In the land of the Ancient Dao, the restriction valley hidden inside the mountains, the pool in the plain, and the huge underground burial ground were three places containing great fortune.  Xuan Luo had prepared these three places for his disciple, for Wang Lin.

In the mountains stood Wang Lin and Xuan Luo’s figures. Their figures also appeared outside the pool and inside the burial ground.

The pool on the plain contained powerful killing intent, and Wang Lin immersed himself inside for three months!

Xuan Luo stayed outside the pool the whole time. While protecting Wang Lin, he also silently looked at his disciple and revealed a kind smile.

The cliffs of the valley were engraved with runes, and each contained restrictions. As the years passed, the valley slowly became a famous place in the Ancient Dao: the prestigious Restriction Valley!

Ordinary people couldn’t enter as this place had been sealed by Xuan Luo hundreds of years ago. It became a place he especially prepared for his disciple to comprehend the restriction essence.

Wang Lin comprehended for three months inside the Restriction Valley.

There was another very mysterious place in the Ancient Dao. It was an underground burial ground. No bodies were buried here, but it was filled with abandoned treasures. They were useless and had no value, but at an unknown time, someone had buried them here like a sacrifice.

Due to the existence of the treasures, this area was enveloped in the power of the five elements. This aura had become more and more dense until the aura of essences began to appear.

Wang Lin also sat in this burial ground for three months. He was unwilling, but he decisively stopped absorbing the five elements essences and left with Xuan Luo.

In the Ancient Shi, Wang Lin saw the Grand Empyrean of the Ancient Shi. He went to three places to cultivate and comprehend. This lasted for five months.

In the Ancient Ji, Wang Lin didn’t see the Grand Empyrean but went to various places across the 12 countries to comprehend for nearly half a year.

In a flash, from when Wang Lin and Xuan Luo left the Ancient Dao imperial city, it had been one and a half years.

In this one and a half year period, Wang Lin faced no danger and didn’t have to struggle between life or death. He just had to absorb essences and increase his cultivation level.

He didn’t have to think too much, as everything was taken care of by his teacher, Xuan Luo!

Wang Lin could feel that Xuan Luo was really treating him as a direct disciple without any schemes. The warm gaze Xuan Luo gave him when he cultivated felt like home.

Wang Lin hadn’t experienced this much in his life, but the more rare it was, the more he cherished it. He cherished this time, he cherished Xuan Luo as his teacher, and he cherished these rare moments of happiness in his life.

In his heart, he wanted times like these to continue forever. Wang Lin could even ignore the suppression from the Ancient Dao Emperor.

“Teacher has treated me this well… I must protect the Ancient Dao…” 

Wang Lin said in his heart once more.

He cared a lot about his relationships. Xuan Luo had helped him in the cave world and was his teacher. He saw all of it and remembered it in his heart.

He didn’t want to disappoint Xuan Luo.

One and half years of travel ended this way. After the two had gone through most of the Ancient clan, Wang Lin and Xuan Luo arrived at Mount Gu Dao!

Mount Gu Dao was the intersection of the three ancient clans and where Grand Empyrean Gu Dao was!

This mountain was also referred to as the holy mountain and holy land. All of this was because of Grand Empyrean Gu Dao.

Below Mount Gu Dao, even Xuan Lou became respectful. He didn’t fly or teleport up, but walked up the this holy mountain like a mortal with Wang Lin.

These steps seemed to lead to the sky and were covered by clouds. One could not see the end, but a vague shadow could be made out.

At the bottom of the mountain, Xuan Luo walked in front and kindly looked back at Wang Lin. “If Grand Empyrean Gu Dao sees you, remember to be respectful. Grand Empyrean Gu Dao is  a senior, and even Teacher has to bow to him.” 

“Teacher, rest assured, Disciple understands.” Wang Lin’s expression was serious and his heart felt warm. Along the way, Xuan Luo had admonished him a lot like a real old man who was worried about his descendant making a mistake. Even though Xuan Luo had the appearance of a young man and didn’t look much older than Wang Lin.

“Grand Empyrean Gu Dao is someone who came from the same era as the Ancient Ancestor and is also the guardian of the Ancient clan. If he didn’t exist, I fear my Ancient clan would have been devoured by the celestial clan and would no longer exist.” Xuan Luo looked up at Mount Gu Dao with respect coming from his heart.

“When Disciple was at the celestial clan, I saw some descriptions of Grand Empyrean Gu Dao in some books. They said that Grand Empyrean Gu Dao’s cultivation level is higher than that of other Grand Empyreans and is the only one who has killed multiple Grand Empyreans. Disciple respects such a powerful person.” Wang Lin walked up the steps and looked at the top of the mountain.

