The majestic moral spirit is endless, truly a secluded abode of immortals, making it impossible to distinguish whether it is a Taoist temple or a Buddhist temple.
A plaque hangs above the gate that reads: Wuzhuang Temple.
There is a couplet on the left and right. The right reads: "The abode of immortals who live forever" and the left reads: "The home of Taoists who live as long as heaven".
It was Zhen Yuanzi's cave dwelling, the Wuzhuang Temple on Longevity Mountain.
"We've arrived, Imperial Tutor, please!"
Zhen Yuanzi descended from the clouds and invited Xiao Ning inside.
"Great Immortal, please!"
Xiao Ning followed and descended from the clouds.
"Master is back!"
At the entrance of the Taoist temple, two young Taoist boys saw Xiangyun and hurriedly came forward to greet him.
"Distinguished guests have arrived! With a gentle breeze and a bright moon, please open the main gate wide and go to the backyard to pick some fruit to serve our honored guests!"
Zhen Yuanzi gave an instruction to the two young Taoist disciples.
"Yes, Master!"
Upon hearing this, Qingfeng and Mingyue were startled. They secretly glanced at Xiao Ning, quickly responded, opened the temple gate, and ran to the backyard.
With his hands behind his back and a broad smile on his face, Xiao Ning followed Zhen Yuanzi into the gate of Wuzhuang Temple.
Upon entering the main hall, Xiao Ning's attention was immediately drawn to a shrine tablet inscribed with the words "Heaven and Earth," with nothing else on it.
"Imperial Tutor, please have a seat!"
Zhen Yuanzi invited Xiao Ning to sit down on the prayer mat in the hall.
"I have long heard of the Great Immortal's Wuzhuang Temple. Seeing it today, it truly lives up to its reputation. It is dedicated to Heaven and Earth, not to any other gods!"
After sitting cross-legged, Xiao Ning exclaimed in admiration.
"Hehe, nothing more than living long enough! The Three Pure Ones are my friends, the Four Emperors are old acquaintances, and the Nine Luminaries are merely juniors! Among all the gods in the heavens, who is worthy to serve this old Daoist?"
After the young Taoist served the spiritual tea and withdrew, Zhen Yuanzi picked up the teacup on the table in front of him, offered a respectful toast from afar, and then explained.
"Great Immortal, you are mighty!"
Xiao Ning praised, "There's nothing we can do. He's lived a long time, his cultivation is profound, and he's low-key. He's truly incomparable to ordinary people."
"The Great Immortal was born at the beginning of the creation of heaven and earth, when chaos was first divided. Does he know the true origin of the world?"
After taking a sip of the spiritual tea, Xiao Ning felt a lingering fragrance on his lips and teeth, smacked his lips, and asked.
Previously, Laozi had revealed an aura far beyond the limits of the world, leading Xiao Ning to guess that his true identity was the Taiqing Saint of the Primordial World, but he did not admit it.
After leaving the Tushita Palace and meeting Zhenyuan Daxian, Xiao Ning had a sudden thought and came up with this question.
Are there any other people who know the truth of this world better than a powerful being who has existed since the beginning of time?
In addition, Zhen Yuanzi's prized ginseng fruit is very tempting, isn't it?
So Xiao Ning took the initiative to greet Zhen Yuanzi, hoping to find out some information and maybe get a few fruits for free.
There's no way around it; ever since he started cultivating the Nine Revolutions Profound Technique, Xiao Ning has completely changed, and it's all tears when you think about it.
Upon hearing this, Zhen Yuanzi was quite surprised. Could this kid possibly know something about the true origin of the world?
Or is he actually a disciple of some powerful figure who came down here for training?
We'll find out once we test the waters.
"In the beginning of time, when the world was first created, this old Taoist had just developed intelligence and knew very little about what had happened before!"
Thinking of this, Zhen Yuanzi smiled and said, "The Imperial Tutor's background is quite mysterious. May I ask if you could reveal a little about it?"
This Grand Preceptor Xiao Ning seemed to have sprung up from a crack in a rock; no one had ever heard of him before, and there was no such person in the world.
If he were a native cultivator, it would be unlikely. Even if he had superior aptitude and was born with all his meridians open, it would be impossible for him to transcend tribulation and become an immortal in just a few hundred years.
Therefore, there is only one explanation that makes sense: Xiao Ning is not a native of this world at all, but comes from another world.
Zhenyuan Daxian was truly unaware that such a cheat-like existence actually existed in the world.
"As for me, I am indeed not native to this world, but came from the outside world through the barrier between worlds!"
Xiao Ning thought for a moment, then did not deny it, but readily admitted it.
In his view, there was nothing to hide about it.
If even the Supreme Ancestor could see it, the other Heavenly Immortal Realm experts also noticed the suspicious points.
A true immortal realm expert can't just spring out of a rock.
Without any origin or trace, they wouldn't suspect anything unless they thought everyone was a fool.
Moreover, Zhen Yuanzi, the Great Immortal, is a person of impeccable character in the original Journey to the West, and Xiao Ning is willing to believe him.
"I see!"
Zhen Yuanzi didn't press the matter further, knowing when to stop. After all, the two weren't very familiar with each other, and it was already unreasonable to ask about someone's background so abruptly. Asking any further would be inappropriate.