Chapter 35 Obscure (Part 7) "Believe me"...

Clouds rise and glow, a myriad of pure ethereal hues fill the air.

Daohe Palace stands silently amidst the mountains, with the sound of pine trees and the echoing of bells. A light drizzle surrounds the palace, making it appear as if a fairy mountain is shrouded in mist.

This thin, cloudless rain is the protective array of Daohe Palace, named Falling Rain Sleep. It is the masterpiece of Daohe Palace's founder. It appears to be continuous, but in fact it is omnipresent and becomes stronger with each attack.

To enter, one must board a painted boat at the foot of the mountain and cross by boat.

Taihui had already dressed in his robes and taken up his whisk early on, and waited quietly at the ship's location with Elder Lingming and several disciples.

As the two stood side by side, Taihui suddenly asked, "How is your cultivation progressing, Nephew Jiang Jin?"

Upon hearing this, Lingming could only sigh: "It's still the same. It's one thing to lose one's voice, but now he can't even draw his sword. I told him long ago that nothing is permissible... Never mind, what's the use of saying it now? Let him be."

Jiang Jin's current predicament was assumed by the Daohe Palace staff to be due to bad luck, having encountered a fierce demon while exorcising it, which resulted in his serious injury. However, Taihui, being as clear-headed as a mirror, knew the real reason behind it all.

So he sighed and said, "That child Fei Ran is resolute and strong, unlike ordinary people. My nephew has suffered some injustice in this calamity."

After speaking, he stroked his beard and glanced at Lingming, but he did not see a trace of displeasure on his face.

Lingming simply gazed at the horizon, his slightly narrow eyes reflecting auspicious light, and shook his head.

“Fate is not calculated in this way. Whether to go or not is entirely up to him. Once he goes, he must be willing to accept the consequences. This is a tribulation of his mind and nature, and has nothing to do with others.”

Lingming usually practiced at Futuhaizi, never taught at the primary school, and rarely returned to the mountain.

Of his three disciples, Jiang Jin disliked staying at Futuhai the most and was the most restless. He was named Changning in the hope that he could always be calm and cultivate his mind. Unfortunately, he did not like this name and still called himself Jiang Jin.

As for Lin Feiran, since he did not often interact with people, apart from knowing that she was engaged to Wei Changzai, he had never heard of her.

He had wondered why Venerable Minchun would agree to arrange a marriage for Wei Changzai, who cultivated the Way of the Unity of Heaven and Man, but he never found a suitable opportunity to ask.

Seeing that he had no change in expression, Taihui felt bored, but still agreed, saying, "Indeed, Elder Lingming has a broad mind. No wonder he was able to teach such an upright and reasonable talent as Changqing."

Lingming simply shook his head and smiled faintly: "Just a simple-minded child."

Taihui was about to speak when he heard a slight commotion among the disciples ahead. Looking up, he saw the crimson glow spreading across the sky, the neighing of celestial horses, the flapping of wings of azure phoenixes, and various magical artifacts following behind. Amidst several beams of auspicious light, the various sects had arrived as promised!

Taihui immediately smiled, his usual slouching manner of drinking wine completely gone. Now he exuded an air of otherworldly grace. He stepped forward and bowed to the Taoist who had landed first.

"Master Yin Hai, it's been a long time! Your Taoist skills have improved greatly!"

The newcomer was dressed in a light purple gauze, with a purple-gold gourd tied around her waist. She smiled before speaking. This person was the current sect leader of the Taiji Immortal Sect, named Mu Chun'e, with the Daoist name Yin Hai. She was straightforward and had a strong affinity with the Holy Ones. It was she who received the inspiration for the upcoming opening of the Pilgrimage Valley and spread the news throughout the Daoist community.

Mu Chun'e returned the greeting with a Daoist salute, her eyes bright and clear, and said in a friendly manner, "Elder Taihui is too kind. At such an age, how could I possibly have any further progress?"

