Chapter 3 Entering the Sect for the First Time - Auspicious Number
The flying boat entered the cultivation world, and all the new disciples stood outside the room to watch.
"Wow, look! Those mountains are floating in the air!"
"It's true, it's amazing!"
“We also have cities under our feet, and these cities are even bigger and more bustling than the place where I live.”
"Our altitude has decreased, have we arrived?"
Song Yin followed beside Senior Sister Cheng; to be precise, Senior Sister Cheng had taken good care of her all along the way.
Seeing that Song Yin was also curious about the outside world, Senior Sister Cheng introduced to everyone: "Our sect is called the Immortal Cloud Sect. These floating islands in the air are all our sect's territory. As for the city below, it is called Immortal Cloud City, which is under our sect's jurisdiction. Immortal Cloud City is not only home to our sect's disciples, but also to people from other parts of the Eastern Continent. After you enter the sect, the academy will have someone specifically teach you these basic facts."
Below the floating island of the Immortal Cloud Sect lies an endless ocean. Immortal Cloud City is a coastal city, but it is still some distance from the sea.
In the air, there wasn't just their flying boat; there were also flying boats from other directions, carrying new disciples with spiritual roots from other places.
The cultivators living in Xianxiao City have been able to see flying boats entering their sect whenever they look up these past few days.
"It's that time of year again for sects to recruit disciples. I wonder if there are any geniuses in this batch," a cultivator selling goods on the street said, looking up.
The person next to him said, "Geniuses appear every year. Our Immortal Cloud Sect is a major sect. We can always recruit disciples with single spiritual roots. However, in the later stages of cultivation, spiritual roots alone are not enough. One also needs a person's comprehension."
Upon hearing this, a customer who had stopped in front of the stall said, "How much cultivation do you have, fellow Daoist? You'd better be careful that a newly initiated disciple might surpass you in a few years."
The cultivator at the stall cupped his hands in greeting, saying, "I was fortunate enough to achieve Foundation Establishment."
Customer: "That's great! So many people are stuck in the late stage of Qi Refining and can't advance."
The cultivator at the stall said, "Sigh, it's all just luck. Fellow Daoist, do you have anything you like? Take your pick. People of the Immortal Firmament don't cheat people of the Immortal Firmament."
The bustling activity of Xianxiao City below was neither audible nor visible to Song Yin and the other new disciples. At this moment, their eyes were filled only with curiosity about the Immortal Sect and joy at the prospect of living here in the future.
The flying boat stopped on the largest floating island, and Senior Sister Cheng and the others led the new disciples off the flying boat.
Senior Sister Cheng: "Stay close to me, I'll take you to register your identities first."
Song Yin asked, "After registration, are we now disciples of the sect?"
Senior Sister Cheng: "You could say that."
"Is that okay?" Song Yin didn't ask any further questions, but just held onto Senior Sister Cheng's sleeve tightly.
Arriving in an unfamiliar place, it's impossible not to feel nervous. Seeing Song Yin's actions, Shi Heming boldly grabbed Xu Shixiong's sleeve, just like her. Xu Shixiong, seeing his small movement, didn't pull the sleeve away. He felt compassion and understanding for both of the youngest and most tragically orphaned children.
The other new disciples behind them also wanted to get along well with their senior brothers and sisters, but unfortunately, they were all grown up and couldn't do what they wanted as freely as the two children. However, a very few people were envious and showed a pitiful look of superiority. They envied the two children for being able to get close to Senior Sister Cheng and the others, but when they thought about their own experiences, they felt sorry for them and looked down on them. They thought that the senior sisters only pitied them.
Song Yin is very sensitive to gazes and the aura emanating from others; this is an experience she honed over two lifetimes, ingrained in her very being. In her previous life, she lived in an environment teeming with mutants, where carelessness meant certain death; in this life, she lives in the Song family, who are filled with malice towards her, where carelessness would mean being devoured whole.
She suddenly turned around and took in the gazes of those people.
Song Yin breathed a sigh of relief after reading it. Thankfully, it wasn't jealousy or malice, otherwise it would have caused her a lot of trouble. She didn't want to have to deal with other people's jealousy and malice in order to have a bright future. Why did they look at her with envy? Especially since one of them was a twenty-year-old adult.
