Chapter 21

Tomorrow was the big exam day.
Even the usually lively cafeteria was buzzing with tension.
Veteran students sat clustered in small groups, swapping experience in hushed tones, dissecting past exams, and trying to guess what the teachers had in mind for this round.
“Mr. Xingtin from Xiaoyao Peak is here in person this year. His tests are impossible to predict.”
“Like it matters, huh? Some of those fresh-faced kids can’t even read, and they still waltz right into the inner sect. Meanwhile, we plot and struggle year after year and might never make it. At the end of the day, it’s all down to luck.”
The newcomers weren’t loafing around either, making the most of every last minute to cram notes and memorize key texts,
“‘To exhaust one’s heart is to know one’s nature... To cultivate oneself and wait for destiny, whose words were those?’”
“Mencius! Mencius, Confucian classic. Mr. Su went over it a bunch, how did you not remember?”
“‘Too many words, too many errors; better to keep to the center.’”
The childish voices chanting and quizzing each other made the whole cafeteria sound like a full-blown academy.
Mu Xue had more exam experience than anyone in the room.
Back when she was truly young, she’d weathered countless harsh, high-pressure tests. For her, the eve of any exam wasn’t about last-minute review or sorting through notes, but about guarding herself against sabotage from her “fellow” disciples.
She put her newly refined spiritual sense to use, carefully checking her own food, and that of those nearby, for any funny business. She only trusted the simple fare her mother sent: pickled veggies, steamed buns, plain rice porridge. Nothing else passed her lips.
Her nerves stayed taut for two straight days, and nothing at all happened!
Until dinner, finally, a minor incident broke the peace.
Mu Xue was just opening a crock to share her mom’s pickled duck eggs with friends.
The duck eggs, marbled and nestled in wine lees, gleamed ruby red when they were pulled out, each one lustrous and fragrant when cracked open.
Lin Yin happened to pass by. The looming exam weighed on her nerves, and the sight of Mu Xue, this easy target, this sweet little pushover, just set her off.
“What filthy countryside crap are you stinking up the cafeteria with?” she sneered, reaching out to shove the crock off the table.
But her hand froze midair, her wrist suddenly gripped, firm and unyielding.
The all-too-quiet, never-dares-to-protest little bun had, with startling precision, caught Lin Yin’s wrist. Those chubby, pale fingers were round and cute, but strong as iron, refusing to let go. Beneath them, Mu Xue’s spiritual energy flickered unmistakably.
That delicate face, those pitch-black eyes, Mu Xue stared her down, unwavering.
Lin Yin shivered involuntarily.
There was a Golden Core elder in her family, highly respected. For a split second, having that kid’s gaze on her felt exactly like facing that formidable ancestor. Her legs literally went weak; she almost dropped to her knees.
No way. I’ve been cultivating since I was a toddler. How could I possibly be afraid of some newbie who’s only just entered the sect?
Sure enough, those eyes softened into innocent confusion, and Mu Xue even pressed a red-stained salted egg into her hand.
“If you want one, Senior Sister, take it. Just don’t knock over my crock, okay?” Mu Xue said sweetly.
“Who...who wants your junk?” Lin Yin shoved the egg back, too spooked to act out again, flicking her hand as she retreated to her seat.
She grabbed a handkerchief and wiped the red stains from her hands, slugged down a cup of Bi Luochun tea from the canteen, fuming silently with frustration. No amount of tea could quench her annoyance.
About fifteen minutes later, a sharp, unmistakable fart echoed through the packed cafeteria.
Everyone turned toward the sound and saw Lin Yin, cheeks flushed, fidgeting miserably under the weight of a hundred stares. Before she could even try to compose herself, the noises kept coming, one after another, each as clear as the last, all accompanied by a foul stench.
The crowd’s faces twisted in disgust.
Lin Yin’s whole face was tomato-red. She covered her eyes and, with the jeers and laughter ringing in her ears and the noises still betraying her, bolted out of the cafeteria in tears.
Seriously? That was all it took to make her cry?
