Song Lin disappeared from his original spot, carried away by the Ghost Fog.
Only the Taoist disciples were left behind, staring blankly and helplessly.
"Senior Brother, I'm leaving too." A disciple came to bid farewell to Wei Yang.
"Where do you plan to go?"
"Nowhere, just back to the mountain to live with my family."
Song Lin taught them many things, including the Lao Mountain Five Skills, as well as tricks like Instant Flowering, Summoning Birds Technique, and Mountain Bird Messenger.
Compared to here, the Taoist spells in the Chu Territory were more refined and made excellent use of natural forces.
Even if one failed to master the Lao Mountain Five Skills, they could still find favor among the royal families of various kingdoms with just a few tricks.
"What about you?" Wei Yang asked the others.
"I'm returning to my hometown in Wei Country."
"I'll go to Zhao Country to assist Marquis Zhao and establish my career."
"I'm heading to Chu Country!"
The disciples seemed to have found their goals, and their hearts were no longer lost.
The brothers packed their belongings, just like the ancient tales of Liezi finding rulers to assist, either to achieve grand ambitions or secure a life of stable prosperity.
The servants also departed from the valley, each returning home.
Only Wei Yang remained.
His master had left, leaving him — someone who had spent nearly ten years on the mountain — feeling lost and uncertain.
While his fellow disciples headed to the countries they desired, Wei Yang thought Qin Country was decent, but he doubted his own abilities.
Song Lin had taught him the King's Way, the Emperor's Way, and the Conqueror's Way.
However, the teachings were cryptic and offered only in bits; Song Lin seldom elaborated.
"Master possesses unfathomable depth; he must want me to comprehend it on my own." Wei Yang believed he had much to learn, so he resolved to return home and study for a few years before taking action.
Thinking this over, Wei Yang packed his things and returned home to first understand what his master had taught him.
The once lively Ghost Valley had turned desolate and empty.
Wei Yang could never have imagined that when Song Lin spoke cryptically or left matters vague, it wasn't due to some profound wisdom or an intention for self-reflection.
Rather, it was simply because Song Lin only knew that much. If Wei Yang had probed further, the pretense would have unraveled.
Outside Yunmeng Mountain.
Song Lin emerged from a grove of trees.
Gazing into the distance, he unfurled a map.
"I'll head to Chu Country first," Song Lin thought to himself.
"Reading ten thousand books, traveling ten thousand miles."
The way of Qi Cultivation combines the strengths of myriad philosophies.
During the Fetal Breathing Stage, one must channel True Qi through the Heaven-Earth Bridges to advance smoothly into Qi Cultivation.
This stage demands significant innate talent; without it, a cultivator may never breach the Heaven-Earth Bridges in their lifetime.
Song Lin was definitely not the most gifted.
So he planned to wander the world, seeking Qi Cultivation techniques and integrating the practices of various schools.
Even if he failed, he would still accumulate valuable knowledge for his real-world self.
In his tenth year within the Taiyin Refining Body World, Song Lin arrived in Chu Country.
He sparred with Chu Country's Zhu Rong Qi Cultivators, exchanging Taoist skills.
During the thirteenth year in Taiyin Refining,
In southern Chu Country, Song Lin discovered an ancient Fire Pond. He refined pills beside it using Jiachen Yang Qi Pills and Mica Ganoderma Pills obtained through real-world exchanges, achieving minor refinement.
By the sixteenth year in Taiyin Refining,
After consuming pills to reach mastery, Song Lin's Red Dragon True Qi surged as thick as an arm; every inhalation and exhalation produced dragon-like roars that echoed through the valley, stirring winds and altering skies. He then emerged from seclusion.
By the twentieth year in Taiyin Refining,
In Chu Country's Wushan, Song Lin encountered the ancient Three-Eyed People. He conversed with them, claiming to be a descendant of the Ancient Great Destiny's envoy.
The Three-Eyed People sought to silence Song Lin, but were instead killed by him. Song Lin released miasma to annihilate their village, ate the eye at the brow of the Three-Eyed People, and broke the Bat Night Bright Eye to obtain the divine Yin-Yang Eye ability.
By the twenty-second year in Taiyin Refining,
In Hann Country's Xinzheng, Song Lin killed a Hann Qi Cultivator, leaving behind the name of Ghost Valley Master, and acquired the Eye-Blocking Technique.
