Martial Immortality: Starting with the Spirit Beast Scroll

As the sky was just beginning to lighten, the disciples of the Water Mirror Department gathered in the center of the training grounds. They carried travel packs on their backs and held ox-tendon cudgels in their hands.

Elder Water Mirror took a headcount, confirmed everyone was present, and then led the group down the mountain, heading deep into Yanxing Mountain.

The Yanyun Mountain Range undulated endlessly. As far as the eye could see, there was nothing but towering mountains and steep ridges.

Elder Water Mirror ran at the front of the group. His entire body seemed to be enveloped in a formless aura. With just a light tap of his feet, he would glide several dozen feet forward, looking elegant and completely at ease.

Zhao Lin couldn’t help but marvel. ’The speed I was so proud of is nothing but child’s play compared to a Primordial Realm martial artist.’

"Elder, can you... tell us which mountain the Autumn Harvest is on now?"

Zhang Xiaoshan said, panting as he wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"You’ll know when we get there," Elder Water Mirror replied coldly.

After running for about an hour, just as the sky fully brightened, the group arrived at the foot of a mountain.

"This is the place," Elder Water Mirror said, slowing his pace.

"Five... Five Finger Mountain?"

The disciples looked up, and upon seeing the mountain’s shape, they began to speak one after another.

Zhao Lin smiled knowingly. ’I wonder if Sun Wukong is trapped underneath it,’ he thought.

The mountain had a peculiar shape, unlike any other. It wasn’t particularly towering or majestic, but it was uniquely precipitous and beautiful, its peaks rising in overlapping layers.

The lower half of the mountain sloped gently upward, but from its center, five peaks abruptly shot up.

The five peaks, all of different heights, were clustered together, looking just like the five fingers of a human hand.

No wonder it had this name. It truly looked like a giant hand bursting up from the ground.

Seeing the disciples drenched in sweat and panting nonstop, Elder Water Mirror let them rest for a moment.

"The Autumn Harvest will take place on this mountain. You are free to choose any of the five peaks."

"Let me remind you, while there are many herb-filled mountains in the Yanyun Mountain Range, this Five Finger Mountain is a place where spiritual essence gathers. The sect hasn’t sent anyone up here in three years. After you pick any herbs, you must keep them safe. Do not waste them under any circumstances."

He saw Zhang Xiaoshan opening his mouth to ask another question and snapped, "Let me finish!"

Zhang Xiaoshan immediately shut his mouth.

Elder Water Mirror paused for a moment before continuing, "For the sake of fairness, none of us teaching elders have scouted the mountain. We had the Law Enforcement Elder survey it instead."

"The Law Enforcement Elder reported that Little Finger Peak and Big Thumb Peak are relatively gentle, while the three middle peaks have treacherous terrain."

"There are no particularly vicious exotic beasts. As long as you don’t provoke them, your lives shouldn’t be in danger."

Zhao Lin nodded lightly. ’Just as I expected.’

’Every disciple of the Wuxiang Institute was handpicked, one in a hundred. The sect would never choose a perilous place teeming with ferocious exotic beasts and just let its talented disciples die.’

’Since I don’t have to worry about beasts, the only real threat is the other disciples.’

He took out his waterskin, took a couple of sips, and gazed at Five Finger Mountain as he began to strategize.

’Logically, the more treacherous the terrain, the greater the chance of finding rare herbs.’

’But if I can figure that out, so can everyone else. The three middle peaks will probably attract the most people, and they’ll be the strongest competitors, too.’

After a moment of consideration, Zhao Lin decided to head for Middle Finger Peak.

’If I want to take first place, I can’t shy away from a fight.’

After a short rest, Elder Water Mirror led his disciples up the mountain.

At the waist of Five Finger Mountain, in the spot that would be the "palm," there was a wide, open clearing.

When they arrived, they discovered that the Gold and Stone, Cyan Wood, Fire Jade, and Earth Departments were already there.

"Water Mirror, you finally made it!"

Fire Jade strode over, his eyes flicking deliberately yet casually over to Zhao Lin in the group.

"My department was the first to arrive today. It got me thinking... I wonder if the final rankings for this Autumn Harvest will match the order of arrival?"

Water Mirror’s face darkened. "Are you saying our department will finish fifth?"

Elder Huoyu let out a hearty laugh. "I was just making a casual remark. Don’t take it to heart, Brother Water Mirror."

