The Blade-Wielding Legend
Chapter 271 - 184: The National Sacrifice and the Ascender

Chapter 271: Chapter 184: The National Sacrifice and the Ascender

The following journey was without further incident.

The group had witnessed the perilous nature of Hua Mountain.

Leaving Maiden’s Cave, they passed through Cloud Gate and arrived at Qingke Plateau, subsequently facing Thousand Feet Pillar.

It was a crevice cleaved between the mountain cliffs, where ancient people had carved steps into the cliff face, ascending nearly vertically.

The steps were exceedingly narrow, barely half a step wide, and the ice and snow had not yet melted.

In this realm, Hua Mountain was not like what Li Yan had seen in his previous life, equipped with various safety measures and chains to pull oneself up with—it was just as slippery as an ice slide.

Had the group not been exceptionally skilled, even Wang Daoxuan and Yan Jiuling, who often traversed mountains, might have easily tumbled down.

This place was also known as the Throat of Taibai, reportedly opened during the Han Dynasty.

Originally a treacherous terrain without a path, someone saw monkeys leaping up and down, darting through the crevices, and by following their route, this path was discovered.

Du Fu once wrote in his poem, "With no way back once the carriage enters the valley, the cleft like an arrow slot leads to a door to heaven."

Of course, this place was also a critical point in guarding the mountain gate.

Atop the cliff sides on either side, there were rows of small stone caves no more than a foot high, resembling a shrine, neatly lined with stone carvings of deities and immortals.

Li Yan could sense that each divine statue was surrounded by incense smoke and Divine Astral energy converging, as if numerous immortals were gazing down at them as they passed.

Standing at the top of the exit were two Daoists who, upon seeing the group from afar, respectfully greeted with clasped hands, "Could it be Mr. Li from Chang’an?"

"Indeed."

Li Yan quickened his pace and swiftly left Thousand Feet Pillar.

He looked up to take a closer look and saw that the two Daoists, one tall and one short, one fat and one thin, were both dressed in dark Daoist robes and carried swords on their backs.

They were vastly different from the Daoist at the mountain’s base; their eyes were serene, and their expressions much kinder.

"I am Yu Fengzi."

"I am Yu Hanzi."

After introducing themselves with a smile, the two Daoists said, "Our master instructed us to await your arrival here, and to ensure that we take good care of the gentleman from Chang’an."

Seeing that everyone had made it to the top, they immediately gestured and said, "Gentlemen, please, follow us."

The Taixuan Orthodox Sect was vast in scale, almost dominating the entire Taoist orthodoxy in Divine State, with an intricate web of internal factions.

Li Yan had no prior acquaintance with the Daoists from the Chunyang Institute, so their warm reception was certainly due to the previous warning.

The group followed the Daoists, traversing steep mountain walls, and after trekking through heavy snow and cold, quickly arrived at a Taoist Temple.

"Gentlemen, this is Wangxian Temple, regularly provided for our fellow Taoists to rest. The vegetarian meal is ready; you may rest first, and the master will arrive shortly."

The short and plump Yu Hanzi said with a smile.

Li Yan promptly asked, "We are here to attend the opening ritual, where are the Daoists who arrived before us?"

The tall and skinny Yu Fengzi replied, "This is North Peak, they are in Lotus Peak. No need to worry, this place has a better environment."

With that, he even gave a wink.

Li Yan immediately understood and thanked them with clasped hands and a smile, "Thank you, as you both mentioned, this place is indeed wonderful."

Entering Wangxian Temple, surrounded by ancient cypresses, it was secluded from the worldly noise.

The temple’s architecture was simple, with snow-covered upturned eaves, red walls, and stone balustrades that appeared very ancient.

The chambers arranged for them were also simple and elegant, with a pine-scented wooden bed, warm bedding, a tea table with fragrant tea by the window, and a corner incense burner emitting wisps of smoke, imparting a sense of tranquility.

Soon after, a Daoist boy presented their vegetarian meal.

Sautéed bamboo shoots with wood ear mushrooms, soft date cakes, along with vegetable soup and dumplings with vegetarian filling.

To be frank, the presentation was quite good, though the flavor was just average.

However, to enjoy a warm meal at the top of Hua Mountain was already a luxury, considering no crops could be grown on the mountain and all supplies had to be transported by human labor.

The group devoured the food hungrily, and after a few pots of hot tea, their fatigue from climbing the mountain vanished.

As Yu Fengzi’s master had not yet arrived, everyone chatted leisurely to pass the time.

Yan Jiuling became the center of attention with his extensive knowledge, clarifying all sorts of anecdotes related to Hua Mountain, quoting scriptures and classics, much to everyone’s interest.

He remarked thoughtfully, "Who would have thought that the Maiden actually existed..."

Li Yan, having witnessed the Maiden firsthand with a deep memory of her fearsome appearance, asked, "It seems Brother Yan knows quite a bit about the Maiden, would you care to share?"

"Of course."

Yan Jiuling spoke with a smile, "This Maiden was originally a palace girl during the Qin Dynasty, who later fled to Hua Mountain in the chaos of the Qin collapse."

"She received mystical teachings from an immortal, rumored to live forever by consuming pine needles, as recorded in the ’List of Immortals’ during the Han Dynasty..."

"By the early Taizong era, Tao Taibai claimed to have met the Maiden while gathering herbs on Hua Mountain, even conversed with her. Cai Yuanzhang also had a similar encounter, meeting a woman on Hua Mountain, covered in green fur, with piercing eyes and swift movements."

"It is said that the Maiden knew neither hunger nor cold, and would worship Beidou when the night was still and quiet..."

After listening, Li Yan pondered.

He privately mused that the legend seemed to be related to the "Eternal Immortal Vault."

Eating pine needles for immortality, could it be some method of consumption?

Perhaps that was why the Maiden’s Divine Soul had remained till now, not dispersed by incense.

Regrettably, the distant time made it difficult to probe further. Although he could communicate with God, he could not converse with her, and it was not clear what exactly had happened back then.

Seeing how learned Yan Jiuling was, Li Yan took a moment to think and then retrieved an item from his bosom—the Phoenix Gold Ornament he had obtained from Yuan Ba.

"Brother Yan, do you recognize this item?"

After examining it carefully, Yan Jiuling’s eyes widened with surprise. He asked, "Where did Mr. Li acquire this? This is the order of the Jing Witch; I did not expect it to be found in Guanzhong."

"I received it from a friend."

Li Yan replied casually and asked, "The Jing Witch... is it a legacy from the Jing Chu region?"