Mountain Venerable and Sea Immortal

Prologue: Sea Calamity and Snowfall

The sky shattered, and a colossal purple lightning dragon bared its fangs and claws, unleashing bolts of lightning that ripped the sea surface. Towering columns of water shot skyward, the pungent smell of burnt fish mingling with the stench of seawater permeating the surrounding landscape. Fierce winds howled, snapping rocks in two, and the torrential rain twisted into sharp blades, ripping the sea surface and causing it to churn and thrash.

The black, gigantic waves resembled the bloody maw of a ferocious beast, their crests tinged with an eerie dark red. The towering, menacing heads of these beasts bared their fangs, frantically devouring the sea's surface. Ships sank, planks shattered, masts snapped in half, and debris—wood chips, rags, villages, corpses—all lay in ruins.

Ancient trees on the shore were uprooted, their thick branches shredded into pieces by the fierce wind. Rows of houses collapsed under the crashing waves, bricks, tiles, and stones instantly swept into the deep sea, cries for help abruptly choked off by the thunderous roar of the waves. Those who fell into the water struggled futilely in the turbid waves, only to be swallowed up by the next raging wave as soon as they surfaced. The seawater churned with debris and blood, rising in layers of white foam, resembling a swamp of purgatory.

The lightning gradually subsided, the raging waves receded, and the leaden sky hung low, with heavy snow falling. Broken masts, shattered sails, and tattered planks floated in all directions, and corpses lay scattered on the mudflats, their clothes ragged, their faces bluish-purple, already frozen stiff.

"Father... Mother..."

A little boy, clutching a small peach wood sword tightly in his left hand, sat in a hollow and wailed loudly. His mournful cries echoed repeatedly across the desolate and cold coastline, heart-wrenching and devastating.

Amidst the wind and snow, a white-haired man dressed in a grey robe, pale-faced, soaked to the bone, with ice crystals clinging to his hair, slowly approached. He bent down, gazing at the helpless child, and gently extended his long, trembling hands.

The child's eyes were blurred with tears as he gazed at the figure, whose features gradually became clearer...

"Master!"

……

In the early morning of late spring, the fog on Laoshan Mountain was thicker than elsewhere. Just as dawn broke, amidst the milky white sea mist, Lin Yan, carrying a coarse cloth satchel, hopped and skipped like a nimble mountain monkey, moving back and forth on the dew-covered stone steps. Beneath his feet lay the granite unique to Laoshan, smoothed by the sea breeze, while the horizon remained hidden in the white mist, and glistening dewdrops already clung to the rock surfaces.

Looking up, Laoshan Mountain resembles a sleeping dragon, coiled on the shore of the Yellow Sea. Enveloped in mist and clouds, its peaks rise and fall, shrouded in a hazy, ethereal atmosphere. At its summit, the Taiqing Palace, with its upturned eaves hidden deep within the sea of ​​clouds, its glazed tiles gleaming warmly in the morning light, is like a scene from a fairyland.

Ancient trees reach for the sky in the mountains, their branches rustling in the wind, and dewdrops, glistening like scattered pearls, hang from their leaves. A clear mountain stream babbles and meanders, flowing into Yangkou Bay below, where it merges with the sea. Waves crash against the rocks, the splashing water carrying a salty tang, yet also a subtle, ethereal quality—like the purest gift from heaven and earth.

Laoshan is the legendary immortal mountain where immortals are said to reside. Amidst the clouds and mist, one can vaguely see cranes circling, deer roaming, plants imbued with spirit, and rocks concealing hidden secrets. A sea breeze carries a refreshing fragrance—the unique scent of Laoshan's vegetation, mingled with the salty warmth of the sea, soothing and delightful.

Lin Yan took a deep breath, feeling his meridians being nourished by the spiritual energy, his fatigue vanishing instantly. He was slender, his eyes still carrying a youthful naiveté, yet possessing a composure beyond his years. He wore a faded coarse cloth short jacket, the cuffs frayed, tied at the waist with a hemp rope, and his trousers rolled up to his knees, revealing his dark, muscular calves. On his feet were a pair of rough hemp sandals, the rope loose, covered in sea breeze mud, yet still sturdy and durable.

His hair was casually tied back, with a few stray strands falling across his forehead, fluttering slightly in the sea breeze. His face was the dark tan typical of a seaside boy, but his eyes were clear and bright, like a spring in Laoshan Mountain, or the stars in the ocean.

Lin Yan was orphaned at a young age. People say that on the day he learned to walk and snow was falling heavily, a cultivator known as Guanhai Daoren was traveling when he encountered a shipwreck. Among the cold corpses lying around, he found Lin Yan crying for his parents and took him back to Laoshan.

