The Senior Apprentice's Privileges

Someone was visiting?

Zhou Qing was somewhat puzzled.

It was already the beginning of the Hour of the Pig. By the timekeeping of his previous life, it was around nine in the evening. Though it was not particularly late, in this world without electricity, most people were already preparing for bed.

Who would pay a visit at this hour?

Zhou Qing went over and opened the door, only to find three people standing outside.

Nie Yunxi stood in the middle.

She had also changed into Azure Cloud Sect robes. However, women's robes differed somewhat from men's. The snow-white fabric was embroidered with exquisite cloud patterns, and the waist was visibly tailored to better accentuate one's figure. Over it, she wore a thin gauze outer robe.

Nie Yunxi had already been slender and graceful; now, she seemed even more ethereal and otherworldly.

Wei Xu stood to Nie Yunxi's right, and Wang Xiaohu to her left.

The two wore the same robes as Zhou Qing and stood on either side of Nie Yunxi like the two guardians of hum and ha, making them look more like her attendants by comparison.

Zhou Qing smiled. "What wind is blowing today, for the three of you to come together?"

Wei Xu smiled. "We did not come together. We happened to meet in the bamboo grove."

In other words, all three of them had independently planned to visit him tonight?

That was even stranger.

Zhou Qing asked, "You are probably not here just to chat with me, are you?"

Wang Xiaohu spoke first. "Brother Zhou Qing, I came to report some news."

Zhou Qing smiled. "What news was important enough for you to make a trip so late at night?"

Wang Xiaohu said, "Have I not been getting along quite well with Wei Kuang's lackeys lately? Tonight, I went to chat with someone named Feng Yuan again."

"This Feng Yuan is the son of an Azure Cloud Sect servant. He was selected because he had a talent for cultivation, and he likes following Wei Kuang around all day. Today, he told me that Elder Jin Mang of the Hall of Skill Transmission gave Wei Kuang a Heart Strengthening Pill, to prevent Brother Zhou Qing from becoming this cohort's Senior Apprentice."

For a moment, Zhou Qing did not understand the connection between the two matters. He asked, "Who is Elder Jin Mang?"

Wang Xiaohu was about to explain when Wei Xu spoke first. "Brother Zhou truly pays too little attention to the sect's basic situation."

"Below the Sect Master, Azure Cloud Sect is divided into four halls: Skill Transmission, Discipline, Arcane Arts, and General Affairs. Each hall has a leader in charge. Beneath each leader are four Elders, as well as a number of stewards."

"They are the backbone of Azure Cloud Sect."

"Among them, the Hall of Skill Transmission stands first among the four halls. Jin Mang is one of its Elders, a great cultivator at Foundation Establishment Perfection, only one step away from the Golden Core realm. Uncle Chen is a steward under him."

Zhou Qing silently called himself ashamed.

Since arriving at Azure Cloud Sect, he had done nothing but travel back and forth between the Instruction Platform and his own small courtyard every day. He had never thought to learn about the sect's circumstances.

It was not entirely his fault.

On his first day listening to the lecture, he had obtained the cultivation technique and then thrown himself into intense, exhilarating cultivation. The others, meanwhile, could only sense spiritual energy at the Instruction Platform. Once they left it, they had nothing to do, so they could only wander about and incidentally learn about the sect's affairs.

Zhou Qing asked, "Then Elder Jin Mang is an important figure in the sect. Why would he care whether an Outer Disciple like me becomes the Senior Apprentice?"

That was beyond Wei Xu's knowledge. He could only look helplessly at Wang Xiaohu.

Wang Xiaohu grinned smugly. "From what I have learned over the past two days, Azure Cloud Sect mainly has two factions: the so-called Native Faction and Outsider Faction."

"What does that mean?"

Wang Xiaohu said, "Azure Cloud Sect's disciples come from two sources. One is disciples like us, recruited from the mortal world. The other is disciples born into Azure Cloud Sect. Some are the children of servants, while others are descendants of disciples from the older generation."