After speaking, she leaned closer and asked in a low voice, "I heard that Dao Biao is currently in seclusion. Is he about to break through to a higher realm?"

It was obvious who Dao Biao was. Taihui remained calm and simply smiled, saying, "Master, you are joking. Breaking through realms is not such an easy thing. Changzai was merely having a sudden inspiration and went into seclusion to inquire about the Dao. Moreover, the pilgrimage ceremony is imminent, which is of even greater importance."

Although his words were humble, his unspoken meaning was quite arrogant. He was not breaking through the current realm simply because he was unwilling to do so. After the grand ceremony, he would directly break through the realm of questioning the mind and advance to the realm of freedom.

Taihui was not actually sure whether Wei Changzai was in seclusion for cultivation or meditating, but neither would affect it. He was confident and certain that he would break through to the next realm.

Wei Changzai has always been like this; whenever he breaks through a realm, he always goes into seclusion for several days, and even Zhang Chunhe has not disturbed him recently.

Mu Chun'e smiled upon hearing this. Of course, she understood the unspoken meaning behind Taihui's words, but she really didn't mean anything by it. She was just moved to know that there was such a talented person in Gan Dao, so she asked a few questions.

"Alright, I won't say any more. Since he's in seclusion, will he be attending the Lesser Immortal Tour?"

Taihui looked regretful, but spoke carefully: "Not long ago, during the sect's grand competition, he came out of seclusion for a day, won first place, and then sealed the gates of the sect, never to come out again. However, there is no need for you to be disappointed. The top ten in the sect's grand competition, except for him, are all looking forward to competing with the young talents of various sects. This time, the Immortal Tour and Dao Discussion will surely not leave everyone disappointed."

Mu Chun'e gave him a meaningful look and asked in a raised voice, "So, Pei Yu is here too?"

Taihui nodded: "She ranked second in the imperial examination, so of course she's included."

“Then this trip will surely be interesting.” Mu Chun’e couldn’t help but smile. “She is the disciple who is most like, yet least like, a disciple of Daohe Palace. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen her. I wonder if she is still the same as before… Alright, someone else is arriving, so I won’t keep you any longer.”

Taihui remained silent on this assessment, only saying, "Then this young disciple will lead the way for the Master and his beloved disciples. Please go first."

Mu Chun'e nodded, smiled, and left with her hands behind her back.

To enter the Daohe Palace, one must first go to the ship's port with a gold pass to register. The sect or faction, the number of people on board, the names of the disciples, and who acted as guarantor must all be clearly recorded.

After registering, Mu Chun'e and her fellow disciples boarded the boat first. She couldn't help but laugh and said, "Although Daohe Palace has declined, it still has its former grandeur. With this painted boat sailing through such a rainy and insurmountable barrier, which sect can still manage to cross it? Moreover, this generation has produced another Daoist master, Pao Tang. Our sect has no hope of reaching the top again."

Beside her stood a young girl holding a sword, her face as clear as the moon and her complexion as cold as frost. She wore a dark green outfit that clung to her body, making people feel intimidated. Upon hearing this, she simply said, "What summit? It's just an empty title. Master, don't talk nonsense."

"You're too serious, you don't understand jokes." Mu Chun'e waved her hand and turned to the other disciples, saying, "Those who have come this time are all top experts on the Azure Cloud Ranking. You must observe them carefully. This time is different from the past. The Pilgrimage Ceremony is combined with the Flying Flower Gathering. No one knows how the competition will be conducted. Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will not be defeated!"

Beneath the painted boat, Daohe Palace disciples came and went in a hurry, some leading the way, some registering, and some checking. Fortunately, the number of places for the Little Immortal Tour was limited, and each sect would not bring too many people, so they were able to keep up.

After the Taiji Immortal Sect members boarded the painted boat, the next group to arrive were the students from the Imperial Academy. There were only about sixteen or seventeen of them, all dressed in soft white robes. Some held pens, while others held scrolls. Regardless of gender, they all carried a robe-pressing knife, about the size of a palm, which hung heavily down to flatten the corners of their robes.

