What on earth has this child gone through?
Even without her memories, her instincts still retained such a sharp mind and such ruthlessness.
For the sake of a job to earn spirit stones, she exhausted her wits to observe and calculate the perfect timing.
To seize an opportunity, she used her mortal body to stand against cultivators, shielding others from harm and demanding justice and compensation.
As one sows, so shall they reap.
Her calculations paid off, and she successfully secured the job of receiving guests.
The fruit follows the cause.
Her resilience moved the female cultivator, who gifted her a body-refining cultivation technique.
It was unexpected, yet it made perfect sense.
The only thing they hadn't expected—and even when they realized it, found it hard to accept—was the choice she made to step onto the path of cultivation with low-grade five-element spirit roots.
She had resolutely chosen to forge an alternative path, selecting a body-refining technique that required her to endure daily beatings.
New scars layered over old ones; fresh wounds were added to the previous.
Not everyone could be so cruel to themselves.
In all the years of testing, through so many generations of disciples and so many different choices...
Only she had taken the path that was most merciless toward herself.
And only she could achieve qi induction so quickly, exit the illusion, and pass the assessment.
No one else could match her speed.
The first place of the Inner Disciple Promotion Competition was truly well-deserved.
One could even say that in the history of these competitions, this child was the most shocking and heartbreaking first-place winner.
Powerful cultivators who originally had no intention of taking on disciples and hadn't paid much attention to Gu Ningyun were now beginning to feel a stir of interest.
However, when they saw the several Peak Masters at the very front, whose sub-mirrors of the Phantom Cloud Mirror had displayed only Gu Ningyun from start to finish, those interested experts let out silent sighs.
It was a pity. It was hard to say if they could win in a fight, and they certainly wouldn't be able to snatch her away.
Those peaks must have sent disciples to familiarize themselves with the child long ago.
Just as Gu Ningyun finished her salute, a voice came from the Sect Leader’s right side.
“Ningyun, I am Daoist Lord Yi Gui, the Master of Sword Peak.
“You possess a talent for the Sword Dao. Sword Peak has the best atmosphere for sword cultivators and the most orthodox Sword Dao Heritage.
“Are you willing to enter my tutelage and become my closed-door disciple?”
Just as he was about to speak further, someone cut him off. The Master of Music Peak immediately grew anxious.
She slapped her hand down on the desk. “Junior Brother Yi Gui, you already have two progeny disciples. How could you possibly have the energy to cultivate another?
“Ningyun, I saw that you frequently used melodies to fend off enemies during the New Disciple Competition. You clearly have a fondness for music.
“I am Daoist Lord Yi Xiu, the Master of Music Peak. Currently, I only have one disciple, Kong Lingyan.
“Lingyan is very fond of you and often speaks of you to me. If you agree to become her little junior sister, she will be overjoyed.
“As long as you enter my tutelage, Lingyan and I will give our all to teach you, support you, and protect you.”
“Don't try to boost yourself by putting others down, Senior Sister Yi Xiu.”
Yi Xiu’s words seemed truthful on the surface, but she was actually revealing only half the story.
Having waited patiently for her to finish, Yi Gui quickly spoke up. “Ningyun, do not worry about that.
“My first disciple, Yang Ji, has already broken through to the Nascent Soul stage. He will soon take a dharma name and succeed as the Young Peak Master; he rarely needs my guidance.
“My second disciple is already in the Golden Core stage and spends most of the year training outside; he doesn't have much of a presence, so you needn't worry about him.
“Once you enter my tutelage, I will hand over the peak’s affairs to Yang Ji and focus entirely on cultivating you.”
“Senior Sister Yi Xiu, Senior Brother Yi Gui.
“You say Ningyun’s talent in music and the sword is good, but that’s because you haven't seen her draw talismans.
“I specifically went to the Talisman Hall of Preaching Peak to check her records from when she first learned to draw talismans.
“It took half a day. Can you believe it? Only half a day.
“A young girl who had never touched talismans before took less than half a day to successfully draw a yellow-rank low-grade Swift-Walk Talisman.
