Leaving the Market, Entering the Sect

Qin Huaian quietly cultivated for several days in the cave dwelling he had rented. The most important reason he had joined a sect was to pursue a higher realm of cultivation.

In this unfamiliar world, only powerful cultivation could give him even a shred of security.

Three days later, Qin Huaian arrived at Rosy Cloud Pavilion, intending to bid Shopkeeper Xue farewell. He did not have many friends in this world. The little fatty counted as one, and so did Shopkeeper Xue.

"Shopkeeper Xue, busy, are you?" Qin Huaian entered Rosy Cloud Pavilion and saw Shopkeeper Xue energetically receiving customers, his face glowing red.

Many cultivators had recently arrived at Cloudfield Market, and Rosy Cloud Pavilion's business was much better than usual.

"Little Friend Qin, you're here." Upon seeing Qin Huaian enter, Shopkeeper Xue entrusted the customer to Wang Gui and came over.

"Did Little Friend Qin take part in the sect recruitment? How did it go?"

"I did. I have joined the outer sect of the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect, and tomorrow I will gather with the others to depart for the sect. I am deeply grateful for Shopkeeper Xue's care over the past few years." Qin Huaian clasped his fists as he spoke.

"Haha, good, good! Congratulations, Little Friend Qin, on entering the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect!"

"Brother Qin, are you leaving too? Lingyun is leaving as well." At that moment, Xue Lingyun suddenly ran out, tugging on Qin Huaian's sleeve. A faint mist clouded her eyes.

"Lingyun doesn't want to leave Grandpa, and she doesn't want Brother Qin to leave either." As she spoke, her tears were on the verge of falling.

Shopkeeper Xue stroked little Lingyun's head and said, both gratified and reluctant, "Lingyun has been accepted as a personal disciple by an elder of Rosy Cloud Pavilion. This elder will soon take her back to Rosy Cloud Pavilion to cultivate."

"Congratulations, Shopkeeper Xue. Lingyun will surely have a boundless future." Qin Huaian was sincerely happy for little Lingyun. Shopkeeper Xue was likely both delighted and reluctant. After all, Lingyun was still young. Once she entered the sect, they would not be able to see one another often for quite some time.

Then Qin Huaian crouched down and said to little Lingyun, "Don't be sad, Lingyun. Be happy once you get to the sect. Once you learn your skills well, you can come back and help Grandpa."

"Mm. When Lingyun grows up, she can go play with Brother Qin too." Little Lingyun nodded earnestly.

"Alright, it's a promise!" Qin Huaian held out his palm and high-fived Lingyun's little hand.

But Qin Huaian knew that after this parting, who knew what year or month it would be before they met again.

Qin Huaian did not linger long at Rosy Cloud Pavilion. After bidding Shopkeeper Xue farewell, he had nothing left to miss in Cloudfield Market. He returned to his cave dwelling to wait for the next day's gathering at the market's central square.

Early the next morning, when Qin Huaian arrived at the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect's station, many people had already gathered there. Many of the smaller sect stations that had originally stood around the square had been dismantled; they had presumably already left Cloudfield Market.

Qin Huaian did not see Wang Baole. He was likely still inside the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect's station.

At noon, a massive flying vessel, some thirty to forty zhang long, descended beside the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect's station.

A Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator emerged from the station with the newly recruited inner sect disciples.

After Wang Baole came out with the inner sect disciples, he began looking around. The moment he spotted Qin Huaian, he shouted happily, "Brother Qin!"

Qin Huaian gave Wang Baole a slight nod. Quite a few disciples turned to look at the two of them, but Qin Huaian paid no heed to their gazes.

The Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator who had come out with Wang Baole and the others also glanced at Qin Huaian, but said nothing. He then led the newly recruited inner sect disciples onto the flying vessel one by one.

Qin Huaian silently counted them. There were fourteen inner sect disciples in total. The outer sect disciples gathered here numbered more than two hundred.

A moment later, the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator who had just entered returned to the hatch and said to Qin Huaian and the others, "All disciples selected for the outer sect, board the vessel with your tokens!"

Qin Huaian followed the crowd aboard in a stream, then went up a staircase to the flying vessel's deck. In the center of the deck stood a three-story structure occupying roughly half the deck's area. It was likely the passenger quarters and control room.

The Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator said to Qin Huaian and the others, "You may move about freely on the deck. If you need to rest, you may go to the passenger cabins on the lower level below the deck."

"We will take off shortly and arrive at the sect in about three days."

With that, the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator entered the flying vessel's upper structure.

