Who would have thought that he was destined by fate to suffer this trial!
What kind of number one immortal sect in the world was this? Such a tall mountain, and they didn’t even install an elevator. Was there nobody else on Wonderland Mountain who, like him, didn’t know how to fly?
Even a torchbearer would have had to degenerate back into an ancestor; he slowly transitioned from walking on two limbs to walking on four. Seeing that the night was about to fall, the sunset’s afterglow spilled downward, casting the shadows of bamboo leaves across the back of his sweat-drenched hands.
I’m not climbing anymore! I’m not climbing anymore!
Only this single thought occupied his mind: nothing in the world is difficult as long as you are willing to give up—he was quitting.
Shouldn’t giving up bring a sense of relief? Since when did refusing to push oneself hard result in such an unreasoned block in his chest? He let out an “ai” and plopped down straight onto the stone steps, entirely unconcerned about whether his white clothes would get stained with dust.
“Having lived for over a thousand years and not merciful at all, where is the male lead’s righteousness? Where is his kindness? Where is his responsibility to protect the weak?”
“Punishing a child with physical labor! If this were posted online, you’d get cyberbullied, wouldn’t you?”
“At your age, picking on a kid there’s simply no justice left.”
Before he knew it, he had ranted everything out loud, and a faint spark of momentum inexplicably stirred within his heart.
The twilight sunlight had vanished, but with one final surge of strength! He was a resilient, unyielding torchbearer after all.
Climb! What he was climbing was none other than Wonderland Mountain!
Frantically scrubbing away the dried sweat on his face with his sleeve, he lifted his small face, only to nearly black out, kick his legs, and bid a thorough farewell to this world.
It wasn’t that the sun had gotten off work; Shizun had come to check on him!
Bathed in the golden afterglow, Bai Chen’s facial features appeared even softer—as soft as a gentle breeze, though he couldn’t feel it and didn’t dare take more than a single glance.
“Shizun.”
He guiltily plastered a smiling face across his features. He had never felt that Shizun was so toweringly majestic, nor himself so insignificant, as if Shizun could crush him to death in the next second.
When no response came, he continued buttering him up with pleasant remarks.
“Shiz–Shizun… you’re here to pick me up, right? Your disciple just knew Shizun is the best.”
Shizun definitely hadn’t heard him, Shizun absolutely hadn’t heard him, Shizun simply must not have heard him!
With that, Tu Xiao’s inner resolve solidified, and he flung his arms wide open to embrace him, only for Shizun to coldly sidestep onto a higher stone step.
“Was ‘at your age’ referring to this seat?” Bai Chen’s voice was neither salty nor sweet.
That was a death sentence! Stupid brain, hurry up and make something up!
“How could that be? I was talking about the old evil monster who choked my neck. Just thinking about my neck still hurts now, but fortunately Shizun is wise, martial, and unfathomably powerful, having thoroughly snuffed him out—otherwise, I’d definitely spend every single night tossing and turning in insomnia.”
“Shizun is so youthful; if I were a girl, when I grew up, you’d be the very first person I’d marry.”
“Utter nonsense! Shut your mouth.” Bai Chen interrupted unhappily.
He instantly sealed his lips, stepped forward to reach for a hand, bit down hard on both his upper and lower lips, and shook his head vigorously while batting his large eyes to feign pitifulness.
From ancient times until now, master-disciple romance was a taboo; he had been far too nervous just now and blurted out whatever came to mind.
The bamboos in the bamboo grove blurred past until they were practically indiscernible, and in the blink of an eye, they had already reached the summit.
Ahead stood the structures of the halls, shrouded in misty clouds, unpretentious yet magnificent and grand.
It wasn’t until his hand was flung away that he snapped back to his senses.
“Will this be my home from now on, Shizun?”
Tu Xiao’s expectant gaze was impossible to conceal.
Averting his eyes, Bai Chen gave a faint, detached hum.
“Let’s go.”
Being dragged along at breakneck speed just now had left his right arm aching as if it were about to fall off; another round of that and it would dislocate. Pressing his luck, he opened his hands wide, hugged his own thigh, and lifted his tear-reddened eyes—stained and swollen by the rushing wind toward him.
“Shizun, give me a hug.”
