The Search for New Disciples

The morning sun pierced through the thin mist surrounding Azure Cloud Peak, bathing the dilapidated Wentian Sect in a faint golden glow.

Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, Yu Ruyan stepped out of the drafty thatched side hall.

The previous night, she had not only skinned over a dozen Wind Wolves, but had also followed Qin Lin’s instructions and spent half the night sitting cross-legged beside the campfire, supposedly “circulating qi and returning it to its source.”

Strangely enough, despite the mountain’s thin spiritual qi, she woke up without the slightest hint of exhaustion from working through the night.

Instead, her body felt remarkably light, and a warm current flowed merrily through her meridians.

Most importantly, the moment she stepped outside, she caught the intoxicating aroma she had dreamed about all night.

In the center of the courtyard, inside the cracked alchemy furnace that Qin Lin had grandly christened the Supreme Creation Cauldron, grease crackled over the flames.

Two plump Wind Wolf hind legs had been roasted to a perfect golden crisp.

Fat sizzled and burst beneath the charcoal fire, releasing an irresistible fragrance that blended the freshness of wild herbs with the rich aroma of roasted meat.

Qin Lin stood tall and graceful.

His white robes fluttered in the morning breeze as he elegantly sprinkled crushed aromatic wild herbs over the roasting wolf meat.

“You’re awake?”

Without even turning around, Qin Lin spoke in a cool, detached voice, every bit the lofty immortal master.

“Master!”

Yu Ruyan swallowed hard.

Like a puppy catching the scent of meat, she hurried over to the furnace, her large eyes glued to the roasted wolf legs.

“It smells amazing, Master!”

“Is… is this what spirit food tastes like?”

[Ding! A new day has begun.]

[Disciple Yu Ruyan naturally developed qi awareness last night and successfully completed her first Minor Heavenly Cycle.]

[Current sect population: 1.]

[Today’s AFK cultivation settlement: Obtained one year of cultivation foundation.]

In an instant, Qin Lin felt the thread-like sword qi within him erupt with newfound strength.

It thickened noticeably, and the speed at which it flowed through his meridians more than doubled.

Although this amount of cultivation still placed him firmly among the weakest nobodies in the cultivation world, Qin Lin was overjoyed.

‘Automatic AFK cultivation really is incredible!’

‘I sleep through the night and wake up with an extra year’s worth of cultivation for free.’

‘If I recruit ten thousand disciples…’

‘Then I could literally lie in bed every day and outpace those old monsters who’ve been in secluded cultivation for thousands of years!’

His inner abacus clattered away excitedly.

Outwardly, however, he merely handed Yu Ruyan a firewood cleaver.

“Eat.”

“Once you’re full, today’s training begins.”

“Thank you, Master!”

Yu Ruyan cheered.

Taking the cleaver with practiced familiarity, she sliced off a huge chunk of roasted meat.

Without caring how hot it was, she stuffed it into her mouth and chewed enthusiastically, her eyes narrowing into happy crescents.

Watching his eldest disciple devour the food without the slightest trace of an elegant fairy’s demeanor, Qin Lin couldn’t help sighing inwardly.

‘This girl’s ridiculously easy to fool.’

Then he focused his attention and opened the system’s Shop interface.

Completing the First Disciple mission last night had earned him 1,000 Prestige Points.

Now he finally had some spending power.

Since the system had already advanced to Level 1, the next priority was obvious.

Expand the sect.

Recruit more talented disciples.

But as the saying went, clothes made the man just as gilding adorned the Buddha.

If he wanted genuine prodigies to willingly come knocking at his door, the sect first needed to look respectable.

Who in their right mind would join a sect that looked like it had already declared bankruptcy?

The great construction project…

…began immediately.

Qin Lin tapped the empty air with his slender fingers, making precise purchases from the system shop.

[Spent 300 Prestige Points.]

[Exchanged for: Beginner Sect Gate (Immortal Jade White Marble Edition).]

