Black clouds rolled across the horizon, as if densely smearing ink. Thunder and lightning traveled back and forth between the lead-like clouds, like silver snakes. The silence of the frozen atmosphere, without a hint of wind, resembled a stream frozen motionless.
Several dozens of youths in clothes made out of sackcloth, walked on the cragged mountain road. They were hurrying with their heads buried, as if something dangerous lurked behind them, not even daring to turn their head once.
“Hurry up! It’s nearly time!”
“There’s only half an hour left.”
Such voices were heard everywhere from the procession. These young children were so anxious that their faces were covered in sweat. They continuously sped up their pace, wanting to pass through the mountain road, but the road was so long that it was like they would never stop walking, and there was no end in sight.
The mountain walls around them seemed to reach through the clouds, except for one narrow road, which split between the walls, allowing these children to walk through. It was not long before many young girls collapsed, their body unable to endure the strain. However, an even greater number of people grit their teeth and moved forward with great efforts.
“Honglonglong—”
A bolt of lightning, thick as a water jar, struck down in front of the procession on the mountain road, and split open a deep, huge pit in the ground. The sound of thunder rolled through the sky, growing louder and louder. The shaking lightning struck and lit the ground, making the tall young man at the very front shudder with fear.
“I won’t go! I won’t go! I’ll die if this lightning strikes!”
“I won’t go either! I don’t want to be an immortal, I don’t want to join Tai Hua Mountain, I want to finish my trial!”
“I want to finish my trial too!”
The people who said “finish trial” were able to dodge the silver rays of light, and quickly disappeared from the mountain road. The others advanced without delay, continuing their trials.
Tai Hua Mountain was the cultivation world’s number one sect. They opened their gates every ten years, accepting any child 15 years or younger for trials. As long as they passed three trials, these ordinary children could receive the chance to enter Tai Hua Mountain, and even instant success from then on, becoming the immortals that the common folk held so high in their hearts.
Of Tai Hua Mountain’s three trials, the first two held no danger. However, the last one, “Leiting Road“, had children losing their lives every time it happened. The thunder and lightning were real thunder and lightning. These children had ordinary bodies, and they would undoubtedly die if lightning struck them. Not only that, but there was a time limit for walking through Leiting Road. If they went over the time limit, they still wouldn’t pass the trial.
There was still a quarter of an hour remaining, and there were still 31 children remaining on Leiting Road.
And they were still a great distance away from the final destination, but the thunder continued to grow even more ferocious. Every time it struck, the heavens and earth alike trembled and shook, as if it were splitting through the mountain.
A young girl in the group said timidly, face white with fear, “Big brother Chen, can we give up? This lightning could kill someone…”
A boy about 14 years old was walking in front of her. He heard her and turned around to face the girl.
This young man was not too handsome, but he was well worth a second look. A shrewd light flickered in his eyes, looking oddly at the little girl in front of him. Finally, he laughed. “Little sister, you’re not any better than them. Relax, we can both become immortals. Take my hand and walk.”
The little girl still wanted to say something, but looking at how resolved the young man was, she swallowed her words.
When they continued forward, a rumbling, thick bolt of lightning struck towards the young man at once. The girl trembled with fright, but surprisingly, she managed to summon her courage and suddenly put forward both hands to block the young man, shouting, “Big brother Chen, be careful!”
The lightning was no more than ten meters away from the girl, but she didn’t notice. Behind her, the young man she was protecting smiled a little, showing no surprise. His eyes were filled with pride and anticipation, as if he was suppressing something restless.
However, just as the lightning was about to strike the girl, the green glint of a sword cleaved the air!
The sword’s brilliance, swift and fierce, struck the violent lightning, silver sparks surging. That glint was ice cold and ruthless as it skewered the lightning. The green sword’s tip majestically rang, and the children on the mountain road shook so hard they fell to the ground all at once, the lightning instantly fading away to nothing.
The 31 people’s eyes were wide open, staring in shock at the person who suddenly appeared in midair.
Between the almost endless, split precipice, they could only see an immortal standing straight in the middle of the countless lightning and thunder rumbles, with white clothes and wide sleeves. His eyes gazed at the paralyzed trial takers sitting on the ground with indifference.
He had phoenix eyes and long eyebrows, straight nose and thin lips, and the outer corners of his narrow eyes were slightly raised. Then a halo, black as ink, slowly spread out, making the children hold their breath, not daring to breathe. Black hair unable to act on its own, danced and swayed in the air, silver snakes of lightning and thunder behind him. This person bore the countless bolts of lightning without a care, and only looked serenely at the group of children, his eyes drooping.
This was truly a noble man who did not feel any worldly ties, the peak of elegance and tranquility!
Another bolt of lightning struck viciously. He took his sword behind him and shattered the approaching tumultuous lightning into pieces. His long silver sword danced in the air, creating a beautiful display of sparks. It gradually shrunk into a ribbon of silver light, rushing between his eyebrows with a whoosh, and left behind a silver design.
On the entire Leiting Road, not one person dared say a word.
The time limit of the trial had passed long ago, but this issue hadn’t come to anyone’s minds.
It had not been long when three white-robed cultivators hurriedly flew over. Upon seeing that person, they immediately saluted, and yelled, “Senior brother Luo!”
