Xu Xian followed Wen Qingxue closely, listening intently and gaining a deeper understanding of the Wendao Sword Sect.
The Wendao Sword Sect was like a miniature country.
It was self-sufficient internally and employed both hard and soft power externally. It engaged in economic trade and possessed its own army; the Sword Suppression Hall was entirely comprised of sword-bearers.
Whenever an external enemy appeared, the Sword Suppression Hall would set out. Their purpose was conquest and war.
The Wendao Sword Sect possessed a complete system and hierarchy, backed by ten thousand years of heritage. It was undeniably a titan in the mortal realm.
Furthermore, the Wendao Sword Sect differed from the Three Sects and other sects.
The Three Sects enlightened all living beings; they did not rule, only conquered. They only desired the world’s people to believe in their Dao.
Their followers were scattered across the globe. Although their strength and influence surpassed secular dynasties, they still relied on those dynasties to exist.
Within their respective spheres of influence, royal houses followed the teachings to gain the protection of the Three Sects.
As for other sects, they either ignored worldly affairs or were tied to dynasties—more or less, they all had connections. Only the Wendao Sword Sect allowed no imperial authority within its five thousand miles of North Desolation territory.
The sword stood there.
The secular dynasties dared not step half a foot forward. Even the Three Sects, who were stronger than the Wendao Sword Sect on the surface, had only ever tried to erode the sect by spreading their beliefs. They never considered using force to conquer it.
The Wendao Sword Sect was like a sword.
It remained still while sheathed, but once drawn, it fought with its life.
They were like reckless youths; no one wanted to provoke such an existence. Moreover, this sword called the Wendao Sword Sect was extremely sharp—people truly died by it.
Wen Qingxue only gave a general introduction before saying to Xu Xian, "I have said much, and you may not remember it all, Little Martial Grand-Uncle. It matters not; you will learn in time while staying on the mountain. If you are interested, you can visit the Heavenly Book Pavilion. Ten thousand years of our sect’s rise and fall are recorded in those books..."
Xu Xian nodded in agreement.
In truth, he had actually remembered everything. In fact, he could repeat Wen Qingxue’s words verbatim without any effort.
Yes. Xu Xian discovered that after his enlightenment at the sword stele, he didn't just gain common knowledge about cultivation and the ability to read all scripts and understand all languages—he also possessed an extraordinary memory. What he saw, he never forgot; what he heard was etched into his mind.
It was impressive.
Xu Xian couldn't help but think that if he had possessed this ability earlier, he would have been a top-tier scholar and likely wouldn't have died from exhaustion on an assembly line.
The stars were faint, and the crescent moon was like a hook.
The night wind in the mountains was exceptionally cool. Wen Qingxue led Xu Xian to a small courtyard on the mountain and handed him a palm-sized bag, saying:
"This is a spirit bag unique to our Wendao Sword Sect. It contains a space of three square feet. You only need to drop a single drop of blood onto it, and it will automatically recognize you as its master. Afterward, you can store and retrieve items as you wish. As for the contents, every new disciple receives them. You can take a look..."
Xu Xian didn't stand on ceremony; he accepted it immediately and thanked her. "Thank you."
Wen Qingxue continued, "The Sect Master entrusted me to look after you. Until you break through to foundation establishment, I'm afraid I must trouble you to share this courtyard with me."
Xu Xian raised an eyebrow. "Fine."
Wen Qingxue pointed to the rooms in the west wing and asked, "Then, Little Martial Grand-Uncle, you will stay in the west wing. Is this room acceptable?"
"It is."
"It is getting late. You should rest early, Little Martial Grand-Uncle. Tomorrow, I will take you to the Personnel Hall to register."
"Alright."
After saying this, Xu Xian walked toward the west wing.
"One bowl of spiritual porridge is ten merit points."
Xu Xian paused and looked back, a look of confusion on his face.
Wen Qingxue reminded him with a face as calm as still water, "Remember to pay me back."
Xu Xian was stunned.
After speaking, Wen Qingxue turned and entered her own room first.
Xu Xian stood there dazed for a good while before finally letting out a laugh.
