Starting as a Talisman Master

"In that case, you shall come with me."

The young man in the moon-robed robe slightly composed himself, his tone still aloof as he uttered a few words: "I am Song Qi, an inner disciple of the Taiqing Palace."

Having said that, without any apparent movement, the jade sword hanging at his waist emitted a clear and melodious sword cry and was suddenly drawn from its sheath.

The cyan sword light grew longer in the wind, and in a short while it transformed into a rainbow beam several feet wide, hovering steadily in mid-air.

"Come up."

Without hesitation, Lu Chi leaped onto the tip of the sword light as instructed.

With a flick of Song Qi's sword technique, the giant jade sword instantly transformed into a dazzling rainbow, rising from the ground and heading straight for the vast sea of ​​clouds above Taiqing Immortal City.

High above, the gale howled past, but was completely blocked by an invisible shield of energy erected at the edge of the sword light.

Lu Chi stood three feet behind Song Qi, his eyes lowered and his breath held, secretly observing the person in front of him.

This was the first time since he embarked on his cultivation journey that he had stood so close to a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

In the past, in that remote corner of Qingque Mountain Market, those who could cultivate to the Foundation Establishment stage and become patriarchs were mostly like the ancestors of the Han and Shen families, who exhausted their life's potential and turned their hair white before barely managing to open the gate to enlightenment.

Although those people could dominate a region, their vitality had long since declined.

But Song Qi in front of me is completely different.

Despite his youthful appearance, the spiritual energy within him was as thick and solid as deep abyss water, brimming with vitality.

The difference between the two is like heaven and earth, which shows the profound heritage of a prestigious school.

The sword light flashed like lightning, disappearing into the thick, sea-like clouds in no time.

As a very slight ripple of the array swept over him, the thick white mist in front of him suddenly dissipated, revealing a vast and boundless blessed land to Lu Chi without reservation.

As soon as they passed through the sect's protective formation, a refreshing aura several times stronger than that inside the immortal city rushed towards them, causing their pores to open and even making the flow of their internal magical power feel lighter.

Lu Chi looked up and saw that amidst the rising clouds and mist, there were continuous fairy mountains and ancient trees reaching the sky.

Among the endless mountains and pavilions, the seven towering peaks that reach for the sky are the most eye-catching.

The seven main peaks, like giant swords thrust upside down, point straight to the sky, their energy intertwined, subtly conforming to the principles of the universe.

The mountaintop glowed with the light of the setting sun, cranes circled overhead, and occasionally a few sharp streaks of light could be seen crisscrossing among the peaks, creating a solemn and majestic atmosphere, befitting an immortal.

Song Qi was naturally aloof and arrogant. Throughout the journey, he stood with his hands behind his back on the tip of his sword, never turning back to look at him or uttering a single word.

Once inside the mountain gate, he slightly turned his sword to avoid several patrol restrictions in mid-air, and led Lu Chi directly to a beautiful, secluded peak among the seven main peaks, shrouded in cool water vapor and misty rain.

The sword light faded away, and the two landed in a secluded bamboo valley halfway up the mountain.

Before Lu Chi could even stand still, he heard a rustling sound of treetops swaying from the depths of the bamboo forest ahead, followed by a chaotic commotion that could be described as chickens flying and dogs barking.

"Where do you think you're going! You've been stealing my Purple Jade Spirit Valley for almost half a month, getting so fat and strong. Today it's time for you to enter my stomach and nourish my body!"

With a clear and melodious shout, a slender, pale yellow figure suddenly darted out from the dark bamboo forest.

In front of her, a large, iridescent "Jade Pheasant" was running wildly.

Although the golden pheasant was only a first-tier spirit bird, it was extremely agile. Chased relentlessly by the pale yellow-clad girl, it had nowhere to run, and could only flap its short wings and cluck wildly.

It startled the colorful feathers that fell to the ground.

