Am I the old man who's always by my apprentices' side?

Chapter 259 Ascending the Immortal Path (Part 2)
Grand Tutor Qi Ang was the only Grand Master in the Xiao Kingdom. He was the one who single-handedly turned the tide and saved the country from being destroyed by the Southern Chu Kingdom, which had been ruined by the late emperor.

By all accounts, Grand Tutor Qi is already over a hundred years old, and has been living in seclusion in Yan for many years, having long since withdrawn from worldly affairs.

Unexpectedly, this Immortal Destiny Gathering has actually alarmed the old man, and even...

Are you still sitting here?

Pei Zhao was somewhat puzzled: "Why didn't Grand Tutor Qi go to the Immortal Fate Banquet, but instead stayed here?"

Qi Ang chuckled and said, "I'm already in the grave, so it doesn't matter whether I eat at this Immortal Fate Feast or not. Let the young martial artists enjoy it. Who knows, Xiao Kingdom might produce another new Grandmaster."

Pei Zhao nodded, saying only, "So that's how it is..."

In truth, he felt that Grand Tutor Qi's actions were meaningless. After all, the Immortal Path was gradually flourishing, while the Martial Path was visibly declining. What difference would it make if there were ten more Grandmasters?

I'm afraid even a hundred grandmasters might not be able to compare to a few low-level cultivators!

Qi Ang knew exactly what Pei Zhao was thinking, but since they were not close friends, why bother with anything more? So they tacitly avoided the topic and talked about other things instead.

On the other side, Shi Yizhi was still climbing.

He had lost count of how many steps he had climbed and how many times he had passed the platform where the wooden box appeared—perhaps ten times, perhaps eleven.

Apart from meeting Gao Wencai, whom he knew at the beginning, he didn't encounter any other acquaintances afterward, and just climbed the steps alone in silence.

In the first few times on the platform, he occasionally encountered people fighting over the "Immortal's Gift". But soon, from the seventh or eighth time onwards, it felt as if he was carrying a thousand-pound stone on his back and a mountain was pressing on his chest. He had to pant for a long time after each step, as if something was watching him and pressing down on him, preventing him from moving forward.

At this point, the platform they passed by was no longer a place to store the treasures that everyone coveted, but instead became a place for everyone to rest. Sometimes, strangers would share the tea and food they carried with them, and sometimes someone would break down and cry, and everyone would offer a few words of comfort.

Everyone is exhausted by now. The physical exhaustion is not the most painful part; the real torment is the mental exhaustion.

Once you reach the platform, you can see other people and breathe a sigh of relief, feeling like you're still alive. But once you leave the platform and step onto the golden steps, the surrounding fog will trap you on the steps.

There was no one else, no animals, and no sound whatsoever.

Apart from his own breathing, Shi Yizhi could not hear any other sound, not even the sound of the wind.

Sometimes he felt like he had been climbing for several days, or even several years, but his reason told him that he had probably only walked for a few hours.

At least the light hidden behind the white mist above his head told him that the sun was still high in the sky.

Upon climbing onto another platform, Shi Yizhi finally saw a familiar face again.

"Brother Yi, what a coincidence."

Jiang Wanli, who was usually very talkative, was now listless and weak. He even collapsed to the ground without regard for his image, and didn't even stand up to greet Shi Yizhi.

Brother Jiang.

As Shi Yizhi spoke, he slightly shook his arm.

He originally wanted to raise his hand in a gesture of respect, but he was too tired and couldn't lift his arm, so he gave up the formality.

The platform isn't actually any more comfortable than the steps; the feeling of having leaden limbs is the same. It's just that the platform is a large open space where people can sit down and rest, which is why it always attracts a lot of people.

Shi Yizhi had also sat on the ground before—he had done so in the military camp.

But he really had no courage to do something like Jiang Wanli lying directly on the ground...

However, looking at Jiang Wanli's expression, which seemed both painful and relaxed, he was really tempted, so he lay down next to Jiang Wanli.

It wasn't any easier.

The mountain still weighs on my chest, and the stones still weigh on my back.

But this is, after all, a posture with limbs outstretched and ground support, which is probably a way of comforting myself, and it feels somewhat more comfortable.