Luo Jianqing lightly nodded, hinting something towards the three people. Then he turned and continued to look at the children on Leiting Road, giving the crowd a glance, and quickly discovered the pair of trial takers that seemed to be brother and sister.
Upon seeing this, the cultivator next to him immediately said in a low voice, “That young man is known as Li Xiuchen, 14 years old this year, and has an ordinary constitution. That girl is named Liu Xiaoxiao, 9 years old this year, and her constitution is considered to be third degree.” His voice dropped, then continued, “Senior brother Luo, we do not know what happened today on Leiting Road that it became so serious. If you had arrived later, I’m afraid this young girl would’ve unfairly lost her life here.”
Tai Hua Mountain opened its gates once every ten years, but they didn’t always accept new disciples each time. Although a third degree foundation is not any higher than first degree or second degree, their potential to become an immortal was still considered to be higher than an ordinary person’s. Logically, they could enter Tai Hua Mountain to cultivate.
Luo Jianqing heard his words, and he lightly glanced at the pair of brother and sister. Then he turned his head and started to speak. “Fortunately, I was returning to our sect. It was simply coincidental. This matter of Leiting Road still needs your careful examination to prevent any other mishaps in the future.”
His voice was like a dreamlike sonata, like jade strings colliding, gentle and moving.
The three immediately nodded in acknowledgement.
After a moment, Luo Jianqing left on his sword. In a blink of an eye, he disappeared from Leiting Road.
Once he left, it was like the world resumed moving again, without the intimidating and oppressive atmosphere.
Liu Xiaoxiao swallowed her spit. Pulling on Li Xiuchen’s sleeve, she said very cautiously, “Big brother Chen, that big sister is really good-looking, are all immortals…are all immortals that good-looking?”
Li Xiuchen’s face was gloomy like water, and didn’t respond.
The girl didn’t notice Li Xiuchen’s strange behavior, and continued, “Is that pretty big sister from Tai Hua Mountain? Big brother Chen, we have to join Tai Hua Mountain. She saved us, so we should thank her.”
“Let’s go,” Li Xiuchen said coldly.
Liu Xiaoxiao inhaled. “
Big brother Chen , you’re grabbing me too hard, you’re hurting me.”
Li Xiuchen slowly let go of the girl’s hand, who had been pulling on him. He first turned his head to glance at the little girl beside him, then continued to walk. The girl was completely unaware of what happened, and muttered, “Big brother Chen still isn’t slowing down?” then hurriedly followed after him.
—This was wrong! Completely and utterly wrong!
The little girl never knew that her life should’ve ended there in order to block her favorite big brother Chen from that bolt of lightning.
What happened at Leiting Road was an anomaly: it had suddenly become much more dangerous, and the Li Xiuchen with ordinary constitution was nearly struck by lightning, but was saved by his dear childhood friend, his little sister Liu Xiaoxiao. Liu Xiaoxiao should’ve wilted like a flower, then Li Xiuchen would cry and lament painfully. This act would be seen by the eyes of Tai Hua Mountain’s immortals, and then they would resolve to make an exception to let this ordinary boy through their gates.
—That was exactly what happened in the plot of “Seeking Immortality”.
Three years ago, Li Xiuchen had not been called Li Xiuchen. An accident caused him to cross into “Seeking Immortality”. When he found out that he had been turned into Li Xiuchen, he was so excited that he couldn’t control himself.
Li Xiuchen! “Seeking Immortality”’s protagonist! He possessed a super golden finger rivalled by none! It was practically like he was the heavens’ favorite child!
Three years later, he earnestly led a life based upon his memories of the plot. Afterwards, he brought the little sister Liu Xiaoxiao from next door to join him in Tai Hua Mountain’s trials. He had been prepared to sacrifice this little girl to let himself inside the gates.
But now, why was everything not right? Where exactly did he go wrong?
Why did Luo Jianqing appear now!
At that very moment, that mistakenly named white-robed immortal “big sister” had already flown away from Leiting Road long ago, and stepped inside Tai Hua Mountain’s gates. Senior and junior brothers all around enthusiastically greeted him, every one of which he gently replied to. His handsome face carried a genial smile, beautiful as a woman, face like a spring blossom, brilliant and gentle.
However, after Luo Jianqing stepped inside his room, his sleeves flew as he violently slammed the door shut.
The smile on his face instantly faded without a trace. Luo Jianqing’s eyes were ice cold as he turned his head to look at the desk not far from him. He narrowed his eyes, and a heavy book instantly flew into his hands. On the cover, there were two impressive large words written with spirit—
“Seeking Immortality”.
Luo Jianqing was the chief disciple of Tai Hua Mountain’s Yu Xiao Peak, and the last disciple of the top person of the cultivation world. Because of jealousy towards his junior brother Li Xiuchen, he betrayed his school and became a monster. Many years later, a group led by Li Xiuchen sought to kill Luo Jianqing. After enduring a violent battle lasting ten days and ten nights, he died under Li Xiuchen’s sword. It could even be said that his death was justified, and died to everyone’s satisfaction!
But right now…
The corners of Luo Jianqing’s lips turned up in an easy smile, looking at the sparkling words “Seeking Immortality” with an indifferent gaze.
“I, Luo Jianqing, have returned.”