From waterfowl, it began to transform into the Great Sun Golden Crow.

People always need to experience trials to grow up.

It took Jingli and its owner over a thousand years to understand this.

Yunlin Taoist Temple is built at the foot of the mountain.

The mountain was covered in dark clouds, and the gray sky seemed somewhat pessimistic and escapist.

Halfway up the mountain, there are tea gardens. Ordinary people only know that there is a Yunlin Taoist temple on this mountain. But they don't know that the Yunlin Immortal in the temple is actually an immortal.

The fairy looked very kind, with long, flowing eyebrows.

He would offer three sticks of incense to anyone who came to his Taoist temple. There was nothing else in the temple except a lotus pond and a statue of a deity.

The dilapidated wooden hut and the woodshed are all that make up this Taoist temple.

None of the Taoist priests of Yunlin throughout history have had names.

The people at the foot of the mountain only know that this Taoist temple has existed since their grandfather's generation.

one day.

The old Taoist priest brought a child with a runny nose from the mortal world.

The child was wearing a tiger-head hat.

His face was red from the cold, and he was holding a candied hawthorn in his hand. His clothes were embroidered with Suzhou embroidery from Jiangnan, and he wore a peace lock around his neck.

His slightly overweight figure clearly indicated that he was from a wealthy family.

"Teacher, will I really never be able to go back? Will I never be able to see my parents again? I saw them crying so sadly." The little boy couldn't stop his tears from flowing, and he barely ate any of his favorite candied hawthorns.

"Wealth, wealth, you will be an immortal from now on."

"Immortals must sever ties with the mortal world. Your parents experienced birth, aging, sickness, and death. But you are different; you will live a very, very long time."

The little boy's name is Wang Fugui.

Born in Wangjia Village to a wealthy family. Because he was born with a water-spirit root, he was nurtured by Daoist Yunlin.

Master Yunlin adopted him because he wanted to carry on his mantle.

Even Master Yunlin felt a pang of reluctance when he said this. After all, Wang Fugui was just a child, and there is a difference between immortals and mortals. The lifespan of a mortal is far shorter than that of an immortal.

"Teacher, will we never see you again?"

"Hmm," Master Yunlin nodded.

The little boy seemed a bit dejected. He held the old Taoist priest's hand without saying a word, and soon the two arrived at Yunlin Taoist Temple.

Wang Fugui is very talented.

His mastery of water power was particularly outstanding. He had learned almost all the various techniques.

But it's his favorite thing every day.

He just sat there in a daze, watching the sunrise and sunset. Master Yunlin knew that he wasn't looking at the sunrise, but rather the direction home.

Wang Fugui's home is only 40 kilometers away from Yunlin Taoist Temple.

That 40 kilometers is very short. Wang Fugui is an immortal, riding the clouds and mist; it only takes a short moment.

He often used the excuse that he wanted to go down the mountain to gain experience.

Actually, he came down the mountain to see his parents.

He often hid under the old locust tree in front of his house, watching the happy family. Wang Fugui's parents already had three children.

He may have been forgotten as the eldest son in the family.

The elderly couple often brewed hot tea and basked in the sun on a bench. Wang Fugui didn't dare to go up and acknowledge them; he was all grown up now and understood everything.

An immortal is an immortal.

But mortals are mortals after all.

The distinction between immortals and mortals—these four words, like shackles of reality, weighed heavily on Wang Fugui, making it hard for him to breathe.

One day, Wang Fugui returned to Wangjia Village. He saw villagers constantly carrying goods. After some inquiry, Wang Fugui learned that several hundred bandits had arrived in the village.

Those bandits were deserters who came from government troops.

They burned, killed, looted, and committed all sorts of atrocities. Everyone else was fleeing, but Wang Fugui's parents were the only ones who didn't.

Wang Fugui couldn't understand, so he disguised himself and used a transformation technique to add another face.

Looking at his former parents, Wang Fugui's face showed worry: "My dear elders, I've heard that bandits are coming. Why don't you leave this place?"

The two elderly people held hands.

They looked old, but they looked up at the young man.

"Young man, we're old. Even if we follow the refugees, where can we go? Besides, our property and land are all here."

"Money is just an external thing. Wouldn't it be better to take your money and find a peaceful and prosperous place elsewhere?"

The two elderly people looked up and smiled.

They were kind and gentle. But their next words completely shattered Wang Fugui's composure.

Wang Fugui's mother gave an awkward laugh: "It's not that we don't want to escape. We want to wait for our child to come back."

"What if the child comes back? How heartbroken he will be if he sees we've left."

In just a moment.

Tears welled up in Wang Fugui's eyes. He forced a smile, suppressing his grief, and gave the two elderly people a weak laugh.

"Don't worry, there won't be any bandits."

That night, an immortal stood holding a sword, standing on the clouds, his feet on a flying sword.

On the bandits' stronghold, Wang Fugui remained expressionless.

He formed a mudra with his hands.

Countless drizzles turned into ice needles.

The terrified bandits screamed wildly. But before they could utter a sound, the immortal standing with his sword severed their heads. Blood stained the entire mountain stronghold.

Countless bandits were left wounded and scarred.

They were pierced through the body and already dead. The bandit leader, however, was killed by Wang Fugui with a single sword stroke.

The tiger-skin chair was decorated with the head of a bandit leader.

A day later, Wang Fugui returned to Yunlin Taoist Temple.

His Taoist robe was soaked in blood, and the dark red blood had dried on his face.

He remained silent, half-squatting on the ground. The moment he saw the Taoist Master Yunlin, Wang Fugui burst into tears. His voice trembled, just like the child he had been years before.

"Mmm... Mmm... Master, I'm starting to regret it."

That day, the master and disciple remained silent.

Master Yunlin saw this and was deeply worried. That day, Master Yunlin hurriedly descended the mountain. He went to the Immortals' Auction House, Wanbao Pavilion, and exchanged his magical artifact for a small fish.

The little fish had clearly gained sentience.

Golden light flashed across its body. This was a sign of its water elemental root, indicating that it would be able to transform into a strange beast in the future.

"Master, this is for you."

The Taoist priest Yunlin smiled without saying a word, only revealing his missing tooth. He said calmly, "I've acquired a small, exotic beast from the East Sea. From now on, it's yours. With it by your side, perhaps you won't be lonely here."

Let's give him a name.

The words of the Taoist priest Yunlin left Wang Fugui somewhat bewildered.

He hadn't left the mountain in all these years, but he had heard many strange and wondrous stories from his master. One of them he remembered very clearly.

There is a giant Kun in the East China Sea.

Its name is Whale Li.

He could swallow the heavens and the sun in one gulp.

The whale chases the sun every day, its voice as melodious as a human musical instrument.

Looking at the little fish, Wang Fugui said, "Let's call it Whale Li."

Years later, Wang Fugui's parents had passed away. He had no more attachments, and at that moment, the whale he had raised for over 30 years, Li, began to speak.

Jing Li's mind was a complete blank.

When he first gained consciousness, the first person he saw was his master, Wang Fugui.

There was no small talk.

Jing Li opened her eyes wide and said, "Hello."

"Master. The whale we raised in Lotus Pond has begun to speak."

The Taoist priest Yunlin stroked his beard and laughed heartily.