Martial Arts Crossover: The Sweeping Monk of Wudang? That's our patriarch!

He slowly sat up straight, his gaze suddenly sharpening like two icicles piercing the depths of Lin Daochen's soul. After a moment, a smile returned, and he said loudly, "So that's how it is—it was that old fellow Kunlun who brought you here? In that case, I can give you two paths. But before we talk about the fruit, why don't you tell me first: what do you truly want in your heart?"

Lin Daochen was taken aback and couldn't answer for a moment. He had never really thought about it—the only thought burning in his chest at this moment was: to become stronger as quickly as possible.

Lin Daochen stared at the other person's still somewhat childish face. He wanted to call out to him, but the words caught in his throat—he knew neither the person's name nor their origins. In the end, he could only sigh softly and cup his hands in greeting as he asked:

"May I ask your honorable name, senior? I am new to Tianshan and know nothing about your identity. I hope you can enlighten me."

The man leaned casually on the ice-carved jade throne, his eyes like deep, cold pools, scanning Lin Daochen from top to bottom as if assessing the quality of an object.

After a moment, he slowly spoke:

"This ice palace is under my control. People call me 'Immortal,' not because I have actually entered the ranks of immortals, but because I have lived in the Heavenly Mountains for a long time and am untouched by worldly affairs, so I have earned this empty title. If it is convenient for you, you can simply call me 'Immortal of the Heavenly Mountains.'"

Lin Daochen's heart trembled slightly—the word "immortal" was uttered so easily? Was it just a fabrication by the world, or did he have some secret? It was difficult to tell the truth for the moment.

"Very well, since you consider yourself an immortal from Tianshan, I will address you accordingly. As for the Golden Elixir... do you have any left in your palace?"

The immortal of Tianshan slowly shook his head, a faint, almost imperceptible smile appearing at the corner of his lips.

"Golden Elixir Fruit? Such a thing no longer exists in the world. However—" He paused, lightly tapping the armrest with his fingertips, "There is indeed a 'Soul-Condensing Snow Lotus' at the summit of Mount Tianshan. Consuming it can refine the Golden Elixir and temper it to re-condense it. However, it is hidden in the Frosty Abyss Rift Valley, and can only be harvested by using the heart's fire as a guide and bones as a stepping stone."

"No matter the cost, as long as it can help me break through to the next level, I'm willing to bear it!" Lin Daochen blurted out, his voice taut and his eyes burning with desire.

Before the words were finished, a sudden gust of wind arose within the hall, and a silent downpour of snowflakes quickly filled the air, accumulating to a foot deep. The hall doors burst open with a roar, and a line of ice-armored guards strode in through the snow. Their armor, translucent like ancient crystals, gleamed with a chilling silver light…

On the throne, the immortal from Tianshan smiled slightly.

"Alright then—get past my personal guards first. If you can't even defeat them, then going to the Cold Abyss Rift will only be suicide for you. I know you're currently at the mid-stage of the Golden Core realm."

"But what you are looking for is the body transformed from the 'Earth Vein Spirit Stone' that fell a hundred years ago—now a stone giant with the strength to shatter cliffs and the power to freeze souls. Without my test, you won't even be able to step into the valley."

"This isn't meant to make things difficult, it's to save your life. If you can't even defeat the weakest soldier under my command, then you're just going to your death."

Lin Daochen was slightly taken aback. He had previously suspected that Lin Daochen was setting a trap to test him, but now it seemed that Lin Daochen was indeed entrusting him with something.

"Very well! Since you are here to protect me, I will accept this trial. Once I have passed it, please guide me to the Cold Abyss."

He immediately turned around, his gaze sharp as a blade, piercing the row of ice-armored guards. He raised his right hand and lightly hooked his index finger:

"Don't waste time. The winner goes first, the loser stops—all I want is that snow lotus. As long as it can truly help me break through, everything else is secondary."

"When the matter is accomplished, I, Lin, will certainly repay you handsomely."

Upon hearing this, the immortal of Tianshan's lips twitched almost imperceptibly, a smile that was neither a smile nor a frown. He remained silent for a long while, then suddenly raised his eyes, his gaze as cold as a frost-covered blade:

"According to seniority, you are the junior, and I shouldn't hold it against you. But I've recently heard that you had a falling out with the Immortal Kunlun, and your words were rather inappropriate."

"In the cultivation world, hierarchy is as imposing as mountains; transgressing it leads to chaos. Tell me—should I give you this face today?"

The voice grew deeper and colder, and Lin Daochen felt a chill run down his spine, but he didn't take a step back. He clearly understood that this was a warning shot, and naturally he wouldn't bow his head to accept the humiliation.

