Heavenly Outer Peak

Fang Xiao was greatly shaken after hearing this. He had never expected the sect to possess such an immense history.

Afterward, he and Chen Yang entered a side hall beside the Patriarch Hall. Ten thousand lamps illuminated the entire hall.

"Junior Brother Fang, the Soul Lamps of all our Tianlan Sect's Inner Disciples are kept in this side hall. We often travel outside. Should we unfortunately meet calamity and perish, the sect will know."

"The sect actually has so many disciples above Foundation Establishment."

"Hehe, these are merely the Soul Lamps of ordinary disciples like us. If you can advance to become a True Disciple, your Soul Lamp will naturally be moved to the True Inheritance Hall."

After explaining, Chen Yang guided Fang Xiao in using his soul to light a Soul Lamp. During the process, a trace of his soul would remain within the lamp.

It was said that the finest Soul Lamps could nurture the soul within them. Reclaiming it during a breakthrough could aid that breakthrough, while the one they used was naturally the most ordinary type of Soul Lamp.

"Now then, Junior Brother, come with me to the Hall of Stars. There, they will register you and arrange a Cave Dwelling suitable for cultivation."

Just then, Fang Xiao's Identity Token trembled. Someone was sending him a message. When his Spiritual Sense touched the token, he saw its contents. After reading it carefully, he looked up at Chen Yang.

"Senior Brother Chen, do you know where Heavenly Outer Peak is?"

Old Man Fan had learned that he had arrived at the sect and directly sent him a message, telling him to go to Heavenly Outer Peak to pay respects to his Master after paying respects to the patriarchs.

"This is your first time in the sect, Junior Brother, yet you already know of Heavenly Outer Peak. Is something the matter?"

"To be honest, I was accepted as a Nominal Disciple by a sect senior while I was in the Outer Court. Only now have I been told that my Master is on Heavenly Outer Peak, and that I am to go there directly after paying respects to the patriarchs."

"Junior Brother, you actually earned that person's favor? Do you know the identity of the one on Heavenly Outer Peak?"

"I had not yet broken through to Foundation Establishment before, so the elder did not tell me."

Chen Yang then explained the situation of Heavenly Outer Peak with a face full of envy.

Within the sect, disciples were permitted to seek out Spirit Peaks and establish Cave Dwellings for themselves. However, neither Foundation Establishment nor Golden Core cultivators could name their Spirit Peaks. Only Nascent Soul Realm patriarchs could name their own Spirit Peaks, and Heavenly Outer Peak was one of the sect's Thirty-Three Peaks.

The master of Heavenly Outer Peak was named Ling Taichu, a Nascent Soul Late Stage Sword Cultivator. His combat strength ranked among the top three of the sect's many Nascent Soul Cultivators, and he was also one of the few within the sect most likely to break through to Spirit Transformation. Unfortunately, Ancestor Ling's standards were exceedingly high, and he had yet to accept a disciple.

Chen Yang believed that anyone able to take Ancestor Ling as their Master had to be a Heavenly Talent of outstanding gifts. The more he spoke, the more obvious his flattering intent became. When Fang Xiao asked about registration at the Hall of Stars and the matter of a Cave Dwelling, Chen Yang explained those matters as well.

"Since Junior Brother is going to enter Ancestor Ling's lineage, you will naturally establish a Cave Dwelling around Heavenly Outer Peak. That place has a peak fourth-rank spirit vein, utterly incomparable to the Cave Dwellings allocated by the sect. As for registration, rest assured, Senior Brother will handle it for you. Heavenly Outer Peak is over there—I'll take you."

As he pointed in the direction of Heavenly Outer Peak, Chen Yang promised to handle the registration.

"Then I will have to trouble Senior Brother Chen."

"How could it be trouble? Though you are still an Inner Disciple, after becoming Ancestor Ling's disciple, even if you concern yourself with nothing, the sect will send people to handle every matter properly for you."

"So that's how it is."

The two directly took to Artifact Flight toward Heavenly Outer Peak. Though they flew swiftly, the sect was simply too vast. Countless Spirit Peaks rose along the way, some high and some low, each brimming with spiritual energy. It still took them nearly half an hour to arrive before Heavenly Outer Peak. Of course, if Fang Xiao used Rainbow-Crossing Sword Escape, he would naturally be much faster.

"This is Heavenly Outer Peak. Those not of Heavenly Outer Peak may not enter. Junior Brother, go on by yourself."

From afar, Fang Xiao saw that this Spirit Peak differed from all the others. Its mountain body resembled an immortal sword standing between heaven and earth, its edge laid bare as it pierced straight into the clouds. He could not even see the summit of Heavenly Outer Peak.

