Inside the elders' pavilion of the Profound Heaven Sect.
Several elders were holding a meeting. After some thought, Duan Xiangyuan said, "Have them enter a secret realm together in a couple of days. Let them get used to working with each other, and count it as training."
"From what I've observed, those few don't seem to get along very well."
Elder Ling frowned. He had noticed it too. With the grand competition fast approaching, they needed some team spirit, so he largely agreed with the sect master.
They couldn't have them fighting among themselves before the competition even started.
They should hurry up and send them off. Going through some hardships together was one way to help them mesh.
Elder Wang said, "I have no objections either."
"A secret realm has opened near Myriad Ancient City. Why not send them there? Though I wonder whether the other three sects will send disciples."
Without even thinking, Duan Xiangyuan slapped the table. "Those old foxes certainly won't pass up this opportunity!" But his gaze shifted, and a meaningful smile curled his lips.
"Only our sect has a full roster of direct disciples. Even if they come, what can their one or two disciples do? We have four." Defeating the few with the many was a principle as old as time.
Suddenly recalling something, Elder Wang smiled. "Apparently, that innate sword bone from the Tang Household never reported to the Azure Cloud Sect. Those old fellows must be furious. Two innate sword bones, and they failed to catch either."
Elder Ling added, "And the Beast Taming Sect has been scurrying around like ants on a hot pan lately. Apparently, their chief direct disciple's whereabouts have recently become unknown. They probably aren't very likely to come to this secret realm."
"As for those pill cultivators from the Luo River Sect, it won't matter even if they come. How could they beat our talisman cultivators?"
The more the elders discussed it, the more feasible it seemed. This secret realm might as well have been made for their Profound Heaven Sect.
Duan Xiangyuan immediately opened his Jade Slip and swiftly created a group chat. As for what to name it, inspiration suddenly struck.
[Direct disciples who love one another]
Sect Master Duan: In a couple of days, go to Myriad Ancient City. A secret realm is about to open there. Go get some training.
Jiang Yueyan: Yes, Master.
Tang Xiaocao copied and pasted: Yes, Master.
Chi Wang: Okay.
Chu Xiaohua: You above me, why do you have to break formation!
Chi Wang: ...Yes, Master.
Elsewhere, Chi Wang gripped his Jade Slip tightly, his gaze positively murderous.
Sect Master Duan: Let your eldest senior brother lead. This secret realm won't be easy. Don't worry, your eldest senior brother will protect you!
Elder Ling: What's our slogan?
Elder Wang: Love one another!! One family of direct disciples!
Tang Xiaocao copied and pasted: Love one another!! One family of direct disciples!
Chi Wang pasted: Love one another!! One family of direct disciples!
Chu Xiaohua: Are you a repeating machine? Do you repeat everything other people say?
Elder Wang immediately tried to smooth things over: How is that repeating? That's our slogan.
But before Elder Wang could finish, Chi Wang's avatar suddenly went gray. Before an incense stick's worth of time had passed, people on the forum plaza were discussing how they had just seen Senior Brother Chi Wang apparently going to challenge Senior Sister Xiaohua to a one-on-one spar in the middle of the night.
As expected of direct disciples, still sparring so late at night!
Perhaps this was the gap between them and direct disciples.
Ignoring the messages above, Jiang Yueyan replied to the sect master: Master, we'll leave tomorrow. It's better to make plans early.
Only Tang Yao replied.
Tang Xiaocao: Okay, Eldest Senior Brother.
Chu Song and Chi Wang were probably...
Not particularly free at the moment.
Early the next morning, Tang Yao finished getting ready, changed into her direct disciple robes, stretched, and prepared to leave. The benefit of living nearby went without saying: she could sleep a little longer.
After Chu Song and Chi Wang returned from their "exchange" last night, Jiang Yueyan had tallied the votes on where to meet. With three votes against one, they decided to meet near the residences of Tang Yao and the other two.
