Since You've Come, This Mountain Opens for You

The early morning streets in the rain were incredibly quiet. Carriages slowly came to a halt, horses exhaled warm breaths from their nostrils, and occasionally pawed the ground with a soft clatter.

A young man stood by the carriage, holding an umbrella. His handsome and elegant face held a hint of surprise.

An Le hadn't expected Madam Hua herself to be the one sending him to Sixth Mountain.

"Get in, what are you standing around for?"

Madam Hua glanced at An Le and said coolly.

An Le, snapping back to reality, offered a gentle smile, bowed to Madam Hua, then closed his umbrella and prepared to sit on the carriage shaft.

"Young Master, this is my spot. Please enter the carriage."

The old coachman, holding the reins and wearing a straw hat and a straw cloak, looked somewhat speechless as he reminded An Le.

"Come in."

Madam Hua's voice drifted from inside the carriage.

An Le felt a bit awkward. He apologized to the coachman, shook the water off his oil-paper umbrella in the drizzling rain, and then lifted the curtain to step inside.

Compared to the chilly spring air outside the carriage, the interior was quite warm thanks to a charcoal stove for boiling water, keeping the spring cold at bay.

Inside, Madam Hua was dressed simply today in plain white clothes, like a woman out for a casual stroll. She held a book in her hand, with dried fruits on the table and hot tea brewing.

Of course, Madam Hua wasn't the only one in the carriage. Lin Zhuifeng and Lin Qingyin were also seated inside. Lin Qingyin gave An Le a slight nod, while Lin Zhuifeng pursed her lips, trying to suppress a giggle.

"Greetings, Madam."

An Le wasn't embarrassed. He entered the carriage and bowed to Madam Hua. Madam Hua nodded, gesturing for him to sit.

The horses' hooves lightly tapped the flagstones, like the striking of ancient bells, accompanying the carriage.

After a moment of silence, An Le began to unceremoniously absorb Time Qi, first "plucking" from Lin Zhuifeng and Lin Qingyin.

Lin Zhuifeng had over a dozen strands of Time Qi, enough for An Le to "pluck" a few more times. However, his younger sister Lin Qingyin had already been drained dry. After absorbing her three strands, not a trace of Time Qi remained.

This was the second cultivator An Le had drained, the first being the Black Yamen Captain Huang Xian, and the second being Lin Qingyin.

They were both guides on An Le's cultivation path, and he felt grateful to them.

After absorbing from the two sisters, An Le finally attempted to absorb Time Qi from Madam Hua, managing to draw out a single strand.

With this, An Le's depleted Time Qi reached seven strands again.

He wasn't in a hurry to arrange these seven strands of Time Qi, as the peace within the carriage was soon to be broken.

"Young Master An, did you think Madam was the only one in here earlier, and that's why you hesitated to get in?"

Lin Zhuifeng, dressed in a green tight-fitting outfit and with a fire poker tucked into her waist, said with a wink.

An Le's shy and pure demeanor earlier had amused Lin Zhuifeng.

An Le, hearing this, didn't feel ashamed. A spring-like smile bloomed on his handsome and elegant face.

"I didn't expect Young Master to be going to Sixth Mountain with us too. Are you also hoping to see if you can catch the eye of the Sixth Mountain Lord and become a Mountain Guardian there?"

Having opened the floodgates, Lin Zhuifeng wasn't planning to stop. She continued, "However, your cultivation is truly a bit lacking. Although the Mountain Lords don't solely choose Mountain Guardians based on cultivation, but rather on affinity, being too low in cultivation makes the chance of selection even slimmer."

"It's fine. It'll be a good experience just to see the world." An Le smiled.

Lin Zhuifeng greatly admired An Le's carefree spirit. Of course, it wasn't impossible that it was also because An Le was good-looking. If it were someone less attractive, Lin Zhuifeng would have immediately dismissed it as fake and pretentious.

"If Young Master is also aiming to be a Mountain Guardian, then we'll be rivals... Madam, who do you think has a better chance of catching the Sixth Mountain Lord's eye, me or Young Master An?"

Lin Zhuifeng turned to look at Madam Hua.

"You're just going to Sixth Mountain to watch the fun. Give up on that idea."

Pausing her reading, Madam Hua slightly lifted her eyelids and delivered a heart-crushing blow.

Lin Zhuifeng froze instantly, her cheeks puffing out as she prepared to retort.

"Alright, be quiet now and nurture your spirit properly."

Madam Hua glanced at Lin Zhuifeng, who was still eager to chatter incessantly.

Lin Zhuifeng immediately shut her mouth, lowered her head with a hint of defiance, and began to nurture her spirit.

Lin Qingyin smiled faintly, also sat quietly, closed her eyes, and rested.

Madam Hua, holding the great scholar's book "Ask Virtue," looked at An Le and, after a moment of thought, said, "The Mountain Guardians are chosen based on the affinity with the Mountain Lords of each Sacred Mountain. Do you know how to converse with a Sacred Master?"

An Le was taken aback. He hadn't expected Madam Hua to suddenly ask such a question. He honestly shook his head, "This humble student only knows that conversing with a Sacred Master is extremely difficult. Even many exceptionally talented individuals cannot achieve it."

"Has Madam ever conversed with a Sacred Master?"

An Le suddenly felt curious.

Madam Hua turned her gaze towards the window outside the carriage. At some point, the carriage had already left Lin'an Prefecture and was galloping along the official road, awakened by the spring rain, which had brought forth new grass and tender flowers.