Mu Xue watched as her little victim ran off sobbing, and for a moment, she felt a kind of invincible loneliness among this year’s batch of kids.
“Xiao Xue didn’t even laugh at Senior Sister Lin. She’s so nice, it’s like she never holds a grudge,” Xia Tong said.
Mu Xue replied in her soft, sugar-sweet voice, “Yeah, I’m not really one to keep grudges.”
I just settle them on the spot.
“She’s too soft, total pushover.” Ding Lanlan snorted. “Anyway, whatever. You guys wanna look at this practice question? I bet it’ll be on the test.”
Meanwhile, Lin Yin’s uncle, a cultivator from Xuandan Peak, arrived at the peak’s main hall, dragging his weepy niece straight to Xuandan Peak Master Kong Ji.
“She’s been like this ever since supper. The big sect exam’s tomorrow, and I’m worried it’ll mess her up. Please, Peak Master, could you take a look?”
“Since after dinner?” Kong Ji shot the man a cold look. “All those years studying at Xuandan Peak, and you can’t even handle some brat’s petty trickery? You’re bothering me over this?”
After the scolding, he still set a hand on Lin Yin’s wrist and sent a wisp of spiritual energy through her pulse.
A moment later, his narrowed eyes opened, and he clapped his hands with sudden delight.
“Wonderful. Absolutely brilliant! Powders refined from Doryn fish secretions, mixed with Biyun Spring tea, no wonder it had this effect. Subtle, ingenious, and almost untraceable. Hah! Whoever thought this up is destined for Xuandan Peak. Mark my words, the culprit’s one of the new disciples in the cafeteria, I’ll find them tomorrow and recruit them myself.”
At that very moment, Mu Xue had no idea she’d been noticed again. She kept her guard up, armored herself before bed, and drifted off with a trace of disappointment, only to wake, safe and sound, to the morning sun.
For every outer sect disciple, today was life-changing: the big entrance exam had finally arrived.
The first round was surprisingly easy, set by Su Xingtin, Xiaoyao Peak Master responsible for teaching the introductory cultivation method this year.
The test was purely written, covering only the basic entry-level chants and a handful of classic sayings by ancient sages.
The youngest kids, especially those from poor backgrounds who couldn’t read, were given their own room, where they just recited a few lines aloud to pass.
Coming out of the exam room, everyone looked like they could finally breathe again.
A middle-aged scholar in a Confucian headscarf stroked his beard and analyzed for his friends: “The ‘Xingtin’ in his name, surely it’s from the Book of Changes, ‘Walking in the courtyard, but not seeing the person.’ I knew he must be a man who reveres the classic sages, and sure enough!”
His friend shook his head. “No way. Master Xingtin rarely takes disciples. With such an easy test, he probably won’t pick anyone this round either. Sigh.”
Next up: alchemy theory, proctored by Xuandan Peak Master Kong Ji in person. He paced the exam room, staring at who-knows-what while everyone scribbled nervously.
In the center of the hall, massive mirage light projectors displayed three-dimensional images of medicinal ingredients, one after another. The test-takers wrote down each name and its properties.
Mu Xue, aware of what knowledge would be age-appropriate for her current small self, deliberately skipped over rare herbs.
She’d learned her lesson: any medicinal plants common in the Demon Spirit Realm but nearly unknown in the Immortal Spirit Realm, she simply left blank. So when she saw “Doryn fish”, the same thing she’d just used for her prank, her brush skimmed right past.
Kong Ji strolled past Mu Xue, peeked at her answers, and sighed in clear disappointment when his bright young hope failed to fill in the “right” response.
Where was that prodigy he'd sensed, someone who understood medicinal properties better than the masters themselves?
From this round on, the deep waters of cultivation theory began to drown the novices, leaving the new disciples pale-faced, while even older retakers looked green and hopeless.
Only a handful of kids about Mu Xue’s age stayed relaxed, buoyed by their blissful ignorance.
The final round was artifact making. Since most contestants had little cultivation, the rules were simple: use whatever’s provided on your table, and craft anything by hand.
Of course, returning candidates who knew the ropes understood the trick: pour as much of your limited spiritual power as possible into your creation, hoping to catch a master craftsman’s eye and win an inner-sect spot.
