Chapter Forty-One: Preparing to Take on Apprentices

At this very moment, a system notification exploded in Ye Chentian’s mind, and a golden screen of light unfurled in the void, so brilliant it was blinding:

【Ding! Congratulations to the host for completing the mission "Exterminate the Xuanshui Pavilion." Distributing rewards now.】

【Obtained: Profound Ice Body-Tempering Liquid ×50 (The bottles are encased in the frost of ten-thousand-year profound ice).】

【Obtained: Millennium Enlightenment Tea ×5.】

【Obtained: Star-Meteor Flying Boat (Heaven-grade, high quality) ×1 (Forged from otherworldly meteorite iron mixed with stardust sand, the hull is inscribed with seventy-two spatial runes. It can carry a thousand people, travel a thousand miles in an instant, and comes with a built-in concealment array and defensive light screen).】

【Special Reward: Lingxiao Sword Master Summoning Card ×1.】

He brushed his fingertips across the reward screen, thinking to himself: The Profound Ice Body-Tempering Liquid is perfect for Ningshuang’s Sacred Body, and the Millennium Enlightenment Tea is a supreme treasure for breaking through bottlenecks. As for the Lingxiao Sword Master...

With a combat power equivalent to a ninth-layer Mahayana practitioner guarding the sect, the Nether Palace would not dare to act rashly in the near term.

This flying boat also perfectly solves the issue of sect travel. The thousand-person capacity is sufficient for future disciples, and the speed boosted by spatial runes is ten times faster than ordinary vessels.

The concealment array is ideal for avoiding petty trouble during long journeys. From now on, traveling to the cities of the Great Qian Dynasty to recruit disciples or go on training expeditions will no longer be a concern regarding time or safety.

He promptly stored the rewards and said to Luo Ningshuang, "Let's go, back to the sect."

Outside the mountain gate, thirty members of the Luo clan were already waiting; they were the most outstanding talents of the younger generation of the Luo family.

Seeing Ye Chentian and Luo Ningshuang return, everyone hurriedly bowed, bending low.

The youth in the front row stared at Ye Chentian’s back, clenching his fists secretly: Senior Sister Ningshuang said that only by following Sect Master Ye would our Luo clan have a future. Today, I can finally see the true splendor of an immortal sect.

Ye Chentian said nothing more; he simply raised his hand and released a cyan flying boat. The hull was covered in spirit-gathering runes, and the moment it appeared, it caused the surrounding spiritual energy to swirl.

These Luo clan members had never ridden such a refined magical artifact. Some stared at the spiritual patterns flowing across the hull, their hearts racing.

"Get on board."

The flying boat pierced through the sky, moving as fast as a shooting star yet as stable as solid ground.

Three days later, the flying boat pierced through a layer of pale cyan light and descended slowly into a valley wreathed in clouds and mist.

The moment the hatch opened, everyone was struck speechless by the scene before them:

The mountain gate, carved from white jade, stood over a thousand feet tall. The three characters for "Xuantian Sect" were cast in star-gold, and the suspended palace complex in the distance was shrouded in multicolored spiritual mist.

"Is... is this fairyland?" The disciples' eyes sparkled with ecstasy, their hearts surging like a stormy sea; they had never seen such dense spiritual energy!

Ye Chentian stepped off the flying boat and led them toward the depths of the sect.

He looked at the thirty Luo clan members, his voice calm yet carrying authority: "You thirty shall guard the mountain gate, the spirit fields, and the alchemy room. Each month, you will receive one hundred low-grade spirit stones and one Spirit-Gathering Pill. Those who perform excellently may enter the Outer Sect to cultivate."

The disciples were instantly abuzz. One disciple, who had long stagnated due to a lack of resources, clenched his fists, his eyes reddening with emotion that threatened to overflow.

One hundred low-grade spirit stones?

That is more than the family’s annual allowance for me!

Another disciple bowed hurriedly, resolving in his heart: I must perform well, never let the Sect Master down, and never bring shame to the Luo family! The group bustled toward their assigned posts, their steps so light they felt as if they were walking on clouds.

Once everyone had left, Ye Chentian turned to Luo Ningshuang, who was standing there in a daze. With a flick of his fingers, three bottles of Profound Ice Body-Tempering Liquid and a packet of Enlightenment Tea appeared out of thin air.

"This is the Profound Ice Body-Tempering Liquid. Applying it to your meridians daily will accelerate the awakening of your Sacred Body. This Millennium Enlightenment Tea—a single leaf is worth ten years of hard cultivation, and it will allow you to comprehend techniques more quickly. Take them."

When Luo Ningshuang received them with both hands, her fingertips trembled violently, and her heart nearly leaped out of her chest.

The bottles of Profound Ice Body-Tempering Liquid were coated in ten-thousand-year profound ice chill; merely being near them caused her sixth-layer Nascent Soul spiritual energy to flutter. Such a supreme treasure—I doubt there are ten bottles of it in the entire Great Qian Dynasty.

And this Enlightenment Tea, shimmering with purple-gold Dao patterns, with faint Great Dao runes swirling in its fragrance... Ancient texts say a single drop of this tea soup can allow a Nascent Soul cultivator to break through a bottleneck, yet Master just handed me a whole packet as if it were nothing...

"Ma-Master, this is too precious..." Luo Ningshuang’s voice trembled, the jade bottles in her palms feeling heavy as a thousand pounds.

"Take them." Ye Chentian’s tone allowed no room for debate. "Your Sacred Body requires these to awaken."

Luo Ningshuang bit her lip and bowed deeply. "This disciple will certainly not fail your expectations!"

Ye Chentian nodded. "The cultivation room in the core area has been prepared for you. You may emerge in three months."

"Yes! This disciple takes her leave!" Luo Ningshuang cradled the rewards, turned, and walked toward the cultivation room with a light step.

Seeing that Luo Ningshuang had gone, Ye Chentian decided to summon the Lingxiao Sword Master.

【System, use the Lingxiao Sword Master Summoning Card.】

【Understood, host.】

"Lingxiao Sword Master, appear!" Ye Chentian tossed the card toward the mountain gate. The card exploded into golden light, and a solid projection of a figure in silver robes appeared, standing with a sword on his back. Sword energy soared into the heavens around him, and the pressure of a ninth-layer Mahayana cultivator spread like a tsunami, shattering the drifting clouds on the horizon.

Ye Chentian looked at the awe-inspiring figure and said calmly, "Serve as the Guardian of the Xuantian Sect, and protect the sect's safety."

With this ninth-layer Mahayana Sword Master sitting in command, he would no longer need to worry about the security of the sect while he was away.

"Yes! Thank you, Sect Master!" the Lingxiao Sword Master replied respectfully.

"Furthermore, issue an announcement to the entire Great Qian Dynasty: In three months, the Xuantian Sect will officially emerge to recruit talent from across the world."

Ye Chentian’s gaze swept over the Lingxiao Sword Master, his tone carrying undeniable authority. "Anyone under the age of fifteen with a superior spirit root or higher may come for the assessment. Those with special constitutions or rare talents will be admitted directly to the Inner Sect, regardless of age."

The Lingxiao Sword Master bowed in compliance. "This subordinate will send word to every city immediately, ensuring the announcement reaches every cultivation marketplace in the Great Qian Dynasty within three days."