Joining as Dao Companions, a Gathering of Heavyweights, and Everyone's Reactions
Article 5: Outer disciples shall be assessed every three years. Those who fail to make any progress in cultivation or Law Technique shall be warned or expelled from the sect, depending on the circumstances.
Article Six: The conditions for an outer disciple of the Evergreen Sect to be promoted to inner disciple are: reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm in cultivation and accumulating 10,000 contribution points to the sect.
Article 7--
Article 8--
Ways to obtain contribution points: Complete sect missions, submit spiritual materials, pills, Talisman Law Artifacts, hunt Demon Beast, and explore secret realms.
Cultivating new talent for the sect – each method has its corresponding contribution point calculation standard.
The entire booklet was filled with densely packed clauses.
Wang Mengde turned the pages one by one, reading carefully word by word.
The reward and punishment system, the conditions for promotion, the welfare benefits, and the rules and regulations—I remember every single one of them.
After reading the last page, he closed the booklet and placed it back on the stone table.
The annual task is to earn 100 sect contribution points.
To advance to the inner sect, one needs to the Foundation Establishment Realm and have 10,000 contribution points.
Wang Mengde went through these points in his mind and had a clear understanding of them.
He did not continue practicing the Luan-Phoenix Harmony Formula.
For someone with Five-Element Spirit Roots like him, even if he absorbed spiritual energy day and night to cultivate, it would still take him more than twenty years to advance from the Eighth Layer of Qi Refinement Refining to the Ninth Layer of Qi Refinement.
Too slow.
Wang Mengde removed his clothes and sat cross-legged in the center of the quiet room, shirtless.
He took a deep breath, circulated his spiritual energy, and a ball of white-purple light shone in his right palm.
The light crackled, tiny arcs of electricity leaping between the fingers, radiating a scorching heat.
Palm Thunder Technique.
Wang Mengde's gaze sharpened, and he slammed his right hand onto his chest.
Boom...
A burst of white and purple lightning erupted, and a fine current instantly spread throughout the body, causing muscles to twitch uncontrollably.
A burning pain seeped from the skin into the bones, as if a million red-hot steel needles were piercing the body at the same time.
Wang Mengde gritted his teeth, veins bulging on his forehead, but he didn't make a sound.
He forced himself to calm down and activated the Thunder Tempering Body Formula.
The remaining lightning power within the body was guided by the Cultivation Method, no longer running rampant, but flowing slowly along the meridians, cleansing the internal organs again and again.
[Thunder Tempering Body Formula +1]
[Physical Attributes +1]
Evening.
Wang Mengde put away the Palm Thunder Technique, wiped the sweat from his forehead, picked up his outer robe, and put it back on.
He remembered Liu Yuanming saying that he would come to find them that night.
It's time to go.
Just then, a warm sensation suddenly came from my arms.
Wang Mengde reached into his robes and pulled out a First-Rank Voice Transmission Talisman.
The Talisman was glowing and radiating heat, its spiritual light flashing, clearly indicating that it had received a message.
He infused spiritual power into the Talisman.
A stream of spiritual light flowed across the Talisman, revealing a line of small characters.
"You wicked thing, come to my attic! My father is here!"
The handwriting was neat and tidy, with a hint of urgency, and a small circle was drawn at the end, resembling a pouting mouth.
Wang Mengde's lips curled up slightly.
He put the Voice Transmission Talisman into his pocket, walked out of the quiet room, went down the stairs, crossed the courtyard, and arrived at the gate.
With a thought, the Light Barrier silently cracked open.
He walked out of the seventeenth pavilion and took a few steps to the eighteenth pavilion next to it.
The Light Barrier had already opened a gap, as if it had been waiting specifically for him.
Wang Mengde walked in, crossed the courtyard, and pushed open the door.
In the reception room on the first floor, Liu Yuanming was sitting in the main seat, holding a cup of spiritual tea in his hand. The steam from the tea rose up, blurring his face.
Liu Yiyi sat on a chair to the side. When she saw Wang Mengde come in, the corners of her mouth curled up slightly, but then she straightened her face, snorted, and turned her head away.
He clearly still looked angry about what happened that afternoon.
