Training Conference

“Hmph, didn’t you sign up too, Senior Brother?”

Gan Tang stuck out her tongue, then affectionately linked arms with Lu Qiancha, continuing, “Senior Brother, hurry and summon a cloud, or we’ll be late.”

The corner of Lu Qiancha’s mouth twitched. She felt like she’d seen this scene before.

‘Forget it, I won’t lower myself to my junior sister’s level.’

Lu Qiancha raised a hand, summoned a white cloud, and jumped on with Gan Tang following close behind.

On the cloud, Gan Tang seemed to recall something.

She glanced at Lu Qiancha’s profile with a small smile, a hint of expectation in her eyes, and said, “Senior Brother.”

“Hmm?”

Lu Qiancha turned to look.

Gan Tang had a faint blush on her cheeks. She pursed her lips and said in a small voice, “Senior Brother, you’ve never participated in this kind of sect-organized training excursion before. Are you here this time… because you were… worried about me…?”

“No.”

Lu Qiancha’s speech was brisk, her words clear, followed by a rapid-fire response: “Allow me to refuse. You are a good girl, and I have always seen you as my own dear sister.”

Hearing this utterly insincere answer, dark lines appeared on Gan Tang’s forehead.

She huffed indignantly and said, “Hmph, I don’t care! So annoying! I’m not talking to you anymore.”

Lu Qiancha smiled serenely, but then she suddenly heard a sentence: ‘I’m so mad. Next time, I’m definitely going to pluck his tail bald.’

The smile on Lu Qiancha’s face instantly froze, and she subconsciously clenched the tail she had hidden away.

Lu Qiancha landed with Gan Tang in front of the Myriad Phantoms Hall, where several hundred figures were already gathered.

From a distance, young men and women in Daoist robes and long skirts chatted and laughed.

The number of female cultivators here was no less than the men.

Most of them had beautiful faces and graceful figures, each with their own unique charm, like the orchids of spring and chrysanthemums of autumn.

But a few were exceptionally outstanding, standing out like cranes among chickens, or the bright moon among stars.

For example, Gan Tang, right beside Lu Qiancha…

“Isn’t that Gan Tang from Tianquan Peak? She’s becoming more and more beautiful. I heard her aptitude is also excellent. In just over ten years since joining the sect, she’s already at the mid-Golden Core stage. It won’t be long before she can break through to the Nascent Soul realm.”

“I heard that even a Grand Elder is interested in taking her as a disciple. We certainly don’t have such fortune.”

“Who’s that person next to her?”

“Oh, her senior brother, I think. There aren’t many people on Tianquan Peak. His cultivation seems to be only at the Nascent Soul stage. I haven’t seen him in the sect’s top three hundred combat rankings, so I don’t really have an impression of him…”

“I remember his Daoist name seems to be… Qiancha?”

“Qiancha… a thousand boats? That Daoist name is truly… simple and unadorned, quite unique.”

“Don’t discuss disciples from other peaks behind their backs. Behave yourselves! If the sect elders hear this, they’ll think our peak has no manners.”

The whispers reached Lu Qiancha’s ears, but she acted as if she hadn’t heard them.

Without looking around, she first took Gan Tang to register inside the hall, then found an empty corner to wait.

The bell chimed continuously as more and more young cultivators flew in from various peaks.

Today was the Tianyuan Sect’s disciple training assembly, held once every five years, intended to let disciples see the world and deepen their understanding of the Dao.

Any official disciple of the sect could sign up freely for this event, and there were twelve destinations to choose from, catering to disciples at different stages of cultivation.

The Tianyuan Sect recruited disciples on a large scale every two hundred years, meaning each generation spanned two hundred years.

Among this generation of disciples, the one with the fastest cultivation progress was said to have already reached the peak of the Spirit Transformation realm, catching up to many of the sect’s “old-timers” who had been cultivating for five or six hundred years with mediocre aptitude.

For someone like Gan Tang, who had a master with little fame in the sect and who had not yet achieved immortality, to reach the mid-Golden Core stage in just over ten years since joining naturally attracted a great deal of attention.

The brother-and-sister pair stood under the shade of a tree, a person’s width apart.

Many gazes swept over them, and most of the owners of these gazes would probably think that the relationship between this senior brother and junior sister wasn’t very good.

Gan Tang plucked a few leaves and twirled them between her fingers, hesitating to speak several times.

‘Rule number two of our three-point agreement: no idle chatter outside unless necessary.’

“Where are you going, Senior Brother?”

“Guess?”

“You’re not telling me again… I’ve been asking you for half a month.”

Gan Tang huffed softly and muttered, “I’m following you wherever you go anyway. I have to keep a close eye on you.”

Lu Qiancha smiled calmly, her lips parting slightly to transmit her voice, “Junior Sister, your cultivation is almost catching up to mine. It’s time for you to learn to face some difficulties independently.”

Gan Tang replied righteously, “I am under Master’s orders to watch you and make sure you don’t cause trouble outside and tarnish the name of our Tianquan Peak!”

Hearing this, Lu Qiancha just smiled faintly and said nothing more.

After three chimes of the bell, figures flew out from the Myriad Phantoms Hall.

Some had white hair and wrinkled faces, while others looked like young maidens in their prime.

These seventy-two sect members released a fraction of their auras, and the Myriad Phantoms Hall fell silent.

These were all immortals from the various peaks, responsible for guarding the disciples during this training excursion.

Then came the cry of a crane.

A red-crowned white crane spread its wings in the clouds, and seated upon it was a thin, elderly man.

This was the Vice Sect Master of the Tianyuan Sect, Reverend Crane Feather.

He didn’t give a long-winded speech.

With his eyelids half-closed, his lips parted, and his voice echoed throughout the main peak: “On this training excursion, you must remember the sect rules, uphold the prestige of our immortal sect, and do not commit acts that would disgrace our name. There are fifteen locations for this training. It is hoped that you will slay demons and defend the Dao, and support your fellow disciples.”

After speaking, Reverend Crane Feather departed on his crane without lingering.

The disciples all bowed in farewell.

An elder standing in the air before the hall stepped forward after Reverend Crane Feather left, cupped his hands, and announced in a loud voice: “Those heading to the shores of the Eastern Sea to slay demons and evil, come to the far left. Cultivation must not be lower than the mid-Foundation Establishment stage! Rewards for this location will be based on the number of demons slain.”

The disciples below immediately began to move.

Nearly half of them went to the left side of the hall, and the once-spacious area instantly became crowded.

This was a custom for every training excursion.

Among the twelve training locations, there would always be one with low difficulty but generous rewards.

Gan Tang stared at her senior brother and found that, as expected, he hadn’t moved at all.

‘Senior Brother’s goal is indeed not to reap benefits…’

“Junior Sister, your cultivation is still shallow. You should go with them. The rewards will surely be of use to you,” Lu Qiancha transmitted, trying to persuade her.

He saw Gan Tang purse her lips and remain standing motionless beside him.