The very next morning, Yang Ying ventured into the mountains, following the route described by the Guild Master Xin, though her description was vague, merely outlining a wide search area, forcing Yang Ying to navigate on his own to find the Taiji Temple.

Yang Ying had never visited Wudang Mountain in his past life, and this was his first time now, yet the scenery suggested that the environmental preservation efforts here were exceptionally well executed.

Though the front mountain was crowded with tourists, the organization at each scenic spot was so appropriate that there was no sense of chaos. Some Taoist priests in the temples were practicing swordsmanship; Yang Ying observed them, finding that even the more skilled ones were only on par with Tong Zhi Shan, holding no exceptional value.

He then proceeded to the back mountain. While there were fewer visitors here than on the front side, the area was densely forested, with rugged and difficult mountain paths, some sections being incredibly steep, leaving only single-file trails for ascent. As Yang Ying trod the narrow path, some well-meaning tourists behind him advised him against going further, warning of danger and the risk of slipping. Yang Ying thanked them but continued on his way.

Fortunately, as it was only mid-January, there were no buzzing insects among the thickets, making the walk relatively quiet. As he walked, a mist began to gather, and an inexplicable atmosphere started to form around him, growing more distinct the further he advanced.

Yang Ying paused to sense his surroundings carefully and indeed felt a force disturbing the space before, behind, left, and right, significantly increasing the energy required for him to discern direction. However, his psychic power (Nian Li) had already established a foundation, and these disturbances did not cause him much difficulty.

After walking a few hundred meters further, this feeling finally began to wane, and the crisp sound of water drifted ahead. Yang Ying walked forward and found himself standing before a waterfall.

The mountain stream suddenly plunged down from a height of over ten meters. Below, several round stones were placed on the water’s surface, seemingly for footing. In the crystal-clear water, several small fish Yang Ying couldn't name were swimming upstream toward the cascade, yet they could never seem to approach it.

"The Guild Master Xin never mentioned this waterfall to me," Yang Ying mused inwardly, "I must have gone farther than she did."

Just then, a shout suddenly echoed from ahead.

"Who are you? How did you get here?"

Accompanying the voice appeared two Taoist priests, one tall and one short, both dressed in Taiji robes and carrying peach wood swords on their backs.

Yang Ying stepped forward, "Are you both Taoist masters from the Taiji Temple?"

The taller priest wore an expression of arrogance. "We asked you first. You should answer before asking back."

Yang Ying paid no mind to the slight and cupped his hands in greeting. "The Master speaks rightly. I am Yang Ying, entrusted by someone to deliver a package to a Taoist Master Tianhe. The path ahead was peculiar, yet it could not stop me. I wonder if you two are satisfied?"

The shorter priest nodded. "We are indeed disciples of the Taiji Temple. You are looking for Martial Uncle Tianhe? Then follow us; we must first announce your arrival."

Thus, Yang Ying followed them to the Taiji Temple.

Upon seeing the architecture, Yang Ying’s eyes widened. He had always imagined the Taiji Temple to be a complex of ancient, quaint Taoist buildings with red bricks and green tiles, deeply hidden within the mountains. What greeted his eyes, however, was a surreal, large-scale palace complex.

This cluster of palaces was steeped in futuristic style. A large fountain sat at the entrance, surrounded by sensors, automatic doors and windows, and various lights. Moreover, the three large characters "" (Taiji Temple) projected onto a holographic screen above the main gate flickered incessantly, and mysterious runes were carved into various parts of the walls—it was truly a convergence of science fiction and fantasy.

The two priests, seemingly accustomed to the sight, swaggered up to the entrance and opened the massive door with a simple swipe of their fingers.

"Hurry up and follow, don't just stand there gawking!" the taller priest said, glancing back at Yang Ying, then turning away to mutter under his breath, "What an unsophisticated country bumpkin."

The shorter priest subtly tugged at him, but the taller one ignored the gesture, continuing in his high-handed manner.

A middle-aged Taoist priest emerged from inside. Seeing the three at the entrance, he approached and asked, "Qingfeng, Mingyue, who is this young man? I don't recall ever seeing him before."

The shorter priest performed a salute. "Martial Uncle Tianye, this lay practitioner came in from the outside through the illusion array. He claims he was entrusted to bring something to Martial Uncle Tianhe."

"Looking for Tianhe? Could it be..." Taoist Master Tianye pondered for a moment, then said, "Never mind. You may proceed."

Qingfeng and Mingyue escorted Yang Ying to a touchscreen to register, and then led him to a reception room. The shorter priest said, "Wait here for a moment; we will go find Martial Uncle Tianhe and be right back."

At that moment, a service robot approached, carrying a cup of tea, and placed it before Yang Ying.

Yang Ying sipped the tea while observing the environment both inside and outside the room. The lines were simple and clean, the room was decorated in warm tones, and looking out the window, he could see meticulously planted flowers and grasses. Aside from the structure itself, everything else offered a view of natural scenery.

Soon after, a Taoist priest of medium height, appearing to be in his early thirties, walked in.

"I am Tianhe. What do you have to bring me?" the priest asked with an eager expression.

Yang Ying had seen a photo of Tianhe at the Guild Master's place, so he recognized him immediately. He handed over the package he was carrying. "This is from Ms. Xin Tianqing, the Guild Master of the Taiji Sword Arts Guild at the foot of the mountain."

Taoist Master Tianhe took the package, supporting it with one hand while covering it with the other. Yang Ying immediately sensed a wave of psychic power flow from his hand, penetrating the package, before being quickly withdrawn.

Yang Ying inwardly nodded, realizing he had come to the right place. Then, a thought struck him: "Tianqing, Tianhe—both belong to the 'Tian' generation. Could it be...?"

A look of wistful remembrance, similar to the one Guild Master Xin had shown earlier, crossed Taoist Master Tianhe’s face as he spoke slowly, "I knew it was her." He raised his head to look at Yang Ying and asked, "Did she entrust you with any words to bring me?"

Yang Ying shook his head. "No other words, just to bring this package."

"I see." Tianhe sighed. "Can you tell me about the circumstances when she asked you to bring the package?"

"Certainly..."

Yang Ying recounted everything that had happened at the Taiji Guild the day before, from beginning to end.

Taoist Master Tianhe sat up straight, his expression serious, and listened intently. Then, with a heavy heart, he said, "Eighteen years. It must have been difficult for her."

Although Tianhe appeared to be in his thirties, Yang Ying knew that for cultivators, slowing down aging was trivial; an appearance of thirty could easily conceal an actual age of forty or even fifty. When Taoist Master Tianhe had used his psychic power earlier, Yang Ying had sensed that Tianhe’s Nian Li strength was around seven or eight thousand, comparable to that of the ape-man commander he had encountered before, essentially similar to an average Nian energy practitioner.

However, judging by the current setting, which resembled a traditional martial arts sect, various cultivation methods here were likely secret arts. It wouldn't be easy to learn anything here.