Nine Heavens Azure Thunder Sword Formation

Personal Disciple!

Hearing True Person Greedy Sleep's words, Fang Wang secretly let out a sigh of relief. He had seemed to end the battle forcefully, but after that chaotic melee, eighty percent of the spiritual energy in his body had been depleted. He was merely putting on an air of calm detachment.

The cultivators who had yet to lose consciousness looked at Fang Wang with mixed expressions, their hearts filled with a complicated brew of emotions. They could not believe that someone could truly fight fifty-one people alone. Their realms had not been far apart, and all of them came from immortal cultivation aristocratic clans.

"Fang Wang? Why have I never heard of him before?"

"The Fang Family is incredible. I just wonder which Fang Family it is."

"He's too strong. He became a Personal Disciple the moment he entered the sect. At any rate, I'm convinced—I couldn't even block a single move from him."

"His flames were enough to burn us to death. He deliberately held back."

Almost everyone had lost wholeheartedly convinced. Only after fighting Fang Wang did they understand the terror of Xuan Yang Spiritual Energy.

They even felt as though they had not been fighting a Qi Nurturing Realm cultivator, but an expert of the Spirit Sculpting Realm!

As Gu Li watched Fang Wang's upright figure, she felt ordinary for the first time. No wonder her father had sent her to Taiyuan Sect. Had she not come and remained within her Lineage, she truly would have thought herself an unparalleled genius beneath the heavens.

Just then, a figure descended from the sky, like an Immortal coming down to the mortal world. He wore Taiyuan Sect's Daoist robes and bore himself with elegant grace. Though his temples were white, they only made his otherworldly temperament more apparent. His face looked barely over thirty.

True Person Greedy Sleep turned his head and smiled. "Junior Brother, it's him. Take him up."

Then he looked at Fang Wang and introduced him, "This is Inheritance Elder Zhao Chuangan. Follow him to receive a Personal Disciple's rewards."

Fang Wang hurriedly bowed to Zhao Chuangan. Zhao Chuangan's expression remained indifferent as he merely nodded slightly. Suddenly, he swept his sleeve, and a gust of fresh wind rushed toward Fang Wang, directly rolling him away. The two turned into a streak of rainbow light and vanished amid the mountains.

The sight made all the newly entered cultivators reveal envious expressions. Zhou Xue's lips curled upward as she watched, and her mood was excellent as well.

"From now on, he will surely become a figure who stirs the winds and clouds in Taiyuan Sect, and even Great Qi's immortal cultivation world. A hundred years from now—no, at most fifty years from now—you will take pride in having belonged to the same generation as him."

True Person Greedy Sleep stroked his beard and smiled, his tone full of sighs over the passing ages.

"Alright, next we'll decide on the five Sword-Holding Disciples."

True Person Greedy Sleep abruptly changed the subject, looking at the cultivators as he spoke sternly.

Fang Wang stood behind Zhao Chuangan atop a Flying Sword. The sword beneath his feet was a full three zhang long, wisps of silver light flowing along its blade in dazzling brilliance.

Looking down over Taiyuan Sect from above, he saw an enormous city among the peaks. Taiyuan Sect disciples came and went, while all manner of flying magic artifacts and mounts left him dazzled.

Zhao Chuangan was a man of few words, making Fang Wang reluctant to strike up a conversation. He could only admire the scenery along the way.

Taiyuan Sect was vast, so vast that Nanqiu City could not possibly compare. Zhao Chuangan was heading toward the tallest peak, and only when they drew close could Fang Wang truly feel the grandeur of that towering mountain.

Soon, the two rode their swords up the mountain and landed before a palace.

Fang Wang raised his eyes. This grand and majestic palace was called Shiyuan Hall, with two savage-looking exotic beast statues standing before its gates.

Behind him stretched a long staircase of white jade, hundreds of steps in all. At its end lay a broad platform two or three li wide, where three disciples were sweeping.

"Follow me."

Zhao Chuangan spoke before stepping into Shiyuan Hall, with Fang Wang following close behind.

After entering Shiyuan Hall, Fang Wang surveyed its surroundings. Spacious and bright—those were his first impressions. There were no weapons displayed here, nor any gaudy decorations.