“Pick me up, I’m begging Shizun, I’m super light~”
Inside the majestic grand hall of Wonderland Mountain, radiating an aura of utter solemnity, sat two distinctly different young lords and one white-haired immortal elder accustomed to idleness. Below the hall stood countless youthful talents, male and female cultivators standing in separate groups, all clad in unified black-and-white school uniforms that differed only in their individual styles.
On the spacious grand hall, the white-haired immortal elder glanced sideways at the empty seat, pulling a whimsical expression with his frosted eyebrows as he stroked his matching frosted beard.
With so many people around, tongues were bound to wag. There were few people in front of the hall, but the number of people below was immense.
“Immortal Venerable Hengchen still isn’t back, and the disciple selection is about to start. Do you guess Immortal Venerable Hengchen will take on any disciples this year?”
“Immortal Elder, both Lord Zezun and Lord Suizun have hundreds of disciples sitting beneath them; only Immortal Venerable Hengchen remains unmatched when it comes to taking disciples.”
“I wonder which of this year’s top hundred new disciples will be lucky enough to become the Immortal Venerable’s chief senior disciple.”
“Who knows if he’ll even take any this year? You guys shouldn’t get your hopes up. Immortal Venerable Hengchen has always cultivated the Ruthless Path and has already achieved great success; perhaps he will continue to sit in solitary isolation atop Jingzi Mountain forever.”
“That’s impossible! This year we have the pressure from Lord Zezun. Lord Zezun is rigid, serious, and has a blazing temper; he’s always harbored lingering resentment over Immortal Venerable Hengchen’s refusal to take disciples. If we don’t uproot this thorn this year, we’ll definitely get caught in the crossfire if we’re unlucky, we’ll probably have to endure bitter cultivation all over again.”
“Bitter cultivation? No way, no way. After entering the mountain for a decade, waking up early is fine, but fasting is absolutely out of the question! Immortals passing through Wonderland Mountain, please bless Immortal Venerable Hengchen into taking a disciple.”
“Should we place a bet? Let’s bet on whether Immortal Venerable Hengchen takes a disciple this year or not.”
“What’s the stake?”
“On the grand hall, do not discuss gossip!”
With a single low shout, Zezun suppressed the chattering crowd below with spiritual pressure, plunging the entire hall into instant silence.
Separated by a single empty seat, the Ruthless Immortal Elder looked as though he had been startled, yawning as he drawled:
“The children were merely discussing a few words. He’s nearly a thousand years old why shout so loudly? What if you upset your Qi? Sit down.”
Zezun cast a glance at the immortal elder, flicked his sleeve, and sat down.
Inside the quiet grand hall, the hundred newly inducted disciples stepped forward one by one to announce their family origins and names. Every single one of them wore regulation black-and-white school uniforms, looking forward with anticipation to being selected by the figures upon the grand hall as their disciple—otherwise, they would simply remain ordinary disciples of Wonderland Mountain, and ordinary disciples were fundamentally different from personal disciples.
“The selections are all finished, and Immortal Venerable Hengchen still hasn’t arrived.”
“Looks like it’s hanging by a thread this year too.”
Amidst a fresh wave of murmurs, a flash of white shadow streaked past. Before the crowd could even register it, a figure clad in snow-white robes sat abruptly upon the empty chair above the grand hall, and upon closer inspection, cradled within his arms was a battered, bedraggled “dirty little bun”.
“Holy crap, am I seeing things? What on earth is Immortal Venerable Hengchen holding in his arms?”
“It’s a kid, are you blind or what?”
“An immortal-like Venerable holding a kid! The sky is falling!”
“Quit courting death, will you? Spouting nonsense needs to have a limit; have you forgotten the ruler of the Disciplinary Hall?”
“No, no, I’m just shocked, you don’t understand me.”
“Who on earth is that in Immortal Venerable Hengchen’s arms?”
The grand hall evolved from whispering into animated buzzing, the chaotic noise growing increasingly loud. Zezun’s complexion turned as dark as the bottom of a pot as he rose to his feet once more, shouting at a volume comparable to a lion’s roar shattering the composure of everyone below into dropping uniformly into half-knees to lower their heads and plead guilty.
