A New Beginning in the Sect

“We’ve arrived at the Sect Hall.”

Luo Yingkong followed the elder into the grand hall. Inside, tables and chairs were arranged neatly with tea sets, while a man in green robes sat leisurely, sipping tea.

“Oh? Fellow Daoist Li, what brings you here?” the man inquired.

“Fellow Daoist Zhang seems quite at ease. Is the Sect Master not present?”

“The Sect Master is in secluded cultivation, so I’m overseeing things here,” the man replied. He glanced at Luo Yingkong, who stood behind the elder, and chuckled, “This young lady is quite unfamiliar…”

Before the elder could introduce her, Luo Yingkong clasped her hands in greeting. “Greetings, Senior. My name is Luo Yingkong. I’ve been invited by Senior Li to join your esteemed sect.”

“There’s no need to be so formal, young lady. Since you’re joining our sect, you may simply call me Senior Uncle Zhang from now on. Please, have a seat,” the man said, gesturing for her to sit.

In the cultivation world, seniority was determined by cultivation level, not age; those with higher cultivation were addressed as seniors and Senior Uncles. From their conversation, Luo Yingkong surmised that the man was a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

“Since the Sect Master is absent, I will handle this matter. As you were invited by Brother Li, we can forgo the aptitude test.” He waved a hand, and tea poured itself into a cup. Then, he retrieved several pieces of beast hide paper and handed them to Luo Yingkong.

“These are some of the sect’s rules. Please make sure to read them thoroughly.”

Luo Yingkong picked up the beast hide papers and scanned through them rapidly. The sect rules were quite ordinary and predictable, such as forbidding the bullying of other disciples within the sect.

Of course, outside the mountain gate, these rules were mere scraps of paper. Another rule stated that cultivation techniques learned within the sect could not be divulged externally, requiring an oath scroll to be signed. Violating it would incur a backlash, causing one’s cultivation to plummet.

Seeing Luo Yingkong set down the papers, the man chuckled softly. “Finished reading? Afterward, we’ll need two drops of your essence blood to sign the oath and to ignite your soul lamp.”

Essence blood was something most cultivators would never allow others to obtain. A single drop could be used to locate the person or even cast curse-type spells.

If an enemy obtained one’s blood during combat, it would be extremely dangerous. Some unorthodox practitioners could take a person’s life from thousands of miles away!

Luo Yingkong felt reassured only after personally dripping her essence blood onto the contract paper and into the soul lamp.

Once everything was done, the middle-aged man produced a set of robes and a token.

“Outer disciple, grey robes. This is also the token for entering and exiting the mountain gate’s formation. Remember, you must not lose it or transfer it to anyone else.”

“I shall bear that in mind,” Luo Yingkong said, glancing at the token before hanging it at her waist. After pondering for a moment, she spoke, “I have one more matter. Having just reviewed the sect rules, I’ve noticed that outer disciples face numerous inconveniences. Therefore, I wish to formally acknowledge Senior Li as my master.”

Outer disciples had to apply to an elder to enter or exit the mountain gate. Furthermore, they couldn’t freely choose their assigned tasks, and the monthly stipend of spirit stones was less than a hundred.

Not only that, but they also had to live with other outer disciples on the same spirit mountain, which was quite inconvenient.

“Haha, little girl, have you thought this through?” The elder was delighted, while the man was momentarily stunned.

“As promised, this ‘Thunderbolt Incantation’ is yours,” the elder said, taking out a cultivation manual and handing it to Luo Yingkong.

“Thank you, Master.”

The elder nodded with satisfaction. The man beside them put away the grey robes and retrieved a white one instead.

“I truly envy Brother Li for gaining such a talented disciple. Congratulations to you both! Since Brother Li holds you in such high regard, Senior Uncle will also give you something.”

He produced a necklace with an ink jade gem hanging from it. “I bought this during my travels in the market. It has the effect of calming the mind and stabilizing the spirit, which can accelerate cultivation.”

“Thank you, Senior Uncle.” Luo Yingkong accepted it without ceremony.

