.

We waited for about half a cup of tea's time.

Suddenly, very light footsteps came from beside me—not from the doorway.

It was from behind him, from the shadows of those coiled dragon pillars.

The footsteps were as light as falling leaves, yet each step was firm and carried a heavy rhythm.

Zhang Xiaofan turned around.

Dao Xuan Zhenren was already standing in front of the futon in front of the sect leader's seat at some point.

He wasn't wearing a formal Taoist robe, just a plain white long gown, his hair casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, a few strands of silver hair falling across his forehead.

He stood with his hands behind his back, looking at Zhang Xiaofan with eyes as calm as two bottomless old wells.

"You've come." Dao Xuan spoke, his voice not loud, but clear as the sound of jade being struck in the silent hall.

Zhang Xiaofan bowed and said, "Disciple Zhang Xiaofan greets Sect Leader Uncle."

Dao Xuan hummed in agreement, his gaze sweeping over him from the tips of his hair to the soles of his feet.

His eyes were incredibly sharp, as if they could pierce through flesh and bone, see the meridians, and even the cyan-gold vortex of energy in his dantian.

After watching for a while, Dao Xuan finally looked away and gazed at the rolling sea of ​​clouds outside the hall.

"Why didn't Junior Brother Buyi come?" he asked, his tone as casual as if they were having a friendly chat.

Zhang Xiaofan was silent for two or three seconds before replying, "Master... dares not come."

Dao Xuan turned to look at him, a hint of surprise flashing in his eyes: "You dare not?"

"Yes." Zhang Xiaofan nodded.

"Master said that he was afraid that if he saw the sect leader, he would not be able to help but ask... ask who that person was."

But he knew he couldn't ask, so he simply didn't come.

Dao Xuan stared at him for three or four seconds, then suddenly laughed.

The smile was faint, almost imperceptible, but the fine wrinkles at the corners of her eyes smoothed out a bit.

He walked to the main seat and sat down, pointing to the prayer mat below him: "Sit."

Zhang Xiaofan sat down.

The cushion was quite soft, and it was filled with dried cattail grass.

There's a faint, refreshing scent, like hay, when you sit on it.

"There are no outsiders here," Dao Xuan said, softening his voice. "It's convenient to talk."

Zhang Xiaofan took a deep breath.

He raised his head, looking at Dao Xuan with clear, bright eyes, showing neither fear nor obsequiousness.

"Sect Leader, the person who will be teaching me is Senior Uncle Wan Jianyi, right?"

"..."

The air seemed to freeze.

Dao Xuan's smile vanished.

He stared at Zhang Xiaofan, his pupils contracting slightly, and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees.

That posture didn't resemble that of a sect leader; it was more like a ferocious beast poised to pounce.

"Who told you that?"

He asked, his voice soft, yet each word like an icicle, "Junior Brother Buyi? He already knew?"

"No," Zhang Xiaofan shook his head, "I told Master."

Dao Xuan froze.

He stared at Zhang Xiaofan for a good ten seconds.

Then he slowly straightened up, leaned back in his chair, and let out a long breath.

"You..." he began, his voice a little hoarse, "How did you know?"

"I guessed," Zhang Xiaofan said.

"Someone whom the sect leader personally arranged for, who lived in the ancestral hall, and whom you deemed capable of teaching disciples..."

In the entire Qingyun Sect, apart from Senior Uncle Wan, there's no one else.

Dao Xuan remained silent.

He looked at Zhang Xiaofan with a complex expression, like a spilled palette of colors—shock, admiration, emotion, and a hint of...regret?

"Zhang Xiaofan," Dao Xuan said slowly.

"Three years ago, in this Jade Purity Hall, the leaders of the seven sects were all there, and so was I."

We were all mistaken, including me.

He paused, then said, word by word:

"If only I had known back then that you had such talent and such thoughts..."

I won't let Junior Brother Buyi take you away.

I will personally take you as my apprentice, take you under my wing, and use all the resources of the Qingyun Sect to cultivate you.

In the future... you might be able to take over my job.

That's a very strong statement.

This made Zhang Xiaofan's heart skip a beat.

He raised his head and looked at Dao Xuan.

The Qingyun Sect leader's face lacked its usual majesty, displaying only a deep, almost weary honesty.

Something was flowing in those eyes, like an undercurrent beneath the ice—dangerous, yet real.

"Master Uncle."

Zhang Xiaofan spoke, his voice steady.

"What I seek is the path to immortality, not power and position."

Besides... Senior Brother Xiao Yicai of Tongtian Peak is the successor in everyone's hearts.

Dao Xuan let out a "heh".

"Yicai is indeed quite good," he said, "but compared to you..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but he conveyed the meaning.

