Chapter 7: A Calm Heart’s Reflection

Struck by Perfected Man Huanglong’s gaze, the four of them felt a chill and dared not say more. Since the Sect Master had made his decision, Master Guyun and the others fell silent. With hungry, gleaming eyes, they put on wide smiles and began to cast flirtatious glances at Zhang Kuang.

“Zhang Kuang, my boy, feel free to visit the Ancient Cloud Hall often. You and Zhang Yang can support each other and progress together!”

“What’s so great about the Ancient Cloud Hall? Come to the Summer Cloud Hall more often, and we can discuss the principles of divination together!”

After they had their say, Su Baihua, who had been silent, suddenly spoke. “After the three-month introductory training, it will be the dead of winter, and the plum blossoms in my Hundred Flowers Hall will be in full bloom. Zhang Kuang, you are welcome to come and enjoy the flowers with some warm wine.”

The four inner hall masters were figures of immense power in the Taichu Sect, second only to the Sect Master and a few veteran elders. They were high and mighty, and ordinary disciples could never hope to get close to them. Yet, to win over Zhang Kuang, they had cast aside all decorum. The invitation from Su Baihua, whose Hundred Flowers Hall was strictly off-limits to male disciples, was particularly shocking. This special treatment caused a great deal of resentment among the male disciples.

Countless envious eyes were cast upon Zhang Kuang. Zhang Yang, who had been so arrogant just moments before, now scurried over, calling him “Boss” with a sycophantic sweetness that stripped him of all his previous pride. The vast gulf between a Gray Seed and a Purple Seed was made clear by the reactions of the elders.

“Brother Zhang Kuang, it is truly my honor to be able to enter the Taichu Sect with you!” Prince Li Jing immediately led a group of noble youths to surround Zhang Kuang, his enthusiasm overwhelming. It was hard to tell if his desperate desire for talent was genuine or an act.

“Brother Zhang Kuang, is your family still in Datian Town on Small Islet Mountain? I have a newly built royal residence in the capital. If you would not mind, you could invite your parents to move there. My father, the emperor, will surely treat them with the honors befitting a duke or marquis, so they may live out their days in wealth and comfort.”

The other high-ranking noble youths chimed in with their own praises. In an instant, Zhang Kuang was being lauded as the future pillar of the Soaring Dragon Nation and the leader who would guide the Taichu Sect to become an Unsurpassed Great Sect. Given his Purple Seed aptitude, he was indeed worthy of such praise.

Many of the commoner disciples lamented that they were not Purple Seeds. If they were, their parents could also enjoy the honors of nobility, soaring to the heavens and bringing glory to their ancestors in a single step.

“Next, Li Jing!”

At Perfected Man Luoye’s call, Li Jing walked onto the testing platform.

Every generation, the royal family would select a prince with excellent aptitude to send to the Taichu Sect, entrusting him with the mission of becoming the future guardian of the Li dynasty to ensure its eternal reign. Li Jing was the prince chosen for this generation.

Born into the royal family, Li Jing had grown up consuming all sorts of spiritual medicines; even his bathwater was an herbal brew. Although he had a strong claim to worldly power, he had little chance of inheriting the throne. In the end, he decided to stake his future on the path of cultivation, to see if it would be a smoother one.

In the mortal realm, the status of a prince was supreme, but in the cultivation world, where strength was everything, it was of little use.

Li Jing had been extremely confident in his own aptitude, but after Zhang Kuang was revealed to be a Purple Seed, a strong sense of crisis rose within him.

In the cultivation world, everything was based on strength. Even though he was a prince, if he didn’t have outstanding strength and potential, he wouldn’t be able to establish himself, let alone build his own faction.

But he was, after all, a man accustomed to grand occasions. Despite the turmoil in his heart, Li Jing’s expression remained calm and composed as he walked onto the testing platform.

The sun shone brightly, and a warm breeze blew. Before the Sect Master of the Taichu Sect and numerous other esteemed seniors, the “Clear Appraisal Immortal Eye” once again erupted in a brilliant, dazzling purple light, blinding many!

“A… a Purple Seed!”

