Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

The moment Lin Yanjue stepped into the gate of Laoshan Mountain, the spiritual energy around him suddenly became several times more concentrated, even more refined and mellow than the spiritual energy of the Sea Spirit Core Bed in the secret realm. As he inhaled it, the meridians of his limbs and bones felt as if they were being soaked in warm water, and the sixth layer of spiritual energy in his dantian slowly circulated, becoming more and more solid.

Deep within his dantian, the pale blue spiritual light inherited from the Azure Sea Emperor subtly stirred, seemingly echoing the spiritual energy of the mountains. A powerful aura originating from the deep sea quietly permeated the air, which he subconsciously suppressed. He steadily walked along the ancient bluestone path, his peripheral vision constantly keeping an eye on the three people beside him.

Yi Azhu gripped Lin Yan's sleeve tightly, her slender body slightly tense. A faint glow rose on her cheeks, but there was no fear in her eyes. Every now and then, she would look up at the exotic flowers and plants in the mountains and whisper to Lin Yan, "Brother, the spiritual energy here is so strong. I can feel many subtle movements in that grove of trees." As she spoke, she gently pointed to a lush ancient forest on the right. There, the vegetation was verdant, and the wings of spirit birds could be faintly seen flitting by. The fluctuations of spiritual energy there were gentler than elsewhere.

Lin Yan looked in the direction she pointed, his divine sense quietly spreading out, clearly capturing several low-level spirit birds in the forest. There was no demonic aura, so he gently reassured her, "It's alright, they are all mountain spirit birds." He knew that although Azhu's water spirit body was strong, it was not yet fully developed. This rich spiritual energy was both nourishing and a test for her, so he secretly transferred a trace of gentle spiritual power to protect her dantian and help her stabilize her breathing.

Yunxi walked beside Lin Yan, her posture upright like a pine tree, her sword intent always restrained. She looked up at the towering peaks in the clouds, then down at the ancient bluestone path beneath her feet. Her fingertips unconsciously caressed the natal sword at her waist, and she thought to herself: The spiritual veins of Laoshan are indeed worthy of their reputation. With such spiritual energy, if I cultivate with all my might, breaking through to the sixth level of Qi Refining is just around the corner. She thought of the sword-shaped black jade in her swaddling clothes. She wondered if anyone in Laoshan could recognize this object and perhaps find a clue about her origins.

Chen Dagang followed at the back of the group, his towering frame moving gracefully along the ancient cobblestone path without appearing clumsy. Nourished by the spiritual energy, his physical body had become even stronger. Even without cultivation, he could clearly feel the spiritual energy nourishing his body, and the hidden injuries he had sustained from his clash with the Red Shrimp King were now slowly healing. He lowered his voice, leaned close to Yi Azhu, and said gruffly, "Azhu, this sacred mountain is truly extraordinary. Even the stones exude spiritual energy, much harder than the reefs in our fishing village!" As he spoke, he gently touched a cobblestone by the roadside, feeling a warm, smooth sensation on his fingertips, as if spiritual energy was seeping into his body through his fingertips.

Elder Wudao walked at the forefront, his whisk waving lightly as he moved with unhurried steps.

The group walked along the ancient stone path for about half an hour. As the mist gradually thinned, a wide platform appeared ahead. Dozens of bamboo houses with green tiles were built against the mountain on both sides of the platform. The bamboo houses were surrounded by spiritual herbs, their fragrance refreshing the senses. Not far away, there was a small spiritual spring, its water gushing out and shimmering with a faint spiritual light. In the center of the platform stood a stone tablet with five large characters in clerical script, "Outer Mountain Disciples' Courtyard," the strokes powerful and vigorous, imbued with spiritual energy.

Elder Wudao stopped and turned around, his gaze slowly sweeping over the group of participating disciples. His voice was clear and resonant: "This is the residence of the outer mountain disciples. For the next three months, you will reside and cultivate here. Each bamboo hut can accommodate two people. Please pair up with others. After half an hour, gather at the training ground ahead, where the outer mountain stewards will explain the sect rules and distribute cultivation supplies and techniques."

As soon as he finished speaking, the candidates began to stir. Some eagerly looked around at the bamboo houses, while others searched for familiar companions. Only Lin Yan and his three companions remained standing together, their expressions calm.

"Brother, which room do we stay in?" Yi Azhu looked up at Lin Yan, her eyes soft yet firm.

