Li Yan stood on the book-scroll-like flying magical artifact, looking at the massive mountain peak that was getting closer and closer. There was a trace of anticipation in his heart, and also a trace of confusion. He did not know what kind of life awaited him here.
The mountain peak grew closer. The entire mountain was dark green, covered with bamboo. This bamboo was not the vibrant, emerald-green bamboo he had seen in the Great Green Mountains, but a color close to ink. However, its body faintly shimmered with green light spots. These green light spots actually flowed slowly on the bamboo stalks, giving people a sense of weight and tranquility, as well as a touch of fantasy.
Looking at the slowly flowing green light, a thought suddenly occurred to him. 'There aren't gu-insects inside this bamboo, are there?' His expression became quite colorful, and his heart pounded.
His Eldest Senior Brother beside him seemed to know what he was thinking. He glanced at him and spoke with a smile. "Are you thinking that there might be spirit insects or gu-insects inside these bamboo stalks?"
Li Yan thought, 'He can guess that too?'
Before he could say anything, his Eldest Senior Brother continued.
"Hehe, that's easy to guess. Any cultivator who has seen those three peaks will have this thought when they first come to Little Bamboo Peak. I thought the same way back then. But this bamboo is just bamboo; there are no spirit insects living inside. This kind of bamboo is a spiritual plant and also a very good material for refining artifacts. We can talk about it in detail when we have time." As they spoke, they had already landed on a patch of grass halfway up the mountain.
Li Yan stepped off the book-scroll-like magical artifact and looked forward. The black mountain stretched up into a sea of clouds. The ink-colored mountain body was covered in waves of bamboo that rippled upwards. Green dots flickered and flowed within the sea of black bamboo, as if he were standing before a dream palace. From where they stood, a small path wound upwards into the sea of bamboo, disappearing into the vast ocean of bamboo waves. Gusts of spiritual energy rushed towards him, lively entering Li Yan's body, making every pore on his body seem to jump for joy.
Turning to look down the mountain, there was no path leading down from where he stood. All he could see were waves of dark green bamboo leaves, sometimes visible, sometimes hidden in the clouds and mist. Unlike the other peaks, there was no mountain gate built at the foot of this mountain. It seemed they usually came and went from the mountainside.
"Junior Brother, let's go up the mountain," Li Wuyi had already put away the magical artifact and was walking towards the small path. Li Yan got up and followed.
Li Yan walked on the small path. The dark bamboo stalks above and on both sides formed a dark passage. The green light spots on them flowed and moved, making him feel as if he were walking in a bizarre and motley world.
"Junior Brother, after we go up, let's first find a place for you to wash up simply, then go to pay respects to Master, and finally arrange your residence. How about that?" Li Wuyi walked in front, his long robe fluttering. Green spots of light would occasionally flash across his face and hair, giving him a kind of demonic beauty.
"I will follow Eldest Senior Brother's arrangements." Li Yan certainly knew that his current attire was not appropriate.
"Hmm, not far ahead are the residences of the handyman disciples. A little further back is the main hall of Little Bamboo Peak. After the main hall, further up the mountainside, is where we live and cultivate. Master should be in the main hall right now. It wouldn't be appropriate for us to bypass the main hall to wash up behind it. Junior Brother, if you don't mind, let's just wash up at the handyman disciples' place ahead. How about it?" Li Wuyi looked at Li Yan with an apologetic expression.
How could Li Yan care about these things? He was a child who had grown up in a mountain village. Although he had stayed with Strategist Ji for half a year, this had not changed.
"Of course, Eldest Senior Brother," Li Yan replied calmly.
They walked along this fantastical passage woven from dark colors and green spots for about the time it takes to brew half a cup of tea. Their view suddenly brightened, and a bamboo fence appeared. Inside the fence was a large open space, surrounded by a sea of dark bamboo. A dozen or so houses were built inside the fenced yard, resembling the front courtyard of a mansion. A gravel path passed through these houses and continued up the mountain. Compared to the pavilions, immortal springs, and spirit birds of the other peaks, this was so simple it was almost shabby, but it had an extra touch of tranquility and elegance.
Looking back at the mottled and colorful passage, it was as if he had just walked through a dream journey.
Following Li Wuyi into the fenced yard, there were about a dozen young men and women coming and going. They were all dressed in yellow clothes. The men wore tight-fitting short clothes, while the women wore palace dresses with light makeup and long skirts. Seeing the two enter, they hurried over to bow. "Greetings, Eldest Martial Uncle." A few of them stole glances at Li Yan.
