"The sky is the chessboard, the stars are the pieces."
"The earth is the pipa... roads are the strings."
Lü Mu Dui stared at the characters on the vertical plaque and couldn't help but recite them aloud. His whole being swayed in an instant, and a look of astonishment appeared on his old face.
The terrifying pressure from the black iron plaque enveloped him, causing his body to sway. He stepped back two or three steps, each step cracking the blue bricks beneath his feet.
His bamboo staff slammed onto the green stone steps, and he closed his eyes tightly.
After a long time, he slowly exhaled a breath.
He turned his face away, not looking at the couplets on the plaque anymore. He dared not look, nor did he dare to ask.
Nie Changqing, standing by with his butcher knife, glanced at him expressionlessly.
Lü Mu Dui's willpower was stronger than Nie Changqing's.
The sound of wooden wheels rolling over the ground rang out.
Ning Zhao pushed Lu Fan out of the White Jade Pavilion.
"Too bad you couldn't withstand the pressure of the couplets in front of my White Jade Pavilion's door, so you couldn't enter the pavilion..." Lu Fan said casually, one hand propping up his chin.
Lü Mu Dui forced a smile and bowed slightly. "I'm sorry to disappoint Young Master Lu."
Lu Fan waved his hand. "Forget it. Since we can't go in, let's talk here."
Lü Mu Dui straightened his clothes, his expression solemn. "Young Master Lu, please speak."
Lu Fan gently smoothed out the wrinkles on the woolen blanket covering his legs.
"I've heard that the Tianji Family is good at calculating worldly affairs..."
"This young master happens to have something for you to calculate."
Lu Fan sat in the wheelchair, smiling faintly.
Lü Mu Dui's gaze sharpened.
Lu Fan didn't beat around the bush. With a flick of his hand, a milky-white jade token appeared in his hand.
Lü Mu Dui's gaze fell on the token, looking puzzled.
"This is the 'Celestial Qi Token,' a total of five. There are also five 'Earthly Qi Tokens.' These are qualifications to enter the Hidden Dragon Ridge. Within the Hidden Dragon Ridge, there are opportunities for immortality. Only those who hold the 'Celestial and Earthly Qi Tokens' have a chance to enter the secret realm and obtain the immortality within."
Lu Fan explained slowly.
As soon as the words were spoken, everyone's breath seemed to stagnate.
Nie Changqing's pupils contracted, and deep shock could be seen in his eyes.
The young master was talking about... the Hidden Dragon Ridge secret realm?!
He couldn't help but recall the immortality he had obtained from kneeling before the immortal in the Becoming Immortal Land.
The immortal also mentioned that there was immortality within the Hidden Dragon Ridge!
Sure enough, the young master had also received instructions from the immortal.
As for the "Celestial and Earthly Qi Tokens," if Lu Fan hadn't mentioned it, Nie Changqing wouldn't have known.
Lü Mu Dui's body trembled.
Immortality?
Celestial and Earthly Qi Tokens?
These words had a huge impact on Lü Mu Dui.
For five years, the Tianji Family's diviners had not cast any divinations, but now one of them was sent to Beiluo City. They said there was a great opportunity here.
Initially, he didn't take it seriously. The Tianji Family didn't care about the world or the affairs of the martial world. What use was there for opportunities?
Even if one were to become a powerful martial artist like the Western County Overlord, what good would it do in the end?
After more than a hundred years, wouldn't they all end up as dust?
However, he was wrong. After entering Beiluo City and hiding his identity as an ordinary fisherman, he had seen too many things beyond his comprehension.
On Beiluo Lake, Nie Changqing controlled his sword from a distance to slay a group of scholars.
In the ten-mile-long street, Young Master Lu elegantly played chess, pressing down the swordsmen.
And now there were half a field of Spirit Chrysanthemums, with immortal energy lingering on the island.
Within all this, he sensed something extraordinary.
Especially after personally interacting with Young Master Lu, this feeling became even stronger. This Young Master Lu, whom the world regarded as "crippled, gloomy, and useless," had blinded the world's eyes. In the face of life and death in Beiluo City, he spread his ferocious claws toward the world.
He had calculated Lu Fan's destiny himself, but... halfway through, he dared not continue.
Because he had never seen such a terrifying destiny.
