Deep in the back mountains of Wushan, beside the thatched hut where Xiao Ning once practiced seclusion.
When the strange phenomenon occurred, two figures suddenly darted out from the two thatched huts on the left and right. Upon closer inspection, both Taoists had full heads of white hair, looked old and frail, and were nearing the end of their lives. However, their agile movements did not resemble those of elderly people!
They looked up at the incredible sight in the sky, completely mesmerized.
After a long while, the old man sighed, and his aged, hoarse voice rang out: "I'm getting old! This old Taoist is having hallucinations. I'm seeing the way your junior uncle looked when he left. It seems my time is coming to an end!"
Although his words were disheartening, his tone revealed a sense of detachment, as if he had seen through the vicissitudes of life and experienced a century of solitude.
The other person sighed: "Master, you still miss your junior uncle?"
Upon hearing this, the old man said in a low voice, "In the blink of an eye, more than fifty years have passed since you parted ways with your master. Apart from you, the fifth disciple, all of my disciples have passed away. My time is coming to an end, and I won't live for many more years!"
The other person quickly bowed and said, "Master, please don't say such unlucky things. You will surely live a long and blessed life!"
Despite this, a look of sorrow appeared on his face.
"Haha, this old Taoist isn't a coward or a bastard. At this point, what could this old Taoist possibly be upset about? Having lived for nearly two hundred years, witnessing the prosperity of the Ming Empire and the continuous flourishing of the Wudang Sect, even if this old Taoist were to die right now, he would have no regrets!"
The old man stroked his white beard and laughed heartily.
“Master is absolutely right. Cui Shan received a message from Wuji a few days ago, saying that he plans to abdicate in a while and come to the mountain to cultivate in seclusion!”
The other person laughed heartily, changing the subject, a hint of pride in his smile.
He was Zhang Cuishan, the founding emperor of the Ming Dynasty and the Divine Martial Emperor.
The other old man was Zhang Sanfeng, the founder of the Wudang Sect, and also the senior brother Xiao Ning recognized in the first mission instance, the Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber world, after his fortuitous encounter.
After Xiao Ning left, Zhang Cuishan ascended the throne and established the Ming Dynasty. He fought many wars in the south and north, laying a vast territory for his descendants.
He reigned for thirty years before abdicating in favor of his son, Zhang Wuji, and then went to Wudang Mountain to live in seclusion with his master, Zhang Sanfeng.
In the following twenty years, the Wudang Sect flourished, with talented disciples emerging in droves, ensuring its continued lineage and gradually becoming the number one sect in the world and a sacred place of martial arts.
The lineage has been passed down to this day, with Wudang disciples all over the world. The third-generation leader, Song Qingshu, has been in charge of the sect for nearly twenty years.
There are still over a hundred disciples at the Innate Realm, all of whom are diligently cultivating deep within Wudang Mountain in hopes of breaking through to a higher realm.
In the blink of an eye, more than fifty years have passed, and all of the Seven Heroes of Wudang, except for Zhang Cuishan, have died of old age.
Even Song Qingshu is now nearly seventy years old and very old.
Emperor Taizong of the Ming Dynasty, Zhang Wuji, was nearly seventy years old and was preparing to abdicate and relinquish the throne to a more capable ruler, so he could enjoy a few days of quiet seclusion.
At this moment, Xiao Ning arrived.
...
Seeing the world of Yitian grow, with the sky becoming higher and bluer, and the earth becoming thicker and wider, Xiao Ning felt boundless joy.
Regardless, the world of Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber is where he started his career. If he hadn't learned martial arts at the Wudang Sect and entered the Dao, he wouldn't have achieved what he has today.
After transcending his detachment, Xiao Ning was extremely bored, so he decided to visit his old friends from back then to see how they were doing.
Therefore, Xiao Ning made a special trip to the world of Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber.
He waved his hand, scattering the seven-colored runes in front of him, and his divine sense surged out, scanning every corner of the entire Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber world.
Soon, Xiao Ning had a clear understanding of the subsequent developments of this world, as if he had experienced them firsthand.
When he saw that the Wudang Sect was full of talented people and was thriving, he couldn't help but feel happy.
When he saw the figure of Emperor Zhang Wuji of the Ming Dynasty, he couldn't help but smile.
However, when he saw the two people deep inside the Huashan Sect, his face lit up with joy. He slowly descended and headed towards the back of Wudang Mountain.
...
The strange phenomena gradually dissipated, and the sky returned to its tranquility.
"Hiss! The spiritual energy of heaven and earth is more than a thousand times, ten thousand times more concentrated!"
Zhang Sanfeng, his back hunched and his face wrinkled, muttered to himself, "It's a pity that this old Daoist is now like the setting sun in the twilight of his life, with no hope of breaking through to a higher realm in this lifetime!"
"Indeed, disciple has a feeling that I can break through to the Grandmaster realm after just three days of seclusion!"
Zhang Cuishan closed his eyes and sensed for a while, then said with excitement on his face.
"Very good. Cuishan, now that you've broken through to the Grandmaster level, Wudang will not be without a successor. This old Daoist can leave with peace of mind!"
Zhang Sanfeng's expression shifted, and a glint of light flashed in his eyes.
Just then, a black dot appeared in the sky. Zhang Cuishan rubbed his eyes and exclaimed, "Hey, Master, something is falling from the sky!"
"There's nothing in the sky!"
Zhang Sanfeng looked up but saw nothing. He shook his head and sighed, "It seems I really am getting old; my eyesight is failing!"
As the black dot descended, it grew larger and larger.
Heading straight towards Wudang Mountain, it's getting closer, closer, even closer.
Zhang Sanfeng watched this scene unfold, only to see his junior brother, who had disappeared for decades, descending on white clouds, seemingly floating like an immortal.
He trembled violently, tears welling in his eyes: "Junior Brother, is it really you? Am I seeing things...?"
Xiao Ning rode on a white cloud and slowly descended towards Wudang Mountain, arriving beside the person he saw under the scan of his divine sense.