Golden Stone Gorge, hidden within the Yunwu Mountain near Duyun in Guizhou, was indiscernible to mortals from the ground, and even Immortals flying overhead would only see drifting clouds and mist, making it nearly impossible to find without insider knowledge.

Wei Tu, the mad monk, had been cultivating here for several years. As a child, he had been maltreated by his stepmother and, after contracting leprosy, was driven into the mountains to fend for himself. On the brink of death, he formed a bond with a highly venomous little snake, and the two became interdependent for survival. With its beautiful environment and rarity of visitors, complemented by an abundance of Spiritual Medicine, the man and serpent secluded themselves in the valley for over twenty years.

It wasn't until an earthquake collapsed part of the mountain ridge that they discovered the Shaqing Immortal Mansion inside. After entering it, Wei Tu found Daoist books and Elixirs left behind by a Loose Cultivator who had practiced there during the Southern Song Dynasty, allowing him to eventually become a Sword Immortal.

This fellow was innately extreme and vengeful. After mastering Spells, he went out to brutally torture each of his former enemies to death. Afterward, returning to the mountain, he quietly cultivated for another four or five decades, refining several powerful Magical Treasures.

On this day, Wei Tu was in the midst of concocting Elixirs using newly prepared Yellow Ginseng, Polygonum multiflorum, and the like, when suddenly, he heard a thunderous female voice from outside: "Listen up, person inside! I am the calamitous Deng Bagu, and I've taken a fancy to this Shaqing Immortal Mansion. If you know what's good for you, hand it over swiftly and keep your life. Otherwise, you should be aware that I, the calamitous Deng Bagu, always kill without burying the dead!"

Wei Tu was shocked. As an Independent Cultivator without any sect affiliation, he rarely socialized over the years and had no idea who Deng Bagu was. Yet, considering the numerous layers of Prohibition from the plain at the valley entrance to the Immortal Mansion's chambers, and the fact that she could project her voice so clearly and forcefully inside, it was evident that she was highly skilled.

Not daring to delay and suspecting ill intent, he hurriedly sealed the Pill Furnace, retrieved his Magical Treasures, and went out to meet the visitor.

Once outside, upon seeing Deng Bagu, Wei Tu couldn't help but feel unsettled, thinking, Where did this formidable and striking black-clothed beauty come from? The nickname 'calamitous god' certainly has a fiendishly charming ring to it.

Following the instructions of Shi Feiyang, Deng Bagu loudly informed Wei Tu that she had set her sights on the place, demanding that he quickly vacate the Immortal Mansion for her to cultivate in peace.

Wei Tu replied, "Fellow Daoist, why must you be so? Let's calm down. You indeed have a discerning eye, as this Shaqing Immortal Mansion is the best of the fourteen Grotto Heavens in the Southwest according to the Daoist. I've been purifying myself here for many years, with only a snake for company. If you too fancy this place, why not move in? Let us cultivate together and ascend the Immortal Path. The mansion is spacious, with many stone chambers..."

Deng Bagu spat contemptuously, "Keep dreaming! Do you think I, your Lady, would share space with the likes of you, vile vermin? It would defile my Dao Level! Not to mention that I don't usually associate with men..."

As she spoke, the image of a handsome and noble Daoist appeared in her mind, causing her voice to falter slightly before she quickly added, "Even if I were to seek a cultivation partner, I wouldn't choose someone as short, wretched, bald, and sleazy-looking as you. Will you give up this Immortal Mansion or not? Speak quickly. If you relent, I'll give you an hour to gather your belongings and take all your detestable possessions with you, leaving not a single hair... not a single thread behind! If not, I'll use my Flying Sword to cut down your bald head this instant!"

Seeing Deng Bagu's unsure tone when mentioning her avoidance of men, Wei Tu sensed an opportunity and rushed to stroke his bald head, explaining, "As a child, I suffered from terrible leprosy, and later, using poison to fight poison with snake venom, as well as consuming many Spiritual Medicines, I was cured, although scars remained. I figured that as a man living in deep solitude, I needn't concern myself with appearances. If it displeases you, I can always seek Spiritual Medicines to remove the scars and regrow my hair."

Deng Bagu thought to herself that not only did the man have a repulsive exterior, but he was just as shameless inside. However, she had been tasked by her master to detain Wei Tu here—if she could manage it without resorting to force, using just words, that would be preferable. She continued to berate Wei Tu for his unsavory qualities.

Wei Tu, noting that although her demeanor was aggressive, she hadn't immediately drawn her sword to fight, took this as a sign that there might still be hope to persuade her to enter the valley. Assuming she was merely fussy, he kept defending himself.

As the two engaged in a protracted, unresolved conflict at the valley's entrance, Shi Feiyang had already stealthily infiltrated the valley and bypassed three layers of Arrays and Prohibition to the rear cave, accurately identifying the spot where Ai Zhenzi had sealed away the Treasures and began to unseal them.

Ai Zhenzi was a Qin Sword Immortal, and although his Mana had been strong, two thousand years had considerably weakened the power of his Prohibition Techniques. Moreover, the area had experienced several earthquakes since then, disturbing the local earth energies. Shi Feiyang spent half an hour quietly breaking the Prohibitions, penetrating the walls, and retrieving the items.

Each of the four Treasures was a Heavenly Treasure. Ai Zhenzi had left behind instructions for refining them, stating that using Taiqing Immortal Technique for sacrificial refinement over sixty-four days would greatly increase their power. However, he warned that the process would emit a bright light reaching the heavens and would likely draw competitors, necessitating careful precautions and prepared defenses in advance.

