Chapter 96: My Master Zhenyuanzi, My Senior Brother of Clear Winds and Bright Moon!
Page (1/3)
“Immortal Mansion of Eternal Life, a Taoist abode that shares longevity with the heavens.”
Gazing at the majestic mountain gate ahead, flanked by imposing and arrogant couplets that have withstood the test of time.
Gazing at the gate that seemed to have stepped out from legend and myth into reality.
Lu Fei finally snapped out of his astonishment.
“Three years!”
“Exactly three years!”
“I’ve finally waited long enough for the Five Village Temple to open!”
At this moment, Lu Fei’s heart churned and roared.
Yet no matter how turbulent his chest was, his expression grew calmer and more composed.
He had wandered the mountain path of Longevity Mountain for a full three years.
The cultivation of his mindset during this time was deeper and more profound than all his previous two lifetimes combined.
Still, despite this, an uncontrollable, heartfelt smile spread across Lu Fei’s face—a complex smile woven from joy, grievance, excitement, and other emotions.
Just then,
Two young Taoist disciples—one clad in green robes, the other in pink—both short in stature with neat topknots and delicate features, stepped out of the gate. They looked at Lu Fei and said, “Master said a monster came down from the mountain to pay respects. That must be you, right?”
Upon hearing this, Lu Fei quickly stepped forward, clasped his hands in salute, and smiled, “Reporting to the immortal child, if there’s no other monster, then it must be me.”
“You even know how to be polite. Not looking much like a monster.”
The pink-robed, more feminine-looking disciple sized Lu Fei up from head to toe, then casually remarked to her companion without hiding Lu Fei’s presence, “Monsters without manners wouldn’t last three years on the path of cultivation.”
The green-robed disciple responded lightly, then turned to Lu Fei and said, “Then it’s you. Come with us.”
Lu Fei pretended not to hear the direct evaluation from the two young disciples.
Hearing the green-robed disciple’s words, Lu Fei, adhering to the belief that more courtesy never harms, immediately bowed again before briskly entering the mountain gate adorned with the overwhelmingly domineering couplets.
Standing inside the gate,
Lu Fei watched the two young disciples struggle to close the seemingly inconspicuous gate behind him. When it was firmly shut, he politely asked, “May I know your names, immortal children?”
The one in pink, walking ahead, was also studying Lu Fei. When he asked, she replied, “I am Bright Moon.”
The green-robed disciple added, “I am Clear Wind.”
“Indeed.”
Lu Fei’s heart leapt at the sound, flickers of memory flashing in his mind, though he was not overly surprised.
Yet, as disciples of the Great Immortal Zhenyuan, there must be distinctions among them. So Lu Fei again bowed politely and complimented, “May I ask which master you serve, so I may address you properly?”
Bright Moon proudly lifted her head and declared, “I am a disciple under our master. After you become a disciple, you must call me senior brother.”
“Cough, cough.”
Before Bright Moon could finish, Clear Wind in green robes coughed to interrupt, “Bright Moon and I are both disciples under our master. Once you meet the master, you will understand.”
Then Clear Wind’s tone shifted, “By the way, little monster, you only ask for our names and haven’t told us yours. That’s sly.”
Lu Fei quickly apologized, “I was rude, please forgive me. This little monster’s name is White Wave, a white wolf monster.”
Lu Fei’s sincere words and his voluntary revelation of identity caused the two disciples to overlook his earlier rudeness.
After their exchange,
Lu Fei now clearly understood that Clear Wind and Bright Moon were the youngest disciples of the Great Immortal Zhenyuan, serving closely as attendants.
He roughly gauged their personalities, likely to be the two disciples he would interact with most in his future life.
Bright Moon was impatient and quick, straightforward and honest, with a sharp tongue.
Clear Wind was steadier, though not without some cleverness and subtlety.
Both were quite articulate.
Lu Fei recalled that these two disciples once verbally overwhelmed the monk Tang Seng, leaving him dizzy and unable to respond, and even flustered the Monkey King to anger, prompting the legendary incident of beating the ginseng fruit tree with a staff.
