Halfway up Yan Mountain, inside the Sect Leader Temple, Liu Sanlang faced the four master and disciples and solemnly delivered the news he had brought.
"Reporting to the Sect Leader True Person: according to our original plan, Brother Wu and I should each break through to at least the sixth level of Qi Refining before considering teaming up to explore the outermost reaches of Moli Immortal Mansion. At our current pace, it should take about two years to reach the sixth level of Qi Refining..."
"Cultivating immortality cannot be accomplished overnight, and Immortal Mansions are perilous at every turn. Even the outskirts of Moli, which have been explored time and again over the past several centuries, still produce frequent unexpected dangers. So there is nothing wrong with the plan itself. But as it happens, I now have a heaven-sent opportunity!"
After a pause, Liu Sanlang continued gravely.
"May I ask whether the Sect Leader True Person has ever heard of the Immortal Guiding Envoys of Luohuang Mountain?"
Before he finished speaking, Wu Ming's eyes had already lit up.
Immortal Guiding Envoys? And from Luohuang Mountain, no less?
An Immortal Guiding Envoy was, as the name suggested, someone who guided people through an Immortal Mansion.
Or, more simply: a tour guide.
That was right. Even an Immortal Mansion filled with danger, where nine out of ten visitors might die, could have tour guides.
For one thing, some Immortal Mansions did not disappear after their puzzles were solved. The immortal laws endured, and the worlds within continued to turn. As a result, many rare treasures of heaven and earth continued to grow according to those laws—in other words, they kept refreshing endlessly.
This meant that even though an Immortal Mansion was dangerous and held no core treasure, it could still be worth exploring again and again.
And any obstacle would naturally become much easier once enough people had challenged it repeatedly. Those who became the most skilled at it could then lead teams as guides.
Then there were Immortal Mansions like Moli, whose core puzzles had yet to be solved but whose outer regions had been explored for centuries, laying bare all manner of dangers. As long as one did not recklessly venture into high-risk areas, exploring only the outskirts was relatively safe—and the possibility of leading a group arose there, too.
Of course, that was all in theory. In practice, things were never so ideal. Even an Immortal Mansion explored tens of thousands of times remained a relic of the immortals.
The immortal laws were vast and unpredictable. Unless one possessed power that reached the heavens, there was no way to exhaust all their variations. In other words, even a path walked ten thousand times could still spring a wholly new surprise. When that happened, one could only adapt on the spot. No matter how experienced an Immortal Guiding Envoy was, they were still merely a cultivator of the same realm, and lacked the strength to turn the tide in every situation.
So although the concept of Immortal Guiding Envoys had long existed, it had never become commonplace. Even if some daredevils were willing to raise the banner and lead a group, ordinary people would never follow them recklessly after weighing the risks.
Unless the Immortal Guiding Envoy had the backing of Luohuang Mountain, a first-rank great sect renowned throughout the world.
As Qiongzhou's undisputed foremost immortal sect, Luohuang Mountain's reputation resounded even as far away as Yan Mountain in Wu Prefecture. After all, Qingluan Post Station had been built and was managed by Wuting, a branch of Luohuang Mountain.
One sect with three Spirit Transformation cultivators, a pillar supporting the Eastern Alliance, honored guests of the Three Purities... Such accolades might have been more bluster than substance. But in practical terms, Luohuang Mountain cultivators were visibly superior to their peers.
Whether in natural talent, cultivation methods, or external resources such as magical treasures and talismans, Luohuang Mountain's cultivators stood at the pinnacle of Qiongzhou's Immortal Path. Many things that seemed inconceivable to others were nothing special in their eyes.
And among such a top-tier immortal sect, those selected as Immortal Guiding Envoys were naturally the cream of the crop, chosen from among thousands of candidates. Their strength far surpassed what ordinary people could imagine.
Other unaffiliated Immortal Guiding Envoys might be unreliable, but one from Luohuang Mountain was another matter entirely.
If an Immortal Guiding Envoy from Luohuang Mountain really led the group, then although Wu Ming and Liu Qi were only at the early stages of Qi Refining, it might not be impossible for them to venture into the outermost reaches of Moli Immortal Mansion and broaden their horizons!
The only question was: what could the Liu Family possibly offer to get an Immortal Guiding Envoy from Luohuang Mountain to help them?
Even at the Qi Refining level, an Immortal Guiding Envoy's status often surpassed that of a Golden Core cultivator. After all, many Golden Core cultivators from Aristocratic Clans were little more than guards and hired muscle. They might have cultivation, but they did not necessarily get many chances to put it to use.
An Immortal Guiding Envoy, on the other hand, could venture deep into Immortal Mansions to collect all sorts of rare treasures of heaven and earth, or lead the sect's Dao Seeds in search of rare Immortal Fate. Their strategic value went without saying.
The Liu Family might be a local power, but the idea that they could invite an Immortal Guiding Envoy from Luohuang Mountain to help them seemed far-fetched... especially since Liu Qi was only Liu Sanlang, not the Liu Family's eldest young master.
Faced with these questions, Liu Sanlang could only offer a wry smile.
"Of course, it isn't a bona fide, currently active Immortal Guiding Envoy... The position is highly respected at Luohuang Mountain, and competition is fierce, so there are often unsuccessful candidates. Their strength is still far beyond that of ordinary cultivators, and they fall only a little short of genuine Immortal Guiding Envoys. There are also former Immortal Guiding Envoys who were unfortunately injured inside Immortal Mansions, leaving them weaker and unable to fulfill their active duties, so they retired."
At that, Wu Ming immediately understood: contract manufacturers from the same factory, secondhand leftovers!
