54: Lingtai Fangcun Mountain

The plaque bore three gold-leaf characters: "Shangqing Palace."

This was arguably the most iconic spot on Mount Qingcheng.

It was the real-world prototype for the "Spiritual Terrace, Square Inch Mountain, Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave," where the Monkey King once went to apprentice and learn his craft.

The livestream chat instantly erupted, with messages flooding the screen:

"We're here! We're here! This is Shangqing Palace!"

"The place I wanted to visit most when I watched Journey to the West back in the day!"

"Brother Monkey! Is that you, Brother Monkey?"

Jiang Yuan didn't rush inside. Instead, he stood at the edge of the plaza, holding his phone gimbal to give the thousand-year-old Taoist temple a panoramic close-up, letting his fans fully appreciate the grandeur of this Taoist sanctuary.

After all, with nearly ten thousand people in the livestream, most might never have the chance to visit Mount Qingcheng in person, but they were certainly familiar with this building.

These scenes instantly brought back memories for Jiang Yuan of summer vacations as a child, glued to the TV watching the 1986 version of Journey to the West.

Didn't the Monkey King travel across the ocean to apprentice and learn, all just to seek immortality?

On the plaza, many tourists were taking photos, and quite a few were imitating the Monkey King's classic pose of shielding his eyes with his hand. Although the movements were comical, the joy was genuine.

Jiang Yuan smiled and reached into his pocket with one hand, pulling out the tri-fold backup phone he had bought in Qingdao out of boredom.

"Click."

With the tri-fold screen fully expanded, the ten-inch viewfinder perfectly captured the flying eaves of Shangqing Palace against the backdrop of green mountains and cypress trees.

Jiang Yuan opened his WeChat Moments and uploaded the photo he had just taken.

With a light tap of his finger, he edited a caption:

"Slanting Moon and Three Stars Cave, Spiritual Terrace, Square Inch Mountain. The immortal abode of eternal life, the Taoist home that lives as long as the heavens."

The antique architectural scenery, paired with such ethereal text, instantly maxed out the atmosphere.

Just as Jiang Yuan's finger left the screen, that mechanical voice in the depths of his mind exploded like a thunderclap.

Even though Jiang Yuan was already accustomed to the system's extravagance, his pupils couldn't help but constrict slightly at this series of reward notifications.

"Ding! Congratulations to the Host for successfully reaching the summit of the First Peak of Mount Qingcheng and completing the check-in."

"Reward 1: Luck +3, Current Luck 9 (Blessed by fortune, everything goes smoothly)."

"Reward 2: 72,000,000 RMB."

"Reward 3: Longevity Pill × 10 (System-produced, guaranteed quality. Each pill extends lifespan by 10 years with no side effects)."

"Holy crap."

Jiang Yuan lowered his voice; those two words had popped out completely subconsciously.

He automatically ignored the deposit of 72 million. What truly made his heart race were those ten glowing pills.

One pill for ten years; ten pills meant a full hundred years!

What kind of concept was that?

Since ancient times, from the emperors of Qin and Han to modern tycoons, who didn't want to borrow another five hundred years from the heavens? And now, this heaven-defying opportunity was quietly lying in his personal space.

Jiang Yuan took a deep breath, suppressing the surge of emotion in his heart.

He wasn't in a rush to take them.

He was currently in the prime of his life, full of vigor, so keeping these was his greatest trump card. He even still had that bottle of Changbai Mountain Heavenly Lake water that could keep one's appearance forever young.

This was the composure a Divine Magnate should have—with grain in hand, there is no panic in the heart.

After calming down, Jiang Yuan continued upward.

On the cliffside by the road, red cliff inscriptions reading "The Fifth Most Famous Mountain Under Heaven" and "The First Peak of Mount Qingcheng" were strikingly carved with vigorous strokes, standing out against the green mountains and moss.

After passing the fork in the road and following the signs, Jiang Yuan's steps became much lighter.

Along the way, he passed the Dachi Heavenly Palace, where the majestic archway was crowded with tourists taking photos.

Further up was the Donghua Hall. The altitude was already quite high here; the air was filled with the rich scent of incense, and clouds and mist drifted beneath his feet.

Turning around the last two steep corners, his field of vision suddenly opened up.

