The Qingyun Sect

Three days later, early morning.

Outside Qingshi Town, a massive bronze carriage stood beside the main road.

The creatures pulling it were no horses, but three beasts covered in blue scales, each with a single horn growing from its head. Every one of them possessed the strength of the seventh or eighth level of Body Tempering.

"These are Green-Scaled Beasts. They can travel three thousand li in a day, and the Qingyun Sect uses them specifically to transport its disciples."

Elder Xu spoke calmly, then climbed into the carriage first.

The ten new disciples followed one after another.

Lin Ye was the last to board. He found a corner and sat down.

"Move out."

Elder Xu sat at the front and closed his eyes to rest.

The driver flicked his whip. The three Green-Scaled Beasts let out a cry, their four hooves stirring up the wind as they dragged the carriage into a furious gallop.

They traveled at an astonishing speed, the scenery outside the windows blurring into streaks of light.

Inside the carriage, the boys were both excited and nervous.

Zhou Ming edged up beside Lin Ye and asked in a low voice, "Lin Ye, do you think we'll get bullied when we reach the Qingyun Sect?"

Lin Ye glanced at him. "I don't know."

"I heard there's fierce competition in major sects, and it's common for older disciples to bully newcomers." Zhou Ming looked worried. "We should stick together and look out for each other."

Lin Ye nodded but said nothing.

He knew what Zhou Ming was thinking, but Lin Ye had no interest in it.

His goal was cultivation techniques. His goal was to grow stronger.

The carriage raced for an entire day, stopping only once along the way to change the Green-Scaled Beasts at a relay station.

By dusk, the carriage finally began to slow.

"We're here."

Elder Xu opened his eyes.

The boys crowded toward the windows to look outside, all of them left dumbstruck.

In the distance, a towering mountain stabbed into the clouds. Mist curled around its middle slopes, while pavilions and towers were just visible at its summit, bathed in brilliant rosy light as immortal cranes wheeled overhead.

At the mountain gate stood a gigantic stone stele a hundred zhang tall, inscribed with three ancient, unadorned characters:

Qingyun Sect.

"So this is the Qingyun Sect?"

One boy murmured in awe.

Elder Xu said calmly, "This is only the Outer Sect. The Inner Sect is higher up the mountain, and Qingyun Peak, where the core disciples and elders live, lies above the sea of clouds."

The boys sucked in a sharp breath.

Lin Ye was also shaken to his core.

The scenes of immortal sects he had seen in novels in his previous life now stood before him in reality. The impact was beyond words.

The carriage passed through the mountain gate and raced up a winding mountain road.

Along the way, they saw many disciples in blue robes practicing and sparring. Sword Qi crisscrossed the air, and fists whooshed through it. Even the weakest had reached the fifth or sixth level of Body Tempering.

"These are all Outer Sect disciples," Elder Xu explained. "The Qingyun Sect has more than three thousand Outer Sect disciples. There's a grand competition once every three years, and the top hundred can enter the Inner Sect. Starting today, the ten of you are Outer Sect disciples."

The carriage stopped in a vast plaza.

More than a hundred boys had gathered there, all new disciples recruited from various places.

Elder Xu got out and said to a middle-aged steward, "Deacon Li, I'm leaving this batch of disciples in your hands."

"Yes, Elder Xu."

Deacon Li answered respectfully. Only after Elder Xu had left did he turn to Lin Ye and the others, his expression stern.

"My name is Li Yan. I'm an Outer Sect deacon, responsible for managing new disciples like you."

Li Yan's voice was icy. "I'll explain the Qingyun Sect's rules just once, so listen carefully."

"First, Outer Sect disciples must complete sect missions every month to earn contribution points. Contribution points can be exchanged for cultivation techniques, pills, and weapons."

"Second, Outer Sect disciples receive basic resources every month: three Body Tempering Pills and ten contribution points."

"Third, private brawling is forbidden within the sect, but there's a Martial Arena where you can settle personal grudges."

