He did not return to the thatched hut on the mountain. Instead, he first went to the Hall of Inquiry at the foot of the mountain.
He pushed open the door and entered. Only a middle-aged steward was inside, sorting through documents. When he saw Li Bufan enter, he raised his head and asked, "What is it?"
Li Bufan handed over his Core Disciple token. "Disciple Li Bufan has been promoted to Core Disciple today. The Elder of Miscellaneous Peak told me to come to the hall to arrange my residence."
The steward accepted the token and inspected it carefully. After confirming there was no mistake, his manner immediately became much more respectful. "Congratulations, congratulations! The residences for Blade Peak Core Disciples are all above the mountainside."
"Would you prefer somewhere closer to the peak, or somewhere quieter?"
Li Bufan thought for a moment. "Somewhere quieter."
The steward flipped through the registry and pointed to an entry. "How about this place? It is at the six-thousand-zhang mark. No other disciples live nearby, and there is a spiritual spring with abundant spiritual energy. It is quite secluded."
Li Bufan nodded. "This one, then."
The steward handed him a token engraved with the address and the key to the formation. Li Bufan accepted it, turned, and left the Hall of Inquiry, making his way up the mountain path.
Dusk deepened, and the saber intent on Blade Peak grew ever sharper in the night. But he was no longer the youth who had struggled to take even a step beneath the saber intent when he first arrived at Blade Peak. After his saber intent reached Great Mastery, this saber intent felt no more than a fresh breeze brushing his face.
He arrived at the six-thousand-zhang mark and found the residence. It was a