Lingzhou, Wude Mountain.
At the foot of the mountain.
"Sir, is this your first visit?"
A young Taoist with rosy lips and white teeth approached an elderly man.
The old man, with white hair tied up with a wooden hairpin, wore a robe that, though worn, was clean. However, the robe had been washed so many times that it had turned somewhat white, losing its original color.
"It is my first visit," replied Old Li, nodding slightly at the approaching Taoist.
"Well, you have come a bit late. If you had come in the morning, you could have witnessed the sunrise shining on the Golden Peak. Unfortunately, it is almost noon now, so if you want to see it, you will have to wait until tomorrow."
The Taoist led Old Li towards the entrance of Wutong Temple, which occupied the entire Wude Mountain.
A magnificent gate stood at the foot of the mountain, and behind it lay a winding staircase made of white jade, connecting the halls and pavilions of Wutong Temple. Looking from the bottom to the top of the mountain, amidst swirling clouds and mist, the temple seemed otherworldly.
Old Li climbed the steps with a Taoist accompanying him.
In fact, every incense-burning pilgrim had a Taoist follower by their side.
As they walked, the Taoist introduced, "The path we are taking now is called 'Escaping the Sea of Suffering.' Reaching the top signifies transcending the mundane sea of suffering and arriving at the Immortal Palace on the other shore."
"I see," Old Li nodded slightly, paying little attention to the Taoist's words, and continued to climb the steps.
The early arrivals among the pilgrims had already descended the mountain along the staircase, their faces filled with joy and contentment.
"Ah, Wutong Temple is truly miraculous. You can pray for blessings, longevity, wealth, offspring, and happiness—anything you desire!"
"Yes, my daughter-in-law, who has been married into our family for three to five years without any sign of pregnancy, came here only once and stayed for three nights. Within half a month after returning, she became pregnant!"
"Our eldest son has always had poor health. Last time, he came here and drew a divination lot. Soon after, he recovered."
"Too bad the incense money is too expensive!"
"Oh, you shouldn't say that. Money can be earned again, but blessings, luck, and a prosperous family cannot be bought."
"You're right!"
.........
As Old Li conversed with different pilgrims he encountered along the way, he reached the halfway point of the mountain.
Pausing for a moment, he looked at the Great Hall of Five Virtues atop the mountain.
The Taoist accompanying him asked, "Sir, are you tired?"
"If you're tired, you can rest in the pavilion for a while. Fruits, meals, and dishes are all available for you to take, free of charge. Just try not to waste any," the Taoist said.
"No need, young man. I can continue walking a bit further."
After Old Li uttered these words, he continued his ascent, while the curious Taoist asked, "Sir, what are you seeking here?"
"What can one seek in this place of yours?"
Old Li inquired, and the young and attractive Taoist raised his finger, saying, "In our Wutong Temple, you can seek blessings, longevity, wealth, happiness, and offspring. It's very effective!"
"People even come from the capital city, traveling thousands of miles, to worship and burn incense here!"
"Oh, is that so?"
Old Li chuckled lightly, and the Taoist immediately said, "Of course."
"Sir, you haven't mentioned what you're here to ask for."
"Me?" Old Li looked at the Five Virtues Great Hall, which was getting closer and closer, and said indifferently, "I'm here to visit my friends."
"Not here to seek divination and worship the gods?"
The Taoist blinked, and Old Li nodded, saying, "No. Just visiting friends. I have five old friends who have been stationed here and haven't moved for many years."
"In recent days, I had a sudden impulse and felt that their time was running out, so I came here to bid them farewell and end our ties!"
"Sir, you are such a thoughtful friend!"
The Taoist raised his thumb in admiration, and Old Li reached out and touched the Taoist's little head.
"On this journey, you've been of great help, but my friend is waiting for me up ahead, so please don't follow me anymore."
"Have you found them?"
The Taoist was puzzled. They had only walked two-thirds of the way, so how could this old man say he had already seen his friends?
You see, he had been here for over ten years and was familiar with every blade of grass and tree. There was no pavilion for people to rest in this area.
But when the Taoist looked up, he was also startled.
Because in front of them, there was an octagonal pavilion sitting on one side of the stairs, with five figures of different appearances sitting inside, looking this way.
"Okay, go back now and don't follow me anymore!"
Old Li gave the Taoist a push, and the Taoist instinctively took a step back, but his vision blurred.
