Clinging to Senior Brother Lu's Coattails

The reward contained a full ten thousand Spirit Stones alone!

Even if he saved them up using Tycoon's Confidence, it would take him three months.

He already had over ten thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones on hand. With this additional ten thousand, his total would exceed twenty thousand!

Not to mention the Mid-Level Rebate Card he had tucked away!

Using those twenty thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones as the basis for a rebate, even if his luck was so black that he triggered only the worst possible fivefold return, he would still receive a hundred thousand!

A hundred thousand Low-Grade Spirit Stones...

Lu Yang took a deep breath, as if he could already see a little mountain of Spirit Stones glittering with spiritual light before him.

His scalp tingled slightly.

And there was more than just the Spirit Stones.

Lu Yang's gaze fell on the Law Technique experience.

He had personally experienced how powerful Cultivation Method experience was. It practically branded insights into a Cultivation Method directly into his sea of consciousness, raising his cultivation realm on the spot.

This Law Technique experience could not have been better suited for use on the Heavy Sword Technique.

His Heavy Sword Technique would reach a high level in an extremely short time.

When that happened, even without talismans, he would have some fighting power relying on his own Cultivation Method and Law Techniques, together with his dark heavy sword, a high-grade Law Artifact.

At that thought, Lu Yang's heart surged for a moment.

"Junior Brother Lu? What's wrong?"

A soft, gentle voice brought him back to reality.

Lin Ying tilted her head slightly, a trace of concern appearing in her limpid eyes.

She had just noticed Junior Brother Lu suddenly freeze in place as if a fixation technique had been cast on him, his expression a little strange.

Lu Yang came to his senses and met her clear eyes.

He suppressed the excitement in his heart and gave her a natural smile. "It's nothing. I was just thinking about how I've finally entered the outer sect. Cultivating all this time has been a little tiring."

When Lin Ying heard that, the concern in her eyes slowly melted away. Her lips curved into a gentle smile, soft as spring water.

Her voice was light and soft, with a hint of teasing. "Junior Brother Lu, I suppose you spent those past few years doing nothing but playing? Otherwise, how could it have taken you until now to break through?"

Lu Yang choked on her words, looking thoroughly wronged. "You're wronging me, Senior Sister! I worked hard at cultivation before, too."

Lin Ying clearly didn't believe him. She chuckled. "Yes, yes, yes. Everything Junior Brother says is right."

She agreed with him aloud, but her curved brows and smiling eyes plainly said, Keep making things up.

In her view, given Junior Brother Lu's background, which allowed him to casually produce a supreme-grade Law Artifact, even a mid-grade Spirit Root shouldn't have kept him from entering Mid-stage Qi Refining until his fifth year.

What other explanation could there be, except that his youthful nature had kept him from putting his whole mind to cultivation?

Seeing that she plainly didn't believe him, Lu Yang could only sigh helplessly to himself.

He understood now. Even if every word he said was true, hardly anyone would believe him.

On second thought, that was understandable. Who could have imagined that a disciple from a small aristocratic clan would have so many Spirit Stones, or even give away a supreme-grade Law Treasure?

Lin Ying didn't dwell on the subject. Instead, she asked, "By the way, Junior Brother, why don't you see where your residence is?"

Lu Yang nodded and sent a wisp of Spiritual Qi from his fingertip into his sect token.

Spiritual light flowed across its surface, and a line of small characters slowly appeared like a reflection in water.

"Outer sect residence, Profound Metal Peak, southern district, number sixty-four."

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow, a little surprised. "I didn't expect it to be Profound Metal Peak of all places."

A flicker of surprise also passed through Lin Ying's eyes. Then she said softly, "Apart from disciples who choose the Pill, Artifact, or Talisman Peaks, who are assigned residences there directly, disciples of the other three peaks are assigned residences at random. It seems you really do have an affinity with Profound Metal Peak, Junior Brother Lu."

Lu Yang smiled and naturally turned to her. "Senior Sister, could you show me the way there later? I don't know where it is."

At his words, a blush suddenly rose on Lin Ying's pretty, delicate face. Like a thin wash of sunset clouds, it quietly spread from her ears to her neck.

She lowered her eyes slightly, her voice unconsciously growing so faint that a breeze might have scattered it.

"...Mm, all right."

Her answer was so soft it was like a feather brushing the tip of Lu Yang's heart.

While the two were talking quietly, footsteps sounded behind them.

Wang Siyuan had finished registering too.

He now clutched his sect token tightly, his face flushed with excitement.

He had never imagined that he would obtain a high-grade Law Artifact in this lifetime!

Even his parents, who had toiled for half their lives, used only mid-grade Law Artifacts.

Yet here, on his very first day in the outer sect, he had obtained a high-grade Law Artifact.

This was the Golden Rainbow Sword Sect.

His nose suddenly prickled. He quickly took a deep breath and forced down the excitement surging within him.

I must cultivate with all my might!

If he was lucky enough to break through to the Foundation Establishment Realm, his parents would never have to endure hardship again. They could live out their days in comfort.

With emotions surging through him, he looked up and saw Lu Yang and Lin Ying standing face-to-face.

Lin Ying's head was slightly lowered, the blush on her cheeks had yet to fade completely, and when her gaze rested on Lu Yang, there was undisguised tenderness in her eyes.

At that moment, Wang Siyuan lowered his head almost instinctively, not daring to look again.

He understood perfectly.

Someone like Senior Sister Lin was the bright moon high among the clouds, not someone a person like him could presume to dream of.

