Chapter 122: Speak Not of Your Secrets

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“It doesn’t matter. Cultivation is like this. Even with great effort, many things still depend on the will of heaven. A veinless leaf is nothing to worry about. Cultivation is like a long-distance race. Some people can run very fast at the beginning, but others just keep running. Who can truly reach the finish line, perhaps not even the heavens know.”

Qin Haoxuan nodded in agreement, then said, “Master, your disciple has some questions about his cultivation and would like to ask for your guidance.”

“Oh? Could Yiming not answer your questions?”

Qin Haoxuan replied, “Because my problem is too strange, I did not dare to ask Senior Brother Ye.”

Seeing Qin Haoxuan’s solemn expression, Xuanji sensed that something was amiss. “Tell me about it,” he said.

“Master, this afternoon I was sitting cross-legged on my bed, not cultivating at all, yet I inexplicably sprouted a leaf. Although it is veinless, this leaf is very peculiar. After I injected it with spiritual energy, I discovered that it is actually golden.”

Hearing this, Xuanji’s expression turned grave. The immortal seedling was the foundation of a cultivator; it could not be taken lightly. He immediately rose from his couch, quickly took out a spirit stone and a pile of talisman paper, and laid out a complex formation on the floor.

“Stand inside this Heart-Guiding Formation, sit cross-legged and circulate your energy. When you connect with the formation, I will be able to see the state of the leaf inside your body,” Xuanji said. He then began forming hand seals, his ten fingers flying. A faint white light emanated from the formation, projecting a screen in front of him like the curtain in a shadow play.

Qin Haoxuan did as he was told, stepping into the formation and clearing his mind. As he circulated his energy, he soon connected with the formation’s power. He then injected his spiritual energy into the immortal leaf, and it began to emit its golden light.

As Qin Haoxuan fully merged his senses with the formation, an image of his dantian appeared on the screen before Xuanji. He could clearly see that when spiritual energy was injected, Qin Haoxuan’s leaf did indeed turn golden. Not only the leaf, but the entire immortal seedling was golden!

What shocked Xuanji even more was Qin Haoxuan’s immortal root. A normal cultivator’s root was anchored in the sea of qi within the dantian, but Qin Haoxuan’s was unusually thick and had completely enveloped his sea of qi, coiling around it like the gnarled roots of an ancient tree.

In his hundred-plus years of life, Xuanji had never seen, nor even heard of, such an immortal root. But his heart was filled with joy, because a thick and powerful root was an unequivocally good thing.

After dispelling the formation, Xuanji asked with a serious expression, “Haoxuan, do you know why your immortal root is so robust, to the point of wrapping around your entire dantian?”

“This disciple does not know.” Qin Haoxuan shook his head. Though he guessed it was related to the Dao Heart Seed Demon Art, that was a demonic technique connected to the secrets of his little snake and the Immortal-Slaying Poison Valley. As much as he trusted his master, he could not reveal it, lest his secret one day bring trouble upon him as well.

Xuanji pondered for a moment. “Your robust root is a good thing. Whether a tree can grow to its full potential depends on how deep its roots run. As for why your seedling and leaf are golden, I cannot determine the reason for now. I suspect it may be related to your root. In any case, you must not reveal the secret of your golden leaf to anyone. The fewer people who know of this matter, the better.”

Qin Haoxuan nodded in agreement.

Xuanji then added, “In three days, you will enter the Aqueous Manor. The manor is protected by a powerful formation. Cultivators at the Twentieth-Leaf of the Spirit Sprout Realm and below can enter without triggering it, but anyone stronger will be killed. Legend says there is a great treasure hidden within. When I was a new disciple, I sensed a powerful immortal qi near the manor, but could not pinpoint its source. Prepare well these next three days. It would be for the best if you could have a fortuitous encounter inside.”

After giving his thanks, Qin Haoxuan bid farewell to his master and returned to his room to continue cultivating.

Three days passed in a flash. Because everyone was in seclusion for a final sprint, the news of Qin Haoxuan’s breakthrough was known only to a few.

On the morning of the third day, heavenly music drifted through the air above the Spirit Field Valley. Amidst the clear ringing of a great bell, the time had finally come for the last stage of the new disciples’ three-month trial: entry into the Aqueous Manor.

On a vast lawn in the valley called the Spirit Valley Meadow, all two hundred new disciples and their Guiding Senior Brothers gathered, their hearts pounding with excitement.

Before entering the Aqueous Manor, it was tradition for the sect to inspect the new disciples’ cultivation progress. Guiding Senior Brothers would be rewarded based on the breakthroughs their disciples had achieved.

Zhang Kuang was the first of the Purple Seeds to arrive. Dressed in a simple white robe, he was accompanied by his Guiding Senior Brother from the Summer Cloud Hall. From his unconcealed aura, it was clear to everyone that he had already reached the Tenth-Leaf of the Spirit Sprout Realm.

Not long after, Xu Yu arrived with Qin Haoxuan and Murong Chao. Her aura revealed that she had reached the Eighth-Leaf.

A wave of gasps and whispers went through the crowd. “So this is the power of a Purple Seed! The level they reach in six months, we couldn’t reach in ten years!” The onlookers then noted that the two Gray Seeds, Murong Chao and Zhang Yang, had both reached the Fourth-Leaf. Speculation then turned to Qin Haoxuan, with most doubting he had even managed to sprout a single leaf, given his weak aptitude and recent tragedy.

Finally, Li Jing arrived. To everyone’s surprise, his aura indicated he was only at the peak of the Fifth-Leaf, far behind the other two Purple Seeds. Some wondered if he was hiding his true strength, but others dismissed the idea, arguing that no one would turn down the sect’s rewards for their senior brother.

Suddenly, three deep tolls of a great bell echoed from Emperor Peak.

From the towering mountain, an elder could be seen descending on a flying sword, leaving a long rainbow of light in his wake.

“A flying sword! A real flying sword!” a disciple muttered in awe, only to be slapped on the back of the head by his senior brother. “Quiet! That is an elder from the Elder’s Council!”

The elder landed in the meadow, his seemingly frail body radiating an oppressive aura that silenced the wind and stole the breath from everyone’s lungs. All the disciples, new and old, felt a sense of profound reverence, as if they were ants gazing up at a celestial tree. His sword returned to its scabbard, but the sharp sword intent it emitted still felt like a blade pressed against their necks.

The elder was dressed in golden silk, his hair held by a purple-gold pin. He was ageless, his skin so smooth that even the most beautiful woman would be envious.

“Chu Cai pays his respects to the Ninth Elder,” Initiate Master Chu said, hurrying forward to greet him.

“Are they all here?” the Ninth Elder’s voice was gentle, yet it seemed to pierce the soul.

“Reporting to the Ninth Elder, all two hundred new disciples and their Guiding Senior Brothers are present.”

The Ninth Elder nodded. Master Chu then stepped forward and began the ceremony, first thanking the Guiding Senior Brothers for their selfless tutelage.

“To reward their efforts,” he announced, “the sect has decreed the following: for guiding a new disciple to the Rooting stage, the reward is five low-grade spirit stones. For the Sprouting stage, ten low-grade spirit stones. Furthermore, for every leaf grown by the new disciple, the reward is fifty low-grade spirit stones!”

Master Chu’s eyes scanned the crowd as he began to call out the names. “Hu Ge of the Summer Cloud Hall, for guiding Zhang Kuang from the Sprouting stage to the Tenth-Leaf of the Spirit Sprout Realm, is rewarded with five second-grade spirit stones!”