Mount Tai

"Goodbye!"

Escorted down from Tianmen by Yao Yuanguang carrying the imperial edict, Zhang Xuezhou found himself standing on a mountaintop after another journey.

A howling cold wind blew, and he quickly said goodbye to Yao Yuanguang, then began to descend the mountain with Rong Tianding.

"With you in the family, the lineage of the Xiang family hasn't truly been severed!"

Seeing Zhang Xuezhou leave without looking back, Yao Yuanguang sighed softly, then let the force of the Heavenly Gate pull him upwards.

Zhang Xuezhou finally disappeared from his sight, which made him close his eyes and stop thinking about it.

"Cousin, is this really the end of it?"

Having left the secret realm and returned to the normal world, Rong Tianding felt as if it were all a dream, and only now did he begin to feel a sense of grounded reality.

"We have nothing left for others to take from us," Zhang Xuezhou pondered for a few seconds before replying, "At least our entanglement with them should be over!"

I'm so hungry!

After Zhang Xuezhou explained the situation, Rong Tianding breathed a sigh of relief.

But once his anxiety subsided, Rong Tianding found his stomach so hungry it was almost unbearable.

"Actually, I'm hungry too," Zhang Xuezhou said. "At least you managed to eat a deer leg, but I only had a few sips of water at Jinxia Yuanjun's place. I haven't eaten anything for over ten days!"

My cousin has suffered!

My cousin is suffering too!

Zhang Xuezhou and Rong Tianding exchanged glances, and finally, dejectedly, headed down the mountain.

"That fortune teller Yao said this place is called Jade Emperor Peak, an extremely special spot in Mount Tai, belonging to a place of great fortune and destiny!"

During the twelve days that Zhang Xuezhou was asleep, Rong Tianding and Yao Yuanguang accompanied him the whole way. Yao Yuanguang would occasionally reveal some information along the way, which made Rong Tianding think about it for a while, and then he would relay the parts he remembered.

"I can't discern any general trend or destiny of the world, but this mountain does seem quite high," Zhang Xuezhou, looking at the steep and treacherous mountain path.

Zhang Xuezhou looked down and saw that the mountain path was not a winding trail, but rather a series of bare, large rocks.

It might be fine climbing uphill, but when going downhill, stepping on these huge rocks can make it easy to lose your footing.

Unlike other mountains, this one doesn't have lush trees to provide shelter. If you don't pull back in time, it's normal to jump out and fall off the cliff.

Zhang Xuezhou could only remind Rong Tianding not to rush into the conversation, but to go down the mountain normally first, and then fill their stomachs before talking about anything else.

"Cousin, this mountain is so high!"

Only after being reminded by Zhang Xuezhou did Rong Tianding realize the danger beneath his feet.

He hadn't realized how dangerous the mountain he had climbed as he followed Yao Yuanguang upwards, but now that he was descending and looking around, he was struck by the sheer danger of the mountain he had been climbing.

No matter how majestic or spectacular a mountain range may be, it cannot compare to the difficulty of descending it; the more majestic and spectacular it is, the harder it is to get down.

Occasionally, small stones would roll down from beside his feet, causing Rong Tianding to shudder.

"I have a knack for leaping, so I won't die from a fall here. Cousin, be careful when you step. If all else fails, see if you can learn some cloud-flying techniques from me, even just the basics would be better than nothing!"

"Cousin, teach me quickly!"

The further down he went, the more terrified Rong Tianding became, feeling as if he might fall to his death at any moment.

Hearing Zhang Xuezhou's lifeline, he couldn't help but exclaim, completely forgetting his hunger.

"Then listen up!"

Zhang Xuezhou nodded and began to dictate the "Cloud-Soaring Technique" provided by the Goat Strength Demon King.

He himself hadn't mastered this technique. Aside from the fact that some parts of the Cloud Flight technique were profound and difficult to understand, the main reason was that Zhang Xuezhou lacked time, and the Cloud Flight technique couldn't be mastered quickly, which meant that this technique had remained in his hands for a long time.

The path down the mountain now is a good place to learn the art of cloud flight.

Most flights are downward, such as when birds are pushed out of their nests or off cliffs.

If they are not careful, they will fall out and face high risks, which can be considered as having some basic external environment similar to that of birds learning to fly.

Zhang Xuezhou said, "Rong Tianding listen."

Every now and then, Zhang Xuezhou would try to see if he could soar through the dark clouds.

To his disappointment, he fell eight times along the way without producing a single cloud of mist.

"Cousin, how's your study going?" Zhang Xuezhou shouted upwards.