Disciples lacking in raw talent often spent years mastering just this skill, hoping a quirky masterpiece would land them a spot through a backdoor route.
Each participant got a huge worktable, a giant box, and a mountain of tools.
Mu Xue opened her box, inside was a random assortment of materials: wood, iron, silver, gold, jade, sewing needles, thread, scraps of fabric, flour, molds. In other words, you could carve wood, forge metal, sew a pouch, or sculpt clay figures. The possibilities were endless.
Mu Xue’s hands caressed the rows of tweezers and pliers, a familiar fondness blooming in her chest.
In her last life, she’d spent nearly all her years hunched over a workstation like this, alone, by the dim light, surrounded by the soft clinks and clatters of tools, letting the hours blur into years.
Ding Lanlan had mentioned: if you made it into the inner sect, whatever you crafted in this final test would become your formal gift to your new Master at the initiation ceremony.
A gift for my Master, huh?
Mu Xue realized she might soon have a new teacher. One who wouldn’t lash her with a whip, or treat her like a tool for crafting day and night. Maybe, finally, she could experience a real childhood, just like in the stories.
Here, your master will actually teach you based on your talent, if you get sick, you get medicine, and even the fiercest one will only smack your hand three times, tops.
Mu Xue’s fingers grazed over blocks of wood and cold iron. She might never be the perfect little disciple, not warm and thoughtful like Xiao Shan. But for this very first gift, she was determined to put her heart into it.
How did Xiao Shan give her gifts, back in the day?
Cen Qianshan had showered her with all sorts of things, monster beast cores, treasures from secret realms, and his own meticulously crafted works of art.
Mu Xue always knew the truth: that sweet, obedient kid by her side was, to the rest of the world, a wolf baring its fangs.
He was born gifted, after becoming Mu Xue’s disciple, his cultivation shot up like a rocket. Soon he was charging off alone to hunt monsters and dive into secret realms, returning every time with his arms full, grinning as he handed her the rarest materials. Then he'd sidle up, whining about a scratch here or a bruise there. Wanted soothing, wanted her to rub in medicine.
But whenever he was hurt for real, not a word. He’d hide away to tend to his wounds, change clothes, and stroll home like nothing happened, not wanting her to worry.
Of all the gifts he gave her, one stood out the most, it’s still tucked away in her desk drawer. Back then, Xiao Shan had only just become her disciple, suspicion and longing still battling in his wide eyes. He’d shuffled forward, holding out his gift with anxious pride.
“I... made several, but this one came out best.” The kid’s voice was full of doubt, studying Mu Xue’s reaction with almost painful hope.
“Wow, it’s gorgeous! How’d you dream up something so clever with such plain materials?” Mu Xue had been genuinely delighted, and kept it by her side for years.
Lost in memory, Mu Xue rummaged through boxes of materials, pulling out a fresh egg, three slim gold coins, a handful of powdery silver sand, and two vials of jade resin glue.
She tapped the egg open, poured away the yolk, and left just a little arc of shell at the tip, cleaned it carefully for a base.
Mu Xue nestled a few tiny, jagged wood chips into the shell, sprinkling on a hint of green. Then, with slow precision, she poured in the mixed resin. The clear liquid flowed and coated the wood, bringing the hidden, miniature hills to life, a pocket mountain range, viewed through crystal waters.
This resin, when hardened with spiritual power and polished, gleamed jewel-like, translucent and pure. It was a staple among artifact refiners for a reason.
Entranced by the little mountain frozen at the bottom, Mu Xue clasped her hands, steadying her spirit, spiritual energy weaving through her fingers like a living current.
Between her palms, the tiny eggshell spun, while new jade resin flowed in on command, slowly setting into a flawless, glassy “egg.”
Inside that shell was a whole world: splintered wood became mountains, silver sand turned to falling snow, liquid shimmered in the heart. The three golden coins sank gently into its core, glinting.
