After Zhang Yu bowed, a faint light shone from the jade wall, and the figure of a young Daoist emerged. His form seemed sketched in ink, yet it was as clear as when Zhang Yu had first seen him, unlike when he had met the various Controllers, where only immense, indistinct silhouettes had appeared.
A thought turned in his mind. Perhaps this was not merely because this Controller was willing to appear in such a form; perhaps the terrestrial realm itself was particularly unique.
He bowed again and said, "Greetings, Controller."
The young Daoist laughed, raising a hand in a gesture of support. "Zhang Tingzhi, there is no need for ceremony. I heard that you intended to seek the higher realm this time, so I had Yusu Tingzhi convey a message and summon you here for a word. At first, I thought you were being somewhat hasty and meant to advise you otherwise. Yet I did not expect that you had truly reached the threshold of breaking through. In that case, I was meddling where I need not have."
Zhang Yu was slightly surprised. He had previously gone with Chen Shouzhi to pay respects to the various Controllers, and by rights, he had met this Controller not long ago. Though his cultivation then had differed somewhat from what it was now, the difference should not have been so great. Why could it only be confirmed now?
But after thinking it over, he realized there was indeed one difference.
When he had met the various Controllers, they had all appeared together. And when they were present together, it was not difficult to notice that every Controller seemed to speak in the same tone. Even Controller Zhuang had been the same. Without looking at their seating order, one could not even distinguish