“By passing the assessment.”
Martial Uncle Lu gave a slight smile. “Xiaoyao is a sect that embraces ‘involution.’ If you want to enter the inner sect, or even stand out and be chosen as a personal disciple by a senior, you need to perform exceptionally well in your assessments.”
“Xiaoyao recruits disciples once every ten years. Aside from our group from Yushui City, there are no fewer than a hundred other groups of competitors.”
“Your opponents aren’t just the few people in this group.”
Seeing the serious expressions on the children's faces, Martial Aunt Yang let out a soft laugh. “There’s no need to worry. Martial Uncle Lu and I were the top two scorers of the most recent inner sect promotion. With the two of us leading you, we will naturally leave the other groups in the dust.”
“Ahem! Churan...”
Martial Uncle Lu quickly interrupted her. “Let’s stick to business first.”
Gu Ningyun listened intently throughout Martial Aunt Yang’s introduction.
The two immortals seemed to have good personalities. She believed that under their guidance, the atmosphere of their small group wouldn't be too bad.
Moreover, with such excellent mentors, they had already gained a slight advantage over the other new disciples from the very start.
Five green jade tablets appeared in Martial Aunt Yang’s hand. “Give me your Ascension Tokens.”
What was an Ascension Token?
Gu Ningyun thought for a moment and handed over the jade sliver she had received earlier.
It was the only item she had that was related to the Xiaoyao Immortal Sect.
Martial Aunt Yang pressed the jade sliver against a green jade tablet. The tablet flashed with a faint light, and the Ascension Token merged into it.
Martial Aunt Yang handed the tablet back to her. “Disciple Gu, this is your identity jade token as an outer sect disciple. Keep it safe and do not lose it.”
Gu Ningyun accepted it with both hands. “Thank you, Martial Aunt Yang. I will remember.”
After distributing the identity jade tokens to all the disciples, Martial Aunt Yang said, “The Ascension Token has a recording function during the entrance assessment. Once merged into the disciple token, that function disappears.”
“The reason we include that record in your disciple token is so that throughout your long years of cultivation, you never forget the original intent you held when you first climbed the Stairway to Immortality.”
Never forget the original intent...
Gu Ningyun felt a jolt in her heart. Xiaoyao seemed to be a very different kind of sect.
...
The jade token was exquisitely carved with cloud patterns.
On the front, several small characters were etched with sharp, elegant strokes: Xiaoyao Immortal Sect | Outer Sect | Qixia Peak | Gu Ningyun.
Gu Ningyun flipped it over, and a line of text outlined in silver light appeared. Cloud Residence: Qixia Peak | Ruiyu Pavilion | Tingfeng.
This was likely her residence.
As Gu Ningyun looked away, the text faded.
Once they had all put away their identity tokens, Martial Aunt Yang stepped back, and Martial Uncle Lu spoke up. “Those of you who can read the common script of the cultivation world, raise your hands.”
Three children raised their hands, including Gu Ningyun.
“Good, I see.”
Martial Uncle Lu took out five octagonal stone plates and winked at them. “It takes three days and three nights to travel from Yushui City back to Xiaoyao on this flying boat.”
“While the other groups aren't aware of it yet, let’s get a head start on qi Induction.”
“You are all disciples with single spirit roots. Under normal circumstances, you should be able to induce i into your bodies within a day and a night.”
Martial Uncle Lu tossed the five octagonal stone plates. They scattered across the boat, and upon landing, five golden circles half a meter in diameter appeared.
Under Martial Uncle Lu’s guidance, the five of them sat cross-legged within the circles.
“These are yellow-rank mid-grade array plates that combine spirit gathering and protection. They are suitable for disciples below the Foundation Establishment stage.”
“Close your eyes and listen to my mantra.”
“Relax your body and regulate your breath. Inhale through the nose, exhale through the mouth. Let your heart be as still as water, and empty your mind of all thoughts...”
Sitting within the formation, Gu Ningyun followed Martial Uncle Lu’s guidance, adjusted her breathing, and gradually settled her mind.