Straighten your back, fix your gaze on the other person's eyes like a nail:

"Immortal of Tianshan, you are a senior, and I should respect you. But after hearing your words, I feel that the title of 'senior' may not be worthy of my respect."

After saying this, he turned and left, flicking his sleeves, without giving the throne another glance.

The immortal from Tianshan paused, his eyebrows slightly raised—he hadn't expected this young man to be so resolute, and his tone sharper than a blade.

That's interesting. The younger generation these days is truly pushing the old aside. Since you have such a competitive spirit, I'll make an exception for you today.

I will pretend I didn't see your disrespect towards the Kunlun Immortal; but now that you've stepped into my territory, you must be properly courteous, otherwise... how can the title of the Heavenly Mountain Immortal be given for nothing?

Lin Daochen listened, his expression somber, but he still nodded. These senior masters had already reached the pinnacle of cultivation, and their minds were as clear as a mirror. But no matter how detached they were, they could not help but maintain a certain dignity.

He shook his head slightly, but still agreed to the words of the immortal from Tianshan.

After all, he is a true senior, and we must show him the respect due to him.

Following the slender figure, Lin Daochen was led to a magnificent hall deep within the ice and snow palace.

Outside, there was bone-chilling frost and millennia-old ice crystals, but inside it was completely different—all that could be seen were dark black stones with a dull, matte finish, like a frozen night or an abyss with its eyes closed.

Lin Daochen paused for a moment, but did not stop. Instead, he quickened his pace—the Heavenly Mountain Immortal was already standing in front of him, his back as faint as a thin mist.

"Damn it! This old senior is too fast. He's already far away in the blink of an eye..." His heart tightened, and his immortal energy surged suddenly. He tried to catch up with the wind, but no matter how hard he tried, he was still a foot behind.

As he rushed to the marker stone, the Heavenly Mountain Immortal suddenly swayed, disappearing without a trace, like ink dripping into water.

Lin Daochen quickly turned around and looked around, scanning the area within ten feet with his divine sense, but he couldn't detect even a trace of aura.

"Surely not? This kind of concealment technique... it's so effective that it completely obliterates the body and soul, leaving no trace whatsoever."

Before he could finish speaking, a boy in a crimson robe stood on the snowy slope ahead, gently waving at him.

Lin Daochen strode forward and looked him up and down—his features were still childlike, and his fingertips were still covered with snowflakes; he looked exactly like a mountain child.

"Little guy, what are you doing here?"

"Did your family leave you here to wait for them?"

He had barely uttered the words when his back stiffened: this child had clearly been waiting here all along; he was probably a messenger sent by the immortals of Tianshan. His own mouth had been incredibly stupid.

His cheeks flushed slightly, but he quickly composed himself. The boy had already spoken, his voice clear and bright like a spring striking stone:

"I am no ordinary child—I am a disciple of the Celestial Immortal of Tianshan, and I have been cultivating with him for five hundred years. Today, I have come here specifically to welcome you."

Before he finished speaking, he turned and left. Lin Daochen hurriedly followed, asking as they walked, "That immortal just now... was he an illusion?"

"Indeed." The boy turned his head and smiled. "The immortal of Tianshan has been in seclusion for a thousand years and has long since returned to his original simplicity. From the moment you first entered the mountain gate, everything you saw and heard was a 'mirror flower array' he had set up."

"You thought you were talking to him just now? Actually, there was no one around, and even the sound of the wind was fake—you were standing alone in the snow, bowing to the air, answering, and nodding, every word serious and sincere."

Lin Daochen was taken aback and subconsciously wanted to refute, but he swallowed the words back.

The boy seemed to have seen through his thoughts, chuckled twice, and pointed towards the distant mountain peak—

There hangs a golden palace there, its entire body shimmering with light and color, but it is not a real building. Instead, it is a translucent glass and gold structure, like a piece of solidified molten gold, dazzling and ethereal like a dream.

"We have an old rule here, which is not written into the classics, but only passed down orally: When you step into the Tianshan Mountains, whatever you see with your eyes, hear with your ears, or believe in your heart... should not be taken seriously."

Lin Daochen was stunned and couldn't help but chuckle softly.

The boy immediately stopped, his face hardening with anger: "I kindly gave you directions, and you can still laugh? Just wait—next time, you'll probably have to kowtow three times to your own shadow and thank him for his 'enlightenment'!"

After saying that, he flicked his sleeves, turned around and walked away quickly without looking back, ignoring him completely.

Lin Daochen panicked and took off after him.

