The memories of all humanity are awakening, except for mine.

After flying for about an hour, the outline of Tianzhu Peak gradually became clear.

The crane suddenly descended and flew close to the steep mountainside.

Jiang Chuan knew that this meant bypassing the protective array at the front of the mountain and entering from the back.

The fog grew thicker and thicker, reducing visibility to less than ten feet.

The cranes nimbly navigated among the jagged rocks, sometimes flapping their wings and soaring high, sometimes swooping down and making sharp turns.

Jiang Chuan had to hold on tightly to the crane's feathers to avoid being thrown off.

The crane spread its wings and passed through the invisible barrier, and Jiang Chuan felt that the view before him suddenly opened up.

As the clouds and mist dissipated, a magnificent landscape unfolded before our eyes. The verdant mountains rose and fell like the spine of a dragon, vines intertwined to form a natural net, and waterfalls cascaded down the cliffs, resembling a white serpent winding through the mountains.

"Is this what Tianzhu Peak truly looks like?"

Jiang Chuan murmured to himself, feeling the rich spiritual energy wafting towards him.

With each breath, it felt as if countless tiny streams of energy were entering my pores and flowing joyfully through my meridians.

Compared to Zuowang Peak, the concentration of spiritual energy here is much higher.

With a long cry, the crane soared into the sky along the winding mountain path.

Jiang Chuan gripped the crane's feathers tightly, feeling the wind whistling past his ears.

At the end of the mountain path, an ancient and magnificent palace stands in the clouds, with a faint golden light flowing between the green tiles and flying eaves, exuding supreme Taoist charm.

"arrive."

The crane spoke in human language and slowly landed on the basalt-paved plaza.

Jiang Chuan rolled over and landed, feeling a solid touch beneath his feet.

At the four corners of the square, four lifelike statues of mythical beasts stand—the Vermilion Bird spreads its wings as if about to take flight, the Black Tortoise stands firm as a mountain, the Azure Dragon coils among the clouds, and the White Tiger roars, creating a gust of wind. Each statue exudes a chilling aura of power.

Nearly a hundred disciples had gathered in the square, chatting in small groups.

Jiang Chuan's gaze swept across the crowd and he quickly spotted Su Wen, Wang Han, Fang Sheng, and others.

"Jiang Chuan! Over here!"

Su Wen waved to him.

Jiang Chuan walked over quickly, and before he could speak, Wang Han lowered his voice and said.

"Why are you so late? The trial is about to begin."

"The cranes are flying a little slowly."

Jiang Chuan smiled and looked around.

Where is Jiang Wei?

Su Wen leaned closer, his voice barely audible.

"I was urgently recalled to Gaojing three days ago. I heard that something happened at the royal family."

Jiang Chuan frowned slightly. Jiang Wei came from a prominent family and had close ties with the royal family; his recall at this time was likely...
"quiet!"

An aged yet powerful voice resounded throughout the square.

Everyone immediately fell silent. On the steps of the main hall, the Supreme Elder Dai Yongde stood with his hands behind his back.

His hair and beard were all white, but his face was as rosy as a baby's. His gray-white Taoist robe fluttered without wind, and there was a faint radiance flowing around him.

Jiang Chuan recognized the old man who had guided them into the mountains in Longhai County and quickly bowed in respect.

"Jiang Chuan, a disciple of Zuowang Peak, pays respects to the Supreme Elder!"

Dai Yongde's gaze lingered on Jiang Chuan for a moment before he nodded slightly.

"No gift."

After all the disciples had finished their greetings, Dai Yongde cleared his throat and spoke.

"Today's trial is crucial to whether you can enter the Immortal Sect's secret realm for cultivation. The secret realm is rich in spiritual energy, contains countless rare and precious materials, and even contains the inheritance left by ancient immortals."

A commotion erupted in the square, and the disciples' eyes blazed with desire.

"Quiet!"

Dai Yongde gave a soft shout, which was as loud as thunder.

"The number of places in the secret realm is limited, and only those who pass the trial can enter."

With a flick of his sleeve, a golden light unfolded in the air, transforming into regular characters.

"In the first round of trials, you will all have to spar with me. Those who can get close and withstand three moves will pass."

"what?"

"How can this be!"

"That's a Supreme Elder!"

Doubts arose one after another. Dai Yongde was one of the top experts of Tianzhu Peak, with unfathomable cultivation. Ordinary disciples could not even withstand a single move from him, let alone get close.

Dai Yongde remained unmoved.

"The path of cultivation is inherently defying the heavens. If you don't even have this much courage, you might as well quit now."

Before he finished speaking, he had already gracefully landed in the center of the square and stood with his hands behind his back.

"let's start."

After a brief silence, someone shouted "Go!" and nearly a hundred disciples rushed towards Dai Yongde.

Sword light, talismans, and spells—all sorts of attack methods were unleashed, instantly making the plaza radiant with light.

Jiang Chuan did not rush forward, but stood still to observe.

Su Wen pulled him up.

"What are you daydreaming about? If you don't act now, you'll miss your chance!"

"Wait, something's wrong."