[Note: Beautiful and exceptionally durable. Contains no defensive formations whatsoever, but delivers overwhelming visual impact. A must-have for nouveau riche cultivation sects.]

[Spent 200 Prestige Points.]

[Exchanged for: Marrow Cleansing Spring.]

[Note: Produces three barrels of spring water daily with mild marrow-cleansing and meridian-purifying effects. Suitable for tea or bathing. An excellent lure for recruiting new disciples.]

[Spent 100 Prestige Points.]

[Exchanged for: Wentian Sect True Disciple Uniform (Summer & Winter Sets).]

[Note: Brilliantly radiant. Impervious to fire and water. Provides minor dust resistance and cooling effects. Wearing it increases one’s aura by 80%.]

In the blink of an eye, 600 Prestige Points disappeared.

Four hundred remained in reserve.

“Ruyan.”

“Finished eating?”

Qin Lin wiped his hands and asked calmly.

“Mhm… I’m full!”

Yu Ruyan wiped the grease from her mouth with her sleeve, patted her round little belly, and stood upright while hugging her wooden sword.

“Master, are we practicing swordsmanship today?”

“I feel as strong as an ox now!”

“To cultivate the sword, one must first cultivate the heart.”

“To cultivate martial arts, one must first build the sect.”

Qin Lin shook his head with an air of profound wisdom.

With a casual flick of his hand, he tossed a flowing goose-yellow robe into her arms.

The robes shimmered with soft radiance and carried a faint, refreshing fragrance.

“This is the ceremonial robe of a true disciple of the Wentian Sect.”

“Go change.”

“When you return, I shall entrust you with a supreme mission—one that concerns the eternal foundation of our sect.”

A supreme mission?

Yu Ruyan’s eyes lit up instantly.

Clutching the robes, which felt a hundred times softer than heavenly silkworm silk, she hurried into the thatched hut.

A short while later, she emerged.

The system-produced uniform was of astonishing quality.

The moment she put it on, every trace of her former rustic appearance vanished.

The goose-yellow robes fluttered gently in the breeze.

A white jade belt cinched her waist, perfectly accentuating the graceful figure of the young girl.

The sharp, hidden brilliance of her Innate Sword Bone subtly revealed itself, making her resemble an unrivaled Sword Immortal who had just stepped out of a painting.

Of course…

…the effect would have been even better if she hadn’t still been carrying a chipped firewood cleaver.

“Master!”

“I’ve changed!”

“Please bestow your supreme mission upon me!”

Yu Ruyan’s little face was tense with solemn determination.

Qin Lin turned around and pointed toward the mountain gate.

“Our Wentian Sect is a hidden great sect.”

“We uphold the dignity befitting immortals.”

“We cannot resemble those sloppy mortal sects.”

“Do you see those two pillars that have appeared at the foot of the mountain?”

Yu Ruyan followed his finger.

She immediately sucked in a sharp breath.

At the end of the once-desolate mountain path, two colossal gate pillars now stood where nothing had existed before.

Each towered over thirty meters high, carved entirely from flawless immortal jade white marble.

The two characters Wentian danced majestically across the gate in soaring calligraphy.

A faint immortal glow shimmered around them.

The gate was magnificent beyond belief.

“W-When did you move this here, Master?”

Yu Ruyan stood completely dumbfounded.

“I used my Grand Spatial Transference Divine Art last night.”

“I severed a section of an immortal jade mountain from the Upper Realm and refined it into our sect gate.”

Qin Lin lied through his teeth without batting an eye.

Then he handed her a dustpan still caked with dirt and an old broom.

“Ruyan.”

“Your supreme mission begins now.”

“From the mountain gate all the way to the main hall are three thousand bluestone steps.”

“I want every single one swept until not a speck of dust remains.”

“You are forbidden from using cultivation.”

“You may clean them only as an ordinary mortal would.”

“With each step you sweep, silently recite our sect’s guiding principle.”

“‘Only those who endure the greatest hardships can rise above all others.'”

“This is a trial to temper both your Sword Heart and your endurance.”