As for their strength,
Lu Fei sensed their aura was comparable to his own White General’s—both at the level of demon generals.
Of course, in the human realm,
The equivalent of the demon general rank among the demon clan corresponds to the Golden Core stage.
This was something Lu Fei had learned during his previous travels among humans.
In other words, Clear Wind and Bright Moon were Golden Core cultivators, their strength equal to demon generals in the demon clan.
However, compared to the White General, whom Lu Fei knew well,
Though Clear Wind and Bright Moon emitted a strong and somewhat domineering aura, it was noticeably softer.
Standing with them, though Lu Fei’s strength was a full rank lower, he felt little oppression or discomfort.
Far less than when standing beside demon generals in the demon clan, whose aura was fierce, cold, oppressive, and overwhelmingly imposing.
The reason for such disparity at the same level was clear.
Clear Wind and Bright Moon had lived in the picturesque Longevity Mountain within the Five Village Temple, where battle was rare and unnecessary, allowing their aura to be gentler.
Whereas the demon generals among the demon horde had clawed their way up from the brutal law of the jungle, battling through corpses and blood-soaked battlefields, true warriors forged in adversity.
Hence the significant difference.
Just as Lu Fei was about to inquire further and extract more information,
They reached the main hall.
Before him was an ancient, exquisitely spacious hall, filled with Taoists in blue robes, each emanating an astonishing aura, and at the far end, a figure in yellow robes seated on a high platform.
Lu Fei was speechless, dared not gaze too long or think too much, and silently followed Clear Wind and Bright Moon.
“Master, the monster from the mountain has been brought in.”
At that moment, Bright Moon, standing at the hall’s entrance blocked by many meditating blue-robed senior disciples, called out loudly.
His shout caused all the blue-robed Taoists in the spacious hall to turn and look at the three of them, their gazes eventually focusing entirely on Lu Fei, who stood behind Clear Wind and Bright Moon.
“Oh? When did a little white wolf monster come to our mountain?”
“You didn’t know?”
“This little monster arrived three years ago but stayed at the foot of the mountain, climbing the path for over three years.”
“Oh, I hadn’t noticed.”
“Looks like the master is going to take him in.”
“Probably, but it takes real perseverance for a little monster to climb that path for three years.”
“By the way, how long did senior brother take when he first came up the mountain?”
“The master is kind. I took only one year and eight days.”
“Heh, I took longer—just a month more than senior brother.”
“Junior brothers, a month more isn’t much. It’s nothing compared to that little wolf.”
“Senior brother, although you spent more time, you didn’t match that little monster’s duration.”
“Exactly, so I’m no match either.”
Among the blue-robed Taoists with formidable auras,
Lu Fei obediently followed Clear Wind and Bright Moon step by step to the innermost part of the hall, beneath the high platform, and for the first time met his future master: the Patriarch of Earth Immortals, the Saint known as “One Who Shares the World,” Great Immortal Zhenyuan.
Only glancing briefly, Lu Fei dared not look longer, kneeling reverently beneath the high platform.
“Master, this is the little monster.”
Clear Wind saluted the figure on the throne and then stood silently beside Bright Moon.
“Stand up.”
Suddenly, a voice, both elderly and yet youthful upon careful listening, sounded in Lu Fei’s ears.
He immediately rose to his feet.
Page (2/3)
Now Lu Fei finally saw clearly the legendary Patriarch of Earth Immortals before him.
A poem described him:
Wearing a purple-gold crown, donning a carefree crane cloak;
Shoes on his feet, silk ribbons gird his waist;
His body like a child’s, face as lovely as a beauty’s;
Three wispy whiskers flutter beneath his chin, crow feathers overlay his temples.
To phrase it simply, Lu Fei saw a tall, handsome middle-aged man clad in a bright yellow long robe, wearing a purple-gold crown and holding a whisk broom.
