Duanmo Sword+0: Attack: 800, Durability: 985/1000, Defense: 200
Bai Qiuyuan glanced at the stats, made a slight adjustment, and then, with a smile, refreshed the status panel.
Duanmo Sword+5: Attack: 1300, Durability: ∞, Defense: 1000
However, Bai Qiuyuan immediately recalled what had happened when the branch’s attack power had surpassed a thousand.
He then picked up the Duanmo Sword’s scabbard and proceeded to slightly enhance it as well.
Within the modifier’s vast sea of skills, he selected one that could be applied to the scabbard: [Sword Seal].
Sword Seal: No one can draw the sword except its master.
When sealed, the longsword’s attack power is greatly reduced, but attacks inflict a stun effect.
After confirming everything once more, Bai Qiuyuan contentedly sheathed the sword.
No sooner had Bai Qiuyuan sheathed his sword than a figure appeared by the distant lake.
It was a woman with long black hair, clad in the robes of an inner disciple of the Sword Pavilion.
This woman was none other than Lin Ziya, whom the Pavilion Guardian Elder had informed him about yesterday!
“Little Brother Bai!”
Upon seeing Bai Qiuyuan, Lin Ziya called out with a touch of surprise.
Due to the differing rates of time flow between the Upper Realm and the Lower Realm, only about half a month had passed for Lin Ziya.
Bai Qiuyuan responded with a small, acknowledging smile.
Once Lin Ziya reached the lakeside pavilion, Bai Qiuyuan inquired.
“Sister Ziya, did you walk all the way here?”
“Did you not use sword-flight?”
Lin Ziya explained with a smile.
“Cultivators below the fifth stage of Foundation Establishment can indeed use true qi to control a flying sword.”
“However, the flying sword isn’t strong enough to support a person’s weight, so cultivators below Foundation Establishment fifth stage cannot achieve sword-flight.”
“Of course, if one possesses a Foundation Establishment-grade flying artifact, they can use that artifact to fly.”
‘So that’s how it is; not everyone can use light-body techniques like me.’
Bai Qiuyuan nodded upon hearing this, then pushed a plate of pastries towards Lin Ziya.
Lin Ziya, without ceremony, smiled and sat down to eat.
As Lin Ziya ate, she asked.
“The Sword Pavilion is currently holding a grand competition for disciple recruitment. Little Brother Bai, did you not participate?”
Bai Qiuyuan chuckled helplessly.
“If I were to participate, they’d start questioning their very existence.”
Lin Ziya instantly remembered that Bai Qiuyuan had now arrived in the Upper Realm, and his current cultivation might be at the second stage of Foundation Establishment.
Lin Ziya immediately fell into contemplation.
‘An eight-year-old at the second stage of Foundation Establishment… that would indeed make people question their lives…’
But soon, Lin Ziya continued with a smile.
“Participating in the disciple selection, the higher your cultivation, the more likely you are to gain favor from some of the elders!”
“You might even become a direct disciple of an elder!”
“Direct disciples have greater authority than even inner disciples!”
“And each month, you receive five high-grade spirit stones as cultivation resources!”
After hearing this, Bai Qiuyuan remained silent for two seconds before pulling out a bag of spirit stones from his pocket, handing it to Lin Ziya, and saying.
“Sister Ziya, I have some questions about the Upper Realm that I’d like to ask you.”
“Consider these consultation fees.”
Seeing this, Lin Ziya chuckled.
“Little Brother Bai, why are you being so polite with me?”
However, realizing it was Bai Qiuyuan’s goodwill, Lin Ziya did not refuse him.
‘Although Little Brother Bai was very wealthy in the Lower Realm.’
‘In the Upper Realm, however, spirit stones are the currency.’
As Lin Ziya pondered, her curiosity about Bai Qiuyuan’s financial standing prompted her to open the bag.
The moment it opened, Lin Ziya was instantly assaulted by a blinding, rainbow-colored light emanating from within the bag!
