Daqin arrests alchemists, what does it matter to me as a qi refiner?

The old man, dressed in a white robe and holding a long cane, wore a warm smile. He slowly landed in front of the crowd and gracefully leaped down from the crane's back.

"Young people, welcome to this magical realm." The old man's voice was loud and clear, full of energy.

Upon seeing this, Ying Zheng and the others quickly stepped forward and bowed. Ying Zheng respectfully asked, "May I ask your honorable title, senior? We are cultivators from the mortal realm, new to your esteemed place, and we hope that you will be so kind as to enlighten us."

The old man stroked his long beard and smiled, “I am the guardian of this place, you may call me True Man White Crane. Your arrival here is all due to fate. However, the Immortal Realm is not a place that everyone can set foot in at will. You must undergo a trial before you can truly enter this place.”

"A test?" Yang Ling asked curiously. "What kind of test are you referring to, senior?"

Master Baihe smiled slightly and pointed to a mountain peak in the distance: "That mountain peak is called Trial Peak. There is a thousand-year-old spiritual tree growing on its summit. You must climb to the summit before sunset and pick a spiritual fruit from the tree. This will be your test."

Following the direction pointed out by Master Baihe, everyone saw that the Trial Peak soared into the clouds, with steep cliffs, making it no easy task to climb. But having come this far, they naturally wouldn't give up easily.

"We are willing to accept the test," Ying Zheng said on behalf of everyone.

Master Baihe nodded, then reminded them, "The Trial Peak is fraught with danger, so you must act with caution. Furthermore, only those with unwavering resolve and kind hearts can pass the test. I wish you good luck."

After saying this, Master Baihe rode on a white crane and drifted away.

After Master Baihe departed, Yang Ling and the others gathered together and began to carefully discuss the detailed plan for climbing the Trial Peak.

"The terrain of Trial Peak is complex, we must be careful," Yang Ling reminded them, his gaze sweeping across each person's face, seeing only determination and anticipation.

“That’s right, and time is of the essence,” Xu Fu added. “We need to set off as soon as possible, but we must not take unnecessary risks.”

Everyone nodded, the atmosphere tense and solemn.

With Yang Ling's command, the group slowly began to advance towards the Trial Peak. The mountain path was rugged, and every step required utmost caution.

"Watch your step, everyone!" Yang Ling reminded them from time to time.

Bai Wei followed closely behind Yang Ling, her eyes sharp, constantly alert to any movement around them. Zi Ya and Qiu Shui walked side by side, supporting each other.

Soon after, they came to a steep cliff.

“This place requires climbing with your bare hands,” Yang Ling said after observing the area.

"No problem, I'll go first!" Ziya was eager to try and took the lead in climbing.

Qiu Shui followed closely behind, and she turned to the crowd and said, "Be careful, don't be impatient, take it one step at a time."

During their climb, they were suddenly attacked by a ferocious monster.

"Everyone be careful, there's a monster!" Bai Wei sensed the danger immediately.

Yang Ling swiftly gave instructions: "Xu Fu, you and Li Si prepare to engage in battle. The rest of you, continue climbing and do not stop!"

In the fierce battle, Xu Fu and Li Si successfully repelled the monster.

After a difficult climb, the group finally reached the summit of Trial Peak. They saw the legendary thousand-year-old spirit tree and the crystal-clear spirit fruits hanging from it. "Great! We've finally reached the summit!" Ziya shouted excitedly.

Bai Wei also smiled with relief: "Yes, it really wasn't easy."

Xu Fu then walked to the spirit tree and carefully examined the spirit fruits: "These spirit fruits are very magical, I wonder what kind of power they contain."

Yang Ling cautiously stepped forward, preparing to pick the legendary spiritual fruit. He slowly reached out and gently plucked one. The spiritual fruit was crystal clear, shimmering with an alluring luster like a pearl, while emitting a refreshing fragrance.

"Look, we succeeded!" Yang Ling held the spirit fruit high, his face beaming with the joy of victory. "We truly passed the test of True Immortal White Crane!"

Everyone gathered around, excitedly watching the spiritual fruit in Yang Ling's hand.

"Great! We've finally found this spiritual fruit!" Ziya jumped up excitedly.

"Yes, it really wasn't easy," Bai Wei said with emotion, her eyes sparkling with pride and joy.

However, just as they were celebrating, Trial Peak suddenly trembled. Everyone was startled, and then they saw a beam of light shoot into the sky from the summit, piercing the clouds as if it were about to tear through the heavens.

"What's going on?" Ying Zheng immediately became alert, looking around to try to find the reason for the anomaly.

Yang Ling gripped the spiritual fruit tightly, a determined glint in his eyes: "It seems that this Trial Peak holds even greater secrets waiting for us to uncover."

Everyone was drawn to Yang Ling's words and turned their gaze towards the beam of light shooting into the sky. Guided by the beam, they arrived at the entrance to a mysterious cave. Ancient runes were engraved on the stone walls on both sides of the cave, and although these runes had been eroded by countless years, they still shimmered faintly.

“These runes…” Xu Fu stared wide-eyed, leaning closer to the stone wall to examine them closely. “They seem to be telling an ancient story, which may be related to the secrets of the Trial Peak.”

Hearing Xu Fu's words, everyone curiously gathered around. Bai Wei nervously swallowed, gazing at the dim and mysterious cave entrance, and asked somewhat fearfully, "Should we... go in?"

Yang Ling took a deep breath, looked at everyone, and nodded, saying, "Now that we've come this far, we can't give up halfway. I believe there must be a deeper secret hidden in this cave."

Encouraged by Yang Ling, the group mustered their courage and entered the cave. The cave was dark and mysterious; they could only proceed by the faint light of the runes. As they went deeper, the air became thinner and the temperature gradually dropped, and a sense of unknown dread enveloped everyone.

Suddenly, a huge stone gate appeared ahead, with a dazzling gem embedded in it, radiating a brilliant light, as if guiding them to a mysterious world.

"This...this is the legendary gate to the immortal realm?" Ziya exclaimed in astonishment, his eyes filled with disbelief.

Yang Ling stared intently at the dazzling gem, seemingly sensing the immense power contained within it, and said with certainty, "Indeed, this is our destination."

However, just as they were about to pass through the gate to the immortal realm, a dark figure suddenly attacked from the shadows. Caught off guard, everyone retreated. Ying Zheng reacted swiftly, shouting, "Who goes there?!" At the same time, he drew his longsword and assumed a defensive stance.

The shadowy figure gradually revealed its true form, turning out to be a gigantic black demonic beast. Its eyes flashed with ferocity, revealing sharp fangs, seemingly unwilling to let the group pass through the gates of the celestial realm easily.

"Everyone be careful!" Yang Ling immediately warned, "This monster might be difficult to deal with."

A fierce battle to the death is about to unfold. The roar of the demonic beast is deafening. Everyone draws their weapons, preparing for battle. Ziya, as the captain, shouts, "Everyone, get ready!" brandishing his longsword. "This demonic beast is no ordinary creature; we must work together to defeat it!" (End of Chapter)