The old Taoist smiled slightly and said, “It’s not so easy for me, Adam Lane, to accept a disciple. You are not yet considered my student. To enter my sect, you must prove your diligence. Seeing how exhausted you are, I’ll first teach you a formula that can strengthen your body and help you endure the hardships of travel.”

The old Taoist said nothing about his own background, only imparting a formula to Brian Carter. The formula was just over a thousand characters, yet its principles were profoundly deep and mysterious. Although the old Taoist explained it in great detail, Brian Carter still couldn’t fully understand it. Fortunately, he was not only exceptionally intelligent but also had an excellent memory. Without the old Taoist having to repeat it two or three times, he had already memorized the formula by heart.

Seeing Brian Carter’s intelligence, the old Taoist was quite pleased and said, “You were able to notice something unusual about me among so many people; your observation and attention to detail are commendable. However, cultivating the Dao is an extremely arduous path. If you cannot endure hardship, you should return home now. This formula is my compensation for your hard journey today. This Black Water True Method, when mastered to perfection, allows you to command all the waters of the world at will—snow, mist, ice, frost, clouds, rain, and dew can all be manipulated as you desire.”

Brian Carter had been traveling for so long and had suffered greatly; to say he didn’t regret it would be a lie. But he was also quite tenacious and refused to give up at this point. He repeatedly insisted, “I’m not afraid of hardship!”

The old Taoist chuckled and didn’t press further, letting Brian Carter carefully ponder the formula of the Black Water True Method. The old Taoist seemed unwilling to continue traveling as well, so he sat down nearby and began to meditate with his eyes closed. Although Brian Carter was hungry, there was nothing he could do. He slowly contemplated the formula, trying to circulate his inner energy. After more than half an hour, although he didn’t feel any energy flowing, he unexpectedly felt refreshed, and even his hunger seemed to lessen.

Though he appeared to be resting with his eyes closed, Adam Lane the Taoist was fully aware of Brian Carter’s changes. The first time he passed through Baishi Town, he was seen through by Brian Carter, which made Adam Lane take notice. The next day, when Brian Carter left town to seek him out, Adam Lane suddenly had the idea of taking him as a disciple. The first test for entry was this Black Water True Method.

“If you can withstand the test and master the Black Water True Method, you will be qualified to inherit my teachings. If you cannot endure this trial, what you have learned will still be enough to win wealth and honor in the mortal world, and it will count as our fated encounter.”

With this thought, Adam Lane the Taoist entered meditation, and in a moment, his spirit wandered beyond the material world.

Brian Carter had never left Baishi Town before, and his knowledge came mostly from books. If he had a bit more experience, he would have known what kind of person Adam Lane the Taoist was.

In ancient times, people feared the disasters of heaven and earth, birth, aging, sickness, and death, and thus pondered deeply on how to transcend the mortal world. After countless sages’ wisdom and experience, the path of cultivation was finally developed.

Among these, according to different methods, there are four major schools. The first is the Daoist sect, which bases its teachings on the principles of Taiji, the Five Elements, the Eight Trigrams, the Nine Palaces, and the stars of the He Luo, using the primordial energy of heaven and earth as its foundation. They master countless techniques, ride the clouds and mist, and live freely. The second is the Divine Demon Sect, which seeks the power of ancient gods and demons. They revere nature, disregard good and evil, act as they please, and are unrestrained. The third is the Buddhist sect, which believes the physical body is the vessel for crossing the world. Without seeking outside help, one naturally possesses an inexhaustible treasure of energy. Living in the world, they save others and themselves, do good, and refrain from harming life. The fourth is the heterodox and miscellaneous schools; all practitioners who do not belong to the first three are grouped here. Their theories are diverse, and their cultivation methods are numerous and imaginative.

Each of these four major schools has its own representative figures: the Ten Patriarchs of the Daoist sect, the Five Emperors of the Demon sect, the Four Great Holy Monks of the Buddhist sect, and the Nine Great Loose Immortals. Among these top figures, many have not set foot in the mortal world for hundreds or even thousands of years. Among them, Adam Lane the Taoist is one of the direct disciples of the Northern Dipper Great Emperor of the Demon sect.

After Brian Carter left with Adam Lane the Taoist, Baishi Town was thrown into chaos. His parents begged the townspeople to search all the dangerous places nearby, but found nothing. Brian Carter’s parents were deeply saddened, believing that Brian Carter had met with misfortune. They went to Widow Lin’s house to break off the engagement, but to their surprise, Lily Bennett refused no matter what, saying, “Although Lily is just an ordinary girl, I know that marriage is a serious matter. How can it be handled so hastily? If Brian Carter returns in a few years, how could I face anyone?”

Widow Lin doted on her daughter, so even in such a major matter, she let her decide for herself. Brian Carter’s parents were very pleased with Lily’s chastity, and their hope was rekindled by her words, so the matter of breaking off the engagement was dropped.

Since the founding of the Tang Dynasty, Chang’an has been the capital. Although the city retained the architecture of the previous dynasty, it had been extensively renovated twice, and its scale had expanded more than tenfold. It had already become the greatest city in the world, unmatched in wealth and luxury.

Following Adam Lane the Taoist, traveling in haste for over a month, Brian Carter finally set foot on the land of Chang’an.

Along the way, Brian Carter diligently practiced the Black Water True Method and had already achieved some minor success, able to gather a faint mist of water in his palm and control it to drift within a space of about a foot.