Chen Qingyuan hesitated for a moment, then followed the path through the Jade Gate Barrier and walked slowly towards the depths of the Dao - Yi School Palace.
On the way, he didn't meet anyone. The thick fog blocked both sides, allowing him to see only the road ahead.
After walking for the time it takes to burn a stick of incense, Chen Qingyuan still hadn't reached the end of the road.
The old man disliked Chen Qingyuan's slow speed, so he used a mysterious method to make Chen Qingyuan break through space and land in a courtyard with beautiful scenery.
There were small bridges over flowing streams, and a hundred flowers vying for beauty.
Sometimes a gentle breeze blew on his face, and sometimes various birds chirped.
Hundreds of willow trees were planted by the lake, with countless willow branches hanging over the water. The gentle breeze blew the willow branches, creating countless ripples on the water's surface.
There was an ancient pavilion by the lake. An old man wearing black cloth sat there, savoring the rich - smelling strong tea with a look of enjoyment.
Chen Qingyuan suddenly appeared outside the ancient pavilion. After a brief moment of surprise, he came to his senses and bowed to the old man in black sitting in the pavilion: "Junior Chen Qingyuan pays respects to the senior."
"Come in and sit," the old man in black said very kindly, turning his head and giving Chen Qingyuan a slight smile.
"Yes," Chen Qingyuan replied. He didn't decline and slowly walked into the ancient pavilion, sitting carefully opposite the old man in black.
After sitting down, Chen Qingyuan dared to look directly at the old man in black and asked softly, "Senior, why don't I need to take the assessment? Is it that you don't plan to let me become a student of the Dao - Yi School Palace, or is there another reason?"
"From the moment you crushed that token wooden plaque, you became a student of the Dao - Yi School Palace," the old man in black said. He didn't act like a top - level powerful being but like a kind - hearted elder. He personally poured a cup of tea for Chen Qingyuan and gently pushed it in front of him.
"Huh?" Chen Qingyuan was startled, with an expression of disbelief in his eyes.
He had become a member of the Dao - Yi School Palace out of the blue? Didn't they say there was still an assessment? What was going on?
Chen Qingyuan was stunned. After a long while, he calmed down a little and said, "Senior, you're not joking with me, are you?"
"What do you think?" The old man in black raised the corners of his mouth, his eyes as deep as an abyss, and asked in return.
"A powerful being like you, senior, has no reason to joke with a junior like me. It's just..." Chen Qingyuan paused and decided to voice all his doubts: "It's just that I feel uncomfortable about enrolling without doing anything."
"You indeed did nothing, but someone did it for you," the old man in black smiled meaningfully.
"Someone did it for me?" Hearing this, Chen Qingyuan's face became more doubtful.
Suddenly, Chen Qingyuan thought of his cheap master.
The token and the letter from the Dao - Yi School Palace were both left by his cheap master.
Could this matter be related to his master?
Come to think of it, Chen Qingyuan had never actually seen his master in his life, only his portrait.
"Please, senior, clear my doubts," Chen Qingyuan immediately stood up and bowed to ask.
"Be seated," the old man in black pressed the air, making Chen Qingyuan sit back in his original position. "First, pay respects to me as your master, and then I will clear your doubts later."
"Pay respects to you as my master?" Chen Qingyuan's pupils dilated, his body trembled slightly, and he stammered, "Senior, you should know my origin very well. I already have a master."
"I know," the old man in black chuckled. "Two hundred years ago, I met your master and talked about you. At that time, it was agreed that if I was fated to meet you, I could accept you as a disciple, and your master would not object."
"You met my master?" Chen Qingyuan was very surprised. Calculating the time, two hundred years ago was exactly when he was just born, and he remembered nothing.
"Of course. That was the first and last time I met him," the old man in black sighed when talking about this, feeling a sense of regret for not meeting earlier.
"You're not lying to me, are you?" Chen Qingyuan muttered softly.
"I'm old. Why would I lie to you?" the old man in black snorted softly.
