One person: Lu Jin, do I look like your master?

After enjoying a simple yet delicious local snack, Wang Xuan returned to his rented courtyard.

He picked up his phone again. Now that he had arranged a meeting place with Xia Liuqing, he needed to make some preparations in advance.

When Xia Liuqing visited Granny Jinfeng before, in addition to giving him her contact information, she also told him about a secret website hidden beneath the ordinary internet, exclusively for communication among people with supernatural abilities, and helped him register an account.

Wang Xuan skillfully opened a seemingly ordinary forum app and entered a long string of complex commands.

The interface suddenly changed, transforming into a quaint and eccentric online community filled with all sorts of strange sections and posts.

Here, he easily found a detailed announcement post about the "Longhushan Luotian Grand Ritual".

It clearly indicates the specific date, location, general agenda, and some important notes for the official start of the conference.

"Three more days..."

Wang Xuan glanced at the date and did some mental calculations.

He logged off the website, opened a flight booking app, and quickly booked a flight to Jiangxi a day earlier than planned.

He prefers to arrive early to familiarize himself with the environment and avoid last-minute rushes.

After booking the plane tickets, Wang Xuan stopped paying attention to other trivial matters.

He silenced his phone, returned to the futon in the center of the room, sat cross-legged, and slowly closed his eyes.

There are still more than two days before departure, and we can't waste any time. Whether it's to deal with any unforeseen circumstances or for the upcoming meeting with Barron, it's always good to be in top form.

The courtyard returned to its usual tranquility, with only Wang Xuan's long, steady breathing and the almost imperceptible aura around him proving that his cultivation was still ongoing.

Chapter 32 Arrival at Longhu Mountain

Jiangxi Province, at the foot of Longhu Mountain.

Although it was once a sacred Taoist site, with flourishing incense offerings and throngs of tourists, the current scene is far more spectacular than usual.

Looking around, the huge square in front of the mountain gate was teeming with people, shoulder to shoulder, and the noise reached the sky.

Besides a large number of ordinary tourists carrying backpacks, cameras, and sun hats, a closer look reveals that the crowd also includes many "special" individuals with distinct personalities and unusual behavior.

They were dressed in various Taoist robes, or in fashionable and trendy outfits, or in low-key and simple attire like passersby, but occasionally a glint of shrewdness flashed in their eyes.

The faint, unusual aura emanating from their bodies further confirmed their status as "extraordinary people".

The root of all this is the grandest Taoist ceremony to be held at the Celestial Master's Mansion on Longhu Mountain—the Luotian Grand Ritual!

What made this grand event the focus of the entire supernatural world was that the Celestial Master's Mansion made a rare public announcement that it would take this opportunity to publicly select a new successor to the "Celestial Master"!

Furthermore, the winner of this Luo Tian Grand Ceremony will not only receive unparalleled glory and the possible position of Celestial Master, but will also obtain one of the legendary "Eight Extraordinary Skills"—the Tongtian Talisman!

This bombshell news was like cold water being poured into boiling oil, instantly causing an uproar throughout the entire world of supernatural beings!

The allure of being the successor to the Celestial Master may only appeal to a select few, but the title of "Eight Extraordinary Skills" is enough to drive any extraordinary individual mad!

Originally, this was just a grand event within Taoism, but for reasons unknown, the Celestial Master's Mansion decided to open the competition to the entire world of extraordinary people, with the only requirement being that participants be under thirty years old.

This attracted countless young extraordinary individuals confident in their abilities, who, like sharks drawn by the scent of blood, flocked from all directions to Longhu Mountain.

The town at the foot of the mountain was already overflowing with people, the hotels were fully booked, and the air was filled with a restless and expectant atmosphere.

Wang Xuan, dressed in a striking white Taoist robe with his long hair casually draped over his shoulders, stood out from the long queue for tickets, attracting many curious and scrutinizing glances, but he seemed oblivious.

The line moved slowly forward, and finally it was his turn.

"Tickets, 260 yuan."

The staff member behind the ticket window didn't even look up, speaking mechanically.

Wang Xuan remained calm and took out cash from his spatial ring, handing it in.