The moment Tang Yao stepped outside, she saw Chu Song standing with his arms crossed. His long hair reached his waist, and his dragon-whisker bangs brushed his cheeks and drifted in the breeze. Dressed in pale purple sect robes, he looked quite like a wandering swordswoman.
Tang Yao said in surprise, "Oh, you're here early."
Chu Song waved a hand and grunted in acknowledgment. "I didn't sleep last night. I fought Chi Wang to a draw and got so mad I cultivated all night."
Tang Yao: "..." She suddenly wanted someone who could "motivate" her too.
Jiang Yueyan also emerged from his residence. Spotting Tang Yao and Chu Song, he went over to stand with them. Realizing they were still missing one person, he frowned. "Chi Wang hasn't come out yet?"
Chu Song immediately seized the opportunity. "Exactly, Eldest Senior Brother. I live the farthest away, and I was the first to arrive. Chi Wang lives so close, yet he's still this lax?"
"Do you have to talk so much?" Chi Wang heard Chu Song as soon as he stepped outside his gate. The purple sect robes softened much of his hostility.
Jiang Yueyan was getting annoyed. He didn't want to listen to these two trade barbs, so he said nothing and took a small ark out of his Storage Bag. It then grew steadily larger, hovering in the air.
Tang Yao's eyes lit up. This was her first time seeing such a thing. "Senior Brother, what's this?"
Jiang Yueyan glanced expressionlessly at Tang Yao.
For now, Tang Yao was one of the more tolerable direct disciples in his eyes. Apart from looking a little like the Tang Household's young master, she was all right.
But no one could decide how they looked, so he explained with a trace of patience, "This is a Divine Wind Boat. It's very fast, and it doesn't consume Spirit Stones. You only need to feed it a little spiritual power."
What a treasure!
She recalled that in the novel, the Jiang Household's wealth rivaled that of the Profound Heaven Sect.
The difference was that the Profound Heaven Sect didn't encourage disciples to sell talismans, while the Jiang Household was the exact opposite, with thousands of talisman businesses and countless auction houses under its operation.
So, as its young master, any random thing in Jiang Yueyan's Storage Bag could be worth tens of millions of high-grade Spirit Stones.
How could I not get on his good side? If Senior Brother got happy and rewarded me with a Spirit Artifact to play with, wouldn't that be as easy as lifting a hand?
This disguise absolutely can't fall off before I swindle something out of Jiang Yueyan!
Chu Song looked at the small flying boat in puzzlement. "Senior Brother, why aren't we using a teleportation array?" Teleportation talismans couldn't reach somewhere that far away, but teleportation arrays could.
Jiang Yueyan: "..." Those things made him dizzy. Otherwise, he wouldn't have told his master they would leave the following morning. After all, the flying boat would take half a day.
"We rarely get to leave the mountain. It's nice for everyone to enjoy the scenery."
"Don't rely too much on teleportation talismans or arrays. Sword cultivators can ride swords, beast cultivators have flying spirit beasts, and some pill cultivators can even ride furnaces. Finding a suitable flying Law Artifact is a good option for talisman cultivators too."
Chu Song gave a puzzled hum. "Senior Brother, why have you gotten so talkative?"
Jiang Yueyan: "...It's nothing. Everyone, come aboard."
The four boarded the flying boat one after another. As soon as Chu Song got aboard, he quietly began cultivating. Watching this unhappily, Chi Wang also found a room and began cultivating.
Tang Yao: "..." Wait, you two?
Your invisible rat race has caught me in the crossfire. Tang Yao's stomach hurt a little. She, too, ducked into the last room and began cultivating.
Now it was Jiang Yueyan's turn to be speechless. If these junior brothers and junior sister surpassed him in strength someday, wouldn't he lose face as their eldest senior brother?
Jiang Yueyan fell silent and went to cultivate too.
Later, the elders would wonder in utter bewilderment why their direct disciples had changed their ways and become so diligent.
It all had to begin with one particular night...