Just as the pheasant was about to disappear into the blind spot of the formation, the girl remained calm and composed. She leaped into the air with an extremely agile and unrefined manner, and with a quick and precise grab, she pinched the back of the spirit bird's neck.

"Hehe, I finally caught you!"

The girl, carrying the plump, flapping chicken, smiled broadly, revealing a pair of cunning little tiger teeth, and muttered to herself.

"I'll pluck your feathers later, borrow a black iron pot from Fire Spirit Peak, and add two century-old ginseng roots to stew a perfect, nourishing soup. Wouldn't that be wonderful!"

Seeing this, Lu Chi, who was following behind, was slightly taken aback and subconsciously turned his head to look at Song Qi beside him.

Song Qi raised his hand to rub his temples, a clear look of helplessness flashing across his eyes, and called out in a slightly deep voice, "Junior Sister Yunzhi."

The pale yellow-clad girl, who was drooling over the golden pheasant, paused and turned around.

In fact, with her Foundation Establishment stage cultivation and divine sense, she had already sensed the movement the moment the jade sword light fell into the Green Bamboo Valley.

She casually cast a spell, binding the fluttering spirit bird into a tight "spiritual rice dumpling," and tossed it aside at her feet.

Then, nonchalantly patting off the bamboo leaves clinging to her skirt, she bounced over like a gentle spring breeze.

"So it's Senior Brother Song from Tianxing Peak! You've returned from your patrol of the Immortal City today!"

"So it's Senior Brother Song from Tianxing Peak! You've returned from your patrol of the Immortal City today!"

The girl had bright eyes and white teeth, and her round, pleasing oval face was full of a genuine and radiant smile. Her voice was as clear and melodious as a nightingale singing in a valley.

Her dark, round eyes swept over Song Qi, then her gaze curiously passed over him and landed on Lu Chi behind him.

"Eh? Senior Brother Song, this fellow Daoist looks unfamiliar; he doesn't seem to be a disciple of our Taiqing Palace. Could he be a new friend you made in the Immortal City, whom you brought back to the mountain gate as a guest?"

Yun Zhi blinked, then gracefully cupped her hands in greeting to Lu Chi, and said with a smile, "I am Yun Zhi, a disciple of Shuiyun Peak of Taiqing Palace. Please welcome this fellow Daoist."

Lu Chi composed himself and respectfully replied, "This junior is Lu Chi, a rogue cultivator. I greet Fairy Yun."

"He came up the mountain with me not to visit or for leisure."

Before Yun Zhi could make another joke, Song Qi, who was standing to the side, took over the conversation. With a solemn expression, he recounted the events that had occurred outside the Hundred Treasures Pavilion at the foot of the mountain.

"Brother Yun Chen?" Yun Zhi's bright smile froze instantly.

Lu Chi stood quietly to the side, taking in the dramatic change in her expression, and sighed inwardly, "Just as I expected."

It seems that Senior Yun Chen, who passed away in a perilous place and never forgot to send his remains back to the sect, was indeed the elder brother of this prodigy from Shuiyun Peak.

Yun Zhi stood there, stunned, her gaze lowered, murmuring to herself:

"Back then, the righteous and demonic paths fought in the Valley of Broken Souls, and my brother never returned. The life jade tablet he left in the sect's Soul Tablet Hall was also shattered. The sect elders searched the valley for a long time, but they couldn't even find a single bone... It turns out that he hid in such a remote and desolate place."

The mountain breeze rustled through the green bamboo, making the bamboo leaves whisper and adding a touch of desolation.

Seeing his junior sister's distress, a barely perceptible sigh flashed across Song Qi's eyes.

He turned his head, his gaze fixed intently on Lu Chi, his tone carrying an undeniable air of authority:

"Lu Chi, now that the person has been brought before Junior Sister Yun, let's retrieve the remains."

"However, with the erosion of time, it's difficult to determine authenticity based solely on a skeleton. Since you're so certain that it's my Senior Brother Yun Chen from the Taiqing Palace, besides the remains, is there any other evidence to prove his identity?"