The Nascent Soul Title-Conferring Ceremony was set for late autumn.
A deep red carpet was laid out in front of Tiance Palace's main hall, flanked by silver banners with black patterns.
The wind was gentle, and the morning sunlight fell at an angle across the bluestone plaza. Elders and disciples from various peaks arrived one after another, lining up on both sides of the plaza. Impeccably dressed, everyone looked far more solemn than during ordinary gatherings.
Lin Zhiyue stood under the corridor beside the hall, wearing her light purple Magpie Bridge Fairy Whispers dress. The hem of her skirt shimmered with faint, delicate silver-white light in the morning sun, as if starlight had been sewn into the folds of the fabric.
This was the most solemn and elegant outfit she had selected from her Wardrobe.
She raised her hand to adjust her cuffs, then stood up straight, waiting for her name to be called.
Standing beside her were Chu Zhixun, Cen Xi'er, and Xiao Yuan.
Chu Zhixun had changed into a new, deep red robe. His belt was bound tighter than usual, and his posture was much straighter as he looked down at the edges of his sleeves.
Cen Xi'er wore a light green dress. Her hair was tied higher than usual, adorned with a white jade hairpin on one side.
Xiao Yuan wore a dark blue robe, the hem embroidered with very faint patterns.
Once the ceremony began, the plaza in front of the main hall fell silent. Xiao Sheng stood in the primary position before the hall doors and read out the names of several disciples who were to receive their titles.
Those ahead of them stepped forward one by one to receive their titles before stepping back into the lineup.
When it was Chu Zhixun's turn, his steps were slightly slower than usual, each one incredibly steady.
He stood before the hall, his fingers tightening slightly as he accepted the title scroll with both hands. His movements were calm and solemn.
Xiao Sheng unfurled the scroll, his voice steady and powerful: “Chu Zhixun, your conferred title is Chichen. 'Chi' represents a loyal and sincere heart, pure and flawless; 'Chen' represents the dwelling of the North Star, lofty and noble. May your heart be like blazing fire, and your ambitions reach the nine heavens.”
Chu Zhixun looked down at the name written on the paper, a very faint smile playing on his lips, before cleanly rolling up the scroll.
When Cen Xi'er stepped forward, she bowed slightly. Her hands trembled a little as she accepted her scroll.
Xiao Sheng looked at her, his tone softening slightly: “Cen Xi'er, your conferred title is Qingxi. 'Qing' represents clarity and purity, clean as ice and pure as jade; 'Xi' represents light, harmony, prosperity, and peace. May your state of mind be like a clear spring, and may your path ahead always be accompanied by bright light.”
A very faint smile played on her lips, her eyes slightly red with emotion.
As Xiao Yuan walked forward, the hem of his robe swayed gently with his steps.
He accepted the scroll with crisp, decisive movements, without the slightest hesitation.
Xiao Sheng read: “Xiao Yuan, your conferred title is Shuyuan. 'Shu' represents channeling and flowing freely, weeding out the chaff to keep the essence; 'Yuan' represents the origin of all things, endless and self-sustaining. May your Dao Heart be like a living spring, open and unhindered, flowing far and wide.”
Xiao Yuan's expression remained unchanged, though his fingers gently traced the edge of the scroll.
Lin Zhiyue was the last one.
As she stepped forward, the hem of her dress dragged along the ground, leaving a soft silver trail behind her steps.
Stopping before the hall, she raised her head to look straight ahead.
Xiao Sheng looked at her. When he unfurled the scroll, his tone was slightly softer than before. He read: “Lin Zhiyue, your conferred title is Zhaoyue. 'Zhao' represents the brightness of the sun, radiant and illustrious; 'Yue' represents the essence of the night, clear and everlasting. May your heart be like the bright sun, your conduct like the clear moon, your path illuminated, shining brightly for eternity.”
When Lin Zhiyue accepted the scroll, she suddenly remembered the moment she received her graduate school admission letter in her previous life. Her feelings were exactly the same—filled with immense excitement.
The plaza fell silent for a moment. In this brief silence, some people averted their gaze from Lin Zhiyue, while others looked up at her, then subconsciously glanced over to where Qi Yan was seated.
The record of forming a Nascent Soul at age twenty, once held by the cultivation genius hailed as a once-in-a-century prodigy of Tiance Palace, had now been effortlessly broken by the girl before them, who was not yet eighteen.
The wind blew past the banners under the corridor, making them flutter loudly.
As everyone recalled her past words, “Genius is merely the threshold to meet me,” and looked at the cold, detached figure before the hall, they found themselves utterly unable to refute her. Only deep awe remained in their hearts.
Qi Yan sat in his seat.
His gaze fell upon the title scroll in her hands, lingering for a moment before shifting away.
He did not say a word, but the elders beside him stepped forward one after another to congratulate him, their eyes carrying an envy they could hardly conceal.
