This Human Immortal Is Too Serious

It's over, all over.

Wu Wang lay on the wooden plank, his hands crossed over his chest, his expression extremely serene.

It's all fake. The entire Great Wilderness is fake, non-existent, filled with fallacies!

The cultivation theories he had mastered actually originated from an old guy who got stuck at the initial stage of the Ascending Immortal Realm and never progressed in his cultivation path!

Isn't this deceiving people?

Isn't this cultivation fraud?

In the Northern Wilderness market, the book "Qingmu Thunder Method · Annotated by Sanxian Daoist" that Suqing had exchanged, he had treated as a sacred text. It was his enlightenment work for cultivation. Even later, when he used the Qingmu Thunder Method, he would chant the name of Sanxian Daoist.

Just thinking about it made Wu Wang uncomfortable, shifting left and right on the wooden plank.

Later on, he had collected a complete set of Sanxian Daoist's works in the Human Domain, from beginner formations to new studies of elixirs, from beginner artifact refining to the cultivation and planting of Spirit Grass.

Wu Wang finally understood why there were no biographical introductions about Sanxian Daoist in any of the books.

He had always thought this was a long-dead, old Immortal! No, a Great Wilderness old artist!

But today, when Sanxian Daoist was sitting not far from him on a wooden plank...

What was this old Daoist doing?

Wu Wang turned his head with a frown, seeing the old Daoist drifting on the neighboring plank, humming a tune leisurely, using a pen dipped in seawater to draw and write on the bundle of books he had collected.

The old Daoist looked up at Wu Wang and said with a smile, "Young Hero, don't be impatient. I'll sign them all for you. Being able to collect such a comprehensive set of my works, you are indeed dedicated. It's been a long time since I've written, and I'm out of practice. Please excuse my lack of practice."

Wu Wang: ...

At the other end of the wooden plank, Lin Suqing's shoulders, where she sat cross-legged, shook slightly; she almost burst into laughter.

Wu Wang opened his mouth, a bitter taste almost rising from the tip of his throat. The education he received in his previous life taught him not to resort to violence against an old man merely over such matters, especially one who was close to kicking the bucket and exuded an air of twilight.

But not cursing was already the Young Master's last shred of restraint.

Lifting a hand, a ray of Immortal Light wrapped around the plank, pulling him and Lin Suqing swiftly northward.

"Hey! Young Hero! You haven't taken your personally signed scriptures from me!"

Old Daoist Sanxian shouted, fumbling in his sleeve, producing a 'bamboo dragonfly,' and gently tossed it up; it stuck directly behind the wooden plank.

In the next instant, the bamboo dragonfly stirred up a three-zhang high spray of water, and the wooden plank rode the wind and waves, chasing northward. The old Daoist continuously made "WOOHOO" sounds, his gray-white hair flailing in the wind, and his gaunt old face was full of Divine Light.

After a short while, Wu Wang was actually caught up by this old Daoist...

"Young Hero! You haven't taken your books!"

"I don't want them!"

"Hahaha! Young Hero, why be so crude!"

Wu Wang sat up, glaring at the old Daoist, his gaze suddenly falling on the bamboo dragonfly behind the wooden plank.

A propeller?

Wu Wang was slightly startled and took a closer look at the old Daoist.

If this thing was made by a seasoned traveler from his Blue Star, then naturally, there would be nothing to say about it—an old copycat, then. But if it came from an old slick from the Great Wilderness... Is there a problem?

Wu Wang furrowed his brow and dimmed the surrounding Immortal Light a bit. At that moment, he was just a Yuanxian Realm spiritual cultivator, deliberately tinging his aura with murkiness to appear ordinary.

Soon, the two wooden planks slowly halted; a black line on the horizon was visible to the naked eye.

Wu Wang watched the old Daoist's actions, saw him raise a hand, and the 'bamboo dragonfly' flew from behind the wooden plank, landing in the old Daoist's hand.

Sanxian Daoist squinted, smiling, and said in a gentle voice, "Young Hero, here are your books."

"Daoist, may I have a look at this treasure of yours?"

"Certainly," Sanxian Daoist reduced the bamboo dragonfly to the size of a palm, placed it on the few signed scriptures, enveloped it in Mana, and pushed it toward Wu Wang.

