Green Mountain Leaves No Regrets

The old man from the Imperial Ancestral Temple Alley arrived with a painting, and An Le stopped practicing the Collapsing Sword Force.

He slowly drew the Bamboo Breaking Sword, Green Mountain, from the old locust tree, and sheathed it at his waist. An Le wasn't sure if it was his imagination, but the bamboo sword felt a bit more comfortable to hold.

"The sword has spirit. It sensed hope from you, and the spirit buried within its edge will slowly awaken. Don't underestimate Green Mountain; it's indestructible. However, you're still far from being able to wield it, young man."

"A sword is a swordsman's best companion, but you're still too green."

The old man sat on a bamboo chair, poured himself a cup of old yellow wine as if he were at home, drank it down in one gulp, and chuckled.

An Le rubbed the Green Mountain bamboo sword with his palm, his heart filling with even more joy for this rather plain-looking Bamboo Breaking Sword.

"You started too late, only beginning your cultivation at eighteen. It's a bit of a shame. You need to improve yourself quickly to reach the level where you can wield Green Mountain, so as not to leave it with regrets."

The old man sighed while drinking his wine, a fleeting look of melancholy in his eyes.

Perhaps he had caused Green Mountain many regrets in the past and didn't want the young man to repeat his mistakes.

An Le smiled, and with the soft sound of wind and rain, he said with a degree of determination and seriousness, "Green Mountain will not have regrets."

Since he had come to this world and encountered the magnificent path of cultivation, he naturally didn't want to leave his life with regrets.

His previous life was fleeting and superficial, like being shackled, filled with helplessness and mediocrity. As a child, his life was a simple triangle connecting the children's palace, school, and home. Elementary school, middle school, high school – in the blink of an eye, he had grown up. He had spent countless hours and used reams of paper, and just as he was about to enter the art academy he had exchanged his entire youth for, he transmigrated.

An Le felt that his past years were filled with many regrets, regrets that all his mechanical efforts had gone up in smoke, and regrets of saying goodbye to that era.

This life, however, was vibrant and colorful. He had embarked on the path of cultivation, feeling the splendor of heaven and earth, carrying Green Mountain at his side. He was even less willing to let his life slip away in idleness. The taste of regret was too bitter; he didn't want to experience it again.

An Le poured a cup of old yellow wine and drank with the old man.

The clouds in the sky dispersed, and the bright moon, like a celestial maiden ascending to heaven, shone down, gentle as water.

The moonlight illuminated the branches of the old locust tree and the tender new leaves nourished by the spring rain, casting dappled shadows.

Finishing the old yellow wine in his cup, An Le gazed at the moon and chuckled, "Understanding the Dao has a sequence; some start early and arrive later, while others start later and arrive first. Senior, do not worry."

Hearing the young man's aspirations as strong as a rainbow, the old man's eyes filled with increasing admiration. He stroked his beard and laughed heartily, declaring it a moment worthy of a toast.

Afterward, they stopped discussing cultivation, took out the painting, and the young man discussed paintings with the old man under the moonlight while drinking.

Three months of spring have passed, with continuous rain for ninety days.

Spring rain always comes without warning. It stops one moment, and after less than half a day of warmth, a misty, smoky rain begins to fall again, like fine hairs or beaded curtains, blanketing the world.

The spring of Lin'an Prefecture became even more beautiful under the nourishment of the spring rain. Tender green leaves and new flowers bloomed on every street and alley, as if being urged to grow. Walking around West Lake, strolling along the long embankment, and resting in a pavilion, one could see sights full of life.

After taking leave from Madam Hua, she directly granted An Le a three-day holiday, telling him to cultivate diligently at home and nurture his mind, preparing for the opening of the Sixth Mountain.

An Le tried to decline, but Madam Hua said that the young masters also needed to prepare for the opening of the Sixth Mountain, so the painting work would be temporarily suspended.

Since that was the case, An Le naturally had no reason to refuse.

Waking up early in the morning, he bathed in the spring rain. Dressed in white, he practiced the Five Animals movements in the spring rain. His bones and sinews resonated, and his Blood Essence churned. The Blood Essence, pushed to its perfection, began to gather, its wisps spreading towards his bones.

An Le knew that he was only one step away from the second realm of Body Forging, the Spirit Bone. Perhaps, with just one opportunity, he could step into it.

Demonic Qi continuously emanated from the Quenching Demon Jade. As he practiced the Five Animals, the Demonic Qi tempered his physical body through his skin and muscles, making An Le's physique increasingly robust.

Infused with Demonic Qi, An Le's appearance became more refined and elegant, with an added touch of alluring charm that was very eye-catching.

Visualizing the Sword Waterfall, honing the Five Animals, practicing the Collapsing Sword Force...

An Le had his own plans for cultivation. Of course, reading was important. In his spare time from cultivation, he would squeeze in time to read books related to the imperial examinations, works by great scholars from the Academy of Literature, and even masterpieces by famous writers of this era. He would read them all diligently.

"Read a hundred times, and its meaning will become clear." An Le still believed in the principle that reading changes one's destiny.

Even though he had stepped onto the path of cultivation, cultivation did not mean abandoning reading. Even a powerful figure like Madam Hua would embrace books by great scholars every morning while drinking tea and reading in the Tianbo Water Pavilion. What right did he, An Le, have not to read?

Moreover, the Spring Imperial Examination was imminent, and he couldn't slack off in his studies just because of cultivation.

