There was no sense of time when cultivating in the mountains. Half a month passed in the blink of an eye.
The beginning of winter had arrived a few days ago.
Aside from the evergreens, most trees had already shed all their leaves.
In the side courtyard, Chen Xian had been sitting motionless like an old monk when his body suddenly shuddered. The ladybug sunning itself on his shoulder was startled and immediately took flight.
"Heh. I've reached the sixth level of the Dao Disciple Realm."
Chen Xian opened his eyes with a smile. His bright gaze followed the ladybug as it flew over the stone table, passed through the bare branches, and landed in a pile of dead leaves.
His ears twitched. A rustling sound came from the leaf pile.
His fingers curled slightly, and he flicked a faint thread of Dao Power toward the pile of leaves.
The leaves scattered, and the ladybug hiding beneath them took flight once more, heading farther away.
After watching the ladybug disappear into the distance, Chen Xian stood and stretched his old back.
The clarity of his sight and hearing made him feel as though he had returned to his youth, when the world had been crisp and clear.
This was also the first time he had directly experienced the benefits of cultivation.
"Martial Uncle, if you have no pressing matters, please come to the Council Hall on Main Peak in fifteen minutes for a meeting."
The token at his waist suddenly transmitted a message. It was Lei Qingyang's voice.
Chen Xian yawned, puzzled. He was just an idle man who knew nothing about the sect's affairs. Why call him to a meeting?
But Lei Qingyang hadn't explained, and the token only allowed one-way communication, so Chen Xian couldn't ask.
"I need to get a Sound Transmission Talisman," Chen Xian muttered, returning to his room to change.
Over the past half month, Jian Shan and Duan Cui had earned him more than ten thousand Contribution Points.
On top of that, Jian Shan had been bringing him Qi Induction Pills by the bottle, and he had nowhere to spend his money.
He was now flush with cash.
A bona fide ten-thousand-yuan household.
But he was about to break through to the Third Realm and challenge the Sword Master Realm, and there'd be plenty more to spend his money on.
First, he'd need to get himself a flying sword, right? He also needed to buy a Realm-Breaking Pill, along with various pills to aid his cultivation. He'd need money for everything.
Fortunately, Jian Shan was a true merchant, with a sharp business mind.
He'd heard that Jian Shan had already sold the Blood Sugar Hawthorn in Ask-Dao City.
Because it boosted vitality and helped martial artists cultivate, a number of martial schools and great clans had recently been scrambling to place orders. Its price had been steadily climbing.
After all, Jian Shan was the only one who could make it, and there wasn't much to go around. Scarcity made it valuable!
That was the profit that came with a monopoly.
Fifteen minutes later, at the Council Hall on Main Peak.
"Greetings, Martial Uncle!"
"Greetings, Grand Martial Uncle!"
All the elders and stewards they passed along the way greeted him politely. Chen Xian carried himself like a senior, responding with a slight nod.
When he entered the Outer Hall, he realized there were quite a few people attending the meeting.
The elders and stewards from every peak had all been summoned.
There were at least a hundred or two of them.
Most were quite courteous, but Chen Xian noticed a handful of elders and stewards who didn't seem to care much about him. Some didn't even come over to greet him.
They were unfamiliar faces, too. He'd never seen them when he went to attend classes in the Inner or Outer Sect lecture halls.
Liu Yunshu came up beside Chen Xian at some point and quietly explained:
"Martial Uncle, those people over there are honorary elders and nominal stewards. Most are cultivators from Ask-Dao City's Aristocratic Clans."
"These clan cultivators have always thought highly of themselves. Apart from the sect master, they don't show much respect to anyone, so there's no need to take it to heart."
Chen Xian turned his head toward the person who had leaned in to speak. It was Elder Liu, who often accompanied Lei Qingyang.
Chen Xian nodded and looked away from that group.
It was like when certain universities partnered with outside companies and gave some of their corporate instructors honorary positions at the school.
These nominal instructors generally didn't take part in campus affairs. Instead, they acted as intermediaries between the school and its corporate partners.
"The Grand Sect Tournament is just over twenty days away, so the sect master has summoned everyone today to discuss the arrangements."
Liu Yunshu explained the matters on the agenda as she led Chen Xian toward the Inner Hall.
