I forge immortality with spiritual treasures.

Chapter 1 Should be explained
The mountains are rolling green hills.

Thousands of mountains and countless peaks rise in layers of verdant green. At lower elevations, clouds and mist drift and surge, swirling and turning from blue to white, as if ink had been splashed and casually applied to create this poetic and picturesque scene.

I just don't know if this beautiful scenery is unknown to the world or too remote. There are no mountain paths or stone steps, let alone any trails that people have walked on.

Ying Chan had no choice but to rely on his machete, cutting and clearing a path as he walked, making his way forward with great difficulty.

After spending half a day trying to get over the hill, we finally found a shady spot with a water source.

Ying Chan took a sip of water from the mountain spring and found it refreshing and sweet. He then filled his water bag. He glanced at the sun and realized it was past noon. Feeling hungry, he found a large rock to sit on, took out a coarse flatbread, and began to chew.

The coarse flatbread was bland and had a poor texture, but fortunately, spring water was provided, so it wasn't too bad to swallow.

Ying Chan ate while gazing at the shade of the trees at his feet, lost in thought.

Suddenly, a gust of wind came, the trees rustled and the shadows moved with them, and Ying Chan's eyes were drawn back to reality.

Looking up, he saw a colorful bird that had appeared out of nowhere, perched on a branch, staring at Ying Chan with its bright black eyes, as if it were looking right back at him.

Its colorful feathers resemble rainbows, and they are dazzling in the sunlight.

Ying Chan stared at it for a while, then smiled and looked away, saying to himself, "Its feathers are like the rosy clouds, and its eyes are like black lacquer. It really does look like a spirit bird from a celestial mountain."

"Hehe." A clear, melodious laugh drifted on the wind: "You Taoist priest, you certainly have a sweet tongue."

Ying Chan looked up in surprise, glanced at Cai Que, and looked around. He saw only the gushing spring and the dark shadows of the forest, but no sign of anyone else.

Only the colorful sparrow on the branch was still looking at him, its beak open, saying, "Where are you looking? I'm talking to you."

Ying Chan was stunned for a moment, and two words blurted out: "Monster?!"

"Hmm?" The colorful sparrow stared at him.

"Oh no!" Ying Chan thought to himself. His mind raced, and he quickly got up, racking his brains to choose his words carefully: "This humble Taoist... greets the fairy. I had no intention of offending you. It is just that I have never seen a different kind of being speak human language before, and I was so surprised that I misspoke. I hope you will forgive me."

He heard that Cai Que's voice sounded like a young girl's, so he didn't care whether it was appropriate or not, and just came up with a nice-sounding name.

Sure enough, Cai Que laughed again upon hearing this.

Its sound is truly unique, slightly sharper than a human voice, but not harsh; it is as melodious as a bird's song.

Her laughter is exceptionally clear and crisp.

Ying Chan wondered if it was just his imagination, but he could indeed see a hint of a woman's gentle, curved eyes on her face.

"You really have a sweet tongue."

"Hey, Taoist priest," the colorful sparrow hopped on a branch and asked, "Where did you come from?"

Ying Chan subconsciously said, "This humble path comes from Dachang."

Having said that, fearing that the colorful sparrow might not understand, he explained, "Dachang is a country beyond the mountains, located in the west..."

"From outside the mountains?" Cai Que'er seemed surprised: "Not a cultivator from the Great Wan Mountain?... No wonder, your cultivation is so shallow and your knowledge so limited."

"Cultivators from the Great Wan Mountain?" Ying Chan's eyes lit up. He no longer cared about Cai Que's disdain and hurriedly asked, "Are there really cultivators in the Great Wan Mountain?"

"what?"

Cai Que'er let out a soft exclamation, stared at Ying Chan for a moment, and then laughed: "I know, you've come seeking immortality and the Dao!"

“Indeed, indeed,” Ying Chan replied repeatedly. “I came to Mount Da Wan under the guidance of a master in order to seek the Dao.”

