ATPnovel Chapter 25 Introduction
Chapter 25 Introduction
Two hours later, Du Fan stood on a stone step halfway up the mountain and looked up.
"I heard from General Guo that there are more than 10,000 stone steps in front of the gate of Kongsang Mountain. It seems that we have already climbed half of them. My physical strength is much better than it was on Earth."
After resting for a while, Du Fan continued climbing the steps. About two hours later, he could clearly see the Kongsang Sect's mountain gate not far ahead. The enormous gate was composed of two green mulberry leaves, each tens of feet in size, one closed and the other open. Around the gate constructed of those two enormous mulberry leaves, a faint green light curtain rippled, stretching to the far distance, seemingly enveloping the entire Kongsang Sect. The scenery within the green light curtain was blurry and indistinct; even the occasional glimpses of something clear seemed illusory.
Outside the mountain gate, dozens of outer disciples dressed in black and white Taoist robes were sweeping fallen leaves on the stone steps. As Du Fan approached, one of the outer disciples immediately noticed him, walked over, and coldly spoke:
"Who goes there? If you are just an outsider, leave immediately!"
"I am Du Fan. I possess a scroll of Immortal-Mortal Contract from the royal family of the Fire Feather Kingdom. I have come here specifically to apply to become a disciple of the Kongsang Sect. I hope my master will convey my request." Du Fan stated his purpose directly and quickly took the scroll of golden contract out of his bag and handed it to the person in front of him.
"Huh? You're the one who received the bounty for the Immortal-Mortal Contract from the Fire Feather Kingdom's royal family. You look quite ordinary. Fine, you wait." The Daoist disciple's cold expression faded, revealing a hint of curiosity. He looked Du Fan up and down before turning and leaving, taking a few steps into the open mulberry leaf gate.
After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, two people walked out from the mountain gate, one after the other. The one in front was also dressed in a black and white Taoist robe, the only difference being that he wore a light green belt around his waist, while the others wore black belts. Behind him was the outer disciple who had just informed Du Fan, and his expression was slightly respectful.
As the two approached, Du Fan was momentarily stunned when he saw who it was. The man before him wasn't particularly tall, but he was incredibly obese, weighing over two hundred pounds. His fat, shiny face was plastered with smiles, squeezing his flesh into a shape resembling a blooming chrysanthemum. His small, round eyes seemed to dart around uncontrollably, giving him the appearance of a cunning, unscrupulous merchant. He had completely lost the demeanor of a celestial master, and even the outer disciple behind him coughed lightly, slightly embarrassed.
"You must be Du Fan, the one holding the Immortal-Mortal Contract who wants to join my Kongsang Sect. I have verified that contract, and there are no problems. I am the person in charge of receiving you in the Kongsang Sect, named Wan Baoshan. You can call me Senior Brother Wan from now on. Come with me into the sect first, and I will take you to register." Wan Baoshan smiled and seemed quite amiable as he took the lead and walked towards the sect gate.
"Thank you for your trouble, Senior Brother Wan." Du Fan put aside his distracting thoughts, his expression solemn, bowed, and hurriedly followed.
"Haha, good. I'm different from the other disciples. Don't be shy around me in the future. As time goes by, you'll naturally understand my character." Wan Baoshan laughed and patted Du Fan on the shoulder, making Du Fan feel a sudden darkness before his eyes and a heavy weight on his shoulder.
"Yes, thank you, Senior Brother Wan." Du Fan grinned, but didn't say anything.
After passing through the giant mulberry leaf-shaped mountain gate, a magnificent and expansive scene, like a fairyland, appeared before Du Fan's eyes. Standing here, looking out, he could see endless mountain ranges stretching into the distance, all verdant and green. Each mountain was shrouded in celestial mist, and the palaces and pavilions on the green peaks were faintly visible through the clouds. Occasionally, one or two cranes could be seen circling and dancing in the air, with faint human figures standing on them, as if about to ascend to immortality.
A towering mountain peak pierces the clouds, from which spring water cascades down, plunging rapidly down the mountainside like a silver river flying from the heavens, striking a deep pool below. From Du Fan's location, he cannot see the pool, but he can hear the deafening roar of the water striking the water. This roar is not deafening, but rather like a grand and majestic symphony, moving the soul and invigorating the spirit.
"Actually, I am not an inner disciple either. Like them, I am an outer disciple. However, I have some real power and manage all kinds of affairs inside and outside the Kongsang Sect. I am like the head steward in your mortal family, hehe..." Wan Baoshan chuckled, seemingly quite proud of his identity.
"Brother Wan, you hold a high position and great power, I admire you." Du Fan suppressed his shock and could only flatter you after hearing the other party's words.
"Haha, Junior Brother Du, you flatter me. I'm just trying to make a living in this Kongsang Sect. By the way, I wonder if Junior Brother Du has ever practiced any cultivation techniques before? Forgive my poor eyesight, I couldn't tell your cultivation level." Wan Baoshan was quite pleased with Du Fan's flattery and, in his cheerful mood, asked about another matter.
