Awestruck Without Understanding

"Master, you were discovered?!"

"C-could it be that all of this was fake?"

In that moment, Xiao Ling'er thought of many things.

Could it be that she had been deceived?

Her teacher, Liang Danxia, was somewhat calmer. In a low voice, she said, "Not necessarily."

"These sect rules were likely not established after you joined the sect, but before that. So they may not necessarily have been aimed at you and me."

"Besides, if everything had been mere false affection, then the sect's investment in you—the Earth Core Demonic Fire, or the five elders tirelessly gathering all sorts of spirit herbs and materials for you—was all undeniably real."

"So you needn't get yourself tangled up in a dead end."

Though she was equally shocked, Liang Danxia had seen more of the world and experienced far more than Xiao Ling'er. She was thus able to calm down more quickly, peel back the layers, and reassure her disciple.

"That's true."

Only then did Xiao Ling'er's expression improve considerably. "No matter what, even if there was some purpose behind it, Master and the sect's kindness toward me was real. That cannot be faked."

"But why was there such a rule in the sect rules? No, why were there so many strange and bizarre sect rules?"

She could not puzzle it out no matter how she thought.

Liang Danxia was the same.

After all, it was truly absurd. What sect wrote its rules like this?

"I don't know either."

Liang Danxia did not understand, but that did not stop her from piecing together a theory. "Still, one may glimpse the leopard through a bamboo tube and analyze it a little."

"I believe these sect rules must have been written before you joined the sect, or at the very least, before this year's Grand Opening of Mountain Gate recruitment. Because only this year did they disregard talent and look only at fate."

"Furthermore, they likely were not aimed at you and me, nor did they necessarily know of my existence. There were dozens upon dozens of new recruitment rules, and every one corresponded to a particular group. Though they seemed unrelated, in truth, each had its own 'special quality.'"

"I suppose..."

At this point, she paused briefly before slowly saying, "The person who established these sect rules must have had their own ideas, and firmly believed that those who met these conditions were all extraordinary?"

Even Liang Danxia herself found that absurd as she said it.

How could people who met these conditions be extraordinary?

But on second thought, she was bewildered again.

"And though these conditions appear as unrelated as wind, horse, ox, and cow, utterly chaotic, in truth, in truth..."

"In truth what, Teacher?" Xiao Ling'er blinked.

"In truth, they seem to have a certain logic to them."

Liang Danxia slowly spoke those few words.

Had she been a modern person, she would surely have found a perfect phrase to describe it—awestruck without understanding.

Unfortunately, she was not.

"After all, they should have relied on these sect rules to pick you out from among more than ten thousand people. And they have cultivated you so tirelessly, practically pouring everything into you."

"This proves that these muddled, strange, and bizarre sect rules must be quite extraordinary!"

Xiao Ling'er froze.

It seemed... that really was the case.

"Moreover, Master's and Fifth Elder's attitudes show that they place great importance on these sect rules—or rather, that they trust them without condition?!"

"Exactly!"

Liang Danxia seemed to be gradually figuring it out. She continued, "In my view, these should be the sect rules established by your Master."

"How can you tell?"

"You should have noticed as well—your Master is not simple! His cultivation speed is almost even faster than yours. You must know, I have given you tireless personal guidance, along with the cultivation technique I gave you, the support of an unusual flame, and you have even refined many pills yourself."

"Yet your Master has remained steadily ahead of you! You have never been able to close the gap."

"Secondly, your Master had only recently taken the position of sect master. Before that, the Moon Embracing Sect certainly did not have rules like these! Otherwise, if they valued these rules so highly, why would they not have used them before this year's Grand Opening of Mountain Gate?"

"All signs point toward your Master."

"He... has a secret."

"And it should be a secret greater than yours or mine!"

Xiao Ling'er fell silent after hearing this.

Liang Danxia said nothing further.

A moment later, Xiao Ling'er broke into a smile. "I was merely troubling myself over nothing, Teacher."

"Everyone has their own secrets. It is normal for Master to have secrets too, isn't it? Just as Master should know that I have secrets, yet he has never questioned me. Instead, he has used the strength of the entire sect to cultivate me without reserve."

"So why should I care so much?"

"As long as the sect and Master treat me sincerely, I will repay them a gushing spring for every drop of kindness."

"Besides, this has pointed out a direction for me. If I encounter people who meet these conditions while traveling outside in the future, I can bring them back to the sect."

"Good, very good!" Liang Danxia laughed heartily. "That is exactly how it should be."

Who did not have secrets?

She had secrets as well!

She too had things she had kept from this girl. But did having secrets mean that her kindness toward her was not genuine?

"Still, Teacher, let us put aside those earlier sect rules that we cannot understand yet somehow feel are impressive. As for this latter part, the sect's iron laws... aren't they a bit too cowardly and too ruthless?"

Xiao Ling'er began paying attention to the latter half of the sect rules.

She had thought her teacher would agree with her, but the reply she received was completely opposite to what she expected. "No!"

"We can only make guesses about the first part, but the latter part is nothing less than timeless wisdom!"

"Ah?!"

"You are still young and have experienced far too little. You will understand in the future."

"For now, if you follow the sect rules, you will make no mistakes."

Xiao Ling'er: "Σ(⊙▽⊙"a... Uh."

Several days later, outside Hongwu Immortal City.

Duan Qingyao slowly descended with Xiao Ling'er.

"Ling'er, this is Hongwu Immortal City."

She smiled as she explained, "Magnificent, isn't it?"

"Magnificent!"

Xiao Ling'er marveled.

"Of course." Duan Qingyao sighed with feeling. "Hongwu Immortal City has a permanent population of over a hundred million. If temporary visitors and residents are included, it would be approaching two hundred million."

"Experts gathered like clouds!"

"Especially the current city lord, known as the Hongwu Earth Immortal. He is a genuine Roving Immortal Realm expert."

"A Roving Immortal?" Xiao Ling'er did not understand.

"A so-called Roving Immortal is a cultivator who, after reaching the Immortal Ascension Realm, fails their ascension but does not perish. Instead, they undergo corpse liberation and embark upon the path of a Roving Immortal. They are also called Earth Immortals."

"An ordinary Roving Immortal is stronger than the Void Breaking Realm but weaker than the Immortal Ascension Realm, standing between the two. Yet Roving Immortals can undergo tribulations. With every tribulation they pass, their cultivation and Combat Power surge dramatically. And if they can survive Twelve Tribulations, they will directly skip past the realm of 'Immortal,' ascend, and become a 'True Immortal'!"

"Thus, there is also the saying: Twelve Loose Immortal Tribulations, one tribulation, one ascent to heaven."

"So that was it!"

Xiao Ling'er suddenly understood, but Liang Danxia sighed in her mind, "Elder Duan is correct, but the Twelve Loose Immortal Tribulations are far, far too difficult. Throughout the long history of the Immortal Martial Continent, there have been very few who succeeded."

"Forget Twelve Tribulations—even those who can pass seven are heaven-blessed geniuses."

"A Seven Tribulation Roving Immortal would have no difficulty slaying an Immortal Ascension Realm cultivator."

"And Roving Immortal Tribulations come once every five hundred years. They cannot be avoided."

"So unless there is absolutely no other choice, you must never entertain the thought of undergoing corpse liberation to cultivate as a Roving Immortal!"

"Yes, Teacher."