This amount of money is a drop in the ocean compared to his current net worth.

Holding the ticket with the scenery of Longhu Mountain printed on it, Wang Xuan was about to have it checked and enter the mountain when he heard a not-too-loud grumbling behind him:

"Holy crap! You idiot! This is highway robbery!"

The voice carried a familiar, down-to-earth quality and a stingy air.

Wang Xuan paused slightly and subconsciously glanced back.

Not far behind, four people stood. The leader was a young man in a gray suit with messy hair but shrewd eyes, and next to him was a more refined-looking man wearing glasses.

What caught Wang Xuan's attention were two other people.

A young man wearing a Na Du Tong uniform, with a small braid tied behind his head and a slightly smug smile on his face—Zhang Chulan.

And then there's Feng Baobao, a girl standing next to Zhang Chulan, dressed in equally sloppy work clothes, with her hair casually draped over her shoulders, her eyes vacant and lost, and a bottle of soda in her hand.

"Zhang Chulan and Feng Baobao...have indeed arrived."

Wang Xuan understood.

Although his memories of his past life were somewhat hazy, he recognized the two main characters instantly.

He had no intention of going up to say hello; the two were from completely different worlds and had little chance of crossing paths.

He merely glanced at them for less than half a second, as if they were slightly interesting passersby, before calmly turning away and checking their tickets.

As I followed the flow of people up the stone steps leading up the mountain, my figure quickly disappeared into the bustling crowd.

However, just as Wang Xuan turned to leave...

Feng Baobao, who was originally focused on drinking her soda and staring blankly as if she were daydreaming, seemed to be touched by something.

She suddenly raised her head, and her empty eyes instantly focused, looking precisely in the direction Wang Xuan had left!

Her brows furrowed almost imperceptibly.

"Hmm? Baby, what are you looking at so intently?"

Xu Si, who was standing nearby, was the first to notice Feng Baobao's unusual behavior.

He followed Feng Baobao's gaze and saw only the heads and backs of people moving up the mountain road. He didn't notice any particular figures and couldn't help but ask curiously.

Feng Baobao did not answer immediately, but kept staring intently in that direction, as if her gaze could penetrate the crowd and lock onto the white figure that had already walked away.

After a few seconds, she spoke slowly in her characteristic, calm tone, with a slight Sichuan-Chongqing accent:

"Fourth brother... just now, a very strong person walked past."

Upon hearing this, Xu Si raised an eyebrow, immediately intrigued. He knew all too well how extraordinary Feng Baobao's intuition and perception were; for her to utter the words "very strong" meant she was no ordinary person.

How strong? Stronger than you?

Feng Baobao tilted her head, seemingly thinking and sensing something very seriously, and then nodded firmly:

"Yeah, better than me."

Her judgment was simple and direct, without any complicated reasons or analysis; it was purely based on a biological instinct-like sense of danger and an assessment of the intensity of Qi.

She could only perceive a "rough" outline of its terrifying intensity. She couldn't describe exactly how strong it was, but there was no doubt that it far exceeded her own strength.

"Stronger than you?!"

Xu Si's nonchalant expression vanished instantly, replaced by surprise and seriousness.

He knew very well Feng Baobao's strength and capabilities. Although she was a bit dim-witted, she was a real monster when she got into a fight!

Aside from the old monsters and a very few perverts who have been famous for decades and are recorded in the company's files, he finds it hard to imagine who among the younger generation could easily surpass Feng Baobao.

He strained to look in that direction again, his eyes searching eagerly through the crowd.

This time, he managed to catch a glimpse of a unique figure about to disappear around the bend in the mountain road—a spotless white Taoist robe, long, ink-black hair flowing freely, and seemingly ordinary steps that exuded an indescribable composure and otherworldly grace.

"White Taoist robe...young man..."

Xu Si stroked his chin, his eyes flickering, and he instantly thought of the vague confidential document issued by headquarters a few days ago.

"Could it be... him?"

He felt that this grand Taoist ritual would likely be far more spectacular and complex than he had anticipated.

This mysterious young man in white who suddenly appeared is definitely a huge variable!

