Outside the Mei Clan's Immortal Abode, six figures walked slowly along a stone path carved between ancient mountains.
Five of them were old men whose robes bore the insignia of the clan's highest authority. The sixth was a young man walking quietly behind them, his posture straight but with nervousness in his eyes.
As they approached the gate of the abode, the leading elder stopped and turned.
His gaze fell on the young man.
"When the Immortal Ancestors question you," he said calmly, "answer truthfully."
The young man immediately nodded.
"Yes, I understand, Grandfather."
Another elder spoke from the side.
"This is your first time meeting the Immortal Ancestors. Speak only when asked and observe carefully. Even a single word from them may benefit your entire life."
The young man bowed respectfully.
"Yes, Grand Uncle. I understand."
With that, the group entered the gate.
The Immortal Abode was unlike any other place within the Mei Clan's territory.
Mountains surrounded a vast valley filled with lush green grass and countless flowers. The air was clear, fragrant, and filled with an indescribable vitality.
The young man's eyes widened slightly.
Even with his limited knowledge, he could immediately recognize that the plants growing across the valley were extraordinary. Many of the flowers and herbs required centuries to mature.
Yet here they grew freely like ordinary grass.
As soon as he stepped inside, the atmosphere changed.
A gentle fragrance drifted through the air, refreshing his mind and spirit. His body felt lighter, as though he had stepped into another world.
"Follow me," the clan head said quietly.
They walked through the fields until they reached a tranquil pond.
The water was clear and perfectly still.
"Wait here," the clan head said. "I will inform the Immortal Ancestors."
He stepped forward and bowed toward the pond. His lips moved as he spoke softly, though the young man could not hear the words.
Moments later ripples appeared on the surface of the water.
A figure slowly emerged.
An old woman stepped onto the surface of the pond as if it were solid ground. Her long white hair flowed gently behind her, and she wore a plain robe that radiated quiet dignity.
Her face was calm, yet her eyes contained an immeasurable depth.
"Welcome, Clan Head Mei," she said softly. "The ancestors are expecting you."
Without another word, she turned.
The group followed her directly into the pond.
The moment the young man stepped into the water, the world around him twisted.
His vision inverted.
In the next instant, he found himself walking out of the pond into a vast underground chamber.
The chamber extended deep into the mountain.
It was divided into several sections, each separated by stone corridors and meditation chambers.
The young man had heard stories about this place.
The deeper the chamber, the older the immortal residing there.
The youngest was the old woman they had just met, who had lived nearly five hundred years. The old woman sat down on a meditation mat near the entrance chamber.
Everyone bowed respectfully before continuing deeper.
They stopped at the fourth chamber.
The Mei Clan had five immortals. The oldest had lived for more than five thousand years.
In the fourth chamber lived the current clan head's great-grandfather, an immortal who had lived for two thousand years.
Inside the chamber stood an old man facing a stone wall.
The wall was covered with ancient symbols, diagrams, and mysterious writings. The old man stood motionless, studying them as if trying to decipher some forgotten secret.
"Greetings, Immortal Ancestor," the group said together, bowing deeply.
The old man nodded slightly without turning.
"What brings you here today?"
The clan head raised his head.
"Ancestor, we came regarding an immortal relic discovered on one of the ancient battlefields."
The moment those words were spoken, three figures suddenly appeared. They stepped out from neighboring chambers like ghosts emerging from the shadows.
These were the other immortals residing within the mountain.
Their eyes locked onto the clan head.
"What kind of relic?"
"When was it discovered?"
"Where is it now?"
Their voices overlapped.
The pressure in the chamber rose instantly.
Sweat formed on the foreheads of the five elders. Even breathing became difficult.
"Quiet."
The old man studying the wall spoke softly, yet his voice carried unquestionable authority.
Instantly, the other immortals fell silent.
He was the second oldest of the Mei Clan's immortals.
