Translator: Lynn
Yun Lie stood calmly before him, his gaze lowered as he spoke, “Follow me to Shifang Pavilion.”
“Shifang Pavilion?” Xu Ziqing was taken aback, then remembered.
In the storage bag given to him by Master Qiu He before he arrived at Xiaolu Peak, there were several jade slips that contained various information about the Wuling Immortal Gate, and Shifang Pavilion was one of the significant places mentioned.
The term “Shifang” refers to the ten directions, symbolizing the inclusion of everything in the world. Similarly, the Shifang Pavilion of the Wuling Immortal Sect encompasses all the resources and materials that the disciples need for their cultivation.
Due to his busy cultivation and other responsibilities, Xu Ziqing had not visited the pavilion yet. Unexpectedly, Yun Lie was now inviting him to go there together. After a moment of contemplation, Xu Ziqing inquired, “Yun Shixiong, what is the important matter?”
Yun Lie replied, “I need to collect the monthly provisions and choose some new exercises.”
This revelation surprised Xu Ziqing.
The Wuling Immortal Sect was indeed generous to its disciples, providing them with monthly provisions and resources for cultivation. However, the disciples were classified into different grades, and thus, received varying benefits accordingly.
After pondering for a moment, Xu Ziqing realized that he had been fortunate.
The sect differentiated between inner and outer disciples and further subdivided them into handyman disciples and regular disciples. If a new disciple’s aptitude was decent, it was relatively easy to become a handyman disciple. However, being a handyman came with lower status and various miscellaneous tasks in addition to cultivation. By advancing in cultivation or gaining favor with the elders and stewards of the outer sect, one could become a regular disciple with an elevated status. Such promotions often did not require reporting to the sect and were solely under the control of the outer sect’s elders and stewards.
Indeed, ordinary disciples of the outer sect have the opportunity to be promoted to inner sect disciples if they make progress and pass numerous tests. However, the selection process is highly stringent, requiring an inner sect member to vouch for them.
In essence, outer sect disciples are considered affiliates of the immortal sect, while only the inner sect disciples hold the status of true disciples. Furthermore, compared to inner disciples, the outer disciples not only lag significantly behind in status but also lack access to many crucial resources.
Among the inner disciples, the competition is fierce, and there are different levels of disciples. The ordinary disciples of the inner sect reside in the mountains near the Shifang Pavilion. Without a specific teacher, they must rely on their own efforts to exchange resources, such as exercises at the pavilion, and diligently follow their monthly routines. These disciples strive to demonstrate their strength through various means to gain the favor of peak masters and secure the opportunity for advancement. They constitute the largest group of inner disciples who have not yet been accepted as apprentices.
Only Golden Core stage cultivators and above are eligible to accept disciples. Despite the presence of numerous Golden Core masters in the vast sect, they still pale in comparison to the number of inner disciples. Additionally, even though Golden Core-level cultivators can accept many disciples, their resources are limited, and some prefer to focus on their own cultivation rather than taking on apprentices. Consequently, there is a significant shortage of masters and an overwhelming demand for learning, leading to inner disciples openly and secretly competing to learn from these masters.
Inner sect disciples with masters can be further categorized into named disciples and direct disciples. Named disciples are casually accepted and may not receive much personal attention from their masters, only occasionally receiving guidance. On the other hand, direct disciples are genuinely favored by their masters. They enjoy higher status and often possess exceptional aptitudes, garnering respect from fellow disciples. However, their position also entails significant pressure, as they represent the face of their respective peaks, and any shortcomings may reflect poorly on the entire peak.
The most esteemed and valued among inner disciples are the core disciples. The selection process for core disciples is unique; regardless of whether an inner disciple has a master or holds a named or direct disciple status, those ranking in the top ten in combat strength can attain this title and receive specialized training from the sect.
Given that there are only ten core disciples in each generation, the competition for this prestigious status is exceptionally fierce. If a fellow disciple surpasses a core disciple in strength, they may replace them, resulting in the incumbent core disciple relinquishing their position gracefully.
Having joined the inner sect and become a direct disciple without any obstacles, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but feel grateful for his good fortune. The support and teachings of his master and senior brother, who had already advanced to the Golden Core stage, were invaluable.
With these thoughts in mind, Xu Ziqing promptly replied, “Yes, I will go with shixiong.”
Yun Lie didn’t waste time on words either. His robe sleeves billowed as he soared into the air with the wind, and Xu Ziqing followed suit, gracefully floating alongside him.
Shifang Pavilion is actually a collection of several pavilions, not just one. It’s located in an immense valley, surrounded by mountains, so it looks grand and occupies almost the entire valley.