Laojun Pavilion, he had arrived.

At this moment, all obstructions to his view vanished.

Jiang Yuan stood by the railing and gazed into the distance.

The mountains beneath his feet rolled like green waves, the distant Chengdu Plain loomed in the thin mist, and the Min River wound through like a jade belt.

"The streamer is awesome! You got there so fast!"

"This view is amazing, a true God's-eye view!"

"Brother Divine Magnate has really good stamina. I saw the people passing by earlier panting like dogs."

The livestream chat scrolled by right on cue.

Just as Jiang Yuan pressed the shutter to freeze himself together with the magnificent, golden Laojun Pavilion, the system's notification sound rang out again.

"Ding, special task [Seeking the Tao on Mount Qingcheng] completed, rewards have been issued."

With the dual rewards stacked, this trip to Mount Qingcheng was incredibly profitable.

At this moment, a bespectacled boy next to him looked at the magnificent scenery before him, unable to help but spread his arms and shout passionately:

"I shall reach the summit, and see all other mountains as small!"

This heroic shout startled everyone around him.

Immediately after, a middle-aged man holding an ice cream happily chimed in:

"Young man, that's Mount Tai! This is Mount Qingcheng!"

"Hahaha—"

The surrounding tourists burst into laughter, and even Jiang Yuan couldn't help but chuckle.

This relaxed and joyful atmosphere was precisely the most touching part of traveling.

After letting the wind blow for a while at the summit and buying a grilled sausage to fill his stomach, Jiang Yuan started his descent.

He didn't intend to take the same way back, but instead chose a quiet path on the side.

This path was clearly much more "wild" than the main road he took up.

The steps were narrow and steep, the stone slabs covered in dark green moss, which, steamed by the mountain humidity, were as slippery as if greased.

When he reached a sharp downhill turn, Jiang Yuan was slightly distracted, and his limited-edition sneakers stepped on a loose, wet stone.

"Whoosh—"

His foot slipped instantly, he lost his balance, and it looked like he was about to fall backward.

If he had landed, his tailbone would surely have cracked.

In that critical moment, his constitution of 40 points came into play.

Jiang Yuan's body reacted faster than his brain; his core strength exploded, and he forcefully twisted his body back in mid-air.

His toes tapped the slippery stone steps three times, and he swung his arms to maintain balance.

"Whew..."

After steadying himself, Jiang Yuan exhaled, his heart beating a little faster.

He subconsciously looked left and right.

Fortunately, this path was remote, and there was no one in front or behind him.

Otherwise, while this "breakdance-style" save was agile, it would still be quite embarrassing to inexplicably perform a dance in the middle of the mountains.

Adjusting his state, Jiang Yuan continued downward.

Crossing the ancient and weathered Tongwu Bridge, the stream beneath hit the rocks, making a crisp sound.

Further down was the Patriarch Hall, hidden in the deep forest; it was even more secluded than the temples above, as if even time flowed a little slower here.

Next was a section of plank road carved into the side of a cliff.

On one side was a cliff covered in vines, and on the other was a bottomless sea of forest. Walking on it, the wind whistled, and the view was excellent.

After finishing this plank road, his view suddenly opened up.

Longqiao Immortal Sect, Tianshi Cave.

This was the heart of Mount Qingcheng and the "Guchang Temple" where the Monkey King was legendary to have apprenticed.

As soon as he entered the courtyard, the vibe changed completely.

Perhaps because they were so deeply influenced by Journey to the West, the "monkey" content among the tourists here was extremely high.

Many people held Golden Cudgels (actually hiking sticks), imitating the Monkey King, with one hand shielding their eyes and the other scratching their ears and cheeks, taking photos as souvenirs.

"Brother Monkey! Look over here!"

"Master, why hasn't this monster come to catch me yet?"

Watching this group of tourists acting like drama queens, Jiang Yuan was also amused, and the fatigue from climbing the mountain instantly dissipated quite a bit.

After passing Tianshi Cave, further down was the Natural Painting.

Once there, the downhill and uphill paths merged, and the crowd became dense again.

Jiang Yuan walked and stopped along the way, occasionally pausing to take pictures of unknown wildflowers by the roadside or tease the stray cats.

By the time he leisurely walked out of the scenic area gate, it was already past two in the afternoon.