“Even Teacher doesn’t know what Grand Empyrean Gu Dao’s real cultivation level is, but before him, Teacher found the feeling of being a mortal…” Xuan Luo shook his head and sighed.

“Aside from Grand Empyreans, Senior Gu Dao won’t casually summon anyone. Only when a new generation of ancient emperor is selected will they be summoned here.” Xuan Luo silently walked up the steps, feeling a little uneasy.

“I wonder if Grand Empyrean Gu Dao will meet Wang Lin now that I have brought him here. I had reported to Senior Gu Dao about Wang Lin obtaining 10 drops of ancestral blood and the 10th drop being a drop of soul blood. Grand Empyrean Gu Dao should meet my disciple.” 

Xuan Luo was silent as they walked up. The closer he got to the top, the more uneasy he felt.

“If Grand Empyrean Gu Dao summons Wang Lin, then the matter of Wang Lin being the guardian of the Ancient Dao will be smooth. With the recognition of Gu Dao, Wang Lin’s status in the Ancient Dao will rise. No matter how much Ye Dao hates Wang Lin, he wouldn’t dare to say more.

“However, if Grand Empyrean Gu Dao doesn’t summon him…”

 Xuan Luo sighed. In truth, he had brought Wang Lin here at the risk of making Gu Dao angry. He had brought Wang Lin here without a summon.

He had done all this for the Ancient Dao and also for his disciple to protect the Ancient Dao without suffering humiliation.

One side was the clan he had protected his entire life, and the other was the disciple he was very satisfied with and viewed as his own descendent. Xuan Luo wanted to keep the two sides at a balance.

Wang Lin followed Xuan Luo and looked at Xuan Luo’s back. This back was not tall, but it made Wang Lin feel a rare sense of warmth. This warmth had accompanied him for a year and half.

“I feel no sense of belonging to the Ancient clan. I came here for Teacher Xuan Luo and I’ll protect the Ancient Dao for Teacher Xuan Luo…” 

Wang Lin silently walked.

Their steps were silent, as if mixing in with the silence of the mountain. When they got close to the peak of the mountain, Wang Lin saw a tower!

This tower had nine layers and there were four huge pillars tied to it with chains. There were a lot of bells hanging on the chains, and when Wang Lin and Xuan Luo got close, the bells gave off crisp sounds.

These sounds were very pleasant to hear, and when they entered one’s mind, their mind would become clear. It would even make the ancient power inside their body cycle faster.

Standing here, Wang Lin’s face became slightly pale. He clearly felt that his cultivation was being suppressed. However, his ancient power was only not suppressed, but was filled with vitality.

The suppressed cultivation and essences made Wang Lin feel like he was holding up several mountains. It made him feel a bit breathless, but he gritted his teeth and stood behind Xuan Luo.

There were four people sitting on the four huge pillars. They were middle-aged and very thin, wearing grey robes. Their robes fluttered with the wind, but their eyes remained closed.

Not even Xuan Luo’s arrival would make the four of them open their eyes.

Wang Lin’s face was pale and his gaze swept past the four of them. He was a bit shocked. The four of them looked like mortals without any ancient power inside them.

“Junior Xuan Luo requests to meet Grand Empyrean Gu Dao.” Xuan Luo clasped his hands and bowed at the tower.

Wang Lin also clasped his hands and bowed behind Xuan Luo.

The surroundings were completely silent. Only the sounds of wind and bells echoed. They didn’t stop and the sounds revealed a strange force. This suppressed Wang Lin’s essences and cultivation even more, causing cold sweat to appear on his forehead.

After a long time, the door on the first floor silently opened and a person walked out. This person was a bald young man wearing the same grey robe. After he walked out, he bowed at Xuan Luo.

“Lord Gu is still on a mental journey. Grand Empyrean Xuan Luo, please wait for a moment.” The young man had a respectful attitude.

 “No problem, I’ll wait here.” Xuan Luo didn’t mind at all as he smiled and nodded.

The young man looked a Wang Lin, and after withdrawing his gaze, he bowed at Xuan Luo once more. He returned back into the tower and the door slowly closed.

Time slowly passed. In a flash, three days went by. During these three days, Xuan Luo had stood there without any impatience and was as respectful as he was at the beginning. Wang Lin stood behind Xuan Luo. These three days felt like three years to him, like 300 years!

Because the sounds of the bells were continuously echoing in Wang Lin’s mind as if they wanted to melt his celestial cultivation and all his essences.

They seemed to force him to scatter his essences and cultivation so that only the power of the Ancient clan would remain in his body, to allow the drop of soul blood in his body to spread through his whole body.