A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

"This Tianyan Town is really big..."

After arriving at the approximate location marked in the book, Zhou Ping couldn't help but let out a sigh.

He set off from the inn early in the morning, and now that the sun is high in the sky, he has only just arrived here.

It should be noted that he would use his lightness technique every now and then during the journey, making him travel at a speed far exceeding that of ordinary people.

Even so, it still took him so long to get here.

Zhou Ping looked at the dilapidated courtyard in front of him, and then at the foot of Xifeng Mountain, which was not far away, but he didn't see a single person.

This place is truly desolate...

This abandoned mansion covers a vast area, densely packed with numerous pavilions and towers. Due to years of disrepair, apart from its antique style, it still gives people a sense of old age and decay.

Apart from the few large characters written at the gate, there is nothing else that catches the eye.

"The Chen family residence is off-limits to unauthorized personnel!"

Zhou Ping sat on a large tree not far away, carefully examining everything in front of him, his brows furrowed.

Would a place like this have cultivators? Even homeless beggars wouldn't bother with it.

There wasn't a single human hair to be seen; even a beggar would starve to death inside.

Zhou Ping thought with a wicked sense of humor, then lay back on the tree trunk, squinting through the shadows of the trees as he gazed at Xifeng Mountain not far away, lost in thought.

This place is so close to Xifeng Mountain. If those legends about immortals are true, this place is probably where Guiyuan Pavilion is located.

But apart from this dilapidated house, it's hard to find another building here. How can he possibly find the Guiyuan Pavilion?

Just as Zhou Ping was racking his brains and thinking hard, the sound of horses' hooves came from afar.

He immediately sat up and looked in the direction of the sound of hooves. A magnificent carriage gradually appeared at the far end of the alley.

Not long after, the carriage stopped at the gate of the old house, and a fat young man got off the carriage with the help of a servant.

"Uncle Hai, I can go in by myself. You all wait here."

The obese man spoke softly to the old servant and the coachman, then turned to look at the locked gate, a hint of fear in his eyes.

"Yes! This old servant awaits your arrival, young man."

The servant named Haibo bowed to the man and said respectfully.

Chen Dafu?!

Zhou Ping stared in disbelief at the obese man not far away from the tree, his face filled with astonishment.

This person was none other than Chen Dafu, the young master of the Chen family whom he had known for a long time in the Green Bamboo Sect.

Despite not having seen each other for several years, Zhou Ping recognized him immediately, simply because the other person had such distinctive features.

At the Chen family residence in Tianyan Town, Chen Dafu and Zhou Ping immediately understood the relationship between the two and nodded to themselves.

He quietly slipped down from the tree, then used his lightness technique to leap over the three-zhang-high wall and landed lightly in the courtyard inside.

After meeting Chen Dafu, Zhou Ping did not intend to go up and acknowledge him. The two had only met a few times and had not interacted since, even within the Qingzhu Sect.

Moreover, given his current state of feigned death, even if there were any connections between them, he would certainly not expose himself.

At this moment, he just wanted to follow them and see if their purpose in coming here was the same as his own.

Given the Chen family's status in Tianyan Town, they might actually know some secrets about cultivators.

Zhou Ping followed Chen Dafu at a distance, observing the surrounding environment as he walked, appearing unusually cautious.

After all, he had arrived at the legendary gathering place of cultivators. Here, a slight mistake could lead him into a deep predicament, so he could not afford to be careless.

"Um?"

Zhou Ping suddenly saw Chen Dafu and stopped in front of a huge stone wall. His expression became increasingly tense, and large beads of sweat streamed down his fat face.

He paced back and forth in front of the stone wall, muttering to himself.

"Chen Dafu! Chen Dafu! Your father has entrusted you with such a heavy responsibility, how can you be so cowardly?! So weak?! Don't you feel ashamed?"

"Oh dear! Those houses are inhabited by gods and immortals! Isn't it only natural to be afraid? What's there to be ashamed of?"

........

Zhou Ping leaned against a shadowy corner, rolled his eyes, and looked speechlessly at the hesitant Chen Dafu, feeling a little amused.

This kid is still the same as he was years ago, so cowardly...

Fortunately, Zhou Ping heard the words "the immortal" from him, and he was overjoyed. It seemed that he had not come to the wrong place and that the place was probably nearby.

He looked around again and saw nothing but a few dilapidated houses and a pavilion not far away.

Where are these cultivators?

Just as Zhou Ping was filled with questions, Chen Dafu, who was in the distance, suddenly disappeared from his perception.

He looked in surprise at the spot where the other person had just been, but it was now completely empty, with not a trace of anyone left.

"This is terrifying... How could someone just disappear like that in broad daylight?"

Zhou Ping walked carefully along the wall, his expression still one of disbelief.

His five senses were clearly focused on this place at all times, so how could Chen Dafu have suddenly disappeared?

After confirming that there was no movement around, Zhou Ping went to the spot where Chen Dafu had just stood.

Apart from this huge stone wall, there is nothing else here. Could there be some hidden mechanism?

He reached out and touched the stone wall, trying to find any possible secret passages or mechanisms.

Just as his palm was about to touch the stone wall, something miraculous happened: his palm passed through the stone wall without any hindrance and disappeared from his sight.

"this......."

Zhou Ping stared in disbelief at the scene, his hands constantly reaching in and out, his face full of astonishment.

"Is this the work of immortals? It's truly unimaginable..."

After trying it out, Zhou Ping's eyes lit up as he rammed into the stone wall.

........

"Guiyuan Pavilion".

Is this Guiyuan Pavilion?

Zhou Ping looked up at the huge plaque above the gate and muttered to himself.

He then pretended to be calm and walked into the room, feeling both nervous and excited.

Once inside, Zhou Ping was once again stunned by the scene before him.

The large square was filled with all sorts of stalls and goods.

The stall owners, dressed in all sorts of bizarre ways, were either sitting cross-legged or lying down yawning, looking listless.

Others curiously turned their gazes toward him, scrutinizing this new face who had just appeared in the area.

The square is surrounded by a ring of tall pavilions in the shape of the Chinese character "回" (hui), which completely enclose the square, resembling a giant barrel that is dozens of feet high.

As Zhou Ping gazed at the massive, barrel-like pavilion, he was both awestruck and secretly made out its general appearance.

The pavilion has five floors, each with a subtle sheen on its surface, creating a dazzling and beautiful overall effect.

Is this Guiyuan Pavilion?

Zhou Ping found it hard to reconcile the dilapidated houses outside with this place.