Sect Secrets

"Heave-ho, heave-ho."

Xu Mingxi panted as he jogged up to the mountaintop. After drinking some sweet water, a casual Healing Soul Skill from the Fourth Elder restored him to full health.

This was the morning lesson every member of the Star Crown Sect had to complete after awakening their Martial Soul and before turning twelve.

Whether one was a Battle Soul Master or a Support Soul Master, a good body was indispensable.

After that, the dozen or so teenagers and little brats on the Training Field began cultivating under the guidance of their respective masters.

Because the Star Crown Sect had so few members, basically every disciple under twelve who had awakened their Martial Soul would be assigned a master in the same direction.

What Xu Mingxi found strange was that today, Brother Mingguang had actually been led away by the Second Elder.

"Mingxi, come over here."

Xu Mingxi heard the sect master calling him, and only then did he realize that he and the sect master were the only two people left on the Training Field.

The sect master brought Xu Mingxi to a Secret Chamber. The stone door fell shut, and the chamber was pitch-black.

Mingxi's heart gave a thump. This scene felt so familiar.

No way, no way. The sect master wasn't that kind of person.

Just as countless thoughts were spinning through Xu Mingxi's mind, beams of starlight suddenly shone down from the dome of the Secret Chamber.

He looked up and saw turtle shells embedded across the dome, and the starlight was being projected down from those shells.

"Those are Star Energy Turtle shells. Normally, they absorb starlight from the outside on their own and store star energy. Once soul power is injected into them, they project starlight."

The sect master explained this to Mingxi, then waved and beckoned him to sit in front of one wall.

As Xu Mingxi sat down, the sect master stretched out a hand and tapped a corner of the wall. Starlight spread out, and the wall actually sank slowly downward.

Mingxi focused his eyes and saw that behind the wall, there was actually a Soul Power Guidance Chart.

"Mingxi, this guidance chart was perfected generation after generation by the elders of our Star Crown Sect. It is a Soul Power Guidance Chart exclusive to the Star Crown Martial Soul.

If you circulate your soul power according to the route on it, not only will your cultivation speed increase by a little, your soul power recovery speed will also become faster.

I already brought your brother Mingguang here over the past few nights. For this period of time, you should first comprehend it properly here. You must make your body remember this route."

The sect master rattled on for a long while. Unfortunately, at that moment, Xu Mingxi couldn't hear a word the sect master was saying.

Ever since his first glance at the guidance chart, the soul power inside his body had begun circulating automatically.

Under the sect master's horrified gaze, Xu Mingxi's Star Crown appeared above his head on its own.

His sole yellow soul ring lit up directly, and the starlight projected by the Star Energy Turtle Shells continuously gathered onto Xu Mingxi's body, as if draping him in a mysterious veil of stars.

"So this is the Near Star Physique described in the Star Ancestor's Notes? Truly terrifying."

Near Star Physique was nothing more than a name Star Douluo had come up with himself. In truth, it simply meant being more easily able to absorb starlight from the outside world.

For someone who possessed the Star Crown Martial Soul, this was simply adding wings to a tiger.

Just as the star energy in the Star Energy Turtle Shells was about to run out, and the sect master was wondering whether he should smash through the dome to draw in starlight from outside, Xu Mingxi finally woke up.

Seeing the sect master in front of him in an attacking stance, Xu Mingxi instinctively took a step back and crossed his hands over his chest.

The sect master looked at Xu Mingxi with a strange expression. After learning that his body had already memorized the guidance chart, he waved for him to leave.

As for himself, he sat alone in the Secret Chamber and began contemplating life. Was the gap between having a Star Calling Soul Skill and not having one really this big?

Xu Mingxi was still dazed when the sect master chased him out of the Secret Chamber, and he muddleheadedly walked back home.

"Mingxi? Why are you back so soon? Didn't the sect master say you'd be gone for several days?"

"Mom, I don't know either. It seemed like I just went to learn something, and then the sect master told me to come back."

Xu Fangming, who was sitting nearby, did know what Xu Mingxi had gone to do. He had gone through that step as well. He remembered that back then, it had taken him about a week.

Forget it. He's my son. No matter how strong he is, he still has to call me Dad.

"Mingxi, since you came back early, I'll take you to cultivate."

Members of the Star Crown Sect generally either worked or slept in the morning, and only cultivated at night.

Beneath the night's starlight, with the support of the guidance chart, cultivation could achieve twice the result with half the effort.

Xu Mingxi followed behind his father to a small hillside.

This was one of the better stargazing spots on Starfall Mountain. Gathering Star Grass had been planted all over the ground, a type of grass that could absorb small amounts of starlight.

This place could be considered a Mimetic Cultivation Field that the Star Crown Sect had built for its members.

There were already several Soul Masters cultivating there. Xu's father did not disturb them and brought Xu Mingxi to a corner.

"Mingxi, cultivate right here. Don't wander off. Dad will be right beside you."

