Mount Lingtai Fangcun hung above a sea of clouds, perpetually wreathed in seven-colored spiritual mist. Springs tinkled through the mountains, each one filled with Spirit Liquid capable of cleansing marrow and reforging veins, while the strange flowers and exotic grasses growing along the cliffs were often thousands of years old.
The few Taoist temples atop the mountain had walls built from Warm Jade and roofs covered in glazed tiles. Even the halos refracted beneath the sunlight contained wisps of spiritual energy, presenting the very image of an immortal Holy Land.
Dao Ancestor Hong Yun sat cross-legged on a blue-stone meditation cushion before the temple, his eyes half-closed as his hands formed intricate seals. Pale golden runes flowed over his fingertips.
His brows were slightly furrowed, as though he were deducing the secrets of heaven—or perhaps calculating something else. The spiritual energy around him rose and fell slowly with his breathing, making him seem unfathomably profound.
"Grandpa, Grandpa! Look, I found something good again!"
A crisp child's voice shattered the mountain's silence. A little girl, delicate as if carved from pink jade, came skipping over. She was none other than Hong Yun's granddaughter, Hong Ling'er.
She was seven or eight years old, with twin buns in her hair and two Spirit Plant flower buds of unknown origin tucked between them. Grass clippings clung to her pale yellow padded jacket, yet she did not look disheveled in the slightest. Instead, she radiated a lively, spirited charm.
Most eye-catching of all were the two glossy Spirit Chicken Legs in her hands, one in each. They still gave off faint steam and an enticing aroma.
Hong Ling'er paid no attention to her appearance. She opened her little mouth and took a huge bite with an "ah-woo." Grease ran down from the corner of her