"Heh!"
"So this is what it's like being a Grand-Uncle. I'm not even worth a bowl of porridge."
This was beyond ridiculous.
This Wendao Sword Sect didn't care about social etiquette; it was all strictly business.
He toyed with the spirit bag in his hand and returned to his room.
The oil lamp in the room ignited as soon as the door opened, illuminating the space.
The room wasn't small; it was quite spacious.
However, it was a humble abode. Aside from a futon used for meditation, it was empty. There was even a hole in the window...
The wind whistled in, feeling quite chilly.
Xu Xian froze on the spot for three full breaths before snapping out of it and uttering a single word.
"Impressive."
He had originally thought Wen Qingxue’s mention of him being "troubled" was just polite talk.
Looking at it now, while that girl was stingy, she was certainly honest.
This was officially his first day joining the sect, and Xu Xian was already suffering.
He had become a Little Martial Grand-Uncle but gained nothing.
He couldn't use the back door, and even his living quarters were hard to describe.
After a day of chaos, he had even fallen ten merit points into debt. He felt as if he could already foresee the difficult days ahead.
"Forget it.
"I'll take it one step at a time."
He closed the door, walked to the window, and sat on the futon. Resting his chin on one hand, the youth stared blankly at the bright moon outside.
Someone once said that the moon is a merciful god, capable of illuminating the lonely souls of the night.
There was no better description for this moment.
Thousands of thoughts flooded his mind. For the first time, Xu Xian felt what it meant to feel as if a lifetime had passed.
He had sat in a dream for four years in the mortal world.
As he looked at the moon, Xu Xian's homesickness flooded out uncontrollably. His brows furrowed, and his eyes grew heavy.
"It's been four years. My little brother is probably old enough to chase pigs up the mountain."
"My elder sister should be getting married. I wonder which of those bastards will get lucky..."
"Are my parents healthy?"
"The village chief is so old; I hope he hasn't died. I can't go back to take over his position yet..."
"I miss home..."
The moon in a foreign land, no matter how bright, cannot compare to a single lamp back home.
He sighed deeply, his face etched with melancholy. He lowered his eyes to the storage bag in his hand and muttered to himself, "I have to cultivate even if it's bitter. Once I can fly, I'll return to the village to visit my family..."
"Wait for me. Once I achieve the Dao, I'll make sure even the chickens and dogs of Houdao Village can ascend to heaven."
As the saying goes, the difference between immortals and mortals is greater than the divide between the living and the dead. Once one enters an immortal gate, the red dust of the world becomes nothing but withered bones. Xu Xian understood this logic, but he felt that since he could cultivate, he should do something for his family.
At the very least, he wanted his family to be free from disaster and illness. Increasing their lifespan was the baseline; of course, it would be even better if they could become immortal.
Regardless, if he couldn't even achieve that, there wasn't much point in this cultivation.
He slowly raised his right hand, extended his index finger, steeled his gaze, and bit down hard.
"Hiss!"
As a drop of essence blood fell onto the spirit bag, a ripple of white light shimmered in his palm, momentarily outshining the moonlight.
Then, as if connected by heart and mind, Xu Xian simply thought of it, and the items inside came tumbling out, scattering before him.
"Ooh... this thing is nice."
Three fist-sized spirit stones.
A brand new thin book.
A brand new thick book.
And a sword.
That was all.
After his initial surprise, Xu Xian’s brows knitted together, his eyes filled with undisguised disdain.
"Is this newbie gift pack really this pathetic?"
As he scanned the items, a flash of light crossed his eyes. Lines of milky-white text suddenly appeared above the objects.
[Low-Grade Spirit Stone: 30% Spiritual Qi Purity]
[Low-Grade Spirit Stone: 31% Spiritual Qi Purity]
[Low-Grade Spirit Stone: 29% Spiritual Qi Purity]
[Cold Iron Sword: Mortal Grade]
[Spirit Body Manual: High-tier Mysterious Grade Body Refining Technique]
[Wendao Sect General Regulations: Trash...]
Rate on N.U.