"My master comes from Ganye Temple, and I have never met a Sacred Master," Madam Hua murmured. She then withdrew her gaze and looked at An Le, "To converse with a Sacred Master, three conditions must be met, and none can be lacking."

"First, to win first place in the Palace Examination and become the top scholar of the court. This step is not difficult. Throughout history, with the constant changes in dynasties, top scholars, both male and female, have appeared frequently. Becoming a top scholar is not rare. Second, to obtain a Minor Sacred Token from a Mountain Lord. This is the proof required to meet and converse with a Sacred Master."

An Le was astonished upon hearing this. It was the first time he had learned such a secret.

"Are these the conditions set by the Sacred Master?" An Le felt a touch of curiosity.

Madam Hua shook her head, not answering immediately. After picking up her teacup and taking a sip of hot tea, she finally said, "The Sacred Master never sets rules."

"These are the rules set by the First Mountain Lord."

Lin Zhuifeng, standing beside them, had long since lost the composure to nurture her mind. Hearing this secret, which even she didn't know, her eyes widened. "First Madam, you only mentioned two conditions. What about the third one?"

Madam Hua smiled. "The third condition, I don't know."

The carriage fell silent.

Madam Hua didn't know…

What was the point of this conversation then?

"The third condition is different for everyone who wishes to see the Sacred Master. It might be extremely easy, or it might be extremely difficult."

"After completing the first two conditions, upon ascending the Sacred Mountain, one will face the final trial."

"Most people fail at the final trial."

Even Madam Hua couldn't help but sigh as she spoke of it.

An Le took a deep breath, his heart trembling slightly. Countless cultivators had thrown themselves forward, all for the chance to converse with the Sacred Master and enter the Sacred Mountain, yet so many brilliant talents had failed.

An Le couldn't help but wonder if he would have the chance to see the Sacred Master and speak with him.

He didn't know, because this was the lifelong goal of so many cultivators, and perhaps, it would also become An Le's goal.

However, An Le was puzzled. Why was Madam Hua telling him all this?

What did it have to do with the Sixth Mountain Lord opening the mountain and selecting a Mountain Guardian today?

"We're here!"

Just as An Le was lost in thought, Lin Zhuifeng suddenly exclaimed excitedly from inside the carriage. She leaned towards the other window, pulling aside the silk curtain. The fine spring rain poured in from outside, bringing with it a cool spring chill.

An Le glimpsed through the carriage window, catching sight of a towering mountain rising from the earth. The sword pavilion was magnificent and imposing, like a colossal sword plunged into the mortal realm, standing majestically on the land.

Faintly, An Le felt that on that high mountain, someone was gazing down at the world, their eyes seeming to pierce through the layers of peaks and ridges, landing on him.

The green mountains seemed to speak with the lofty one, a continuous stream of ten thousand horses.

But the misty rain lingered, and though they looked, they never came.

An Le's heart suddenly stirred. The Bamboo Breaking Sword at his waist trembled slightly, as if an invisible sword intent was about to surge forth from it into the sky.

Inside the carriage, Madam Hua pursed her lips into a smile, her eyes shining.

With a slight lift of her delicate hand, the restless sword intent of the Bamboo Breaking Sword returned to peace.

A precarious pavilion, laughter echoing above a thousand peaks.

Sixth Mountain.

Amidst the misty rain halfway up the mountain, a secluded pavilion.

A middle-aged man in green stood still. The spring breeze carried droplets of spring rain, which brushed against his robes like blades, slicing through the mist and rain.

Beside him stood a Pine Wood Sword Box, his hand resting lightly upon it, like a sculpture.

Below the mountain.

Spiritual energy intertwined, Blood Essence diffused like smoke, and divine consciousness scattered like mist. Numerous cultivators gathered at the foot of the mountain, already engaging in various forms of competition, all vying to enter the Sixth Mountain and become a Mountain Guardian.

Although the Sixth Mountain had not yet officially opened, a tacit understanding had formed among the cultivators. Underneath the unspoken conflict, some were regretfully eliminated, while others, full of spirit, ascended to higher ground, awaiting the opening of the Sixth Mountain.

The man's Primordial Spirit swept over them and then retracted. Among these people, there was no one he wished to see.

His gaze shifted, his eyelids lifting slightly.

Sensing the sword intent coming from afar, he, who had hidden his sword for three thousand years, was naturally sensitive to sword intent. The Young Painter mentioned by Zhao Huangting had arrived.

A slight upward curve touched the corners of his lips, which were as rigid as a sculpture, yet his smile was genuine.

The man tapped the sword box. The box opened an inch, releasing two streams of sword light.

The sword light circled the man as he walked, and then, the man lightly tapped with his finger.

The sword light shot out like a rainbow.

The man raised his hands and clasped them together. The two streams of sword light immediately intertwined. Then, as if pulling aside a curtain, the man pulled his hands apart.

Instantly.

Centered on the Sixth Mountain, a sword qi that seemed to cut through heaven and earth slashed across. The vast twilight clouds in the sky, the spring breeze of the mortal realm, and the pervasive spring rain all slowly parted to the sides like curtains!

"Since you have come, this mountain opens for you."

"Open the mountain!"

As the words fell, the parted twilight clouds, spring breeze, and spring rain cleared, revealing a patch of brightness. Sunlight poured down from the heavens, as if paving a brilliant golden avenue of sunlight.

It invited the approaching carriage on the mountain road to enter this golden avenue of sunlight, leading directly to the Sixth Mountain.

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