After parting with Chen Yang, he headed alone toward Heavenly Outer Peak.

Since he was formally taking a Master, he naturally had to proceed on foot to avoid seeming disrespectful. Yet Heavenly Outer Peak was enormous, and he had no idea where to go. He could only begin climbing upward.

Just as he was climbing with all his might, a young Daoist attendant appeared ahead.

"Young Master has finally arrived. Master has been waiting for you for quite some time. Please come with me."

The Daoist attendant stepped forward with a smiling face and gave him a bow.

"Then I will trouble this Senior Brother to lead the way."

"Hehe, I am Master's Daoist attendant, not a member of the Tianlan Sect. You may call me Qing Feng."

Fang Xiao was somewhat confused. He did not quite understand Qing Feng's identity, but since he served beneath his Master, he did not dwell on it and simply followed.

Seeing the cluster of palaces ahead, situated not at the mountaintop, and sensing the spiritual energy here so dense it had condensed into mist, he understood somewhat. This should be the core of Heavenly Outer Peak's spirit vein.

Continuing onward, they reached the Main Hall at the center. Qing Feng stopped beside the hall doors and went no further, gesturing for Fang Xiao to enter. Fang Xiao immediately understood that he was to meet his Master alone.

Fang Xiao cupped his hands toward Qing Feng, then walked into the great hall.

At the deepest part of the hall stood a high platform. Upon it sat a young Daoist in a dark blue robe, cross-legged on a Meditation Cushion. His features were handsome, his swordlike brows and starry eyes striking, his hair gathered at the back of his head. He watched Fang Xiao with a languid expression. Rather than seeming like a Sword Cultivator brimming with sword intent, he resembled a true accomplished cultivator whose Dao charm was ethereal and profound.

At the sight, Fang Xiao quickened his pace. Reaching the foot of the platform, he straightened his clothes and performed the formal ceremony of taking a Master with the utmost respect.

"Thank you, Master, for not rejecting me. This disciple, Fang Xiao, is willing to enter Master's lineage. From this day onward, I will heed Master's teachings, cultivate diligently, and never fail Master's instruction."

"This disciple has only just entered cultivation and possesses nothing of value. This wine was personally brewed by this disciple, and its recipe was likewise written by this disciple. It is named Original Heart. I offer wine to express my heart. This disciple will forever remember the Original Heart of cultivation, and hereby offers it to show this disciple's sincerity."

Fang Xiao knelt on the ground, holding a yellow-skinned gourd in both hands. Though his previous life often said that a man did not kneel lightly, since he was sincerely taking a Master, not one of the three bows and nine kowtows could be omitted.

The yellow-skinned gourd in his hands suddenly vanished. When it reappeared, it was already in Ling Taichu's hand. Ling Taichu pulled out the stopper and directly raised the gourd, gulping down the wine.

"Bitter first, sweet after. It does indeed carry something of the flavor of an Original Heart."

"My name is Ling Taichu. Today, I accept you as my personal disciple. I hope you cultivate diligently in the future, achieve Nascent Soul soon, and add another peak to our Tianlan Sect, so that your words of Original Heart today will not be in vain."

"This disciple will certainly remember Master's teachings."

"Enough, rise. I am usually rather easygoing, so you need not be so restrained. Since you have entered my lineage today, as your Master, I cannot offer nothing. I bestow these three items upon you."

After Ling Taichu spoke, he swept his sleeve. Three streaks of light flew toward Fang Xiao, finally stopping before him and revealing their true forms: two Jade Slips and a Sword Token.

"Since you cultivate the Soaring Sword Art, I bestow this Taibai Soaring Sword Canon upon you. Cultivate it without concern. There is no need to worry about the sect."

Delight appeared on Fang Xiao's face. His Master was indeed a Nascent Soul Cultivator. The sect's rules restricting lower-level disciples could simply be ignored by them. Originally, the soonest he could obtain the Taibai Soaring Sword Canon would be after becoming a True Disciple at the False Core stage. How could he not be delighted to receive it in advance?

"The second is an inheritance of a Spirit Wine Master. I obtained this inheritance after slaying an overseas Rogue Cultivator. Since you have the talent to become a Spirit Wine Master, I bestow it upon you."

Fang Xiao had originally worried that the Scripture Repository might not have an inheritance of a Spirit Wine Master. He had not expected his Master to directly bestow one upon him. A cultivator capable of standing against his Master, a Nascent Soul Late Stage Sword Cultivator, could not have possessed an ordinary inheritance.