Gazing at the single seven-colored spirit stone and over twenty high-grade spirit stones inside, Lin Ziya gasped sharply.
‘???’
‘Little Brother Bai, are you truly not a disciple from some prominent family??’
‘This is the first time in my life I’ve ever seen a seven-colored spirit stone?!’
“Little Brother Bai, you’ve given far too much.”
Lin Ziya immediately tied the spirit stone bag shut and pushed it back towards Bai Qiuyuan, her expression serious.
After all, this was no small sum.
Bai Qiuyuan chuckled.
“Sister Ziya, just take them.”
“I’m not short on spirit stones.”
“You need these spirit stones more than I do, Sister Ziya.”
Fearing that giving too much might be counterproductive, Bai Qiuyuan hadn’t given Lin Ziya an excessive amount.
Yet, Bai Qiuyuan realized he seemed to have still given too much.
Lin Ziya stared at the spirit stones, swallowed, and said exasperatedly.
“Little Brother Bai, you need to be careful when you go out in the future; don’t flaunt your wealth too much.”
“Otherwise, you’ll easily become a target.”
Upon hearing this, Bai Qiuyuan laughed.
“Don’t worry, I’ll be careful enough to leave them alive.”
Lin Ziya: “???”
‘Was *that* what I told you to be careful about?’
Bai Qiuyuan smiled.
“Sister Ziya, I have a few questions about the Upper Realm that I’d like to ask you.”
Hearing this, Lin Ziya no longer dwelled on it, patting her chest with a smile.
“To tell you the truth, I’m a well-known gossip expert within the Sword Pavilion!”
“What’s more, my master is quite the chatterbox!”
“I even know a thing or two about the Sword Pavilion’s secret history!”
“Just ask; anything I know, I’ll tell you!”
Upon hearing this, Bai Qiuyuan’s mouth twitched slightly, and he said with a smile.
“I merely wish to know about some of the Upper Realm’s forbidden lands and the activation times of its secret realms.”
…
****
After Lin Ziya finished explaining the Ten Great Secret Realms, the Four Ancient Forbidden Lands, and the top ten sects.
This provided Bai Qiuyuan with a general understanding of the Upper Realm’s power divisions.
Bai Qiuyuan had previously inquired about the origin of the immortal mansion key from Han Qianqiu.
Han Qianqiu had said that she stumbled over the key while passing through an ancient forbidden land and coincidentally picked it up.
Having just learned that the Upper Realm possessed four ancient forbidden lands.
Bai Qiuyuan boldly speculated that the remaining three keys might be located in the other three ancient forbidden lands.
‘Ancient forbidden lands, huh? I’ll leave them for the protagonist later!…’
Just as Bai Qiuyuan was deep in thought, Lin Ziya suddenly interrupted.
“Speaking of which, Little Brother Bai, do you know?”
“It seems the Supreme Elder of the Sword Pavilion has found a Dao companion!”
Bai Qiuyuan: “Cough cough!… Cough!”
Bai Qiuyuan, who had been eating pastries, was instantly choked.
After a two-second silence, Bai Qiuyuan asked.
“Sister Ziya, you just came out of seclusion, and you already know about this?”
Lin Ziya chuckled.
“Of course! Wouldn’t it tarnish my reputation as a gossip expert if I didn’t know?”
“My big-mouthed master told me about it when I emerged from seclusion!”
Bai Qiuyuan: “…”
…
****
“Achoo!”
An elder suddenly sneezed.
If Bai Qiuyuan had been there, he would have recognized this elder as the very one who had visited the backyard to deliver the message!
“Is someone talking about me?”
The elder rubbed their nose, wondering aloud.
…
****
“Little Brother Bai, you wouldn’t know, but rumor has it that the Supreme Elder, Han Qianqiu, made a vow centuries ago.”
“Whoever ascended to the position of Sword Pavilion Master would be qualified to become her Dao companion!”
“However, because the Supreme Elder is notoriously capricious, she never found a Dao companion!”