The mountain base set solid and unmoving, like an anchor. The dome held empty sky and swirling jade liquid. Three small coins floated and drifted inside, if you turned it in your palm, silver flecks fell like a snowstorm, and the coins tumbled down through the miniature peaks. It had a kind of unspoken, destined tranquility, like the balance of heaven and earth captured in a palm-sized charm.
Perfect for fortune-telling, or simply for marveling. There was something profound and almost ineffable about it.
Mu Xue closed her eyes and drew her breath full and deep. Wrapped in cycles of her spiritual energy, her hands nursed the “world inside an egg” as power polished and toughened the shell, while within, vitality shimmered and flowed, miniature life springing forth.
Such a simple thing, yet it held the grace of true mastery, humble, yet ingenious in its simplicity.
Lost in the gentle rhythm of crafting, Mu Xue found herself in a state of deep, comforting tranquility.
Knees folded, she sat in quiet meditation. The sparkling egg rotated slowly in the air before her, clear as a droplet, smooth as jade, brimming with spiritual aura. For a moment, it seemed as if life might break free from its shell at any moment, something was about to be born anew.
Someone here was on the brink of hatching, of stepping into a wholly new life.
Just one wall away from the test room, several masters waited for the results. They could see every student’s progress clearly from this vantage, yet the examinees were cut off by spells, unaware that Golden Core cultivators were watching just a short distance away.
Ding Huirou of Biyou Peak stood and pointed. “Look at that girl, she's clearly an artifact refiner. She’s already grasped the Dao of profound simplicity.”
She turned toward Su Xingtin at the table. “Senior Brother Su, don’t fight me on this one. Can’t you give me this child?”
Su Xingtin lazily fished three coins from his sleeve, tossed them on the table, and cast a divination.
“Mountain over mountain, water at the bottom, a shrouded spring hexagram.” He flashed Ding Huirou a grin. “It’s not me seeking the disciple, it’s the disciple seeking my door. Junior Sister, fate is fate. This one is destined to be mine. You’ll just have to accept it.”
Su Xingtin was famous for his accuracy in divination, the coin oracle always came up true. Ding Huirou was momentarily caught off guard, but recovered with a snort. “Guiyuan Sect’s rules say both sides must choose each other, a formal acceptance after the mountain trial. So don’t be so sure of yourself, Senior Brother.”
Su Xingtin calmly pocketed his coins. “But look at her gift for the master, if that’s not fated connection, I don’t know what is. She was born to be my disciple.”
By the time the last test concluded, the setting sun had already dipped low, city lights flickering on for evening.
Mu Xue stood alone in the brick-paved square, gazing into the rolling waves of the Nine Peaks.
Their wild, jagged summits hid now behind veils of dusk and fog.
How many people were lingering on Huayu Peak tonight, yearning for just a glimpse of the immortal mountains come dawn, hoping against hope to shed their ordinary fate, take a master, and pass through the gates? Would she be counted among them?
The mountains, washed in soft sunset gold, spilled down to the river below, endless water winding away into the vast distance, where earth and sky met.
Mu Xue felt equal parts anticipation and serenity. The calm from crafting her “egg world” stayed with her, a comfort unlike anything she'd felt before. Maybe this was the heart-mind cultivation Su Xingtin had talked about. Now she no longer fretted or panicked at the prospect of the results, no more worrying herself sick.
Early the next morning, the sect summoned them all to announce the results of the grand examination.
All the outer sect disciples who took part in the exam gathered in front of the Huayu Hall. Facing the Nine Peaks, a massive bronze incense burner stood at the center.
The disciples who passed and qualified to enter the inner sect would participate in a formal mountain-welcoming ceremony.
On the wide square, even the steadiest veteran cultivators looked tense and restless, never mind the youngest newcomers, who could barely hide their nerves and excitement.
Xia Tong, sporting serious dark circles under her eyes, clung to Mu Xue’s arm and shook her helplessly. “This is torture. I didn’t sleep a wink last night, good or bad, just hurry up and announce it already. Let me breathe!”
Yuanzi, also red-eyed and sleepless, tried to comfort her. “It’s okay, it’s okay. Even if we don’t make it this time, there’s always next year.”