Xu Mingxi nodded in agreement, sat down cross-legged, and his first soul ring lit up. Endless starlight fell from the heavens, forming a dazzling Star Road.

Xu's father, who had not yet walked far, instantly turned back. Good grief, did he make this much noise when cultivating?

The Soul Masters nearby, who had been immersed in cultivation, sensed that their own cultivation speed had actually increased. They were so shocked that they woke directly from their cultivation.

Seeing Xu Mingxi's terrifying cultivation state, they directly sent a representative to find the sect master.

Very soon, a second meeting was held in the Sect Master Hall, with Xu Mingxi, who stood in the middle, as the main character.

The First Elder looked at this grandson of his. He was proud—truly proud—but he also genuinely found him troublesome.

In the past, Elder meetings had only been held once every several months. Now? They had held three in less than half a month.

"Mingxi, aside from drawing down starlight to increase cultivation speed, does your First Soul Skill have any other effects?"

"Uh, I don't think so."

Xu Mingxi did have a few guesses in his heart. As a fan who had read the original work and its fanworks thoroughly, he clearly remembered one important value from the book: affinity.

This Star Calling Soul Skill seemed to have increased his affinity with starlight?

However, Xu Mingxi did not tell the sect master and the others about that. In any case, its outward manifestation was an increase in cultivation speed, so it did not really count as deceiving them.

Over on the other side, the sect master let out a breath of relief. For a hundred-year soul ring, being able to increase cultivation speed was already quite good. If it had any other effects as well, that would be far too terrifying.

As for the fact that everyone else's cultivation speed had also improved somewhat, the sect master suspected it was because Xu Mingxi's use of the Star Calling Soul Skill to draw down starlight had increased the Starlight Concentration in the training grounds.

This was also a good thing for the sect, but Mingxi's importance would have to be raised another level again.

"First Elder, what do you think about us taking Mingxi and Mingguang to that place?"

That sudden remark shocked the First Elder, and it also frightened the other elders. Only the Sixth Elder, Fang Chun, looked completely baffled.

The Fourth Elder glanced at this husband of hers, her eyes signaling that she would explain it to him after they went back.

The elders seriously considered the sect master's words, and in the end, they still nodded, expressing their agreement.

Everyone dispersed, and the bewildered Fang Chun was dragged home by the Fourth Elder.

The equally bewildered Xu Mingxi was pulled by the sect master with one hand and his grandfather with the other as they headed toward the back of the Sect Master Hall. Traveling with them was Xu Mingguang, brought along by the Second Elder.

Behind the Sect Master Hall was the Back Mountain of Starfall Mountain, and it was also where the forbidden grounds of the Star Crown Sect were located. On ordinary days, sect members were forbidden from entering.

"Grandpa, where are you taking Brother Mingxi and me?"

"You'll know in a bit. This is an absolute secret of our Star Crown Sect."

Xu Mingxi silently followed behind, carefully observing the surroundings.

As the group advanced, the vegetation ahead seemed to grow more and more lush.

Before long, the sect master stopped in front of a large tree. Xu Mingguang also saw his father, Xu Fangxing, whom he had not seen for a long time: a Level 69 control-system Battle Soul Emperor.

Xu Mingguang had just been about to go up and greet his father, but his grandfather held him back tightly. His father in the distance also signaled for him to stay where he was and not come over.

"Two seniors, please show yourselves."

"Star Boy, it's been many years. I didn't expect you to have become sect master already, and your strength has surpassed us two old fellows as well."

Under the shocked, doubtful gazes of Xu Mingxi and his brother, a winding vine dropped down from the great tree before them—and it actually spoke.

"Vine Elder, you jest. I grew up under your watch. It's just that two more outstanding juniors have appeared in the sect, so I specially brought them here for you to take a look."

The sect master signaled for the two brothers, Xu Mingguang and Xu Mingxi, to step forward. Although Mingguang was a little afraid, he still bravely walked in front, shielding Xu Mingxi behind him.

Mingxi himself did not mind. The soul beast before them probably had no intention of harming them.

But just as Xu Mingxi stepped forward, the vine on the tree moved. It darted right in front of Mingxi, swaying left and right as it sized him up.

"Old Tree, Old Tree, wake up quickly! Look what I found."

Leaves continuously fell from the great tree in the distance, and a human face gradually formed on its trunk.

The human face looked directly in Mingxi's direction, its eyes fixed on him as if it wanted to see right through him.

Yet it also seemed to have finally discovered something, and the human face on the trunk softened, like a kindly old grandfather.

"Star Boy, long time no see."

"Tree Elder, long time no see."

"These two are juniors of your Star Crown Sect, right? In the future, let them cultivate here."

"Then many thanks to you two elders. I'll have them move over and settle in tomorrow."

As the sect master's words fell, the vine withdrew back onto the great tree, and the human face on the trunk had already disappeared.

Xu Mingxi was completely bewildered. He had just been frightened by the vine suddenly darting in front of his eyes, and before he had even recovered, his grandfather picked him up and carried him down the mountain.