It's hard to say. The older people are, the shrewder they are. They can deceive others without leaving a trace.
Chen Qingyuan only dared to think this in his heart and wouldn't actually say it.
"That makes sense," Chen Qingyuan said insincerely.
Through the subtle changes in Chen Qingyuan's expression, the old man in black could tell that Chen Qingyuan didn't believe him, so he continued, "Your master once came to the Dao - Yi School Palace and took a token. Whenever the token is broken in the future, it's time for you to come to the Dao - Yi School Palace."
"I see," Chen Qingyuan didn't doubt this point because it was the truth.
"This is the letter left by your master back then and the special Dao Seal Law of Xuanqing Sect. Take a look," the old man in black took out a jade slip and a letter.
With some curiosity and doubts, Chen Qingyuan opened the letter first. The handwriting was indeed his master's, exactly the same. Chen Qingyuan had seen his cheap master's portrait and calligraphy, so he could recognize it.
Then, Chen Qingyuan sent a wisp of his thoughts into the jade slip. It contained the Dao marks of the core secret techniques of Xuanqing Sect, which were the great supernatural powers that Qingzong didn't pass on to outsiders in the past. Even the Dao - Yi School Palace couldn't fake them.
The content of the letter was simple: if a certain powerful being of the Dao - Yi School Palace wanted to accept you as a disciple, just agree. It's beneficial and harmless.
"Have you finished reading?" The old man in black looked at Chen Qingyuan, who was in a daze, and asked in a hoarse voice.
"Yes," Chen Qingyuan came back to his senses and nodded slightly.
Could it be fake?
Looking at the letter and the jade slip in front of him, Chen Qingyuan had thought about this more than once.
However, Chen Qingyuan thought again that the old man in front of him had no reason to deceive him. If he really wanted to scheme against him, there was no need to go to such lengths.
"If you don't mind my dull talent, junior is willing to pay respects to you as my master," Chen Qingyuan said as he knelt down to kowtow.
Bang!
After kowtowing once, Chen Qingyuan waited for the old man in black's reply.
"From today on, you are my disciple," the old man in black stroked his beard and smiled with satisfaction.
Then, the old man in black lifted Chen Qingyuan up through the air. The more he looked at Chen Qingyuan, the more pleasing he found him.
"Master," Chen Qingyuan lowered his eyebrows slightly and called softly.
"Hmm," a look of relief appeared in the old man in black's eyes.
At this moment, the old man in black remembered what happened back then, as if it were yesterday, vivid in his mind.
Two hundred years ago, Shangguan Rong came to the Dao - Yi School Palace, emitting terrifying coercion and forcing the old man in black to come out.
"Who are you, fellow Daoist?" the old man in black asked.
"Let's fight first," Shangguan Rong said. As soon as he finished speaking, Shangguan Rong directly attacked.
In order not to cause a big stir, the two went to a secret realm to fight. They fought for three full days.
As for the result, it was a draw.
After being tired from fighting, Shangguan Rong revealed his name and Xuanqing Sect from the Fuliu Star Field.
"Fellow Daoist, your strength reaches the sky. Why have I never heard of you before?" the old man in black was very puzzled. With the capabilities of the Dao - Yi School Palace, they hadn't discovered such a powerful existence hidden in a remote star field in the Northern Wilderness.
"If you don't know Xuanqing Sect, do you know Qingzong of the Imperial Region?" Shangguan Rong didn't plan to hide his identity and said directly.
"You are a descendant of Qingzong of the Imperial Region!" Hearing this, the old man in black was greatly shocked and immediately filled in the blank part of history in his mind.
After some chatting, the old man in black confirmed Shangguan Rong's identity and became very respectful.
"Fellow Daoist, you must have come here for a reason," the old man in black said.
"I want the Dao - Yi School Palace to protect someone," Shangguan Rong, dressed in light - colored cloth, had white hair and a youthful face, with an air of an immortal.
"Who?" The two looked at each other, and the old man in black had a solemn expression.