"This is your Eighth Martial Uncle. Xiaoyi, take Eighth Martial Uncle to wash up simply," Li Wuyi introduced Li Yan to the group with a smile, then pointed to a young man of eighteen or nineteen and said.
When the dozen or so young male and female handyman disciples heard that this young man was "Martial Uncle," they were all a little curious. After all, some of them had been doing chores here for a while, and some had come later. They knew that no new disciples had entered for a long time. They could not help but take a few more glances at Li Yan. Li Yan's tattered clothes were quite eye-catching, and the spiritual energy fluctuations from his body were weak, even weaker than theirs, which made them exchange a few glances, who knows what they were thinking.
The young man named Xiaoyi took a few steps forward to Li Wuyi. He had a rather handsome appearance. Li Wuyi held out a hand to Li Yan. "Give me the storage pouch." Li Yan certainly knew this was to take out a change of clothes for him. He was also curious to see how it was done.
Li Wuyi took the storage pouch, and with one hand, he lightly patted the pouch. A five-colored light flashed, and a set of long robes, a set of undergarments, and a pair of boots appeared in the air, floating gently.
This time, Li Yan clearly saw the process of taking things out of the storage pouch. A look of amazement flashed in his eyes, followed by a gentle shake of his head. He was too lacking in the basic knowledge of cultivation. He could not even figure out the reason behind the most basic immortal arts here.
The young man named Xiaoyi reached out and took the clothes from the air, then respectfully bowed to Li Yan. "Eighth Martial Uncle, please follow me." He then walked towards a nearby house.
Li Yan was now fifteen years old, but he was already seven feet tall, not much different from an ordinary adult.
Half a cup of tea later, looking at Li Yan dressed in a dark green robe, Li Wuyi nodded. Although Li Yan's appearance was ordinary, he now had a fresh feeling about him. The youth exuded an aura of youthfulness, which was something that people in their dozens could not imitate, even if cultivators looked young on the outside.
Li Yan felt that these clothes were very strange. They fit him perfectly, tight but comfortable. Especially the boots on his feet; with every step, he felt like he could glide forward lightly.
"Hehe, let's go. These clothes are also simple spirit tools. They can ward off cold and heat. The boots can increase your movement speed. They can resist the magical power attacks of those below the fourth layer of Qi Condensation." Li Wuyi knew that Li Yan knew nothing about these things, so he explained them simply and then led him along the gravel path between the rows of houses.
The gravel path went up the mountain. Along the way, Li Wuyi would occasionally point to things on either side and say a few words to Li Yan, and Li Yan would also ask a question from time to time. After walking for about the time it takes to eat half a meal, a dark green bamboo house appeared in front of them, standing in a bamboo forest. Its entire body was ink-colored and glowed with a green light, like stars twinkling in the night sky. It was obviously built with the bamboo from the mountain. Li Wuyi did not stop and led Li Yan straight towards the bamboo house.
Li Yan followed behind with a calm expression, also gliding along in his fluttering long robe. The two of them, one behind the other, had a certain ethereal quality, like they were in a fairyland amidst the twinkling stars.
"Master, Eighth Junior Brother is here." Li Wuyi stopped in front of the house and bowed slightly towards the interior.
"Come in," a young and gentle voice came from inside.
Hearing this voice, Li Yan frowned slightly. Li Wuyi did not notice, but just turned his head slightly. "Junior Brother, let's go in." He then led Li Yan into the bamboo house.
After entering the house, Li Yan's first feeling was that the interior was completely different from what he had imagined. Seeing from the outside that the house was built with those bamboo stalks, he had naturally thought that the house must have many gaps. He was even wondering if it would leak when it rained. But upon entering, he knew he was wrong. The house was about thirty-something zhang in size, even spacious. The four walls were a pale green-white color, like the inner wall of an ordinary green bamboo, but the four walls seemed to be a single entity, faintly emitting a slight glow. The white was tinged with a green hue, making the entire hall bright, clean, and elegant. Several large windows were opened on the four walls, and the occasional chirping of birds could be heard, making the place seem even more quiet and ethereal.
At this time, there were six people in the room, four men and two women.
Two people sat at the head. They were a young man and woman. The man was slightly chubby, with thick eyebrows and large eyes, about twenty-seven or twenty-eight years old. He wore a dark green robe, and his expression was gentle and proper, with an unhurried air about him. He was smiling as he looked at Li Yan and the other person entering.
