The Twenty-Eight Lodges

On the day of the Qi-Gathering Ceremony, the new disciples of the outer sect's various peaks all arrived.

For such a major event, no one dared to be even half a moment late or careless.

The ceremony was held on one of the sect's practice platforms. The surroundings were wide open, and howling mountain winds poured straight through, making robes flap loudly. The crowd was a dark, teeming mass, numbering neither more nor less than a hundred or so people.

Shen Qingzhou stood at the outermost edge beneath the platform with a group of outer sect disciples. The position was rather off to the side, but at least his view was broad enough.

He was in no hurry to squeeze forward. The order was not determined by where one stood, and cutting the line would not help.

Four elders sat upon the platform, and the stewards from every peak had all arrived.

Elder Li of Sword-Coming Peak sat in the foremost seat on the left. His features were upright and square, and he carried an air that made him difficult to approach. A faint aura of metal and iron permeated his surroundings.

Elder Sun of Blackwater Peak sat to the right. His green robes were dusted with motes, his white beard hung to his chest, and he looked every bit the immortal cultivator. His eyes were blue, clear and flowing with watery light.

The elders of Cinnabar Glow Peak and Heavenly Craft Peak sat on either side as well.

With these four seated there, everyone below fell silent as cicadas in winter. They were genuine Foundation Establishment True Persons.

"The Qi-Gathering Ceremony now begins. As customary, we will first discuss the Dao Lineages of the Twenty-Eight Lodges, then the matter of entering the repository to gather qi."

Elder Li spoke. Though his voice was not loud, it steadily suppressed every stray sound in the area.

Shen Qingzhou immediately pricked up his ears, not daring to miss a single word.

The original owner's mind held only a vague impression of the Twenty-Eight Lodges. What he lacked now were precisely these more detailed explanations.

Elder Li rose to his feet and held an iron sword horizontally before him. He flicked it with a fingertip. With a dull clang, a streak of white light burst from the blade, flashing brilliantly with flowing colors.

It scattered through the air into the phantoms of twenty-eight stars, arranged according to the four directions of Azure Dragon, White Tiger, Vermilion Bird, and Black Tortoise.

"To cultivate, one must first gather qi. The root of qi lies in Dao Lineages, and the foundation of Dao Lineages lies in these Twenty-Eight Lodges."

His words were concise, allowing the disciples below to hear clearly.

"In ancient times, before heaven and earth were divided, innate qi filled all existence. Later, it condensed into the Dao resonance of the Twenty-Eight Constellations. Cultivators drew upon this, consuming qi to nourish their natures and opening their Dao Paths."

"The Five Elements and Yin-Yang, seven classes and twenty-eight lodges—this is the orthodox lineage of the Great Dao."

He spoke without pause for most of the day, and the disciples below had long since become dizzy and muddled.

Shen Qingzhou's Unforgettable Recall finally came in handy.

Every word, the attributes corresponding to every star, and the principles of mutual generation and mutual restraint were all imprinted in his mind.

Zhao Heng had indeed been right.

The root of his Tidal Sword Intent lay in the metal element, while his Sword Force carried water resonance. It was naturally close to the Ginseng Water Dao Lineage, and he was also fated for Ginseng Water... the room for his choice was truly not large.

Time was pressing. He could hardly go comprehend another metal-element sword art, then comprehend Sword Intent, and only afterward gather qi.

Shen Qingzhou temporarily pressed down these thoughts and continued listening intently.

Elder Sun of Blackwater Peak took over. With a casual sweep of the whisk in his hand, the phantoms of the Black Tortoise Seven Lodges enlarged accordingly.

"The Black Tortoise Seven Lodges—Dipper, Ox, Maiden, Void, Rooftop, Encampment, and Wall—are mainly water-aligned, but the Five Elements are mixed within them as well. Every lodge has a different inclination."

Elder Sun pointed with his whisk. The seven stellar phantoms shimmered with watery light, yet each bore colors of metal, wood, earth, and fire.

Shen Qingzhou ran through the White Tiger and Black Tortoise sets of Seven Lodges in his mind.

One of these two great stellar groups governed metal, while the other governed water, yet the Five Elements interwove within them in endless complexity.

This was the root cause of the contention between the peaks: what grudges or love and hate were there? Their Dao Lineages simply overlapped, so they fought to seize resources!

Take the Ginseng Water Ape among the White Tiger Seven Lodges. Metal and water generated each other. Sword-Coming Peak could claim the Qi Seeds of this lineage belonged to metal, while Blackwater Peak could claim they belonged to water.

Both sides had their reasoning, and neither could persuade the other. Every year at the ceremony, who received these Qi Seeds was the main event of the two peaks' covert contest.

Shen Qingzhou sorted it out in his heart. In the end, the struggle over Dao Lineages was merely a struggle for monopoly.

Whoever held the right to distribute the Qi Seeds of a certain lineage could use those resources to feed their own disciples and build up their own mountain.

As time passed, they would have more disciples, more successful talents, and greater authority within the sect. Naturally, they could seize even more resources. It was like a snowball rolling downhill.

Elder Li shifted the subject.

"This year, there are a total of one hundred and thirty-seven new disciples entering the repository to gather qi. By the old rules, each peak will first designate its recommended disciples, then report the order of entry."