"Oh dear, young man, don't be angry! I was completely baffled just now, I'd never heard of these things before, but the more I thought about it, the more interested I became—could you explain it to me again in detail?"

But the young Taoist priest had long since ignored him. With a flick of his sleeve, he strode forward with quick, steady steps. Before long, the two stood at the foot of Tianshan Mountain. Only now could Lin Daochen truly see the entirety of the mountain.

The entire Tianshan Mountains resemble a giant ice pillar piercing the sky! The base is as thick as a city, with a radius of several hundred meters; but it narrows all the way up, becoming thinner and thinner, until it shrinks into a bright and sharp ice needle at the peak—and right above the tip of that needle, a magnificent palace hangs!

Lin Daochen gasped, his eyes nearly popping out of their sockets: Good heavens, this is outrageous!

"How exactly did you build this Tianshan Mountain? Could it have been carved and completed in one go by an ancient master?" In his mind, such amazing buildings and magical artifacts were always the work of ancient giants.

So he instinctively assumed that the palace was a relic left by his ancestors—but he was wrong.

Seeing his expression, the young Taoist suddenly burst into laughter and pointed towards the peak of the ice mountain: "Judging from your knowledge, you probably haven't even left the mountain gate many times! This palace was built by the immortal of Tianshan himself—he understands all the principles of structure and is proficient in the art of creating things in the world. To build a palace on a single ice needle is nothing more than a piece of cake for him."

What's even more remarkable is that he had already grasped some of the true meaning of the Great Dao, subtly embedding the power of the laws between the beams, pillars, and rubble. Thus, even though the supporting ground was as thin as a hair, it steadily supported the heavy palace without moving an inch.

Lin Daochen was dumbfounded, his throat bobbing – this was the first time he had ever heard of someone who could use the laws as mud and ash! He had only heard of such things in folk tales before: ancient powerful beings could build arrays with their minds, construct bridges in the void, and use star trails as beams... but those were all vague old stories. Today, seeing it with his own eyes, standing right in front of him, how could he not tremble with fear?

"How many years has the immortal of Tianshan lived? How could he be so knowledgeable about such a vast range of subjects?"

As soon as he finished speaking, the young Taoist suddenly stopped smiling, sighed softly, and slowly shook his head. His eyes were filled with an indescribable heaviness, as if he were turning the pages of an old scroll that was too painful to read.

"Alas... this matter is another heartbreaking old story. There are too many unsolved mysteries and unfinished destinies hidden within the immortal. As for the details, you will have to find them yourself, inquire about them, and comprehend them—go ahead, I'll be waiting right here."

After the young Taoist finished speaking, he slightly raised his fingertip and pointed towards the faintly visible peak deep in the clouds.

Lin Daochen subconsciously looked up—good heavens, it was at least a thousand meters high! Did he really have to use his hands and feet to climb it? The entire Tianshan Mountain was like a cold, sharp ice blade, slanted into the earth and pierced into the sea of ​​clouds, half of its body already hidden in the surging white mist.

A thought struck him, and he was about to make a hand seal to leap into the air—what a joke! This iceberg is so steep and slippery, how could he climb it with his bare hands? He'd probably slip and fall into ice shards the moment he got off the ground!

Just as he formed half a magic seal with his fingertips, the Daoist boy beside him suddenly made his move! A crimson spiritual rope shot out from the air, coiling around him like a living snake, instantly binding him and rendering him unable to move. The rope flickered and pulsated, resembling neither fire nor chain, firmly locking his limbs and bones.

Lin Daochen stood frozen in place, his face full of astonishment: Why did this young Taoist suddenly turn on him? But upon closer inspection, it didn't seem like he was trying to hurt him, but rather... like he was stopping him?

"Young man, what do you mean? I'm merely following your instructions to go to the mountaintop. Is that not even allowed?"

The young Taoist shook his head, his tone calm: "Of course not. If you ride the clouds, you'll arrive in the time it takes to exhale—that's not a trial, that's just taking a stroll!"

"This time, there's only one rule: climb the mountain barehanded. Only when you're exhausted, your fingertips are bleeding, and your brain is completely drained will you truly remember—this mountain is not a mountain, but a boundary marker; this step is not a step, but a threshold."

Lin Daochen opened his mouth, speechless for a moment. He had just been ridiculed by the Immortal Kunlun for "rules being made of paper," and now this young Daoist was pressing his head down and reciting "rules being made of iron"—his mind was buzzing, as if he were being blown around by two opposing winds.

But it was too late; there was no turning back. He gave a bitter laugh and nodded decisively: "Fine, you decide—I'll crawl."