True Person

Cloudmist Peak.

With his hair combed in the style of an elder and dressed in imposing robes, Qin Lian returned, accompanied by Yuan Tianhe, to the peak where "Qin Lian" had grown up and learned his skills.

"Cloudmist Peak has limited resources and can only support the training of six legacy disciples, unlike Sun-Viewing Peak, Mountain-Suppressing Peak, and Purple Cloud Peak, which have many."

As Yuan Tianhe accompanied him, he praised him with a smile, his tone quite relaxed. "But with a Heaven Ranking grandmaster like you among those six, I can hold my head high and smile before all Cloudmist Peak's past peak masters."

"Eldest Senior Sister is over thirty-five, so attaining divine intent may be somewhat difficult for her, but Fourth Junior Brother is the most talented of the six of us. At only twenty-eight, he can already spread his aura into armor. His future achievements are boundless."

Qin Lian racked his brains to recall information about Cloudmist Peak's legacy disciples. "Once he attains divine intent, Cloudmist Peak will truly have made its way out among the six peaks and six halls."

"Divine intent..."

Yet Yuan Tianhe showed no joy at this. Instead, his expression grew complicated. "It's not as though you don't know your Junior Brother Xiao's temperament. He bears a blood-deep vendetta. I don't hope for him to attain divine intent; I'll thank heaven and earth if his obsession doesn't drive him into madness."

Hearing this, Qin Lian struggled to remember.

Finally...

He recalled a little more about this fourth junior brother, Xiao Qing.

His entire family had been slaughtered at the outset?

He himself had barely survived?

Only after countless hardships had he managed to join Pure Yang's Cloudmist Peak?

What sort of troublesome background, steeped in suffering and vengeance, was this?

To seek divine intent with that sort of disposition...

It really was a tale from the Arabian Nights.

"I'm getting on in years. My blood and qi have both weakened, and more than half my strength is gone. I can no longer weather the storms of the martial world."

Yuan Tianhe glanced at Qin Lian. "If your Junior Brother Xiao truly meets with disaster in the future, I only hope that you, as his senior brother, can lend him a hand."

Qin Lian looked at Yuan Tianhe...

Fifty-eight.

Nearly sixty.

For a martial artist who refined essence into qi and spent years fighting, suffering losses of blood and qi from time to time, that was no young age...

Clearly, Yuan Tianhe had chosen to step down as Cloudmist Peak's master because his strength could no longer match his intentions.

"You're still young, Master. Once you have more free time, why not visit Forget-the-World Peak more often? The elders there cultivate their minds and temperaments, prolonging their lives. Didn't the previous peak master live to the ultimate limit of ninety-nine? By that reckoning, you still have over forty years left."

"Old Peak Master Tang possessed a Wood Spirit Dao Body and cultivated diligently for many years, attaining the body of a 'True Person.' Only then could he live to ninety-nine. We have no Dao bodies and took up the path halfway through life. How could we cultivate magical power to temper ourselves and seek a longer life?"

Yuan Tianhe gave a bitter smile.

"Dao bodies..."

Hearing this, Qin Lian suddenly took notice of this information.

In this world, cultivating a Yin Spirit and becoming a True Person required the aptitude of a Dao body...

The Wood Spirit Dao Body was one of the Five Spirit Dao Bodies.

But it was no exaggeration to say that Dao body aptitude was rarer than one in a million.

Moreover, almost all such promising candidates were recruited and taken away by the Three Pure Ones Temple, which stood aloof from the mortal world. Very few were overlooked.

The Pure Yang Sword Sect excelled in both swords and pills.

The reputation of its "pills" had essentially been earned by that Peak Master Tang Yue.

With the wonders of his Wood Spirit Dao Body, he could not only better discern medicinal principles and cast spells, but also increase grain yields and bring withered trees back to spring.

However, the new master of Forget-the-World Peak possessed a Water Spirit Dao Body.

He might be able to regulate moisture, clear river channels, or summon wind and rain, but...

Expecting him to supply the sect with numerous pills would be wishful thinking.

Since "Qin Lian" himself lacked Dao body aptitude, although he yearned for the path of spirit-refining True Persons, he knew his own limits and had not divided his attention over it.

As a result, there was little information about this subject in his mind.

But Qin Lian was different.

"Yin Spirit?"

He suddenly asked, "Old Peak Master Tang became a True Person and lived to ninety-nine, but as far as I know, if a Yin Spirit undergoes the tempering of lightning and obtains that trace of utterly unyielding, pure yang power within it, it can become a Yang Spirit... how long can a Yang Spirit live?"

"A Yang Spirit..."

A trace of yearning appeared in Yuan Tianhe's eyes. "Our Pure Yang Sword Sect reveres the Pure Yang True Lord as its founding patriarch. The True Lord possessed both spirit and qi. He had Yang Spirit spells that could move mountains and fill seas, as well as the power of a Martial Saint to cleave waterways and sever rivers. His lifespan was reportedly over two hundred years, and even the reigning emperor often visited to pay his respects..."

"Over two hundred years!?"

Qin Lian's heart jolted.

Everyone else was honestly practicing martial arts, and you went off cultivating immortality?

And even reached the Foundation Establishment Realm!?

"Over two hundred years isn't certain. Some say that he went out seeking immortals and the Dao, advanced further in cultivation, and lived for over three hundred years..."