The flying vessel's deck was spacious. Once their two hundred-plus cultivators spread out, it appeared quite empty.

Qin Huaian did not see the inner sect disciples who had boarded before them. He presumed they had entered the flying vessel's upper structure.

The flying vessel slowly rose into the air. Standing at the edge of the deck, Qin Huaian watched Cloudfield Market grow smaller and smaller until it gradually vanished from sight.

The flying vessel traveled swiftly. An invisible barrier enveloped the deck, shutting out the frigid winds of the high sky.

Qin Huaian did not remain on deck for long. He too went below deck and entered the cabins beneath.

The cabin area was divided into small compartments. Any unoccupied room could be entered, and the token issued to them when they boarded could open its door.

Qin Huaian casually chose an empty room. After entering, he set its status to occupied.

The room was extremely plain, only about one zhang in length and width, with no windows around it. There was a lamp lit by an array, and a wooden bed within the room. There was nothing else.

This cabin beneath the deck reminds me of an eighteenth-century slave ship, Qin Huaian grumbled inwardly.

The conditions here were naturally a hundred times better than on a slave ship, but the cramped, enclosed space still made him feel somewhat stifled.

Though cultivators generally did not demand much in terms of material comforts, the gap between outer sect disciples and inner sect disciples was a little too great.

After grumbling, Qin Huaian began cultivating. He had to keep grinding—he could never slack off.

Qin Huaian did not use spirit stones. Instead, he continued cultivating while taking Qi Recovery Pills. At his current stage, using low-grade spirit stones would increase his cultivation speed by less than double; cultivating with Qi Recovery Pills was more cost-effective.

He did not have many spirit stones left. He still needed to save some, since they would likely prove useful once he reached the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect.

As Qin Huaian cultivated, three days swiftly passed.

"We will arrive at the sect in half an hour. Please make your preparations."

The voice of the Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator who had brought them aboard echoed throughout the entire cabin area. The disciples who had been cultivating also stopped, heading to the deck in twos and threes.

Qin Huaian followed the others onto the deck. The flying vessel was currently above a vast plain. A great river stretched across the plain like a giant dragon, its tributaries flowing into it one after another, like veins extending through the broad expanse of land.

The flying vessel swept past one human city after another, gradually drawing near a vast and magnificent mountain range.

"The Yellow Mountain Sword Sect is located on Yellow Mountain up ahead, isn't it? They say Yellow Mountain has a thousand peaks competing in beauty, its grandeur awe-inspiring—a landscape of unmatched wonder under heaven." One cultivator gazed into the distance and sighed.

"That's merely what appears on the surface. They say spiritual veins are densely spread throughout this place, and its spiritual energy is richer than elsewhere. That is Yellow Mountain's true essence," another cultivator said.

Qin Huaian had also learned a little about the legends of the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect from the original owner's memories.

It was said that ten thousand years ago, the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect's founder, Yellow Mountain Sword Venerable, established the sect here. Later, Yellow Mountain Sword Venerable overcame his tribulation and ascended to the immortal realm, becoming a true immortal.

After the flying vessel entered this magnificent stretch of mountains, its speed gradually slowed. It then hovered near one of the peaks.

At that moment, Elder Zhou—the one who had taken away Xiao Yi, the cultivator with the supreme-grade spiritual root, during the spiritual-root test—appeared at the very front of the flying vessel, standing suspended in midair.

As Elder Zhou formed one hand seal after another, a gateway of formations appeared atop the mountain peak.

Two cultivators flew out on swords and bowed. "Greetings, Elder Zhou. Please present your identity token."

Elder Zhou tossed over a golden token. After the two cultivators verified it, they returned the identity token and cupped their fists. "Verification complete. Elder Zhou, please proceed."

No, they already recognized Elder Zhou, yet they still needed to inspect his identity jade token? Is the Yellow Mountain Sword Sect's procedure really this complicated? Qin Huaian thought to himself.

With a wave of Elder Zhou's hand, the flying vessel entered the gateway and descended onto an enormous plaza.

Qin Huaian immediately felt the spiritual energy around him suddenly become far denser. Inside and outside the gateway were like two separate worlds.

Beyond the gateway, as far as the eye could see, mountain peaks stretched endlessly above a sea of clouds.

Ancient pines and towering cypresses covered every peak, while immortal cranes and spiritual birds occasionally flew past.

Qin Huaian secretly clicked his tongue. A great cultivation sect truly was no ordinary thing.

"Everyone, please follow me off the flying vessel." The Foundation Establishment Realm cultivator who had brought them aboard addressed the outer sect disciples.