Summit of the North and South Spirit Realms

With that, He Yi immediately withdrew the divine sense he had stored within his identity token.

Before their eyes, the Symbol Sect identity token that had only just appeared in He Yi’s hand gradually turned to ash.

Lin Xiao: …

Wait, hadn’t he not yet agreed to let this man join the sect?

Sure, he had extended an invitation just now.

But!

But it was only an invitation!

He still had to walk the Heart-Questioning Path first, for heaven’s sake!

This guy had simply destroyed his identity token. What if he failed the Heart-Questioning Path later? Then he would not be able to return to the Symbol Sect either…

The corner of Lin Xiao’s mouth twitched as he looked at him.

“Fellow Daoist He, isn’t this a little too rash?”

Lin Xiao knew that, although He Yi had previously declined his invitation with clear reluctance, he was now taking the initiative to apply because he intended to investigate the truth behind the matter of primordial qi after joining the sect. If he learned the truth, he would likely try his best to persuade Lin Xiao to agree to activate the Binding Calamity Treasure Array.

Joining the Lingxian Sect decisively, without attaching any conditions, was He Yi’s way of demonstrating his sincerity.

Even so, Lin Xiao still wanted to complain.

This was far too reckless, brother!

Yet He Yi ignored him and merely asked in return,

“Is Sect Master Lin unwilling to welcome me?”

Lin Xiao put the little wooden carving in his storage pouch and shook his head helplessly.

“No. I’m just worried that you won’t pass our sect’s Heart-Questioning Path.”

He Yi showed no particular reaction. With a calm, pleased expression, he rose to his feet and bowed to Lin Xiao.

“I have long heard that the Lingxian Sect’s Heart-Questioning Path is full of mysteries. I request permission to attempt it.”

Looking at the man before him, bent in a deep bow, Lin Xiao somehow felt as though he were seeing a little bird that had been shut inside a cage since childhood, finally released to fly free.

…

The two arrived before the Heart-Questioning Path.

“Our sect actually accepted new disciples a few months ago… Are you sure you want to enter now? Shouldn’t you perhaps find some way to send word first—to your master or elders or whoever it may be on the cultivation world’s side…?” After giving it some thought, Lin Xiao still asked He Yi for confirmation, unable to set aside his concerns.

It was not that Lin Xiao was overly concerned with He Yi’s interpersonal affairs. He was simply worried that, if someone over there received news that He Yi’s identity token had been destroyed and assumed he had been harmed, they might come looking for him. That would be rather troublesome.

After all, this man was rumored to have the Symbol Sect Master behind him.

He Yi understood the unspoken meaning at once and immediately assured him,

“Please rest assured, Sect Master Lin. Before setting out for the mortal realm, I made an agreement with my family elders: unless my life is in imminent danger, all matters are for me to handle myself. They will not interfere. I destroyed my identity token of my own accord; they will know that.”

Lin Xiao nodded in understanding and asked no further questions. Raising a hand, he lifted the restrictions on the Heart-Questioning Path.

In truth, Lin Xiao did not know whether the Symbol Sect personal disciple identity token He Yi had destroyed earlier was genuine.

But it did not matter.

If He Yi truly passed the Heart-Questioning Path and entered the sect successfully, Lin Xiao would be able to see his status on the disciple roster. That would also prove that he had genuinely left the Symbol Sect.

And if He Yi was putting on an act, Lin Xiao believed he would never make it through the Heart-Questioning Path. Even if he somehow did, the system would notify him that, because He Yi was already a disciple of another sect, he could not join the Lingxian Sect.

So he had absolutely no need to worry that He Yi might pull some “body in Cao’s camp, heart in Han’s camp” trick.

“Fellow Daoist He... good luck.”

“Thank you.”

After returning the salute, He Yi calmly stepped onto the Heart-Questioning Path blanketed in peach blossoms.