Wu Wang calmly took the books and then picked up the magic treasure, examining it closely for a while, and couldn't help furrowing his brow slightly.

This item only looked like a 'bamboo dragonfly' on the outside, wrapped in copper skin, but inside was a series of rice grain-sized mechanisms.

Lin Suqing curiously leaned in to take a closer look but couldn't make sense of it either.

The old Daoist beside them stroked his beard, chuckled lightly, and said warmly, "If you like it, take it. I don't have much Lifespan left. It's rare to find a young friend like you who's so fascinated by my works. To have such a confidant in life is enough for me; what more could I ask for?"

Wu Wang replied indifferently, "Senior, how did you create this?"

"Oh, hahaha." Sanxian Daoist stroked his beard and laughed, his eyes full of mirth. "I call myself Sanxian, signifying pioneering innovations in my three paths: writing, artifact refining, and formations."

Wu Wang held the 'bamboo dragonfly' between his fingers and said indifferently, "Then you should be called Sanxin Daoist."

"Ah," Sanxian Daoist chuckled. "'Xin' (new) sounds like 'xīn' (firewood). In the Human Domain, the torch of heritage is passed down through generations. The three Human Emperors are even known as the Protectors of the Torch. If I called myself Sanxin, wouldn't that be an insult to the sages of old? That's why I have my Dao name today, Sanxian."

"Senior, could you please tell me how this object was made?"

"Are you asking about the artifact refining methods within it, or are you asking how the rotation of metal blades generates forward thrust?"

Wu Wang said, "What is the source of the latter?"

Sanxian Daoist made a hand gesture, signaling Wu Wang to be patient. He then fumbled in his wide sleeves for a while, taking out a paper windmill that mortal children play with.

After that, the Daoist adopted a coaxing tone, speaking gently, "Now, let's look here. This is a common windmill seen at temple fairs. Just blow on it like this, WHOOSH— Look, isn't it magical? It's spinning."

The veins on the back of Wu Wang's hand bulged as he struggled to maintain an elegant smile at the corner of his mouth.

The old Daoist began an endless discourse on how the windmill spun, how it wobbled, and even taught Wu Wang how to deduce by analogy, to think in reverse.

"I, for one, thought that if the windmill could spin on its own, could it generate a forward or backward wind?"

While speaking, the old Daoist took out an unbound paper book from his sleeve and handed it to Wu Wang.

Wu Wang opened it and glanced through. Its contents ranged from an ordinary paper windmill, originally painted with talismans for prayer, to research on the wind sails of Human Domain merchant ships. It even included rough sketches by the old Daoist for a new type of propeller-driven ship.

The more Wu Wang looked, the more he felt that this old Daoist...

He had been born in the wrong world and era.

Lin Suqing asked from the side, "Senior, this object looks quite magical. Why haven't such treasures been seen in the Human Domain?"

"Actually, I made dozens of them," Sanxian Daoist said, his expression somewhat dim, though he forced a smile. "But they were only given to a few friends. I also sent them to the Heavenly Craft Pavilion before, but I was turned away at the door."

Lin Suqing asked, "Is it because your cultivation isn't high, Senior?"

"It has nothing to do with cultivation," Sanxian Daoist sighed, "but actually, it also has to do with cultivation."

Lin Suqing was somewhat puzzled.

Wu Wang closed the book and said seriously, "The Daoist says it has nothing to do with cultivation. This means the Human Domain's Heavenly Craft Pavilion doesn't judge cultivators by their cultivation level, but by their understanding of the Path of Artifact Refining. But then he says it *does* relate to cultivation, because his own cultivation level has limited his horizons. The Daoist considers this item a groundbreaking treasure, yet he overlooks the flight speed of high-level Immortals and the advanced magic treasures they can refine. In other words, while the Daoist's creation is ingeniously conceived, it's of little use to cultivators at or above the Yuanxian Realm."

Sanxian Daoist gave Wu Wang a thumbs-up, admiring, "Young Hero, you truly have great insight to spot this item's flaw at a glance."

A look of realization also appeared on Lin Suqing's petite face.

Sanxian Daoist sighed softly, sitting on the wooden plank and gazing towards the land to the north, speaking slowly, "I have been busy half my life, creating quite a few novel devices, but none have been of great use. It's better not to mention it, better not to mention it. Young Hero, where are you two headed?"