Zhang Xiaofan didn't respond. He was silent for a moment, then asked:

"Sect Leader Uncle, is Uncle Wan... alright?"

Dao Xuan's eyes darkened.

"Okay?" he repeated, his voice lower.

"How good can someone who's been imprisoned for three hundred years be?"

captivity.

This word is like a needle, piercing the air.

Zhang Xiaofan remained silent.

Dao Xuan stood up, walked to the middle of the hall, and turned his back to him.

The hem of her plain white long gown hung down, rising and falling slightly with her breath.

He gazed at the sea of ​​clouds outside the hall for a long time before slowly saying:

"That incident three hundred years ago is the biggest stain on Qingyun Sect, and also the thing I regret most in my life."

But I had no choice but to do it.

The rules of the sect are there, the founder is watching, I have no choice.

He turned around and looked at Zhang Xiaofan:

"But I spared his life."

They hid him in the ancestral temple and told the public that he was dead.

For the past three hundred years, no one but me has known he was alive.

Now... there's you and more hardship involved.

He took out a roll of sheepskin map from his pocket and handed it to Zhang Xiaofan.

"This is a map of the ancestral hall. There are secret passages, formations, and a path to the innermost part of the hall that can avoid all eyes and ears."

Dao Xuan said, "I haven't been there for a hundred years. I'm making an exception this time for you."

Zhang Xiaofan took the map.

The sheepskin was old, and the edges were worn, but the ink stains on it were still very clear.

The lines are densely packed, marked with various symbols and annotations.

"The Demonic Sect has been making quite a stir lately."

Dao Xuan continued, lowering his voice even further.

"Those who didn't die out of the Blood Refining Hall are starting to resurface in the southwest, and the Ghost King Sect is also secretly gathering strength."

The next battle between good and evil won't be too far off.

Qingyun Sect needs capable people, it needs true geniuses.

Do you... understand what I mean?

Zhang Xiaofan nodded: "Disciple understands."

"And another thing." Dao Xuan stared at him, his eyes sharp as knives.

"The Qingyun Sect is not clean either."

Some people are colluding with the evil cult, and some people have something to hide.

There are always eyes watching me.

Therefore, this matter must not be leaked.

otherwise--"

He paused, emphasizing each word:

"The Qingyun Sect's thousand-year-old reputation has been completely ruined."

"You, me, it's not easy, Senior Brother Wan... none of us will survive."

Zhang Xiaofan gripped the map tightly, the rough texture of the sheepskin rubbing against his palm.

"Disciple, I have remembered."

"Alright." Dao Xuan waved his hand.

"Go. Get to the Ancestral Temple before Chen Shi (7-9 AM). Senior Brother Wan... is waiting for you."

Zhang Xiaofan stood up and bowed.

As I reached the palace entrance, Dao Xuan's voice came from behind me:

"Zhang Xiaofan".

He stopped and turned around.

Dao Xuan stood in the middle of the main hall, the morning light filtering in from the hall door and illuminating half of his face.

The face was a little blurry in the light and shadow, but the eyes were very bright, as bright as a burning fire.

"Come back alive," he said.

Zhang Xiaofan nodded heavily, turned around and stepped out of the palace gate.

The sunlight was blinding, and the wind was blowing quite hard.

He walked back the way he came, his steps steady.

When he passed the pool of the Spirit Lord, the big guy opened his eyes again, his amber vertical pupils staring at him, but he didn't move.

Zhang Xiaofan ignored it and just kept walking.

He stepped onto the Rainbow Bridge, and when he was halfway across, he stopped and took out the rolled-up sheepskin map from his pocket.

Unfold.

The lines are winding and the markings are dense.

He looked at it once, memorized it, then rolled up the map again and put it back in his pocket.

I raised my head and looked into the distance.

The direction of the Ancestral Master's Shrine is in the deepest part of the back mountain of Tongtian Peak.

The ancient trees there grew so tall they blocked out the sky, shrouded in mist, like an isolated island completely cut off from the outside world.

Wan Jianyi.

A legend from three hundred years ago.

The biggest secret of Qingyun Sect.

He took a deep breath and jumped onto the fire poker.

A flash of cyan-gold light, and it transformed into a streak of light, disappearing into the depths of the churning sea of ​​clouds.

Behind them, inside the Jade Purity Hall.

Dao Xuan remained standing in the same spot.

He stared at the direction Zhang Xiaofan had disappeared in for a long time, then slowly raised his hand and rubbed his temples.

"Senior brother..." he murmured, his voice so soft it sounded like a sigh.

"Three hundred years... This child, perhaps... can untie the knot in your heart."

A breeze blew in from outside the palace, ruffling the silver hair on his forehead.

It also dissipated, that almost inaudible sigh.