In the quiet darkness, many multicolored specks of light suddenly appeared.
They flowed around her, but only the cyan specks of light burrowed into her body.
As more specks entered her, Gu Ningyun could actually see the inside of her own body.
She watched as the light particles entered her meridians and headed straight for her dantian. Soon, a cyan mist the size of a soybean gathered there.
Once the mist formed, it felt as though her body was full. The cyan light specks no longer paid her any attention, and Gu Ningyun opened her eyes, feeling a sense of lingering satisfaction.
Seeing the other four children still had their eyes closed, Gu Ningyun did not disturb them.
Noticing Martial Aunt Yang beckoning to her, she walked over quietly.
Martial Aunt Yang handed her a storage bag, her voice seeming to echo directly in Gu Ningyun's mind. “Qi induction in just one hour—not bad.”
“Find any room in the rear cabin to stay in. For the remainder of the time on the boat, you may arrange your own schedule. Now that you’ve induced i into your body, you can mobilize your divine sense to open the storage bag.”
Gu Ningyun chose the nearest room.
After closing the door, she recalled the state of qi induction and swept her divine sense over the storage bag. A golden light flashed over the cloud patterns on the bag as a strand of her divine sense claimed ownership.
The storage space was roughly the size of a room. Inside were two jade slips, two sets of disciple robes, and nine food boxes.
One of the jade slips was labeled 'Xiaoyao Basic Guide.' Gu Ningyun opened it and found the sect rules and a map.
The map was divided into three sections: the exterior of Xiaoyao, the outer sect, and the inner sect. Each could be clicked, zoomed, and even allowed for the input of starting and ending points. It was somewhat like the navigation software she had used in the modern world.
She entered Qixia Peak as the destination, with her current location as the default starting point. After selecting 'flight' as the mode of travel, the map quickly displayed the route and distance.
Is it really this high-tech?!
She set aside the map and opened the sect rules. There wasn't much text on the first page, which read:
There are three Xiaoyao Ancient Precepts—
First: Only through personal strength can one attain Xiaoyao.
Second: One who knows only mindless cultivation is no different from a puppet.
Third: When caught in the ‘involution,’ remember to stop and wait for your heart.
Gu Ningyun’s eyes widened. What? The word ‘involution’... isn’t that a term from Blue Star? When Martial Aunt Yang mentioned it earlier, she hadn't been entirely sure if she’d heard it right...
Could it be that the Xiaoyao senior who established these ancient precepts was a transmigrator!
She understood and agreed with the first precept. She had a general grasp of the second and third, though she expected she would understand them better after spending more time in Xiaoyao.
Gu Ningyun committed the three precepts to memory and used her divine sense to scroll through the jade slip.
What followed were standard sect rules. After reading through them and gaining a general understanding, she moved on to the next jade slip.
The second jade slip was titled 'Almanac of Heavenly Wonders.'
The first page was an introduction—a compilation of all known heavenly treasures in the cultivation world, as well as identification guides for pills, arrays, talismans, and artifacts.
A special note at the end read: Before leaving the sect for the first time, every Xiaoyao disciple must fully understand and memorize the entire contents.
There was a table of contents: Spirit Plants, Ores, Demon Beasts, Rare Treasures, Other Essential Knowledge, Pill Identification, Array Identification, Talisman Identification, and Artifact Identification.
She tapped on the Spirit Plants section. Each page featured a high-definition, 360-degree recording of a plant, along with a detailed description including its name, functions, usage, and habitat.
The other sections were similar to the Spirit Plants section.
This jade slip was a massive tome; it wouldn't be easy to digest.
Gu Ningyun had possessed a photographic memory even before her transmigration. After drinking the spirit spring water and inducing qi into her body, she felt her mind was even clearer.
While the others were still in the process of qi induction, Gu Ningyun had nothing else to do on the boat. She simply sat by the window, clutching the Almanac of Heavenly Wonders, and began reading from the Spirit Plants section.
Rate on N.U.
