You Should Learn From Junior Sister

The next day.

Qiu Changtian continued to lead Junior Sister Xu, the two of them flying around the celestial pillar with sword light, chatting and laughing, utterly at ease.

Meanwhile, Guan Zhan, far below on the Kunlun Heavenly Stairway, had been sprinting on the mountain path for a day and a night, his strength utterly exhausted.

On the day of the mountain's opening, before the ascent, Kunlun had given everyone a climbing token that came with the effect of sustaining oneself without food or drink.

However, even without the need to eat, drink, or excrete, the grueling climb was inevitably taxing on one's physical strength and tormenting to the mind.

Upon reaching a little over ninety thousand steps, he saw Yan Zhitui catching up from behind, neither fast nor slow.

Guan Zhan was greatly alarmed and forced himself to exert more strength to speed up.

Running and stopping like this was ultimately more strenuous than walking at a normal pace.

By the last dozen steps of the hundred thousandth level, Guan Zhan finally ran out of strength. He accidentally fell onto the stone steps, yet he still desperately tried to climb upwards.

Yan Zhitui, seeing this from behind, did not seize the opportunity to overtake him.

Although he showed no signs of fatigue, he was, after all, only mortal flesh and blood, and his limbs were already moving as if cast in lead.

It was only because his upbringing emphasized gentlemanly etiquette that he managed to maintain his composure despite his exhaustion, forcing himself to keep a straight face.

In the end, Guan Zhan finally crawled to the finish line, only three steps ahead of Yan Zhitui.

He lay prostrate on the ground, his chest heaving slightly, lacking even the strength to roll over.

Yan Zhitui calmly stepped over his body and sat down on a nearby rock to rest.

A short while later, a streak of crimson sword light flew over.

Xu Yinglian landed her sword light, glanced at Guan Zhan, who was still sprawled on the ground, then looked at Yan Zhitui, who was sitting on the rock, and said coldly:

"You two have completed the Heavenly Stairway. You may rest here for a while. Receiving disciples will arrive shortly to guide you to the introductory ceremony."

Guan Zhan looked up and said weakly:

"You two go ahead, I need to rest a bit longer."

"You cannot afford not to go," Xu Yinglian frowned. "After the introductory ceremony comes the disciple selection assembly."

"You need to follow the order in which you completed the Heavenly Stairway and choose Kunlun elders who are willing to take you as disciples."

Guan Zhan shook his head and said:

"I am first this time. According to sect rules, I should be the Chief Disciple of this generation, personally taught by the Sect Master. What is there to choose?"

Xu Yinglian let out a cold laugh:

"The Chief Disciple of the 280th generation is Senior Brother Qiu Changtian. He has nothing to do with you."

"What!" Guan Zhan exclaimed, his voice becoming shrill. "But I... I was clearly first this time! Who is this Qiu Changtian!"

"Senior Brother completed the Heavenly Stairway on a non-opening day by walking, which is why the Sect Master personally appointed him as the Chief Disciple of this generation," Xu Yinglian said coldly. "If you are not satisfied, you can also try climbing the mountain on a non-opening day."

Guan Zhan lay on the ground in impotent rage, muttering incomprehensible curses.

Yan Zhitui, on the other hand, seemed to be deep in thought and asked:

"Senior Sister, if I recall correctly, on the Kunlun Heavenly Stairway, from the eighty-fifth thousand steps upwards on non-opening days, there is a 'disaster wind' from beyond the heavens that blows. It is invisible, smells foul, cuts like blades, pierces like awls, and even carries soul-eroding sounds from demonic entities."

"Senior Brother Qiu was only in his mortal body at the time, wasn't he? Even with a climbing token, he wouldn't know how to use it. If he had even the slightest demonic thought, that disaster wind would penetrate the heavenly gate, seep into his bones, and surge up to the Yongquan acupoint, turning his entire body into wisps of silk and letting him vanish with the wind."

"You speak the truth," Xu Yinglian's gaze shifted, and she nodded indifferently. "However, Senior Brother Qiu possesses the peerless talent of 'Clear Dao Heart.' Is it really strange that he could complete the Heavenly Stairway on a non-opening day?"