Perhaps only the diviners of the Tianji Family could glimpse a trace of Lu Fan's destiny.
Lu Fan's destiny was beyond his reach!
He finally understood what the diviners of the Tianji Family meant by opportunity...
Ordinary martial opportunities were nothing at all.
What the diviners meant should be... immortality!
With just one thought of immortality, one could live forever.
Immortality is what the Tianji Family pursues, and it's also what Lü Mu Dui pursues!
"Lu... Young Master Lu, what can I do for you?" Lü Mu Dui felt a bit dry in the mouth, his usual calmness no longer there.
Lu Fan sat in the wheelchair, fiddling with the "Celestial Qi Token."
He sensed the change in Lü Mu Dui's mood and understood that he must have guessed something.
Lu Fan's lazy gaze fell on Lü Mu Dui.
"I don't ask for much. Just calculate for me where the remaining nine 'Celestial and Earthly Qi Tokens' are located," Lu Fan said lightly.
There was a glimmer in his eyes.
The rules of the Celestial and Earthly Qi Tokens were set by him, and the ten tokens were distributed randomly throughout the Great Zhou Dynasty.
To transform low-level martial skills into intermediate or high-level ones, it was necessary to start by changing people's inherent understanding and accepting the revival of spiritual energy. The Celestial and Earthly Qi Tokens were the key to unveiling the curtain of spiritual energy revival.
Lu Fan's request made Lü Mu Dui's face stiffen.
He took off the three copper coins hanging from his neck, pinched them in a special way, closed his eyes for a moment, and then looked at Lu Fan.
He revealed his missing front tooth and chuckled dryly, "Young Master Lu..."
"Can you figure it out?" Lu Fan played with the Celestial Qi Token.
"No... I can't..." Lü Mu Dui clenched the copper coins and swallowed hard.
Lu Fan's movement paused, and he slowly raised his head. "You don't need an exact location; a radius of a hundred miles around the token will do."
"No... I can't..." Lü Mu Dui's heart trembled. "No... I can't..."
Lu Fan raised an eyebrow slightly and sighed. "Well, can you figure out when the Hidden Dragon Ridge Immortal Opportunity will open?"
Lü Mu Dui's legs were about to give out, and he tightened his grip on the bamboo staff.
"Young Master Lu, I... I can't do it." With a clang, Lü Mu Dui threw the bamboo staff away and slumped to the ground, crying out loud.
Initially, Lü Mu Dui was confident. After all, he was the most proud disciple of the Tianji Family's diviners. However, now he was collapsing.
Lu Fan asked three questions, and he had no answers to any of them.
Lu Fan saw through his identity, he didn't leave, and waited for Lu Fan to come, wanting to show off, but...
Seeing Lü Mu Dui crying loudly, Lu Fan was also a bit confused. This old man... crying again?!
"Never mind, it's normal not to be able to figure it out. After all, it involves immortality. If you could figure it out, then even the immortal should reconsider his ways." Lu Fan smiled and then said seriously, "Spread the news about the Hidden Dragon Ridge Immortal Opportunity and the role of the Celestial and Earthly Qi Tokens."
"Can you do that?" Lü Mu Dui stopped crying, staring wide-eyed, wiping away his tears in astonishment. "Young Master Lu, do you intend to announce the news of the immortal opportunity to the world?"
Lü Mu Dui couldn't understand why Lu Fan would do this. If everyone knew about it, wouldn't the competition become extremely fierce?
However, he never expected that Lu Fan wanted to make things big.
"Do you think immortality is easy to obtain? Throughout history, treasures have always been guarded by heavenly and earthly spirits. This immortal opportunity is naturally the same. I don't want to be a stepping stone. If I fall into it, everything will be lost. At least I need to understand the situation in the secret realm before making plans."
Lu Fan lightly tapped the armrest of the wheelchair with his fingers.
"By spreading the news, people will investigate, and any dangers will be exposed. It won't be too late to take precautions. As for the final benefits..."
Lu Fan raised an eyebrow slightly and glanced ahead.
"I, the White Jade Pavilion, will take care of it."
Nie Changqing and Ning Zhao straightened their backs when they heard Lu Fan's words.
As disciples of the White Jade Pavilion, hearing these words made their blood boil.
