Veiled by layers of mountains and misty waters stood the entrance, flanked by two round stones resembling natural drums. Cultivators who struck them would elicit a resonant chime. Inscribed upon them in seal script were the words “Celestial Chime” and “Cloud Root.”

Marquis Huang Zhong felt a surge of wariness, for the Daoist priest had arrived here with suspicious coincidence.

Lu Chen gazed upon the stone drums at the entrance, sighing softly. The inscriptions were freshly carved, yet the old tales of deities and the miraculous traces of immortals had faded like passing clouds.

For those dwelling below the mountains, the turning of the year marked a seasonal shift. But for those who cultivated on the peaks, it was a crucible for the heart.

*I wonder which great talent said that?*

*Ah, it was probably this poor Daoist myself.*

Lu Chen turned, smiling, “Fellow Daoist of Gengyun Peak, you have been trailing me with furtive steps. In this place where your cries can reach neither heaven nor earth, are you perhaps intending to rob me of my meager possessions?”

Marquis Huang Zhong revealed himself, saying, “This Daoist friend, why not accompany me to Cloudglow Ancestral Mountain and meet my esteemed master?”

Wei Li, the law enforcer of Cloudglow Mountain, was none other than Marquis Huang Zhong’s mentor.

Lu Chen waved his hand dismissively, “Forget it, forget it. Your Cloudglow Ancestor is no longer on the mountain. I have no old acquaintances left to reminisce with.”

Marquis Huang Zhong was rendered speechless.

The Cloudglow Immortal was indeed the founding ancestor of Cloudglow Mountain, and had long since passed away, ascending to the heavens. His disciples, through their individual branches and offshoots, had cultivated the grand scene of the sixteen peaks of Cloudglow in Treasure Bottle Continent.

Moreover, the reason Cloudglow Mountain’s immortal arts were so akin to Buddhist dharma involved a deep and ancient secret. It was said that the Cloudglow Ancestor had originated from the Xuankong Temple in the Central Earth, though he was not a monk, but some sort of divine object.

Lu Chen mimed the action of holding a staff, gently tapping the ground, and said with a subtle smile, “Wooden Seat, is it not so?”

Marquis Huang Zhong could not fathom whether this Daoist priest was merely feigning profundity, or truly knew of this matter. Lu Chen clicked his tongue, “Seeing your confused appearance, like a clueless monk, it does not seem to be a pretense. It seems my old friend Cloudglow was too embarrassed to reveal his Daoist origins to his disciples. But what is there to be ashamed of?

It should be prominently and boldly inscribed in the preface of your Cloudglow Mountain ancestral hall’s genealogy.” Before the Cloudglow Ancestor had left Xuankong Temple, and before Lu Chen had set sail, he had once met the Abbot Liaoran. Daoist and Buddhist dharma were discussed, each adhering to their own principles. But in Lu Chen’s words, “Daoist masters do not disparage Buddhism, and Buddhist arhats understand,” it was a pleasant conversation over two cups of tea.

The Cloudglow Ancestor’s true form, in his early years, was precisely the staff in the hands of the abbot of Xuankong Temple.

Abbot Liaoran, holding the “Wooden Seat,” had once lightly tapped Lu Chen’s shoulder.

Lu Chen neither dodged nor avoided it, willingly offering that “Wooden Seat” a chance to gain enlightenment.

And thus, the Vast Expanse was created.