“In the history of Talisman Peak, the senior with the greatest talent for the Talisman Dao—excluding the time spent learning ancient script and speaking only of drawing talismans—took a full day just to reach Entry level.
“Ningyun, this girl, took only half a day.”
Without waiting for Yi Xiu or Yi Gui to respond, the Master of Talisman Peak, Daoist Lord Yi Zhou, leaned slightly toward Gu Ningyun.
“Talismans are one of the four arts of cultivation in the cultivation world.
“Besides using them to earn spirit stones, they have various wonderful uses in attack and defense.
“Ningyun, with your talent as a talisman cultivator, just a little effort will allow you to surpass decades of study by others.
“I am Daoist Lord Yi Zhou, the Master of Talisman Peak.
“Ningyun, as long as you take me as your master, I will not let your talent go to waste. I will design the most suitable training method specifically for you.
“All the ancient talismans of Talisman Peak will be yours to study.”
“Junior Brother Yi Zhou, aren't you about to enter secluded cultivation to break through to the middle Soul Transformation stage?
“For cultivators of our level, a single session of secluded cultivation can last decades.
“By the time you come out, Ningyun’s progress will have been delayed by you.
“It would be better for you to focus on your own cultivation rather than leading a student astray.”
Daoist Lord Yi Guan watched Yi Zhou and sighed for a moment before turning a beaming smile toward Gu Ningyun.
“Ningyun, I see you frequently visiting the library and taking on many ancient script translation tasks. You clearly have a love for books.
“Weren't you curious before about how I could produce various effects like defense and attack just by writing a single character?
“Let me tell you, that is the power of us Confucian cultivators.”
Seeing Gu Ningyun’s hesitant expression, Yi Guan nodded with certainty. “It is exactly what you think, Ningyun. You have an aptitude for Confucian cultivation.
“You know your guide, Yang Churan, is a progeny disciple of Book Peak, right?
“Don't be fooled by her drawing talismans and using water-attribute spells; her cultivation in the Confucian Dao is not a single bit weaker than those two.
“Ningyun, whether it is the Talisman Dao, the Sword Dao, or spells, the various halls of Preaching Peak have complete heritages and teaching.
“You don't actually need to take these old fellows with limited energy as your master; you can just go to Preaching Peak to learn.
“If you want to study the Dao of Music on the side, you can also find suitable melodies in our Book Peak’s library.
“Aren't the melodies of their Music Peak almost all exchanged from our Book Peak anyway? If you join Book Peak, you’ll save yourself the trip.
“Only the Confucian Dao is different; it requires a predecessor to guide you.
“To introduce myself formally, I am Daoist Lord Yi Guan, the Master of Book Peak, and I have not yet taken any disciples.
“Are you willing to enter my tutelage, become my first disciple, and follow me in practicing the Confucian Dao?
“Confucian cultivators are far rarer than music cultivators, and the world knows very little of our methods.
“If you follow me in practicing the Confucian Dao, these methods can also become one of your trump cards.”
“When did I ever say I was about to break through to the middle Soul Transformation stage?
“Ningyun, do not listen to his nonsense. This man has read too many books; he makes up lies at the drop of a hat. His words cannot be trusted.
“There is no such thing as secluded cultivation; I won't be entering any long-term seclusion for the next few decades.”
“Senior Brother Yi Guan’s words are incorrect. Who says the Sword Dao Heritage is all at Preaching Peak?
“The practice of a sword cultivator is not as simple as having heritage and teaching.”
The Peak Masters went back and forth, their words never ceasing.
Every time the Master of Spirit-Attuning Peak, Yi Chu, tried to speak, he was cut off by someone else.
At first, he waited patiently. The situation of multiple cultivators competing for one disciple happened every generation.
Everyone followed a tacit understanding to introduce their own peaks in turn and leave the choice to the disciple.
As long as these few finished speaking, his turn would eventually come.
But as it went on, the others spoke faster and more densely, talking incessantly without giving him even a chance to interject.