“Do you understand your master’s painstaking intentions?”

In reality…

He was simply lazy.

And the sect really was filthy.

But in Yu Ruyan’s eyes, this was an unparalleled trial devised by an immortal expert.

Every storybook said the same thing.

When true masters accepted disciples, they always made them fetch water, chop wood, and sweep the grounds.

It was all to temper one’s character.

“I understand, Master!”

The girl’s eyes reddened with emotion.

Her imagination immediately ran wild.

‘Master must have exhausted himself moving an entire immortal mountain with such a supreme divine art…’

‘And now he’s personally supervising my cultivation…’

‘I absolutely cannot disappoint him!’

Letting out an excited cry, she grabbed the broom and dustpan and sprinted toward the mountain gate.

Watching his hardworking eldest disciple energetically sweeping the mountain path with all her might, Qin Lin leisurely settled back into his Grand Master’s chair.

With a casual wave, he installed the Marrow Cleansing Spring into the dried-up well in the corner of the courtyard.

At once, the sound of bubbling spring water echoed from within.

A sweet mist tinged with spiritual qi drifted upward.

Using a chipped porcelain bowl, Qin Lin scooped himself a bowl of spring water.

He took a slow sip and contentedly narrowed his eyes.

“Mm.”

“The water’s excellent.”

“It’ll make perfect tea.”

“With the new gate and this spring, our headquarters is finally starting to look respectable.”

From the mountain path came Yu Ruyan’s bright, somewhat foolish voice.

“One!”

“‘Only those who endure the greatest hardships can rise above all others!'”

“Hah!”

“Two!”

“‘Only those who endure the greatest hardships… get roasted meat tomorrow!'”

“Hah!”

Qin Lin silently rolled his eyes.

Whatever.

As long as she kept working, she could chant whatever she liked.

Holding the chipped porcelain bowl, he slowly walked to the cliff before the main hall.

Looking down from above, he surveyed Linxi Market at the edge of the Hundred Thousand Mountains.

Purple spiritual mist drifted through the bustling settlement, where all kinds of cultivators mingled together.

“One disciple gives me one year’s cultivation every day.”

“I don’t even have to cultivate myself.”

“But if I want to safely survive in a world crawling with gods and demons…”

“…this tiny amount of cultivation is nowhere near enough.”

Qin Lin lightly tapped the rim of his bowl with one finger.

His gaze gradually became deep and contemplative.

The system’s Insight Panel was entirely passive.

It only displayed a person’s aptitude and traits when they entered his field of vision.

That meant if he simply sat on the mountain waiting for geniuses to come to him…

…he would probably die of old age before recruiting more than a handful.

“It seems…”

“If I truly want to uncover peerless talents buried beneath the dust…”

“…I’ll have to head down the mountain myself and cast a much wider net.”

Linxi Market was the largest gathering place for independent cultivators within tens of thousands of miles.

Every day, countless down-on-their-luck cultivators, wandering swordsmen, and even abandoned heirs of prestigious clans struggled to survive there.

Such an enormous population made it the perfect hunting ground for using the Insight Panel to conduct an indiscriminate talent search.

Geniuses weren’t cabbages growing by the roadside.

But…

He had X-ray vision.

“Ruyan!”

Qin Lin casually tossed the porcelain bowl onto the stone table.

With a sweep of his sleeve, the Sect Master’s robes billowed dramatically in the mountain wind.

“Yes, Master!”

Yu Ruyan’s panting reply came from halfway down the mountain.

“Watch the sect.”

“And don’t forget to start simmering the wolf bone soup for lunch.”

With his hands clasped behind his back, Qin Lin descended the mountain path in calm, measured strides befitting an unfathomable grandmaster.

“Master!”

“Where are you going?”

Yu Ruyan hugged her broom and looked after him curiously.

Without looking back, Qin Lin left behind only a single enigmatic sentence that slowly drifted through the mountain breeze.

“I am going down the mountain…”

“…to find you a few junior brothers and sisters.”