"The latter make up Azure Cloud Sect's Native Faction. The Native Faction believes that since their elders once made many contributions to the sect, the sect should give them preferential treatment when nurturing disciples."

Zhou Qing finally understood. "So Elder Jin Mang belongs to the Native Faction?"

Wang Xiaohu nodded. "That is right."

"Wei Kuang's grandfather was an Azure Cloud Sect disciple. It is said that while carrying out business for the sect, he died under the siege of Demonic Cultivators."

"Elder Jin Mang pitied his loyalty and courage, so he took his descendant under his wing to nurture him. That descendant was Wei Kuang."

"Elder Jin Mang wanted Wei Kuang to become the Senior Apprentice. To that end, he specifically sought instructions from the Hall of Skill Transmission Leader and taught Wei Kuang Azure Cloud Sect's cultivation technique ahead of time, all so he could seize the initiative."

"But who could have expected a heaven-blessed genius like Brother Zhou Qing to emerge among this cohort of disciples? Uncle Chen intended for Brother Zhou Qing to become the Senior Apprentice and argued with Elder Jin Mang twice in succession."

"In the end, the two reached an agreement. If, after three months, Brother Zhou Qing's cultivation reached half of Wei Kuang's, the position of Senior Apprentice would go to Brother Zhou Qing. Otherwise, it would belong to Wei Kuang."

Wei Xu asked, "How many spiritual roots does Wei Kuang have?"

"I heard he has sixteen."

Wei Xu frowned but said nothing.

Yet all three understood his concern. Zhou Qing had only one spiritual root. If they cultivated the same technique and had comparable resources such as spirit veins and spirit stones, Zhou Qing's cultivation speed would be only one-sixteenth of Wei Kuang's.

To possess half of Wei Kuang's cultivation after three months was almost impossible.

Elder Jin Mang's concession was really nothing more than a way to stop Chen Qingxuan's mouth.

Worried that Zhou Qing might feel discouraged, Wei Xu comforted him. "Brother Zhou need not lose heart. Wei Kuang has not yet successfully circulated the Heavenly Cycle, while Brother Zhou has already begun cultivating. You have already taken the lead, so you may not necessarily lose to him."

Wang Xiaohu said, "What we can think of, how could Elder Jin Mang possibly fail to think of it? That is why he gave Wei Kuang a Heart Strengthening Pill. It is said to steady the mind and allow cultivators to pass through the Twelvefold Gates faster."

"Wei Kuang will likely be able to circulate the Heavenly Cycle very soon."

Wei Xu glared helplessly at Wang Xiaohu.

The boy was usually quite clever. Why did he always bring up the one thing nobody wanted to mention?

He looked at Nie Yunxi and asked, "What does Miss Nie think?"

Nie Yunxi said, "Ordinarily, it would be absolutely impossible for Senior Brother Zhou's cultivation to reach half of Wei Kuang's after three months..."

At this point, she cast Zhou Qing a sidelong glance and said, "But Senior Brother Zhou has never been bound by ordinary rules. I believe in Senior Brother Zhou."

Zhou Qing smiled and asked, "It seems the position of Senior Apprentice is quite important."

"Of course it is!"

Wang Xiaohu exclaimed, "The Senior Apprentice stands first among all disciples and receives the respect of the others. What immense glory that is! What is more, the sect's support for the Senior Apprentice is double that of ordinary disciples. The Senior Apprentice is also responsible for assigning tasks to the other disciples and controls a great many resources."

"Most importantly..."

Wang Xiaohu swallowed and continued, "By custom, the Senior Apprentice of every cohort can become an Inner Disciple without undergoing the assessment, enjoying the same treatment as an Inner Disciple. They can freely enter and leave the Scripture Pavilion, browse texts below the fifth floor, and come into contact with secret techniques and spells that only Inner Disciples may cultivate."

Zhou Qing's eyes lit up. This point truly tempted him.

At present, he had only learned the fundamental cultivation technique, which belonged to the domain of the Dao. As for the spells used in combat, he had not yet encountered them. Yet those were what could most practically protect oneself and fend off enemies.