Chapter 12: Settling on Taiyi Sect’s Xuanyue Peak

Chapter 12: Settling on Xuanyue Peak of the Taiyi Sect

Fine motes of spiritual light burst open with a soft rustle, warm, soft light wrapping around the youth's slender frame. The instant he stepped out of the jade pendant's pocket world, his first instinct was to grab hold of Ling Xuance's robe at his side.

After confirming the entire peak top was deserted, the mountain's crisp, pure spiritual energy surged in on the wind, carrying a faint scent of grass and trees that wove its way into his nose.

Lin Yu unconsciously took a deep breath. The spiritual energy here was warm and rich, no less impressive than his jade pendant's pocket world, and even had a more relaxed, open-air feel to it, like a wild mountain breeze.

He reached out on his own to take Ling Xuance's hand, his fingers curling around the other man's warm ones, tugging him along as he wandered and looked around.

"Brother Che, the spiritual energy here is amazing!" Lin Yu walked along, taking it all in, his eyes crinkling with delight.

"Can we grow spirit plants here? I want to plant it full of lotus grass and spirit flowers, and make this place just as lush as the pocket world."

Ling Xuance looked down at his bright, sparkling eyes, his thumb stroking the soft back of Lin Yu's hand.

"Sure. The whole peak is ours—plant whatever you want."

The instant he got the go-ahead, the joy in Lin Yu's eyes nearly spilled over.

He did a light, happy spin, gazing at the wide-open peak top, he started making plans, his soft, sweet voice bubbling with excitement.

"This spot by the cliff gets plenty of air and sun—just right for the azure spirit lotus. They're bound to grow just as lush as in the pocket world!"

"This flat area has the softest soil—perfect for healing herbs. They'll come in handy later for cultivation and keeping our bodies in good shape."

Every word was full of eager excitement, and his bright, lively expression instantly warmed up the cold, desolate peak with a touch of cozy, everyday life.

Ling Xuance stood quietly nearby, listening to all his little dreams and chiming in with agreement now and then.

The two of them walked the whole of Xuanyue Peak, getting a full sense of all the open ground and spirit-rich soil.

The hall on the peak had been thrown together in a hurry on the Sect Master's orders—the layout was neat and simple, with no fancy or lavish decorations.

But the two were used to a simple, ascetic life of cultivation and never fussy about where they lived. A clean, peaceful place like this was already more than enough to make them happy.

But after walking through the big, empty hall, Lin Yu muttered quietly, "This place is so huge... and so empty."

His eyes swept over the whole peak and quickly landed on a flat, sheltered spot that faced the sun with a great view.

"Brother Che, do we have to live in the main hall? Can we build a little bamboo house here instead?"

"Whatever you want." Ling Xuance had no complaints at all, going along with whatever he wanted.

Overjoyed at the approval, Lin Yu immediately let go of his hand, dug through the storage pouch in the jade pendant's pocket world, and pulled out the spirit plant seeds he'd carefully saved.

He squatted on the flat ground, picking out seeds that would suit the soil on this peak.

Beside him, Ling Xuance raised a hand, gathered a thread of spiritual power, and casually flicked a finger toward the groves of green bamboo on the mountain.

With no wind at all, the bamboo on the mountain began to sway on their own. Tall, fine spirit bamboo tore free from the soil and rose into the air, pulled along by his spiritual power, without a single stray leaf or speck of dirt.

Countless pieces of bamboo sorted themselves in the air—poles, beams, planks, and strips, each neatly separated by type—following invisible lines of spiritual power to land on the spot he'd picked out.

Lin Yu watched the amazing sight and couldn't help thinking, the cultivation world was way too convenient!

Back in the modern world, building a little house took tons of manpower and materials, but here, all it took was a raised hand and a bit of power, and everything moved just as you wished.

In just a few moments, by the time he'd picked out a handful of spirit seeds, a lovely, delicate little bamboo house had already appeared on the open ground in front of him.

The little house was a fresh, clean green all over, with clear, warm bamboo grain. The design was simple and neat—not too big, not too small, just perfect.

The eaves had a gentle curve, the window lattice was delicate and airy, and there was a small, flat terrace out front, with green mountains at its back and a sea of clouds out front.

Lin Yu fell in love with the little bamboo house. He put down the seeds, walked up, and ran his fingers over the cool, smooth bamboo wall, his eyes full of happy satisfaction.

This was their new home.

The next day, at the first crack of dawn, the sea of clouds churned with pale morning light. Ling Xuance sat quietly in front of the bamboo house, regulating his breathing, spiritual energy flowing steadily around him, his spiritual sense keeping watch over the entire peak.

The moment the sky began to lighten, he caught a faint trace of a stranger's presence at the foot of the mountain. At the same time, the communication jade the sect steward had handed over yesterday gave a soft, clear chime from his sleeve.

Inside, Lin Yu, still bleary-eyed from just waking up, hurried out of the bamboo house when he heard the sound.

He could sense the unfamiliar presence at the foot of the mountain.

"Brother Che, someone's at the foot of the mountain?"