“Mr. Ge Bu, it’s been a long time. How is Master Xun?” Lingming asked with a smile, giving a slight Daoist bow.

"It has been many years since we parted at Futuhai. Congratulations on your advancement in cultivation, Master." Ge Bu looked at him carefully and sighed. Then he cupped his hands and replied, "The Master has always loved to play and wanted to join in the fun, but the school has not yet been fully renovated, so he had to stay. Therefore, I led the team here to understand the principles and take the opportunity to see the talents, so as to add a mark to the Qingyun Ranking."

Lingming nodded and smiled: "I see."

Before he could finish speaking, Taihui chimed in, "Mr. Ge has a discerning eye; he must have gained a lot from this trip... However, he is often in seclusion and unable to attend the Little Immortal Gathering, which is quite regrettable. I wonder if this will have any impact on his ranking on the Azure Cloud Ranking?"

Ge Bu shook his head: "The Qingyun Ranking is not based solely on competition rankings. It requires comprehensive evaluation from multiple parties and a vote from everyone. If nothing unexpected happens, it will have no impact on the Dao Beacon."

Taihui smiled and said "please" three times, then quickly had someone take them to register.

Next came the disciples of the Langhuan Sect, who lived in Dazexiang year-round and rarely appeared in public. Regardless of gender, they were all dressed in cool and casual attire, with a silk handkerchief embroidered with pomegranate flowers tied around their waists, making them look elegant and charming.

Despite their beauty, Taihui felt a chill in his heart as he gazed at those serene and detached faces, and sighed inwardly.

Although the disciples of Langhuan Sect also cultivate, they do not value cultivation level above all else, but only revere wisdom. As a result, most of them have a detached and condescending attitude towards others. The current leader of Langhuan Sect is a sickly man with a lot of wisdom.

However, what makes the Langhuan Sect famous is not their eyesight, but the Langhuan Treasure Tower that stands tall in Dazexiang. It contains many rare books from around the world, and it is rumored that the martial arts techniques of various sects are also included in it, but no one has confirmed this to this day.

Besides that, what is even more famous is that many years ago, the Demon Lord repeatedly broke into the Langhuan Treasure Pavilion to borrow books and read them. He did so as if he were in an empty place. Every ten times he broke in, he would leave behind a three-foot-long white eye tail feather. It is said that if you collect ten feathers, you can make a wish to him.

But what became of him to this day remains unknown.

Only seven disciples from Langhuan Sect came this time. Including the two elders who led the group, there were just nine people. They were all arrogant and conceited, especially the leading elder, who frowned deeply as soon as he saw Taihui.

"Elder Taihui, there's no need for pleasantries. You only know a few stock phrases. Let's go directly to the registration."

Before Taihui could utter a single word, they had already arrived at the registration desk. After a few quick glances, they swiftly completed the registration, a speed that left everyone speechless.

They were reluctant to say much, especially Taihui, who muttered a few words in his heart before going to greet the aristocratic family's chariot procession.

Lingming smiled without saying a word, then turned his head and saw a group of people approaching in a line not far away. Their clothes were of ordinary style, but the Big Dipper was embroidered on their chests with silver thread. The person in the lead was solemn and silent, and it was Lin Zhengqing.

He didn't go up to exchange pleasantries, but led the group straight to the registration area, and they boarded the painted boat in just a few moments.

Behind him, a man looked around hesitantly, muttering to himself, "I had my fortune told before I left. It said I'd see an old friend. Which old friend...?"

Lin Zhengqing turned around, frowned, and said, "Mu Qian, what are you doing? Aren't you getting on the boat?"

Mu Qian's heart skipped a beat, and he dared not act presumptuously in front of him. After boarding the painted boat, he lowered his head like a quail and remained silent.

