The guiding disciple led Jing Cangyi onto Misty Spirit Peak's teleportation array. The instant its runes lit up, a blinding white light wrapped around them both. In the blink of an eye, the surrounding scenery had changed.
Beneath their feet stretched long flights of smooth green stone steps, while the crisp fragrance of vegetation filled the air—Misty Spirit Peak had arrived.
They passed through the front hall of Clear Parasol Hall, walked beneath carved luan birds on the beams, past jade lamps and wisps of smoke from mind-calming incense beside the corridor pillars, and around a rear courtyard planted with low spiritual trees. At last, they stopped before the stone steps below Twin-Life Terrace.
"Fellow Daoist Jing, the Sect Master is waiting above." The guiding disciple stepped aside and gestured toward the top of the steep stone path. "This is a sect forbidden ground. My authority does not permit me to proceed any farther. I can only see you off here. Please make yourself at home."
Jing Cangyi thanked him and set off alone along the stone path leading to Twin-Life Terrace. From elsewhere, one could only see that the Twin-Life Tree had a luxuriant crown, but not make out its branches or leaves. Only here on Misty Spirit Peak, so close to the trunk itself, could one look up and see the dark green leaves layered upon layer, intertwined and entangled, sealing off the entire sky so tightly that not even water could pass through.
Sunlight pierced the gaps between the leaves, filtered into countless slender, pale golden threads. The shape of the light itself was clear to the naked eye.
He walked at an unhurried pace, yet his gaze had already passed beyond the shadows of the tree and found the figure standing with hands clasped behind his