"Fourth, there's a minor competition every three months and a grand competition every year. Those who rank near the top receive extra rewards, while those near the bottom have their resources reduced."

"Is that clear?"

"Clear!" the boys answered in unison.

Li Yan nodded and waved a hand. "Collect your things, then go to your lodgings. Starting tomorrow, you can choose a cultivation technique at Chuangong Hall. If there's anything you don't understand, ask an older disciple."

Several older disciples immediately stepped forward and handed each new disciple a bundle.

Inside each bundle were two sets of blue Outer Sect robes, an identity token, three Body Tempering Pills, and a small booklet.

"Outer Sect Rules of the Qingyun Sect."

Lin Ye opened the booklet and skimmed through it.

It detailed the Outer Sect's various rules, as well as how to earn contribution points and what they could be exchanged for.

"Cultivation techniques..."

Lin Ye's gaze fell on the exchange list.

Mortal-grade low-tier cultivation techniques: 100 contribution points.

Mortal-grade mid-tier: 300 contribution points.

Mortal-grade high-tier: 1,000 contribution points.

Spirit-grade low-tier: 5,000 contribution points.

The list showed nothing higher. Clearly, those techniques were beyond the reach of Outer Sect disciples.

"I only have ten contribution points. I can't even afford a fraction of a Mortal-grade low-tier technique."

Lin Ye shook his head and put away the booklet.

"Follow me."

An older disciple called out, leading the new disciples toward their lodgings.

The Outer Sect disciples' lodgings were a sprawling stretch of buildings. The rooms were simple, but still better than Lin Ye's wooden hut back in Qingshi Town.

Lin Ye was assigned Room Seventy-Three in the Ding District, a tiny room less than ten square meters in size.

"You'll have to make do."

The older disciple leading them smiled. "Once you've saved up more contribution points, you can trade them for better lodgings. The private courtyards in the Jia District are the real deal."

Lin Ye thanked him. After the older disciple left, he shut the door and sat on the bed.

He took out his identity token.

The token was black. The two characters "Qingyun" were carved into the front, while his name and number—Ding Seventy-Three—were on the back.

"Let's try a Body Tempering Pill first."

Lin Ye tipped out one Body Tempering Pill.

The moment he swallowed it, it turned into a surge of warmth that spread through his limbs and bones.

Lin Ye hurriedly circulated the breathing method from the Basic Fist Manual, guiding the medicinal power to temper his body.

Half an hour later, the medicinal power was spent.

Lin Ye opened his eyes and felt the slight increase in the qi and blood within him. He nodded faintly.

"One Body Tempering Pill is worth three days of hard cultivation. Three pills are worth nine days."

"I need to get a cultivation technique as soon as possible, then use points to derive improvements."

Lin Ye made up his mind and lay down to rest.

The next morning.

Lin Ye changed into his blue disciple robes and headed to Chuangong Hall.

Chuangong Hall was a vast, three-story building, with disciples streaming in and out.

Lin Ye entered the first-floor hall. Bookshelves lined all four walls, packed with volumes of cultivation techniques.

However, these were only copies containing introductions, not the techniques' actual contents.

To learn one, he had to exchange contribution points.

"Qingmu Art, Mortal-grade low-tier cultivation technique, wood attribute. Cultivation condenses Qingmu True Qi, which has notable healing effects. Costs 100 contribution points."

"Liehuo Technique, Mortal-grade low-tier cultivation technique, fire attribute. Cultivation condenses Liehuo True Qi, which has powerful offensive force. Costs 100 contribution points."

"Panshi Strength, Mortal-grade mid-tier cultivation technique, earth attribute. Cultivation condenses Panshi True Qi, which provides formidable defense. Costs 300 contribution points."

He had only ten contribution points. He couldn't exchange for anything.

Chuangong Hall had a rule that new disciples could freely choose one Mortal-grade low-tier cultivation technique as their introductory technique.

