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

"There's no need for you two seniors to decline. This secret realm was opened by the witch herself, full of hidden mysteries and boundless blessings. I've only been here a moment, and my mind has already been struck like thunder in spring, my cultivation level soaring."

"Although I don't know why the two elders suddenly appeared here, I suppose they must have come to help me break through the barrier and leapfrog the realm."

Upon hearing this, the two old men exchanged a glance, then sighed and shook their heads in unison. They simply couldn't bear to expose the truth—silly child, silly child, we're not here to add to your joy, we're here to offer help in your time of need!

But the words stuck in his throat. To speak directly might hurt him; it was better to leave him some leeway and let him figure it out himself.

Shen Gongbao cleared his throat and slowly stepped forward to explain:

"Let's put aside these formalities for now. Since you're here, I might as well show you something rare—as mentioned earlier, deep within this secret realm lies another unique space."

"The Celestial Immortal is probably still racking his brains, plotting how to ambush you. But by the time you walk out of here, he won't even be able to touch the hem of your clothes."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Daochen suddenly raised his hand, his tone steady yet leaving no room for doubt:

"Wait a minute, let me correct something—he is no match for me now. If it weren't for the Ziwei Emperor behind him and my unfathomable senior brother Tianshui Xian, I would have uprooted him long ago."

The two old men were taken aback upon hearing this, then smiled wryly. Indeed… he was right. If he truly shook off those colossal figures, this young man could probably utterly annihilate the Heavenly Mountain Immortal. Such a brilliant and extraordinary talent is truly a once-in-a-century occurrence.

They shook their heads, said no more, and turned to walk slowly along the surging avenue of light. White mist churned all around, as chaotic as ever, with only a path of silver light spreading out before them, seemingly forged from countless fragments of light, clear and warm, illuminating the heart and soothing the breath.

As we continued onward, a wondrous sight suddenly appeared—

Directly ahead, a blazing sun hung in the sky, its golden light dazzling and its power oppressive. Even though Lin Daochen had already ascended to the Immortal Realm, he still felt a slight tremor in his heart when faced with such a mighty force of heaven and earth.

"My two seniors," he looked up, his voice slightly deep, "if I'm not mistaken, then it should be... the sun?"

Lin Daochen was stunned, utterly astonished. Someone had actually created a sun? Although he knew that immortals possessed extraordinary abilities, he had never witnessed such tangible creative power before—he had only considered it a legend, but seeing it in person today, he knew that the rumors were true.

"Um."

"Good heavens...that's terrifying! To be able to refine even the sun in the palm of your hand, I must have been ignorant." He shook his head slightly, his expression calm, as if he had only glimpsed an ordinary fire pearl. The more shocked one is, the more one must conceal one's sharpness—how could one show weakness in front of a senior?

He looked around but did not make any rash moves. He simply smiled slightly, stood silently, and gazed at the blazing sun from afar.

Flames surged and waves of light rolled, enough to sting the eyes and bring tears to the eyes of an ordinary person. But Lin Daochen's gaze remained unwavering as he steadily met the blinding golden light, his eyelids not even trembling.

Jiang Ziya and Shen Gongbao glanced at each other and smiled.

"Heh, kid, you haven't disappointed us after all. This little bit of light and heat is nothing more than a gentle breeze to you."

"Go ahead and explore with confidence. Here, you can summon demons and monsters at will, and temper yourself against all things in the world—if you want to cultivate, this is the hardest whetstone."

"Um."

As soon as they finished speaking, the two stopped talking, their eyes focused, their sleeves fluttered, and their magic quietly began to circulate.

The scorching sun overhead tore a vortex of crimson flames from the spire of the clock tower—the flames danced wildly, the raging fire almost swallowing the entire sun.

Lin Daochen was filled with astonishment and doubt when suddenly a strange phenomenon occurred: the sun suddenly shattered and split in two! The crack was as smooth as a mirror, and on each half of the broken surface, a miniature world appeared—buildings were scattered, smoke curled from chimneys, crowds thronged, laughter and chatter filled the air, just like a scene of everyday life.

But when the people in those small worlds suddenly raised their heads and saw Lin Daochen and the two people beside him, their expressions changed drastically. They all fell to the ground, their foreheads pressed against the yellow earth, their bodies trembling. But it was not a devout worship; rather, it was an unconcealable look of fear and mockery.

"Seniors, what... exactly is this situation? Could it be one of your followers?"

The two nodded, their gazes calm.

"Wise. Indeed, they are our believers. They have no real souls, and their lives are sustained by our divine will; we also use a barrier to protect them from the scorching sun—if the barrier were to weaken even slightly, they would be burned to ashes by the blazing sun in an instant."

Lin Daochen felt a chill run down his spine, a coldness shooting straight to the top of his head. So that's how it is? Enclosing living people in the sun just to monopolize their faith power? The thought had barely formed when his throat tightened—the seemingly gentle Shen Gongbao and Jiang Ziya before him actually harbored such chilling methods.

But he remained silent. His two seniors had come to help him; how could he repay kindness with enmity?

He sighed deeply, turned, and stepped directly into the cracked facets of the sun. Time flew by, light and shadow shifted, and he soon noticed something strange:

The streets were bustling with pedestrians, yet no one glanced at him or stopped to look, as if he were a wisp of wind or a beam of light, completely ignored.

Lin Daochen frowned slightly, but did not delve into it—he simply assumed that these people were loyal to the two seniors and were always indifferent to outsiders.

"Um."

"Young man, you've got some skills. I didn't expect you to be able to see through the mysteries of this world at a glance."

"However, a word of caution: when cultivating here, be careful not to get into conflict with the residents. If you anger them, it will trigger the 'Together in Ashes' technique—the entire small world, including you and me, will instantly turn to ashes. If all else fails, crush this stone, and the two of us will appear immediately."

