Gou Zai Fei Men made up myths

The clouds and mist on the back of Qingyun Mountain are always thicker than elsewhere.

The newly initiated disciples crowded the stone steps at the entrance to the "Flowing Cloud Secret Realm," each clutching the jade tokens they had received upon entry, their knuckles turning white. Little Stone squatted at the very front, his nose almost pressed against the protective light barrier, watching the churning clouds within, his Adam's apple bobbing: "Spirit...Spirit herb! That herb's leaves glow!"

His senior disciple, Zhao Ling'er, chuckled and poked the back of his head with her talisman pen: "Silly boy, that's 'Moon Shadow Orchid.' Touching it will make you sleep for three days and three nights. Last year, Wang Ergou secretly picked a leaf and was punished by his Uncle-Master Li Xiaocao to water the herb garden with manure for half a month."

Little Stone shuddered in fright and quickly withdrew his hand, but still couldn't bear to look away. The two large characters "Flowing Clouds" were carved on the stone wall at the entrance of the secret realm. The strokes were vigorous, as if they had been cleaved by sword energy, and there were still some bluish-black marks on the edges - said to be sword marks left by the scabbard when Sect Leader Shen Mo first entered the secret realm.

"Stand still!" Su Xiao's voice came from behind. She was dressed in a plain, close-fitting outfit, with a Shadow Guard token hanging at her waist. Her hair was casually tied up with a wooden hairpin, yet she exuded an aura of quiet authority. "Today is your first time entering the secret realm for a pilgrimage. Have you all heard the rules?"

"Understood!" More than twenty new disciples responded in unison, their voices clear and bright, characteristic of young people.

Su Xiao's gaze swept across the crowd, lingering on Xiao Shitou. This boy was the son of a hunter from Black Stone Village at the foot of the mountain. His natural talent wasn't top-tier, but he was willing to work incredibly hard at swordsmanship, and he even won third place in the outer sect swordsmanship competition last time. A slight smile played on her lips.

"Zhao Ling'er, you take the first group in first. Remember, you are only allowed to move around in 'Sword Viewing Platform'. You can only go to 'Enlightenment Cliff', the site of the Ancestral Master's relics, after you have established your foundation."

"Got it, Senior Sister Su!" Zhao Ling'er skipped to the front of the group, turned back and winked at Xiao Shitou, "Stay close to me, don't wander off. Last time, a junior brother was chasing a rabbit and fell into the 'Maze Formation.' When Elder Shi pulled him out, his underwear was torn!"

Little Stone blushed and quickly caught up with the group. The moment they passed through the barrier of light, a refreshing spiritual energy rushed towards them, and they felt as if their lungs and heart had been cleansed. The scene before them stunned them: towering ancient trees were entwined with glowing vines, and spiritual flowers bloomed under the trees. In the distance, a waterfall cascaded down from the cliff top, and the mist refracted rainbows in the sunlight.

"This is... the Flowing Cloud Secret Realm?" he murmured to himself, his voice trembling with awe.

Zhao Ling'er turned to look at him: "How is it? More impressive than you imagined, right? When I first came here, I thought I had entered a fairy's cave!" She pointed to an open space not far away, "See that? That's 'Sword Viewing Platform,' the place where our patriarch practiced swordsmanship. There are still his footprints on the ground!"

Following her gaze, Little Stone saw two shallow footprints on a bluestone slab, their edges smooth as a mirror, as if polished by countless sword energies. He couldn't resist walking over and assuming the shape of the footprints. He felt a faint sword intent surge from the soles of his feet into his meridians, making him feel completely comfortable.

"Stop daydreaming!" Zhao Ling'er tugged at his sleeve. "Hurry up, Senior Sister Su said we need to gather in front of the Ancestral Master's statue to listen to her tell a story!"

In the center of Guanjianping stands a three-foot-tall statue of the patriarch.

The stone statue has a slender face, a long beard, and holds an ancient long sword in its right hand, with the tip of the sword pointing diagonally to the ground. Its clothes seem to be fluttering in the wind, making it lifelike.

A bronze incense burner stood before it, with several unburnt incense sticks inserted inside, their wisps of smoke rising and mingling with the mist of the secret realm.