Shi Feiyang did not know the Taiqing Immortal Technique. Taiqing Immortal Technique, Upper Pure Immortal Technique, Yuqing Immortal Skill, as well as the derivative Shaqing Immortal Skill—all stemmed from the Method of The Three Pure Ones.

His cultivation of the "Twenty-Eight True Scripture" and the "Three-Seven Scripture" belonged to the Three Pure Ones' Method, but whether it was the Inner Alchemy Method or external Spells, they were fairly basic, and he was far from reaching the heights of the Taiqing Immortal Technique.

In this world, aside from the Three Pure Ones' Method, there was also the Three Emperors' Method.

According to the "Classic of Mountains and Seas," one can infer that the Huaxia civilization, from the matrilineal society of Nuwa in Ancient Times, through the patrilineal society of the Heavenly Emperor, to the agricultural society of Shennong, and finally to the tribal society of Emperor Xuanyuan, the Dao lineage was passed down and inherited in succession.

In ancient times, people only knew their mothers and not their fathers, hence society was structured around the mother as the core, and all family names in ancient times originated from Nuwa.

Initially, the ancients measured the celestial Circulation, taking a year to be three hundred and sixty days, ten days a week, twelve months a year, but each year fell short by five and one-quarter days, and every four years would differ by as long as twenty-one days, nearly a month.

As time passed, the calendar showed summer, yet heavy snow fell from the sky, and when it indicated winter, the land was lush with vegetation, and rivers overflowed.

Later, Nuwa led her Ministers to re-measure, inserting intercalary months to align the calendar with the actual seasons, which led to the legend of Nuwa mending the sky in future generations.

The Dao lineage of Huaxia began with Nuwa, through the four dynasties of the Yu, Xia, Shang, and Zhou, from the earliest small tribes centered around mothers, living by gathering and hunting, to the later cities spread across the land, with feudal systems of monarchy, the pursuit of Dao, Dharma, and Technique was consistent throughout.

However, since Xia Qi, kings indulged in worldly pleasures, abandoning their responsibility in Dao, and shifted it to their Ministers. Change of dynasties merely meant a change of one surname, one family, but the inheritance of the Dao remained as before.

Until the late East Zhou period, Lord Lao Zi, who managed all the books in the world, was the last Minister to have attained Dao through visions; from then on, the Dao fragmented into a hundred schools, each discussing Dao but not attaining it. Kong spoke of benevolence, Meng of righteousness, Mo of universal love, and Legalism of valuing laws. What's more, the various schools of Yin Yang and the Five Elements all originated from the Dao and moral veins passed down from the Three Emperors.

In this world, Guang Chengzi is neither a disciple of Yuanshi Tianzun nor an incarnation of Lord Lao Zi but is an ancient Immortal along with Chi Songzi, Ning Fengzi, Rong Chenggong, and Chi Jingzi.

The "Guang Chengzi's Heavenly Book" that Shi Feiyang cultivated from was the purest lineage of the Three Emperors' Method, with origins of the grand way traceable back to the time of Nuwa.

Being unable to perform Taiqing Immortal Techniques, he would have to study these four treasures carefully when he brought them back, and given their material properties and effectiveness, he would develop new methods of sacrificial refinement. However, even if he knew how to perform Taiqing Immortal Techniques, he could not refine them here. The disturbance would be too great, failing to elude Wei Tu and likely alarming other Cultivators nearby.

These four items were treasures brought to the Lower Realm by banished Immortals from the heavens, and Ai Zhenzi, by fate, gathered and stored them here.

Ai Zhenzi had quite a history with the Emei Sect, which was currently engaged in fierce combat with the Wutai Sect. On a previous occasion in the Qinling, Shi Feiyang had slain Zhu Hong, who had, prior to the swordfight in the original story, stolen the protective treasure Taiyin Five Smoke Net from the Taiyin Hunyuan Ancestor, leading to the Ancestor being besieged and beaten to death by the two old Immortals from the Trio of Immortals. Now, without Zhu Hong, possessing the Five Smoke Net, the Taiyin Hunyuan Ancestor should be able to hold out a little longer, or even preserve his life. With him alive, he would somewhat restrain the disciples of both the Wutai and Hua Mountain Sects, preventing them from acting too recklessly and thereby reducing much death karma that would have otherwise been created.

Mortals do not understand the principles of an Immortal's calculations and might assume that the Emei Sect had installed cameras in the Shaqing Immortal Mansion, so that the moment Shi Feiyang moved, they would immediately become aware. In reality, unless it concerned something vital to their own lives being disturbed, would they spontaneously sense something amiss and proceed with further calculations to comprehend the situation.

Items like the Nanming Leaving Fire Sword and these four Magical Treasures were supposed to emerge decades later. They would only conduct calculations if they had a motive afterward and realize they had been taken. Then, by scrutinizing the cause and effect, they could discern various clues about the treasure-taker.

Shi Feiyang chose this moment to act, not because the Emei Sect would sense any disturbance as soon as the treasures were moved, but because disciples of the Emei Sect were usually scattered all over the world, having extensive connections, including many in Yun Gui. If seen by other Cultivators, word could spread, providing the Emei Sect the motive to understand the incident. If they were to act collectively in response, he would be unable to withstand them.

Therefore, he specifically chose this time and had Deng Bagu lure Wei Tu away, allowing him to sneak in quietly, take the Magical Treasures, and then sneak out again.

Ai Zhenzi's sealing methods were particularly ingenious; neither Wei Tu nor the previous few Sword Immortals who had come in to cultivate were aware of this affair, making it unknown to gods and ghosts alike. By the time the Emei Sect gained the inspiration to calculate and investigate the causes and consequences, he would have already proficiently refined and utilized the Magical Treasures as he wished.

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