"No need. Xuanyue Peak is warded with formation mazes—only the two of us are on this mountain. No outsider can just barge in."

Yesterday, the sect had bent the rules for him, making an exception to protocol. Now, with the peak's formations keeping people out, Lin Yu felt a twinge of guilt.

"Is it too much trouble because of me...?"

"It's got nothing to do with you. Don't overthink it."

Ling Xuance cut him off before he could blame himself. "Rules are rigid, but people are flexible. Just stay home and relax—I'll be back in a bit."

With that, he let go of his meditative energy, stood up, and headed down the mountain along the stone steps.

At the foot of Xuanyue Peak, a young man in a green outer-sect disciple robe stood awkwardly at the edge of the sea of clouds.

He was Su He, an outer-sect disciple in charge of handing out supplies. This morning, he'd been ordered to deliver the standard robes for the new Distinguished Guest Elder and the Grand Elder's personal disciple, the young master. But the moment he got near the peak, the formation barrier blocked him.

He stood at the foot of the mountain for a long time, not daring to touch the formation, well aware that barriers laid down by high-level cultivators were dangerous and unpredictable. All he could do was clutch the communication jade and wait.

He'd heard that this Elder Lin Che was young but had cultivation that reached the heavens, and he'd been nervous the whole time, afraid that any slip-up on today's errand would bring punishment down on him.

Until a tall figure in pristine white robes came slowly down the stone steps through the sea of clouds, Su He hurriedly bowed in greeting.

"Disciple Su He greets Elder Lin Che! I'm here to deliver your robe and the young master's disciple robe."

Ling Xuance's eyes landed on the neat brocade box in his hands.

"Thanks for making the trip all the way out here."

That polite word of thanks caught Su He off guard, flattering him. He quickly held out the box with both hands.

"Elder, you're too kind to this disciple! This is just my job. In the box are your standard robe as a Distinguished Guest Elder, the young master's personal disciple robe, and identity jade tokens—everything's all set."

After handing over the supplies, Su He hesitated, thinking about all the little errands to come, and finally worked up the nerve to speak up softly.

"Elder, in the future, the sect will still need to send over things like stipends, spirit materials, and other supplies. Xuanyue Peak's formations are too tight—we disciples can't get anywhere near. It's not practical to have the elder come down the mountain every single time. This disciple humbly asks: should we set up a permanent teleportation array at the foot of the mountain, or assign a few servant disciples to be at your beck and call?"

Ling Xuance thought for a moment.

"No need."

He raised his hand and formed seals in a flash, spiritual power flowing through his fingertips as clean, intricate formation lines and glowing paths took shape in the air.

A small, exquisite miniature teleportation array came to rest on the open ground at the foot of the mountain, its spiritual light glowing softly and modestly, connecting to the open space outside the bamboo hut atop the peak.

Su He was originally a disciple specializing in array formations in the Array Hall, and he knew all too well that forming seals and setting up arrays drained one's mental energy the most. Even a veteran elder of the sect's Array Hall would have to silently chant incantations, gather power for a beat, and weave complex hand seals to set up a precise and stable teleportation array.

Yet this elder before him pulled it off in one seamless motion, so fast he couldn't even make out the full hand gestures—blowing past any array mastery he'd ever seen in his life.

Sheer astonishment was plastered all over his face as Su He stared at the floating, spiritually glowing miniature teleportation array, unable to snap out of it for a long while.

Ling Xuance stowed the brocade box in his hands, turned, and headed back up the stone steps through the sea of clouds to the peak.

Only once that white-robed figure had fully vanished from sight did Su He finally snap back to reality.

Out front of the bamboo hut on Xuan Yue Peak, Lin Yu had been on his tiptoes, peering down the mountain, waiting with eager anticipation.

He caught sight of the familiar white-robed figure coming back through the clouds.

He rushed over and, without a second thought, threw himself into Ling Xuance's arms, hugging him tight around the waist.

"Brother Che, you're back!"

Ling Xuance nodded, raising a hand to steady his slender back, pulling him gently into his embrace.

Then he opened the brocade box in his hand, revealing two neatly folded sets of robes inside—one dignified and refined, the exclusive style of an elder, and one elegant and soft, the exclusive robe of a Supreme Elder's personal disciple.

He took out a Communication Jade Pendant from within and placed it in Lin Yu's palm, patiently rubbing the jade with his fingertips as he taught him how to use it.

"This is the sect's communication jade pendant. It can transmit messages across peaks—just a slight mental nudge and it connects. Ordinary messages are all sent through this."

Lin Yu held the warm jade pendant in his palm, listening with great attentiveness.

As soon as the words fell, the jade pendant in his palm flashed with spiritual light, and a gentle, drawn-out elderly voice softly came through the pendant—it was the Supreme Elder's message.

"Yu'er, the formalities of joining the sect are numerous. Settle in and rest at your residence for now. After the apprenticeship ceremony concludes in half a month, come to Qing Xuan Peak for cultivation."

Lin Yu instinctively looked up at Ling Xuance, seeking his opinion.