"'Clear Dao Heart'?" Guan Zhan was immediately stunned upon hearing this. Yan Zhitui also gasped, clearly understanding the weight of those four words.

That was a peerless cultivation talent! Ancient records stated that it was rare to find one in ten thousand years!

Seeing both of them speechless, Xu Yinglian felt an inexplicable surge of smug satisfaction.

How stifled she had felt in the past when she was constantly suppressed by her Senior Brother's peerless talent; now, using his name to intimidate these newcomers, she felt an equally immense sense of pleasure.

Soon, the Heavenly Stairway was closed again.

Those who did not reach the summit of the celestial pillar before the deadline were expelled from Kunlun by the protective mountain formation.

Thus, a total of three hundred and twenty-three people successfully completed the Heavenly Stairway. Among them, one hundred and seven became inner disciples, and two hundred and sixteen became outer disciples.

Of the seven disciple spots under the Ziwei Sect Master, excluding Qiu Changtian and Xu Yinglian, they were precisely taken by the top five disciples who successfully ascended this time, demonstrating the immense appeal of the Nine Heavens Pure Micro Entrance True Words.

Qiu Changtian also participated in the disciple selection assembly. The five disciples who chose to become disciples of the Kunlun Sect Master this time were:

Guan Zhan of the Guan Family of Longyou.

Yan Zhitui of the White Deer Cave Academy.

Chen Zhen of the Chen Family of Guangling.

Zhong Tianhuai of the Zhong Family of Nanyang.

Jian Qingnan of the Jian Family of Qingzhou.

Among them, the Guan Family of Longyou had generations of Sword Immortals; the White Deer Cave Academy was a sacred ground of Confucianism.

The Chen Family of Guangling and the Zhong Family of Nanyang both possessed small cultivation sects in their respective regions with numerous disciples.

The Jian Family of Qingzhou was a family of divination experts, and their current patriarch, Jian Buyan, was an unparalleled master of divination.

It seems these five junior disciples are all second-generation immortals...

Qiu Changtian sighed, calculating in his mind.

The phenomenon of inner disciples being dominated by immortal cultivation families could be traced back to the very origins of the conflict between the Heavenly Origin Sect and the Intercepting Sect.

In ancient times, the Heavenly Origin Sect practiced "teaching according to aptitude."

The term "Heavenly Origin" itself meant to elucidate and enlighten based on one's potential.

The result of this was that the Heavenly Origin Sect sects overly emphasized cultivation aptitude when accepting disciples; without aptitude, one could not cultivate immortality.

Now, the Heavenly Origin Sect had split into three, but they still maintained this sect custom:

The Kunlun Taiqing Sect assessed disposition, the Shushan Shangqing Sect focused on innate talent, and the Penglai Yuqing Temple only looked at comprehension.

As for cultivation aptitude, how could commoner disciples with nothing compare to those from immortal cultivation families who were fed heavenly treasures from birth and guided by renowned masters?

The result was that the path for advancement was completely monopolized by disciples from these families.

In contrast, the ancient Intercepting Sect emphasized "education for all," allowing cultivation regardless of aptitude, which brought hope to commoner disciples.

However, this led to disciples of varying quality, and even to bypass insufficient aptitude, they invented all sorts of unorthodox methods, such as sacrifice-based cultivation, blood food cultivation, and energy absorption cultivation, which utterly ruined their reputation.

Setting aside the historical background for now, there were now four more junior brothers and one junior sister, and they were all second-generation immortals, likely all quite arrogant.

I need to find a way to show off my authority... no, I mean, to properly educate them and nurture them into well-behaved juniors like Junior Sister Xu.

With that thought, Qiu Changtian couldn't help but turn his head to look at Xu Yinglian beside him.

Junior Sister Xu is so cute. No, I have to tease her a bit more!

"Why are you looking at me?" Xu Yinglian asked, bewildered. "You're the Chief Disciple of this generation. Your words and actions should carry authority. Stop darting your eyes around."

"Are you willing to accept me as the Chief Disciple?" Qiu Changtian asked in surprise.

"I am not!" Xu Yinglian retorted angrily. "One day, I will defeat you and take this position of Chief Disciple! Just you wait!"