Wang Mengde pretended not to see it, stepped forward a few paces, clasped his hands in a fist and bowed respectfully to Liu Yuanming.
"Master."
Liu Yuanming put down his teacup, pointed to the chair beside him, and said, "Sit."
Wang Mengde sat down as instructed.
Liu Yiyi's gaze quietly returned, glancing at Wang Mengde before quickly shifting away.
Liu Yuanming's gaze swept across the two faces, and after a moment of contemplation, he slowly spoke.
"I called you here today because there's something I need to tell you."
Wang Mengde and Liu Yiyi both looked at him at the same time.
Liu Yuanming's voice wasn't loud, but his tone was heavy.
"Currently, the Evergreen Sect and the Golden Sun Sect are engaged in a fierce battle, and the situation is tense. Not long ago, two Foundation Establishment cultivators died."
Your dao companion ceremony need not be a grand affair; simply have some close friends witness it.
Wang Mengde stood up and bowed again, saying, "I will follow Master's arrangements."
Liu Yiyi also stood up, her face flushing again, but her voice carried undisguised joy. "I'll do whatever Father decides."
Liu Yuanming nodded, his gaze lingering on the two for a moment, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
"Ten days from now is an auspicious day. We will hold a ceremony for you two to formally become dao companion. What do you say?"
Wang Mengde glanced at Liu Yiyi.
Liu Yiyi happened to be looking over as well.
Their eyes met briefly in mid-air before simultaneously looking away.
"I will follow Master's arrangements," Wang Mengde said.
"I will follow Father's arrangements," Liu Yiyi said.
Liu Yuanming nodded slightly, picked up his teacup, and took another sip.
"Then it's settled. I'll have Deacon Zhao arrange for some disciples to help you with the setup. Just let me know if you need anything."
"Yes," the two replied in unison.
The ten-day deadline arrived in the blink of an eye.
On this day, the sky was clear and the air was crisp, without a single cloud in the sky.
The bamboo forest in the eastern part of Azure Cliff Island rustled in the morning breeze, and the dew on the bamboo leaves reflected the sunlight, turning the entire bamboo forest into a flowing golden-green color.
Courtyard number seventeen has been completely transformed today.
Two red spirit lamps hung on the courtyard gate. The lampshades were woven from the finest Spirit Silkworm Silk, as thin as cicada wings, and the wicks emitted a faint fragrance when burning.
The vines climbing the courtyard wall were neatly trimmed, and the pale purple flowers were in full bloom, each one plump and round, like tiny purple gems.
A large red carpet was laid out in the courtyard, embroidered with golden auspicious clouds and double happiness patterns, the stitches fine and lifelike.
At the front of the courtyard, there was a long table made of sandalwood, covered with a bright red tablecloth. On the tablecloth were spirit tea, spirit fruit, spirit wine, and several plates of exquisite spirit snacks, all of which Liu Yiyi had carefully selected from the trading area of Azure Cliff Island yesterday.
In the very center of the long table lay a roll of red silk, the contract for the dao companion's union.
Next to the deed, there is a square of vermilion ink pad. Covered with a small jade seal, the jade seal is engraved with the four ancient seal characters "Heaven and Earth are the witness".
There were six round tables in the courtyard, each with eight chairs. The chairs were covered with red cushions, and the cushions were embroidered with mandarin ducks playing in the water in gold thread.
As dawn broke, guests began to arrive.
Wang Mengde looked at the arrangement in the courtyard, his gaze calm, but his heart was beating faster than usual.
He doesn't have many relatives or friends these days.
Moreover, most of them were on Rosy Cloud Island and Azure Cliff Island. The only ones he could consider as friends were Yun Jingshan and Zhao Hongying, two cultivators who frequently sought his guidance on Law Technique.
A few days ago, Wang Mengde sent the two Voice Transmission Talisman, inviting them to participate in the dao companion formation ceremony.
Both of them agreed, and not only did they come themselves, but they also called Hou Qing, Zhou Zhenshan, Fan Yunzheng, and Li Han, who had worked together to capture the Blood-Spirit Flying Shuttle, as well as Shen Qingxue.
The seven men arrived together, each wearing their finest robes, and stood in the courtyard, gazing at Wang Mengde.
