At the foot of Wudang Mountain, Wang Longhu, covered in dust from his travels, couldn’t help but marvel at the renowned mountain before him.
Wudang Mountain, also known as Taihe Mountain, was historically called Taiyue and Xuanyue. The Wudang Sect, located here, is as famous as Shaolin, sharing the pinnacle of the martial arts world. ᴛhis chapter is ᴜpdated by NovᴇlFire(.)nᴇt
After more than half a month of traveling, sprinting a thousand miles each day, and exploring forests, he finally reached his destination. Even with Lightweight Skill to aid his journey, his shoes couldn’t withstand the wear and tear and were frayed and tattered.
In today’s era, Wudang Mountain has also become a major tourist attraction domestically. Except for some Taoist temples that remain closed, most sites are open for tourists to admire.
As Wang Longhu walked up along the scenic path, dressed like a beggar, he immediately attracted the attention of surrounding tourists.
Having been on the road for days, without bathing, even though he could control his sweating with Dark Force, he inevitably carried some odor, causing many people to wrinkle their noses and whisper discreetly.
"Is that guy a beggar? What’s he doing at Wudang Mountain?"
"This young man looks quite handsome; why is he a beggar at such a young age? Nowadays, young people with good hands and feet shouldn’t be doing this kind of thing."
Ignoring the curious glances from nearby tourists, Wang Longhu strode along the mountain path toward the peak, disappearing from their sight in no time.
Wudang Mountain is home to many Taoist temples, with some of the most famous being the Great Saint South Rock Palace, Purple Cloud Palace under Celestial Pillar Peak, and the Great Yue Taihe Palace at the peak’s summit.
Other well-known temples include Jade Terrace Temple, Jingle Palace, the Great Five Dragon Lingying Longevity Palace, Yu Zhen Palace, Jade Void Palace, and Prince’s Slope.
However, despite the numerous temples, not every Daoist has an extraordinary background.
The ones visible to the public are mostly graduates from Taoist academies. Those true masters with real skills have long retreated into seclusion.
Even if one were encountered on Wudang Mountain, visitors wouldn’t anticipate how remarkable their identity could be.
According to the letter his Uncle Wu left him, Wang Longhu’s first goal upon arriving at Wudang was to visit a temple named ’Zhenwu Temple.’
This temple isn’t well-known across Wudang Mountain; it can’t be found on popular platforms like Xiaohongshu, Dianping, or Douyin.
It’s the kind of place where normally no one would visit to offer incense.
After incessantly asking passing Daoists and pedestrians along the way, an old temple finally appeared in Wang Longhu’s view.
Looking at the sign reading ’Zhenwu Temple’ above the entrance, Wang Longhu, holding the letter from his Uncle Wu, walked straight in.
Just upon entering the temple, he saw a young Daoist, about eighteen or nineteen, with a refined appearance, holding a broom and sweeping the ground.
"Excuse me, is Daoist Tianle here?" Wang Longhu asked.
"Who?" The young Daoist looked up, confused.
"Tian of heaven, Le of joy, Daoist Tianle."
"Uh, never heard of him, not familiar with such a Daoist. Why are you looking for him?" the young Daoist asked.
This immediately left Wang Longhu a bit dumbfounded. Uncle Wu had mentioned his past acquaintance with Daoist Tianle, although they hadn’t met in many years.
Given Uncle Wu’s age, Daoist Tianle was likely also quite old. After all these years, whether he left Wudang or is still alive, honestly, is uncertain.
If Daoist Tianle has already passed away, it would become exceedingly difficult for Wang Longhu to learn the ’Fishing Toad Force.’
Although contemporary martial arts are declining, and many martial arts are seeking successors, such a martial gems as Fishing Toad Force wouldn’t easily be shared by Wudang even in its declining state.
Automatically, Wang Longhu’s brows furrowed, and a hint of displeasure inadvertently crept into his eyes.
The young Daoist had been studying Wang Longhu’s appearance, and suddenly his body shivered, goosebumps rising instantly, and his hair stood on end.
His face turned pale with fright, the broom in his hand dropping to the ground with a thud.
In that brief moment, he felt an intense pressure emanating from Wang Longhu, as though a chill had swept into his mind, causing him to freeze, losing consciousness for about half a second.
"Hmm?" The commotion caught Wang Longhu’s attention, and he looked toward the young Daoist.
To his surprise, the young Daoist immediately retreated several steps like a startled rabbit, tensing up and watching Wang Longhu with a guarded expression.
In a flash of thought, Wang Longhu realized that he had probably startled the young Daoist with the aura he unintentionally released.
Since raising his Spirit, even slight emotional fluctuations could impose immense pressure on living beings.
As it hasn’t been long, Wang Longhu has yet to master control over his Spirit, so inadvertently scaring others is quite common.
This also demonstrates that martial artists with high Spirit naturally gain an advantage in encounters, causing adversaries to reveal weaknesses unwittingly and fall into a disadvantage.
"Apologies, Daoist, could you inform your most experienced Daoist that I’m here to find someone and have something to deliver to Daoist Tianle?" Wang Longhu said with a smile, without malice.
"I, I’ll go and tell my master. Please wait here for a moment." The young Daoist, calming his thoughts, also felt something unusual.