And no wonder—every single disciple under his tutelage was exceptionally gifted and highly dependable, never requiring him to worry or fret.
After Xiao Sheng announced the end of the ceremony, the crowd began to disperse.
Lin Zhiyue stood under the corridor, watching the crowd slowly disperse in the evening glow as she tucked the title scroll into her sleeve.
Chu Zhixun was looking down at the scroll in his hands, a faint smile on his face, as if repeatedly confirming the writing on it.
The group lingered under the corridor for a moment, congratulating one another before parting ways along the winding corridors, heading back to their respective residences.
The light rustle of their robes sweeping across the bluestone ground echoed softly for a moment, eventually fading away along with their figures.
Lin Zhiyue walked back to her courtyard. The wind had slightly curled one corner of the title scroll in her hand.
She flattened the corner with her finger, pushed open the courtyard gate, and walked inside.
Yuetuan was squatting in the sun in the middle of the courtyard. He looked up at her, swept his tail across the ground once, and then lowered his head again.
Lin Zhiyue had just placed the title scroll on the desk and hadn't even sat down when the system screen lit up on its own. Its edges shimmered with an unprecedented dark gold halo, far more eye-catching than any previous quest notification.
【Congratulations to the host for achieving the "Zhaoyue" Conferred Title achievement, unlocking eligibility for the Gold Card Pool. The limited-time Gold Card Pool "Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox" has been unlocked. This is a God-grade set consisting of fifteen standard pieces, which can unlock a unique domain skill. Please note: The God-grade set card pool can only be drawn using "Gold Tickets"; ordinary Premium Draw Tickets are invalid. Card pool time limit: Six months. Gold Ticket acquisition method: Triggered randomly; cannot be purchased, exchanged, or traded.】
A preview outline of the outfit appeared in the center of the screen, woven from pure white and dark gold. The faint silhouettes of nine tail feathers could be seen floating in the spiritual light near the hem of the dress. The cuffs and collar were pressed with very subtle dark patterns, resembling overlapping fox tail textures.
Lin Zhiyue watched it for a moment, not rushing to examine each individual piece. Her gaze lingered on the line that read "Gold Ticket acquisition method: Triggered randomly."
She closed the screen and sat down at the desk.
This system was raising the difficulty on her again... Sigh ε=(´ο｀*)))
Outside the window, the twilight was shifting from pale gold to deep orange. She leaned against the back of her chair, sitting in the gradually darkening light for a while, before storing the scroll in a slot on her desk's bookshelf and standing up to close the window.
The countdown for the Gold Card Pool had already begun. Six months, one hundred and eighty days. She had no idea when or how the Gold Tickets would come. Was she just supposed to stare helplessly at the Gold Card Pool on the system interface without being able to draw?
Unbelievable... This was absolutely unbearable...
As the night seeped in through the windowsill and she closed her eyes, she couldn't help but picture that Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox set in her mind.
What should she do? She wanted it so badly...
...
The days following the Nascent Soul confirmation ceremony were quieter than Lin Zhiyue had expected, yet subtle changes were quietly creeping in from all directions.
As she walked along the stone steps of a side peak, she came across two outer sect disciples. When they saw her, their steps faltered. They instinctively stepped aside to make way, bowing their heads to respectfully call out, “Venerable Zhaoyue,” before daring to continue on their way.
Lin Zhiyue paused slightly, not realizing at first that they were addressing her. Only after she had walked quite a distance did she belatedly realize that the reverent title was meant for her.
She walked a bit further and met an administrative disciple. Spotting her from afar, the disciple stopped and stood by the roadside with lowered hands, waiting for her to pass. As she drew near, the disciple offered the exact same title and respectful greeting.
Lin Zhiyue nodded and returned the gestures one by one, but every time she heard the title "Venerable Zhaoyue," an indescribable sense of unreality welled up in her heart.
On this day, Lin Zhiyue and Liu Fengyao were having a meal at the dining hall.
Liu Fengyao sat across from her with her bowl, popped a piece of meat into her mouth, and chewed thoroughly before speaking in a casual tone, as if chatting about the day's menu: “A few days ago, the other sects also held their Nascent Soul ceremonies. The Qingling Sect gave Song Mu the title 'Xiaomu' and Cui Yu'er the title 'Yaoyu'. The Biluo Immortal Sect gave Lin Tangxi the title 'Liantang'.”
Hearing these names, Lin Zhiyue took a bite of rice, but her mind couldn't help but recall the countless novels and television dramas she had enjoyed in her previous life.
The social rules in those stories seemed identical to the current cultivation world. In the cultivation world, when people who had some interaction but weren't close met, they would usually address each other by their conferred titles or ranks. Only truly close friends would skip the formalities and call each other by their original names.
She swallowed her food and softly replied after a moment, “I see.”
On her way back to her courtyard, she encountered two more disciples walking toward her.
