Ye Chen

Junior Disciple Su, my name is Zhao Ming, you can call me Senior Brother Zhao.

The Inner Sect executive revealed a friendly smile. "Let's head to the Disciplinary Hall first to collect your Inner Sect items."

The two passed through several courtyards and arrived in front of an ancient-looking building.

Zhao Ming, familiar with the process, led Su Yu through all the necessary procedures, handing him a set of cyan robes embroidered with cloud patterns and a warm jade token.

"You must keep this token safe."

Zhao Ming's expression turned solemn. "It not only represents your identity, but if you encounter danger while adventuring outside, showing this token might save your life. The name of the Misty Cloud Sect still carries considerable weight within a thousand-mile radius."

Su Yu took the token. He saw two characters inscribed on it, written with powerful strokes, and the pattern of Sunrise Peak carved on the back.

He tucked the token close to his body and followed Zhao Ming to the Spirit Artifact Pavilion.

Inside the Spirit Artifact Pavilion, various weapons were displayed in an orderly fashion.

Su Yu's gaze was drawn to a long sword that was entirely silver-white. The blade was slender, and the edge shimmered with a faint blue light.

"Good eye," Zhao Ming praised. "Although the Lone Swan Sword is Human-grade Mid-tier, its material is special. It's said that a wisp of Outer-heaven Meteorite Iron was incorporated during its forging, making it incredibly sharp."

Su Yu gently stroked the sword's body, feeling a slight tremor from the blade, as if it had resonated with him in some way. He contentedly sheathed the sword.

Next, Zhao Ming took Su Yu to familiarize himself with the Inner Sect's layout.

As they passed a magnificent stone wall, Zhao Ming stopped, his tone carrying a hint of reverence. "Junior Disciple Su, this is the Inner Sect Ranking Stone Tablet. It records the rankings of the top hundred disciples. Those who make the list are all Inner Sect elites."

He pointed to the name shimmering with golden light at the very top. "Look, the top-ranked is Tang Yi, Spirit Condensation Realm Sixth Layer, his Mysterious Ice Sword Art is masterful. The second is Yang Fan, also Spirit Condensation Realm Sixth Layer, skilled in the Departing Fire Sword Art. The third..."

Zhao Ming introduced the top ten disciples like he was reciting family treasures, each name representing astonishing strength and talent.

Su Yu listened attentively, committing all this information to memory.

"...Ninth is Liu Qing, Spirit Condensation Realm Fifth Layer peak. Tenth is Han Feng, Spirit Condensation Realm Fifth Layer."

Zhao Ming finally finished speaking and paused briefly.

Su Yu seized this opportunity and, feigning curiosity, asked, "Senior Brother Zhao, why isn't Senior Brother Ye Chen's name on it?"

"Senior Brother Ye?"

A flicker of surprise flashed in Zhao Ming's eyes. "He's a Core Disciple. This stone tablet only records the rankings of Inner Sect disciples."

He then revealed a look of realization. "Junior Disciple Su, you know Senior Brother Ye?"

"I've merely heard of him in the Outer Sect," Su Yu replied nonchalantly, though his heart churned.

Zhao Ming glanced around and leaned closer to Su Yu, whispering, "Although Senior Brother Ye's cultivation isn't top-tier among Core Disciples, his talent and strength are definitely the strongest! It's said that an Essence Transformation Realm Martial Artist tried to assassinate him in secret, and guess what happened?"

Su Yu feigned surprise, playing along.

"Senior Brother Ye killed him in retaliation!"

Zhao Ming exclaimed excitedly.

"He was only at Spirit Condensation Realm Eighth Layer at the time! He killed an Essence Transformation Realm cultivator despite the level difference!"

Su Yu's heart jolted.

Killing someone of a higher cultivation level was not something ordinary geniuses could achieve. It seemed this Ye Chen was indeed extraordinary.

"Even more astonishing, Senior Brother Ye comprehended Half-step Sword Intent at the age of eighteen. This is unprecedented in the history of the Misty Cloud Sect,"

Zhao Ming continued.