The elders in the stands, the four hall masters, and the Sect Master, Perfected Man Huanglong, all stared with wide eyes, looking at the dazzlingly purple artifact in utter disbelief.

“The Taichu Sect… are we defying the heavens?”

“Two Purple Seeds in a row! This is unimaginable even for the Unsurpassed Great Sects! With them, how glorious the future of the Taichu Sect will be!”

“Tsk tsk, to think Prince Li Jing is a Purple Seed. The Li dynasty is truly destined to last for ages.”

Two consecutive Purple Seed disciples! Even someone as composed as Perfected Man Huanglong burst into wild laughter. “Ten years ago, that old geezer Changmei, the Sect Master of the Supreme Purity Sect in the Great Qing Nation, took in a Crimson Seed disciple and boasted that he would surpass our Taichu Sect within 300 years. Today, our Taichu Sect has two Purple Seed disciples in a row! Are we not a thousand times stronger than his Supreme Purity Sect?”

Even the Unsurpassed Great Sects might only see one Purple Seed disciple in several thousand years. Today, on Emperor Peak, two had appeared in succession. This was an unimaginable event even for them. Perfected Man Huanglong’s reaction was not an overreaction; in fact, it was remarkably restrained.

With Zhang Kuang and Li Jing, the Taichu Sect was destined to rise, perhaps even to become a power that could surpass some of the Unsurpassed Great Sects. One could only imagine how prosperous and powerful the sect would become with them!

“Martial Uncle Huanglong, my Jade Bamboo Hall has always had a good relationship with the Li royal family. We send them hundreds of immortal pills every year. This boy, Li Jing, must have grown up on the pills I refined. It’s only natural that he should become my disciple, right?” Master Bizhu was the first to jump in, no longer caring that his usual image of detached tranquility was in tatters. If Master Guyun could abandon his dignity for a Gray Seed, why should he care about his image now?

“Nonsense! He should come to my Hundred Flowers Hall…”

Before Su Baihua could finish, she was interrupted by the resentful Master Xiayunzi, who said in a snide tone, “A cultivator’s greatest taboo is lust. If one’s six roots are not clean and seven emotions are not severed, how can one seek the supreme Great Dao? The Hundred Flowers Hall is overflowing with yin and lacking in yang. If Li Jing were to go there, wouldn’t his vital yang energy be completely suppressed? It’s better for him not to go.”

“Xiayunzi, you…”

Master Guyun, who had already secured Zhang Yang and knew he was out of the running, gloated as he fanned the flames. “There is some truth in what Xiayunzi says. However, nothing is absolute. Not all women are vixens…”

Seeing the atmosphere turn hostile, Perfected Man Huanglong interrupted him. “Like Zhang Kuang, Li Jing can decide his own master after he reaches the Spirit Sprout Realm. You need not argue any further.”

The Sect Master had spoken. The others naturally had no objections, and the testing continued.

The next 30 disciples were all Uncolored Seeds, but this did not affect Perfected Man Huanglong’s good mood in the slightest. Finding one Gray Seed was a gain; finding two Unsurpassed Purple Seeds was an unimaginable windfall.

However, no one noticed that after Li Jing was also revealed to be an Unsurpassed Purple Seed, his gaze towards Zhang Kuang was no longer one of appreciation and recruitment but was now tinged with hostility.

Both were Unsurpassed Purple Seeds, but there was only one position of Sect Master in the Taichu Sect. Both Zhang Kuang and Li Jing were ambitious and not to be trifled with. They were destined to be rivals.

“Next, Qin Haoxuan!”

It was finally Qin Haoxuan’s turn. Because he had beaten Murong Chao the night before, forcing even a prince like Li Jing to back down and try to win him over, people now suspected that Qin Haoxuan must be very strong. They all began to speculate on what kind of Immortal Seed he might have.

Qin Haoxuan strode onto the testing platform. After bowing respectfully to Perfected Man Luoye, he placed his hand on the cold surface of the “Clear Appraisal Immortal Eye.”