At this moment, Wang Xuan had already put the incident at the foot of the mountain behind him and calmly merged into the vast crowd of people climbing the mountain, heading towards the back of Longhu Mountain.

Chapter 33 Zhang Lingyu

Wang Xuan followed the flow of people, climbing the winding stone steps of Longhu Mountain.

He wasn't in a hurry to get going, but instead walked and stopped frequently, like a true tourist, appreciating the ancient trees reaching for the sky and the clear springs gurgling over the rocks along the way.

Feel the spiritual beauty and solemnity of this famous Taoist mountain, which has been accumulated over thousands of years.

As you walk further into the mountains, the number of ordinary tourists gradually decreases, and there are almost no paths left; you can only see what looks like someone has walked on them.

Meanwhile, there were noticeably more extraordinary individuals with fluctuations of Qi on their bodies.

Everyone tacitly agreed to move in the same direction.

Finally, he arrived at a place with treacherous terrain. Ahead, a wide, bottomless ravine shrouded in mist blocked his path, like a huge wound torn open by a dragon in the mountainside, cutting off his way forward.

Only a few ropes hung at both ends of the cliff.

On this side of the ravine, several young Taoist priests dressed in the robes of the Celestial Master's Mansion, with solemn expressions, were already waiting.

Upon seeing the arriving extraordinary individuals, they would step forward and announce loudly:

"Dear lay Buddhists, the area ahead is the venue set up by our Celestial Master's Mansion for the Luotian Grand Ritual. Ordinary tourists are prohibited from entering."

To cross this chasm, one must display some skill to demonstrate one's status.

This is also to prevent unrelated ordinary people from accidentally entering and causing unnecessary trouble.

The rules are simple and straightforward: let's put them to the test. Those without real skill won't even get into the competition area.

The strange people who arrived at this place reacted in different ways. Some smiled confidently and displayed their unique abilities.

Or they move with the agility of a swallow, lightly touching the iron chains with their toes a few times before gracefully crossing.

Or they can activate supernatural abilities, control objects to fly, and move with unrestrained grace.

Wang Xuan stood at the edge of the crowd, calmly watching the scene unfold.

He neither displayed any exquisite movement techniques nor revealed any extraordinary abilities.

He simply took a step forward casually, as if he were walking normally.

However, the moment his foot landed, his figure seemed to blur slightly, and the next moment, as if by teleportation, he appeared steadily on the other side of the ravine without any trace of smoke.

His speed was so fast that even the few young Taoist priests who had been keeping an eye on the experts from all sides couldn't see his movements clearly. They only saw a blur before their eyes and a white-clad figure appeared on the opposite bank.

Wang Xuan didn't even glance back. After crossing the ravine, he continued unhurriedly along the mountain path towards the already prepared fighting arena deep in the back mountain.

To him, this so-called test was as insignificant as stepping over a small threshold.

He did not come here to participate in the Luo Tian Grand Ceremony.

The title of Celestial Master and the Heavenly Register held little appeal for him.

He came here simply because Xia Liuqing had chosen this place as the meeting location, and he wanted to observe and see what level these young talents in the world of supernatural beings were at, while also waiting for his meeting with Baron.

After walking a while longer, passing through a dense bamboo forest, the view suddenly opened up before us.

A huge arena stands prominently in the open space.

By this time, the area outside the venue was already teeming with people and filled with noise.

Young extraordinary individuals from all corners of the world, various sects, and different schools of thought gathered here, some chatting in small groups.

Some closed their eyes to rest, while others looked around curiously. The air was filled with excitement, tension, anticipation, and an undercurrent of competition.

"There are so many people here..."

Wang Xuan looked around at the bustling scene and couldn't help but sigh softly.

It is quite a rare sight to see so many young extraordinary individuals gathered together.

However, after his reflections, Wang Xuan suddenly felt a sense of... aimlessness.

Xia Liuqing just sent another message saying that due to a "small problem" in Balun, they will be two days late in arriving at Longhu Mountain.

This means that Wang Xuan arrived ahead of schedule, but suddenly lost his clear objective.

A martial arts competition? He hadn't signed up, nor was he interested. Waiting around? That seemed like a waste of time.