"I have to try my luck at Yangkou Bay today. I heard there's a 'Sea Spirit Stone' hidden under those rocks." Lin Yan touched the old cloth bag at his waist, which contained all his belongings: half a hard, dried Laoshan cake, a porcelain bottle of cooled Laoshan green tea, and a polished peach wood sword. This wooden sword was a keepsake left to him by his parents. In his vague memory, he was told that it was a gift from a Taoist priest at Taiqing Palace, made from thousand-year-old peach wood from Laoshan, light, flexible, and spiritual, capable of drawing on the mountain's spiritual energy to protect his mind.

Upon reaching Yangkou Bay, the waves crashed against the reefs, and the salty spray hit their faces. Lin Yan squatted on a giant reef, about to bend down to investigate, when he suddenly heard a soft "gurgle" sound.

Looking up, one can see a palm-sized turtle emerging from a crevice in the rocks, its shell covered with fine sea patterns, like the ebb and flow of the tides.

"Hey, what a clever little guy." Lin Yan's eyes lit up.

The spirit turtle blinked, slowly crawled out, and gently nudged his feet with its claws, as if to say hello.

"I've come today looking for sea spirit stones. If you can help me, I'll bring you oysters later."

The turtle let out a soft cry, as if it understood, and stretched out its claws to point to the dark crevice at the bottom of the reef.

Lin Yan was skeptical, but followed his instructions and soon found a fist-sized stone. It had a pale blue glow, felt cool to the touch, and smelled strongly of the sea.

"Haha, not bad luck!" He stuffed the stone into his satchel, when a clear laugh suddenly came from behind him.

Looking back, I saw a girl of similar age with fair skin, wearing a blue cotton jacket, her ponytail swaying gently, her eyes as bright as the sea, and two small tiger teeth showing when she smiled. She was carrying a bamboo basket filled with freshly picked oysters and clams.

Her name is Yunxi, a sea spirit master from a fishing village in Qingdao Bay. She has been with the sea since childhood, and her bloodline contains the spiritual charm of the clouds and mist of Laoshan Mountain.

"Oh, isn't this Lin Yan? Here to pick up stones again?" Yun Xi raised her chin. "This sea spirit stone of yours has more spiritual energy than the last one."

Lin Yan was taken aback and recognized Yun Xi—a well-known sea spirit in the area who could communicate with sea creatures.

What are you doing here?

"Gathering sea spirit herbs." Yunxi shook the bamboo basket, then suddenly smiled, "This stone of yours is fine for refining sea energy, but I have something here that is much better."

She flipped her palm over, and a round, smooth jade lay quietly, radiating a soft blue light and exuding a captivating spiritual aura.

"Sea Spirit Pearl?" Lin Yan's heart skipped a beat.

This is a treasure nurtured in the sea, gathering sea energy and drawing in the tides, far surpassing any sea spirit stone.

"Trade! I'll trade you a Sea Spirit Stone!" he said without hesitation.

Yunxi chuckled and handed the Sea Spirit Pearl directly to him: "No need to exchange it, it's a gift for you. This pearl is destined for you, so keep it safe."

The moment my fingertips touched the beads, a cool sea breeze flowed down my wrist and into my meridians, instantly dispelling all my fatigue.

"Thanks." Lin Yan scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.

Yunxi glanced at him, then at the spirit turtle beside her, and said thoughtfully, "You seem to have a connection with the creatures of the sea."

The spirit turtle let out a soft cry, as if in agreement.

The two sat on the rocks, watching the waves surge in, crashing against the rocks and splashing up white spray.

Lin Yan clutched the Sea Spirit Pearl tightly, his mind clear. His master had once told him, "The spiritual energy of Laoshan is not on the mountain, but in the sea."

"Yunxi, tell me, isn't cultivating immortality like watching the sea?" Lin Yan suddenly asked.

Yunxi paused slightly, then nodded gently: "Yes, the ebb and flow of the tides are all part of the Tao."

Lin Yan closed his eyes, letting the spiritual energy of the Sea Spirit Pearl flow slowly through his body. He recalled the "Laoshan Sea-Gazing Technique" he cultivated, and his master's words about "gazing at the sea to comprehend the Dao."

The waves crash against the reef, their sounds like a beautiful melody.

Suddenly, a faint stream of energy slowly formed within his dantian.

He suddenly opened his eyes, his gaze shining.

"I...I've entered the Qi Refining Realm!"

Yunxi was also slightly taken aback, looking at him with surprise in her eyes.

Lin Yan gripped the Sea Spirit Pearl tightly, gazing at the vast ocean and the misty Laoshan Mountain, and his heart suddenly felt enlightened.

In the distance, the bells of Taiqing Palace rang out melodiously, echoing slowly between the mountains and the sea.