Several majestic buildings stand tall within the valley, forming a ring around a very high pagoda that seems to pierce the sky. Its sheer height instills a sense of awe in anyone who lays eyes on it.
Next to the pagoda are many densely packed buildings, forming a network of streets and alleys bustling with people coming and going.
Today is the day when the monthly regulations are issued, a monthly event that gathers many disciples in front of the Gongde Pavilion on the west side. The elders in charge sit behind open doors, distributing the regulations to disciples of different levels from small peaks, middle peaks, and top peak.
In the afternoon, at the southeast gate of the pavilion, two figures gracefully descend from the sky. One is a young man in green, handsome, and amiable, at the early stage of foundation establishment. The other is a stern man in white, exuding a repulsive aura, even though he’s restrained, there’s an overwhelming killing intent that can be faintly sensed.
As they land, the crowd in front of the pavilion falls silent, and the disciples stop talking.
Someone shouts in excitement, “It’s Senior Brother Yun Lie from Xiaozhu Peak!”
The others start whispering among themselves, the atmosphere warming up instantly. “Senior Brother Yun Lie? He’s the one who practices the ruthless killing swordsmanship and comprehends sword intent!”
“Yes, the first one to achieve it in ten thousand years!”
“Does that mean we should call him ‘Yun Zhenren’ now?”
“Well, that’s right…” The disciples have heard about Yun Lie’s recent breakthrough to the Golden Core stage and his mastery of the ruthless killing swordsmanship. They have a mix of fear and awe when they meet him.
Though they exchange a few words, they don’t dare to discuss too much. Even though Yun Lie has broken through to the Golden Core stage, there are still thousands of ruthless swordsmanship stages to master. Who knows what kind of temperament he has? Any fondness he may have is not due to them; thus, they tread carefully.
Yun Lie pays no attention to the attention around him. Even though there are many people present, he stands aside and waits. The others make way for him, creating a clear path.
He approaches the gate of the pavilion, and Xu Ziqing follows closely behind him. As Yun Lie receives the monthly regulations, he takes a few steps back to wait. Several eyes are now on Xu Ziqing, which makes him feel slightly embarrassed.
Curiosity gets the better of someone, who asks, “Who is this boy?”
“Family, face… Not to mention, he seems to be brought by Yun Zhenren?”
“Not only that, this young man seems to have a good relationship with Yun Zhenren…”
At this point, another person chimed in, surprised: “Do you have a friendship with Yun Zhenren?”
He chuckled and said, “I don’t believe it. You don’t know when Yun Zhenren was not yet a Golden Elixir, Master Qiu He selected eight beautiful women from the outer sect as registered disciples just to break the door of his heart, so that Yun Zhenren can break through the Golden Core…”
Immediately, someone envied him, saying, “Yun Zhenren is so lucky!”
The person in front sneered, “Don’t be envious just yet. Master Qiu He did choose them, and the eight junior sisters are indeed charming, but the boldest ones fainted immediately after seeing Yun Zhenren! They were scared out of their wits and never dared to get close to Yun Zhenren. It has become a big joke among the disciples of our neighboring peaks!”
Hearing this, someone wondered, “Since none of these eight beauties are useful, why did Yun Zhenren break through the Golden Core?”
The man shook his head, “This is the secret of Xiaozhu Peak, how can I know.” Then he glanced at the young man at the door of the pavilion and said with a smile, “Well, I have a guess now…”
Everyone asked, “What is it?”
The man laughed with more meaning, “Since this young man came with Yun Zhenren, think about it, maybe he is the one who helped Yun Zhenren break through the Golden Core?”
Everyone was in an uproar.
“I can’t say that’s true!”
“I only heard that Yun Zhenren has been in seclusion all year round. I don’t know how they know it?”
“You see, this young man’s cultivation level is good enough to have built a foundation, but he came here to receive the monthly rules. It can be seen that he is already a direct disciple…”
“If he really helped Yun Zhenren, it would be natural for him to be included in the name of Master Qiu He.”
In just a short moment, Xu Ziqing felt all kinds of eyes on him, either curious or scrutinizing, and it made him feel uneasy.
Xu Ziqing was always introverted and friendly when interacting with people, but being stared at like this made him feel uneasy…
Just when he was about to feel overwhelmed, a man in white emerged from the pavilion door.
Instantly, all eyes withdrew, and the intensity in Xu Ziqing’s heart seemed to be dispelled by the cold aura exuded by his senior.
He heard Yun Lie say, “Go ahead.”
Xu Ziqing smiled, “Yes, Yun Shixiong.”
Please let me know if there are typos/mistakes in the chapter.
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