“Ugh, shut your mouth! Don’t jinx it. We’re all passing, no question. One and done.”
Dawn spilled golden over the peaks, the sun leaping over the horizon. Rosy clouds ripped apart the heavy mountain mist.
For the first time, all nine main peaks, usually shrouded in secrecy, emerged in full view through the dissipating fog. On the summit, the Hero’s Hall gleamed, gold and jade shining. Rainbow bridges arced between ancient trees, auspicious beasts called through the forest, it was nothing short of a celestial dreamscape, a piece of paradise.
New disciples seeing this sight for the first time were transfixed, mouths agape, words stolen by wonder.
The mountain bells tolled. The ceremony host, senior brother Ye Hangzhou of Xiaoyao Peak, stepped forward and produced the name list, calling out names one by one.
Whenever a disciple heard their name, they would collect three sticks of incense, bow respectfully before the great burner, kneel facing the mountains, and insert their incense into the flames after three deep bows.
The man Mu Xue had seen previously, the middle-aged porter, was called up first. He strode forward, took his incense with both hands, bowed gravely three times, and as the smoke spiraled into the air, a streak of dazzling light burst from Tiezhu Peak.
He was overcome with joy, dropped to his knees, knocked his head to the ground multiple times, and raised his jade talisman above his head, voice shaking with excitement: “Disciple Fu Jian, humbly seeks entry to Tiezhu Peak. Thank you, Master!”
With a flash like a shooting star, Tiezhu Peak sent a beam of light into his talisman. It meant a Golden Core stage master of Tiezhu Peak had accepted him as a disciple.
One by one, disciples took their turns kneeling and making offerings, sometimes nothing happened, but occasionally, more than one main peak would light up for the especially lucky ones.
Those disciples could choose freely which mountain they wished to join, it was an honored Guiyuan Sect tradition. The master chooses the disciple, but the disciple also chooses their own path: the twin-choice of master and student.
But among the endless ranks of outer sect disciples, most left disappointed, dreams broken despite years of hard work. They didn’t dare protest, only swallowed their bitterness and bowed out in dejection.
An old man past sixty trembled as he placed his incense in the burner and waited, hope barely flickering in his eyes.
Qingxu Peak flickered gently, then shone with clear, bright light.
“I made it! I actually made it!” The old man burst into tears, trying to cover his face with his sleeve as he wept, kneeling low to the ground. “Disciple… disciple humbly pledges himself to Qingxu Peak. Thank you, Sect Master! Thank you, Master!”
He was so overcome he almost couldn’t rise, relying on Ye Hangzhou to gently pull him back up. Even then, he wiped his tears again and again, unable to stop crying with joy.
When Xia Tong’s name was called, she stiffly stepped forward to offer her incense, but nothing happened. She trailed back in tears, head hanging.
Yuanzi had the exact same luck.
When Ding Lanlan’s turn came, her incense set off three mountain peaks at once. She bowed deeply to the ground and chose Biyun Peak, where her aunt resided.
Finally, it was Mu Xue’s turn.
Mu Xue took a slow breath, stepped forward, and held three sticks of incense in her fingers. Silently in her heart, she whispered, “Disciple Mu Xue, though born in the Demon Spirit Realm, earnestly wishes to join this sect now. May the sect shelter and accept me.”
She gave three measured bows, then placed her incense in the burner.
The clouds overhead circled, the mountains loomed, no reaction at all.
Mu Xue’s heart sank. She closed her eyes, breathing out once, heavy with disappointment.
Is it really another three years I’ll have to wait?
But then, behind her, she heard a few people gasp, then, voices of disbelief rose up everywhere.
She opened her eyes and looked up sharply.
First, Qingxu Peak, crowned with the Hero’s Hall, burst into dazzling radiance. Next, Biyou Peak shimmered in five colors, then Tiezhu Peak shone. Even Xuandan Peak, whose master had scolded her repeatedly, glowed behind the mountain like a full moon.
But it didn’t stop there. Lastly, the always-silent Xiaoyao Peak moved. From the treacherous summit, a clean sweep of pure white light spilled down, flooding the world below in a streak of jade brilliance.
