September Ninth

Although the villa staff were delighted that he had changed his mind, he knew he had no time to help them soothe the wild beasts.

In the following days, Ling Qing used his points on the Special Affairs Department exchange platform to purchase an Iron Birch Wood staff produced from a dungeon.

This type of wood is incredibly hard, comparable to steel, and can be considered one of the toughest woods in existence; it is perfect for use as a druid's weapon.

He spent the rest of his time constantly planting trees.

Time passed in the blink of an eye.

The ninth day of the ninth lunar month.

This is calculated by the lunar calendar, also known as the Purple Gold Calendar.

In the I Ching, the number "nine" is a yang number; when two yang numbers overlap, it is called "Double Yang."

Therefore, this day is also known as the Double Ninth Festival.

It signifies that nine times nine returns to one, the beginning of a new cycle, and the renewal of all things.

Taoists believe that on this day, clear qi rises and turbid qi sinks; the higher the altitude, the more clear qi gathers, allowing one to ride the clear qi and ascend to heaven.

It is the best time for "ascending to heaven to become an immortal."

Thus, the Lao Mountain Shangqing Palace scheduled the dungeon opening ceremony for this day.

Ling Qing, Tian Yong, and the others had arrived the day before yesterday, September 7th. They rested yesterday to relax, and today is the day the Time Fragment opens.

However, the moment he approached Lao Mountain the day before yesterday, a message popped up on his otherwise empty dungeon tab.

Lao Mountain Daoist (Opening conditions not met)

Challenge Difficulty: 1-?

Ling Qing felt a surge of joy upon seeing this.

The Heart of the Druid within him was indeed capable of sensing the fluctuations of a dungeon opening, and it allowed him to freely choose whether or not to enter.

In this way, Ling Qing only needed to know where a dungeon had once opened to detect relevant dungeon information.

"Opening conditions not met" meant either the time had not yet arrived, or it required a catalyst or some special ritual.

But presumably, it was nothing more than something related to the dungeon itself.

While it was difficult to obtain useful information from the last "Phantom Town" dungeon, the "Lao Mountain Daoist" dungeon was different.

For myths and legends as well-known as this, as long as one studies and searches diligently, it should not be difficult to find the catalyst capable of opening the dungeon.

As for "Challenge Difficulty: 1-?", it made Ling Qing even more cautious.

That question mark was likely not a display error, but rather an indication that the upper limit of the level was uncertain.

This meant that in this dungeon, one could encounter a level 1 novice or a powerhouse whose level exceeded the ceiling.

It was entirely possible that the disheveled Daoist lying by the roadside was a True Person who had attained the Tao and become an immortal, or that the white-browed old monk eating vegetarian meals and chanting Buddha's name in an ancient temple was actually a man-eating spirit in disguise.

Lao Mountain Shangqing Palace.

The only jungle-style Taoist temple within the Lao Mountain region.

Jungle temples do not allow the taking of disciples, and temple property cannot be inherited; it belongs to all Taoists in the world.

At this moment, it was more affiliated with the Tourism Bureau, open to tourists as a scenic spot.

Of course, this was only before; what would happen afterward was not something Ling Qing could guess.

Today, the Shangqing Palace was closed to visitors; furthermore, the entire Lao Mountain scenic area was closed to the public.

This was to minimize the number of ordinary people who might get caught up in the events.

As for whether they were being deprived of a chance to change their fate, that was a matter of opinion.

At the very least, the Special Affairs Department believed that one's life was more important; if one truly had talent, there would be opportunities in the future.

Although the scenic area was closed and the entire region felt somewhat desolate, the interior of the Shangqing Palace was far from peaceful.

The area in front of the Sanqing Hall was bustling with noise; the small courtyard was packed with people whispering to one another.

Ling Qing was no exception. He held his Medical Banner, now fitted with an Iron Birch Wood shaft, wore a simple yet comfortable robe, and still carried the Medicine Case reinforced with vine branches on his back.