If you couldn't afford the genuine article, a high-quality knockoff or a secondhand one that was still ninety percent new could do the job!
"In fact, in the past, even these second choices were secrets passed down exclusively within the immortal sects. No Aristocratic Clan in Wu Prefecture could easily hire them... It was only thanks to the current Zhuoquan Immortal Mansion that all of Qiongzhou was mobilized. Luohuang Mountain took the opportunity to share some of these closely guarded secrets with the various prefectures, in response to the Three Purities' command."
"However, the Immortal Guiding Envoy is coming to Wu Prefecture to support the entire region, not any single clan. So although the Liu Family got there first, this is a chance that will not come again. I truly dare not claim it for myself alone, so I came here in person to ask the Sect Leader True Person and Brother Wu to decide!"
After hearing Liu Sanlang out, Gu Bai pondered for a long while. In the end, he simply turned to Wu Ming... and let out a wry smile.
"Looks like you've already made up your mind."
Wu Ming nodded. "With Immortal Fate right in front of me, there's no reason not to go see it for myself."
Zhu Ying disagreed. "You're only at the third level of Qi Refining, and you want to charge into an Immortal Mansion? That's far too reckless!"
But before Wu Ming could explain, Zhu Ying sighed. "Still, I know that even if I object, you'll go anyway—and you'll just come up with some twisted reasoning that no one can argue against."
Wu Ming smiled. "Senior Sister really understands me!"
Zhu Ying nodded. "So I won't argue with you. If you want to go to Moli Immortal Mansion, you'll have to get past me first."
As she spoke, the woman's gaze suddenly sharpened. Her ponytail drifted in the still air, its tip tinged with a faint frost.
A fierce pressure surged forth soundlessly!
Wu Ming took the brunt of it. Before he could even blink, he felt that bone-deep cold burrowing straight into his marrow!
A cultivator at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment could kill and seize one's soul with a mere glance!
Seeing this, Liu Sanlang couldn't help but feel a jolt of alarm, followed by sheer horror.
He had merely glanced over out of curiosity, and already a wisp of Zhu Ying's invisible icy pressure had strayed onto him. That single wisp had instantly frozen the Lijin True Qi in his body... while the brocade robe he wore offered not the slightest protection!
This was the middle stage of Foundation Establishment?! And a cultivator who had only recently broken through, whose Mana wasn't even stable yet?!
No wonder his big brother had been so bitter about what happened three months ago... The Gujian Sect might be in a remote corner, but it was truly teeming with immortals!
As he was thinking this, he saw Wu Ming, who had been facing the pressure head-on, calmly rise to his feet!
In an instant, his blood and qi surged like boiling water, while his Mana steamed into mist. His Root Stance remained rooted in place even as it shifted, drawing on the power of the earth to raise the Green Pine Stance!
Though frost and snow bore down upon it, the green pine still stood firm.
Liu Sanlang: "..."
Zhu Ying's pressure had been enough to leave him horrified. Wu Ming's defiance left him too stunned even to add an exclamation mark.
They were both at the third level of Qi Refining, but... what kind of third-level Qi Refining was this?!
Though his stubborn stand was only a tiny flicker beneath a thousand miles of ice, the moment Wu Ming slowly rose to his feet, the outcome had already been decided.
"Hmph..." Zhu Ying turned her head aside and reluctantly withdrew her Mana.
Wu Ming let out a long breath. His face flushed red as a furnace, and his limbs went limp. That Green Pine Stance had truly been the result of him giving everything he had—even pushing himself past his limits.
To stand firm for even an instant against a Foundation Establishment cultivator, especially one like Senior Sister, had been his limit. He had the Wuting Divine Craft Manual to thank for that; it recorded several tricks that let craftsmen remain standing under crushing pressure—the sort of brutal tricks you'd expect from manual laborers.
Besides...
"Thank you for going easy on me, Senior Sister."
Zhu Ying had looked stern, but she had truly held back.
Wu Ming had once been fortunate enough to see her when she really went all out... A few days ago, he had gone to wake the neighbor at four in the morning as usual, and happened to catch Zhu Ying just after she had fallen asleep following an all-nighter. The moment she woke up in a fury, she froze him solid on the spot. He hadn't even had the slightest chance to resist!
As for what came afterward—how Senior Sister had been horrified, ignored the fact that she was still undressed, and hurriedly thawed Wu Ming out and warmed him up—that was not something to share with outsiders.
In short, Senior Sister was clearly back to her usual way of being all bark and no bite, so Wu Ming naturally owed her one.
"Hmph..." Zhu Ying only gave a faint snort, then closed her eyes and ignored him.
Gu Bai said, "Ahem. Since Ying'er has no objections, there's nothing more for your master to say. But Ming'er, you must remember what I've told you before. An Immortal Mansion is a dangerous path, its immortal laws merciless, and the human heart even harder to fathom. No matter how talented you are, you must proceed with the utmost caution."
Wu Ming replied solemnly, "This disciple will heed your teachings!"
Gu Bai nodded in satisfaction, but then felt that something was missing. He couldn't help frowning. "...And then?"
Wu Ming blinked. "?"
"Isn't this usually when you say something else?"
Wu Ming understood and elaborated. "This disciple will heed your teachings! I will be sure to display my talents with the utmost caution, then flatten the Immortal Mansion, win people's hearts, and bring glory to the Gujian Sect!"
Only then did Gu Bai smile in satisfaction. "That's more like it. You still have some time. Get some rest, then go to the Immortal Mansion and seek out your Immortal Fate!"
Before you continue