More than twenty new disciples stood respectfully in two rows before the incense burner. Su Xiao walked to the statue, took out three incense sticks from his sleeve, lit them, and placed them in the burner: "Today I brought you into the secret realm not for anything else, but to let you remember—the roots of the Qingyun Sect are here."

She paused, her gaze sweeping over the young faces of her disciples: "Do you know why this secret realm is called 'Flowing Clouds'?"

Before Little Stone could speak, Zhao Ling'er interjected, "Because our ancestor's swordsmanship is called 'Flowing Cloud Swordsmanship,' and the sword moves are as unpredictable as clouds!"

"Only half right." Su Xiao chuckled. "Three hundred years ago, Ancestor Liuyun attained enlightenment here. He saw that the clouds and mist were ever-changing, yet they could nourish all things. Thus, he created the 'Liuyun Daoist Lineage,' with the motto 'Hidden sharpness in its sheath, nourishing all things silently.' Later, the Qingyun Sect declined, and the sect leader accidentally stumbled upon this place. He sat in front of the ancestor's statue for seven days and seven nights, and finally received his inheritance."

The disciples listened intently, and Little Stone couldn't help but ask, "Senior Sister Su, did the Sect Leader really meet the Ancestral Master?"

The question silenced the surroundings. Su Xiao gazed at the statue of the patriarch, his eyes becoming distant: "I have never seen it, but I heard Elder Han say that before the sect leader went into seclusion, he said that he saw the patriarch's sword mark on the stone wall of Enlightenment Cliff—in that sword mark was the phrase 'The Dao is in the heart, not on paper'."

"Then...is the sect leader currently in seclusion to learn from the patriarch's enlightenment?" another female disciple asked timidly.

"Yes." Su Xiao nodded. "He wants to break through to the Golden Core stage and earn a brighter future for the Qingyun Sect. Every trial you are going through now is paving the way for him—just like how our patriarch laid the foundation for the Qingyun Sect back then."

She suddenly raised her voice: "Therefore, each and every one of you is a 'Successor of Flowing Cloud'! Flowing Cloud Sword Technique, Flowing Cloud Alchemy, Flowing Cloud Formation, Flowing Cloud Talismans... these are all gifts from our ancestor, and also your responsibility!"

Inspired by her imposing presence, the disciples unconsciously straightened their backs. Little Stone clenched his fists so tightly that his nails almost dug into his palms. He recalled how, when he first joined the sect, Sect Leader Shen Mo had casually pointed out some sword techniques to him as he passed by the training ground.

Back then, the sect leader said, "The sword is an extension of the heart; only when the heart is steady can the sword be steady." Now, thinking back, that statement clearly contains the essence of the Flowing Cloud Sword Technique.

"I...I remember now!" Zhao Ling'er suddenly pointed to the stone wall behind the ancestral master statue, "I saw words carved on it when I came to pay homage last time!"

Everyone turned around and saw that there were indeed several lines of small characters carved on the stone wall. The characters were blurry, but they were faintly glowing because they were nourished by spiritual energy:

"The sword is not a weapon of killing, but a tool for protecting the Way; the elixir is not a means of showing off skills, but a method for saving the world; the formation is not a means of trapping the enemy, but a shield for defending the land; the talisman is not a toy, but a bridge to the divine. The four paths share the same origin, and the flowing clouds are immortal."

"This is..." Little Stone murmured, feeling a warm current flow through his entire body.

"These are the teachings of our ancestor." Su Xiao walked to the stone wall and gently brushed his fingertips over the words. "Before the sect leader went into seclusion, he specifically asked us to carve these words in a conspicuous place so that you would remember: the disciples of Qingyun Sect must not only cultivate swordsmanship, alchemy, formations, and talismans, but also cultivate their minds."

She turned to face her disciples, her gaze piercing: "Today, before the statue of our patriarch, you may reflect upon yourselves. If you gain any insight, you may leave your words on the stone wall—but remember, you are only allowed to write the two characters 'Dao Xin' (Daoist Heart), not your names or achievements. As successors of Liuyun, we should value Dao Xin more than empty fame."

The disciples nodded in agreement and dispersed in twos and threes. Some stroked the statue of their patriarch, some looked up at the stone wall, and some sat cross-legged on the bluestone slabs of the Sword-Viewing Platform, closing their eyes to contemplate.