“Oh! I never expected Brother Zhang to give gifts. You’re usually so stingy with even a single spirit stone, yet today you’re so generous. Are you perhaps interested in this lass?” Elder Li teased with a laugh.

Afterward, the three chatted for a few more moments before exiting the hall and leaving the main peak.

****

The elder piloted a flying boat, taking Luo Yingkong on a tour within the sect, introducing everything one by one: the Sect Hall, the Scripture Pavilion, the Treasure Pavilion, the Artifact Forging Hall, the Medicine Refining Hall, the Spirit Beast Hall, the Bounty Board, the Training Grounds, the back mountain, the various peaks, the mountain gate, the spirit fields and spirit mines, and the trading market.

Finally, the elder brought her to his own mountain peak.

“This is your master’s cave abode. You may find a suitable place to settle within a twenty-li radius. If there’s anything you don’t understand, you can come here to find me.”

“Thank you, Master. Your disciple will take her leave now.”

****

Leaving the elder, Luo Yingkong was once again alone. The spiritual energy in this area was abundant, and she moved between the small mountains. With a thought, she summoned the Corrupting Butterflies.

Their spirits were high; they flew wherever the spiritual energy was densest, and Luo Yingkong followed closely, searching for a place rich in spiritual qi.

She arrived at a secluded valley where the spiritual energy was denser than anywhere else, and there was even a spirit spring. She decided to settle there.

With the Thousand Mechanisms Tower she had previously acquired, there was no need to laboriously excavate a cave abode in the mountain. She took out a palm-sized small house and tossed it onto the empty ground before her.

A three-story building appeared. Luo Yingkong nodded in satisfaction, then took out several small flags and set up an illusion formation around it.

With a residence secured, she also needed a medicinal garden to cultivate spirit herbs. Her family had previously run a herbal shop, so she knew how to identify fertile soil.

She found a plot of land in the valley behind the house and used a flying disk to clear the weeds.

“Junior Sister! So you were here!”

The three disciples of Elder Li noticed the pavilion and rushed over.

Their cultivation levels were similar to her own, and Luo Yingkong greeted them politely.

“Senior Brothers and Sisters, please guide me in the future.”

“Oh, no need for formalities! If Junior Sister hadn’t appeared at the last gathering, the three of us would have been stung to death by those hornets,” a square-faced disciple said.

“Exactly, Junior Sister. From now on, we’re from the same master’s lineage. My name is Mo Yuqing, and I’m Li Yuan’s third disciple. We’ll help you open your cave abode too…”

The three were exceedingly polite. As soon as they heard Luo Yingkong had become Li Yuan’s disciple, they searched all over the vicinity for her. With their help, a medicinal plot was swiftly cleared.

Afterward, they even carved out a cave in the mountain to serve as a habitat for the Corrupting Butterflies.

“I didn’t expect Junior Sister to raise spirit insects, but I’ve never seen these butterflies before…” said the disciple named Wu Feng.

Holding a long saber, he helped excavate a cave abode in just a few strokes.

“These butterflies are extremely rare, so it’s normal that Senior Brother Wu hasn’t seen them. Their combat power is also quite ordinary; they merely consume resources.”

Luo Yingkong’s words were overly modest. These butterflies were unrecognizable to others and would only be mistaken for ordinary ones, making them perfect for surprise attacks. If one landed on an opponent, it was essentially game over.

“Thank you very much, Senior Brothers and Sisters. Your cave abodes aren’t far from here, so why not come in and rest for a while?”

She invited the three into the Thousand Mechanisms Tower and poured them several cups of tea. Arriving in an unfamiliar place, it was always better to gather more information.

The four chatted animatedly, discussing Elder Li, understanding his character, and then talked about sect matters and the relationships between various factions.

The operation of the sect was similar to Mount Mufu. Disciples were responsible for taking on various tasks, such as guarding medicinal gardens, cultivating spirit herbs, or collecting spirit ores.

More complex tasks involved expanding territory, contending for spirit mines, or crusading against demonic beasts.

The trio chatted until dusk, then bid farewell and returned to their abodes. Luo Yingkong activated all her formations, and her new life in the sect began.