This is the true immortal of the Taoist sect.

In this old tavern, Wang Yangming and Chen Jing clinked glasses and confided in each other.

After talking for a while, they found that their worries had eased considerably.

Chen Jing was troubled because he didn't know how to bring up the matter of giving up his honors and joining the Taoist sect with his master.

What bothered Wang Yangming was the princess who had been constantly clinging to him lately.

Unable to resolve these issues, they could only temporarily forget about them and drink themselves into oblivion.

After that day, the two often found time to meet, even if it was just to sit together and have a cup of tea, chat about Taoist principles, and their mood would improve a lot.

Unbeknownst to them, they developed a mutual appreciation and came to regard each other as confidants.

Sigrún has taught at the Iceland University of the Arts as a part-time lecturer since and was Dean of the Department of Fine Art from -. In – she held a research position at Reykjavík Art Museum focusing on the role of women in Icelandic art. She studied fine art at the Icelandic College of Arts and Crafts and at Pratt Institute, New York, and holds BA and MA degrees in art history and philosophy from the University of Iceland. Sigrún lives and works in Iceland.

The Spring Equinox has just passed after the Awakening of Insects.

The first clap of thunder in the new year arrived as promised.

This year's spring thunder seems to be exceptionally powerful, almost like summer thunder.

On the night of the Spring Equinox, almost all the residents of Anyi County stayed up all night.

For some reason, the sky above the mountains and forests about twenty miles west of the city was filled with thunder and lightning all night long, the deafening roars making people uneasy.

The torrential rain that lasted for most of the night caused the water level of the Luoying River to rise sharply, almost overflowing the riverbank and beginning to spill into the residential area.

Fortunately, the heavy rain stopped in the latter half of the night, and the river's rapid rise ceased, thus preventing a disaster.

But the thunder in the mountains outside the city never stopped.

Li Daoxuan stood by the Luoying River, where the water even reached above his ankles.

Sensing the unusual moisture contained in the river, Li Daoxuan's expression turned solemn, and a hint of worry appeared between his brows.

"Could this water vapor power be from that big guy?"

Although it appeared that the rain had stopped, it was actually Li Daoxuan using Taoist methods to treat the symptoms.

The source of this heavy rain was the continuous flow of water vapor.

Li Daoxuan had only seen this power of water vapor, which was different from ordinary water vapor, once.

Thinking of this, Li Daoxuan no longer hesitated, took out a Five Elements Escape Talisman, and his figure instantly disappeared from the spot.

After casting spells several times, Li Daoxuan reappeared in the mountains more than twenty miles west of the city.

He knew this place all too well; it was the very place where those young men from the Xuanhuang Great World had left.

Sensing the abundant moisture emanating from the depths of the forest, Li Daoxuan's heart skipped a beat, and he thought to himself, "It really is it..."

Deep in the mountains, in a deep pool, the large black snake that Li Daoxuan had once enlightened was now churning in the water.

Its enormous body could stir up huge waves with every roll.

Moreover, it was constantly emitting a strong amount of water vapor.

This water vapor is extremely pure, and after it dissipates outside the body, it can turn into an extremely thick mist.

Water vapor rose up, turning into a sky full of cumulonimbus clouds. It happened to be the spring equinox, the air was humid, and thunder was beginning to appear, which caused a torrential downpour, accompanied by terrifying thunder.

Li Daoxuan stood by the pool, watching the large black snake roaring in pain, and felt a pang of emotion.

Less than a year ago, he had taught the black serpent a method of breathing and guiding techniques, but he did so as a matter of course.

Unexpectedly, this big black snake had such extraordinary talent, and in less than a year, it successfully entered the Dao and achieved great success in its cultivation.

This leads to a transformation, causing the body to grow significantly again and begin shedding its skin.

The great black serpent already possessed extraordinary water-related abilities, but this transformation caused its internal power to go out of control, thus affecting the outside world.

Li Daoxuan looked at the large black snake with great interest, and couldn't help but think to himself:

"This guy, could he transform into a dragon?"

According to ancient legends, the ultimate goal of snakes in their cultivation is to transform into dragons. This great black snake seized the creation of heaven and earth and was born with a trace of spirituality in this Jingming Cave, unlike other mortal beasts.

Having received further guidance from Li Daoxuan, he now possesses a great fortune.

Who knows, it might actually transform into a real dragon in the future.

However, at this moment, the giant black snake seemed to have encountered trouble.

Its invulnerable outer skin, which should have been its trump card for survival, has now become a shackle that prevents it from transforming.

The giant black snake was unable to break through that barrier and advance any further.

As Li Daoxuan watched this scene, a strange feeling gradually rose in his heart.

It was as if a powerful force was quietly emerging from the shadows.

The source of this powerful force is the enormous black snake in front of us, suffering terribly.

Li Daoxuan sensed something, made a hand seal, looked at the giant black snake, and said in a deep voice:

"Hey buddy, since we're destined to meet, I'll help you one more time. Whether it works or not is up to you."

After saying that, Li Daoxuan began to chant the divine incantation, which was the "Spirit Awakening Incantation" that the system had rewarded him with.

"The Great Dao is fifty, the Heavenly Evolution is forty-nine, one is hidden away, and all things cut off a thread of life and seize the creation of Heaven and Earth..."

As Li Daoxuan recited the divine incantation, a mysterious force of order seemed to transform into wisps of energy, surging into the black snake's forehead from all directions.

Gradually, a golden vertical line appeared between its brows, and a powerful spiritual force instantly rushed into the black snake's mind.

In the blink of an eye, it completely broke free from chaos and ignorance, its intelligence greatly increased, and it was no less than that of humans.

Moreover, the black snake's innate supernatural powers, which were originally driven by instinct, have also undergone a transformation, becoming unrestrained and possessing powerful spirituality.

It stopped and ceased its painful struggle.

Looking at Li Daoxuan, his cold, snake-like eyes were filled with gratitude.

Li Daoxuan smiled and waved his hand, saying:

Whether you can seize this glimmer of hope and undergo a complete transformation depends on your destiny.

The large black snake nodded heavily, as if it were kowtowing.

Then it raised its head and looked up at the sky, where endless lightning spread across the clouds, which was extremely terrifying.

In traditional terms, this is very similar to the legendary heavenly tribulation.

However, Li Daoxuan realized that the lightning was not actually the will of heaven and earth, nor was it meant to punish or prevent the great black snake from attaining enlightenment.

The reason for such dense lightning here is that the great black serpent's own innate supernatural power caused a celestial phenomenon, resulting in the accumulation of clouds and attracting heavenly lightning.

The heavenly lightning wouldn't deliberately strike the giant black snake, because heavenly lightning has no concept of punishment or calamity; in its eyes, all things in the world are the same.

But for the giant black snake, this was a rare opportunity.

The large black snake seemed to understand this as well. It stopped struggling and instead leaped out of the pool. Following the winding mountain path, it quickly climbed to the top of the mountain.

Its enormous body was perched atop the mountain peak, its body raised high, letting out a sharp roar towards the thundercloud-covered sky.

Li Daoxuan's eyes lit up, and he murmured:

"What ambition! To actually use the power of heavenly lightning to shed one's mortal form and complete the final step of transformation..."