Yuan Tianhe said.

Advanced further, over three hundred years?

Qin Lian's brow twitched.

The Golden Core Realm!?

"Still, whatever his lifespan, it's beyond anything we can hope for. After all, without a Dao body, even a lifetime of meditation would at most produce a thread of magical power to cleanse the mortal body and prolong one's life. Beyond that..."

Yuan Tianhe shook his head and said no more.

Qin Lian, meanwhile, settled his thoughts.

A Primordial Spirit might be wonderful...

But I don't have the aptitude.

I wonder what will change once I stack my natural aptitude to 100 points. Could it become a spiritual root? A Dao body?

For a moment, Qin Lian could not help brimming with anticipation.

The two chatted along the way and finally reached Cloudmist Peak's main hall.

Liu Xu, who was already acting as peak master, had organized the disciples early to welcome them in the square before the hall.

It was not just the disciples.

Even the martial uncles of the older generation were among them.

Upon seeing the two ascend the mountain, everyone, regardless of status or seniority, bowed together. "We pay our respects to the Peak Master and Grandmaster Qin."

Yuan Tianhe smiled and yielded this honor to Qin Lian.

Qin Lian swept his gaze over those present...

Nine elders of the previous generation remained.

Next were the four legacy disciples: Liu Xu, Xiao Qing, Xu Qingsong, and Chu Ying.

Behind them were the forty-odd personal disciples accepted by the elders.

Behind the personal disciples were Cloudmist Peak's more than three hundred ordinary disciples.

Every one of them had at least entered the martial grades.

With over three hundred people bowing and offering greetings together, it was quite a sight.

Fortunately, he had already grown accustomed to being revered by a crowd at the Qin family estate, so he quickly recovered.

"There's no need for such formality, fellow disciples."

"Please enter the hall, Grandmaster Qin."

Liu Xu presided over the ceremony, giving Qin Lian all the honor due a Heaven Ranking grandmaster.

The many disciples also studied him with excitement and curiosity.

Some newly admitted disciples, in particular, had a trace of delight mixed into the wonder in their eyes.

They had never expected Cloudmist Peak, which they had chosen, to have such a figure. With this, once they succeeded in cultivation, they would not have to worry about finding a good position.

Liu Xu led Qin Lian into Cloudmist's main hall.

Inside, besides the seats for the elders, there were those for the legacy disciples.

Now, however, Qin Lian's seat had been moved to second place, below only the peak master's and almost on equal footing with it, placing him above all Cloudmist Peak's elders at a stroke.

Within the sect, although distinctions existed between disciples and elders, learning was not determined by seniority; those who attained mastery were teachers.

A grandmaster who had entered the Heaven Ranking absolutely deserved such treatment.

After exchanging pleasantries, everyone followed Yuan Tianhe to the ancestral shrine to pay respects to Cloudmist Peak's past peak masters.

They formally reported this news, which could bring glory to their lineage, to their predecessors.

All these proceedings took up most of the day.

Only after the formalities were over did Qin Lian and Yuan Tianhe gather with the legacy disciples. Liu Xu looked apologetic. "Grandmaster Qin, compared with me, you were originally more qualified to inherit the position of peak master..."

"There's no need for that, Eldest Senior Sister. You've worked diligently on Cloudmist Peak all these years, while I left for years and paid it no attention. How am I qualified to succeed as peak master?"

Qin Lian interrupted her. "With you as peak master, we can all rest easy."

He immediately added, "I've now joined the sect's council of elders and accepted the position of Library Pavilion master. It would be somewhat inappropriate to retain my status as a peak legacy disciple and enjoy the peak's provisions. Have a look, and if there's a suitable disciple, recommend them to fill the vacancy as a new legacy disciple..."

"That task naturally falls to you, Junior Brother."

Yuan Tianhe smiled. "As Cloudmist Peak's Heaven Ranking grandmaster, wouldn't it be only natural for you to accept a few disciples and carefully train them to strengthen our lineage? I reckon that, never mind Cloudmist Peak, many people throughout the Pure Yang Sect are probably eagerly waiting for you to start accepting disciples."

"You're joking, Master. I scarcely have enough time for my own cultivation. Where would I find time to teach disciples?"

Qin Lian shook his head. "One must attend to the duties of one's office. I'll be staying at the Library Pavilion from now on, so I ask for your understanding, Peak Master, Eldest Senior Sister."

Yuan Tianhe considered the ambition Qin Lian had declared before the sect master, as well as the knot that had remained in his heart all these years...

He said, "All right, then. But do come back to Cloudmist Peak from time to time. You'll always be one of us."

"Of course."

Qin Lian said, "I'm only going to the Library Pavilion. It's still within the sect, so coming back and forth will be very convenient."

Chu Ying giggled. "Then we'll be in luck whenever we go to the Library Pavilion to borrow books and look for cultivation methods."

"If you need anything, Little Junior Sister, I'll be sure to have someone select the cultivation method best suited to you."

Qin Lian answered with a smile as well.

Everyone chatted and joked, the mood cheerful and harmonious.

Qin Lian stayed at Cloudmist Peak for a day.

Seeing that the succession ceremony was still several days away, he wasted no time. Early the next morning, he packed his belongings and headed straight for the Library Pavilion on the main peak.