Yun Jingshan stood in the middle of them, wearing a dark blue robe. When he saw Wang Mengde, he clasped his hands in a fist salute from afar, grinned, and revealed two rows of white teeth.
He was happy for Wang Mengde.
He was one of the first people to witness Wang Mengde's Law Technique talent on Rosy Cloud Island.
At that time, he felt that Wang Mengde would make a name for himself sooner or later.
And now it has indeed come true.
Hou Qing's face was full of envy. Marrying the daughter of Foundation Establishment Late Stage True Person meant he would have to work at least a few decades less.
A stiff smile hung on Li Han's face. His gaze lingered for a moment on the dark blue robe Wang Mengde was wearing, and a hint of barely concealed jealousy flashed in his eyes.
There was also a hint of bitterness that was hard to explain.
Back on Rosy Cloud Island, he was a high-ranking outer disciple of the Evergreen Sect, while Wang Mengde was just a Rogue Cultivator.
But now, Wang Mengde has become an outer disciple of the Evergreen Sect, taken Foundation Establishment Elder as his master, and even married the Elder's daughter.
Zhou Zhenshan stood at the back of the crowd, arms crossed, a hint of disdain flashing in his eyes.
What good is it for a useless person with Five-Element Spirit Roots to become a disciple of Foundation Establishment elder?
If there's no hope of Foundation Establishment, it will all be for nothing in the end.
Fan Yunzheng, standing next to Zhou Zhenshan, frowned upon hearing this.
She glanced at Wang Mengde, then at the Foundation Establishment experts in the courtyard, and slightly curled her lip, revealing a hint of disdain.
Zhao Hongying wore a dark red robe, with the short sword still hanging at her waist, exuding a commanding presence.
She stood in a corner of the courtyard, arms crossed, her gaze sweeping across the stage, a slight upturn at the corners of her mouth, making it impossible to tell whether she was happy or experiencing some other emotion.
Shen Qingxue stood beside her.
Shen Qingxue wore a moon-white dress, her hair was tied up with a white jade hairpin, her face was calm, and her gaze was serene, like a still autumn pond.
He remained outwardly calm, but inwardly he was churning with complex emotions.
Her eyes narrowed slightly, her gaze falling on Wang Mengde like a snake lurking in the shadows, silently flicking its tongue.
Wang Mengde, that bastard.
First he tricked her, then he lied to her sister, and now he's hooked up with a powerful figure in the Foundation Establishment Late Stage.
What's even more troublesome is Ye Wushuang's side—
Shen Qingxue lowered her eyes, concealing the sinister look within them.
Wang Mengde's relatives and friends numbered less than ten.
Liu Yiyi's relatives and friends, on the other hand, had a much larger entourage.
Liu Yuanming has been operating within the Evergreen Sect for many years and has a wide circle of friends. Among those attending the ceremony today, there are sixteen Foundation Establishment Realm experts alone.
The first one was Deacon Zhao from the External Affairs Hall. He was the host of today's ceremony, wearing a brand-new gray robe with the outer sect steward's insignia embroidered on the hem. He held the red Jade Slip dao companion contract in his hands and stood to one side of the altar, looking very energetic.
The second is Zhou Wanshan, the Dharma Transmission Deacon of Azure Cliff Island, with Foundation Establishment Middle Stage level. He is a man with a broad back and thick waist, thick eyebrows and big eyes, and a full beard.
The third is Li Yunshu, the head of the Alchemy Hall on Azure Cliff Island, with Foundation Establishment Early Stage.
This was a female cultivator who appeared to be in her forties. She had a dignified face and a gentle temperament. She wore a light blue robe with a Lingzhi Herb pattern embroidered on the hem. Holding a white jade whisk in her hand, she sat quietly in a chair, her gentle gaze observing the guests coming and going.
The fourth is Zheng Tieshan, the steward of the weapon-refining hall on Azure Cliff Island. He is a Foundation Establishment Middle Stage cultivator with a burly build and dark skin.
The fifth is Han Mingyuan, a deacon of the Law Enforcement Hall on Azure Cliff Island, with a cultivation level in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.
This man appeared to be in his forties, with a stern face and a murderous aura between his brows. He wore a black robe with a sword and a shield embroidered on the hem, symbolizing the authority of the Enforcement Hall.