Yi Chu finally sensed something was wrong.
Could it be that these people knew he had left a mark on Ningyun’s identity jade token beforehand?
Were they deliberately teaming up to keep him from speaking?
At this thought, he no longer cared about etiquette. He forced his way into the conversation, drowning out Yi Xiu’s voice.
“Ningyun, I am Yi Chu, the Master of Spirit-Attuning Peak. Like you, I possess a top-grade wind spirit root.
“The foundation of a cultivator’s ability to practice lies in the spirit root they are born with.
“No matter what technique one practices or what path one takes, the spirit root is the premise and the reliance.
“You are a top-grade wind spirit root, a natural future master of the wind law.
“Are you willing to enter my tutelage and become my progeny disciple?
“To join me in following the direction of the wind, unraveling its mysteries, and exploring its secrets?
“To use the top-grade wind spirit root as your foundation and be a wisp of wind that is not defined?”
Once he finished, no one in the hall spoke for a moment.
Yi Chu looked at his fellow disciples and felt helpless.
He knew it; these people were definitely doing it on purpose.
In the past, when taking disciples, even if they put each other down, they wouldn't say too much.
Thousands of years ago, there had been an inner disciple master-selection assembly.
Because several Soul Transformation experts had bickered and put each other down relentlessly to compete for one disciple...
The image of themselves and their respective peaks had plummeted in the eyes of the disciples.
That disciple had been full of misgivings when choosing a master.
In the end, an elder at the Soul Emergence stage had lucked out and walked away with the brand-new little disciple.
How happy that elder had been, these juniors didn't know.
They only knew that from then on, Xiaoyao’s master-selection assemblies had become exceptionally harmonious.
Every cultivator with an interest in taking a disciple would take turns to speak, introducing their peak and expressing their intent.
Even if there were points of contention, they would try to limit it to one or two rounds.
The main focus was on introducing themselves to attract the disciple's choice.
Like today, where they finished their introductions and then pulled and tugged at each other for three or four rounds—while not severe—it was clearly an anomaly compared to previous years.
Seeing that no one else was speaking, the Sect Leader finally spoke slowly.
“Ningyun, the five Peak Masters of Sword Peak, Music Peak, Talisman Peak, Book Peak, and Spirit-Attuning Peak have all expressed their interest in taking you as a disciple.
“You may consider their words carefully and decide whom you wish to take as your master.
“If you do not wish to enter the tutelage of these five, you may also suggest any other peak you are interested in.
“As for your future cultivation, you need not worry.
“Taking a master does not mean you can only practice what your master knows.
“Our Xiaoyao has always encouraged disciples to practice multiple paths simultaneously. If you wish to learn other things after taking a master, you can always go to other peaks for guidance.
“Don't mind the five of them arguing just now; their private relationships are actually quite good, and they are all very willing to guide the younger generation.
“For a cultivator, taking a master is a major event.
“The choice is yours; everything depends on your will.
“If you have any doubts, feel free to ask.”
Gu Ningyun actually wasn't very conflicted.
At the very beginning of her journey, the moment she chose her cultivation technique...
When she saw the line in the 《Xiaoyao Wind Records》: “Wind is not defined.”
A seed had been planted in her heart.
No matter how many paths she practiced, she would always follow the footsteps of the wind and embark on the journey of the wind.
Spirit roots were innate; the dantian was born because of the spirit root.
Without a spirit root, one could not even begin to cultivate.
The spirit root was the first threshold of cultivation and something that accompanied a cultivator throughout their life.
A cultivator could practice many paths—they could be an alchemist, a sword cultivator, a food cultivator...
But no matter what they chose to practice, the only thing that would never change was that the cultivator would meditate and absorb spirit energy corresponding to their spirit root.
Only by absorbing spirit energy could one's cultivation progress further.
She was a wind spirit root, and a top-grade wind spirit root at that.
She liked the wind; she was intoxicated by its mystery, its lack of restraint, and its quality of being not defined.