As the sun began to set, the assembled sects and families finally boarded the painted boat in full force. Each person who had registered had a unique golden mark between their eyebrows.

A bell tolled, echoing through the mountains. Birds took flight in fright, and a row of painted boats rose into the air, their long sails billowing like ink paintings. As the rain outside Sanqing Mountain grew thicker, the boats sailed into it, giving the feeling of passing through a curtain of water and breaking through a cave of clouds.

The rain was drizzling, and the clouds and mist were swirling around, truly giving one the feeling of sleeping in the rain while on a painted boat. No wonder this scene is called "Sleeping in the Rain."

However, this rain was not real rain, but rather spiritual energy. When it fell on people, they did not feel damp or cold, but rather very moisturizing. Many people even took off their outer robes and bathed in it.

The thought that such spiritual rain would fall for seven days, providing constant nourishment, filled everyone with secret joy, yet also with envy. Daohe Palace truly deserves its reputation as the head of all sects; who dares to say that it is gradually declining?

The rain curtain, which appeared to be only a light layer from the outside, actually took nearly a quarter of an hour to travel in by boat. During this time, birds occasionally flew in, and before the people could even blink, the birds were instantly shattered into a bloody mist and fell down.

Everyone felt a chill run down their spines. Who could possibly attack such a seemingly effortless yet powerful protective array? Who could possibly break through it?

*

"arrive."

Lin Feiran and his companions sailed down the mountain and finally reached a shady spot on Sanqing Mountain. As soon as they stepped ashore, they heard the sound of rain falling.

On the mudflats, in a place where there was no wind and a light rain, several corpses lay scattered. Besides the wild animals that had wandered into the forest by mistake, there were also a few cultivators.

Xuanzhen was shocked. She stepped forward to take a look, then quickly darted back to protect the group: "The faces are indistinct; they've been cut into pieces!"

Xun Feifei frowned as she looked at the drizzling rain before her, then turned to Lin Feiran: "Are you sure we can get into the mountains from here?"

"I'm sure." Lin Feiran stepped onto the mudflat, and the bundle of goods immediately sprawled out and hung around her waist. She wrung out the water from her body and slowly moved forward.

She knew about the Little Fairy Gathering in advance because it was mentioned in the book.

At the Little Immortal Gathering, Qiu Tong and Pei Yu clashed and Qiu Tong was humiliated. In the nick of time, Wei Changzai drew his sword and rescued Qiu Tong, leaving a deep impression on each other and their feelings for each other deepened.

However, the method of crossing the protective mountain formation was not described in the book, but was told to her by Ji Changying.

The elders of Daohe Palace are very cautious. The mountain-protecting formation is inspected almost every year to check for any omissions or deficiencies. If there are any areas that need to be repaired, they will be repaired immediately. During the inspection period, disciples are not allowed to go out.

Lin Feiran had just turned ten at the time, having spent less than a year on the mountain. It was her birthday, and according to tradition, her parents would perform the "Five Blessings" ceremony for her on that day.

The Five Blessings are longevity, wealth, health, virtue, and a long and healthy life. These are not things that Lin Feiran, a little kid, should enjoy, but they are still expressed in other ways.

On that day, her parents would prepare a set of silver coins under her pillow at dawn, steam a tray of small longevity buns filled with jujube paste to symbolize longevity and wealth, then have her change into clothes made from a hundred families' worth of clothes, and have her crack open a few walnuts with a hammer or her fist to show her virtue and good health. They would also have her drink a whole bowl of mutton soup, go out for a stroll all day, and return home at night. This was called a long life and a peaceful death.

At that time, Lin Feiran did not understand. She felt that she was too young to talk about having a good end.

She didn't understand, but she did it anyway. She went out all day and returned home exhausted. She then fell asleep in a daze. During that time, she could feel her mother warming a handkerchief to wipe her face and change her clothes.

Ji Changying was unaware of this matter; he was just bored and took out a few tiger-skin walnuts, picked them out, cracked them open, and fed them to Lin Feiran.