He walked to West Lake to read, and as usual, went to see the aloof and stunningly beautiful Fairy Yun Rou, who seemed to have fallen from grace.

From the flow of time, he learned that Fairy Yun Rou's cultivation was not weak, yet she was content to stay on flower boats, acting as a Flower Queen. Although she was the foremost among the flower girls and her fame spread far and wide, it was ultimately a lowly profession, not quite fitting for a cultivator like Fairy Yun Rou.

Even in Lin Hua Pavilion, the most famous brothel in Lin'an, there were women who cultivated, but they had only just begun to understand cultivation, merely using it as a gimmick. A genius like Fairy Yun Rou was truly rare.

Unfortunately, after lingering for a moment at West Lake, walking through the fine spring rain, he still hadn't seen Fairy Yun Rou. This was the third day he hadn't seen her.

Leaving West Lake, he returned to the Imperial Ancestral Temple Alley on Qingbo Street.

An Le set up a table, placing tea cups on it, and a charcoal stove beside it to heat water.

He brewed a pot of hot tea and sat by the entrance, facing the old locust tree in the courtyard. He began to visualize the Sword Waterfall Diagram, and his mind, having entered Fetal Respiration, started to gather its essence bit by bit.

The blessing of the Dao Fruit, "Talent of the Ages," allowed An Le's cultivation speed to be quite rapid.

He didn't have to go to work at the Lin Manor. The only pity was that he couldn't absorb Time Qi.

Going out onto the streets to try his luck might not yield any cultivators, and the old man from the Imperial Ancestral Temple's Time Qi was something An Le couldn't draw upon now.

However, An Le wasn't too regretful. He would wait for the opening of the Sixth Mountain, when a large number of cultivators would surely gather, and then he could absorb enough.

The rain came, fine and sparse, not much but not none at all.

Watching the spring rain before his door.

Tea, contemplation, tranquility.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

The spring rain stopped and started again, as if to welcome the opening of the Sixth Mountain of the Sacred Mountain today, falling with increasing vigor.

An Le woke up early. The sky was hazy, and the fine, soft spring rain drifted like countless silver threads in the faint light of dawn.

He changed into a clean, dry white robe with wide sleeves. After three days of tempering his body with demonic qi, his body forging cultivation was just one step away from forging spirit bones, with a breakthrough possible at any moment.

Consequently, An Le's entire demeanor became even more upright, his presence as refined as jade.

He wore Green Mountain at his waist and carried the Quenching Demon Jade. Holding up an oiled paper umbrella and locking the courtyard gate, he stepped out, treading on the trickling water between the bluestone cracks in Imperial Ancestral Temple Alley.

The alley was quite quiet. From the high walls on both sides, some peach branches poked out. The tender peach blossoms, split in half by the spring rain, fell onto the bluestone. An Le stepped on them, and they stuck to the soles of his feet, leaving behind faint pink marks.

Today was the opening day of the Sixth Mountain, and the atmosphere throughout Lin'an Prefecture seemed to have changed.

His fetal respiration mind was entwined around his body, allowing him to sense that the spiritual energy in the world seemed to be flowing faster, in sync with the surging emotions of the cultivators.

Just as the Academy of Literature was the sacred land in the hearts of scholars throughout the land, and the Temple of Martial Arts was the sacred land in the hearts of martial artists, the Sacred Mountain, as a transcendent power in Great Zhao and even the entire Central Land, was a sacred land in the minds of countless cultivators.

To be admitted to the Sixth Mountain, even if it were just to become a gatekeeper, was a leap in status.

Therefore, when the opening order resounded throughout Lin'an Prefecture, cultivators from all over Lin'an Prefecture, and even from all parts of Great Zhao and the four corners of the Central Land, came flocking. Some came to pursue a dream that many considered ethereal and unattainable, while others simply came to join the excitement.

An Le, holding his oiled paper umbrella, walked to the mouth of the alley and suddenly thought of a serious problem.

The Sixth Mountain of the Sacred Mountain was famous, but... he didn't know where to go.

Looking at Qingbo Street, washed clean by the spring rain, An Le scratched his head. He turned his head to look at the octagonal hip-and-gable roof, two-story building with double eaves in the distance, which exuded a majestic and imposing aura.

In the Imperial Ancestral Temple, the incense still burned, shrouded in the misty spring dawn.

The old man at the Imperial Ancestral Temple had said he would take him to the Sixth Mountain today, but there was no sign of him yet.

He walked to the front of the Imperial Ancestral Temple. Without stepping inside the temple buildings, he clasped his fists and bowed from several meters away.

"Young friend An, don't worry. Spring sleep knows no dawn. This old man is going to catch up on some sleep. I won't be going with you today; someone will come to take you."

From within the temple, the old man's lazy laughter drifted out.

An Le was stunned for a moment.

Amidst the spring breeze and spring rain, the sound of carriage wheels rolling over bluestone, splashing up fine streams, suddenly reached his ears.

At some point, a luxurious carriage turned a corner and slowly drove from the end of Qingbo Street.

An Le stood by the side of the street, holding his umbrella. The luxurious carriage drove straight towards him and slowly stopped beside him.

From the carriage window, a pale hand reached out from behind the curtain. It gently lifted the curtain, revealing the exquisite and beautiful face of Madam Hua, whom he hadn't seen in days.

Madam Hua first nodded slightly in the direction of the Imperial Ancestral Temple, then her eyes, like autumn water, fell on An Le, and the corners of her lips curved upwards.

"I will take you to the Sixth Mountain."

"Young Master An, get in."

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