The water in the ditches beside the fields gurgles, reflecting the sky and clouds. Flowers bloom on the ridges of the fields, egrets fly gracefully, and farmers work, accompanied by the occasional singing of birds, creating a peaceful atmosphere.
There is a world of difference between this place and the north of Wuzhou.
Jilei Mountain is shrouded in clouds and mist all day long, as if overlooking the vast earth. The mountain is steep, with peaks and ridges one after another, and the cliffs are as if they were carved by knives and axes, reaching into the sky.
There are thunder and lightning in the mountains all year round, and the name Jilei Mountain comes from the power of heaven and earth.
Above the mountainside, there are rugged rocks, clouds and mist, and an oppressive cold air, as if it is isolated from the hustle and bustle of the world, becoming a secluded secret place.
After leaving the chestnut horse at a farmer's house at the foot of the mountain, Xu Yunfan followed the stone steps up the mountain, passed through the continuous jungle, and when he reached the middle of Jilei Mountain, his view suddenly opened up.
The dark red rocks on the hillside look like they were split by a giant axe, with seven hundred and thirty stone steps carved out of the thousand-foot cliff. Each step is soaked in the black and brown color of the years. From time to time, you can see a broken bronze cicada sculpture covered with moss beside the stone steps.
When Xu Yunfan crushed the last step of bluestone, he suddenly saw a torii-shaped mountain gate with the three characters "Tian Chan Gate" written on it. The gold-plated color of the characters had long faded with the passage of time.
Even the mountain gate, Xu Yunfan could clearly see, was a mixture of old and new, and was obviously rebuilt on the basis of the original broken foundation.
"Stop."
A caltrop suddenly popped out from the crevice of the rock. When Xu Yunfan dodged sideways, the hairs on the back of his neck were stirred by the cold tip of the sword.
The woman wielding a long sword as thin as a cicada's wing was wearing a cicada-patterned outfit, her left eye covered with black silk, and the burn scar on her right cheek spread to her collarbone.
Xu Yunfan did not move, allowing the long sword to point at the back of his neck.
This sword is too soft and not tough enough to break his horizontal attack.
Xu Yunfan said, "I'm here to become your disciple."
"Become my disciple?"
The woman was a little surprised, but she didn't move her sword away and looked at Xu Yunfan.
"Since you already possess martial arts skills, at least at the level of a martial artist, why would you come to Tianchan Sect to become their disciple?"
"I have the Tianchan Sect token here. Liu Tianyun pushed me here."
Xu Yunfan took out a token from his arms and handed it behind him.
"Blood Cicada Order?"
The force with which she lifted the token with the tip of her sword was so precise that there was no sound at all, but the broken thumb joint revealed an old injury.
After confirming that everything was correct, he finally moved the sword away and fiddled with the token in his hand with a complicated expression.
Xu Yunfan turned around and saw that the woman's complex expression quickly calmed down.
"I'm Lin Hanyi. Come with me to see Master and we'll make the final decision."
As Xu Yunfan passed through the mountain gate and crossed the martial arts arena, he saw three young men fighting each other. Their ankles were tied with worn bronze chains, and when they punched, the chains stretched like bowstrings.
The thinnest one was suddenly thrown towards the stone pillar, but rolled over at the moment of impact, and the muscles on his bruised back were twisted like old tree roots.
These young men have quite good aptitudes. At a young age, they have already entered the martial arts world and activated their blood.
After a quick glance, Xu Yunfan stopped paying attention and followed Lin Hanyi across the martial arts field.
Lin Hanyi suddenly grabbed Xu Yunfan's wrist, and the calluses on his palm scratched him painfully. "Don't be too talkative when you meet Senior Brother later. I'll do the talking."
Xu Yunfan had no objection, but just kept looking at the Tianchan Sect.
Although it was cleaned very well, it still couldn't hide its shabby, shabby and cold appearance.
When it was first built at Xuanyue Gate in Cangwu Mountain, the gate alone was made of copper, the plaque was inscribed with large gold-plated characters, and the gate was painted vermilion.