“I see you have stayed at the foot of the mountain for three years—your perseverance is commendable.”
“Speak, what is your purpose?”
The voice of Great Immortal Zhenyuan sounded again.
Lu Fei immediately knelt with a loud thud, speaking with utmost respect, “Little monster has long heard of the great immortal’s renown and yearned for the blessed immortal mountain. Thus, left my clan alone and journeyed here, hoping the great immortal would kindly accept me.”
Upon finishing, Lu Fei bowed his head deeply in utmost reverence.
“Where are you from?”
“What is your hometown? What is your name?”
“Speak freely.”
The great immortal’s voice was devoid of emotion but continued.
“I am from Western Ox-Head Continent, the Demon Tribe of the Great Wilderness Mountains.”
“My name is White Wave.”
Kneeling below the platform, Lu Fei revealed all details truthfully: “I was once a white wolf in the forest who, by chance, transformed into a demon, and have been so for eleven years.”
Clear Wind, Bright Moon, and the surrounding blue-robed Taoists listened, quietly murmuring, “Where is the Great Wilderness Mountain?”
Like the disciples,
Great Immortal Zhenyuan had never heard of this unfamiliar place. After a moment of contemplation, he deduced the monster’s origin and said, “I know the Great Wilderness Mountain lies at the far south of the Western Ox-Head Continent, tens of thousands of miles away, surrounded by countless dangers.”
“How did you come here with your current strength?”
Lu Fei continued respectfully, “Reporting to the great immortal, nine years ago I left the Great Wilderness Mountain, spending three years traversing the vast mountains, wandering the human realm for two years, searching all along until I found this place.”
Hearing Lu Fei’s story, the blue-robed Taoists behind showed varied expressions.
Most had noble backgrounds from secular kingdoms or large cultivation sects, with only a few truly ordinary beings without any background.
Although entering Longevity Mountain was said to be fate,
One must first have background and resources to know of Longevity Mountain, the Five Village Temple, and the existence of Great Immortal Zhenyuan.
Only then could one find a way to come here to apprentice.
Therefore, those who come alone and without background are those of perseverance, fate, and some luck.
Otherwise, they would have perished on the journey.
Above the platform,
Great Immortal Zhenyuan stroked his long beard, eyes closed in thought. After a long moment, he opened his eyes and looked down at the kneeling demon, speaking slowly:
“My disciples are divided into twelve generations; you belong to the generation of the character ‘Wu’ (meaning ‘Nothing’ or ‘Without’).”
Hearing this, Lu Fei’s heart pounded wildly.
No matter how calm he had been during his three years of cultivation, hearing that the renowned Great Immortal Zhenyuan of the three realms accepted him as a disciple made him unable to remain calm.
He struggled to suppress his emotions.
Kneeling, Lu Fei grew even more respectful and humble.
“From now on, you are a disciple of the ninth generation in my temple, the ‘Wu’ generation.”
“Pay your respects.”
Great Immortal Zhenyuan’s words were golden commands.
The earlier instructions about apprenticeship that Clear Wind had mentioned flooded Lu Fei’s mind.
He immediately performed the grand ceremonial salute, kowtowing three times with loud thuds.
At the moment Lu Fei completed his salute,
All the blue-robed Taoists in the hall saluted in unison and respectfully proclaimed, “Congratulations to the master for receiving such an excellent disciple!”
“Rise.”
Great Immortal Zhenyuan spoke again from the high platform.
Lu Fei slowly stood, bowing respectfully, awaiting instructions.
“White Wave, since you are now a disciple of my temple, you must follow the temple’s rules.”
“Yes, I shall obey my master’s command.”
Lu Fei responded respectfully.
Great Immortal Zhenyuan nodded, then looked toward the two young disciples, “Clear Wind, Bright Moon.”
They immediately stepped forward, awaiting orders.
“You are responsible for instructing your junior brother and helping him familiarize himself with temple affairs.”
Clear Wind and Bright Moon saluted, “Yes, master.”