"I need to choose the one with the most potential."

There were more than twenty Mortal-grade low-tier techniques, each with a different attribute and focus.

In the end, his gaze fell on a thin booklet in the corner.

"Basic Body Forging Art, Mortal-grade low-tier cultivation technique, no attribute. Balanced and steady, it can lay a solid foundation, but cultivation is slow and its power mediocre."

This was the one.

Lin Ye took the booklet introducing the Basic Body Forging Art and walked to the counter.

An elderly white-haired man sat behind it, dozing.

"Senior, this disciple would like to claim the Basic Body Forging Art," Lin Ye said respectfully.

The old man opened his eyes, glanced at Lin Ye, and said lazily, "New disciple?"

"Yes."

"Identity token."

Lin Ye handed it over.

The old man took it, swiped it across a jade tablet, then pulled a thin booklet from beneath the counter and tossed it to Lin Ye.

"Basic Body Forging Art. Take care of it. You must return it within a month. No copying it and no passing it on. Violators will have their cultivation crippled and be expelled from the sect."

"Yes. Thank you, Senior."

Lin Ye took the technique, put it away carefully, and turned to leave.

He didn't return to his lodgings. Instead, he headed straight to the Outer Sect's back mountain.

A training ground had been set aside there, and many disciples were practicing.

Lin Ye found a quiet corner, sat cross-legged, and opened the Basic Body Forging Art.

The technique was only ten pages long. Its contents were simple: a breathing method and nine movements, corresponding to the nine levels of Body Tempering.

"Let's give it a try."

Following the instructions in the technique, Lin Ye began to practice.

An hour later, he opened his eyes and frowned slightly.

The Basic Body Forging Art was indeed balanced and steady, but its cultivation speed was even slower than that of the Basic Fist Manual he had optimized with points.

"Let's try using points to derive improvements."

[Deriving improvements for Basic Body Forging Art (Mortal-grade low-tier) requires 50 Martial Arts Points]

Proceed?

"Yes."

A phantom appeared and began demonstrating the Basic Body Forging Art.

[Derivation complete]

[Basic Body Forging Art (Mortal-grade low-tier) optimized. Cultivation speed increased by 50%, body-tempering effect increased by 30%.]

[An additional tenth movement has been derived. It can break through the limit of the ninth level of Body Tempering and enter the "tenth level of Body Tempering."]

Lin Ye's eyes flew open, shock filling them.

The tenth level of Body Tempering?

In this world, the Body Tempering Realm had only nine levels. Beyond the ninth level was the True Qi Realm.

"So the ninth level of Body Tempering isn't the limit?"

Lin Ye's heart pounded. If the tenth level of Body Tempering truly existed, his foundation would far surpass that of others at the same level. He would also be stronger when he eventually broke through into the True Qi Realm.

"Let's try it."

Lin Ye suppressed his excitement and began practicing again, following the improved technique.

Each of the optimized nine movements was more precise, able to draw out more of his qi and blood.

His cultivation speed had indeed increased dramatically.

"At this rate, I'll reach the fourth level of Body Tempering in three months at most."

A flash of delight crossed Lin Ye's eyes.

"I can't let this get out."

He absolutely couldn't let anyone find out about the tenth level of Body Tempering.

"I need to take it slow. I'll practice step by step for now. Once I'm strong enough to protect myself, I'll try to break through to the tenth level of Body Tempering."

Lin Ye made up his mind, put away the technique, and got up to leave the training ground.

As soon as he was gone, a figure stepped out from behind a tree.

It was Zhou Ming.

Zhou Ming watched Lin Ye's retreating figure, his eyes flickering.

Lin Ye, meanwhile, had already returned to his room.

He shut the door and opened the Basic Body Forging Art once more.

"First I'll cultivate to the ninth level of Body Tempering, then try for the tenth."

"Before that, I need to find a way to earn contribution points and exchange for more techniques."