Turning slightly, he asked calmly, "Have you secured the relic?"
The clan head lowered his head, with shame evident on his face.
Seeing this reaction, the surrounding immortals sighed and slowly returned to their chambers.
The old ancestor finally turned around.
His eyes were deep and tranquil, his long white beard reaching his chest.
"So," he said slowly, "you have come to ask about the immortal whose relic was unearthed."
The clan head nodded.
"Yes, ancestor. According to the information we received… the relic was a brush."
The old ancestor frowned.
"A brush?"
Confusion appeared in his eyes.
During the two thousand years he had lived, nearly a hundred immortals had risen within the world, yet none of them had used a brush as their primary artifact.
He thought for a moment.
Then he said calmly,
"You should consult the Great Grand Ancestor."
The group felt their hearts tremble.
Receiving permission to enter the final chamber was an honor few ever obtained.
They bowed deeply before continuing deeper into the mountain.
The last chamber was completely different.
Instead of a dark cavern, it resembled an open valley beneath the sky. Sunlight shone down upon fields of rare herbs and ancient trees.
The air was filled with powerful spiritual energy.
The young man's eyes widened.
The trees here were covered with rare spiritual fruits worth unimaginable fortunes, and even wealthy cultivators struggle to get their hands on one of the fruits here.
Yet here they hung freely from branches.
It was their first time they had come to meet the oldest ancestor.
As they walked further into the valley, their surprise turned into shock. They noticed that hundreds of such trees and herbs filled the valley.
The young man gulped at the fact that such fruits were in the immortal abode of their family. Not only he, but also his uncles, father, and even grandfather were surprised to see this.
Suddenly, they saw him.
A middle-aged man, appearing no older than fifty, was calmly plucking fruits from the trees and placing them into a basket. The basket already held many spiritual fruits.
He picked them casually, as though harvesting ordinary apples.
The clan head immediately stopped and clasped his hands.
"Sir… could you inform us where we may find our great-grand ancestor?"
The man did not stop picking fruit.
Instead, he asked calmly,
"Why did little Shun allow you to enter my chamber?"
The group froze.
Little Shun?
That was the name of their two-thousand-year-old ancestor.
When they heard the man mention their old ancestor as 'Little Shun,' they were angered, but hearing the full sentence, this anger turned into shock as realization struck them instantly.
They dropped to their knees.
"Greetings, Great Grand Ancestor!"
The man glanced at them briefly.
"Well then," he said. "Why have you come?"
The clan head raised his head respectfully.
"Ancestor, we came regarding a newly discovered immortal relic. We hoped the ancestor might know its origin."
The man hummed softly.
"What kind of relic?"
"A brush."
The moment the word left the clan head's mouth, it felt like the atmosphere around the valley changed. Everything became silent.
For the first time, the man stopped picking fruit.
Slowly, he turned around.
His aura was ethereal, and his eyes shone with a faint green light. No one would believe that the man before them had lived five thousand years.
"Where did you find it?" he asked quietly.
"And where is it now?"
The clan head quickly answered.
"It was discovered two days ago on an ancient immortal battlefield. Our clan was mining the area along with another clan. One of their descendants found the relic first and immediately took it back to their territory before we could intervene."
The man narrowed his eyes slightly.
Then he said calmly,
"Return and gather every piece of information about it."
"In a few days, I will leave the abode myself."
The elders' hearts trembled, and they bowed deeply.
"We will do as you command, Great Grand Ancestor."
After leaving the valley, they still had countless questions.
But none dared ask.
...
The man walked deeper into the valley with the basket of spiritual fruits, and soon he reached a small pond.
At the center of the pond bloomed a single white flower.
It radiated the same mysterious aura as the man himself.
He stepped onto the surface of the water and walked calmly to the flower.
Then he slowly emptied the basket.
The rare spiritual fruits sank beneath the water below the flower.
The man looked down at the white blossom and whispered softly.
"So… you have appeared again."