Great Immortal Zhenyuan then turned to Lu Fei, “Return to me after three months.”
With that, he rose and left the platform, walking toward the rear.
All disciples in the hall bowed together, “Farewell, master.”
As Great Immortal Zhenyuan’s figure disappeared,
The hall quickly became lively.
“Junior brother Bai, congratulations.”
Clear Wind, who had been somewhat distant, immediately approached with a smile, “The master has not accepted disciples for many years. Today, you joining the Five Village Temple is truly joyful and auspicious.”
“Thanks to the master’s kindness, I am fortunate to serve alongside senior brothers Clear Wind and Bright Moon.”
Lu Fei was careful not to neglect the mature words from the green-robed Clear Wind, bowing to both him and the beaming Bright Moon, “This is the blessing that White Wave has cultivated over many lifetimes.”
“Haha.”
Bright Moon laughed joyfully upon hearing Lu Fei’s compliment, “Junior brother White Wave, I love hearing you speak.”
She then looked at Clear Wind, “I said this little monster White Wave will surely become our junior brother. Now we are all senior brothers.”
“Perfect timing—we still have some firewood to chop and water jars to fill. Junior brother’s arrival is just right.”
“Let’s go.”
Without much more said, Bright Moon grabbed Lu Fei’s arm and started walking.
At that moment,
“Junior brother White Wave.”
A voice called out.
Other senior brothers approached, greeting Lu Fei one after another.
One by one, blue-robed senior brothers came forward to exchange greetings.
This allowed Lu Fei to get an initial sense of the harmony and unity among the disciples within the Five Village Temple.
Yes, after meeting and briefly knowing the senior brothers and becoming familiar with their faces,
Lu Fei clearly felt that each senior brother was friendly toward him.
After some time,
Having finished greeting the other senior brothers,
Lu Fei was soon pulled away by Clear Wind and Bright Moon.
The two senior brothers first led him to receive two sets of gray robes.
Then, eager, they took Lu Fei on a winding path to a courtyard, pointing to a pile of black logs in one corner and two large water jars in front of the kitchen.
“Junior brother, choose: fetch water or chop wood. That will be your task today.”
Page (3/3)
Hearing Bright Moon’s serious question,
Lu Fei’s mind instinctively regarded chopping wood and fetching water as physical labor. His gaze scanned the black logs in the corner and the large water jars by the kitchen door.
“I choose to chop wood.”
Clear Wind and Bright Moon both laughed immediately. Bright Moon even stood on tiptoe, patting Lu Fei’s sturdy shoulder, who was over a head taller than him, “I knew junior brother would pick this. You’re strong and well-suited for it.”
With that, Clear Wind and Bright Moon grabbed the water buckets by the jars and headed out the courtyard gate.
At the doorway, they said, “Junior brother, that black wood is very tough. You must chop slowly and not rush.”
Then they left, leaving Lu Fei alone inside the courtyard.
Looking at the black logs in the corner,
Lu Fei marveled at the奇妙奇遇 of his day.
That morning, he had been tirelessly climbing the white stone path of Longevity Mountain.
Then, suddenly, he realized he had climbed and sought the Five Village Temple for three years.
Then, as he wished, he became a disciple under the legendary Patriarch of Earth Immortals, Great Immortal Zhenyuan, whom he had admired since childhood.
Finally, standing in this small courtyard, he was entrusted by senior brothers Clear Wind and Bright Moon with chopping firewood.
Without much thought, he stepped forward to the pile of black logs.
Without delay, Lu Fei reached for a sharp axe leaning against the wall.
“Heavy!”
The moment he lifted the axe, Lu Fei felt its weight—much heavier than the black iron rod given to him by the White General.
Now, at the late demon general cultivation stage,
Even he found the axe heavy and strenuous, indicating its true weight.
He inspected the axe, suspecting it might be a magical weapon.
But after careful examination, he found nothing special—just pure weight.
At this, Lu Fei realized the uniqueness of this wood-chopping task.
