Chapter 26: First Impression of the Sect

At the top of Yundan Peak, the figure of Mr. Muyun merged into the clouds and disappeared quietly, as if he had never appeared.

Ye Li stood alone in front of the quiet courtyard, looking around. The concentration of spiritual energy here was far greater than that of the cold spring in the mountain behind the Ye family. It was even several times richer and purer than the overall spiritual energy of the sect she had felt during the Qingyun Ladder assessment! The rich spiritual energy almost turned into a tangible mist, lingering between the bamboo houses in the forest. One breath of it made her feel refreshed and relaxed.

"As expected of the Xuanyun Sect, a single peak holds such spiritual essence." Ye Li secretly praised. Cultivating here would surely lead to a speed far exceeding that of the outside world.

She pushed open the bamboo gate of the courtyard, making a slight creaking sound.

The courtyard was small and simple. Three bamboo houses stood side by side, with a small open space in front. In the corner grew a clump of emerald green bamboo, rustling softly in the breeze. The houses looked old, but they were immaculately clean, spotless.

In the center was the main room, furnished with a bed, a table, a chair, and a futon, all made of bamboo, simple to the point of being crude. To the left was the quiet room, its floor paved with a simple spirit-gathering array pattern, a place for cultivation. To the right were the utility room and a small bathroom.

The conditions were indeed ordinary, not even comparable to the residences of some of the Ye family's favored bastards. But Ye Li was quite satisfied. This place was quiet, full of spiritual energy, and undisturbed—just what she needed. As for luxurious enjoyment, she never cared about it.

She stood still in the courtyard, carefully sensing the flow of spiritual energy. The spiritual energy of Yundan Peak seemed different from other places. Besides the inherent spiritual energy of heaven and earth, it was also mingled with a faint medicinal aroma and a gentle aura of fire. This must be due to the peak's disciples' constant practice of alchemy and talisman making. This environment would greatly benefit her in comprehending the ancient rune notes she had obtained from the Ye family's treasure house and in experimenting with alchemy.

Soon, light footsteps were heard outside the yard.

A young man, about fifteen or sixteen years old, wearing the gray cloud-patterned outer disciple uniform, cautiously stood outside the fence and called out respectfully, "Is Senior Sister Ye... Ye here? I'm here on the orders of Elder Muyun to deliver supplies to the inner disciples."

Ye Li opened the door, and the young man's face immediately showed nervousness and awe when he saw her. He had obviously heard about the new senior sister's reputation for being the top scorer in the assessment. He held a tray in his hands, on which was neatly placed a pile of clothes, a token, several jade bottles, and a small cloth bag.

"Come in." Ye Li said lightly.

The young man then dared to enter the courtyard, placing the tray on the stone table and saying respectfully, "Senior Sister, these are your three sets of inner disciple uniforms, which can be changed according to the season. This is your identity token, which requires a blood oath to acknowledge its ownership. With this token, you can freely enter and exit most areas of Yundan Peak, and you can also exchange resources and accept missions within the sect. These two jade bottles contain this month's supply of 'Qi Gathering Pills' and 'Spirit Concentrating Pills', ten each. This small bag contains fifty low-grade spirit stones."

Ye Li's eyes swept over the items. The clothing was a pale blue brocade with a cloud pattern, a remarkable material, faintly shimmering and seemingly bearing simple runes of purity and dust repellence. The identity token was made of black iron, feeling icy cold to the touch. "Xuanyun" was engraved on the front, while the back bore smaller inscriptions such as "Yundan," "Neimen," and "Yeli." The Qi Gathering Pill and the Soul Condensing Pill were both first-grade elixirs, of relatively pure quality. Fifty low-grade spirit stones, for a newly initiated disciple, was a considerable fortune; it must have been part of the "best treatment."

"Thank you." Ye Li nodded.

"You're so polite, Senior Sister!" The young man was flattered and waved his hand quickly. "If you don't have any other instructions, I'll take my leave. If you need any errands in the future, please feel free to ask me. My name is Zhao Xiaoyi, and I live in the outer disciples' quarters at the foot of the mountain."

"Yeah." Ye Li responded.

Zhao Xiaoyi then bowed and left the courtyard.

Ye Li picked up the identity token and forced a drop of blood from her fingertips onto it. The blood was quickly absorbed by the token, and suddenly, a subtle connection was formed between her and the token. Some basic information about the sect also flooded into her mind, mainly the sect's rules and regulations.

"All Xuanyun Sect disciples must strictly abide by the sect rules. They must not betray their master or ancestors, they must not kill their fellow disciples, and they must not collude with the devil..."

"Disciples need to complete sect tasks on time and earn contributions..."

"Disciples may spar with each other, but they must not maliciously harm lives..."

"The sect's contribution points can be exchanged for skills, elixirs, weapons, and talismans in the Merit Hall..."

The rules and regulations are quite complicated, but the core is nothing more than maintaining the sect's rule, encouraging competition while limiting internal friction.

She put away the token, picked up the jade slip given to her by Master Muyun, and immersed her consciousness into it.