In the spring of the twenty-third year in Taiyin Refining,
In Qin Country's Western County.
A White-Robed Taoist walked along the official road, undisturbed by the swirling dust around him. Each step spanned three zhang; onlookers marveled at the anomaly.
Song Lin's thoughts were far from the outside world, focused instead on the Monster Chronicles.
Name: Song Lin
Realm: Fetal Breathing Stage
Taoist Realm: Fifty years
Divine Skills: Lao Mountain Five Skills, Guang Chengzi Beidou Red Dragon Qi Gong, Red Scale Skill, Dragon-controlling Step, Dragon Qi Red Emperor Fist, Red Dragon Flying Skill, Simple Yellow and White Skill, Yin-Yang Eye, Eye-Blocking Technique.
Items: Three Yang Fire Sword, Miasma Green Pearl, Jiachen Qi Refining Pill, Poria, Chang Pu Ershi Method, Mica Ganoderma Pill.
Thirteen years of wandering increased his Taoist Realm from ten years to fifty years, owed in great measure to the pills he consumed and his dedicated cultivation efforts.
Initially, he intended to travel to Zhao Country, but upon hearing news of Ying Lian's impending demise, he rushed to Qin Country without delay.
In Qin Country's Liyang.
At the palace.
Soldiers clad in black armor radiated an austere and intimidating presence, while palace attendants moved with grave expressions, suggesting something monumental was happening.
Within the palace, beneath curtains of black-red hues, lay an aged man with grizzled hair. The room was thick with the smell of medicines.
This was Ying Lian, who had ruled for twenty-three years.
Exiled in youth, he returned to rule at twenty-nine, leading the declining Qin Country to prosperity over his twenty-three-year reign.
"Is there any news of the Ghost Valley Immortal?"
Ying Lian pushed himself up and looked toward the nearby young man in his twenties.
The Crown Prince, Qu Liang, stood near the bed. Hearing his father mention Immortal legends again, an inner wave of helplessness rose.
When he had first met Song Lin, he'd been too young to understand much. He didn't believe in Immortal tales, dismissing it as his father's ramblings. Still, adhering to filial piety, no matter how incoherent his parents' words were, he tried to keep them happy.
For months now, Qu Liang had mobilized the nation's resources in the search for the Immortal.
"Alas, I know I don't have much time left. My only worry is the kingdom's future after I die. Even a few words from the Immortal could benefit you for a lifetime. Cough, cough."
"Father, may your lifespan be endless..."
At this juncture, Qu Liang felt not joy but fear and uncertainty about the future.
"Except for the Immortals, who can escape death? What a pity. Immortals roam freely, but I wonder how they will judge my life. Haha."
Ying Lian faced his mortality with a certain nonchalance.
"Let future generations assess it. The rise of Qin Country owes no small part to your efforts."
Suddenly, a figure appeared beside the bed.
Qu Liang stared in disbelief at a young man. About to call for guards, Ying Lian stopped him.
Song Lin's appearance was unchanged from twenty-plus years ago, while Ying Lian had transformed from a vibrant young lord into an elderly man.
"Qu Liang, bring the item over."
Qu Liang retrieved a jade box containing half a Tiger Talisman, and handed it to Song Lin.
"Qu Liang, you must listen carefully. In future generations of Qin Country, the ruler who sees the owner of this Tiger Talisman must honor them as a teacher."
"Understood, Father."
As he finished speaking, Ying Lian's face flushed red, as if experiencing a burst of vitality.
"Cough, cough. Immortal Master, thank you for your decades of guidance..." Ying Lian seemed transported back to the night he stood on Qin's East Sea Coast vowing before the heavens. Unbeknownst to him, twenty-plus years had passed. "Lian departs now."
With that, Ying Lian drew his last breath.
Qin Xiangong passed away, heralding the era of Qin Xiaogong.
Song Lin stood silently for a moment, feeling empty inside, then turned and left.
Before departing, he left Qu Liang with a parting thought.
"Do not let Ying Lian's expectations of you go unfulfilled. If you face difficulties, go to Wei Country and find a man named Yang."
"Understood... Uh!"
Qu Liang looked up to see Song Lin slowly ascending under the moonlight, disappearing into the skies.
"Father was telling the truth after all..." Qu Liang stood lost in thought.