Beside the chubby young man was a woman in a palace dress, in her early twenties. Her figure was curvaceous, and her skin was fair and smooth, faintly reflecting a flowing light. She had a melon-seed-shaped face and phoenix eyes that held a smile. Her features were exquisite. She wore a white palace dress, and a jade phoenix hairpin was stuck slantwise in her low-hanging hair. She was all smiles. These two had no spiritual pressure fluctuations from their bodies; sitting there, they were like a rich young master and a young lady from a wealthy family among mortals.
Four people sat in a row below, two men and two women. The one closest to the head was a strong man who looked to be about forty years old. He was burly, with thick eyebrows and a wide mouth. His seated height seemed to be not much different from Li Yan's standing height. He looked even more majestic. But the same dark green robe worn on his body was stretched tight by his muscles, losing its ethereal and elegant quality and gaining a mountain-like weight. He was currently staring at the entering Li Yan with a pair of leopard-like eyes.
Below him sat a young man of eighteen or nineteen, also in a dark green robe. He was lean and capable, with a long face and small eyes. His skin was slightly dark, and he was probably a little taller than Li Yan. What was particularly noticeable about him was that his arms seemed very long, somewhat out of proportion with his body. His small eyes darted back and forth, indicating he was a clever person.
Further down were two young women, one short and one tall. They were about the same age, in their early twenties. One wore a goose-yellow long dress, while the other was still in the sect's dark green robe.
The woman in the goose-yellow long dress had a round face and large eyes, and was slightly shorter. Her black hair was scattered casually over her shoulders. Her skin was fair and round, and her large eyes would occasionally look at Li Yan, or more accurately, at Li Wuyi. Her slender hands, with skin as white as jade, would occasionally lift to brush her bangs, and then she would whisper a few words to the woman beside her, a few blushes occasionally appearing on her face, making her look very pretty.
The last one, the tall woman, had bright eyes and white teeth, and bronze, wheat-colored skin. She had short hair, and her face was strikingly handsome, but her demeanor revealed a trace of coldness. The long robe did not look loose on her at all; her chest pushed the robe up high. The clothes under the high bust suddenly drooped naturally into several long folds, giving the impression of a flat and powerful abdomen. Even sitting there, one could feel the long, slender legs under the hem of her robe. The big-eyed woman in the yellow dress would occasionally lean over and whisper a few words to her, and she would only occasionally whisper back.
Each of these people exuded waves of spiritual pressure, which made Li Yan, who had just entered the main hall, feel a little breathless. At this time, these people were looking at Li Yan with either curious or cold gazes. Especially the long-armed young man, whose eyes were darting around, and his body would even shift in his chair from time to time, who knows what he was thinking.
They were sizing up Li Yan, and Li Yan was also silently observing them. His sense of awe was not that strong at this time. To put it nicely, he was a newborn calf unafraid of a tiger. But as his cultivation began in the future, he would realize that his behavior today was courting death. Fortunately, this was his master's sect, and his master had already told the disciples below of his background, that he came from an unorthodox path and did not understand that cultivators paid more attention to hierarchy. Otherwise, some people often die without ever knowing what happened.
When Li Yan saw the gaze of the young man at the head, he finally found the reason for his discomfort just now. This gaze, and that gentle voice from before, reminded him of one person—Strategist Ji.
"Junior Brother, Junior Brother, quickly pay your respects to Master and Martial Mother," a voice sounded by his ear, interrupting Li Yan's thoughts.
Only then did Li Yan come to his senses. He could not help but blush at his own gaffe. He sighed inwardly. His first impression of this Master was already not good. It reminded him of the equally humble and gentle Strategist Ji, bringing back bad memories.
At the same time, he was also wondering why this Master was so young, looking not much older than Li Wuyi. This was a great Golden Core cultivator? But this was not the time to think too much. He had no choice but to lift his robe, kneel down, and kowtow.
"Disciple, Li Yan, pays respects to Master, oh, and Martial... Mother." As he spoke, he finally remembered what Li Wuyi had said. That person seemed to be his Martial Mother. Just now, his attention had been focused on this chubby Master, and he had almost forgotten what Li Wuyi had said.
"It seems this little fellow doesn't care much for me, his Martial Mother, does he?" The woman in the white palace dress at the head heard Li Yan's slightly stammering words and said to the chubby young man with a smile.