Hearing this, Su Yu secretly compared himself.

He would be sixteen in just over a month. If not for the heaven-defying comprehension brought by his soul fusion and the assistance of the ancient sword, his cultivation speed would definitely not be comparable to Ye Chen's.

Not to mention that Ye Chen had already comprehended Half-step Sword Intent, while he was still at the Nascent Sword Intent stage.

Such talent...

Su Yu couldn't help but sigh.

Could he be the true protagonist of this world?

This reminded him of a sword cultivation novel he had read in his past life, and coincidentally, the protagonist's name in that novel was strikingly similar to this person's.

Seeing Su Yu lost in thought, Zhao Ming assumed he was awestruck by Ye Chen's deeds. He smiled and patted Su Yu's shoulder. "Junior Disciple Su, there's no need to feel inferior. Being personally recommended by Elder Mo Yuan, your talent must be extraordinary. In time, you might not be unable to stand shoulder-to-shoulder with Senior Brother Ye."

Su Yu withdrew his thoughts and returned a smile.

However, he had already secretly marked Ye Chen as a target to surpass.

After all, in this world where strength reigns supreme, only by continuously breaking through one's limits can one go further.

Speaking of which, Zhao Ming suddenly remembered something and said seriously, "Oh, right, Junior Disciple Su. As an Inner Sect disciple, you need to complete five Sect Missions each year. These missions are posted in the Inner Sect Main Hall, ranging from simple Herb Gathering to dangerous Monster Hunting. The number and quality of your completed missions will affect your resource allocation at the end of the year."

Su Yu nodded thoughtfully.

It seems the competition mechanism in the Inner Sect is more refined than in the Outer Sect. It not only considers cultivation but also emphasizes practical combat ability.

Passing through several courtyards, Zhao Ming led Su Yu to a secluded private courtyard.

The courtyard walls were built of bluestone, covered with lush green vines, and two ancient pine trees stood tall before the entrance.

"Junior Disciple Su, this will be your residence from now on."

Zhao Ming pushed open the courtyard gate and led Su Yu inside. Although the layout was similar to the outer sect, the concentration of spiritual qi on Sunrise Peak was several times that of the outer sect.

Su Yu took a deep breath and immediately felt a surge of pure spiritual power flow through his limbs and bones. Even the cultivation technique he was circulating unconsciously sped up a bit.

Beneath an old plum tree in the courtyard, a stone table and stools were set up. In a corner, there was a small medicinal garden, clearly prepared for disciples to grow spiritual herbs.

The treatment for inner sect disciples was indeed different.

Su Yu sighed inwardly.

Zhao Ming took out a jade slip from his sleeve and handed it to Su Yu. "This is the restriction jade slip for the courtyard. After you drip blood to recognize it as your master, only you and the elders of the Disciplinary Hall will be able to enter."

After Su Yu put away the jade slip, Zhao Ming added, "Oh, right. With your inner sect token, you can go to the Scripture Repository to claim one Human-grade High-tier cultivation technique and one Low-grade Yellow-tier Martial Skill. You should be familiar with the location of the Scripture Repository, so I won't accompany you further."

Su Yu was secretly shocked upon hearing this.

A Yellow-tier martial skill, something even the Su Family didn't possess, and the Misty Cloud Sect was directly bestowing it upon newly promoted inner sect disciples!

The foundation of a great sect was truly unfathomable.

"Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother Zhao," Su Yu said, bowing solemnly.

"If you have any questions in the future, I hope you won't hesitate to teach me, Senior Brother."

Zhao Ming waved his hand with a smile. "We are fellow disciples, no need to be polite. If you have important matters, you can find me at the Disciplinary Hall."

With that, he turned and left.

Su Yu carefully inspected the courtyard.

The main house was spacious and bright, with a dedicated quiet room for cultivation.

In the backyard, there was also a small training ground.

After briefly familiarizing himself with the environment, Su Yu changed into the cyan robe of an inner sect disciple.

He then fastened the Lone Swan Sword to his waist and headed towards the Inner Sect Main Hall once more.