Bai Jin followed Holy Mother Wudang into the mountains. After walking for a while, they arrived at the edge of a cliff and looked down at the rolling sea of clouds.
Bai Jin respectfully said, "Senior Sister, do you have any instructions for me?"
Holy Mother Wudang patted Bai Jin on the shoulder and said reproachfully, "We're fellow disciples. Why are you being so polite? If you keep this up, Senior Sister will get angry!"
Bai Jin scratched his head and smiled foolishly. "All right."
Holy Mother Wudang sat cross-legged on a bluish stone and said, "I remember your former home was like this too, drifting amid the sea of clouds."
Bai Jin blinked. That was Azure White Crane's former life. What did it have to do with Bai Jin?
Bai Jin sat cross-legged beside her and asked curiously, "Senior Sister, why do you think Master accepted me as his disciple?
My aptitude isn't very good. Compared to my two senior brother and sister, the difference is like heaven and earth. I only entered as an Outer Sect Disciple. I've always wondered—why did Master take me in?"
Holy Mother Wudang looked at Bai Jin with an odd expression. "You don't know?"
Bai Jin shook his head.
Holding back a laugh, Holy Mother Wudang said, "Master's original plan was to take you as a mount."
Bai Jin cried out in shock, "What? A mount?"
Holy Mother Wudang nodded. "That was the original plan, but later Master said that Bai He wasn't steady or imposing enough."
Bai Jin hurriedly asked, "Senior Sister, does Master still have that plan now?"
Holy Mother Wudang said with a smile, "That, I don't know."
Bai Jin immediately got up and flew away.
Holy Mother Wudang quickly called after him, "Junior Brother, where are you going?"
"I'm going to find Master a mount." Bai Jin's voice drifted back from afar.
It was embarrassing enough for a transmigrator to become a nominal disciple. If he ended up reduced to a mount, would he have any dignity left as a transmigrator?
He had decided. The first thing he had to do on this trip was find Master a mount. No, he had to include his two Martial Uncles as well. What if one of them took a liking to him too? An Azure White Crane as handsome as him was rare in the Primordial World.
The world was vast and desolate, all things ancient and boundless. Above, the Demon Court ruled the Nine Heavens; below, the Wu Clan roamed freely. Demons governed the heavens, Wu governed the earth, and their great war never ceased.
Dressed in green robes, Bai Jin walked through the wild and ancient land. Lush trees surrounded him, strange beasts roamed everywhere, and with a casual slap—smack!—he killed a mosquito the size of a sparrow. He looked around, his eyes filled with confusion.
Before leaving, Bai Jin had made detailed plans. The Primordial World had been born with countless Innate Spiritual Treasures, most of which already had owners. But he remembered one place where an Innate Spiritual Treasure was still hidden—the only place he knew that might have one. At Mount Wuyi was the Treasure Dropping Coin, which would shine brilliantly in the future Battle of the Investiture of the Gods. With the Treasure Dropping Coin in hand, why would he need to fear lacking treasures in the future?!
Bai Jin's main purpose for this journey was to acquire the Treasure Dropping Coin. While he was at it, he would find the Big Red Robe Mother Tree at Mount Wuyi, then show off his tea-brewing skills to Master and his Martial Uncles. Master and Second Martial Uncle might not appreciate it, but First Martial Uncle would definitely like it. Then, when the Battle of the Investiture of the Gods arrived, First Martial Uncle might show him mercy. Such far-reaching planning was truly astonishing—one trip, two gains, one arrow, many birds. Just thinking about it made him happy ^O^.
However, after leaving Mount Kunlun and wandering around the vast world, Bai Jin discovered a very important problem—he seemed to be lost! ⊙﹏⊙
As Bai Jin walked through the forest, his mind went blank. Where was Mount Wuyi again?! His calculations had been flawless; he had even considered being intercepted by the Wu and demons. Yet before he could put any of the plans after leaving the mountain into action, he had completely lost his sense of direction.
He could only keep heading in one direction, crossing mountains and rivers, chasing clouds and the moon. He traveled like this for a month. Time in the Primordial World differed from time in his previous life. One day here was four thousand three hundred and eighty hours, while one month was thirty years in his previous life. All life here was born sacred, so there was nothing strange about it.
In the darkness, Bai Jin stood atop a mountain and looked at the scattered points of firelight glowing in the range below. He said happily, "Fire? Could there be people?"
He immediately dived down. If he could meet a kind and powerful expert, he could ask for directions. As for minor demons and monsters, they had traveled fewer roads than he had eaten bowls of rice.
Beside a river, a blazing campfire burned. A beast leg roasted above it, while a woman in yellow immortal robes sat beside the fire, graceful and regal.
Bai Jin descended from the sky, his Daoist robes fluttering in the wind. Judging by appearances alone, he looked extraordinary. He cupped his hands in salute and said, "Bai Jin of Mount Kunlun greets you, Fellow Daoist."
The woman looked up at Bai Jin, gave a soft laugh, and said gently, "If I remember correctly, Mount Kunlun is where the Three Pure Ones cultivate. What is your relationship with them?"
Delighted, Bai Jin thought, She knows my Master and the others. This will be easy. He immediately said, "My Master's Daoist title is Tongtian."
The woman smiled. "So you're his disciple. Come, sit."
"Thank you, Senior."
Bai Jin walked over and sat opposite her. He asked, "May I know how to address you, Senior?"
The woman glanced at Bai Jin and said, "Houtu."
Whoosh! Bai Jin shot to his feet, his eyes instantly widening. H-Houtu? Was his luck incredibly good or incredibly bad? He hurriedly cupped his hands and bowed, saying excitedly, "Greetings, the great compassionate Empress Houtu~"
A flash of surprise passed through Houtu's eyes. Smiling, she said, "Great compassionate? You're the first to place that title upon me. Shouldn't people remember me as Houtu, the battle-loving ancestral Wu?"
Bai Jin respectfully said, "Ancestral Wu Houtu's strength is peerless in the Primordial World, but what I truly admire is Your Majesty's compassionate heart."
A faint smile appeared on Houtu's face. "Interesting little fellow. Sit."
"Yes~" Bai Jin obediently sat across from Houtu.
After a moment of silence, Bai Jin asked curiously, "Empress Houtu, is this where a Wu Clan tribe is located?"
"No."
"Then why are you here, Your Majesty?"
Houtu revealed a gentle smile. "This is the world created by Father God. I want to take a good look at it." Her expression shifted as she asked, "Little fellow, what do you think of this world?"
Bai Jin could not resist being cheeky. "I look at it with my eyes!"
Houtu was stunned for a moment, then chuckled. "What an interesting little rascal!"
She used the branch in her hand to poke at the fire and said, "The world created by Father God has vast oceans and beautiful mountains and rivers. I've traveled through nearly all of it, and something has faintly stirred in my heart. Everything seems perfect, yet something also seems wrong. But I can't say what is wrong."
Had she already sensed that heaven and earth were incomplete? Bai Jin opened his mouth, but ultimately said nothing. He was still just a minor figure. He could go along with the current, but if he revealed the matter of reincarnation ahead of time and caused some great change, it would not be something a little shrimp like him could withstand.
Before you continue