"I dare not hide anything from you, senior brother. I have never cultivated any immortal techniques. As for my cultivation level, I have not yet reached the quasi-Qi Refining stage. It is only natural that you cannot see my cultivation level." Du Fan was slightly embarrassed, but then told the truth.
"Oh, I see. So, if you don't have any cultivation experience, then according to the sect's rules, you can't directly become an outer disciple. You can only serve as a servant in the sect. However, this servant is not a servant in the ordinary sense. It is a servant who is specifically responsible for handling the miscellaneous matters under the jurisdiction of a certain senior uncle."
"The place where the senior disciples reside is naturally within the inner sect. Even ordinary outer sect disciples have no right to enter the inner sect. Most of the senior disciples will take in the sect's menial servants as nominal disciples, who will then enjoy the same treatment as outer sect disciples, and may even receive preferential treatment in some aspects. If the senior disciple is in a good mood, he might even impart some profound techniques. As for how to do it, that depends entirely on your ability." Wan Baoshan shook his head and explained to Du Fan in detail what he knew.
"I didn't expect that work experience would be valued even in this otherworldly immortal sect!" Du Fan was taken aback, but he didn't object to the menial job.
"Thank you for reminding me, Senior Brother Wan. I understand now," Du Fan quickly said.
"Also, don't say I didn't remind you. As a servant under your master, if you're clever enough, you'll naturally have plenty of perks. If you're lucky, it's not impossible for spirit stones to roll in. Hehe... I can only stop here, stop here... hehe..." Wan Baoshan suddenly lowered his voice and winked at him.
"Uh, thank you, senior brother." Du Fan was completely confused, only feeling that the other party's actions just now were extremely lewd, but he still didn't forget to thank him.
"I almost forgot, do you have any special skills? I will arrange for you to be placed under a suitable master." Wan Baoshan suddenly became serious and asked.
"What are your strengths? I believe I have a fairly good understanding of the ways of plants and trees, and I am quite passionate about them," Du Fan replied confidently after a moment's thought.
"Are you sure?" Wan Baoshan's expression suddenly became somewhat strange.
"Uh, I'm sure. What do you mean, Senior Brother Wan?" Du Fan was taken aback when he saw the other party's strange expression.
"Ahem... It's alright. That pavilion up ahead is the administration hall. I'll take you to register first, and then I'll take you to the inner sect's spirit garden later." Wan Baoshan coughed lightly, changing the subject.
Unbeknownst to them, they had arrived at the foot of a sacred mountain. A large pavilion stood before Du Fan, with a wooden plaque several meters in size hanging on it, bearing three large, glittering golden characters: "Entering the Hall".
……
An hour later, Du Fan was taken by Wanbaoshan to another immortal mountain, which was now within the inner sect. After another incense stick's time, the two arrived at a spiritual garden within the mountain. This spiritual garden was vast, covering hundreds of acres, far surpassing the Yao family's spiritual herb garden. It was filled with all sorts of spiritual herbs. At the edges, there were also dozens of acres of paddy fields, most of which were also filled with spiritual herbs. The extremely rich medicinal fragrance wafted even without wind, making one instinctively have a greedy urge to inhale it.
Not far from the cemetery, a somewhat simple thatched house stood there, and Wan Baoshan and Du Fan were standing respectfully in front of it.
"Disciple Wan Baoshan greets Uncle Shen and introduces a newly initiated handyman to serve you." Wan Baoshan bowed respectfully, his hands trembling slightly.
"snort!"
A cold snort came from the room. When it reached Du Fan's ears, he felt a sharp pain in his eardrums, his blood and qi churned, and his face turned pale instantly.
Suddenly, the door of the thatched hut opened, and a thin old man wearing a green Taoist robe walked out. The old man was not handsome, with age spots on his face, but his eyes were bright, and the majesty emanating from his brows made Du Fan's heart tremble.
"Disciple Du Fan greets Martial Uncle Shen."
"Enough with the nonsense. I'll test you on a few medicinal herbs. If you answer correctly, you can stay. If you answer incorrectly, I'll break one of your legs and get out!" Uncle Shen's face darkened, and his words were brief yet icy.
Wan Baoshan's fat neck twitched, and the fat surrounding it trembled.
Du Fan finally understood why Senior Brother Wan had looked so strange back then.
"This disciple will respectfully obey Uncle Shen's wishes. I am grateful for your assessment, Uncle Shen." Du Fan took a deep breath and could only speak respectfully.
"snort!"
Another cold snort came from Uncle Shen's nose, and with a wave of his hand, a flower, a blade of grass, and a leaf suddenly appeared in his palm.
"State your name and characteristics!" Uncle Shen said coldly, quite impatiently, seemingly not optimistic about Du Fan at all, and ready to break his legs at any moment.