He led Xiao Yan on a tour of the Starfall Pavilion, and the two walked down from the platform halfway up the mountain and through the main road of the living area.
Along the way, they encountered many disciples of the Starfall Pavilion who were either cultivating or visiting.
To Xiao Yan's surprise, the disciples did not show any hostility or wariness when they saw him walking with Mu Qingluan. Instead, most of them respectfully addressed Mu Qingluan as " Grandmaster ".
Then they nodded curiously at Xiao Yan, some even offering friendly smiles.
Feeling the harmonious atmosphere among everyone in the Starfall Pavilion, Xiao Yan couldn't help but reveal a look of shock in his eyes.
Within sects, competition among disciples is often so fierce as to be almost brutal, with countless instances of infighting and open or covert struggles among fellow disciples.
But within the Starfall Pavilion, he experienced a genuine sense of camaraderie among fellow disciples.
It wasn't insincere politeness, but genuine friendliness and respect.
Perhaps because there are few disciples, everyone here knows each other and takes care of one another.
"Here, this is a jade token representing your status as a disciple of the Pavilion. With it, you can freely enter and exit the Star Realm and the Dou Technique Pavilion to access cultivation techniques and Dou Technique."
While Xiao Yan was still silently savoring what he had just seen and heard...
Mu Qingluan suddenly stopped, took out a pure white jade token from her bosom, and stuffed it into Xiao Yan's hand without saying a word.
The jade pendant felt warm and smooth to the touch, about half the size of a palm. The front was engraved with a shooting star pattern, while the back had an ancient-style "star" character.
Xiao Yan examined the jade tablet from both sides twice and discovered that there was a ring of extremely fine array patterns engraved on the edge of the tablet, which should be a restriction used to verify identity.
Then Mu Qingluan put her hands on her hips, straightened her chest, and raised her chin slightly, trying her best to put on the air of a mature and composed senior sister.
Although she was only fourteen years old and a full head shorter than Xiao Yan, she was extremely serious in her posture.
She began to speak:
"Master said to treat you as a disciple of the sect, just like everyone else."
Although I don't quite understand Master's intention in doing this.
However, since Master has said so, then it must be correct.
She paused, then pointed a finger at the jade token in Xiao Yan's hand, emphasizing:
"So, as long as you're in the Starfall Pavilion, your senior sister will protect you."
If anyone bullies you, just say my name.
Xiao Yan looked at the white jade token in his hand, then at the little girl in front of him who was trying so hard to act like an adult, and a complex emotion welled up in his heart that he couldn't quite put his finger on.
He remained silent for a moment, then carefully put the jade pendant into his bosom, and bowed slightly to Mu Qingluan.
His tone was more serious than ever before:
Thank you, Miss Mu.
"Just call me Azure Luan, or you can call me Senior Sister."
Mu Qingluan waved her hand, turned around, and the hem of her blue dress fluttered gently in the wind.
Her steps remained light and quick. She waved to Xiao Yan with her back turned and soon disappeared at the end of the bluestone path.
Watching the receding blue figure, Xiao Yan stood still, looking down at the white jade token in his hand that still carried Mu Qingluan's warmth, and fell into a long silence.
The jade pendant emanated a slight warmth in his palm; it wasn't heavy, yet it made his hand feel somewhat sluggish.
" Starfall Pavilion..."
Xiao Yan's tone was quite complex.
It's not that he doesn't believe there are good people in this world, but rather that he understands all too well how precious kindness is in this dog-eat-dog world.
And now, the Venerable Feng's life-saving grace, the gift of the Seventh-Grade Pill, and Mu Qingluan's unguarded enthusiasm and sincerity...
The friendly smiles of the Starfall Pavilion disciples, and the jade token in their hands that represents their status as formal disciples.
All of this made Xiao Yan feel something he hadn't experienced in a long time.
That's a sense of belonging.
Even if this sense of belonging was only temporary, and even if Venerable Feng took him in largely because of Yao Lao's influence, he still felt a little infatuated with this genuine kindness.
He raised his head and looked at the Starfall Great Hall, which was faintly visible in the clouds in the distance, and silently made a decision in his heart.
Regardless of whether he leaves this place in the future, if the Starfall Pavilion ever needs him, he will definitely rush back no matter how far away he is.
Mu Qingluan's figure gradually disappeared into the distance. The hem of her green dress flashed lightly at the end of the bluestone path before completely merging into the misty clouds in the distance.
Xiao Yan was left alone in the same spot.
The surroundings quieted down again. Xiao Yan stood alone by the main road of the living area, still holding the still warm white jade token in his hand, his fingertips unconsciously stroking the meteor pattern on the surface of the jade token.
Xiao Yan looked up at the sky.
The sky inside the Starfall Pavilion's small world was no different from the outside world; the sun had only just passed its zenith.
Golden sunlight streamed down from the west, casting his shadow as a long, dark silhouette across the bluestone slab.
There's still a long time before dark, so going back to the room now would be a waste.
He stood there for a moment, going over in his mind everything Mu Qingluan had said when introducing the four regions of the Starfall Pavilion.
Although the little girl spoke with expressive facial expressions and exaggerated gestures, her thoughts were remarkably clear.
The location and function of each area are explained clearly.
He can't just go to the core area, he just came from the residential area, and there's no need to go to the special areas for the time being.
What remains is the training area.
After hesitating for a moment, he walked toward the cultivation area that Mu Qingluan had described.
The bluestone path beneath his feet subtly changed its pattern as he ventured deeper into the cultivation area.
The stone slabs in the living area are regular square bluestones, while the road surface in the training area has been replaced with darker black stone bricks with fine silver veins.
After a short while, Xiao Yan saw a wide-open space.
In the very center of the open space stood a training platform built from single blocks of bluestone.
The tabletop is wide and flat, with reinforced array patterns carved along its edges.
Although those patterns are quite old, the lines are still clear and smooth, and there is a faint energy flowing in the patterns, which means that they are regularly maintained.
At this moment, a few disciples were still sparring with each other on the martial arts stage, honing their Dou Technique.
Two young male disciples were sparring back and forth on the stage. One used boxing, his punches were fierce and powerful, each punch accompanied by a deep sonic boom.
The other was known for his agility, constantly tapping and shifting his feet on the platform, his movements unpredictable, narrowly avoiding punches several times just as they were about to land.
There were three or four disciples sitting below the stage, some watching intently and occasionally cheering for the exciting exchange between the two on stage.
As Xiao Yan passed the martial arts arena, he unconsciously slowed his pace and glanced at the battle scene on the stage.
With his current strength, the battles of these disciples naturally did not impress him.
But he could see that both disciples had laid an extremely solid foundation.
While his moves lacked the ruthlessness honed in life-or-death battles, they possessed a greater degree of academic rigor and precision.
The trajectory of the punches and the rhythm of the body movements were both quite skillful and precise.
Such fundamental skills cannot be developed through talent alone; they require daily hard work and dedication.
He didn't linger for long; after observing a few moves, he continued walking forward.
Soon, he arrived at the Star Realm entrance that Mu Qingluan had mentioned.