The two lay there for a long time when Jiang Wanli suddenly said, "Brother Yi, I think I can't get up."

Shi Yizhi tried to stand up, but after struggling for a long time, he still couldn't resist his own laziness. He tilted his head slightly, glanced at Jiang Wanli who had no expression, and calmly replied, "Me too."

Jiang Wanli added, "It's a bit of a pity to give up like this."

Master Yi replied, "Indeed."

"Besides, it would be too embarrassing to fail the first trial."

"Yes."

"To be honest, my initial goal was to visit various martial arts sects, hoping to combine their strengths and create a unique martial arts technique. In that way, I could hold my head high and stand in the Chu court to speak up for all the martial artists in Chu."

"Brother Jiang, what is your cultivation level?"

"I'm ashamed to say I'm only an eighth-rank official."

"Then you're being a bit delusional."

"is a bit."

After Jiang Wanli finished speaking, Shi Yizhi did not respond, and the two fell into an awkward silence again.

After a long pause, Jiang Wanli spoke again: "Brother Yi, why did you come to participate in the Immortal Destiny Conference?"

Shi Yizhi replied, “I am the only male left in my family. My grandmother wants me to learn martial arts to revitalize the family business, but I feel that there is no future in martial arts. Cultivating immortality is the only way forward.”

Jiang Wanli said, "That makes sense. I also felt that creating a martial arts technique didn't sound as impressive as creating an immortal technique, which is why I chose to try my luck at the Immortal Destiny Conference!"

Upon hearing this, Shi Yizhi opened his mouth, wanting to say something like, "You might not even be able to pass the Immortal Destiny Assembly, how dare you think about creating some kind of immortal cultivation technique..." But whether it was because he was too tired or because Jiang Wanli's idea was too absurd, Shi Yizhi did not say what he was thinking. Instead, he remained silent for a moment and then suddenly said, "Actually, my surname is not Yi, it is Shi."

"When you're out in the world, you choose your own identity. What your surname is doesn't matter. Anyway, I'm befriending you as a person, not just a name..."

Jiang Wanli rambled on for a while, then suddenly paused, and then abruptly turned his head: "Your surname is Shi? Could you be a member of the Zhou State Preceptor's army?"

Shi Yi said, "My father is dead, and the emperor is also gone. The Zhou state no longer exists, and the Shi family army no longer exists either."

Jiang Wanli's mouth was a little dry. After thinking for a long time, he finally said dryly, "Please accept my condolences."

Shi Yizhi comforted Jiang Wanli, saying, "It's alright, that happened half a year ago."

After a while, Jiang Wanli spoke up again, saying, "Actually, my family also thinks I'm always daydreaming. Even when I went on my study tour and visited various sects, they still thought I was only doing it to avoid taking the imperial examinations. In reality, I've been traveling around enjoying myself."

Hearing this, Shi Yizhi felt a pang of guilt and became even more embarrassed to speak.

Jiang Wanli may have some strange ambitions, but back then, he did not want to go to the battlefield or take the imperial examinations, so he used the excuse of seeking martial arts instruction from the Jade Void Sect to travel around.

I suppose... my own relatives also know.

"I want to cultivate immortality."

Jiang Wanli seemed to be talking to himself, or perhaps to Shi Yizhi.

“I really want to cultivate immortality. I can tell. Brother Gao and your family are both quite wealthy. Although my family is relatively well-off, the amount of money I've spent over the years is not a small sum... at least not a small sum for my family…”

After rambling on for a while, Jiang Wanli repeated, "I want to cultivate immortality."

His tone was very firm this time.

Then, Shi Yizhi saw Jiang Wanli writhe on the ground like a worm for a long time, then, covered in sweat, slowly kneel up by pushing against the ground with his knees until he stood up again.

Shi Yizhi felt a little embarrassed.

If he wanted to stand up, it would take him ages to writhe like a maggot in a cesspool before he could finally get up, which was really...

Just as Shi Yizhi was still struggling with saving face, his hand suddenly felt wet.

Jiang Wanli, his hands covered in sweat, took Shi Yizhi's hand and then gritted his teeth to lift him up.

As he lifted it, he urged, "Brother Yi, give it your all!"