“Silence! Anyone making noise again goes straight to the Disciplinary Hall.”
“Zezun is merciful; this disciple dares not do it again.”
“Those who know their wrongs may rise.”
The people below rose to their feet rapidly, not a single soul daring to transgress further.
Having never witnessed such a massive battle array before, he was rendered even dazed by the roaring, feeling nothing even while nestled within Shizun’s arms.
In the original book, in order to protect Bai Chen from being humiliated, Zezun had fought a three-day battle against the vicious disciple, ultimately perishing beneath the villain’s hidden weapon, his divine soul perishing and Dao dissolving.
As for the remaining unyielding cultivators, those who died perished, those who were crippled remained broken, and those who fled scattered not a single person on Wonderland Mountain remained unscathed.
Who would ever submit to a patricidal, master-betraying demon?
Alas, what a pity for a Zezun as upright and unyielding as him.
“Since you’re already here, Bai Chen, you should pick a disciple as well to add some lively energy to that Jingzi Mountain of yours.”
Zezun, radiating upright righteousness, spoke in a tone that brooked no refusal.
“That’s right, Bai Chen, it’s about time you took a disciple too. How desolate it is to be all alone; wouldn’t it be wonderful and fun to take on a disciple?”
Suizun teased playfully and irreverently.
Beside them, the immortal elder closed his eyes, unsure whether he was asleep or awake.
The remaining new disciples who had not been selected instantly reignited with hope, raising their burning gazes toward the dais.
They saw Bai Chen withdraw a white jade pendant from his waist a lifelike white crane design, which served as the unimpeded pass for Jingzi Mountain.
“From this day forward, you are the disciple of me, Bai Chen, on Wonderland Mountain.”
Holy crap! That provided a full sense of security was this the imposing aura belonging to the world’s number one?
Tu Xiao felt as though Bai Chen was declaring: From this moment onward, you are my person. Bound for eternity.
Every single new disciple on Wonderland Mountain had passed through a triple trial, each one possessing extraordinary natural talent. How could they allow a child of unknown origin to ruin the rules? Zezun would definitely be the first to refuse.
“Bai Chen, absolutely not! This person is of unknown origin, unknown talent, and unknown disposition—how can you take him as a disciple?! Moreover, as your personal disciple, how is he supposed to measure up?!”
This was an attempt to sever the bond between himself and Shizun!
The look of regret in Tu Xiao’s eyes vanished without a trace the moment those words were spoken. He swiftly accepted the white jade pendant from Bai Chen, tucked it into his bosom like a treasured artifact, scampered down, and kowtowed.
Shizun properly tied the white jade pendant around his waist. The two of them stood somewhat close, leaving him momentarily dazed what a god-tier face, must be an unrepeatable masterpiece crafted by Nüwa.
“Bai Chen already has his chosen disciple, so it seems everyone is happy. I wonder how many people lost their bets this year.”
Suizun said with a hearty laugh.
The disciples below did not dare to utter a sound, though their hand gestures were certainly abundant; anyone unaware would have thought they were practicing cultivation seals, and eye-dramas were equally unavoidable silent speech triumphing over words below the dais.
“Absurd! What kind of system is this? Bai Chen, you are the sole Exalted Immortal of Wonderland Mountain, and your ascension is just around the corner. You must take on a strong practitioner, or at the very least a scholar of extraordinary talent, rather than a blank slate of a child like this.”
Tu Xiao’s heart was in utter turmoil, tangled into a knot of anxiety, until he finally pressed his lips together in silence. If Shizun were to give up on him right here and now… at worst he’d wander as a vagrant for a few years before his Hu Hansan persona made a triumphant return.
However, he had underestimated the situation; what kind of figure was Bai Chen? He went toe-to-toe directly with the Sect Master.
On that day, he only heard Shizun state:
“A strong practitioner? This deity is one.”
With those words, he pulled him along as they walked out, his tone leaving no room for backing down. Nobody on the dais stopped them, nor did anyone dare to stop them.
“If there’s nothing pressing, this seat will be taking his little disciple back now.”
Awesome! That was the fakes-tiger’s-might-most-arrogant moment of his entire life, held by Shizun’s hand, walking with a bounce that felt high enough to reach the ninth heaven.