The Blue-Gold Ceremonial Robe

After a night of peaceful meditation, dawn broke, spilling its clear light over the entire Qinglan Sword Sect.

Suddenly, a crisp and urgent knocking came from outside the courtyard, accompanied by a lively shout.

“Ye Ling! Come out quickly! Follow me to the main hall of the sect. Master wants to see you!”

Hearing the voice, Ye Ling immediately stood up and opened the gate.

Outside the gate stood Nalan Yanli. Dressed in a fiery red robe, she looked radiant and dazzling. With curved eyebrows and a bright, beaming smile, she looked at Ye Ling with amusement.

Seeing that Ye Ling was still dressed in her plain robes with her usual cold and indifferent expression, Nalan Yanli couldn't help but tease her.

“Today is the grand day of your True Disciple investiture ceremony. The entire sect is watching, and countless clans are coming to congratulate you.”

“Why are you still so cold and detached? You should smile more.”

“Smile?”

Ye Ling was slightly startled. She lowered her eyes in brief contemplation and tried to curl her lips slightly.

However, her nature had always been indifferent and her state of mind exceptionally calm and cold. After several attempts, her smile remained forced and incredibly stiff.

In the end, she shook her head gently and returned to her usual calm and serene expression.

“It is better like this.”

Nalan Yanli watched as she tried so hard to pull at the corners of her mouth without producing a shred of a real smile. She found it incredibly amusing and cute, but she suppressed her laughter, afraid of embarrassing Ye Ling.

She quickly composed herself, grabbed Ye Ling's wrist, and urged her forward.

“Alright, alright, I won't tease you anymore. Let's go!”

“Master is still waiting in the main hall. We can't miss the auspicious hour for the ceremony!”

With that, the two stepped out of the bamboo courtyard side by side. They traversed the winding palace pathways bathed in the faint morning light and soon arrived at the majestic and solemn main hall of the Qinglan Sword Sect.

The main hall was grand and quiet, filled with abundant spiritual qi and an extremely solemn atmosphere.

Sect Master Leng Zhiwei sat upon the main seat, while the Peak Masters of each peak stood in lines on both sides of the hall. The sect's high-level members were gathered in full, everyone's expressions solemn as they quietly awaited the arrival of the ceremony's protagonist.

Upon seeing Nalan Yanli leading Ye Ling slowly into the hall, Leng Zhiwei's expression immediately softened, and she waved gently at Ye Ling.

“Ye Ling, come here quickly. The auspicious hour of the ceremony is approaching, and there are still a few details and rules of the investiture that I need to explain to you beforehand.”

Hearing this, Ye Ling stood tall and took steady steps forward. Standing respectfully with her hands at her sides, she listened attentively to the Sect Master's instructions.

With a focused expression, she listened earnestly as Leng Zhiwei explained the ceremony's proceedings, the hall entry etiquette, the rules for receiving the seal, and the proper manner of hosting guests. She engraved every single word into her mind, not daring to let her attention wander for even a second.

While Ye Ling was listening intently to the teachings, Nalan Yanli moved gently beside her, silently reaching into her storage bag. She slowly retrieved the exclusive True Disciple ceremonial robe that had been prepared for Ye Ling long ago, gently shaking it open and holding it flat in front of her.

A stunningly beautiful and luxurious blue-gold robe suddenly revealed its full appearance.

This was an exclusive ceremonial robe specially redesigned by the sect for the Tenth True Disciple, Ye Ling. It was completely different from the uniform robes of the other nine True Disciples, which had been passed down for thousands of years.

The ceremonial robes of the previous nine True Disciples were either plain white, deep black, or vermilion. Their designs were structured and ultimately fell into a uniform style.

However, Ye Ling's exclusive True Disciple robe was a unique honor, tailored specifically for her after Leng Zhiwei and the Peak Masters had specially deliberated and broken the traditional rules.

The entire robe was a crisp and pure mountain frost-blue. The tone was clean and elegant, neither garish nor intense, resembling clouds resting on green mountains or the moon reflecting in a cold pool. It perfectly matched Ye Ling's naturally cold, detached, and unblemished character.

The body of the robe was woven from top-grade ice silkworm spiritual silk. Its texture was light and translucent, draping naturally. Even when resting quietly, it emitted a faint, subtle shimmer—gentle, premium, and incomparably elegant.