“That’s insane, five peaks at once, even Xiaoyao Peak reacted!”
“Who is this girl, anyway?”
“She’s not, like, the Sect Master’s daughter, is she?”
“The Sect Master became a cultivator as a teen, never even had a partner, where’d he get a daughter? Maybe she’s Xiaoyao Peak’s head’s secret kid.”
Mu Xue stared, thunderstruck, at the mountain peaks blooming in bright clouds, not a single word came to her.
Only when the senior brother at her side nudged her did she come back to herself enough to sink numbly to her knees.
Ye Hangzhou looked down, amused at the dazed little junior kneeling, and said,
“Don’t be nervous. The masters like you, but no one’s going to force you. Ask yourself what you truly want, and choose the path that fits you best. Even if you go somewhere else, I’ll still be your senior, and Master will still answer your questions. So just make your decision at ease.”
Mu Xue paused, closed her eyes, listened to her heart, then raised her talisman above her head and bowed until her forehead touched the ground. “Disciple Mu Xue, humbly chooses Xiaoyao Peak.”
……
The chosen disciples were now welcomed as inner sect, each to be taught personally by their new masters, they would no longer reside in the Huayu Hall.
Xia Tong and Yuanzi, eyes red with unshed tears, came to see them off.
“So unfair, Xiao Xue! Our whole room, and only you got picked.” Xia Tong was nearly sobbing again.
Mu Xue thought silently: Back then, when I always scored top, there was a junior who said that to me, and that very night, she tried to curse me behind my back. Lucky for me, I was on guard. Now it’s Xia Tong’s turn… and what does that even matter?
Summer's eyes brimmed with tears. She squeezed tightly to Mu Xue’s sleeve, holding it in for a long moment, then burst out sobbing, smearing her snot and tears all over Mu Xue’s sleeve.
Ah. This didn’t look so good. She might not know any curses, but she sure could cry.
Mu Xue felt completely out of her depth.
Maybe straight-up enemies were easier than this, you attack, I counter, everything out in the open.
“Say something comforting, come on!” Ding Lanlan whispered, poking Mu Xue in the side.
Comfort her? Mu Xue blinked. What exactly did “comforting” involve?
Xiao Shan used to cry a lot too, back in the day.
Mu Xue remembered those times, when Xiao Shan cried, he looked much more pitiful than messy, never snot-nosed like Summer. He’d clutch her sleeve, tears trembling on his lashes, begging her not to leave him at home alone, asking her to take him out into the wild with her.
How did she use to comfort him…?
Mu Xue reached out and ruffled Summer’s hair. “It’s okay. You’re still young. There’s plenty of time to climb the mountain in a few years.”
Ding Lanlan covered her face in despair.
They followed their senior sister, the group leader, heading up into the inner mountains.
Only then did Xia Tong stomp her little foot and call loudly after Mu Xue, “I made it all up! I don’t dislike you at all. Wait for us, okay? In three years, we’ll come find you in the inner sect!”
The chubby dumpling, Yuanzi, waved along with her. “If there’s better food up there, bring us a little when you come back to visit, okay?”
One by one, the group formed a line and started the ascent to higher peaks.
Mu Xue glanced back. Halfway up the slope, her friends were already just two tiny figures, still waving their arms at her from below.
Even though there was maybe a pang of discomfort in their hearts, they hadn’t let it twist into resentment. They were sending her off as a friend, she could feel it.
This feeling inside… it reminded her of the day her brother brought her up the mountain, but somehow, it was a bit different, too.
For Mu Xue, friends had once seemed a luxury she would never have.
But now, here, she truly had more than a few.
The mountain road rose steep and high, but nobody complained, a sense of excitement buzzed in the air. People mopped sweat from their faces, still grinning wide.
Even when they took a break by the path, some couldn't hold back their excitement and kept chatting away.
“We finally made it! I’ve dreamed of this for years, I just want to shout, let everybody hear me. I’m so glad I never gave up.”
