Senior Brothers of the Eastern Geng District

After Wang Long left, Li Xiuchang didn't immediately start studying the "Beginner's Guide."

Instead, he familiarized himself with his new living quarters, inside and out.

The environment was good, the space was spacious, and even the furniture was all there. Although no one had lived there for a long time, the room was spotless.

The second floor was mainly the bedroom and storage room.

The first floor had a small cultivation room that could only fit one person, and a very spacious quiet room.

There was also a small bedroom on each side, presumably for future apprentices to assist him.

After walking around the house, Li Xiuchang entered the quiet room on the first floor, sat down at the table, and opened the "Beginner's Guide."

On the title page, two lines of text were direct and clear:

"For new disciples, the primary task is not cultivation, but learning.

"Understanding the cultivation world and understanding our Immortal Dust Sect is your first test!"

Li Xiuchang was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised, and continued to flip through the pages...

A moment later, he shook his head helplessly. He hadn't expected that even after transmigrating and cultivating, he couldn't escape the rote memorization and exams.

This "Beginner's Guide" roughly introduced the power distribution in the Immortal Shade Realm and explained some basic cultivation knowledge.

However, the main part was dedicated to introducing the Immortal Dust Sect, the Inner Sect and Outer Sect, and listing all the sect rules of the Immortal Dust Sect.

The first task for new disciples upon entering the sect was to memorize the sect rules and then go to the Reception Area to take the sect rules exam.

Only after passing the exam could they obtain cultivation techniques and begin cultivating.

Li Xiuchang didn't take it too seriously. In his opinion, sect rules were nothing more than prohibitions against damaging public property, fighting, and so on.

But when he carefully read the first sect rule, his brow immediately tightened.

"Rule 1: It is forbidden to sell Immortal Brew, Aphrodisiac Pills, Mass Destruction Formations, Talismans, or offensive Magic Treasures to disciples under eighteen years of age..."

Li Li Xiuchang continued to read, his brow furrowing even tighter.

"Rule 2: When flying Flying Swords or Flying Boats within the sect, the speed shall not exceed five hundred li per hour. Exceeding the speed limit by twenty percent will result in a penalty of one Spirit Stone, and by fifty percent..."

"Rule 3: Immortal Brew Masters are forbidden to smoke! Fire is strictly prohibited in the Immortal Brew storage room, Medicine Garden, Library Pavilion, and Spirit Beast Breeding Area. Violators will be heavily punished!"

"Rule 4: After completing Alchemy or Artifact Refining, extinguish the flames in a timely manner..."

"Rule 5..."

A total of over ninety sect rules!

After reading them, Li Xiuchang couldn't help but wipe the cold sweat from his forehead.

It was said that behind each rule was a bloody lesson, so what had the Immortal Dust Sect gone through?

To have been passed down to this day and become one of the few major sects in the Immortal Shade Realm was a testament to its resilience.

These sect rules were more complicated and harder to memorize than Li Xiuchang had imagined.

But driven by his desire for cultivation techniques, Li Xiuchang summoned the same determination he had for his college entrance exams in his previous life and memorized them all in less than a day.

While his memory was still fresh, he hurried out, preparing to go to the Outer Sect Reception Area to take the exam.

After only a few steps, he saw someone standing in front of a house in the Eastern Geng District.

"I've run into a neighbor..."

Li Xiuchang prepared to greet them. As he walked closer and saw the person's appearance, he was stunned.

It was an old man with snow-white hair and a face full of wrinkles. However, perhaps because he was a cultivator, his back was very straight and not hunched, his eyes were not cloudy, and his gaze was clear and piercing.

"Senior..." Li Xiuchang subconsciously started to say "senior," but then realized that although this person was old, he should also be one of the four Outer Sect disciples living in the Eastern Geng District.

As fellow Outer Sect disciples, according to the rules of the Immortal Dust Sect, they were of the same generation, so calling him "senior" would be inappropriate.

He changed his address: "I am Li Xiuchang. May I ask your name, Senior Brother?"

The old man glanced at Li Xiuchang, gave a kind smile, nodded slightly, but said nothing.

Li Xiuchang was a bit confused for a moment.

He smiled at me but ignored me, what did that mean?

As expected, Senior Brother Wang Long wasn't lying; the senior brothers in the Eastern Geng District were all a bit strange.

Li Xiuchang didn't want to embarrass himself further and took his leave.

When he reached the entrance of the Eastern Geng District, Li Xiuchang remembered something. It wasn't close to the Outer Sect Reception Area. He couldn't fly and had no means of transportation. Walking alone would take nearly two hours!

He wasn't afraid of getting tired, but he was afraid that by the time he reached the Reception Area, he would have forgotten three or four tenths of the rules he had just memorized.

"There's no other way. At worst, I'll review them again at the entrance of the Reception Area."