Shi Yizhi was so moved that tears welled up in his eyes. He no longer cared about saving face. He twisted and turned like an insect, following the strength given by Jiang Wanli. Finally, he found a fulcrum on his buttocks, gritted his teeth and pushed his buttocks up with all his might, and finally "bounced" himself up.

The two men, panting, helped each other up, exchanged a smile, and this time it was Shi Yizhi's turn to speak first: "Brother Jiang, you were like a ticklish scalp just now!"

Jiang Wanli retorted, not to be outdone: "Brother Yi, you are one too!"

The two exchanged a few sarcastic remarks, then burst into laughter, seemingly lightening the unbearable burden they carried.

As they climbed the steps, the two deliberately supported each other, and surprisingly, they didn't separate despite the fog, but instead walked together, which surprised both of them.

With someone by your side, climbing the steps, though painful, was no longer so terrifying. The two encouraged each other and finally, after passing another platform, they saw the end of the golden steps.

It was a cliff face, with thick fog to the left and right. Only forward was a ground paved with shimmering, gold-flecked green jade bricks, completely different from the ground of the platform where "celestial gifts" were placed, which was often seen before.

Upon seeing this touch of green, the two were immediately invigorated.

Having seen so much gold all the way here, Shi Yizhi and Jiang Wanli were almost overjoyed when they finally saw a different colored ground.

Gritting his teeth, he climbed the last few steps, and the surrounding fog finally dissipated, allowing Shi Yizhi to finally see the scene before him.

How can one describe this celestial palace before one's eyes?

In the distance, the majestic palace was shrouded in white mist, and in the distance, there was a square paved with jade tiles.

At the far end of the square, many people were lined up on the left and right, most of them with extraordinary bearing, but the most eye-catching one was the white-haired... immortal in the main seat.

Besides being a god, Shi Yizhi couldn't think of any other word to describe the white-haired man. Although his hair was white, he had no wrinkles on his face and no beard, just like an ordinary young man.

"Now that you two have ascended the 'Ascension Steps,' you are qualified to challenge the Trial Array!"

The two were supporting each other, lost in thought, when they heard a familiar, impatient voice.

Shi Yizhi looked in the direction of the voice and indeed saw the woman in red whom he had met once before at the foot of the mountain. As she spoke, she pointed to a teleportation array not far away and added, "You can rest for a while. A few more people will come out later, and then we'll send you all into the trial array together!"

Seeing that the woman in scarlet was not very friendly, Jiang Wanli, despite having many doubts, did not dare to say anything more. Instead, Shi Yizhi generously cupped his hands and said, "May I ask this immortal master, do you know which number we two are to have climbed the 'Ascension Steps'?"

"How should I know! Who's going to count them!" The woman in crimson rolled her eyes and replied, "Maybe not even a hundred! But it's probably around seventy or eighty!"

Upon hearing the answer, Shi Yizhi felt a surge of displeasure, followed by frustration.

If I hadn't lay down and wasted time, and had climbed up in one go, I might not have been in line for seventy or eighty!
No sooner had the woman in crimson finished speaking than a man with a plain ribbon tied around his eye flew over from a distance. He said to the woman in crimson, "Senior Sister, you've been busy here for a long time, you must be tired. Why don't you go over there and rest for a while? I'll watch over things here!"

"Okay then, you cover my shift for a bit, I'm going to grab something to eat! I've been busy all morning, I'm starving!"

The woman in crimson turned and left without any politeness. The blindfolded man then turned around and said gently to Shi Yizhi and Jiang Wanli, "Senior Sister has been busy since early this morning, so it's understandable that she's in a bad mood. Please bear with her. I overheard what you two were saying earlier. Actually, you are not seventy or eighty, but the twenty-third and twenty-fourth to have climbed the 'Ascension Steps'."

The 23rd and 24th places weren't exactly good rankings, but they were much better than the previous 70th and 80th. Shi Yizhi straightened his chest and bowed to the blindfolded man, saying, "Thank you for your guidance, Immortal Master. My name is Shi Yizhi, and this is my friend Jiang Wanli. May I ask your name, Immortal Master?"

The blindfolded man smiled and replied, "My surname is Ye, and my name is Ye Shuyun. If you become disciples in the future, you can call me Third Senior Brother."

(End of this chapter)