Wu Wang looked at Lin Suqing, who immediately said, "We originally wanted to travel to the ends of the earth, then explore the Southeastern Region to see if there's any way to earn Spirit Stones. Our Sect isn't large, so my Martial Uncle and I can only hustle for the Sect's expenses."

The old Daoist seemed quite moved and said with a smile, "Providing for a Sect is indeed a difficult task. Do you have any leads?"

Suqing shook her head, looking at Wu Wang. "We can only take it one step at a time."

"I see," the old Daoist stroked his beard and chuckled lightly. "I have been roaming between the Human Domain and the Southeastern Region for the past one or two thousand years, and I also have some connections in the Southeastern Region."

Wu Wang immediately said, "There's no need for Senior to trouble yourself."

"What trouble is there to speak of?" The old Daoist's eyes were full of warmth as he gazed at Wu Wang. "Having delved into so many of my works, you and I can be considered confidants."

Cross-shaped veins bulged on Wu Wang's forehead, and through gritted teeth, he said, "Speaking of which, Daoist, could you explain... how can you guarantee that these books of yours will help people cultivate and become Immortals?"

Sanxian Daoist spread his hands. "I can't guarantee that. Which of my books ever claimed these are immortal cultivation methods that guarantee success in becoming an Immortal?"

Wu Wang cursed, "Then how dare you write scriptures for others to read!?"

"The principles are all there, aren't they?" Sanxian Daoist said with a smile. "Look, a Heavenly Immortal might understand one hundred percent of the principles, but if he can't teach, he might only convey one percent. Even if I only understand ten percent, if I can convey nine percent to others, why shouldn't I compile scriptures and share my insights?"

Lin Suqing also chimed in, "But those insights might not necessarily be correct, right?"

"What is right, and what is wrong?" Sanxian Daoist chuckled. "Fellow Daoist, your concept of cultivation is too narrow-minded!"

Dark lines covered Wu Wang's forehead, but his voice suddenly calmed. "I remember reading that Emperor Fuxi established the Cultivation Realms, and various Transcendents subsequently founded their sects. Daoist, you haven't even mastered your own cultivation. Your Ascension Realm looks like it was forced with elixirs. How dare you..."

Sanxian Daoist smiled calmly and spoke earnestly, "That's precisely why I didn't allow those publishing merchants to state my Dao Realm in the books. There's no shame in earning Spirit Stones."

"This is fraud!" Wu Wang took a deep breath, trying to remain calm. His education didn't allow...

Unexpectedly, Sanxian Daoist boasted, "To be honest, while my artifact refining hasn't amounted to much, these scriptures of mine have spread far and wide. They might not make much of a splash within the Human Domain, but they're quite famous beyond it, indeed."

WHOOSH!

Wu Wang stood up abruptly, his figure floating above the sea surface.

Sanxian Daoist was taken aback and, clutching at his collar, cried out, "Young Hero, what do you intend to do?"

"To... enact... justice... on... behalf... of... the... heavens!" Wu Wang spat out these words through clenched teeth and, with a flick of his hand, wrapped Sanxian Daoist in a beam of Immortal Light, then pounced directly upon him.

A miserable scream echoed between heaven and earth.

Lin Suqing covered her face with her hand, hardly bearing to look directly at the tragic state of the old Daoist, only to hear:

"Young Hero, calm down! Killing me won't do you any good!"

"I have only written down what I know and learned! I haven't deceived anyone... You! You little twerp! If you have the guts to hit hard, do it! Just causing pain without real harm, what kind of hero does that? See if I don't make you pay for this!"

"Still hitting! AIYO! This old Daoist will fight you to the death!"

"Young Hero, I beg for mercy! I was wrong, I was wrong! Those books were all written by me two thousand years ago, back when I was blinded by greed!"

「A moment later.」

Wu Wang and Lin Suqing sat one behind the other on the wooden plank, wrapped in a bit of Immortal Light, drifting towards the shore.

Not far behind them, the old Daoist, tied to a wooden plank, his head covered in swollen lumps, was shivering non-stop, drifting along with the waves.

"Martial Uncle," Lin Suqing said with a smile, "you mustn't be angry anymore."

"Angry about what?" Wu Wang folded his arms and cursed through clenched teeth, "This old Daoist has indeed harmed many! I now have to rethink everything from scratch and painstakingly correct all the erroneous knowledge I've accumulated!"