The sixth person is the guardian of the Scripture Pavilion on Azure Cliff Island, Bai Suyi, with Foundation Establishment Middle Stage level.
This was an elderly man who looked to be over seventy years old, with white hair and beard, a gaunt face, wearing a faded blue robe, and leaning on a bamboo cane.
All the Foundation Establishment cultivators on Azure Cliff Island have gathered today.
Besides these six Foundation Establishment experts from Azure Cliff Island, there were also ten elders from the inner sect of the Evergreen Sect.
The White Crane True Person and the Thick Earth True Person in the Foundation Establishment Early Stage.
The Foundation Establishment Middle Stage Green Bamboo True Person, Water-Cutting True Person, Many-Treasures True Person, and Cold Moon True Person.
The Foundation Establishment Late Stage: Blazing Fire True Person, Myriad-Swords True Person, Iron-Faced True Person, and Scarlet Cloud True Person.
There were also more than ten members of the Liu Immortal Clan.
In total, there were more than forty people.
The entire courtyard was packed to the brim.
The auspicious time is approaching.
The courtyard fell silent.
Deacon Zhao walked up to the altar, stood behind the long table, his gaze sweeping across the entire room, and announced in a loud voice, "The auspicious hour has arrived. Please invite the newlyweds to enter."
All eyes turned to the passageway at the end of the courtyard.
Wang Mengde walked out of the seventeenth pavilion.
Today he wore a bright red dao companion's robe, which was well-tailored and made of second-tier Spirit Silkworm Silk, which shimmered with a warm luster in the morning light.
The hem and cuffs of the robe were embroidered with spiritual patterns in dark gold silk thread. These were the dao companion contract patterns of the Evergreen Sect, with intricate and exquisite designs.
His hair was tied up with a red ribbon, his face was calm, and his gaze was steady. He walked step by step down the red carpeted aisle, stood in front of the stage.
Then, the door to attic number eighteen opened.
Liu Yiyi came out.
Enter the seventeenth attic.
A murmur of admiration rose from the courtyard.
Liu Yiyi looks absolutely stunning today.
She wore a bright red dao companion's dress, which matched Wang Mengde's dress, but was even more gorgeous and exquisite.
The dress was made of second-tier Spirit Silkworm Silk, but the patterns embroidered on it were more numerous and denser. The collar and cuffs were embroidered with a hundred birds paying homage to the phoenix in gold thread, and the skirt was embroidered with large peonies. Each peony's stamen contained a spirit bead the size of a grain of rice, which swayed gently as she walked, refracting a seven-colored light.
Her hair was piled high in an exquisite flying fairy bun, adorned with a crimson gold hairpin with nine spirit pearls on its tassels. Each pearl was polished smooth and round, shimmering with a faint spiritual light in the light.
She wore a pair of white jade earrings on her earlobes and a green jade pendant around her neck.
She wore light makeup, her eyebrows were like distant mountains, her eyes were like autumn water, and her lips were adorned with a touch of rouge, which made her already beautiful face even more radiant and charming.
Her skin, set against the backdrop of her red dress, was almost translucent white, like a piece of fine mutton fat jade, warm and lustrous.
Her eyes were slightly red, and a thin layer of mist covered her large, round eyes, yet they shone with an astonishing brightness, like two stars washed clean by water.
She walked step by step down the red carpet, her skirt trailing on the ground, like a blooming red lotus.
The spirit beads on the hairpin jingled, their clear and melodious sound particularly distinct in the quiet courtyard.
She walked up to Wang Mengde, stopped, and looked up at him.
Their eyes met.
Wang Mengde saw his reflection in her eyes; the reflection was small, yet very clear, as if etched into them.
Liu Yiyi's lips moved slightly, as if she wanted to say something, but no sound came out. She just smiled with her lips pursed, a smile that contained joy, nervousness, and a little bit of shyness that was hard to describe.
Wang Mengde extended his hand.
Liu Yiyi placed her hand in his palm.
Her fingers were slightly cool and trembled gently in his palm, but she did not flinch. Instead, she gripped his hand tightly, their fingers intertwined.
The two walked together onto the altar and stood facing each other in front of the long table.