“To be honest, brother, when I turned forty, I was ready to quit. But I just couldn't let go. I gnawed my teeth, endured the shame, and kept taking the entrance exam with the kids. Finally, the fog has lifted!”
“Hahahaha!”
“It’s so good. Really, truly good.”
The scenery here was different from Huayu Peak, immortal grasses and gemstone trees were everywhere. Occasionally, a divine beast would sweep by overhead, trailing dazzling plumes that nearly brushed their heads.
Suddenly, a tiger's roar echoed through the forest. The trees trembled and a chill wind swept in.
It startled everyone to their feet right off the path.
“It’s alright, it’s just Senior Brother Fu,” their senior sister reassured them.
A white tiger with black stripes and fierce eyes soared overhead. Seated atop was a young cultivator in white robes, his expression impassive.
He looked down at them from on high and asked coolly, “These are the new recruits for this year?”
The senior sister folded her hands and replied with a sunny smile, “Yes, Senior Brother Fu. Thirty-eight outer sect disciples admitted this time. Fifteen new faces, the rest are returning students.”
The young man nodded without another word, guiding his tiger cloudward, disappearing straight to the summit.
It struck Mu Xue, she’d seen him twice before.
The first day she’d come up the mountain, her soul wandering in a dream, he was the one who found her in the courtyard and startled her back. The first day she attempted to meditate, losing herself to inner demons, it was this man who chanted the calming spell that pulled her out of her nightmares.
Mu Xue quietly leaned over to Ding Lanlan. “Who is that senior brother?”
“You seriously don’t know?” Ding Lanlan looked shocked. “He’s from Xiaoyao Peak, the same as you. His name's Fu Yun. Senior Brother Fu Yun’s insanely talented and outrageously handsome. People say he’s the best under the Golden Core stage in the whole sect.”
“He’s just super chilly, kind of an ice prince, you know? Doesn’t like talking to people. Xiaoyao Peak is full of weirdos anyway, serves you right for getting assigned there.” Ding Lanlan’s tone showed she wasn’t a fan of his type. “But half the senior sisters in the sect have a crush on him. He’s the resident flower on the highest branch, everyone wants a piece. Still, people like him? Total headache to deal with.”
After they entered the inner sect, there was a grand induction ceremony on Qingjing Peak, the home of the sect leader, to show the sect's respect for tradition.
Every disciple knelt before their own master to perform the three bows and nine kowtows, serve them tea, and present their heartfelt gifts.
Mu Xue knelt before her Master, Su Xingtin, respectfully handing over her letter and the egg-shaped miniature world she had crafted.
Su Xingtin turned it over a few times. Inside the clear little sphere, silvery snow swirled; three delicate gold coins spun in their own tiny universe. It was a curious trinket, completely non-magical, certainly not a tool, but for fortune divination, such objects were never supposed to be touched by spiritual force. Better this way.
Holding it up, Su Xingtin handed it to Ding Huirou, seated on his left. “Ha, I’ve got the least disciples of everyone, only got this one present. Not like Junior Sister Ding, whose arms are full.”
Ding Huirou glanced down at the line of kiddos kneeling before her, each offering wobbly little sachets, carved hairpins, and other tiny tokens. She nearly blew her cultivation from Su Xingtin's smugness.
Still showing off, Su Xingtin passed it to Kong Ji on his right. “Little disciples, it’s the thought that counts. These things aren’t really useful. Lucky for me, I love divination, so I’ll make the best of it.”
Kong Ji looked at the pile of gold, silver, and jewels gifted by his older new disciples and rolled his eyes dramatically.
After flaunting his “gift haul” enough, Su Xingtin finally put on the face of a real Master. He extended a finger and pressed it gently between Mu Xue’s brows.
His fingertip was cold as jade. The moment it touched her skin, it felt like enlightenment flooding straight into her soul.
In that instant, words weren’t needed, Mu Xue felt as if a path to the future opened right before her. Everything about how she should walk ahead suddenly became crystal clear.
It felt just like Master guiding her hand in his, leading her through every fundamental mantra and technique she’d ever need on her cultivation path, step by step, entwined fingers, never letting her get lost.