Lin Suqing covered her mouth to suppress a giggle, then asked, "Martial Uncle, have you checked? Is that person hiding his true cultivation level?"

"I have checked," replied Wu Wang. "He is indeed at the Ascension Realm. The sense of disharmony that arises from being stuck in a realm for so long cannot be faked."

Lin Suqing gently nodded. "Then he certainly deserved a lesson or two."

"It was just to let him suffer some physical pain." Wu Wang looked around and sent a voice transmission, "It seems we can only go ashore here and then find our way to Yun City."

"Travel northeast from here for three hundred miles, and you'll find a large city where the Human race congregates."

"We shall avoid that place," Wu Wang said after careful thought. "Find a path with villages, some relatively primitive clans, and some Beast Hordes that aren't too powerful."

Lin Suqing nodded slightly and immediately took out a map to examine it meticulously; she had already annotated it with many notes.

After studying it for a moment, she suddenly had a thought, looked up at Wu Wang, and whispered, "Your Martial Niece obeys."

Wu Wang's mood brightened, and a faint smile appeared on his lips as he continued to gaze into the distance.

「In the Annihilation Sect, within the Sect Master's abode.」

Several figures flew into the Annihilation Sect Formation, a bit of pure Qi flowing into the area beneath the grand formation, and immediately an Annihilation Sect Elder stepped forward to greet them.

The arrivals were a few Immortal women from the Xuan Nu Sect. The leading one wore a conical hat and a long, dark-teal gown. After exchanging pleasantries with the Annihilation Sect Elder, she went straight to the Sect Master's chamber.

None of the guards dared to stop them. Even the Grand Elder only glanced over thoughtfully and ultimately decided not to intervene.

It was none other than the woman many regarded as their future Sect Master's wife: Ling Xiaolan, the Tianyan Saintess of the Xuan Nu Sect.

Fairy Ling floated over the arched bridge at the front door, her jade-like feet, nestled in long boots, emanating faint Immortal Light, toes pointing downward as she lifted her hand to remove her hat.

"Brother Wuwang, may I enter?"

Sounds of light laughter soon came from within the cave. "Fairy Immortal, you are welcome to enter."

The door to the abode slowly opened, and Ling Xiaolan, with a light tap of her toes, floated inside.

'Wu Wang' emerged from the inner cave with a hint of a smile, stepping forward to greet her.

Immortal Mu, accompanied by an ear-mouse and Xiao Deng, ran out from another side of the inner cave, shouting "WOOF WOOF," playfully frolicking with Xiao Deng—as rehearsed before, to distract the visitor's attention.

"Brother Wuwang," Ling Xiaolan said softly, "you needn't worry too much. I just heard about Brother Lin being captured, but I had no idea you would be... I should have been by your side; perhaps I could have been of some assistance."

'Wu Wang's' eyes were filled with tenderness as he replied gently, "Fairy Immortal, alas... Let's not speak of this for now. I'm feeling quite down."

Ling Xiaolan looked at 'Wu Wang' with concern in her eyes.

Suddenly, her graceful eyebrows knitted, and a Short Sword appeared in her hand.

"Brother Wuwang, do you remember when and where we first met?"

'Wu Wang' replied, "Of course, it was in the Northern Wilderness."

"Where in the Northern Wilderness?"

"'In the clan, of course. Where else could it be?'"

CLANG!

Ling Xiaolan unsheathed her Short Sword, its blade shimmering as a chill spread from it.

"You've answered incorrectly."

'Wu Wang' couldn't help but place a hand to his forehead as a bit of grey energy emanated from him, briefly taking on the form of Miao Cuijiao. His originally well-fitting Daoist robe suddenly became stuffed and bulgy. She only revealed herself for a moment before immediately reverting to Wu Wang's disguise.

Ling Xiaolan had sheathed her Short Sword and, after pondering for a moment, asked softly, "When did he leave?"

"The Fairy Immortal is indeed clever," Miao Cuijiao said with a smile. "He has been gone for over half a month."

"This is rather too risky."

"There's no need to worry, Sect Master... ahem, I have a complete plan, but secrecy is of utmost importance. We must act overtly and covertly at the same time."

Ling Xiaolan nodded and said softly, "Since that's the case, I will stay here too, to provide you with cover."