Lü Mu Dui's eyes also narrowed.
The White Jade Pavilion, is that Young Master Lu's influence?
Lu Fan looked at the "Celestial Qi Token" in his hand, his gaze deep.
"The immortals want to let the celestial opportunity be contested among those who possess the 'Celestial and Earthly Qi Tokens.' What is the purpose of the immortals? Since I can't fathom the immortals' intentions, I'll stir up the waters for a moment!"
"Engaging with the immortals, what a joy," Lu Fan murmured, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.
Lü Mu Dui took a deep breath, feeling that Lu Fan before him was simply unparalleled.
Engaging with the immortals...
Who would dare to engage with the immortals?
"Young Master Lu, rest assured, I'll take care of this matter," Lü Mu Dui said solemnly.
"Go then. If successful, you'll receive a share of the celestial opportunity," Lu Fan said, waving his hand from the wheelchair.
Excitement flashed across Lü Mu Dui's face.
"Lao Nie, escort him," Lu Fan ordered, and before he finished, Ning Zhao had already pushed the wheelchair and disappeared into the depths of the "White Jade Pavilion" building.
Nie Changqing remained expressionless, gesturing for Lü Mu Dui to leave.
...
"Young Master, are you really trusting him? What if he harbors ill intentions?" Ning Zhao pushed the wheelchair, her eyebrows furrowed slightly.
Lu Fan leaned back in the wheelchair, eyes closed, dressed in white like snow. Upon hearing Ning Zhao's words, he smiled.
"It's fine. The martial artists of the Tianji Family have low cultivation levels. Their strength lies in divination and fortune-telling. If they gather heroes, those without real power, after the fact, might be able to avoid misfortune and preserve their lives. But they won't be able to hold onto any celestial opportunity."
"But it's different when cooperating with us. Since I promised him a share of the celestial opportunity, I won't go back on my word. Moreover, since he can perform calculations, cooperating with me is the best choice," Lu Fan said.
Ning Zhao seemed to understand.
Suddenly, she thought of something and looked at Lu Fan, with a glimmer in her eyes.
"Young Master, are you really going to engage with the immortals? Won't it be dangerous?"
Lu Fan opened his eyes, his lips quirking up.
"Dangerous?"
"No, it's perfectly safe."
"The motto of my White Jade Pavilion is... 'Engaging with the immortals, what a joy,'" Lu Fan said with a self-amused smile.
Having said that, Lu Fan chuckled to himself.
Ning Zhao was puzzled, not understanding why Lu Fan was laughing.
Suddenly, Lu Fan stopped laughing, as if sensing something, and lightly tapped his finger.
After a while, he spoke slowly:
"Sister Ning, go out and greet the esteemed guests."
"Yue Yue, brew a pot of green plum wine."
"Xiao Ni, burn sandalwood incense and set up the chessboard."
...
On North Lu Lake.
The emerald green lake rippled gently.
A luxurious wooden boat, with the Grandmaster's hands tucked into his wide sleeves, lazily leaned against the bow, gazing at the faint island shadow on the misty lake surface, squinting his eyes, his white beard trembling lightly.
Lu Changkong and Luo Yue stood beside him, facing the lake breeze, looking quite relaxed.
Suddenly.
The misty fog dispersed.
A solitary boat rocked over, a figure in white, holding a jade-green bamboo staff, sitting alone at the prow – Lü Mu Dui.
Lu Changkong and Luo Yue's gaze abruptly focused.
The Grandmaster gently stroked his white beard, smiling, "The Tianji Family, Lü Mu Dui..."
On the solitary boat, Lü Mu Dui saw the Grandmaster, slightly surprised. He stood up, paid his respects as a disciple, and bowed to the Grandmaster.
But there was no exchange of words.
The two vessels passed each other, one heading toward the island and the other toward the lake.
The Grandmaster withdrew his gaze.
The wooden boat plunged into the misty lake surface, breaking through the fog.
However, as soon as the fog dispersed...
Ahead on the lake surface.
There stood a robust man, wielding a butcher's knife, standing on a dead tree floating on the water.
One man guarding the passage, impregnable to all.
Seeing the wooden boat, the man slowly raised his head, exhaled slowly, and said:
"The young master has ordered that only disciples of the White Jade Pavilion are allowed onto the island."