When he came back to his senses, all he saw were the continuous stream of pilgrims, except that the old man who had greeted him was nowhere to be seen.
Looking around, the Taoist touched his head.
"It's strange, how did I come back here?"
The Taoist's eyes were bewildered, filled with confusion.
"I should be welcoming the pilgrims at the foot of the mountain, so why did I end up here?"
"Forget it, I shouldn't think about it. I need to hurry back, or my master will be angry."
Without thinking too much, the Taoist quickly walked along the long stairs towards the mountain gate, with hurried steps and a panicked expression, as if he was escaping from something.
But he didn't even notice this.
...
Amidst the swirling clouds and mist, Old Li stood on the white jade steps of the mountain path and bowed to the five figures in the octagonal stone pavilion.
"It's been a long time, everyone."
"Haha, it has indeed been a long time!"
"The Banished Immortal Li Linxian, who once enjoyed fame and prestige throughout the land, actually took the initiative to visit us brothers. We're truly honored!"
"That's right, Li Linxian is such a remarkable figure. Just a stomping of his feet can cause the earth to shake."
"But to think that such a Banished Immortal would come to visit us, it really amazes us!"
"However, as the saying goes, no one goes to the Three Treasures Hall without a cause. Li Banished Immortal, why have you come to us?"
The five figures in the pavilion spoke successively, and the old man known as Li Linxian remained calm and said, "One of the younger generation has run away from home, and I'm a bit worried. I came here to scout the path for him, that's all!"
Old Li slowly walked towards the stone pavilion, his steps were slow, but each step was extremely steady. The five figures that were previously laughing and playing in the pavilion came to a halt, silently staring at Old Li.
Old Li reached the entrance of the pavilion and looked inside, where all five figures came into his view.
Leading the group was a fierce man with a face as pale as gold paper, wearing a helmet and armor. On both sides of the man sat a man and a woman.
The man had green hair and his clothes were woven from vines, emitting a fragrance of plants and wood.
The woman had blue hair and eyes that seemed to hold two lakes within them. Her figure was enchanting, with slender shoulders, wide hips, and a bosom that seemed ready to burst.
As for the remaining two individuals, one had fiery-colored hair and the other had earth-colored eyes. Their attire matched their hair or eye color.
The five of them had different heights and body shapes, but the one thing they had in common was their wariness and hostility towards Old Li.
On the stone table in front of them were laid out exquisite delicacies and fine wine, tempting to the senses.
"So, you must be the last Five Spirit Ghosts," Old Li said, standing at the entrance of the pavilion and looking at the five individuals.
"Five Spirit Ghosts?" The man in golden armor frowned, while the woman with blue hair said, "There are no Five Spirit Ghosts in the world anymore, only the Wutong Gods."
"Miao Sister is right!"
"There are only the Wutong Gods in the world, there are no more Five Spirit Ghosts!"
"You're absolutely right!"
Facing the arguments of the five individuals, Old Li shook his head and said, "Wutong Gods?"
"It's been so many years since I last saw you, and you've given yourselves such a fancy title!"
"You old rascal!"
The man with red hair suddenly pounded the table, his eyes burning with flames as he roared at Old Li, "If you have something to say, don't beat around the bush."
"I've come here because my child is out, and I wanted to explore the path for him so he wouldn't trip on any stones along the way."
Old Li stood still at the entrance of the pavilion, shaking his head at the same time.
"But as for you, after all these years of being unrestrained, you've turned into monsters, which pains me deeply."
"I wonder what Ming Elder Brother would think if he saw this scene."
As soon as Old Li said this, the expressions of all five individuals changed dramatically. The man in golden armor directly said, "Don't mention that Ming person again, he's been dead for nearly five hundred years, he should be forgotten."
"That's right!"
"If it weren't for Ming Elder Brother guiding you, would you be where you are now?"
Old Li's expression remained unchanged. After questioning the five individuals, he spoke again in a faint tone, "Don't forget your roots."
"Enough!"
The man in golden armor slammed the table, causing the plates on the table to jump three times.
"If you've come here to reminisce, we five naturally welcome you with open arms. But if you've come to stir up trouble, don't blame us for not considering our past friendship!"
"That's right!"
"Big Brother is right!"
"You old rascal, don't try to save face."
"I'll respect you, but you're nothing more than an old man!"
"Do you still think you're Li Linxian the Banished Immortal? You're just a sinner!"
...
As the five individuals shouted, Old Li sighed and said, "So, you're not going to consider our past friendship anymore?"