"Cousin, I'm not as resilient as you. I'll get down slowly," Rong Tianding exclaimed in shock.

"Don't be afraid, at least give it a try. I've trained in wings, so I might not be used to this kind of cloud-riding technique, which is why I gave you a wrong demonstration!"

"But I'm only at the Meridian Circulation Realm, my Law Power can't even rise half a zhang... Ah!"

Rong Tianding replied, but his foot slipped, and he tumbled down.

This perilous environment, much like that of birds, did not teach Zhang Xuezhou to fly, nor did it teach Rong Tianding the art of cloud soaring.

After rolling around a few times, Zhang Xuezhou grabbed Rong Tianding, whose head was bleeding from the fall, and began to use the Supreme Purity True Technique to heal his injuries.

"How amusing! You actually learned the art of leaping while descending Mount Tai, and you're still alive after practicing it until now!"

Rong Tianding's bumps and bruises were nothing serious. As long as he didn't break his neck, Zhang Xuezhou, as a professional in treating sprains and bruises, had sufficient treatment capabilities.

He chatted with Rong Tianding, explaining the conditions for birds to learn to fly, and mentioning his healing techniques, urging Rong Tianding to overcome his fear, be bold, and practice with confidence, so that if he succeeded, he would gain another valuable skill.

As he was rambling on, he heard a sound coming from not far away, which made him quickly turn his head to look.

The one who spoke was an old man who was collecting herbs. He was carrying a basket on his back and holding a short hoe.

Standing on higher ground, Zhang Xuezhou glanced at the other person's basket and saw that it was completely empty.

This left Zhang Xuezhou a little disappointed. It was rare to encounter someone in such a remote place, and the other person didn't even have any food.

"Father-in-law, you've had a good day!"

The old herb gatherer teased Zhang Xuezhou and Rong Tianding, and Zhang Xuezhou casually retorted.

Zhang Xuezhou didn't sense any danger from the old man gathering herbs, which allowed him to be quite bold in his jokes.

If you strike up a conversation, they might even ask for directions to Xi'an County.

"Originally, there was no harvest, but seeing you all has brought me a harvest," the old herb gatherer said with a smile.

"What, are you trying to rob me on the highway?"

Zhang Xuezhou was slightly taken aback, realizing that his judgment was highly unreliable and that the old man's words seemed to have a hidden meaning.

"Old man, you can't judge a book by its cover!" Rong Tianding stood up and shouted, "This is the first time we've encountered an old man like you trying to rob us on the street. Don't let your age fool you, we're not to be trifled with, and we'll beat up old folks just the same!"

"I just saw you two come down from the Jade Emperor Peak, and your bodies were faintly surrounded by immortal light. I wanted to ask if you had obtained the longevity elixir?" the old herb gatherer asked.

"We were also about to ask you for directions to Xi'an County," Zhang Xuezhou said, touching the almost vanished light on his body.

"Xi'an County isn't hard to get to; just keep going straight for 300 li from here," said the old herb gatherer.

"That's pretty close," Zhang Xuezhou, blinking.

"Flying through the clouds is certainly fast, but walking is slow, and encountering petty thieves can easily waste time!"

The old herb gatherer, standing below, saw Zhang Xuezhou and Rong Tianding touching stones on the ground. After realizing what was happening, he quickly shouted as well.

"I'm not a thief, I just want to ask..."

"Is he really an old man?"

Upon seeing the old herb gatherer knocked down by a stone, Rong Tianding was somewhat surprised and loosened his grip on the stone.

"This was also unexpected. I thought he was True Person when he asked such confidential questions, but I didn't expect him to be so easily exposed!"

The old man gathering herbs had a calm demeanor; he didn't seem like a robber.

However, the questions asked by the other party were all things that only cultivators would ask, and they were even constantly trying to uncover secrets.

The elixir of longevity was something Yao Yuanguang was willing to risk his life for, and it was extremely tempting to ordinary people, but it could also easily lead to their deaths.

Thinking it best to strike first, Zhang Xuezhou threw a stone to test the waters.

If he hits the wrong person, he'll provide treatment; if he hits the right person, he'll have gained the upper hand.

Mount Tai may not have much else, but it certainly has plenty of stones. He and Rong Tianding were both very strong and could throw wild, indiscriminate punches from their high vantage point.

In such a place, facing the bombardment of stones, even a less skilled Technique Method would be knocked down, and a martial artist would be caught off guard and might even flee in panic.

Zhang Xuezhou's only surprise was how easily his opponent was hit; he was even weaker than an ordinary person. Not only did he fail to dodge a fist-sized rock, but he was also knocked down by it.