She glanced back again, and following her gaze to her own hand, Song Yin suddenly realized.
Senior Sister Cheng led the new disciples to the Affairs Hall. The books for testing spiritual roots were handed over to the fellow disciples in the Affairs Hall by Senior Brother Xu.
Under the guidance of the senior disciples in the Affairs Hall, Song Yin and the others had their spiritual roots tested again to confirm that they matched the records, and their names were added to the new disciple roster. Then, other senior disciples brought them identification tokens, two sets of disciple robes, a storage bag, and a bottle of fasting pills. The senior disciple in the Affairs Hall reminded them that the storage bag required spiritual energy to use, and it could not be used before the new disciples had absorbed spiritual energy into their bodies.
Holding her things, Song Yin followed Senior Sister Cheng to the so-called teleportation array.
Senior Sister Cheng: "Activating the teleportation array requires spirit stones. Since you have just entered the sect today and do not have any spirit stones on you, the sect will provide spirit stones to use the teleportation array."
The teleportation array activated, and in the blink of an eye, the new disciples appeared in a new location.
There are rows of small courtyards here, and the houses are all built with bamboo. Bamboo can be seen everywhere on both sides of the road.
Senior Sister Cheng: "This is called the Bamboo Hut, where the sect disciples live. Each disciple can be assigned a separate courtyard. If you want to move out, you can apply to the elder in charge of managing the Bamboo Hut. Each courtyard has a number. If you want to live with your friends, you can tell me now, and I will arrange for you to be neighbors. If you don't tell me in advance, the courtyard will be assigned randomly, and you will be scattered."
About twenty people started discussing it. They came from the same place, so it would be convenient for them to stay together.
The oldest man stepped forward and said, "Senior sister, we all want to live in the same area."
The cute girl also said, "Senior, I want to be neighbors with my friends, but I also want to live with everyone, as long as we're not too far apart."
Once the conversation started, everyone began to share their thoughts.
Shi Heming tugged at Song Yin's sleeve.
Song Yin turned around, "What are you doing?"
Shi Heming whispered, "We're friends now, and I want to be your neighbor."
Song Yin blinked, looked up and said loudly, "Senior Sister Cheng, I want to be Shi Heming's neighbor."
Senior Sister Cheng lowered her head and replied gently, "Okay, I'll arrange for you to stay together."
"Hmph, they even have to be picky about where they live. What kind of immortal is this if they're afraid of being lonely?" A middle-aged man's voice broke through the group's discussion.
Upon hearing the voice, Song Yin looked over and saw a middle-aged man with a long black beard and wrinkles around his eyes, who looked to be in his forties or fifties.
After being told that, everyone stopped talking and dared not speak out of turn.
The oldest new disciple, feeling he was an adult, stepped forward and said, "My name is Song Tian. We all come from the same place, so it's normal to want to live together in a new place. May I ask who you are?"
The middle-aged man looked Song Tian up and down and asked, "What kind of spiritual root do you have?"
Song Tian didn't understand, but replied, "I have determined that the four spiritual roots are earth, fire, wood, and metal."
The middle-aged man gave another cold snort.
Feeling someone staring at him, he lowered his head and said, "What are you looking at, kid?" Then he put his hands behind his back and left.
Song Yin: ? ? ?
Am I also a victim?
Song Tian was somewhat embarrassed and looked awkwardly at Senior Sister Cheng: "Senior Sister Cheng... Senior Brother Xu..."
Senior Sister Cheng: "It's alright, I'll arrange the courtyards according to your requests. I guess the other party is also a disciple living in the bamboo huts. When you embark on the path of immortality, you will encounter all sorts of people, from friendly to vicious to obsessive. Arranging accommodations for you is more important. Does anyone else have any requests? If not, then we'll proceed with the assignments you mentioned before."
Some people shook their heads, even if they had something to say, they dared not say it again. A few people felt their faces burning with shame, all because of Song Tian, who took the initiative to stand up and pretended to be something he shouldn't.
After the accommodations were assigned, Song Yin's courtyard number was 6666, and Shi Heming's was 6667—sure enough, they were neighbors. Song Yin felt incredibly lucky, almost possessing the protagonist's fortune; even her residence number was so auspicious!