The jade slip contained a wealth of information. The most important section was the "Cloud and Water Technique," a low-grade Xuan-level water-based technique. It was moderate and peaceful, cultivating a relatively long-lasting spiritual energy, suitable for alchemy and talismans, though its attack power was somewhat lacking. It was clearly the mainstream technique of Yundan Peak.

The other part is some basic knowledge of alchemy and talismans, such as "Introduction to Herbs", "Illustrated Guide to Basic Runes", "Secrets of Fire Control", etc., which are all entry-level content, but the system is complete, which is exactly what Ye Li urgently needs.

"The Cloud and Water Art..." Ye Li pondered for a moment. This technique wasn't high-grade, and its attributes didn't match her "Emperor's Scripture of the Netherworld," so she naturally wouldn't major in it. But as a cover, occasionally practicing it wouldn't hurt; it would also allow her to understand a new spiritual power attribute, perhaps drawing inferences from one instance to another. As for the basic knowledge, it was a timely help.

Putting the jade slip away, she changed into a pale blue dress suitable for inner disciples. The fitted garment gave her originally frail figure a more ethereal air, and her pale complexion, nourished by the spiritual energy, became slightly rosier.

She did not start practicing or studying the classics immediately, but walked out of the courtyard and slowly strolled along the bluestone path on Yundan Peak.

Yundan Peak is quite large, but its disciples are indeed scarce. Along the way, I only occasionally encountered a few hurried outer disciples, who would bow respectfully and then quickly depart. Occasionally, I would see established herb gardens, planted with various magical herbs and medicinal herbs, tended by dedicated personnel.

The peak area seems to be the place where Mr. Muyun practices meditation and where important alchemy rooms and talisman rooms are located. It is shrouded in faint fluctuations of formations, and ordinary disciples are not allowed to approach easily.

Halfway up the mountain, a rather grand building with a plaque inscribed with the words "Jingge" (Classics Pavilion) houses a collection of texts on alchemy, talismans, and various other subjects, available for disciples to borrow. Nearby, there's also a "Bai Lian Tang" (Hundred Refining Hall), filled with abundant underground fire, where disciples practice alchemy, talisman making, and weapon refinement.

The entire Yundan Peak is filled with a tranquil and focused atmosphere, which is completely different from the fighting and killing in the outside world.

Ye Li had become familiar with the surroundings and had a plan in mind. The Sutra Pavilion and the Hundred Refining Hall would be her frequent destinations in the future.

Returning to the courtyard, she activated the simple protective formation in the quiet room and sat cross-legged on the cushion.

She didn't immediately practice the "Emperor's Scripture of the Underworld" but first picked up the ancient rune notebook she had obtained from the Ye family's treasury. The paper was rough and the handwriting was old and incomplete, but in her eyes, it seemed to contain endless treasures.

Combined with the "Basic Rune Diagram" I just got, those ancient runes that were originally obscure and difficult to understand seem to gradually become traceable.

She was so immersed in it that before she knew it, the sky outside the window was getting dark.

It wasn't until she felt a slight pang of hunger in her stomach that she came to her senses. Without reaching the Spiritual Mansion Realm, she couldn't completely fast.

She took out the food box sent by Zhao Xiaoyi (which had been placed at the gate of the courtyard at some point in time). Inside was simple spiritual rice and two light side dishes. Although simple, it contained a hint of spiritual energy.

After dinner, it was already late at night.

She finally calmed down and prepared to start practicing.

However, what she practiced was not "The Art of Clouds and Water", but - "The Emperor's Scripture of the Dark World"!

As soon as the technique was activated, the spiritual energy in the quiet room instantly rushed into her body as if being pulled by a huge force! It was a hundred times more violent and swift than practicing the "Cloud and Water Technique"!

The simple spirit gathering formation even emitted a buzzing sound as if it could not bear the heavy burden!

Ye Li was shocked and quickly suppressed the speed of the martial arts, carefully controlling the strength of the spiritual energy absorption.

"Although the spiritual energy here is dense, the domineering power of the 'Youhuan Emperor Scripture'..." She smiled bitterly. If it were to be fully activated, it would soon cause abnormalities in the spiritual energy of the entire Yundan Peak. Then, it would be difficult to keep a low profile.

She could only maintain her cultivation speed at a level slightly faster than that of ordinary people, but not too shocking.

Even so, the feeling of the incomparably pure icy spiritual energy surging through the meridians is far beyond the reach of any Xuan-level technique.

In addition to practicing, she also devoted part of her mind to circulate her spiritual power according to the route of "Cloud and Water Sutra", simulating faint fluctuations of water-based spiritual power to cover up.

No words were spoken that night.

When the first ray of sunlight the next morning shone into the quiet room through the bamboo window, Ye Li slowly opened her eyes, the brilliance in her eyes was restrained, and her breath became more and more solemn.

Although the speed of cultivation was suppressed, the gains of this night were still far greater than when he was at the Ye family.

She opened the door, faced the morning light, and took a deep breath of fresh air.

The practice life of Xuanyun Sect officially began.

She knew that beneath this tranquility, there must be challenges and turmoil hidden.

But she was fearless.

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