Fang Wang's gaze was drawn to a figure standing with his back to them directly ahead. It was an old man in white robes, his pale hair coiled beneath a jade crown. He was not particularly tall, yet his back gave off a steady presence that put one at ease. With his hands clasped behind his waist, he seemed capable of facing every calamity in the world.

"Senior Brother Sect Master, he has arrived."

Zhao Chuangan stopped and spoke. At the words "Sect Master," Fang Wang could not help growing nervous.

The Sect Master turned around and casually adjusted his sleeve. His face was not as old as his back had made him appear. Though he was no longer young, he possessed the look of white hair and a youthful face.

Seeing the other man's gaze, Fang Wang hastily bent at the waist and cupped his fist in salute.

Zhou Xue had previously said that Taiyuan Sect's Sect Master, Guang Qiuxian, possessed profound cultivation. Among the Nine Great Sects, in terms of individual strength, he could rank in the top five. And among those five, it was difficult to say who was stronger.

"I have watched all of your performance. Not bad. I think highly of you. Becoming a Personal Disciple grants you a top-grade magic artifact directly, but before that, you must choose which vein you will join."

Guang Qiuxian looked at Fang Wang with a smile. His smile was kindly, without the slightest sense of pressure.

"I wish to join the Third Vein," Fang Wang answered.

Zhou Xue had assigned this beforehand on the way here. Every Fang Manor disciple had to join a different vein.

Upon hearing this, Zhao Chuangan could not help casting Fang Wang a strange glance.

Guang Qiuxian stroked his beard and laughed. He said warmly, "Fang Wang, it seems you know something about Taiyuan Sect. But I must still make this clear to you. The Third Vein's inheritance is indeed the most profound among the Nine Peaks, but its current circumstances are special. In terms of overall strength, it ranks eighth. A vein's ranking affects its resources. You may wish to consider carefully."

The moment Fang Wang heard that its inheritance was the most profound, he immediately nodded. "I choose the Third Vein."

Zhao Chuangan shook his head slightly, but said nothing.

Guang Qiuxian nodded in agreement, then raised his right hand. Three flashes of light flew from his sleeve and hovered within the hall: a cyan longsword, a jade flute, and a folding fan.

"These three are all top-grade magic artifacts, with little difference between them. Choose whichever catches your eye."

Guang Qiuxian gave a simple introduction, then waited for Fang Wang to choose.

Fang Wang did not hesitate and directly chose the sword. Swordsmanship was what he excelled at most. Once he learned other supreme arts in the future, he could develop other magic artifacts as well.

If an immortal cultivator wanted to gain a foothold, he could not rely on a single magic artifact alone.

Guang Qiuxian pointed a finger, and the cyan longsword landed in Fang Wang's hands. The entire sword was cyan, as though forged from green jade. Its blade was not sharp. Holding it in both hands, Fang Wang felt a coolness that calmed even his heart.

He noticed two characters carved upon the hilt.

Azure Lord!

"Before Spirit Molding, do not use this magic artifact lightly. It is easy to suffer backlash," Guang Qiuxian reminded him.

Zhao Chuangan turned around. "Let's go. I'll take you to collect a Personal Disciple's rewards."

Fang Wang hurriedly put away the sword, first saluting Guang Qiuxian before following Zhao Chuangan's steps.

As he watched Fang Wang's departing back, Guang Qiuxian's smile never faded. Once the two had left Shiyuan Hall, he muttered to himself, "Another genius has emerged. It seems Taiyuan Sect is about to rise. What a pity—he entered the sect too late and will not catch the coming blessed opportunity."

After leaving Shiyuan Hall, Fang Wang followed Zhao Chuangan to the Affairs Hall on the main peak, where he received a Personal Disciple's jade pendant. They then went to the Magic Artifact Hall, where he received a Storage Bag, a Flying Sword, one hundred sheets of Talisman Paper, and ten spirit stones. That was not all; they also went to the pill hall, where he received ten bottles of Spirit Qi Pills.

Zhao Chuangan also introduced the Third Vein's situation. The Third Vein had more than two thousand disciples in total, including Outer Disciples. At present, the Third Vein had four Personal Disciples. With Fang Wang included, that made five.