Looking again at the jet-black logs before him,
He immediately smelled a pleasant fragrant wood aroma.
Upon closer sniffing, he found the scent came solely from these black logs.
An axe so heavy,
And the wood to be chopped emitted a wonderful fragrance.
The Five Village Temple’s kitchen was indeed special.
Lu Fei recalled what Clear Wind and Bright Moon had told him: as the youngest, he would share the chores of sweeping, chopping wood, fetching water, lighting fires, and cooking.
Only now did he truly realize that these chores were also cultivation.
With this realization,
Lu Fei no longer hesitated, reaching for a black log about the size of a large bowl.
“Heavy!”
He immediately felt the unusual weight of the log.
Now, Lu Fei found it less strange.
He arranged the log, lifted the axe, and struck down.
“Bang!”
A dull sound echoed.
The axe cut about an inch deep into the black wood.
Seeing this, Lu Fei relaxed somewhat.
He could chop it, though it would take a long time to finish the whole pile.
But at least it was doable.
As long as it wasn’t impossible.
With his mindset quickly adjusted, Lu Fei was in good spirits.
Before arriving at the Five Village Temple,
Except for his senior brothers who had already graduated,
Among the forty-eight senior brothers in the temple, even those at the Golden Core stage—the equivalent of demon generals—like Clear Wind and Bright Moon, had the lowest cultivation.
Now that Lu Fei had arrived, he naturally became the disciple with the lowest cultivation.
Even some late Golden Core senior brothers nearing the Human Immortal stage were still doing chores.
Lu Fei had seen this on the way to the kitchen.
Why shouldn’t he adjust his mindset?
The Human Immortal stage is above the Golden Core stage.
Clear Wind and Bright Moon had told him this.
The Human Immortal stage corresponds to true demon kings in the demon clan—like the three great kings of the Great Wilderness Mountain, the black dog demon king Lu Fei had seen.
Among the senior brothers who greeted him earlier,
Lu Fei distinctly felt the latent terrifying aura of several masters, at least at the Human Immortal stage or even beyond.
Even those immensely powerful senior brothers still performed various chores within the temple.
He, a mere late Foundation Establishment stage cultivator—the equivalent of a demon general—was the youngest junior brother, and doing chores would bring no complaints.
To put it plainly,
Being able to do chores within the Five Village Temple was a dream many demons in the three realms could never achieve.
Without further thought,
Lu Fei focused entirely on chopping wood.
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
“Bang!”
With every chop, the fragrant scent of the wood grew stronger.
Listening to the rhythmic sound of axe striking wood, as if striking deep into his heart,
Lu Fei chopped with increasing vigor and concentration.
One chop after another, the rhythm became more pronounced.
He seemed to enter a profound realm.
The axe in his hand swung faster and faster without him realizing it.
When laughter and chatter from Bright Moon and Clear Wind sounded outside,
Lu Fei suddenly snapped back to reality.
Only then did he notice that nearly one-third of the black logs before him had been chopped in a short time.
“Junior brother, did you chop all these?”
Clear Wind and Bright Moon, each carrying two buckets of water, walked into the courtyard and exclaimed in surprise at the pile of chopped black logs.
Lu Fei nodded, scratching his head in puzzlement, uncertain how to explain, simply saying, “Yes.”
Clear Wind immediately sensed Lu Fei’s unusual expression and asked, “With your strength, you shouldn’t be able to chop this fast.”
Then he quickly added, “But junior brother, something just happened that even you don’t understand?”
Lu Fei’s eyes lit up, looking at Clear Wind and nodding, “Yes, senior brother. Just now, I was a bit confused myself about what happened. It was only hearing your voices that I snapped out of it and realized how much firewood I had chopped.”
Clear Wind and Bright Moon laughed heartily and cupped their hands, “Congratulations, junior brother! On your very first day here, you have experienced the realm of sudden enlightenment. You are not far from condensing Qi into a Golden Core.”
(End of chapter)