Water Mirror sneered, "It’s nothing. I’m just afraid some people have gotten an early start only to end up late for the main event."

Fire Jade just smiled, unconcerned. "Then we’ll just have to wait and see."

The disciples from the outer court had yet to arrive, so everyone waited quietly.

The five elders gathered together, conversing in low voices. The disciples from each department, however, stuck to their own groups, a clear division between them.

Because the disciples of the five departments each focused on different Cultivation Techniques and trained in their own areas, they rarely crossed paths. They only gathered like this for the annual Spring Competition and Autumn Harvest.

When they did meet, it was always to compete, so their relationships were hardly harmonious. In fact, there was a palpable air of rivalry whenever they gathered.

Zhao Lin glanced across the clearing and spotted Kong Cang and Han Yang in the crowd.

Both had joined the Wuxiang Institute at the same time as him. Now, one was in the Fire Jade Department, and the other was in the Earth Department.

They looked over as well, giving him a slight nod in acknowledgement.

With the elders occupied, Zhang Xiaoshan grew restless. After glancing around, he went up to the disciple at the head of their group. "Senior Brother, I hear there are some really powerful people in the other departments."

"Tell me who they are. If I run into them on the mountain, I’ll know to steer clear."

The "Senior Brother" Zhang Xiaoshan addressed was named Guo Enze. He had joined the sect earlier than the others and achieved the highest rank within the Water Mirror Department during the Spring Competition, which was why all the disciples referred to him as Senior Brother.

Guo Enze nodded and pointed to someone in the Gold and Stone Department’s group. "Zhong Yewu from the Gold and Stone Department. He ranked first overall in this year’s Spring Competition. If you run into him on the mountain, it’s best to stay far away."

"He cultivates the Golden Bell Force and is said to have already reached the third level. His strength is immense, and his body is supposedly impervious to blades and spears."

Zhao Lin followed Guo Enze’s finger and saw a broad-shouldered, thick-waisted disciple with a dark, reddish complexion standing arrogantly among the Gold and Stone Department members.

’Immense strength and a tough hide, huh?’

’Not so different from my own cultivation path.’

Zhang Xiaoshan rubbed his chin. "That guy looks so old. If you hadn’t said anything, I would’ve thought he was a deacon."

Guo Enze smiled. His gaze shifted to the Fire Jade Department as he said, "The one leading the Fire Jade Department is Xiang Bao. His strength is on par with Zhong Yewu’s. He cultivates the Fire Cloud Palm Force and the Whirlwind Leg Force."

"He also has an older brother, Xiang Shaofeng, who is one of the top ten disciples in the inner court."

Xiang Bao wasn’t particularly tall, but he had a high-bridged nose, deep-set eyes, long arms, and a lean, powerful build, giving him a commanding presence.

"The brothers Du Zhong and Du Nian from the Earth Department cultivate the Thick Earth Skill. Their defense is rock-solid and their stamina is immense, making them extremely difficult opponents..."

Guo Enze mentioned a few more names. When he got to the Cyan Wood Department, he coughed. "Lin Qiutong of the Cyan Wood Department. She practices the Willow Leaf Follows the Wind Force. Her footwork is incredibly unpredictable... I lost to her in the Spring Competition."

Lin Qiutong’s presence lived up to her elegant name. While her facial features weren’t exquisitely delicate, she was tall and slender with an exceptional air about her, easily considered a rare beauty.

It was obvious that the eyes of most of the male disciples present were fixed on her.

The Wuxiang Institute had always had far more male disciples than female, and they were all at an age of youthful infatuation, so their reactions were hardly surprising.

Zhao Lin listened quietly, committing all their names to memory.

’Although I’m confident in my own strength, the Autumn Harvest isn’t a chaotic brawl. It makes more sense to focus my energy on gathering rare herbs.’

Before long, the outer court disciples also arrived. A white-bearded elder led fifty disciples forward.

"The outer court has many disciples; forgive my tardiness." The teaching elder of the outer court, Zhou Qing’an, said with a cupped-fist salute.

Zhao Lin glanced at the crowd and saw that Shi Jiangyong and Li Ying, the two he had competed against before, were among them.

Coincidentally, the two of them were staring right back at him, seemingly still unconvinced by the outcome of their last match.

"The outer court disciples have strength in numbers and like to form gangs. Everyone be careful," Guo Enze warned in a low voice.