Since she had such a supreme spirit root and such a pursuit...
When Yi Chu spoke, stating his spirit root and his intent to take her as a disciple...
Gu Ningyun, who had been worried that none of the previous Peak Masters were wind spirit roots...
Immediately made her decision.
“This disciple thanks all the Peak Masters for their love and care.”
She raised her hands and bowed deeply.
“Based on my considerations regarding the wind, this disciple has decided to take the Master of Spirit-Attuning Peak, Daoist Lord Yi Chu, as my master.”
“Good, good, good!”
Yi Chu’s figure blurred, and in an instant, he was beside Gu Ningyun. He grasped her forearm through her sleeve and helped her up.
“Since Ningyun has made her decision, I shall take her with me. Farewell.”
“Wait!”
Avoiding Yi Chu’s narrowing eyes, Yi Guan looked directly into Gu Ningyun’s apricot eyes.
“Ningyun, although you chose Junior Brother Yi Chu...
“If you wish to practice the Confucian Dao in the future, you can use your disciple jade token to send me a message or simply come to Book Peak to find me.”
“Ningyun, Music Peak also welcomes you at any time.”
The Masters of Sword Peak and Talisman Peak also expressed their stances one after another.
Gu Ningyun’s throat felt a bit tight.
Forgetting etiquette for a moment, she only murmured hoarsely, “Okay.”
Seeing that no one else was speaking, Yi Chu tightened his grip on Gu Ningyun’s arm.
A gentle wind lifted the two of them, and in the blink of an eye, they were out of the Sect Leader’s hall, flying across the Governing Peak plaza.
“Ningyun, currently, there are two other wind spirit root disciples on Spirit-Attuning Peak besides you and me.
“One is the Great Elder of Spirit-Attuning Peak, Daoist Lord Yi An, who is at the early Soul Transformation stage.
“The other is Yi An’s progeny disciple, Shen Banxi, who is at the middle Golden Core stage.
“The two of them are the ones you will have the most contact with. For now, since you’ve just arrived, you only need to know them.
“As for the other elders and disciples, you can get to know them slowly when there’s a chance. There’s no rush.”
Seeing Gu Ningyun nod, Yi Chu continued to explain to her,
“The forms of address among cultivators, especially within a sect, are quite complex.
“However, some high-level cultivators care very much about honorifics.
“If you accidentally address a narrow-minded one incorrectly, though we wouldn't fear him, there’s no need to make an enemy over such a small matter.
“I have summarized a simple method for you that applies to both fellow disciples and cultivators from other sects.
“For those you know and who have a relationship with me, follow the seniority of the sect.
“For those you don't know or who have no sect, follow their cultivation level.
“For example, when you meet Kong Lingyan, you should call her Senior Sister Kong based on my seniority.
“If you didn't know her identity, you would call her Perfected Person Kong based on her cultivation.
“Either way, you won't go wrong. Do you understand?”
Once he explained it this way, Gu Ningyun understood perfectly and nodded repeatedly.
Yi Chu was amused by her obedient nodding and let out a small laugh.
“The ranking of disciples on the same peak and under the same master depends on the individual or the peak.
“On Spirit-Attuning Peak, we are a bit special because of the Spirit-Attuning Jade Tokens; the wind spirit roots are ranked separately, while other disciples are ranked individually.
“You and Shen Banxi are both from Spirit-Attuning Peak and both possess wind spirit roots.
“He entered Spirit-Attuning Peak before you, so according to the ranking, you should call him First Senior Brother.
“If your Martial Uncle Yi An takes another wind spirit root disciple into Spirit-Attuning Peak later, you will be the Second Senior Sister.”
Yi Chu did not mention the matter of the successor.
The child was still young; cultivation was the priority.
Those burdens and responsibilities would be carried by them for now.
Since Banxi had taken the title of First Senior Brother, he should also worry more about the peak’s affairs.
By becoming familiar with those matters now, he would be better able to assist Ningyun when she succeeded him in the future.
Rate on N.U.