The disciples gathered in groups of three or five, responding to each other's calls.
When Lin Hanyi saw Xu Yunfan looking around, a hint of uneasiness flashed across his face, and he said, "My Tianchan Sect doesn't pay much attention to appearances, practicality is enough."
After passing the main hall and arriving at the backyard, a lotus pond that seemed to complement each other came into view. A man in green by the pond heard the noise and turned back. The jade pendant on his waist and the scroll in his hand complemented each other beautifully. "Big Brother!"
After Lin Hanyi stepped forward and saluted, he explained the origin of Xu Yunfan behind him and handed the token to the eldest brother.
"This is the eldest brother, Ning Wuque."
Xu Yunfan readily followed suit and said, "Greetings, Senior Brother."
Ning Wuque smiled like a piece of warm black jade, stroking the token in his hand.
"So it was Uncle Liu who recommended him here to become my disciple. I haven't seen him in many years, so I don't know how he's doing."
Xu Yunfan said, "He's doing pretty well."
Ning Wuque nodded slightly and said with a smile, "That's good. It's a coincidence that Master is currently regulating his breathing. It will probably take a cup of tea. Why don't you sit down for a while?"
Xu Yunfan glanced at Lin Hanyi. Lin Hanyi was silent for a moment and nodded in agreement.
It seems that the atmosphere in Tianchanmen today is a little off.
"Junior Sister, serve the guests tea."
When Ning Wuque turned around and called out, the silver chain on his wrist jingled slightly, and a goose-yellow figure hiding behind a tree came out, revealing her calf with a dagger tied to it under her silk skirt.
Chu Xuan came over with a ceramic bowl in her hand, talking and laughing. When her fingertips rubbed the edge of the bowl, half a piece of medicinal powder the size of a fingernail dissolved into the tea.
She raised her head and blinked, her almond-shaped eyes sparkling with tears. "My brothers have worked hard in training, so I specially added astragalus. Come and have some, guest."
Lin Hanyi suddenly grabbed the tea bowl and drank it all in one gulp. As his throat rolled, the veins on the side of his neck bulged.
The porcelain bowl shattered on the bluestone, and she stared with her one eye at the powder bag that fell from her junior sister's sleeve.
"The fifth time."
"I didn't do it on purpose."
Chu Xuan grabbed Ning Wuque's sleeve with tears in her eyes, but her left hand, hidden behind her back, made a throat-slitting gesture towards Xu Yunfan.
Xu Yunfan's expression didn't change at all, but he felt a little strange in his heart because the hostility of this junior sister was always inexplicable.
Ning Wuque smiled helplessly and said, "Junior sister is Master's daughter. She has been spoiled since she was a child, but she is not a bad person by nature. Don't blame me, Brother Xu."
"Senior Brother"
Chu Xuan pushed Ning Wuque's shoulder coquettishly, somewhat unwillingly. Where Ning Wuque couldn't see, she raised her chin slightly and looked smugly at Lin Hanyi, who had a bad complexion, and Xu Yunfan, who had an expressionless face.
Too much green tea.
A cup of tea passed in a flash, with Ning Wuque doing most of the talking. Lin Hanyi would occasionally say something, and there was a hint of sarcasm in Chu Xuan's voice, which was clearly directed at Xu Yunfan.
Lin Hanyi timed it right and said, "Big Brother, is it about time?"
Ning Wuque nodded slightly and handed the token over: "Just take it with you."
Lin Hanyi nodded without saying anything, and took Xu Yunfan past the two of them and through the corridor.
Looking at Xu Yunfan's back, Ning Wuque slowly stood up, an inexplicable gleam flashed in his eyes, and his smiling expression calmed down.
"Brother, that guy picked a good time to come."
Chu Xuan was a little distressed: "We have to find a way to get rid of him."
"He was recommended by Uncle Liu, so don't say anything."
After passing through the corridor, Xu Yunfan finally met the current leader of Tianchan Sect, Chen Tiangang, in front of the portrait of the founder hanging in the back hall of Tianchan Sect.