Everyone else was number 66xx, and Senior Sister Cheng fulfilled all their requests.
When Song Yin arrived at her courtyard, she placed her waist token on the ground in front of the door as instructed by Senior Sister Cheng. A beam of light shone from the doorway and entered the token, causing the gate to open automatically. From then on, this place belonged to Song Yin alone, and anyone else would need the owner's permission to enter.
Song Yin walked in and was amazed to find that it was even bigger than the Song family's house.
Each courtyard has three rooms and a yard, with a matching stone table and benches, and a well in the corner. Inside the rooms, there are nothing but basic furnishings such as tables, chairs, beds, and cabinets; new disciples need to provide everything themselves.
Song Yin wasn't picky; as long as there was a bed, she was fine. She closed the doors and windows and went to change into her disciple's robes. The senior sister in the affairs hall had said that the disciple's robes were low-level robes with an automatic size-adjusting function; the robes would adjust automatically after being put on.
There were several color options for the disciple's robes, and she received a green one. Unbeknownst to her, she had been influenced by her spiritual root and had come to like green.
After changing my clothes, I went to fetch water to wash my face, comb my hair, and wipe my body. After tidying myself up, I went from looking drab to looking radiant.
Song Yin went out to check on Shi Heming, but as soon as she stepped outside, she heard someone complaining about the courtyard's simple environment. He said he needed his own servants and asked other senior brothers and sisters if there was a place in the sect where servants could be bought.
"You're listening so intently, are you also thinking of buying servants?" The middle-aged man's voice rang out again.
Song Yin turned her head to look, but she couldn't hear any footsteps!
Grandpa, what are you doing here?
The middle-aged man was clearly taken aback. "Grandpa?"
Song Yin gave a sweet and obedient smile: "Yes, you have a beard just like my grandpa."
The middle-aged man wanted to curse, but seeing a well-behaved child in front of him, he rubbed his forehead. "Call me Grandpa if you want, tsk, kids are such a hassle." He lowered his hand and asked Song Yin, "Little girl, what kind of spiritual root do you have?"
Sensing that the other person disliked being called "Grandpa," Song Yin blinked and deliberately said, "Grandpa, my name is Song Yin, not 'Little Girl.' Grandpa, you can call me Yinyin or Xiaoyin. Grandpa, didn't you leave? Why are you at my door?"
The middle-aged man pointed to the room next to number 6666, "I live in the courtyard of number 6665." Shut up, all I can think about right now is Grandpa.
Huh? This old man is another of her neighbors?
Senior Sister Cheng, please don't leave! Please change my room. I don't want to stay in room 6666 anymore!
"Little girl, you haven't answered my question yet."
Song Yin: "I have a wood elemental root. Grandpa, what's your name?"
The middle-aged man looked at Song Yin with a rare serious expression. "Old man, my name is Qi Zibo."
Song Yin knocked on the gate of Shi Heming's courtyard and said to Qi Zibo, "Oh, hello Grandpa Qi, goodbye Grandpa Qi."
Shi Heming quickly opened the door and saw Song Yin and Qi Zibo. He immediately pulled Song Yin into the courtyard and then closed the gate.
Shi Heming: "What's he doing here?"
Song Yin looked dejected. "He lives at number 6665; he's another neighbor of mine."
Shi Heming: "Huh? Then, what should we do? Senior Sister said that once the accommodation is booked, it can't be changed easily without a reasonable reason." He had a very bad first impression of Qi Zibo, thinking that this person had a very bad and inexplicable personality. "How about, how about I switch with you?"
Song Yin sighed and waved her hand: "Never mind, I can't bear to part with the auspicious number 6666."
A note from the author:
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Song Yin circled around Qi Zibo: Grandpa, grandpa, grandpa, grandpa, grandpa, grandpa, grandpa, grandpa...
Qi Zibo woke up with a start, gasping for breath, "Thank goodness it was just a dream!"
Song Yin poked her little head out from the edge of the bed and stared at Qi Zibo, "Grandpa..."
Qi Zibo sat up abruptly, still shaken. "It was a dream within a dream."
——
Song Yin said on the surface: Hello, Grandpa! [Pleading][Patting head]
Song Yin muttered behind Song Yin's back: Hey! Old Deng! [Angry][Angry]
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