After listening for a while, Chen Xian more or less understood what the meeting was about.
Every year at the end of the year, the Sword Sect held a grand tournament. Everyone took part, from the elders down to the Outer Sect disciples.
The first purpose was to keep everyone from slacking off in their cultivation. The second was for Lei Qingyang to assess the sect's overall strength.
The third, and most important, was to select Inner Sect disciples and choose new scions from the Aristocratic Clans to join the Sword Sect.
The clans didn't wait for spring's selection tests to compete with ordinary people for places. Taking part in the Grand Sect Tournament was like getting early admission.
It was a privilege the Sword Sect extended to the clans.
The aim was to strengthen their ties and increase the sect's control over Ask-Dao City.
"Do I have to take part in the tournament too?"
Thinking of this, Chen Xian suddenly asked Liu Yunshu.
Liu Yunshu paused, then laughed. "Haha, if you're interested, Martial Uncle, you're welcome to take part."
As she spoke, she looked at Chen Xian, and a flicker of surprise crossed her eyes. She used the Sound Isolation Technique and whispered, "Martial Uncle, are you already close to breaking through to the Third Realm of the Dao Disciple Realm?"
Chen Xian smugly stroked his beard and gave her an affirmative look.
Liu Yunshu's eyes widened, and she laughed in disbelief. "How did you advance so quickly?"
As soon as she said it, she realized she'd lost her composure. She quickly lowered her voice again. "Congratulations, Martial Uncle! I'm sure you'll return to the Master Realm."
"Only the Master Realm?" Chen Xian asked, narrowing his eyes at Liu Yunshu with a smile.
Liu Yunshu froze for a moment, then burst out laughing. "Hahaha! This junior was blind. Please forgive me, Martial Uncle!"
Chen Xian laughed along with her, his voice hearty.
Their laughter rang through the hall, leaving everyone present exchanging bewildered looks.
The crowd streamed into the Council Hall and took their seats.
Several clan elders gathered to talk.
"That old man is the Chen Martial Uncle who was rumored to have disappeared from the Sword Sect and then returned?" asked an old man in brocade robes, rubbing the black iron plaque engraved with "Yuan" at his waist.
"Judging by how close Liu Yunshu is to him, it must be," another man replied with a nod. Then he looked worried. "If he's an Honored Realm powerhouse, our clans will have to bow our heads to the sect again."
"Ancestor Xu, you worry too much. Judging by this man's aura, I doubt he's even entered the Master Realm," sneered a middle-aged elder with "Xie" engraved at his waist.
As he spoke, he glanced at the gaunt old man behind him, who was resting with his eyes closed. His tone turned mocking. "Ancestor Qian, I heard that a while ago this old man brought people to your house to break off an engagement. And you just sat there? Aren't you angry?"
The old man addressed as Ancestor Qian lifted his eyelids slightly and snorted. "Hmph. If there's a dispute among the younger generation, they can be angry about it themselves."
"And don't tease me. I only seek longevity; I have no interest in worldly affairs."
The various clan ancestors chuckled awkwardly and didn't dare tease him again.
Ancestor Qian was the oldest among them. A few years ago, with his lifespan nearly at its limit, he'd broken through to the Dao Sect Realm. Now he devoted himself to cultivation, trying to reach the Second Realm Heaven of the Dao Sect Realm to extend his life. He'd long since stopped asking about the Qian Family's affairs.
If not for Qian Family descendant Qian Yue's considerable talent in mortal martial arts, which had led him to guide the entire clan in switching to the Martial Dao and barely stabilize their foundations, the Qian Family would probably have fallen to the ranks of second-rate clans in Ask-Dao City.
What a heartless ancestor!
Just then, the Council Hall fell silent. Everyone stopped talking and turned to look at Lei Qingyun as he entered.
Ancestor Qian opened his murky eyes slightly and stared at Chen Xian's back. A thoughtful look flashed in his eyes, then he closed them again.
Chen Xian knew nothing about this.
He was trying to figure out how to conceal his cultivation.
These old fellows could see through his cultivation with a single glance. That left him with no sense of security at all. Where was the fun in playing the pig to eat the tiger?
He hadn't even started playing the pig, and they'd already skinned him.
He'd have to find a profound concealment art or a Dao Artifact. Walking around in public stark naked like this was just uncomfortable!