Chapter Ten: The Successive Masters of the Sect

The registered disciples within the Taoist temple knew that Xie Peiling worked hard, but his aptitude and insight were so abysmal that it was a wonder he had made absolutely no progress in his cultivation over the past two years.

How could someone who always lagged at the very back suddenly succeed in mastering the "Immortal Elder’s Taiji Essential Path Mind Transmission" in an instant? How was he faster than them, and how did he now qualify to participate in the outer sect assessment?

Chen Chuchuan’s expression turned remarkably ugly. It would be one thing if it were someone else, but how could it be this piece of trash?

If any other registered disciple had suddenly had an epiphany or stumbled upon a stroke of good fortune, temporarily getting ahead, he might have been annoyed, but he would have had to accept reality. But the person in question was Xie Peiling, the one he had always looked down upon the most.

"This is impossible! I don’t believe it!"

Inflamed by annoyance, Chen Chuchuan pointed at Xie Peiling’s back and shouted, "How could he have reached the introductory stage? Did the instructing elder fail to verify this properly, allowing him to slip through by fishing in troubled waters?"

"Exactly! I saw him two days ago and he hadn’t made the slightest progress; how could he have succeeded today? I refuse to accept this!"

Following the lead of the senior disciple among the registered students, several others began to clamor as well.

Pei Zhihuai, the daughter of the Wind and Snow Pavilion master, had rushed over immediately upon sensing the sword energy. She was somewhat surprised to find that the person who had beaten her to the outer sect assessment was Xie Peiling.

"Senior Brother Xie’s understanding of the texts is far beyond yours. It’s not impossible for him to have had an epiphany in a single moment. I think you are all simply jealous," she said with a sneer, looking at Chen Chuchuan and the registered disciples behind him. "You mock him every day for being hardworking but talentless, yet I think you are the real trash. If you look down on him so much, but can’t even outperform him, you might as well leave the temple or find a rope to hang yourselves!"

Xie Peiling would occasionally help these fellow registered disciples resolve their doubts. Although it hadn't happened often, his advice had sometimes been crucial.

...

"I thought he was quite unpopular."

Han Jiang stood on a nearby mountain peak and shrugged, feeling rather surprised.

A middle-aged man beside him nodded and said, "For a registered disciple to reach my ears, it is proof enough that he possesses extraordinary qualities."

With that, the two continued to watch. They were curious to see if Xie Peiling could pass the outer sect assessment; mastering the introductory stage did not guarantee one would become an outer sect disciple. Such cases were not unheard of.

Suddenly, a clear, sharp sound of a sword rang out from the mountain peak, like the cry of a phoenix, spreading in all directions.

Seeing this, Han Jiang and the middle-aged man exchanged glances, both wearing smiles. Although this sword chime was inferior to Han Jiang’s own at the time, the sound was exceptionally clear and bright, proving that the foundation of this breakthrough was solid and not achieved through pills or heterodox shortcuts.

At the foot of the mountain, the instructing elder heard the sword chime most clearly. The moment it reached his ears, his tense spirit and body seemed to release like an arrow leaving the bowstring. He let out a sigh of relief, looked toward the summit where Xie Peiling stood, and wore an expression of deep emotion.

On the main path leading to the summit stood a quiet room. Xie Peiling felt moved as he looked at an idol before him. In his sight, most of the idol was being burned by a red flame, while a small portion appeared ethereal. He had never imagined such a thing; the spiritual energy formed by the threads of the "Immortal Elder’s Taiji Essential Path Mind Transmission" was very turbid, as if heavily tainted by the mundane world. At that moment, he thought of the "Celestial Immortal Method," and realized the two were largely similar—in fact, he felt this one was inferior to what he had previously practiced.

It was light—so light it felt soft and wispy like a cloud, which made him very uncomfortable.

Before long, he opened the doors of the room. Seeing the instructing elder’s gratified smile, he returned it, and then walked out with him.

Standing on the mountain, Xie Peiling smiled at the disciples below, who were wearing various expressions.

When he emerged, cheers erupted from the crowd of registered disciples, though Xie Peiling could still hear faint clicks of disapproval and contempt, perhaps from those who believed his success was merely a matter of luck. He did not take it to heart; after all, he had noted exactly who they were.

As he approached, those registered disciples swarmed toward him, their faces filled with a fervor as if they were long-time friends getting drunk in celebration of a comrade. Xie Peiling was bewildered; he had almost no impression of these people and could barely name two or three of them.

...

Xie Peiling looked at the hall he had to pass through to enter the outer sect and couldn't help but smile. The token in his hand flickered with a faint halo.

This token was the mark of a registered disciple, but it would soon be returned, for he was about to become an outer sect disciple of the Yingtian Taoist Temple.

This hall enshrined the past masters of the Yingtian Taoist Temple. Once officially a disciple of the temple, one had to be touched by their radiance.

Xie Peiling walked slowly, looking at every portrait hung above. This was not what he wanted—it was troublesome, as there were sixty-seven portraits in total, which would take considerable time. But there was no choice; the token kept swaying, "forcing" him to pay his respects to the past masters.

At the very end was the portrait of an ordinary-looking middle-aged man. This person looked somewhat familiar; he seemed to have seen him when he was with Han Jiang.

However, this was a place where only the masters of the Yingtian Taoist Temple could be hung; it was likely that his eyes were playing tricks on him.

After passing through the hall, Xie Peiling saw a different kind of scenery, one not visible from the outer sect. He could see the clouds among the peaks remaining still, as if they were the surface of a calm lake. The sky and the mountains merged, and the entire landscape was breathtakingly beautiful.

At this moment, the instructing elder was waiting for him outside the hall. Seeing the sense of emotion on his face, the elder smiled.

Thinking back to when he had officially become an outer sect disciple and felt the same way, the elder felt it was only natural.

"This is just the outer sect. If one day you become an inner sect disciple, you will surely be even more shocked. You have only just reached the starting point of the mountain. Outer sect disciples are different from registered disciples; the gap between them is vast. Some things are purely unfounded rumors that get spread around; you cannot take them for truth. It is very difficult for an outer sect disciple to become an inner sect disciple, and very few ever master the 'Immortal Elder’s Taiji Essential Path Mind Transmission' completely. So, do not relax, and do not think you can slack off just because you have entered the outer sect. I look forward to you becoming an inner sect disciple of the Yingtian Taoist Temple. By then, I will be your senior brother."