Even if she didn’t understand right now, one day, when she reached that step, today’s flash of insight from Master would come back to her, and everything would fall into place without her even trying.
“That’s the art of enlightenment by transmission,” Su Xingtin explained gently. “Because you’ve opened your Spirit Chamber and your spirit is beginning to clear, I can use this method to pass on the teachings. Many core mantras can’t truly be described in words. That’s why secret techniques aren’t handed out to outer disciples, it’s not that the sect wouldn’t want to, but that it’s simply impossible.”
Su Xingtin lifted his fingers from the crown of Mu Xue’s head, drawing out a thin wisp of radiant energy. He gathered it carefully, placing it into a crystal lamp; inside, the blue flame flared up, burning bright and lively.
This was Mu Xue’s soul lantern, now lit and placed within the sect’s hall, so her status and safety could always be known.
“That’s it!” Ye Hangzhou said, practically vibrating with excitement as he hauled Mu Xue up to her feet. “Finally, a little junior sister! I’m not the baby of the group anymore!”
Xiaoyao Peak only took one disciple at a time, so the ceremony was simple. The three, Master and his two disciples, said their farewells to the rest and set off for their quiet peak.
“Seriously, Master is great and all, but he never takes girl disciples. It’s literally just a handful of weird dudes up here, not a single junior sister, which is way too boring,” Ye Hangzhou rambled as they crossed the gardens at the peak’s summit. “Thank goodness you picked Xiaoyao Peak, Xiao Xue. You have no idea how nervous I was, you could’ve gone anywhere! I almost died waiting.”
Su Xingtin adjusted his sleeves, saying, “Nonsense. We have a girl disciple, Miao Hong’er, your senior sister?”
At that, Ye Hangzhou made a face like he’d been stabbed with a needle. “Please, let’s not talk about Senior Sister Miao. She fights harder than I do, she terrifies me. Totally different energy from Xiao Xue; you’re soft and adorable, a real little sister!”
Just then, a bold, clear female voice rang out from the courtyard: “Who’s spreading rumors about me behind my back? You planning to skip dinner or something?”
Immediately after, with a resounding crash, something heavy slammed into the courtyard, raising a cloud of dust.
It was a five-colored bull demon, huge and muscular, horns sharp and menacing, though, at this point, unmistakably dead.
A woman in tight, vivid red dropped from the sky, landing right on the bull’s back. She grinned, all fire and mischief: “Master! Miao Hong’er reporting in. Is this our new little sister? Perfect timing. We can have some roasted beef to celebrate tonight.”
Mu Xue was surprised, she actually recognized this senior sister.
The day Mu Xue achieved Foundation Establishment and opened her Spirit Chamber, her spirit had briefly drifted off into the Demon Spirit Realm. Back then, she’d seen her senior sister Miao Hong’er snacking on broad beans atop the roof, oblivious to Mu Xue’s presence as she floated by. That face, so focused and lively, had stuck in Mu Xue’s mind ever since.
To be able to take down such a formidable bull demon solo, Senior Sister Miao was clearly powerful. But even she couldn’t see the discarnate Mu Xue back then, while Senior Brother Fu Yun, who later spotted her, must be even more talented. No wonder he was called the number one cultivator under Golden Core in the entire Guiyuan Sect.
“Seriously, Senior Sister,” Ye Hangzhou groaned, “Fu Yun went hunting in the Ji Earth Forest and came back with a mythical beast for a mount, so badass. You went out and just brought home…dinner?”
Miao Hong’er perched on the bull, her arms resting across her knees. “What, is there anything in this world more important than eating? Fresh veal hotpot tonight, unless you think you can resist.”
Ye Hangzhou immediately flipped to a winning smile. “Count me in; who’d turn down hotpot? We’ve got to celebrate for our new little sister!”
Miao Hong’er rolled her eyes at him. “Heard Master is sending you to the Dongyue Temple soon. Let’s see what good stuff you actually bring back this time.”
Ye Hangzhou swaggered. “Oh, I’ll haul back plenty of amazing loot, enough for everyone on our peak. Xiao Xue gets double!”