Just then, a Flying Boat suddenly slowed down overhead and descended slowly. A man with a pockmarked face on the Flying Boat enthusiastically called out, "You look new, fellow Daoist. You must be a newly admitted junior brother, right? Are you heading to the Reception Area?"

"That's right," Li Xiuchang nodded.

"How about I give you a ride? One Spirit Stone for the trouble, what do you say?"

Li Xiuchang was taken aback, he hadn't expected the Immortal Dust Sect to have "rent-a-boat drivers."

"This... thank you for your kindness, Senior Brother, but unfortunately, I'm completely broke. I haven't even seen what Spirit Stones look like," Li Xiuchang politely declined.

He was new to the Immortal Sect and had no concept of the purchasing power of Spirit Stones. Furthermore, he didn't want to waste Spirit Stones just to save himself some walking.

"It's fine, Junior Brother can owe me. Once you pass the sect rules exam, you'll receive a sum of Spirit Stones, and you can pay me back then," the pockmarked Senior Brother persisted.

"You've got some nerve, daring to scam someone from my Eastern Geng District?" a voice suddenly came from behind Li Xiuchang.

He turned around and saw a man in white walking out of the Eastern Geng District.

Li Xiuchang scoured his memories from two lifetimes and confirmed that this man in white was likely the most handsome man he had ever seen.

He usually didn't admit others were more handsome than himself, unless there was absolutely no room for argument.

"Senior Brother Zhang," the pockmarked disciple said with a wry smile upon seeing the man in white, his tone respectful. "If you say I'm scamming people, you're going too far. I'm just earning a hard-earned living by offering rides for one Spirit Stone."

Seeing that the man in white, Senior Brother Zhang, didn't reply and was just looking at him, the pockmarked disciple reluctantly said, "At worst, I won't charge for this trip. Consider it looking out for a newly joined Junior Brother..."

Senior Brother Zhang finally waved his hand. "No need. Why would someone from my Eastern Geng District need outside help? I'll take him myself."

Upon hearing this, the pockmarked disciple acted as if he'd been granted a great pardon and quickly took his leave.

Li Xiuchang quickly cupped his hands towards Senior Brother Zhang to thank him. "Thank you, Senior Brother Zhang. I wouldn't dare trouble you to escort me; I can walk to the Reception Area myself."

Senior Brother Zhang faced Li Xiuchang with a somewhat pleasant smile. "I happen to be going out for some business, so it's on my way to give you a ride. It's no trouble."

Since Senior Brother Zhang had said so, Li Xiuchang didn't refuse any further and stepped onto Senior Brother Zhang's Flying Boat.

"It's been many years since a new disciple moved into my Eastern Geng District. Why did you choose this place, Junior Brother..."

The Flying Boat wasn't flying fast. On the way, Senior Brother Zhang initiated a conversation with Li Xiuchang.

They chatted back and forth, and through their conversation, they came to understand each other a little.

Senior Brother Zhang's name was Zhang Wanzhi, and he had been in the sect for over eighty years!

He felt like Senior Brother Song Yu, a "reliable senior" type of senior brother.

Although the rules of the Immortal Dust Sect required Li Xiuchang to address them as fellow disciples, in reality, they were senior figures compared to a cultivation newcomer like Li Xiuchang.

* "The Senior Brothers of the Eastern Geng District are said to have eccentric temperaments, but that's not entirely true. Senior Brother Zhang Wanzhi seems very easy to get along with," Li Xiuchang thought to himself.

Speaking of eccentric temperaments, Li Xiuchang suddenly remembered the elder Senior Brother with white hair he had encountered when he first left.

He then tactfully inquired about that elder Senior Brother with Zhang Wanzhi.

After all, they were neighbors, and it was always good to know more.

Li Xiuchang still couldn't figure out why that elder Senior Brother had a kindly smile on his face yet ignored him.

"Are you talking about Junior Brother Gui?" Zhang Wanzhi knew who he was referring to as soon as Li Xiuchang described him.

"Junior Brother?" Li Xiuchang suspected Zhang Wanzhi might have made a mistake.

Although cultivators couldn't judge age by appearance, that elder Senior Brother didn't look any younger than Zhang Wanzhi.

Zhang Wanzhi seemed to guess Li Xiuchang's confusion and explained, "That's right. Although Junior Brother Gui looks old, his actual age is indeed the youngest in our Eastern Geng District. He also joined the sect the latest, of course, that's before you arrived."

Zhang Wanzhi counted on his fingers and added, "It's been less than forty years since Junior Brother Gui joined the sect."

"Forty years?! Even if Junior Brother Gui joined at eighteen, he'd only be in his fifties now. How could he be..." Li Xiuchang couldn't understand.

"This is a long story," Zhang Wanzhi paused, a strange expression appearing on his face. "Do you know about Divination Arts?"