Jiang Chuan narrowed his eyes.

"The Supreme Elder is not that simple."

As expected, when faced with the surging disciples, Dai Yongde simply lifted his foot and stomped it in mid-air.

"Taiji Xuanqing Diagram, open!"

boom--

A giant Tai Chi symbol unfolded on the plaza, its black and white colors swirling endlessly, instantly covering the entire area. All the disciples rushing to the front felt their feet sink into the void, as if they were stepping on cotton, their bodies becoming unsteady.

"what happened?"

"My spiritual power is not working!"

"The ground is moving!"

Amid cries of alarm, Dai Yongde landed on his feet. In an instant, an invisible force field swept across the entire area, and his disciples fell in droves like wheat being harvested.

Even more terrifying, the solid ground began to undulate and flow like water, making it impossible to even stand.

"Is this... Tai Chi?"

Jiang Chuan's pupils contracted slightly as he recalled Lin Xiao's teachings in the Purple Bamboo Forest.

As the sun set that day, the purple bamboo swayed in the breeze. Lin Xiao looked at the exhausted Jiang Chuan and sighed softly.

“You travel back and forth between Zuowang Peak and the main peak every day, which consumes too much of your energy. I will teach you a Tai Chi technique that can borrow the power of heaven and earth to overcome hardness with softness.”

In my memory, Lin Xiao held his arms outstretched as if embracing the sun and moon.

"Tai Chi embodies the balance of Yin and Yang. By perceiving changes in the surrounding forces and acting accordingly, one can remain invincible."

"Jiang Chuan! Why are you still standing?"

Fang Sheng's exclamation brought Jiang Chuan back to reality.

He then realized that there was no one else standing in the square except for himself.

Dai Yongde cast a glance over, his gaze carrying a hint of approval.

"good."

Jiang Chuan had no time to respond, as he was focused entirely on sensing the changes in the terrain.

As he circulated his Tai Chi energy, he could "see" the ground undulating like water ripples—rising and falling every three breaths, with a faint fluctuation of spiritual energy preceding each rise and fall.

"Su Wen! Wang Han!"

Jiang Chuan shouted.

"Feel the ground undulating, complete a cycle in three breaths, and rise when the wave troughs!"

Dai Yongde raised an eyebrow.

"Oh? You can even give advice to others?"

Jiang Chuan had no time to pay attention to anything else, focusing instead on guiding his companions.

Imagine you are standing on the water, drifting with the current, without resisting.

Gradually, Su Wen was the first to struggle to his knees, followed by Wang Han. Seeing this, the other disciples followed suit, but only a dozen or so were able to maintain their balance.

"time up."

Dai Yongde suddenly spoke up.

"Those who can stand up, you've passed the first hurdle."

Dai Yongde's fist came too fast. Jiang Chuan felt a darkness before his eyes and was sent flying like a kite with a broken string.

His back slammed heavily onto the hard bluestone slab of the square, making his internal organs tremble.

"Cough, cough, cough."

Jiang Chuan coughed violently, struggling to get up.

Strangely, despite being thrown so far, I didn't experience the intense pain I had expected.

He touched his chest; there wasn't even a bruise. "Senior Brother Dai went easy on me."

Jiang Chuan knew perfectly well that if the other party had gone all out, he would probably be a corpse by now.

"Jiangchuan! Be careful!"

Fang Sheng's roar suddenly came from the right.

Before Jiang Chuan could react, he felt something sweep his ankle away, causing him to lose his balance again.

He instinctively reached out and grabbed wildly, accidentally grabbing Fang Sheng's collar. The two of them tumbled together and slid a long way across the square.

"Holy crap!"

Fang Sheng was pinned underneath, wincing in pain.

"Can't you fucking keep an eye on things?!"

Jiang Chuan hurriedly scrambled off Fang Sheng, his face full of apology.

"I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to."

Fang Sheng rubbed his lower back as he stood up and glared angrily at Dai Yongde in the center of the square.

"Senior Brother Dai! This is so unethical! You promised three moves, and you sent him flying with the first move. Now you're launching a sneak attack? What kind of skill is it to bully us newcomers!"

Dai Yongde stood with his hands behind his back, his black robe swaying gently in the breeze.

He wore a half-smile on his face, but his eyes were as cold as ice.

"Junior Brother Fang, the cultivation world is a dog-eat-dog world. Do you think your enemies will talk about martial ethics?"

Jiang Chuan quietly tugged at Fang Sheng's sleeve and whispered.

"Don't even mention it, all of us combined are no match for Senior Brother Dai."

Fang Sheng snorted indignantly, but didn't say anything more.

Jiang Chuan was right. Dai Yongde was the most outstanding young man in the sect. It was said that he had already reached the threshold of the Golden Core stage. Dealing with these newly initiated cultivators was like a strong man toying with children.

"Jiangchuan."

Dai Yongde suddenly called out names.

"Don't just stand there, take the initiative and attack."

Jiang Chuan swallowed, feeling his throat dry and sore.

He tried to calm his wildly beating heart. The bluestone slabs beneath his feet seemed to have some strange rhythm, trembling slightly as if they were alive.