Lin Yan glanced at the bamboo huts, chose one that was closest to the spiritual spring and had the richest spiritual energy, then looked at the three people beside him and said, "Da Gang and I will share one hut, and you and Yun Xi will share one hut, so we can look after each other. Yun Xi, you can take care of A Zhu. She is weak and needs time to adapt to the spiritual energy."

Yunxi nodded slightly, a gentle look in her eyes: "Don't worry, I will take good care of her." She looked at Yi Azhu and said softly, "Azhu, your water spirit body is sensitive to spiritual energy. The bamboo house by the spiritual spring is most suitable for you. Let's go settle in first, and then we'll go to the training ground together later."

Chen Dagang scratched his head and laughed heartily: "I'll listen to Brother Lin! It'll be good for us to live together and look after each other. I'll protect the three of you from now on!" Although he was impulsive, he knew what was important and that he had no cultivation. He could only do his best so as not to hold everyone back.

Afterwards, they all went to pack up. Lin Yan carefully stored the treasures in his storage ring, then took out the Sea-Gazing Inkstone. His fingertips gently stroked the inkstone, and a faint spiritual light emanated from it, subtly resonating with the spiritual light of the Sea Emperor's inheritance within his dantian. The patterns on the inkstone seemed to echo with the soft sound of ocean waves, quietly merging into his spiritual power. He secretly resolved: within three months, he must stabilize his cultivation, refine his techniques, and not only master the *Laoshan Sea-Gazing Technique* and the *Canglan Sea Emperor Technique*, unlocking more secrets of the Sea Emperor's inheritance, but also strive to pass the assessment and enter the inner sect.

Yi Azhu sat by the window of the bamboo house, feeling the spiritual energy of the spring outside. Her water spirit body was operating at full power, and the fluctuations of spiritual energy, the growth of plants and trees, and even the sound of the spring water within a hundred feet were clearly imprinted in her mind. She gently held the Warm Soul Spirit Pearl, feeling extremely at peace. With Brother Lin Yan, Sister Yun Xi, and Brother Chen by her side, she was no longer helpless.

Yunxi took out the sword-shaped black jade and examined it closely in her palm. The black jade was warm to the touch, and a faint sword intent flowed within it, subtly echoing her natal sword. Gazing at the peaks of Laoshan Mountain outside the window, she silently prayed: Father, Mother, who are you? I will find you and discover my true identity.

Half an hour passed in the blink of an eye, and the group headed to the training ground one after another. The training ground was located on the east side of the outer mountain disciples' courtyard. The terrain was open, and the ground was paved with hard Xuan Ying stone. Dozens of wooden stakes stood around the perimeter for disciples to practice swordsmanship and physical training. At this moment, a middle-aged cultivator dressed in blue stood in the center of the training ground. His face was serious, and his aura was restrained. He was none other than Elder Danxuan, the outer mountain deacon.

Once all the disciples had arrived, Master Danxuan's gaze hardened, and his voice boomed: "Listen up, everyone! I am Danxuan, an outer mountain steward. For the next three months, I will be responsible for teaching you the sect rules and cultivation techniques, and assessing your character and temperament. The Laoshan Immortal Sect has strict rules; any violation will be met with zero tolerance. The punishment ranges from copying the sect rules to expulsion from the sect, and even the destruction of one's spiritual roots!"

Upon hearing this, everyone composed themselves, lowered their heads, and listened attentively, none daring to slacken in the slightest. Lin Yan lowered his eyes slightly, silently reciting in his heart: On the path of cultivation, rules come first; only by adhering to the rules can one go far. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed that Yun Xi beside him had a calm expression, A Zhu had her lips tightly pursed and her hands clenched together, and Chen Dagang stood upright with a respectful expression.

Master Danxuan paused for a moment, then continued, "Next, we will distribute cultivation supplies. Each person will receive a set of outer disciple robes, a basic cultivation technique, 'Laoshan Basic Manual,' ten low-grade spirit stones, and a simple storage bag. Although the 'Laoshan Basic Manual' is not as profound as the inner disciple techniques, it is crucial for building a solid foundation. You must diligently practice it every day to stabilize your cultivation level. The spirit stones are used to assist cultivation and replenish spiritual energy; they should not be wasted."

The disciples stepped forward one by one to receive the supplies, and Lin Yan and the other three also lined up to go forward.