She was a picky eater when she was little, but she ate walnuts quite often. He was just about to tease her when Lin Feiran suddenly grabbed a walnut and smashed it with her head, breaking the tiger-skin walnut into pieces. She picked out the kernels and handed them to him.

"Senior brother, please eat. This is a blessing for your health."

Ji Changying was stunned for a few moments, a few questions arose in her mind, but before she could ask them, she burst into laughter, laughing even more heartily, to the point that she couldn't straighten up. While helping her to remove the dust from between her eyebrows, she asked her why.

But after hearing her finish speaking, he couldn't laugh anymore. He remained silent for a moment, then quietly asked.

"Would you like to go down the mountain and have a bowl of mutton buns? Then your senior brother can show you around Luoyang."

"May I?"

"You must trust your senior brother."

That day, Ji Changying carried her on his back and took a boat out from a narrow path behind the mountain. The two ate a large bowl of mutton soup together at the foot of the mountain, and strolled around until late at night before sneaking back to the mountain.

As for the incident of bumping into Wei Changzai sitting in front of the gate after returning to the mountain, she didn't want to recall it anymore.

"To cross Luoyumian, one must take a boat, but it need not be a painted barge."

Lin Feiran looked around, picked a round leaf from the elm tree, then formed a hand seal, silently recited the incantation, and imprinted it on the leaf. A faint golden light drifted through the veins of the elm leaf.

Looking through a tube, or being blinded by a leaf.

In a short while, the elm seeds spun up and expanded, gradually becoming nearly three feet wide. Although not large, they could still fill the space if several people squeezed together.

With Lin Feiran's current level of cultivation, he certainly couldn't use such an expansion technique, but this was an elm tree from Sanqing Mountain, and with the Falling Rain Sleep formation, it was sufficient to use it.

The method of using elm seeds is a way of survival left by the master to the disciples of Daohe Palace. If one day the mountain gate is destroyed and there are no boats available, they can use these small elm seeds as boats and pole themselves across.

Every formation in the world must leave a way out.

Lin Feiran stepped onto the elm leaf first, turned around and stretched out his hand to the others. Bi Qing looked around a few times with great interest in his eyes, and reached out onto the leaf without hesitation. Xuan Zhen also jumped in. Xun Feifei, however, was much more composed. He crossed his arms behind him and waited until everyone was settled before he moved. He took a long stride and stepped onto the elm leaf, casually patting the corner of his robe.

As for Qingzhu, he was still an undercover agent and couldn't stay too long, so he returned to the human realm the next day. Before leaving, he left a four-leaf clover for the others as a blessing.

Bi Qing and Han Huo looked at Xun Feifei together, and couldn't help but think to themselves, "If she weren't pretending, she would actually be quite good-looking."

Lin Feiran breathed a sigh of relief, took the heavy load that had collapsed into a pancake from his waist, twisted it into a long rope, tied everyone together, and raised his hand, causing the elm leaf to slowly rise.

"Trust me. I'm leaving!"

The rain is fine and soft, falling gently like raindrops on banana leaves, light and bouncy. As soon as it gets close, the misty rain suddenly swirls and gathers in one place, forming an eye of the storm that sweeps in anything nearby.

Before them, a monk's sword was caught in the blast and instantly shattered into scattered, luminous dust.

Upon seeing this, Biqing swallowed hard, hugged Lin Feiran tightly, and Xuanzhen also closed her eyes and covered her ears, barked, and hugged the burly man tightly around her waist.

Xun Feifei stared intently at the group, taking out a jade pendant from between her fingers. If anything seemed amiss, she could activate the array within it at any time.

The elm seeds flew straight towards the eye of the storm, which was the narrow, winding path that led to their survival.

As soon as they rushed in, they weren't torn to pieces, but they were almost scattered by the chaotic whirlwind and torrential rain. The fierce raindrops pelted them, making it impossible to open their eyes.