Watching his figure come to a stop upon the Heart-Questioning Path, Lin Xiao’s expression fell. Looking utterly dispirited, he sat down cross-legged by the roadside.

“System, I’ve got a bad feeling about this.”

System: 【?】

“You definitely know about that ‘Binding Calamity Treasure Array’ He Yi mentioned, right? And it has to be activated with Yuan Energy... Tell me honestly: does no one in this world know how to use Yuan Energy anymore?” Lin Xiao asked through gritted teeth.

System:

【The world is vast. Host, please explore it yourself.】

Hearing that response, Lin Xiao went limp and flopped onto the ground, spread-eagled.

“It’s over. Even if such people do exist, they must be incredibly well hidden and hard to find.”

And if they were hard to find, then if there really was no one else, he would have to step up himself.

Unless he could simply stand by and do nothing while the Eshi Stone faction caused havoc.

Obviously, he couldn’t.

But if he were to activate the grand array preserved in the ancient incomplete scrolls stored within the Talisman Sect, it would inevitably draw attention. Many people would learn that he could wield a power different from that of the vast majority of cultivators—Yuan Energy, a force recorded only in ancient secret manuals.

Which meant he would attract a great deal of attention. And in the cultivation world, high visibility meant facing dangers from many different sides.

If he wanted those dangers to disappear—or rather, to ensure they never arose in the first place—he would need absolute strength.

Which meant he had to become stronger.

After all, while Nascent Soul cultivation was not considered particularly low in the cultivation world, it was only “not too low.”

And once he, Lin Xiao—a cultivator from the mortal realm—entered the sights of the cultivation world, the Lingxian Sect would inevitably be dragged into the spotlight as well.

So the overall strength of their Lingxian Sect needed to rise, too.

Their sect was already developing at full throttle!

His head hurt.

Lin Xiao stared blankly at the sky overhead and sighed.

He could only hope the Eshi Stone faction would stay quiet a little longer and not rush out to cause trouble, giving him and his sect more time to grow.

“I only just came out of seclusion—can’t you let me relax for a while?!”

—

Although the Talisman Sect was located in the Northern Domain, it was in fact not far from the border between the Southern and Northern Spirit Domains.

The Talisman Sect’s territory was vast, encompassing forty-nine peaks and thirty-six valleys, as well as numerous lakes and dense forests.

Outside its mountain gate lay an enormous marketplace. Many years ago, this market had served only for internal trade among Talisman Sect disciples. But because it was directly managed by the Talisman Sect, with fair and stable prices and excellent security, more and more outside cultivators began to visit. Over time, it developed into a trading hub open to visitors from all directions.

Whether they came from neighboring sects large or small, or were independent cultivators, everyone who arrived to trade here would inevitably lift their heads as they passed the Talisman Sect’s mountain gate and gaze toward the skies above the sect.

More than seven thousand meters above the Talisman Sect floated an island—the only one of its kind across the entire Southern and Northern Spirit Domains.

It was said that this was the Talisman Sect’s true core.

The sect’s highest-grade treasure vaults, most precious medicinal herbs, most outstanding disciples, and rarest collections of books... all lay upon that island.

The floating island was home to the Fu Sect’s most powerful defensive measures, as well as the strongest combatant in the entire Fu Sect—or even the whole South and North Spirit Domains: the sect master, Daoist Lord Taihua.

The extent of Daoist Lord Taihua’s cultivation had long since become hazy in people’s minds.

Everyone knew only that he was incredibly powerful, but few understood his exact cultivation level.

Some said he was in the Void Refining Realm. Others claimed he had already reached the Body Integration Realm. There were even those who said he had attained the realm of a half-step ascender—the Mahayana Stage.

Truth and falsehood were impossible to distinguish.

Nevertheless, all the cultivators of the South and North Spirit Domains shared one common understanding:

Daoist Lord Taihua stood at the very pinnacle of the South and North Spirit Domains.