Qingyun Dao Sect's Late Night Meeting

Deep night.

Qingyun Dao Sect.

Inside the Kitchen Hall.

Grand Hua Daoist sat at the head of the table, while the remaining seven disciples took their seats in two rows on either side.

It was already the Third Watch.

The entire Qingyun Dao Sect lay in profound silence.

Aside from the chirping of insects, there was nothing unusual.

A single candle burned, illuminating the long table.

Grand Hua Daoist looked at these disciples with full seriousness and gravity, then broke the stillness first.

"I imagine Changyu has already told you all about everything."

"Right now, the competition among the major sects in Qingzhou is fierce as a blazing fire. What's more, there are rumors that in a few years, the Dali Pavilion in Qingzhou will purge some unranked sects. So within these two years, we absolutely must elevate Qingyun Dao Sect to a Third-rank Sect."

"And the key to this lies with this little junior brother of yours. To advance to Third-rank, a sect must have eight disciples. Now that we've finally taken in a new disciple, you must be extremely careful—absolutely do not let him discover the true state of our sect. Otherwise, just like before, they'll turn their backs on us without mercy and even smear Qingyun Dao Sect everywhere. We truly raised a few ingrates."

Grand Hua Daoist spoke solemnly.

"We understand."

Everyone lowered their voices, their expressions grave as they replied.

But soon, a voice rang out.

"Master, for our Qingyun Dao Sect to advance to Third-rank, the process will take at least half a year to a year. Although Senior Disciple Brother has already fooled this little junior brother, the problem is that paper can't wrap fire forever. Once this little junior brother starts cultivating, sooner or later he'll discover the truth about our sect."

A disciple spoke up, unable to hold back.

Hearing this, Grand Hua Daoist shook his head dismissively.

"Your master has already thought of a plan."

"Third Senior Brother, you're right—paper can't wrap fire forever. But we can stall!"

"Changyu has already fooled your little junior brother. I can also tell that this little junior brother holds great reverence for immortal cultivation. In the short term, he definitely won't leave. As for cultivation, we can stall! Stall as long as possible, and only teach him immortal cultivation at the very end."

"Starting tomorrow, Changyu, you will teach him swordsmanship. Make it as outlandish as possible. First, to keep him fooled; second, to buy us time. If one day he finds sword practice boring, then Luo Chen will teach him alchemy."

"Your master has calculated it. The seven of you will take turns teaching him, one person for two months. A year will pass in a flash. By then, even if he discovers the truth about our sect, it'll be too late to matter. Understand?"

Grand Hua Daoist wore an expression of having everything under control, and the disciples nodded one after another.

But the woman seated second on the right couldn't help speaking up.

She had a sweet face, looking a bit younger than Ye Ping, and was the sect's Little Junior Sister—but now she was Ye Ping's Little Senior Sister.

"Master, this plan sounds acceptable, but this little junior brother isn't a fool. Sooner or later, he'll ask questions about cultivation. If he asks me, how should I answer?"

This was Chen Lingrou, the Little Junior Sister of Qingyun Dao Sect.

"Simple." Grand Hua Daoist replied almost without thinking. "Teach him some basic cultivation methods, but exaggerate them. Exaggerate the techniques. Say that at the same Qi Cultivation First Layer, a cultivator practicing the Qingyun Qi Cultivation Art is slightly stronger than others at the same stage."

"But also add a reminder—say that our Qingyun Qi Cultivation Art focuses on nurturing the body and solidifying the foundation. Otherwise, if he later truly believes he's strong and gets into a fight with other cultivators, that would be bad."

Grand Hua Daoist was kind-hearted at heart, specifically noting that the technique was only for body-nourishing, to keep Ye Ping from thinking he was truly powerful and picking fights.

"Understood."

Chen Lingrou nodded to show she understood.

"Alright. In the coming days, you must not interact too much with this junior brother. Maintain as much mystery as possible. If he doesn't seek you out, don't seek him out either. The future of the sect rests on your shoulders."

By the end, Grand Hua Daoist's tone grew even firmer, but his voice remained low, afraid of disturbing Ye Ping.

"We understand!"

Everyone answered again in hushed tones, their faces full of resolve.

"Good. Meeting adjourned."

The next moment, Grand Hua Daoist left the place, and the other disciples filed out as well.

At this very moment.

Inside Qingyun Dao Sect.

The star-filled sky shone brilliantly.

Ye Ping lay on his bed, gazing at the heavens outside the window, his heart brimming with anticipation.

Three years ago, he had transmigrated into this world.

At first, he was indeed lost and lonely, but fortunately, he was naturally an optimist, so he quickly adapted to this world.

Now, he never expected this to actually be a world of immortal cultivation.

As for immortal cultivation, Ye Ping was filled with passion. Perhaps because he had loved reading tales of Gods and Devils since childhood, Ye Ping was full of curiosity and anticipation for cultivation.

He didn't have extravagant hopes—becoming an immortal ancestor, wielding power over the world, or lying drunk in a beauty's embrace.

Ye Ping's thoughts were very simple: rely on cultivation to live a few hundred years longer, find a soulmate, marry and have children, and live out this life happily.

But Ye Ping also understood that the path of cultivation was immeasurably long, and the dangers within it were likely unimaginable.

So from now on, he had to act with caution and care, and more importantly, persevere without giving up just because of some difficulty.

Having lived two lives, Ye Ping had matured a great deal. Though he no longer burned with fervent passion, he had gained a maturity and perseverance that ordinary people lacked.

"I wonder what my talent is really like."

On the bed, Ye Ping's heart was full of curiosity.

Although the test had shown he had No Spiritual Roots, Ye Ping always felt he couldn't be that bad.

As long as it wasn't too terrible, he could accept it.

And so, Ye Ping didn't fall asleep until late into the night.

But the next day.

Ye Ping woke up early.

He didn't indulge in sleep; on the contrary, he was even more diligent and hardworking than when he was studying, after all, cultivation and study were two completely different concepts.

Thump thump.

Just as Ye Ping had woken up, a knock sounded at the door.

"Who is it?"

Ye Ping asked instinctively, then got up. Before he could open the door, a familiar voice rang out.

"Little Junior Brother, by the master's orders, I've come to teach you the sword. One incense stick's time from now, I'll be waiting for you at the Back Cliff."

It was Su Changyu's voice.

Hearing this, Ye Ping immediately replied.

"Alright, thank you, Senior Disciple Brother."

As his voice fell, Su Changyu left.

And Ye Ping quickly washed up.

At the same time, he straightened his robes, trying to leave a good impression.

After tidying up, Ye Ping opened the door and headed toward the Back Cliff, his heart filled with excitement.

But the excitement also carried a bit of nervousness.

Ye Ping was mainly worried about his aptitude.

If his aptitude was too low and the Senior Disciple Brother looked down on him, wouldn't that be rather awkward?

But soon, Ye Ping comforted himself, thinking that Hidden Sects loved nothing more than training useless disciples. If they only trained geniuses, what was the point?

Did geniuses even need someone to teach them?

Was the sense of achievement from teaching a genius greater than that from teaching a waste?

Thinking this way, Ye Ping's nervousness gradually settled.

And just as Ye Ping was lost in his thoughts.

He finally arrived at the Back Cliff.