Miao Cuijiao laughed. "You're not thinking of going to find him?"

Ling Xiaolan said, "If he already has a plan, wouldn't I be causing him trouble by acting rashly? The Elder's impersonation isn't bad, but it's always lacking a little of Brother Wuwang's essence. I will assist you from the side. With my current reputation as the Tianyan Saintess, I should be able to draw more attention. We can then deliberately reveal our 'whereabouts' to the Heaven Palace. Here, I can be of better assistance to him."

Miao Cuijiao: ...

She won. This Fairy Immortal has absolutely won. With her calmness at this moment, the Sect Master will definitely not escape her 'immortal claws'!

Ling Xiaolan added, "Since the Elder is appearing in his guise, I also need to monitor the Elder's words and actions to ensure he doesn't cause any trouble for him."

'Wu Wang' gave a thumbs-up and gestured with his hand in a welcoming manner. "Fairy Immortal, please speak freely here. If there's anything lacking in my performance, please point it out in detail."

Ling Xiaolan bowed and drifted to the desk beside her.

「Within half a day, the news that the Tianyan Saintess had returned to the side of the Little Golden Dragon spread slightly in the Human Domain, satisfying the curiosity of many gossiping cultivators.」

「Then, three days later.」

'Wu Wang' and Ling Xiaolan set off for the Main Hall of Benevolent Emperor Pavilion and reportedly had another quarrel with Pavilion Master Liu.

Although the Artifact Refining Conference was in full swing, the most discussed topic in Floating Jade City at the moment was still about the Little Golden Dragon and the Tianyan Saintess.

Gossip, the Great Dao indeed.

「Meanwhile, in a village nestled within the continuous mountains in the Southeastern Region of the Great Wilderness.」

The setting sun, the bonfire, and a group of laughing people danced merrily around the flame.

They had a pair of rabbit ears; the males' ears were larger and drooped downwards, while the females' were smaller and stood upright, creating a rather unique sight.

The men and women here had particularly tall statures, and their long legs looked... very powerful.

Wu Wang and Lin Suqing changed into the clan's long robes and hopped around the bonfire, Wu Wang's hearty laughter drifting all around.

These tribe members were also quite adept at stirring things up; Wu Wang was quickly surrounded by a group of men, and Lin Suqing by a group of women. They kept chanting "OH! OH!" and eventually pushed the two together, making them bump into each other.

Wu Wang was, of course, unwilling and dodged swiftly.

Lin Suqing laughed incessantly, winked at Wu Wang, her cheeks blushing.

Someone shouted a few times, as if there was a new 'game' to be played.

Wu Wang was pulled away by the men and told to close his eyes and not look around. The women brought out head coverings for themselves, while Lin Suqing was pulled into a nearby bamboo house to hide with a few young Rabbit Tribe girls, all of them peeking out.

Then a resounding voice said, "Distant guest! Can you find the person with whom you share the strongest destiny? Turn around and take a look."

Wu Wang was puzzled; the voice sounded somewhat familiar.

He turned around to see a row of women and quickly determined Lin Suqing was not among them.

But the two of them were not here for sightseeing or to experience the customs of another tribe. Firstly, to gather information, and secondly, to find a plausible pretext for entering Yun City, thereby adding another layer to their disguise.

The surrounding Rabbit Tribe members watched him with anticipation. Wu Wang sent a voice transmission to Lin Suqing: "I've found you."

Lin Suqing blinked, and then saw Wu Wang walking towards the row of women.

Wu Wang sent another voice transmission: "I'm going to tease them a bit."

Lin Suqing: ...

He really does want a few more maidens!

Suddenly, Wu Wang saw one of the women's long robes trembling slightly and said with a smile, "Martial Niece, are you here?"

The woman chuckled, but the voice that emerged was a slightly coy male voice... "You see, we are fated, aren't we?"

Dark lines covered Wu Wang's forehead.

The woman lifted her head covering, spun in place, and with a soft PUFF! sound, transformed into an old Daoist in blue robes, giving Wu Wang a sly wink.

"Young Hero, wouldn't you say this is quite a coincidence!"

Wu Wang felt his Dao Heart falter.

Then, he realized something was amiss.

This Sanxian Daoist was secretly following them? Could he be some hidden expert whom he had underestimated?