The path twisted and turned, like a spiraling staircase, and the elm-leaf boat, located at one end of the staircase, had no choice but to spiral upwards. The constant spinning and jolting caused everyone to become dizzy and disoriented, unable to hold on any longer, and they scattered in disarray.

Lin Feiran tightly held onto the equally dizzy Hanhuo, gathered everyone behind him, suppressed his physical discomfort, and kept his eyes fixed upward. After persisting like this for a quarter of an hour, the group finally broke through the tunnel and rushed out of the eye of the storm.

Upon landing, one is greeted by the familiar snow-covered mountain scenery.

Bi Qingxuan and Zhen had never experienced such pain from being battered by wind and rain, nor had they ever suffered from dizziness. They lay on the ground for a long time to recover. The idiot was completely paralyzed, treating the golden stars in front of him as delicacies. He opened his mouth and tried to eat for a long time but couldn't get a single bite.

Xun Feifei recovered quickly; in just a few breaths, she straightened up and gazed into the distance.

"It was decided before we came that you would be in charge of arranging the troops and setting up the formation throughout the entire process. Although we had discussed how to proceed, there will definitely be changes during the actual deployment. What should we do now?"

Lin Feiran looked at him and said, "Qingzhu said your secret technique is amazing. May I take a look?"

Xun Feifei nodded: "A clan's secret technique is something that the entire clan knows. It's not really that amazing. Qingzhu is exaggerating."

He stood to the side, with long arms and a slender waist, his figure quite pleasing to the eye, but the next moment, he vanished without a trace.

Lin Feiran was startled, but suddenly felt a gust of wind behind her. Before she could move, someone behind her pressed down on her shoulder.

She turned her head and saw Xun Feifei standing under the shadow of the tree. His upper body was the same as before, but his lower legs and below seemed to have melted into it, becoming a blurry mess. He lowered his body and completely melted into the shadow. The next moment, he reappeared in the shadow dozens of meters away.

With another movement, he appeared beside Lin Feiran in an instant, saying casually, "See, it's just a simple secret technique. You can use it as long as you have a shadow. I don't know what my people call it, but I call it Shadow Stealth."

Nothing unusual?

Lin Feiran remained silent for a moment, then suddenly recalled the scene of the Red Lion Clan's West Wind Roar cutting down grass during the battle in Jingchuan. Compared to this, the difference in skill was immediately apparent.

Seeing that she hadn't spoken for a while, Xun Feifei asked, "What are you thinking about?"

Lin Feiran replied seriously, "I'm thinking about how to defeat you if I were to fight you, given that my cultivation level isn't high enough."

Apart from her senior brother Ji Changying, who was relaxed and loved to wander around picking mushrooms.

Lin Feiran was startled and turned around. There was a person standing in the distance waving at her. He was wearing a bamboo hat, and a few slivers of light shone through the hat, brightening his eyes. He was full of surprise. He waved his hand, leaving afterimages, and held wild mushrooms in his other hand. His smile was unstoppable.

Her eyes truly held the beauty of spring water, and her gaze carried the gentle breeze of spring; who else could it be but Ji Changying?

"Oh dear, why did you come back to the mountain? Did you come to visit me...?"

Before he could finish speaking, Xun Feifei, who had silently moved behind him, knocked him unconscious. He lay on the ground with a smile on his lips, looking very peaceful.

Lin Feiran: "..."

Xun Feifei deftly withdrew his hand, and when he caught Lin Feiran's gaze, he crossed his arms and nodded to her from a distance. His voice, coming from behind his mask, was not muffled: "Don't worry, it's been resolved."

No, that's exactly why I'm worried.

Author's Note: Xun Feifei: It's nothing special, just ordinary.

Biqing (in a loud voice): Does anyone understand me? I really want to talk to him!

Qingzhu: I understand.

Hot item: Chirp! (I get it)

Lin Feiran: I suddenly understand a little bit