"Friendship?"
The man with green hair sneered, "Do you think there is any friendship left between us?"
"You've been trapped in your Cat City, wallowing in self-pity. But now you've voluntarily left the city and come to us.
Li Linxian, you're seeking death!"
The short man with earthy eyes sneered, while Old Li shook his head and said, "Back then, I spared you all because I didn't want Ming Elder Brother's legacy to be cut off."
"But I never expected that the five of you would seize control of the mountains, turn to demonic cultivation, abandon the titles bestowed upon you by the former master."
"Even if you're demons, what can you do?"
The man with fiery red hair, as he spoke, began to transform. His face changed, revealing red skin, fangs, and triangular eyes. His hair resembled flickering flames, flowing and billowing. His body expanded, almost bursting through the roof of the pavilion.
Old Li remained silent, just gazing at the five people with a look of pity, reminiscence, and pain.
Seeing Old Li's silence, the five individuals in the pavilion exchanged glances and underwent their own transformations, turning grotesque and alluring.
"Li Linxian, of the group that came here back then, only you and I remain. The others, though they inherited the lineage, couldn't escape their fate and turned to dust!"
The man in golden armor grew to a height of thirty feet, his skin shimmering with golden light. The armor melded into his flesh, sharp teeth filled his mouth, radiating a terrifying aura.
"On ordinary days, we couldn't touch you while you hid in Cat City."
"But this time, you've willingly come to us. We won't hold back!"
"That's right, the calamity is brewing, the upheaval of heaven and earth is imminent."
"Instead of letting you suffer in Cat City, it's better for you to fill our bellies and provide us with an extra layer of protection against the calamity!"
"Fourth Brother's suggestion is excellent. I think that's the best course of action!"
"That's right!"
...
"Calamity?"
Old Li looked at the five people before him, now resembling demons, with a peculiar emotion in his eyes.
"Did you commit all these evil deeds because of the impending calamity?"
"Although calamities are part of the cycle of cause and effect in the world, our transformation into what we are now was voluntary!"
"That's right!"
"We've had enough of the Five Precepts and Five Disciplines. Since birth, we've been burdened with strict rules, and now we're just returning to our true selves!"
"To become kings and ancestors, free and joyous, that's the true path in the mortal realm!"
...
Listening to the grating laughter of the five individuals, Old Li closed his eyes.
"Since that's the case, then I don't hold any grudges in my heart either."
"After all, as a sinner myself, if I were to unjustly eliminate the legacy of a fellow disciple, it would only compound my sins!"
"But now, I have no reservations in my heart."
Old Li raised his right hand, with his index and middle fingers held together like a sword, raised high above his head.
Seeing Li Linxian assume this posture, the giant demon in golden armor immediately roared, "Set up the formation!"
The other four individuals broke through the roof, leaping high into the air, shouting in unison.
"The Great Five Elements Demon God Formation!"
The colors gold, green, blue, red, and yellow emerged from the bodies of the Wutong Gods, but before they could connect, Old Li sighed, "You've turned the Five Elements Formation into this noxious appearance. If Ming Elder Brother were to see it, I don't know how heartbroken he would be!"
"Old fools, stop your babbling. We spent two hundred years honing our skills and finally created this formation. Now, I'll let you taste the feeling of being obliterated by the Five Elements!"
As the five Wutong Gods spoke in unison, a dazzling sword light burst forth from Li Linxian's fingertips, illuminating the entire stone pavilion with radiance.
"After all these years, you still haven't understood one thing."
"Today, I will teach you on behalf of my brother Ming what it means to be an outsider, mere ants."
"After this lesson, it's time for you to depart. Over five hundred years ago, you should have left with my brother Ming."
"Now, I'll send you on your way!"
With the brilliant eruption of sword light, everything touched by it melted away like snow and quickly crumbled and dissipated.
After a moment, Old Li coughed, his hands clasped behind his back as he stood in the dilapidated pavilion, looking down at the sea of clouds below.
The Wutong Gods had vanished without a trace, and the sumptuous delicacies and fine wines on the stone table had all spilled and turned into chunks of meat and pools of blood.
"I'm the only one left!"
An indescribable emotion filled Old Li's eyes, his voice low and desolate.
"I wonder if I can return home before closing my eyes, if I can see my master once again!"
"Alas, the path of cultivation is difficult, the road is arduous, with many forks. Where is the peace?"
"Where is the peace?"