These two were inner sect disciples, one in black robes and the other in green. Upon seeing her, they naturally stepped toward the side of the path and nodded slightly as she passed, murmuring, “Venerable Zhaoyue.”
Lin Zhiyue nodded in return, her face calm, but she couldn't help but sigh inwardly.
If she remembered correctly, the inner sect disciple who had just bowed to her was at least ten years her senior.
She withdrew her gaze. Sure enough, no matter where one went in the cultivation world, strength was what ultimately mattered.
...
Lin Zhiyue was sitting at her desk, flipping through the Secrets of the Sanglan Realm that Liu Fengyao had brought her.
Suddenly, the system issued a quest.
The quest title was more concise than usual, with only a single line: 【Triggered Gold Ticket Quest: Learn alchemy and reach basic mastery. Reward: Gold Ticket x3.】
She stared the line twice, confirming she hadn't misread it. Gold Tickets.
She had been wondering when this random acquisition method would trigger for the first time, but she hadn't expected it to come so much earlier than anticipated.
She closed the book, stood up, and headed out to find Qi Yan.
Inside the side hall, Qi Yan did not respond immediately upon hearing her intent. He placed the jade slip in his hand onto the table, waiting for her to finish speaking before saying: “If you want to learn, report to the Third Elder's Qingli Peak tomorrow. I will make the arrangements with him.”
He didn't ask why she wanted to learn alchemy, nor did he ask what she planned to do with it afterward. He simply made the arrangements for her in silence.
Lin Zhiyue stood in place for a moment, expressed her gratitude, and turned to walk out of the courtyard.
Emerging from the side courtyard, she walked down the stone steps. The sunlight dappled through the forest, and her steps were light and cheerful.
Early the next morning, she brought a few spiritual plant encyclopedias and headed to Qingli Peak, where the Third Elder resided.
Qingli Peak lay to the east of the main peak, its terrain slightly lower. Halfway up the mountain stood a row of low houses, with bundles of spiritual herbs drying under the eaves, filling the air with a faint, herbal scent.
The Third Elder, Zhou Zhengqing, was already standing under the eaves waiting for her. He wore an old, grayish-brown robe, the edges of his cuffs marked with scorch marks from spiritual fire, looking as though he had just emerged from the alchemy room.
Seeing Lin Zhiyue arrive, he skipped the pleasantries and didn't even stop, turning directly toward the house. As he walked, he tossed a sentence over his shoulder: “Qi Yan already spoke to me. It's rare for someone with such high achievements in swordplay to humble themselves to learn alchemy. You are a good prospect. Come here and learn to identify all the herbs first.”
Lin Zhiyue didn't ask questions and followed him inside.
Elder Zhou had already walked to the herb rack. He reached up to take a box from the top shelf, placed it on the table, opened it, and pushed it in front of her, gesturing for her to look.
Lin Zhiyue silently stepped forward and looked down, identifying the spiritual herbs one by one. Zhou Zhengqing stood beside her without a word, only speaking up in a calm tone to correct her whenever she made a mistake.
The sunlight streamed at an angle through the open door, falling upon the herb racks and table, casting a warm glow on the slightly curled edges of the dried leaves.
Lin Zhiyue didn't learn exceptionally fast, but she remembered every herb she got wrong, ensuring she wouldn't make the same mistake twice. In three days, she had memorized the entire rack of spiritual herbs.
On the fourth day, Elder Zhou began teaching her temperature control, standing before the cauldron to explain the temperature requirements of different spiritual herbs while adjusting the heat.
After each explanation, Lin Zhiyue would try it herself. Although she didn't succeed immediately, she could already discern subtle differences in the distribution of flames within the cauldron.
She quickly discovered that in practice, her Ice and Wind dual spiritual root made her more sensitive to changes in the herbs' states than others. That crisp perception gave her an advantage when observing the color of the liquid medicine and smelling its aroma, though she still needed to repeatedly adjust her angle and force when controlling the flames.
By the seventh day, she finally succeeded in refining a pill. Its quality wasn't particularly good, but it had at least taken shape.
The quest issued by the system was still incomplete. Did this mean she hadn't reached basic mastery yet?
Thus, she continued to guard the cauldron on the alchemy peak, waiting for a better result.
At the end of her second round of attempts, she successfully refined a second, perfectly formed Fasting Pill.
The system screen lit up the moment she placed the pill into a jade vial. The three Gold Tickets had already been credited, resting quietly in a golden slot she had never seen before.
She did not know that after this day, Zhou Zhengqing would occasionally walk around the cauldron after she left, pausing to examine the residual ashes at the bottom of the furnace before picking up the pills she had refined to turn them over in the light, then placing them back.
Two days later, she refined another Fasting Pill, its appearance even rounder than the first.
A few days later, she successfully refined a Heart-Clearing Pill on the alchemy peak. Its color was clean, and its surface was smooth, its quality far superior to the first Fasting Pill she had made.
Rate on N.U.
