Chapter 2: A Grand Opening of the Mountain Gate

As the magical power surged, the talisman gradually emitted a white light. Just before the brightness reached a blinding level, with a sudden "whoosh," the talisman in the old man's hand was released and flew out, disappearing abruptly in front of the grandfather and grandson after traveling a distance of twenty to thirty yards upon contact with the thick white mist

Indeed, what one fears often comes to pass. At that moment, a streak of black light shot past them, and the resulting airflow nearly toppled them over.

Ah, my child!" The old man patted Zhang Fan's shoulder, revealing a look of nostalgia. "Originally, Grandpa thought that you would only be able to enter the path at the age of thirteen. If you were to come into contact with the world of cultivation at that time, it would likely put you at a disadvantage against those young heirs from the cultivation families.

In terms of geographical environment, among the nine provinces of the world, even if it is not ranked at the very bottom, it certainly cannot be considered good. However, for cultivators, Qin Province holds a crucial position.

What is particularly interesting is that among them, there are several "eccentrics"—disheveled, in tattered clothing, and covered in scars—who clearly appear to have endured countless hardships to arrive here, evidently ordinary people without any background in cultivation.

To inherit the Dharma form, 90% relies on innate talent and 10% on comprehension. What is innate talent? It refers to the attributes of your body. If you have cultivated a body filled with demonic energy, it will first expel all other attributes of the Dharma form, thereby invisibly increasing the difficulty of inheritance

Zhang Fan nodded without saying anything to the *picture* book, but continued to watch the people below with great interest. Although he grew up in the Immortal Cultivation Market, he had never seen so many cultivators at once; it was truly an eye-opener.

Qinzhou, located in the eastern part of the mainland, has a small area, characterized by numerous mountains and forests, with few plains and rivers, and a sparse population

Zhang Fan chuckled twice, thinking that this could be considered one of the benefits of crossing over. The souls of the two individuals merged together, and the quantitative change led to a qualitative transformation, giving rise to a trace of divine consciousness, which was just enough to be used for reading the jade slips

Seeing his grandson's puzzled expression, the old man boasted: "The transmission of Dharma forms is the first step to entering the Dharma Form Sect. Without the transmission of Dharma forms, no matter how exceptional your talent may be, you will not be able to enter the sect."

Child, you must never emulate that scoundrel from earlier. How dare he act so arrogantly with only a cultivation level of 7 in the Qi Refinement stage, hm, I wish he could be cursed to death

"Child, do not be afraid, it is fine, Grandpa is here. Really, how old are you, still afraid of heights?" The old man stood straight on the flying sword, exuding an indescribable vigor.

In a marketplace at the foot of the mountain, a sword-shaped magical artifact, measuring a full yard in length, soared into the air, leaving behind a green afterimage as it flew upward toward the mountain

What does that matter?" Zhang Fan asked, puzzled

After scolding for a full cup of tea's worth of time, the magnitude of the commotion was such that the cultivators who had been flying up from the market one after another turned their heads to look. Only then did they reluctantly fall silent and turn back to Zhang Fan to say

Child, now you understand your grandfather's intentions, right? The old man said with great satisfaction

The Lianyun Mountain Range, located in the heart of Qinzhou, stretches for thousands of miles without interruption, resembling a giant dragon lying across the land, exuding an indescribable grandeur. It is the site of the mountain gate of the Faxiang Sect, one of the three major sects of Qinzhou.

After the spiritual talisman disappeared, the old man finally breathed a sigh of relief and said to Zhang Fan, "Child, wait a moment; someone will come to pick us up soon."

You... finally managed to maintain your balance. The old man pointed at that black light, ready to curse, but after a long while, no sound came out. It wasn't until the black light shrank into a small dot in the sky that he finally spat out: "Bastard, how dare you bump into your grandfather? Didn't your mother give birth to you with eyes..."

Although it is merely halfway up the mountain, compared to the foot of the mountain, it is at least a thousand zhang higher, and should be a place rarely visited by people. Yet at this moment, in the clearing before Zhang Fan, there are at least several thousand people gathered, including the old and the young, men and women. The elderly are mostly familiar with each other, exchanging pleasantries, while the younger ones mostly display expressions of tension. There are also a few youths standing on magical tools, floating in the air with proud looks, seemingly disdainful of being compared to others. They are likely the descendants of the immortal cultivation families mentioned by the old man.

