The Wondrous Sea.
The seawater was a deep, shadowy blue. Volcanoes stood in dense ranks, spewing torrents of lava that fell onto the sea and hardened into vast stretches of black rock. Few living creatures dwelled in these waters.
At its very center stood a graceful spirit mountain, adorned with rare flowers, fragrant grasses, orchids, and jade-like trees. Gentle breezes circled it. A white jade Daoist palace stood at its summit, with a faint fragrance of pills drifting from within.
Silver thunder rose. Xu Xuan stood atop the clouds, released a little of his aura, and brought out a talisman. Sky thunder shone upon it; this was the token Zhou You had given him.
A fire-tending boy rose from the mountain below on the wind. He carried a green-skinned gourd on his back and held a fan. He looked quite clever, but he was not human-his true form was a fire-swallowing red fox.
This demon had already reached foundation establishment. Riding a red cloud, he first bowed respectfully upon seeing Xu Xuan.
"This humble demon, Tianxin, greets you, True Person. My master is still refining pills and cannot leave. Please come into the mountain."
The boy glanced at the talisman Xu Xuan had brought out, and his expression grew even more respectful. Someone connected to the Immortal Dao of Upper Firmament was no ordinary rogue cultivator.
"Tianxin-'adding firewood.' What an odd name. And he calls him 'master.' What is this?"
Xu Xuan found it slightly strange, but it was normal for Purple Mansion cultivators to have a few eccentricities. He followed the boy down on the wind, landed at the summit, and came before the white jade Daoist palace.
The plaque was black, its golden lettering reading "Heaven-Covering," with a distinctly ancient air. With the green-skinned gourd on his back