Before he could finish speaking, a piece of warm, lustrous jade was placed in his palm. Before he could examine it closely, the two figures vanished like ink drops into water, leaving no trace.

Lin Daochen stood still, looking around—in the streets and alleys that resembled a hunting city, thousands of eyes were clearly staring at him, yet everyone lowered their gazes and remained unresponsive; but the moment the two figures disappeared, everyone prostrated themselves on the ground, their foreheads touching the earth, and chanting softly, as if worshipping a true god.

He was jolted awake, suddenly realizing: the path of cultivation is not about sitting alone on a solitary peak or working in isolation. Without the support of countless believers who nurture one's spiritual foundation, even the greatest cultivation is nothing more than a rootless duckweed.

At this point, he understood completely.

This artificial miniature sun is not a training ground at all, but a living "granary of faith"—as long as believers live, the incense will never burn out; if believers are lost, the foundation of the Dao will collapse. Only by creating a separate, isolated realm can this power be firmly locked away...

"You two seniors are indeed brilliant. This method is both ruthless and ingenious; I must study it carefully."

He smiled and leaped toward the barrier on the left. He chose it simply because the buildings there were brand new, the glass reflected the light, and the streets were smooth—it was more pleasing to the eye.

The area on the right? The eaves were low, people were wrapped up tightly in robes, even passersby wore hoods, and the atmosphere was heavy. He instinctively didn't want to get close.

Upon landing in the southern region, a modern atmosphere immediately hits you. By the edge of a field, a middle-aged man is bending over and wielding a hoe, sweat rolling down his face. Strangely, however, several pale white streams of energy swirl around him, moving slowly like living things. Wherever he passes, the air ripples slightly, the light slants, and even the soil ripples.

Lin Daochen's pupils contracted.

This person is no ordinary person.

Since we've run into each other, why not strike up a conversation—maybe we can pry out some real information.

"What is your surname, sir? What brings you here?" Lin Daochen had barely finished speaking when the man turned his head, a hint of surprise in his eyes.

"Aren't you the attendant of those two immortal masters? Why are you still standing here? The code clearly said that you should have gone down the mountain with them."

Lin Daochen chuckled twice, his face slightly flushed.

How should we respond to that? We can't just say directly—that two newly ascended immortals sent him here to cultivate in seclusion and comprehend the Dao, can we?

Too frivolous, and too revealing. But since things have come to this point, and people are asking directly, it's better to just lay it all out.

"To be honest, I came here specifically to cultivate in seclusion on the orders of the two immortal masters. If I can understand some of their secrets, it will also be helpful to their spiritual perceptions."

"Therefore, this cultivation is of utmost importance right now. I humbly request your guidance, senior."

When he heard him change his address from "brother" to "senior," the man was taken aback at first, then laughed loudly, a hint of amusement flashing in his eyes—this kid doesn't even know his own worth.

"It's alright! We were enlightened by the immortals long ago, which is why we have these abilities today."

"In terms of lineage, we are from the same school, so there's no need for formalities. Please feel free to ask me anything."

Unexpectedly, this polite exchange only made the other person more humble. Lin Daochen felt a warmth in his heart, and without hesitation, he replied cheerfully, "So it's you, Senior Brother! What a coincidence—we certainly have much to talk about!"

Although he did not know the man's background, he could tell from his words and actions that the man was not hostile at all, but rather seemed familiar with him.

"Haha, it's truly fate that we meet here today, senior! From now on, shall we travel together on this mountain path? But before we part, may I be so bold as to ask—please let me know your esteemed name?"

The old man grinned, but only waved his hand, not responding to the question. Seeing this, Lin Daochen didn't press further, but simply shook his head: If he doesn't want to talk about it, then so be it; forcing him would only be inappropriate.

"Alright! Since you don't want to bring it up, I won't force you. But before we start, I'd like to ask you a question—which path should we take for our cultivation here to ensure the best outcome?"

The old man frowned, momentarily speechless. But then, he remembered an old method, and his eyes suddenly lit up.

"There is a shortcut that can help you quickly get started. Come, come with me."

Before he finished speaking, he had already started walking away into the distance. There, a field stretched out, the seedlings just beginning to sprout, their leaves fresh and vibrant. As the wind blew, the fresh scent of earth mixed with the grass and trees wafted towards him, instantly relaxing his mind.

Lin Daochen narrowed his eyes—wasn't this just an ordinary vegetable patch? Could there be something more to it?

Just as he was about to speak, he saw the old man squat down, pick up a gleaming hoe, roll up his sleeves, and get to work.

Lin Daochen was stunned, almost thinking he had misread the image.

Is this... really going to be about farming?

You called me here just to swing a hoe?

If it's really just to do chores for you, then I'm afraid I won't keep you company—I'd rather go back to the mountains and search through ancient texts than waste my time here!

He turned and left. The old man was so anxious that he stamped his feet. He had been waiting for so long to finally find a fellow traveler of similar ability and someone he could talk to. If he let him go, it would be as difficult as climbing to heaven to find such a compatible person again.

"Hey—young man, wait a minute!"

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Daochen had already taken a step. The old man quickly stepped forward and reached out to stop him.

"That's not fair! You haven't even gotten started, and you're already backing out? Are you really planning to give up halfway? If so, I'm really going to abandon you."

Lin Daochen paused, remaining silent for a moment.

In truth, he came here without any particular ambition, but merely to take advantage of the situation to break through his current realm; however, he could not resist the repeated urging of Sun Gongbao and others, and thus stepped into this mountain gate.

But if all you teach him is to dig and water, then it's better to withdraw as soon as possible.