His gaze swept over those below the platform.

"Sword-Coming Peak recommends Lu Chen to enter the repository."

The moment that name was announced, the entire gathering fell silent.

Shen Qingzhou followed everyone's gaze.

A youth stood in the foremost row beneath the platform.

He was only fifteen or sixteen, not particularly tall, dressed in a pale yellow long robe. A jade pendant hung at his waist, and he wore a crown in his hair.

The youth's features were handsome and proper, but his bearing was icy cold, carrying the air of someone who kept others a thousand miles away.

"Blackwater Peak recommends Liu Yinghan to enter the repository."

When Elder Sun spoke her name, his tone softened by several degrees.

Shen Qingzhou turned his head to take a look.

The original owner had once harbored a few thoughts about her. She had ranked fourth in the assessment, possessed a solid water-element foundation, and had been spotted by Elder Sun and taken away on the spot.

The female cultivator stood among Blackwater Peak's group. She was tall, slender, and graceful, with fair legs.

Elder Sun's gaze upon Liu Yinghan was full of satisfaction. He clearly intended to cultivate her well.

"Cinnabar Glow Peak recommends Fang Wuji."

"Heavenly Craft Peak recommends Zhong Yuan."

The two names were announced in succession from the high platform.

Fang Wuji had the makings of an alchemy cultivator and ranked fifth. Zhong Yuan, who ranked sixth, excelled in the art of crafting.

"Now that everything has been said, let us discuss the rules for entering the repository."

"You must rely on your own senses to choose one Qi Seed within the time it takes an incense stick to burn. Once chosen, you absolutely may not regret it."

"After choosing, you will immediately draw qi and break through. If you fail... you will not be permitted to enter the repository again for three years."

The moment those words came out, it was difficult not to grow nervous. Several new disciples swallowed hard.

If one chose the wrong Qi Seed, the consequences would be disastrous.

Once inside the repository, one could call to heaven and receive no answer, call to earth and receive no response. Whether one succeeded depended entirely on personal fate and comprehension.

Shen Qingzhou hid behind the crowd, frowning as he considered.

"Breaking through on the spot... choosing a low-grade Qi Seed would be easier, at least. It would be easier to succeed, but what future would there be? You'd be stuck in the Qi Refining Realm for your entire life."

"That is still better than choosing a sixth-grade one and failing your breakthrough. You would not be allowed into the repository for three years. Can you afford to wait that long?"

"Sigh, true. This is really two bottles of poison, and you have to choose one. Still, we are already more fortunate than many Rogue Cultivators."

Shen Qingzhou paid no attention to the idle chatter around him.

The one hundred and thirty-seven people were divided into groups by peak, with each group entering its corresponding Lodge Domain. Whichever peak one chose was the only territory one could enter.

Sword-Coming Peak governed the White Tiger Seven Lodges, while Blackwater Peak governed the Black Tortoise Seven Lodges.

Among the White Tiger Seven Lodges was the Ginseng Water Ape, where metal and water generated each other. It suited his Tidal Sword Intent best.

Within Blackwater Peak was the Wall-Water Tapir. It could also accommodate a water-element sword Dao, but it lacked some of the metal-element foundation.

If he chose Sword-Coming Peak, he might have a chance to find the Qi Seed of the Ginseng Water Ape. Yet the Qi Seeds of that lineage were already scarce, and their grades might not be high.

If he chose Blackwater Peak, water-element Qi Seeds would be plentiful enough to pick freely, but they would ultimately be separated from his Sword Intent by one layer.

Besides, the Profound Heaven Sect's full name was the High Heaven Sword-Controlling Profound Heaven Sect.

The sword Dao was unquestionably the most favored Manifest Dao here, the honored Dao. Coupled with the fact that he had comprehended Sword Intent himself, choosing a sword Dao Qi Seed was surely the best path forward.

However, within Sword-Coming Peak, only Cloudveil True Person's lineage possessed the true inheritance of the Ginseng Water Ape. Elder Li's Lou Jin Lineage could not provide him with the later cultivation arts, while the other main lineage, Wèi Earth, was as far apart as south and north, with no connection whatsoever.

The Qi Seeds in the qi repository were not placed about at random. Qi Seeds from the same lodge would deliberately be arranged together.

That left room to maneuver. Shen Qingzhou pondered carefully.

As long as he could enter the Lodge Domain, he could use his Investigation of Things ability to see the true details of the Dao resonance and directly locate the Qi Seed.

At the very least, he would not be like a blind man feeling an elephant.

Elder Li shouted from the platform, "Each peak, quickly confirm your lists. Any disciples who have not yet chosen a peak must report one immediately. Those who fail to report before the deadline will be considered to have forfeited their right and will not be allowed into the repository."

Shen Qingzhou slowly raised his head.

Several gazes around him turned toward him. Zhou Huan from Sword-Coming Peak, along with the disciples standing beside Elder Sun of Blackwater Peak, were all watching him.

Everyone was waiting for him to speak. He could not delay any longer.

"Shen Qingzhou, reporting to Sword-Coming Peak."

He stepped forward. Though his voice was not loud, it carried out with perfect clarity.