He stood with several talented individuals he had become familiar with at the villa, speculating about the upcoming process.

They were all dressed in various outfits, looking just like a large-scale ancient costume cosplay event.

Before this, neither side knew the other had also received an opportunity, but meeting now was not awkward.

Regardless of whether there were special connections, those who could come were certainly recognized by the Special Affairs Department. To survive in this large-scale dungeon, one had to have at least some guaranteed strength.

Ling Qing did not rely solely on his connection with Tian Yong and his group; his highly effective Ghost-Repelling Pill, physical fitness not inferior to a third-rate martial artist, and two skillful spells were his assets.

Most importantly, his ability to identify plants and make animals feel favorable toward him were the guarantees that allowed him to pass the threshold of the Special Affairs Department.

He might not be the strongest, but in terms of survival capability, Ling Qing could be considered to be in the upper-middle tier among everyone present.

This was mainly because the Special Affairs Department had too many capable people.

Unlike him, Tian Yong and the others, along with about a hundred people with similar qualifications, stood in a circle around the square.

"Dong~"

With the toll of a bell, the scene fell into instant silence as a group of people emerged from the Sanqing Hall.

Leading them was a Daoist wearing a Daoist robe and a headcloth; he was clean-shaven with a fair complexion, appearing to be in his thirties.

He was surely Daoist Lingguan, the one presiding over this dungeon.

He held a palm-sized bronze bell in his hand, ancient and imposing, which emitted a resonant, archaic chime as he shook it gently.

It sounded as if it had drifted from an ancient temple deep within the mountains.

He led thirty-six youths, aged fifteen or sixteen, to the center of the square and came to a halt.

They were dressed similarly in sharp, short garments, each with a cloth bundle strapped to their backs.

Yet, they were all high-spirited with bright eyes, and though their movement lacked the uniform precision of soldiers, it was methodical, clearly the result of collective training.

At the same time, sixteen other individuals in Daoist robes stood by, holding scripture banners and wielding ritual implements such as bells, chimes, drums, cymbals, swords, command flags, jade seals, and ruyi.

Eight of those holding scripture banners took positions according to the Eight Trigrams, encircling the hundred or so people, including Tian Yong and the others.

Ling Qing and his group had no choice but to squeeze further back to make room.

Those holding the ritual implements stood in pairs at the northeast, southeast, southwest, and northwest corners, and as the bronze bell in the Daoist's hand rang, the ritual began.

In an instant, the scripture banners danced and the drums and music erupted in unison.

A jade tablet appeared in Daoist Lingguan's hand, rippling with clear, cyan light in time with the music.

At the same time:

"Dungeon initiation detected. Do you choose to enter?"

As expected.

Ling Qing felt a surge of energy as he looked at the prompt before him.

The "Conditions for initiation not met" status on the dungeon panel had changed into a familiar countdown.

He looked up to see that Daoist Lingguan and the thirty-six youths in the center of the square had already vanished, and Tian Yong and the others surrounding him were rapidly disappearing as well.

Seeing others around him vanishing, Ling Qing focused his intent and selected confirm.

His figure then vanished from the crowd.

As the darkness before his eyes dissipated, a fresh and elegant ink-wash landscape painting seemed to unfold before Ling Qing.

Amidst swirling white clouds, towering peaks stood along the shores of Cangming, where white cranes soared and spirit apes cried—a true scene of an immortal realm.

Vaguely, palaces and temples could be seen nestled upon the mountain peaks.

At the same time, a message surfaced in his mind.

"Sitting alone deep in the pine forest, gazing at the returning boats in the sunset. Surging waves strike the beach, startling the old fisherman amidst the mist. Ancient pines shade the grotto, white clouds drift over the secluded peaks. Holding a bamboo brush in hand, I depict the ever-changing clouds. By the shores of the East Sea, amidst the mountains, within an ancient temple, a Daoist with hair falling to his collar possesses a spirit both refreshing and bold. Cutting paper into the shape of a moon to invite the cold of the lunar palace..."