Immortal Taoist

**Pavilion Mountain**

Within the first villa of Pavilion Mountain, a golden light suddenly burst forth. A small blue bird shot out from the barrier of the villa, its form glowing brightly as it flew high into the sky.

Mid-flight, the bird shimmered a bright gold before bursting into a cloud of gold to reveal the figure of none other than Senior Sister Liu.

Clutching her chest and coughing up blood, Senior Sister Liu's eyes were full of hatred as she floated in the sky, her face pale.

"Damn that woman!" she hissed, wiping the blood from her lips. Her eyes were filled with fury and frustration. "Just who was that, and Meng Lin, could she have survived that? No, no one would be able to make it out of that explosion."

She slowly floated down while contemplating, "And that robe… no ordinary item could endure that level of destruction." 

Suddenly, her attention shifted to large ripples in the air, sensing a huge familiar energy flying across the sect. With a confused expression, she looked to the sky, wondering what was going on.

She extended her spiritual consciousness and saw the sect master flying in a direction—the location of the Ancient Spirit Pool Realm.

She found no immediate connection to the old woman she had encountered earlier, but she quickly retracted her senses, unwilling to take any risks.

She turned and entered her villa, the frustration in her chest only growing. "Meng Lin, just where is the jade box?"

***

Back within the Ancient Spirit Pool Realm, the crack in the sky widened, tearing the heavens apart as a colossal hand opened the sky into a slit, causing a deafening sound that reverberated through the entire realm.

From the darkness beyond the crack, Meng Lin strained her eyes to see the faint silhouette of an old man stepping through the colossal chasm.

The old man floated effortlessly in the air, his long, white hair flowing behind him. His eyes, glowing with a myriad of colors, swept across the realm with an unsettling gentleness. His gaze was both distant and penetrating, as though he could see beyond the surface of things, into the very soul of the realm itself.

Suddenly, the old man flicked his hand, and the atmosphere shifted. A powerful force erupted from him, sweeping across the realm like a tidal wave. Meng Lin felt it immediately.

"Ah!"

Her body was yanked upward with such force that she could barely breathe, her qi resisting in a futile attempt to stabilize herself against the overwhelming pull.

A rush of air struck her, the very sky compressing and stretching as she was pulled with relentless speed. The world around her blurred into streaks of color, and her senses struggled to keep up with the sudden acceleration.

She focused, and at the last second, finally saw her destination—the old man's figure becoming clearer and clearer, causing her heart to skip a beat in shock.

The distance between her and the old man collapsed in moments, and she stopped mere meters away from him, suspended mid-air. Her heart pounded in her chest, a mix of panic and awe as she felt the weight of his presence. The very air around him bent and warped under his overwhelming power.

Meng Lin recognized him immediately—the figure her master had spoken of in caution. He was not just any cultivator, but a being far beyond ordinary understanding.

"You're all here," the old man said, his voice calm yet filled with authority. His eyes flicked across the gathered disciples of Pavilion Mountain.

Meng Lin's eyes widened as she realized she wasn’t the only one. All around her, the disciples were suspended in the air, caught in the same overwhelming force. 

The old man's gaze swept over them, and a heavy pressure descended upon the disciples. Some lowered their heads, nervous under his scrutinizing eyes. 

Father Emperor's gaze moved among them, his presence commanding as he studied each of them, but there was nothing—no trace of the primal energy fluctuation among the disciples.

He frowned, his disappointment evident. "It seems I was too late," he murmured. "However," his eyes landed on one disciple in particular—Meng Lin.

His sharp gaze lingered on her for a moment longer than the others, something about her countenance stirring a flicker of recognition. The sensation was fleeting, but it was enough to make him pause.

"What is your name?" he asked, his voice carrying a weight that silenced the air around him. Meng Lin looked up, startled by the elder’s attention. Her mind raced, but she kept her composure, bowing respectfully.

"I am Meng Lin, Elder," she answered, her tone humble but steady. Father Emperor’s eyes narrowed slightly, but after a moment, he shook his head and dismissed the thought.

"Hmph. No matter," he muttered, turning his back to the disciples, looking in a peculiar direction.

Suddenly, the space around them trembled. From thin air, a figure appeared, exuding a majestic presence—Sect Master Tian arrived, his robes fluttering, his gaze steady but tense as he looked at the old man.

"Huan Tian," the old man spoke, his voice carrying a weight that seemed to suppress the very atmosphere. "It has been a long time."

Sect Master Tian immediately cupped his hands and bowed respectfully. "Palace Master," he greeted, his tone deferential. "I did not expect your arrival in the Ancient Spirit Pool Realm. To what do we owe the honor?"

The old man's expression remained impassive, but a faint smile tugged at his lips. "I sensed something unusual," he said, his voice echoing like thunder. "So I came to see for myself. And here you are, as well."

Sect Master Tian kept his posture straight, but a subtle tension ran through him. "This realm is under the jurisdiction of the Immortal Pavilion; they did not inform me of your visit, Palace Master."

The old man's eyes narrowed slightly, the glow in them intensifying. "Inform?" he repeated, his voice turning cold. "Do you presume to tell me where I can and cannot go, Tian?"

Sect Master Tian’s expression tightened, but his tone remained respectful. "I would never dare, Palace Master. But the Immortal Pavilion has established certain rules for the safety of our realm. Even someone of your stature should respect that."

For a moment, silence fell over the realm, the pressure from the old man increasing subtly. The disciples held their breaths, sensing the growing tension between the two.