Can you not see? Zhang Fan obediently nodded his head

The old man, unlike Zhang Fan from the library, showed no interest in even glancing at his surroundings. After landing, he put away his magical tool and rummaged through his clothes for a while before finally selecting a talisman, slowly infusing it with his spiritual power

After a moment of tea brewing, the thick fog before everyone suddenly began to boil, rolling violently and intensifying. In just a short while, it seemed to reach a certain peak, and then abruptly came to a standstill. Following this, with a sound that resonated through the clouds, akin to the tolling of a great bell, the thick fog dissipated.

Grandfather, you must also reason a bit. I expressed my desire to cultivate when I was five years old, and now I am thirteen. You have taught me nothing and still do not allow me to practice on my own. Can this be blamed on me? Zhang Fan could not help but exclaim in frustration.

"Hehe, today Grandpa will teach you something good." The old man said with a cold smile, "Did you just see that black light?"

A grand avenue paved with pure white stones appeared before the crowd, at the end of which stood the mountain gate of the Dharma Image Sect

Grandfather, can you fly a little slower and steadier... ah...

However, grandfather has no choice; we are no longer in the sect. To inherit the Dharma form, we must wait for the day when the mountain gate opens. I didn't expect you to give grandfather a great surprise when you were five years old. Who would have thought that you possess extraordinary spiritual awareness, able to read jade slips at the age of five? You truly are a natural talent. Over the years, even those from noble families likely have not seen or learned as much as you have from books, haha

How is it? The old man sneered twice and then said: "To be able to control a demonic artifact to such an extent at the seventh level of the Qi Refining stage, it is certain that one practices demonic cultivation techniques. I suspect he is a disciple from a certain cultivation family in Qinzhou."

On the sword-shaped artifact, Zhang Fan had his eyes tightly closed, gripping his grandfather's shoulders firmly, and said with a trembling heart and fear.

I see. Zhang Fan nodded, realizing that there was an issue at hand. That was why he was being so honest; otherwise, there were plenty of common cultivation techniques among the old jade slips at home that he could have secretly practiced long ago. How could an old man who comes and goes at odd hours possibly keep an eye on him

At such a young age, being able to cultivate to this level is quite impressive. However, if you wish to enter the Dharma Aspect Sect, it seems you will have to rely on the blessings of your ancestors. You have to run into me, old man, hmph!" At this point, the old man's face could not hide the gloating smile.

Seeing the fleeting speed of others, and then comparing it to oneself, the old man felt a flush of embarrassment and angrily said: "Isn't it because of you, you little rascal, that I'm being held back? Otherwise, how could those youngsters surpass me!"

It is located on the eastern coast, serving as the first stop for communication with overseas monks; to the south, it connects to the Ten Thousand Great Mountains, which are home to countless rare birds and beasts, with extraordinary flowers and plants flourishing everywhere; to the west and north, it borders various states of the world, facilitating exchanges without the hindrance of isolation, and is further adorned with lofty mountains and rich mineral veins, making it a truly exceptional place for cultivating immortality

You have not yet begun your cultivation, and your vision is insufficient. I tell you, that is a banner, with dark energy swirling above it, clearly a magical artifact of the demonic path

As they spoke, the two arrived at the halfway point of the mountain, and the old man suddenly halted the magical instrument, landing on a small hillock.

From their appearance, it is evident that they all wish to take advantage of this opportunity to open the mountain gates and try their luck to see if they can become disciples of the Dharma Image Sect. As for the reason they are stopping here, it could not be clearer; from this halfway point up to the peak, everything is shrouded in thick white mist, which is constantly swirling, resembling a ferocious tiger that preys on the unwary, making it impossible for anyone to dare to step beyond the threshold.

It turns out he is also at the seventh level of Qi Refinement. Looking at the momentum of that magical artifact, it is clearly superior by more than a notch. No wonder I didn't dare to scold him to his face. Zhang Fan grumbled for a while, seeing that the old man still intended to continue the lecture, he quickly rolled his eyes and pointed at the disappearing lights on the mountain peak, saying: "Grandpa, let's hurry up, they've all surpassed us, your early start was in vain"

"I don't have acrophobia. Am I afraid of heights? What I fear is you!" Zhang Fan looked at the swaying and tilting flying sword beneath his feet, unable to suppress his inner complaints, yet he dared not voice them. Given the current situation, any distraction could lead to disaster; if he were to lose focus, the two of them would surely end up as a pile of mush.

Today marks the sixtieth anniversary of the Fa Xiang School, a day for the grand opening of the mountain gate and the recruitment of disciples