Deacon Zhao stepped forward, his voice loud and solemn, echoing through the courtyard.
Today, the sky is clear and the Spiritual Qi is fresh, a truly auspicious day.
Wang Mengde, an outer disciple of the Evergreen Sect, and Liu Yiyi, another outer disciple of the Evergreen Sect, wish to become dao companion, cultivate the Great Dao together, and share life and death, fortune and misfortune.
Liu Yuanming stood up from his chair, walked to the platform, and stood in front of the two people.
He took out two jade pendants from his sleeve.
The jade pendant is shaped like a love lock, entirely emerald green, with a faint glow flowing across its surface, and intricate patterns engraved inside.
This is the Heartbound Partner Pendant, the most important token in the dao companion's Betrothal Ceremony.
However, most of them are first-tier Concentric-Heart Pendant. The ones Liu Yuanming prepared for Wang Mengde and Liu Yiyi are quite rare second-tier Concentric-Heart Pendant.
The two jade pendants were originally carved from a single piece of spiritual jade. They were split in two, with each person holding one half. After infusing them with the Essence Blood and spiritual power of both parties, a mysterious connection was established between the two jade pendants, allowing them to resonate with each other.
Liu Yuanming held the two jade pendants in his palm and presented them to the two men, his voice steady. "Use blood as the medium, and spirit as the bond."
Wang Mengde extended his right hand, and with his index finger he lightly scratched the blade of the jade pendant. A drop of bright red blood seeped out and dripped onto the jade pendant.
The moment the blood mingled with the jade pendant, the light inside the pendant suddenly shone brightly, and a trace of blood spread along the patterns inside the pendant, like a thin red stream.
Liu Yiyi also extended her right hand, similarly slashing her fingertip and dripping her blood into another jade pendant.
The two jade pendants lit up simultaneously, their red and green lights intertwining, entangled, and merged in the air, eventually transforming into a thin thread of light that connected the two jade pendants together.
The ray of light swayed gently in the air, like an invisible bond, tightly connecting the two people with the two jade pendants.
Liu Yuanming handed the two jade pendants to the two men respectively.
Wang Mengde took the jade pendant, held it in his palm, and looked up at Liu Yiyi.
Liu Yiyi was also looking at him.
The two closed their eyes simultaneously and slowly channeled their spiritual energy into the Concentric-Heart Pendant in their hands.
The array patterns in the jade pendant were activated, and a warm power surged from the pendant, flowing into the meridians of the palm, up the arm, and finally converging at the heart.
The force lingered around their hearts for a moment, then transformed into an invisible thread that extended from their respective hearts, passed through the air, and connected to each other's hearts.
Wang Mengde probed the jade pendant with his divine sense and vaguely sensed Liu Yiyi's location.
Liu Yiyi probed the jade pendant with her divine sense and vaguely sensed Wang Mengde's location.
Her eyes reddened further, and the thin layer of mist finally condensed into tears, which slid down her cheeks and dripped onto her bright red dress, leaving a small dark stain.
The contract texts that were floating above their heads slowly descended, one by one disappearing into their bodies.
With each new word added, the connection between the two deepened, and that mysterious connection became clearer.
As the first character entered their foreheads, both of them simultaneously felt a warm current flow into their consciousness, and a blurry shadow appeared deep within their awareness—the other's presence.
As the fifth character entered their Dantian, the two simultaneously sensed each other's emotions. Wang Mengde sensed Liu Yiyi's joy and nervousness, Liu Yiyi sensed Wang Mengde's composure and gentleness.
The moment the last character entered the body, the light on the two Concentric-Heart Pendants suddenly shone to its extreme, the dazzling light spreading from the platform and illuminating the entire courtyard.
The light lasted for three breaths before slowly receding and returning to calm.
The spiritual patterns inside the jade pendant have changed.
Instead of the original intricate array patterns, it has become two characters.
One is "Meng", and the other is "Yi".
The two characters flow within the two jade pendants, echoing and attracting each other, like two stars revolving around each other, never to be separated.
After that, the two of them could sense each other's location and even emotions simply by probing their divine senses into the jade pendant.
Deacon Zhao put away the Jade Slip, and his voice rang out again, louder than before, carrying a solemn declaration. "The ceremony is complete!"