“Yesterday, it seems a very handsome, very wealthy ancestor from another family caught the Supreme Elder’s eye!”
“This matter hasn’t spread yet; only I and a few other elders know!”
Bai Qiuyuan: “Cough cough.”
“Sister Ziya, please continue eating. I’ve just remembered something urgent, so I’ll be taking my leave first.”
Then, to avoid further awkwardness, Bai Qiuyuan directly drew the Duanmo Sword from his sleeve, leaped onto it, sitting astride, and departed the lakeside pavilion via sword-flight.
Lin Ziya immediately asked, bewildered.
“Why did he leave?”
“Hmm? Sword-flight?”
Seeing Bai Qiuyuan leave directly by sword-flight, Lin Ziya was stunned for a second.
Then Lin Ziya glanced at the spirit stones on the table and recalled Bai Qiuyuan’s appearance.
She fell into deep thought.
Lin Ziya: “Hmm?”
‘Little Brother Bai? Wealthy, handsome, and he also arrived yesterday…’
‘Wait!…’
“Holy crap!?”
“Could the ‘ancestor from another family’ my master spoke of be Bai… Qiuyuan!???”
“Then I’d have to call him… Supreme Patriarch-Granduncle!?”
Coming back to her senses and realizing that Bai Qiuyuan had “abducted” her sect’s Supreme Elder just one day after arriving, Lin Ziya instantly turned to stone…
…
…
****
“Yang Xueqing wins!”
With an elder’s pronouncement, the martial arts competition for this disciple recruitment ceremony officially concluded.
As expected, Yang Xueqing claimed the top spot in the grand competition.
From the distant viewing platform, Han Qianqiu sat on a rosewood chair, watching the victorious Yang Xueqing, and mused inwardly.
‘A Lightning Spirit Root, Foundation Establishment fifth stage, and it seems she’s hidden her cultivation… Is her true cultivation Foundation Establishment sixth stage?’
‘She also seems to have mastered a powerful lightning technique; truly a promising talent.’
‘Among the younger generation, there probably isn’t anyone who could be her match…’
At this thought, Han Qianqiu suddenly remembered Bai Qiuyuan.
‘Ah, there is one.’
‘Hmm?’
Just then, Han Qianqiu spotted a familiar figure below the stage.
****
Wearing his rabbit mask, Bai Qiuyuan approached Yang Xueqing with a smile.
“Congratulations on taking first place.”
Yang Xueqing looked at Bai Qiuyuan, then politely cupped her hands and bowed.
“Here, this is a gift I prepared for you.”
“I found this on the edge of a forbidden land; it’s a lightning-attributed artifact, and it should suit you well.”
As Bai Qiuyuan spoke, he directly handed a brand-new, purple, integrated longsword to Yang Xueqing.
Yang Xueqing did not decline, reaching out directly to accept the longsword.
However, the moment she took hold of it, the longsword emitted a faint hum!
It seemed reluctant to part with Bai Qiuyuan.
Bai Qiuyuan glanced at the longsword with a puzzled expression, but for some reason, its humming ceased.
This longsword was none other than the immortal mansion key from before.
Bai Qiuyuan had used time reversal to restore it to its undamaged state.
After the repair, however, Bai Qiuyuan discovered that the key seemed to possess a weapon spirit (TL Note: A sentient entity or consciousness residing within a magical artifact, often developing over time due to the artifact’s power or the strong emotions invested in it by its wielder.).
As soon as it was restored, the weapon spirit inexplicably grew fond of Bai Qiuyuan.
Bai Qiuyuan didn’t pay it much mind, simply attributing it to the weapon spirit’s gratitude for his having repaired the longsword.
Yang Xueqing examined the longsword through her system, quickly seeing its attributes.
Curiously, however, all of the sword’s attributes were displayed as question marks.
Yang Xueqing immediately understood the sword’s unique nature and bowed to Bai Qiuyuan.
“Next, we will begin the disciple acceptance and apprenticeship segment!”
An elder’s words interrupted the two of them.