The collar, lapels, waistband, and wide cuffs were meticulously embroidered with dense, dark gold patterns of flowing clouds. The gold thread was carved with intricate and delicate precision.

It flowed like water and coiled like vines, devoid of any ostentatious or boastful totems. It merely used pale gold to outline its elegance. With a frosty blue base and gilded embellishments, an ultimate luxury was hidden within its cold demeanor.

The entire ceremonial robe shone with a harmony of blue and gold, blending elegance and nobility. It was unique, representing an unprecedented honor.

By the time Leng Zhiwei finished explaining all the investiture rules, Ye Ling had already committed the entire process to heart.

At this moment, she glanced out of the corner of her eye and saw the beautiful ceremonial robe held in Nalan Yanli's hands.

Even though Ye Ling had lived two lives of pure heart and few desires, always remaining detached and self-controlled, a clear look of amazement and emotion could not help but flicker in her eyes.

She had seen countless mortal silks and grand sect robes, but none could compare to the grace and aura of the blue-gold ceremonial robe before her. With just a single glance, a genuine fondness welled up in her heart.

Leng Zhiwei took in the subtle changes in her expression. With a warm smile, she spoke softly.

“It is good that you like it. This robe was specially designed and customized for you by the Peak Masters and me, after seeking out master artisans and spending a long time repeatedly refining the design.

“We discarded the thousand-year-old traditions of the sect, choosing only the cold tones you prefer and pairing them with dark gold noble patterns, all to fit your true character and heart.”

Having said that, she urged with a smile, “Go ahead and try it on to see if it fits. The auspicious hour of the ceremony is almost here, so it is the perfect time to dress.”

Nalan Yanli immediately stepped forward with a smile and accompanied Ye Ling to the back hall to help her change.

After a brief moment, the frost-blue gilded ceremonial robe, unique to the Tenth True Disciple, rested upon Ye Ling's body.

The robe hugged her figure perfectly. The tailoring was seamless, neither too loose nor too tight, fitting her just right.

The translucent frost-blue base made her skin look as white as snow and her features extraordinarily refined.

The delicate gilded cloud patterns spread gently along her shoulders, waist, and cuffs. Light shimmered subtly across them, noble without being arrogant, luxurious without being gaudy.

At this moment, Ye Ling's unique, cold character completely merged with this exclusive ceremonial robe, fitting together flawlessly.

She was already exceedingly beautiful and simple in temperament, always carrying a detached and aloof demeanor that seemed untouched by the mortal world.

In the past, when she wore plain clothes, she possessed the clean clarity of a mountain breeze or a moonlit pool, making others only dare to gaze from afar, not daring to profane her.

But now, having changed into the True Disciple ceremonial dress, everything had completely transformed. The frost-blue served as her core, keeping her just as cold and otherworldly as before, while the gilded gold bestowed upon her an elegant nobility and legitimate prestige.

The two completely contradictory temperaments of cold detachment and luxurious nobility miraculously merged and coexisted within her, showing no conflict whatsoever.

Her eyes remained calm and tranquil, yet due to the supreme status of her robe, a trace of the awe-inspiring majesty unique to a True Disciple quietly emerged.

Standing tall and graceful, her aura was deep and upright. She possessed both the ethereal beauty of an otherworldly young girl and the exclusive, honorable presence of the sect's Tenth True Disciple.

Her entire being was stunning to the bone, her grace absolutely breathtaking. Even without a smile, she naturally carried majesty; even without speaking, she commanded respect.

Within the hall, the gazes of all the Peak Masters locked onto her, and they silently marveled in their hearts.

The person graced the clothes, and the clothes elevated the person's majesty. This unique blue-gold True Disciple ceremonial robe seemed to have been made for Ye Ling from the very beginning.

In all the world, only she could carry this cold, peerless beauty, and only she could bear the supreme nobility of the sect.

Standing to the side, Nalan Yanli dazed out slightly as she watched, only sighing in genuine admiration after a long moment.

“It's so beautiful... As expected, only you can pull off this outfit perfectly.”

Leng Zhiwei, sitting on the main seat, also nodded in satisfaction, her eyes filled with gratification.

In today's ceremony, the newly appointed Tenth True Disciple of their Qinglan Sword Sect would surely stun the entire sect.