He tried to focus his mind and sense it, but could only catch vague traces.

"I...I can't do it."

Jiang Chuan's forehead was covered in fine beads of sweat.

Dai Yongde shook his head in disappointment and turned his gaze to the other disciples.

"Wang Han, come here."

Not far away, a tall young man was lying steadily on the square, his hands pressed firmly against the ground, as if he had become one with the bluestone slab.

Upon hearing Dai Yongde call his name, he slowly raised his head, his eyes gleaming.

"Yes, senior brother."

Wang Han's movements were slow, but every step he took was extremely steady.

Jiang Chuan was surprised to find that Wang Han seemed to have completely adapted to the rhythm of the square, and walked without any hesitation.

Dai Yongde's eyes showed approval.

"Not bad, you can stand up now."

"Where is Su?"

Another tall, thin young man stood up unsteadily, his face pale.

"Senior brother...it's me."

“Not bad.”

Dai Yongde gave a nonchalant comment, then looked at Fang Sheng and Zhang Baoyi.

“You two are even worse; you can’t even keep your balance.”

Fang Sheng pursed his lips and muttered under his breath.

Who cares?

As time went on, more and more disciples began to adapt to the special environment of the square.

Jiang Chuan felt the tremors beneath his feet lessen somewhat. He tentatively took a step, and then surprisingly, he managed to stand firmly on his second step!
"it is good!"

Dai Yongde suddenly raised his voice.

"Those of you who can stand up, come at me! Let me see what you're made of!"

The square erupted in an uproar. The dozen or so disciples who had already taken their positions looked at each other in confusion. Someone shouted "Go!" and the crowd rushed towards Dai Yongde as if they had been injected with adrenaline.

"Come on!"

"beat him!"

“There is strength in numbers!”

Jiang Chuan was also swept away by this passion and rushed forward with the crowd.

However, when he was still three zhang away from Dai Yongde, an invisible force suddenly wrapped around his legs.

Jiang Chuan was horrified to find his body uncontrollably tilting to one side, bumping right into Wang Han and Su Wen, who were also tripped up.

"what!"

"Fuck!"

"Who stepped on me!"

The three of them tumbled together in a sorry state. Before they could even get up, they felt a gentle force lift them up and send them flying, landing lightly ten feet away.

"That's it?"

Dai Yongde stood in the center of the square, not even the hem of his clothes was ruffled.

"Come again!"

Jiang Chuan rubbed his sore bottom and got up. This time he learned his lesson and didn't rush forward rashly.

He carefully observed Dai Yongde's stance and movements, and found that the other party always maintained a peculiar rhythm, with his breathing completely synchronized with the tremors of the square.

"Senior Brother Wang."

"Jiang Chuan whispered to Wang Han beside him.

"Have you noticed that Senior Brother Dai's movements are in sync with the rhythm of the square?"

Wang Han looked surprised.

"You feel it too?"

Su Wen rubbed his calf, which had been accidentally kicked by Jiang Chuan, and grimaced.

"What are you two whispering about? Are you going to go or not? If not, I'll go!"

After saying that, he limped forward, but Dai Yongde easily dodged him with a sidestep and then kicked him in the butt.

Su Wen let out a "whoosh" and flew out, landing face down on the bluestone slab and sliding a long way.

"Hahaha!"

The other disciples burst into laughter.

Su Wen got up, his face turning red and then pale, and roared at Jiang Chuan and Wang Han.

"Are you two watching a show?!"

Jiang Chuan and Wang Han exchanged a glance and nodded in tacit agreement.

This time, instead of charging blindly, they followed Dai Yongde's example and adjusted their breathing, trying to synchronize with the rhythm of the square.

"Three, two, one, now!"

The two men exerted their strength simultaneously, flanking Dai Yongde from the left and right. Dai Yongde's eyes showed surprise, but then a playful smile appeared on his face.

He swayed his body, easily dodging Wang Han's straight punch, while simultaneously clawing at Jiang Chuan's wrist with his right hand.

Jiang Chuan felt a numbness in his wrist, and then his entire arm went numb.

Dai Yongde pulled him along, and he stumbled forward, bumping right into Wang Han who was turning back to help.

"Ouch!"

"careful!"

The two tumbled together again, this time even more disheveled than before. Dai Yongde stood aside, shaking his head and sighing.

"The teamwork is good, but the speed is too slow and the power is insufficient."

As the sun rose higher and higher, the temperature in the square increased.

Sweat streamed down Jiang Chuan's forehead, blurring his vision.

He wiped his hands with the back of his hand and found that more than twenty disciples were already able to stand steadily.

Dai Yongde seemed to have noticed this as well. He formed a hand seal, and the tremors in the square noticeably decreased.

More disciples seized the opportunity to stand up, their eyes filled with eagerness.

"last chance."

Dai Yongde looked around at everyone.

"Let's go together."

This time, more than twenty disciples rushed towards Dai Yongde from all directions at the same time.

Jiang Chuan mingled in the crowd, his heart pounding like a drum. (End of Chapter)