"I wonder if the fairy could give me some guidance?"

“Well…” Cai Que’s eyes darted around.

Looking into its eyes, Ying Chan suddenly realized something and quickly broke off a small piece of the coarse cake in his hand and offered it to it, saying, "If the fairy does not mind, please accept it."

"The Taoist priest is indeed sensible."

Before Ying Chan could react, the small piece of coarse cake in his hand had vanished in a flash.

Looking up, he saw that it had indeed climbed onto a branch and was being carried by a colorful bird. But in the blink of an eye, it fell back into Ying Chan's hand with a thud, breaking into pieces.

"Ptooey, ptooey, ptooey!" the colorful sparrow spat several times. "It tastes awful."

Ying Chan said helplessly, "Coarse grain cakes have been stored for a long time and may not be to the fairy's liking."

"Hmph." The colorful sparrow snorted lightly, "Fine, after all, I've tasted your stuff."

"The Great Wanshan Mountains are vast and boundless, and everywhere there are practitioners."

"However, if you seek immortality and enlightenment, you cannot seek it arbitrarily."

It hopped on the branch again, as if deep in thought.

"As far as I know, if you go west over a few mountains, there is a Taoist temple with a dozen or so practitioners, all of whom are very kind... You came from the west and didn't meet them, so you must have missed them."

Ying Chan was taken aback—

He had been in the Da Wan Mountain for quite some time, but he had never encountered a human being, let alone a Taoist temple; he had not even seen a single roof or tile.

"And to the south, there is a very powerful cultivator. Sometimes, at night, you can see him breathing in the light of stars and moon even from several mountains away."

Cai Que said, "However, his dojo is strictly off-limits, so we don't know what kind of person he is, or whether he accepts disciples."

Ying Chan listened attentively as Cai Que listed the Taoist temples in the north, the small sects in the southeast, and even the family-style communities of cultivators...

Only then did he realize that there were so many cultivators, a fact completely different from what he had previously seen and heard.

The Great Chang Kingdom where Ying Chan lived was very similar to the 'ancient' landscape he remembered.

There are many legends about immortals and many strange tales, but very few have actually been seen.

Ying Chan traveled to famous mountains and visited dozens, if not hundreds, of "masters," but he had not met many of them, not even those with his own shallow skills.

It was by sheer chance that I met a remarkable man in the capital city of that prefecture, who guided me to this Great Ten Thousand Mountains...

It was indeed correct.

"Also, beyond dozens of mountains to the east, there is a Taoist temple."

Suddenly, Caique's voice seemed to carry a hint of longing: "I've heard that the academy was opened by a major sect, and many, many people cultivate there..."

“It’s full of spiritual veins, and even wild boars can become spirits just by staying there. There are also many wise people preaching and expounding the Dharma.”

"Therefore, the cultivators in that academy are all highly skilled in magic... and if they achieve something, they can even join a superior sect, truly making them hopeful for the path to immortality."

As Ying Chan listened, a picture seemed to form in his mind, and he couldn't help but yearn for it.

"May I ask you to elaborate, fairy?"

"You want to go to that Taoist academy?" Caique said, nodding. "Yes, if you want to seek immortality and ask questions, entering that Taoist academy would be the best thing."

"I've heard that many powerful cultivators in the Da Wan Mountain came from that academy."

"However, I dare not go into the Taoist temple, and I don't know much about it. I can only point you in the right direction."

Ying Chan was somewhat disappointed, but he quickly cheered up again.

"Thank you, Fairy." Ying Chan bowed to the colorful bird. "Having a direction is enough."

It's much better than before when I was just wandering around aimlessly.

"You're welcome," said the colorful sparrow. "It's a pity that if I were an eagle or a vulture, I could carry you across dozens of mountains!"

Ying Chan couldn't help but laugh upon hearing this.

"It's alright, it's just a matter of legwork."

(End of this chapter)