Brian Carter's gaze was sharp; before he even reached the small temple, he had already seen it shrouded in an incredibly dense black mist. Though he was bold, he was not reckless. He immediately found a large tree to hide behind and climbed up, using the thick foliage above to conceal himself.

Outside the small temple, several bluish-white beams of light moved like ribbons, or perhaps like flashes of lightning, circling around the black mist, seemingly trying to break in. But that black mist was peculiar as well. Ordinary clouds and mist would scatter with a gust of wind, but this mist was so dense it seemed almost solid, as black as ink. No matter how the bluish-white lightning circled, the mist did not waver in the slightest.

Brian Carter stared in astonishment, thinking to himself, "So there really is magic in this world. Is this a battle between immortals and demons? They're certainly fighting fiercely, but it's a pity I can't see clearly what's going on."

As the sky gradually brightened from dimness to daylight,

those bluish-white streaks of lightning seemed to hesitate. Suddenly, their light flared brilliantly, breaking free from the entangling black mist. They turned and shot into the sky, disappearing into the blue clouds in an instant.

The black mist, on the other hand, shrank rapidly into a small mass after the bluish-white lightning vanished, revealing a figure hidden within. Brian Carter's sharp eyes recognized it as the old Taoist priest he had seen the day before. The old Taoist waved his wide sleeve, collecting the mist into it, then casually patted the dirt from his soiled robe. Yet his gaze, whether intentionally or not, glanced toward where Brian Carter was hiding.

Having witnessed the old Taoist's supernatural abilities with his own eyes, Brian Carter hesitated for a moment, thinking, "If I go out, what if this old Taoist harbors ill intentions? But if I keep hiding, not to mention I might not be able to fool him, wouldn't it be a shame to miss this chance to meet such an extraordinary person?"

Although Brian Carter was still young, he was a person of great decisiveness. As the old Taoist paused for a moment and was about to leave, Brian Carter leapt from the tree branch and called out loudly from a distance, "Please wait, Taoist master!"

This time, the old, shabby Taoist did not leave as he had the day before. His expression remained wooden, giving no hint of what he was thinking.

Brian Carter ran up close, opened his mouth two or three times, but didn't know what to say.

Instead, the old, shabby Taoist, his voice hoarse like the scraping of rusted metal, spoke first: "Young one, you asked me to stop—what guidance do you seek from this old Taoist?"

Brian Carter was usually quick-witted, and though he was momentarily at a loss, as soon as the old Taoist spoke, he regained his composure and respectfully said, "Yesterday I saw that you, master, are no ordinary person, and I wished to learn from you. But I couldn't keep up with your swift steps. I didn't expect to meet you again today, and I would like to ask you to take me as your disciple and teach me the ways of immortality!"

Brian Carter did not mention a word about the strange events he had just witnessed. This was a sign of his cleverness. The old Taoist had been shrouded in black mist just now, which hardly seemed like a righteous technique. However, Brian Carter only wished to learn some extraordinary skills; whether his master was a righteous immortal or an evil demon was not his concern.

The old Taoist was silent for a long time, but his eyes flashed with a strange light. Brian Carter felt as if the old Taoist's gaze pierced through his entire body, as if his organs were being seen through, and his mind grew drowsy.

He didn't know why, but he felt a bit afraid, though he tried his best to keep a brave face. He thought to himself, "Could this old Taoist actually be a man-eating monster in disguise, trying to hypnotize me before cooking me? No, that can't be. For a weak child like me, he could just finish me off with a punch or a kick—why bother with magic?"

Although Brian Carter was lively and energetic, his mind was remarkably resolute. Even under the old Taoist's strange technique, he did not flinch.

The Taoist was rather surprised as well. "This child is not bad—he can withstand my heart-piercing technique." He had only been passing through on business and had no intention of taking a disciple, but for some reason, he was moved and said, "You are not bad, child. Though your natural endowments are lacking, your mind is sharp and your spirit is strong—good material for cultivation. If you are truly willing, then come with me!"

Brian Carter was taken aback. Although he wanted to learn some skills from the old Taoist, he had never thought of running away from home. The old Taoist's words implied he wanted to take him away—how could he explain that to his parents?

While Brian Carter was still in turmoil, the old Taoist ignored him and strode off.

Torn between conflicting thoughts, Brian Carter suddenly gritted his teeth and, without a word, followed the old Taoist, quickening his pace.

The old Taoist seemed to be in a hurry, pressing on without pause. Brian Carter, already weak by nature, was exhausted after traveling for most of the day, but a strange stubbornness kept him going.

By the time noon had passed, the old Taoist casually found a flat stone by the roadside and sat down heavily, not bothering to brush off the dust. At this moment, the coldness in his eyes had softened, replaced by a hint of approval.

Chapter One: The Shabby Taoist (Part Four)

Seeing Brian Carter about to collapse, the old Taoist suddenly asked, "Since you wish to take me as your master, do you know who I am?"

Brian Carter's limbs felt as if they were about to break from exhaustion, and having not eaten since morning, he was so hungry his chest was nearly touching his back. Hearing the old Taoist's question, he replied weakly, "I do not know, Master. Please enlighten me!"