As Qin Haoxuan stepped onto the platform, a flicker of surprise crossed Perfected Man Luoye’s eyes. Not only was the boy dignified and mature beyond his years, unlike the other timid disciples, but he also emitted a faint, almost imperceptible wisp of spiritual energy. It was extremely weak, yet exceptionally pure.

Even the Purple Seed disciples, with their superior bone structure and talent, showed no fluctuations of spiritual energy. It was extremely rare for someone to emit spiritual energy before their Immortal Seed had even sprouted. Such individuals often had extraordinary aptitude. This made Perfected Man Luoye look forward to Qin Haoxuan’s test results with some anticipation.

The artifact seemed to possess a magical power that could see into a person’s very soul. The moment Qin Haoxuan’s hand touched it, a sticky force held it in place.

Perfected Man Luoye sent out a stream of immortal spiritual energy. The artifact seemed to perceive everything within Qin Haoxuan’s body. After a slight hum, it emitted a faint glow, but it had no color.

An Uncolored Seed, a weak seed, the worst kind, on the verge of withering away.

A wave of sighs went through Li Jing’s group. Murong Chao’s eyes were cold as he began to plot his revenge. He too was a Gray Seed, incomparable to Zhang Kuang and Li Jing, but it was almost certain he would be accepted into one of the four main halls after the Spirit Sprout Realm. A weak seed like Qin Haoxuan was no match for him.

Surrounded by a crowd, Zhang Kuang sneered and cursed, “Useless trash.” Qin Haoxuan’s aptitude was indeed terrible. Once he mastered his own spiritual techniques, Qin Haoxuan’s suffering would begin! The sycophants around Zhang Kuang, guessing the poor relationship between the two from the same town, began to praise Zhang Yang while belittling Qin Haoxuan. This crude flattery was music to Zhang Kuang’s ears, and his confidence swelled, instantly releasing the frustration of being suppressed by Qin Haoxuan for 16 years.

Seeing that Qin Haoxuan had a weak seed, a flicker of doubt crossed Perfected Man Luoye’s eyes. How could someone with innate spiritual energy have such poor aptitude? The “Clear Appraisal Immortal Eye” was never wrong, so he must have been mistaken.

Having already found two Purple Seeds, Perfected Man Luoye did not dwell on Qin Haoxuan. He gave him a look of pity and offered some encouragement. “Don’t be disheartened. Work hard! The path of cultivation is full of infinite possibilities. Hard work and opportunities can make up for a lack of innate talent!”

“I will remember the Grand Elder’s teachings.” Qin Haoxuan bowed deeply. Perfected Man Luoye held a high rank and esteemed status in the sect, yet he lacked the arrogance of a powerful figure and even encouraged him. He was worthy of respect.

However, Perfected Man Luoye’s encouragement was mostly just that—encouragement. Unless one encountered a miraculous opportunity, a disciple with a weak seed could never hope to catch up to one with a strong seed, no matter how hard they worked. But how many people ever encounter such opportunities?

As he walked off the platform, amid countless mocking gazes, Qin Haoxuan saw deep disappointment and pity in Xu Yu’s large eyes.

Having an Uncolored Seed was not a big deal in itself, but the night before, Qin Haoxuan’s display of strength had made even a prince yield, leading everyone to believe he was formidable. Now, it turned out he was just a paper tiger.

Xu Yu’s lips moved, wanting to offer a few words of comfort, but Qin Haoxuan spoke first, consoling her instead. “It’s just a weak seed, nothing to worry about. Didn’t the Grand Elder say that the path of cultivation is full of infinite possibilities, and hard work can make up for a lack of innate talent?”

Xu Yu gave a shy smile, full of pity and sorrow.

Seeing Xu Yu’s expression, although Qin Haoxuan appeared calm and composed, his mind was in turmoil.

With his weak aptitude, not to mention his old rival Zhang Kuang, even Li Jing and his followers, whom he had offended last night, would surely cause trouble for him. He had to increase his strength as soon as possible, or his future days would be incredibly difficult.

