The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

Upon hearing Ao Shuang's words, Wang Zhenhuan was taken aback, then quickened his pace. After entering the mountain gate hall, the scene before him left him somewhat bewildered.

Unlike ordinary Taoist temples, this mountain gate hall did not have any enshrined statues of gods. Instead, in the center of the hall stood a white jade stele carried by a bixie (a mythical creature resembling a tortoise shell). In front of it was a platform with three items on it.

They were a bamboo scroll, an ancient seal, and a palm-sized porcelain bottle. Wang Huanzhen stepped forward, stood before the stone tablet, and looked up. He saw clearly inscribed on it:

Flowers bloom and fade, bringing both joy and sorrow; flowers and people are alike in their affairs. A hundred years of rise and fall, great and small, have led one to seek the true path of the carefree immortal.

"It seems your identity is extraordinary, brother. To receive a poem from this immortal, you must have had an extraordinary background in your past life." Ao Shuang teased Wang Zhenhuan when she saw him standing there speechless for a long time.

"It's all just fleeting smoke. I haven't even found my way yet, brother, why make fun of me?" Wang Huanzhen said self-deprecatingly. It seems the owner of this cave must have known him in a past life.

"Don't underestimate yourself. Take a look at what treasures this immortal left you!" Ao Shuang patted his shoulder, pointed to the platform in front of the stone tablet, and said with a smile.

Wang Huanzhen nodded and stepped forward. Looking at the three items on the table, he was about to reach for the bamboo slip when he suddenly felt uneasy. So he reached for the seal in the middle first.

Upon closer inspection, he discovered that the bottom of the seal was engraved with ancient seal script. Left with no other option, Wang Zhenhuan handed the seal to Ao Shuang, saying, "Brother, it's all in Qin and Han dynasty seal script. Can you tell what characters are written on it?"

Upon hearing this, Ao Shuang did not refuse. After examining the seal for a while, she suddenly realized and said, "No wonder, this seal is the Dharma seal of the owner of this cave in his lifetime."

"Dharma seal? What is a Dharma seal?" Wang Zhen asked in confusion.

"You should know that a Taoist priest must be ordained to summon spirits and control ghosts, right?" Ao Shuang asked in return.

"Of course, the Taoist priest who led me into the path once told me about it." Wang Zhenhuan rolled his eyes at him, speechless at Ao Shuang's question. After all, he had now entered the path of cultivation. Did he really think he knew nothing?

"After receiving the ordination, you will receive a Dharma Seal. This Dharma Seal is equivalent to a symbol of a Taoist's identity. It is used for drawing talismans, invoking gods, performing rituals, and so on."

"It will only take effect after the magic seal is affixed." Ao Shuang explained sheepishly after being glared at by Wang Zhenhuan.

"What is written on this seal? Can we use it to deduce the owner's identity?" Wang Zhenhuan pressed.

"It's engraved on it: Head of the Nine Heavens Divine Firmament Misty Rain Courtyard, followed by this person's Daoist name: Wujiao." Ao Shuang frowned and said in a strange tone.

"Wu Jiaozi? There shouldn't be a Wu generation among the three lineages, right?" Wang Zhen said somewhat uncertainly. What is the title of the Misty Rain Courtyard? This person is in charge; their status should be quite high.

"The Misty Rain Academy is a title conferred by the Taiqing lineage, and the head of the Misty Rain Academy is a first-rank Tai Xuan Rank of the Taiqing lineage! In other words, this person was very likely the head of the Taiqing lineage during his lifetime," Ao Shuang explained.

"Then why are you puzzled, brother? Is it because you've never heard of this person? The Taiqing Sect has been in decline for many years, and he was a figure from the Qin and Han dynasties. It's perfectly normal that you haven't heard of him," Wang Zhenhuan reassured him.

"No, I'm puzzled because the Taiqing lineage doesn't have the 'Wu' generation at all!" Ao Shuang turned her head, holding the small seal, and looked at Wang Huanzhen.

"How is the seniority system in the Taiqing Sect determined? Do you know, brother?" Wang Zhen asked curiously, as no one had ever mentioned this system of seniority to him before.

"I know that the seniority of the Taiqing Sect is ordered by 'body, nature, enlightenment, sincerity, clarity, purity, tranquility, and profound transformation'. Hiss—Wow, enlightenment? Could it be that the master of this cave is a high-ranking Taiqing Daoist of the enlightenment generation?" Ao Shuang's eyes widened.

"Brother, do you mean that this person's Taoist name is not Wujiaozi, but Wujiaozi?" Wang Zhenhuan picked up the conversation, following the meaning behind Ao Shuang's words.

"That's right! If we calculate it that way, the current leader of the Taiqing lineage is of the Xuan generation, which is a full six generations higher than the current leader of the Taiqing lineage."

"So, before this person attained enlightenment and ascended to immortality, he must have been a figure from the Eastern Han Dynasty!" Ao Shuang exclaimed, her eyes wide with shock. She handed the magic seal in her hand to Wang Zhenhuan and continued, pointing at it.

"Look, this seal is made of Dushan stone, which comes from the area near Dengzhou in southwest Beijing. It has been a precious material since ancient times. It is the gentleman among the jade stones of our China."

Looking at the carving technique, although it is rough, the strokes are vigorous and the cuts are powerful and resounding, clearly indicating that it was carved in one stroke. There was a carving technique in the Han Dynasty called the "Han Eight Cuts," which is this method.

At that time, very few craftsmen knew the Han Eight-Cut technique, and every seal they produced belonged to a powerful and wealthy person. This indicates that the person was of high status, or at least frequently associated with the powerful and wealthy.

"Brother, you are truly talented! I am ashamed of my inferiority." Wang Zhenhuan believed most of what Ao Shuang said, seeing that Ao Shuang spoke with such conviction. Moreover, what he had just said about the seniority system in the Taiqing Sect should be true.

After all, he had previously met a Taoist priest from the Taiqing Sect, namely Master Xuanyangzi, who belonged to the Xuan generation. And according to him, his junior brother Xuandezi was the same.

Therefore, the owner of this cave dwelling is very likely the Taoist master Taiqing from the Qin and Han dynasties. The Eastern Han dynasty was nearly a thousand years ago! To have attained enlightenment and ascended to immortality a thousand years ago, this person must have possessed great supernatural powers.

After learning their identities, Wang Zhen became even more curious about the remaining two items. He carefully kept the magic seal close to his body, intending to return it to them when he went to the Taiqing Sect in the future.

After carefully putting away the magic seal, Wang Zhenhuan picked up the porcelain bottle. He turned it around in his palm and examined it, but found no writing on it. He hesitated, unsure whether he should open it to look.

After all, this thing has been stored for nearly a thousand years; there's no guarantee it won't be damaged after being opened. He looked at Ao Shuang with a questioning gaze. Seeing him nod, he carefully pulled out the wooden stopper wrapped in red cloth.

As the cork was opened, a delightful fragrance wafted from the bottle. The aroma was like that of flowers, with a hint of medicine, making it irresistibly intoxicating.

"Quickly close it! Don't let the medicinal aroma escape!" Ao Shuang's sudden exclamation startled Wang Zhenhuan awake. He hurriedly slammed the lid shut and asked in a low voice, "Brother, what is the use of this pill? Why does it smell so fragrant?"

Ao Shuang excitedly grasped Wang Huanzhen's hand and said excitedly:

"If I'm not mistaken, this should be the Nine-Turn Golden Elixir!!"