Then, the old man laughed softly. "I shall not argue with you, kid. If they are unsatisfied with my conduct, then they can confront me themselves."

Sect Master Tian sighed and stayed quiet while the old man's eyes, shimmering with a myriad of colors, swept over the disciples before him and he spoke in a voice that resonated with authority.

"You," he said, gesturing for Meng Lin. "Step forward." 

Meng Lin's heart raced as she felt the intense weight of the old man's gaze fall upon her. Her thoughts went back to her master, and she worried.

She floated forward, noticing the old man's eyes raised slightly as she approached. His gaze shifted away from Meng Lin, moving to the other disciples. He examined each one with the same meticulous scrutiny and called out once more, "And you."

"Huh?" 

Within the crowd, Ruan Lee's heart skipped a beat as he felt the old man's gaze stop on him. Shock rippled through the crowd as the disciples exchanged glances.

Ruan Lee, with his weaker cultivation base—only at the early stage of the Gold Core Realm—was the last person anyone expected to be called forward.

Even Sect Master Tian raised an eyebrow in surprise, although he easily saw that Ruan Lee was able to fight beyond his realm, but half of the other disciples here were able to do the same.

He glanced at the old man, clearly confused by the choice. "Me?" Ruan Lee muttered under his breath, unsure whether he should feel honored or anxious. His eyes darted nervously toward Meng Lin, who remained calm but slightly surprised.

"Yes, you," the old man confirmed, his tone as unyielding as stone. "Step forward."

Ruan Lee took a deep breath and floated forward with wobbly legs; he tried to keep his composure.

The old man chuckled slightly and opened his mouth before pausing with a serious expression, his multicolored eyes flickering as he gazed toward a certain direction, speaking in a low ramble, “Trying to escape as we..."

Without another word, he turned to Sect Master Tian, his gaze commanding. “I’ll be taking these two with me,” he said, motioning towards Meng Lin and Ruan Lee.

Sect Master Tian sighed and nodded in reluctant acceptance. He knew the old man would not take no for an answer.

In an instant, Meng Lin felt an overwhelming force envelop her. Space seemed to wrap around her, pulling her into a familiar yet strangely calming sensation. 

Her surroundings blurred and shifted, as if the world itself had been slowed down, twisting and warping in front of her eyes. She could barely comprehend what was happening.

Ruan Lee experienced the same, his weaker cultivation base making the sensation even more disorienting. His heartbeat quickened, panic rising as he tried to stabilize his breathing.

The scene around them continued to shift, with colors blending together as they traversed through space. It felt like moments stretched into hours, but in reality, only a few seconds had passed.

As the distorted world finally began to settle, Meng Lin found herself floating in a vast, unfamiliar expanse of sky. Her heart pounded in her chest. Next to her, Ruan Lee struggled to steady himself, his expression a mixture of fear and awe.

Meng Lin wondered why the old man suddenly teleported them when she suddenly noticed something below. Looking down, Meng Lin's eyes widened as she saw a familiar presence wreaking havoc in the space below.

Her body tensed as the sight of a massive creature roaming on an island two miles long, with golden eyes, dark, jagged spikes jutted from its back, and a hulking form that nearly reached 50 meters in length.

Meng Lin was shocked to see that it was the monstrous beast that she encountered within the dead zone of the Nether Cloud Domain. However now, the oppressive aura it exuded was vastly more powerful than ever felt before, this was the beast that could content with Ensoulment Realm Cultivators.

"This thing... it’s not the same," Meng Lin whispered, feeling her heart race, before she could think about it more, a voice cut through the tense atmosphere.

“Stand aside, child.”

Startled, Meng Lin turned to see the old man. His calm demeanor had a slight change as a cold ruthlessness appeared in his eyes; he faced the creature with an expression of no amusement, as if the beast were his arch enemy.

'Finally here.' The monster down below looked up, and its multiple red eyes held a surprised expression. It spoke, its voice surprisingly calm, "Her again." Its gaze shifted toward the old man as it bellowed out, "Hahaha, finally, a familiar face." 

The old man's expression hardened. "Familiar face? You mock me?" His voice echoed through the vast expanse, carrying a coldness that sent shivers through Meng Lin and Ruan Lee.

The monster continued to laugh, its multiple mouths glinting menacingly. "Ah, I remember how I slaughtered you lot. You were one of the few that ran away, hahahah." 

The old man’s eyes narrowed, and a fierce anger ignited within him. "YOU INSOLENT!"

The old man's voice thundered through the air, the sheer force of his words causing the atmosphere to ripple. The weight of his fury was palpable, and Meng Lin felt it wash over her like a tidal wave. She could see the monster's laughter falter for a moment, surprise flickering across its grotesque features.

"You think you can taunt me with your twisted memories?" the old man continued, his tone low and filled with venom. "You will pay for every life you’ve taken and every drop of blood you’ve spilled."

With a swift motion, he lifted his hand, summoning an aura of brilliant energy that swirled around him like a tempest. The sky darkened momentarily, and lightning crackled as the old man channeled his power into a single, devastating attack.

Rumble!!!

A colossal wave of energy surged forward, cutting through the air with a deafening roar.

The monster's eyes widened in surprise as the force of the attack arrived before it could react. The impact was catastrophic; a brilliant explosion lit up the sky, and the space in hundreds of directions shattered instantly, while Meng Lin and Ruan Lee had to close their eyes because of the blinding light that engulfed the whole area.