But Qin Haoxuan was not disheartened. He firmly believed that hard work could make up for a lack of innate talent. Besides, he had the little snake as his trump card. If only those with strong Immortal Seeds could achieve greatness, why would the Taichu Sect even bother keeping disciples with weak seeds? They might as well just travel with the “Clear Appraisal Immortal Eye” and recruit only those with strong seeds.

Xu Yu was the last of the new disciples to step onto the testing platform. Apart from Qin Haoxuan, everyone else was scrambling to curry favor with the Purple Seeds, Zhang Kuang and Li Jing. No one cared about Xu Yu’s results, until the “Clear Appraisal Immortal Eye” erupted in a magnificent purple immortal light.

The dazzling purple light once again bathed every corner of the testing platform. No one would have thought that Xu Yu’s small, slender body held a Purple Immortal Seed. The disciple who had stolen Xu Yu’s quilt last night felt his legs turn to jelly and collapsed to the ground. Oh gods, you’ve got to be kidding me! Last night, I robbed an Unsurpassed Purple Seed disciple’s quilt! How am I supposed to survive here now?

As for the senior members of the Taichu Sect in the stands, they were already numb with shock. One Purple Seed was enough to elevate a sect to an Unsurpassed Great Sect. What about two, or even three? Was the Taichu Sect going to unify the entire cultivation world? At the very least, in a hundred years or so, when the three Purple Seed disciples had matured, they could speak with confidence even to the leaders of the ten-thousand-year-old great sects. And when they had fully matured… even those great sects would have to submit and yield their leadership position to Taichu! At that time… wouldn’t all the spirit mountains and spirit veins be theirs for the taking?

“Hmph!” Su Baihua examined Xu Yu carefully, then suddenly smiled. She said to Master Guyun and the others, “You can fight over Zhang Kuang and Li Jing. My Hundred Flowers Hall is content with Xu Yu!”

“On what grounds!” Master Xiayunzi retorted sarcastically. “What makes you think Xu Yu belongs to your Hundred Flowers Hall?”

“Aren’t you an expert in physiognomy? You couldn’t even tell she’s a woman! It’s only natural for a female disciple of our Taichu Sect to join the Hundred Flowers Hall, isn’t it?” Master Xiayunzi, who hadn’t looked closely, was red-faced with embarrassment but still tried to argue.

Once Su Baihua pointed it out, everyone noticed Xu Yu’s delicate features. Though she had deliberately smudged some dirt on her face, it couldn’t hide her fair skin. Her disguise as a boy was thin and unassuming, but the more they looked, the more she resembled a girl.

“Hmph, that’s not necessarily true. Weren’t you just trying to recruit a male disciple for your Hundred Flowers Hall? Why can’t our Summer Cloud Hall recruit a female disciple?”

Su Baihua wore a satisfied smile and didn’t bother to argue with Master Xiayunzi. It was almost certain that Xu Yu would join her hall. The other two could fight over the remaining ones.

Seeing Master Xiayunzi still rambling on, Perfected Man Huanglong’s face hardened. He chided, “We will discuss these matters later. I must personally go to Qilin Peak to report this to the Grand Ancestor and let him make the final decision.”

Hearing this, Su Baihua and the others were shocked and secretly distressed. The Grand Ancestor had been in seclusion on Qilin Peak for several hundred years and had not concerned himself with worldly affairs. Why bother his esteemed self with the “trivial matter” of recruiting a few Purple Seed disciples?

What if the Grand Ancestor took a liking to them and decided to take all three as his personal disciples? Then they would be left with nothing. However, they could not object to the Sect Master’s decision.

Learning that Xu Yu was a girl, the disciples whose bunks had been near Qin Haoxuan’s the previous night immediately cast envious glances at him. Damn it! Why wasn’t I so lucky to hold a Purple Seed female disciple in my arms for a night?

Soon, gossip about Qin Haoxuan and Xu Yu spread like wildfire through whispers and hushed conversations, and more envious, jealous, and resentful gazes were directed at Qin Haoxuan.

Zhang Kuang and Murong Chao’s expressions towards Qin Haoxuan also became complicated. If Xu Yu, remembering the previous night’s kindness, decided to protect Qin Haoxuan in the future, it would be difficult to deal with him.