The next day at the hour of Mao, Lin Zhiyue stood punctually at the north gate of Juxian City.
Qi Yan was already waiting there, a dark cloak draped over his red and black martial attire, his high ponytail swaying gently in the morning breeze. Beside him floated a palm-sized, silver-white spirit boat. Its hull was covered in spiritual runes, trembling slightly as it hovered half a foot off the ground.
The other selected disciples had boarded various spirit boats with their chosen sect elders. The plaza was a bustling, noisy scene of people coming and going, but the area around Qi Yan's spirit boat was deathly quiet; no one dared to approach or strike up a conversation.
When Lin Zhiyue walked over, Qi Yan glanced at her. His gaze lingered for a moment on her green dress from the Mist-shrouded Verdure set, but he said nothing, only raising his hand to gesture for her to board.
Propelled by Qi Yan's spiritual energy, the spirit boat rose into the air, piercing through the morning mist as it flew northward.
Lin Zhiyue sat cross-legged at the stern, looking down at the mountains, rivers, and cities below as they shrank into blurry patches of color. The wind brushed past her ears, causing her gold-plated, jade-inlaid earrings to sway gently.
Four hours later, the clouds parted, and Tiance Palace appeared at the horizon.
Lin Zhiyue stood up from the stern, gripping the edge of the spirit boat as she looked down, her breath catching for a beat.
Tiance Palace was nestled between three peaks that pierced the clouds. The central main peak was the tallest, its summit covered in a sprawling expanse of silver-roofed buildings with black tiles, white walls, and high, upturned eaves, all shimmering with a faint golden spiritual light under the sun.
The left and right side peaks each hosted a slightly smaller cluster of buildings. Suspended stone bridges connected the three peaks, their structures looming indistinctly through the drifting clouds.
The entirety of Tiance Palace was enveloped by a semi-transparent grand defensive array. Spiritual runes flowed across the light barrier like water, and occasionally, a streak of light would shoot out from within, sweeping across the sky—the trailing traces of cultivators flying in and out on swords.
The spirit boat landed on a vast white stone plaza in front of the main peak. The vessel shook slightly upon touching down, then shrank to the size of a palm before Qi Yan swept it back into his sleeve.
When Lin Zhiyue stepped onto the plaza, a wave of warmth radiated through the soles of her feet. The floor tiles of Tiance Palace were actually warm, making her feel as though she were stepping into a room with underfloor heating in the dead of winter.
There were many disciples walking to and forth across the plaza, all wearing identical black uniforms with silver trim. Upon seeing Qi Yan, they stopped and bowed, greeting him as “Martial Uncle” or “Grand Martial Uncle.”
Qi Yan walked straight ahead without looking left or right. As Lin Zhiyue followed behind, she could feel countless curious gazes landing on her.
She was brought to the main hall.
The main hall of Tiance Palace was over ten times larger than the temporary stone hall in Juxian City. The interior was as spacious as an indoor plaza, its walls embedded with night-luminescent pearls and spiritual rune stone carvings. High up on the vaulted ceiling hung a massive glazed lamp, its wick burning with an everlasting golden flame that illuminated the entire hall as bright as day.
On the high platform at the front of the hall, eight chairs were arranged in a row. The center chair was the largest, featuring a silver base with black patterns and dragon carvings, while the seven chairs to its left were slightly smaller but identical in design.
Of the eight seats, only one was occupied.
Sitting in the central chair was a middle-aged man with a refined countenance, dressed in a black brocade robe. His temples were dusted with frost, and his gaze was calm and smiling.
The seven chairs beside him were empty, but Lin Zhiyue noticed several disciples in black robes standing in the shadows of the corners; presumably, some elders had not yet arrived.
Qi Yan entered the hall without stopping, walking all the way to the front of the high platform before giving a slight nod. “Senior Brother.”
The man in the black robe stood up, smiling as he waved Qi Yan over, and then his gaze landed on Lin Zhiyue.
His gaze was gentle yet sharp, like a soft light illuminating her from head to toe.
“So this is the dual ice and wind Heavenly Spiritual Root you chose?” His voice was entirely different from Qi Yan's coldness, carrying a blend of warmth and scrutiny characteristic of an elder. “Her spiritual light is indeed restrained, and her skeletal structure is extraordinary. Out of twenty-three disciples, you chose only her. I thought you were just going through the motions, but now that I see her in person, I understand.”
Qi Yan let out an “Mm” in response, offering no further explanation.
The man in the black robe stepped down from the platform and leaned slightly toward Lin Zhiyue, his tone easygoing. “I am Xiao Sheng, Palace Master of Tiance Palace and Yanchen's senior brother. Since you have entered Tiance Palace, you are one of our own from now on. No need to be formal.”
Lin Zhiyue bowed. “Greetings, Palace Master.”
Xiao Sheng waved his hand with a smile, exchanged a few more pleasantries, and then gestured for Qi Yan to take her to settle in first.
Before they left, Xiao Sheng cast another glance at Lin Zhiyue. His gaze lingered for a moment on the pair of gold-plated green earrings at her ears, and he smiled thoughtfully, though he said nothing.
Leaving the main hall, Qi Yan led her along the white stone steps toward the side peak. On the way, he uncharacteristically spoke, his tone flat, as if reciting a pre-prepared script. “In the organizational structure of Tiance Palace, there are seven elders below the Palace Master, each overseeing a branch. I am ranked seventh.”
Lin Zhiyue nodded, thinking to herself that the Seventh Elder was essentially the junior brother of the group.
“Palace Master Xiao Sheng is at the late stage of the Soul Transformation Stage, the current helmsman of Tiance Palace. The cultivation bases of my six senior brothers and sisters are all above the Nascent Soul Stage, and their respective disciples are spread across the three peaks for cultivation. I have the fewest disciples under my lineage—including you, there are only four of us.”
He paused here, seemingly searching for the right words.
“Your eldest senior brother, Chu Zhixun, is nineteen years old. He has a Fire Spiritual Root and is currently in secluded cultivation, attempting to break through to the late stage of the Golden Core Stage. Your second senior sister, Cen Xi'er, is eighteen years old. She has a Gold Spiritual Root and is attempting to break through to the mid stage of the Golden Core Stage. Your third senior brother, Xiao Yuan, is seventeen years old. He has a Mutated Wind Spiritual Root and is also attempting to break through to the mid stage of the Golden Core Stage.”
Lin Zhiyue did some silent math in her head. Nineteen and pushing for the late stage of the Golden Core Stage, eighteen at the mid stage of the Golden Core Stage, seventeen at the mid stage of the Golden Core Stage—the talent of these three placed them squarely in the top tier of geniuses in the entire Sanglan Realm. Combined with her own mutated dual ice and wind Heavenly Spiritual Root, although Qi Yan had the fewest disciples, the quality was likely the absolute finest among the seven elders.
“When will Senior Brother and Senior Sister...” she asked carefully, “finish their secluded cultivation?”
Qi Yan glanced at her. “Half a month at the earliest, three months at the latest.”
Lin Zhiyue nodded, feeling slightly relieved. Having to face three genius senior brothers and sisters right off the bat, she at least had a few days of a buffer period.
Qi Yan brought her to a halt in front of an independent courtyard halfway up the side peak. The courtyard was not large but fully equipped, featuring a main hall and two wing rooms. Inside, there was a half-withered old pine tree and a stone path overgrown with moss.
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