Still... if he had the chance in the future to find an outer sect junior sister who was also in the sect, and the two became dao companions and supported each other, that would be a wonderful life too.

Even if neither of them managed to reach Foundation Establishment, they could at least become outer sect stewards in the sect.

If they had children in the future, and those children had Spirit Roots, then with their support, their children's path would be much smoother than his own.

Those thoughts circled through his mind a few times, and by then he had reached Lu Yang.

"Senior Brother Lu, I'm ready."

Lu Yang nodded and asked casually, "Where's your residence? If it's on the way, we can walk together."

Wang Siyuan hurriedly lowered his head to check his token.

A moment later, he looked up and said, "Senior Brother Lu, I'm at Seven Kills Peak, western district, number twenty-two."

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow. "I'm at Profound Metal Peak. Looks like we're not going the same way."

Hearing that, Wang Siyuan felt a pang of disappointment.

He truly wanted to build a closer friendship with Senior Brother Lu.

Senior Brother Lu had an astonishing background, yet he put on no airs at all. He had treated a disciple of humble origins like Wang Siyuan with kindness and respect from beginning to end.

What a pity their residences weren't near each other...

Wang Siyuan's smile was somewhat forced as he cupped his fists sincerely. "In that case, I won't disturb you and Senior Sister Lin. Thank you, Senior Brother Lu, for bringing me along."

Lu Yang waved a hand and smiled. "If you're going to thank someone, thank Senior Sister Lin. She was the one who led the way."

Wang Siyuan hurriedly turned to Lin Ying and bowed. "Thank you, Senior Sister Lin!"

Lin Ying's gaze was gentle as she nodded lightly. "There's no need to be polite, Junior Brother Wang."

Wang Siyuan straightened and looked at Lu Yang again.

His Adam's apple bobbed, and his voice was a little hesitant. "Senior Brother Lu... could I exchange a voice transmission imprint with you? If you ever need someone to run errands or lend a hand, just give me the word. I'll never refuse."

Lu Yang was slightly taken aback. He hadn't expected Wang Siyuan to say that.

He hesitated for a moment before finally nodding. "All right."

Although he felt he and Wang Siyuan probably wouldn't have much to do with each other,

one more friend meant one more road to take.

It was only an exchange of voice transmission imprints. There was no reason to refuse.

Wang Siyuan was overjoyed and quickly exchanged voice transmission imprints with Lu Yang.

Once that was done, Wang Siyuan cupped his fists. "Senior Brother, I won't disturb you two any longer. I'll be on my way now! Farewell!"

Then he turned and left.

Lin Ying stood to the side, quietly watching Lu Yang, as though there were no one else in her eyes.

Lin Ying's gaze softened Lu Yang's heart, and his own gaze grew gentle as he looked at her.

He smiled. "Let's go, Senior Sister Lin."

"...Mm."

Lin Ying came to her senses. Noticing Lu Yang's gentle gaze, her heart traitorously began to beat faster.

The two walked side by side out of the Affairs Hall, across the square, and along the winding mountain path toward Profound Metal Peak.

On either side of the path stood dark green stone cliffs, steeped in mist year-round. Now and then, an unnamed Spirit Plant swayed in the wind, scattering flecks of light like starlight.

In the distant sky, one or two streaks of sword light occasionally swept past in silence, swift as shooting stars. They cut long, narrow slits through the roiling sea of clouds, which slowly closed again in the mist.

Walking beside Lu Yang, Lin Ying began to explain things to him.

Several companion peaks stood guard beneath each main peak.

According to their orientation, the companion peaks were divided into eastern, southern, western, and northern districts, and the outer sect disciples lived scattered across them.

The main peaks of the six peaks, meanwhile, were where the inner sect cultivators lived.

Among the inner disciples, apart from the very few peerless geniuses like Mu Yunxue who had been admitted as exceptions, all were Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators.

Only cultivators at that realm were qualified to have their own cave abodes on a main peak.

Compared to the vast number of outer sect disciples, the Foundation Establishment Realm inner disciples were the sect's true pillars.

Lin Ying's voice flowed gently like water, and she occasionally pointed a fingertip toward the silhouette of a distant mountain in the clouds and mist.

Lu Yang listened carefully, his gaze sometimes resting on those peaks and sometimes drifting involuntarily to her intent profile.

Before they knew it, the two had arrived at the foot of a small peak in Profound Metal Peak's southern district.

The Spiritual Qi on this small peak was noticeably denser than around the entry disciples' residences, and the mountain vegetation was lush and green.

Following the contours of the mountain, exquisite little buildings stood in an orderly arrangement, half-hidden among Spirit Trees.

A faint glow flowed along the formation patterns outside each building, quietly keeping out the damp and noise from outside.

This was where the outer sect disciples lived.

Compared with the crude, low houses where the entry disciples lived crowded together in rows, these detached little buildings were impressive.

With their upturned eaves, bright windows, and spotless interiors, they even carried a faint air of immortal residences.

Standing before building number sixty-four, Lu Yang couldn't help marveling to himself.

Outer sect disciples really do have a higher status than entry disciples and menial disciples.

These accommodations alone give a glimpse of that.

He withdrew his gaze and turned to Lin Ying at his side.

Lin Ying was also looking at the building. He didn't know what she was thinking, but a faint blush colored her pretty face.

Lu Yang smiled. "Senior Sister, come on, let's go inside and have a look!"

Lin Ying came to her senses and lowered her head slightly. "Mm."