Above Personal Disciples were Single-Lineage Head Disciples, and above them were Taiyuan Sect Head Disciples.

A Single-Lineage Head Disciple was qualified to inherit the position of a lineage's peak master, while a Taiyuan Sect Head Disciple would become the next Sect Master!

Fang Wang was not interested in the rise of status and position. He asked what the Third Vein's most profound inheritance was.

Zhao Chuangan gave him a deep look and answered, "The Nine Heavens Azure Thunder Sword Formation. This sword formation can be considered Taiyuan Sect's strongest formation. It can be cast by a single person and is also its strongest spell. It possesses supreme might capable of pacifying the world, but no one can cultivate the Nine Heavens Azure Thunder Sword Formation to completion now."

Fang Wang silently committed it to memory.

Afterward, Zhao Chuangan took him flying to the Third Vein's mountain. The mountainside was covered with disciples sitting in meditation and cultivation, while many stone gates dotted the mountain, their interiors unknown.

Under Zhao Chuangan's guidance, Fang Wang landed in an open area where several hundred disciples were practicing some kind of sword art.

At the front of the clearing, a row of imposing disciples was inspecting those who practiced. When they saw Zhao Chuangan, they immediately turned around and saluted him in unison.

"Li Yu, this is your junior brother, Fang Wang. He entered the sect today and has already gained the Sect Master's approval. Take him to settle into a cave abode."

Zhao Chuangan spoke to the leading man, then rode his sword away, leaving Fang Wang behind.

Li Yu, the Third Vein's Senior Disciple, appeared young, but was actually more than two hundred years old.

Hearing Zhao Chuangan's words, Li Yu's eyes brightened. The other disciples behind him were equally excited and hurriedly gathered around.

"A Personal Disciple! It seems you're the strongest among this batch of new disciples!"

"Good lad, you have good taste. Choosing the Third Vein is something you definitely won't regret."

"Hahaha, a remarkable genius has finally joined the Third Vein."

"Senior Brother Fang Wang, if you need anything in the future, come find me anytime. I'm a Branch Disciple. My name is Zhou Bo."

Within Taiyuan Sect, the disciple with the higher rank was the senior brother. Only those of the same rank considered seniority.

Fang Wang did not put on airs either, exchanging pleasantries with them one by one. After some time, Li Yu took Fang Wang away to choose a cave abode.

Along the way, Li Yu was extremely enthusiastic, introducing the Third Vein to Fang Wang.

The Third Vein's peak master was named Yang Yuanzi. Aside from managing the vein's affairs, the peak master would also accept Personal Disciples as apprentices. Li Yu praised Yang Yuanzi to the skies, as though Yang Yuanzi were the strongest peak master.

It took a full half hour before Fang Wang selected his cave abode. So the stone gates on the mountain were cave abodes. There were ranks even among cave abodes, and as a Personal Disciple, he enjoyed one of the finest.

After Li Yu bade farewell and left, Fang Wang entered the cave abode. From then on, he would use his identity token to enter and exit it. For an ownerless cave abode, one only needed to press the Disciple Token against the gate to claim ownership. Of course, this ownership was not unbreakable—the peak master could forcibly reclaim a cave abode.

Everything before Fang Wang made his eyes light up. From outside, he had thought the cave abode would be tiny. Who would have expected another world within, as large as half a football field? At the deepest part was even a small lake. Dense spiritual energy surged throughout the cave abode, and merely taking a breath left him clear-headed and refreshed.

The cave abode contained stone tables and stools, as well as a large white jade bed. After taking a simple look around, he sat cross-legged on the white jade bed and began absorbing qi to cultivate.

He had consumed too much spiritual energy today. He had to replenish it.

According to Li Yu, Yang Yuanzi would not emerge from seclusion to meet him until five days later. Personal Disciples were very free within Taiyuan Sect. They normally had no duties, and even if they did nothing, they would still receive Taiyuan Sect's cultivation resources on schedule.

As he absorbed qi and cultivated, Fang Wang's thoughts churned.

I have to get the Nine Heavens Azure Thunder Sword Formation!