"Exactly! How could that be possible?" another, calmer voice added.
In their minds, lightning was just a thin line across the sky. How could it possibly be as thick as Ze Yang described?
’If lightning was really that thick, it would be a pillar of thunder. You think this is some tale from a storyteller?’
Seeing that the three of them didn’t believe him, Ze Yang was at a loss for words, repeating the same few phrases over and over. "I really saw it! I’m not lying! It was really this thick! Even thicker!"
As he spoke, his voice trailed off, as if he himself was beginning to doubt how convincing he sounded.
He had no proof, after all. The ridiculously thick bolt of lightning had vanished too quickly, lasting for less than a second.
It appeared and disappeared in the blink of an eye, almost like a hallucination.
If he hadn’t happened to look up at the sky at that exact moment, he would have missed it entirely.
Anyone who saw that bolt of lightning could be considered lucky.
Lu Yun listened to the four youths’ conversation from further up the mountain. He had no intention of letting them see him.
A naked, white-haired old man suddenly appearing before four eighteen-year-olds... just the thought of it was enough to imagine how badly he would scare them.
"I really saw it!"
"Alright, alright, Ze Yang. If you say you saw it, you saw it. It’s getting late, we should head back."
"Why don’t you guys believe me?! Xiaonan, you believe me, right?"
"I believe you, I believe you. Let’s go, let’s go. Time to go back and eat."
"You guys..."
"Ze Yang, we’d be better off spending our time searching for those magical chunks of black meat."
The sturdy young woman, Xiaonan, said as she walked, her words filled with yearning.
"If we actually find some and eat it, our strength will skyrocket. We might even be able to get into the city."
"Then, not only would we have a chance to meet the legendary Lord Lu, but we could also join the White Cloud Sect. Tell me, wouldn’t that be amazing?"
As she spoke, she couldn’t help but pump her fist, as if to psych herself up.
Ze Yang fell silent. Xiaonan’s words had struck a chord with him.
All across the Daxia New Country, it was now fashionable for people to form parties and search for those magical chunks of black meat. Rumor had it that consuming them would cause one’s Realm to advance by leaps and bounds, covering a thousand miles in a single day.
Some people leaped from Ming Jin to Dark Force overnight, skipping decades of bitter training. Others went from the mid-stage of Anjin to the threshold of the late stage, just a single step away from becoming a revered Grandmaster of Huajin.
The stories were so fantastical, a mix of truth and lies, that they made one’s heart itch with anticipation. People wished they could rush to the mountains, turn every stone, find a magical chunk of black meat, and swallow it whole to achieve instant success.
’Those legends of overnight success are probably fake,’ he thought. ’And even if some are true, that’s their luck, not mine.’
Just then, an ancient voice echoed around the four of them.
"Young ones, whichever of you is willing to give his clothes to this old man may ask for anything in return."
Hearing the sudden voice, Ze Yang managed to remain somewhat calm. He slowly turned his head. No one to his left. He looked to his right. Still no one.
Behind them was an empty mountain path; before them, a dense forest. Besides the four of them, there wasn’t so much as a shadow.
Yet the old man’s voice was clearly right beside them. The young woman and the other two men did not share Ze Yang’s composure.
The moment they heard a voice appear from thin air, despite seeing no one around, they were scared out of their wits.
"A GHOST—! THERE’S A GHOST—!"
The young woman’s shriek was the loudest, sharp and piercing. Not to be outdone, the two young men bolted in a panic.
It was already dusk, with only a sliver of sunlight left on the horizon. The forest was a patchwork of mottled light, and the trees cast long, distorted shadows.
At this hour and in this location, it wasn’t just a few youths in their late teens who would be terrified. Even the old hunters who roamed these mountains year-round would likely find their legs turning to jelly.
Ze Yang couldn’t take it anymore. His legs gave out, and he plopped onto the ground. He frantically scanned his surroundings, his voice trembling as he spoke. "Gh-Ghost... Grandpa Ghost, spare me! I have elders to care for, and children to... well, I haven’t even gotten married yet..."
Lu Yun didn’t pause. He slowly repeated his earlier words, "Young man, take off your clothes. You may ask for anything you wish."
"Huh?" Ze Yang thought he must have misheard. He raised his head and looked around in a daze.
’I’m only wearing a shirt and pants. If I take them off, how am I supposed to get home?’
’Am I supposed to walk into town in just my underwear? Everyone I know would laugh me to death.’
It was at least a dozen li back to town, and he’d have to pass through several villages on the way. If anyone saw him walking along the road, bare-chested and in nothing but his underwear, the entire town would be gossiping about it by morning.
’"Did that Ze Yang kid lose his mind?"’
But the old man’s voice didn’t sound like he was joking. Ze Yang swallowed, mustered his courage, and asked timidly, "Really? I can ask for anything?"
After he spoke, Ze Yang gritted his teeth as if he’d made the decision of a lifetime. He steeled his resolve, took a deep breath, and used all his strength to ask, "Could I... join the White Cloud Sect in the city?"

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