NOVPUB"Think about it! Who exactly is a Grand Master? Are they someone you flip-floppers can easily meet? To see the noble visage of a Grand Master, you must first enter Yuandao Palace and pray devoutly. If the Grand Master deems you worthy, he will lead you himself to Tiandu."
"What? You want to go in too? Alright, hand over a thousand High Grade Spirit Stones, and you can queue up over there!"
Wu Fuqiu was thrown out of the crowd by the newcomers who surged in like a swarm.
A thousand High Grade Spirit Stones, that was enough to buy a decent Nascent Soul Cultivation Technique. If he had that many Spirit Stones, would he need to travel thousands of miles to seek an opportunity here? 𝓃𝓸𝓋𝓅𝓊𝒷.𝓬𝓸𝓂
Although his pockets were empty, Wu Fuqiu had no intention of just leaving.
Because he found that there were many others like him who couldn’t afford it and thus couldn’t ascend the mountain.
It took Wu Fuqiu half a month to familiarize himself with them, and after that, he received some important news.
That so-called Yuandao Palace had been built by the Ten Sects much later. It had no actual connection with the real Tiandu.
The true Origin of the Path referred to the vast area directly below Tiandu. The Ten Sects had simply taken a large portion of it to build the Yuandao Palace.
They didn’t completely cut it off, though, leaving a piece of land at the foot of the mountain.
"The Grand Master hasn’t shown himself for who knows how many years. They say the mountain is more likely to attract the Grand Master’s attention, but in truth, it’s just a comfort."
"Yes, the Grand Master resides high above the ninth heaven. In his eyes, what difference is there between the mountain’s summit and its base?"
Crouched on the ground, Wu Fuqiu set up his home among the people at the foot of Dao Yuan Mountain.
This spanned twenty years.
Some people came, and others left. Some died with regrets, others died from rage against the Grand Master, spewing curses before being beaten to death.
Wu Fuqiu aged from a young lad into a middle-aged man.
He didn’t know what kept him persisting here.
Perhaps, for a mediocrity like him, it didn’t matter where he went.
Over the years, while he kept his vigil, he didn’t neglect his cultivation. Without a source of Spirit Stones, however, he could only deplete his resources. The land of Origin, though rich with Spiritual Energy, couldn’t withstand the absorption from so many people.
Not only had he made no progress, but he also seemed to be regressing.
At this point, Wu Fuqiu had accepted his fate, no longer holding any unrealistic fantasies.
After all, he had been an orphan since childhood, drifting without attachment. Having spent more than twenty years at the foot of Yuandao Palace, he had grown accustomed to the scenery, with a part of his heart coming to regard it as his Hometown.
Whenever young people arrived full of hope, begging for the Grand Master’s blessing, he would smile but remain silent.
It was as if he saw his younger self.
But he didn’t burst their bubbles either.
Because anyone who did that was dealt with by the Ten Sects.
However, the mysteriousness of life was just like that.
Just when Wu Fuqiu had entirely put the notion of the Grand Master’s blessing out of his mind...
That day, the heavens burst forth with a radiant spectrum of magnificent colors.
Below Yuandao Palace, thousands of Cultivators were stunned in place.
Someone shouted first, "The Grand Master has revealed himself!"
Then in a state of intense excitement and fear, a vast sea of Cultivators knelt down.
Only Wu Fuqiu, with his mind a blank slate, stood still where he was.
"How dare you! Such disrespect towards the Grand Master!"
Accompanied by a roar, a White Sword Light flew towards him from afar.
Just as Wu Fuqiu was about to be decapitated, a blue feather drifted down slowly from the sky.
The White Sword Light struck first, incredibly fast.
The blue feather fell afterward, wavering gently, exceedingly slow.
Yet in a bizarre moment witnessed by all, the blue feather unexpectedly landed on Wu Fuqiu before the White Sword Light could reach him.
The Sword Light arrived late, passing through his body but failing to sever his head. Instead, it killed three Cultivators who were kneeling behind him.
As for Wu Fuqiu himself…
Enveloped in the light of the Lan Yu, he began to ascend uncontrollably.
Amid the exclamations of the crowd, he rose higher and higher.
He passed over the summit of Dao Palace Mountain, flew beyond the clouds, and in a blink, appeared in front of the gates of a Purple Gold Dojo.
Wu Fuqiu, as if in a dream, stood for a long while before finally coming to his senses.
His body quivered with excitement, to the point that Wu Fuqiu forgot proper conduct and pushed the door open directly.
Contrary to the sacred vision of Tiandu he had imagined, it was uninhabited.
Quiet and devoid of life.
Only the faint sound of chanting echoed from within.
Wu Fuqiu followed the sound with cautious steps until he reached the deepest part of the dojo.
An ancient-looking Purple Gold wooden pavilion emanated wafts of fragrance.
Wu Fuqiu knelt and made a bow. After a long time without a response, he finally mustered the courage to push the door open.
The scene inside the pavilion came into view.
A blurry figure sat cross-legged, murmuring in low tones.
Behind him stood a child in a blue and white Taoist Robe with eyes closed.
The child’s lips were red, its teeth white, and its features delicate, making it hard to tell whether it was male or female.
However, Lan Yu noticed that the child seemed to have been in a fight; its Taoist Robe was somewhat damaged, and faint traces of blood clung to it.
Wu Fuqiu did not dare to overstep, bowing his head in respect once more.
Yet neither the figure nor the child showed any reaction.
"That figure must be the Tiandu Grandmaster."
After a long while, Wu Fuqiu gathered his courage and got up, imitating the shadow’s posture, and sat down cross-legged.