"Disciple Lin Yan greets True Person Danxuan."

Upon hearing the voice, Master Danxuan raised his eyes and looked at the person who had come. He was taken aback at first, but then he recognized the person and a gentle smile appeared between his brows.

"Lin Yan?"

"It is I, Master Danxuan. This disciple greets you." Lin Yan bowed again, his posture respectful and measured.

After receiving the supplies, Lin Yan opened the "Laoshan Basic Technique" and his heart stirred slightly. This "Laoshan Basic Technique" shared the same origin as his "Laoshan Sea-Viewing Technique," only being more fundamental. It could fill the gaps in his previous self-taught cultivation. What surprised him even more was that, while reciting the incantation, he could subtly draw upon the spiritual power of the Sea Emperor's inheritance, making the connection between the two techniques even smoother. He secretly planned that, in addition to cultivating the "Laoshan Sea-Viewing Technique" and the "Canglan Sea Emperor Technique" every day, he would also diligently cultivate the "Laoshan Basic Technique" to solidify his Qi Refining Level 6 realm, and incidentally explore the hidden connection between the Sea Emperor's inheritance and the Laoshan techniques.

Yunxi gripped the "Laoshan Basic Manual" with a slight pressure on her fingertips. She specialized in swordsmanship, and while the "Laoshan Basic Manual" couldn't directly enhance her sword intent, it helped stabilize her spiritual power, making her sword intent more restrained. She looked at Lin Yan, their eyes meeting, and without a word, they understood each other's thoughts.

Yi Azhu carefully put the supplies into her storage bag. Although her cultivation level was low, she knew how precious these supplies were.

Although Chen Dagang had no spiritual root and could not cultivate, he still received a set of clothes and a storage bag. He carefully put away the supplies, looked at Danxuan Zhenren with a firm gaze, and secretly decided: Even if I cannot cultivate immortality, I must train my physical body well, protect Lin Yan and the others, and not cause them any trouble.

After watching everyone receive their supplies, Master Danxuan's expression softened slightly: "Next, I will explain the rules of the Laoshan Outer Sect. First, rise at dawn to cultivate, gather at the training ground at dawn for body training, rest at noon, study the sect rules and cultivation common sense at dusk, cultivate freely at dusk, and lights out at 9 PM. No staying up late and making noise is allowed; second, no private fights, no stealing others' supplies, and no unauthorized entry into the inner mountain or forbidden spiritual veins; third, respect your elders, unite with your fellow disciples, and do not bully the weak..."

As the sun set, its golden rays bathed Laoshan Mountain, turning the outer disciples' quarters and the martial arts arena into a golden-red hue. The voice of Master Danxuan echoed throughout the arena.

Standing in the crowd, Lin Yan gazed at the distant sea of ​​clouds and the vast ocean, his heart filled with countless emotions. From an orphan in a fishing village to a prospective disciple of Laoshan, from the fifth level of Qi Refining to the sixth level, from slaying demons in the secret realm to finding Yunxi, his journey had been fraught with hardships, but he had also gained friendship and strength.

He knew that stepping into Laoshan was only the beginning of his path to immortality. In the next three months, countless trials awaited them—perhaps infighting among fellow disciples, perhaps the constraints of rules, perhaps the bottlenecks in their cultivation levels—but he was fearless.

As night fell, the spiritual energy on Mount Lao grew increasingly dense, and lights began to illuminate the bamboo huts one by one. Lin Yan sat cross-legged, holding the Guanhai Inkstone in his palm. He alternated between the "Laoshan Guanhai Technique" and the "Canglan Haidi Technique," and the spiritual energy within his dantian flowed endlessly like the vast ocean. The pale blue spiritual light inherited from the Haidi enveloped the spiritual energy, slowly nourishing his meridians. The wave patterns on the inkstone became increasingly clear, as if deep-sea spiritual energy was continuously flowing into his body, making his realm more and more stable, and even showing faint signs of trying to reach the seventh level of Qi Refining.

Meanwhile, at the window, Yunxi's sword light was restrained, her sword intent blending with the spiritual energy of the mountains; Yi Azhu held the Warm Soul Pearl, closed her eyes and concentrated, sensing the spiritual energy around her.

Chen Dagang practiced his physical training in the courtyard. With each punch and kick, his blood and qi surged, and his body became increasingly powerful.