The sky was already bruised with the colors of early dusk. Mount Shu, which should have been settling into quiet meditation at this hour, was instead gripped by utter chaos.
Qin Yi looked up, watching the streaks of sword-light, each long sword an incandescent signal of alarm, shooting into the sky. His expression, usually placid, grew heavy.
He quickly sheathed the Azure Edge Sword behind his back, rose from the Sword Qi Platform, and hurried toward the gathering point of the commotion.
A great number of Mount Shu disciples had already gathered. Whether they were weathered veterans or newly initiated youths, every face was etched with solemnity, fear, and profound shock.
At the entrance to the Everlasting Pavilion, Xu Zhangqing, the Sect Lord, stood with a grave expression, a deep sorrow mixing with the burden of his office.
On the stone steps before him, one body after another was being carefully carried in, some clad in the robes of Elders, others in the simple uniform of disciples.
"Sect Lord." A disciple stepped forward, calling softly.
Xu Zhangqing, suppressing a wave of grief, nodded, signaling for the disciple to proceed with the report.
The sword-lights in the sky intensified, and as more disciples rushed to the plaza, the scene laid bare on the steps caused gasps and cries. Every face paled.
"That's the Laws and Morals Elder!"
"Grand Elder Chang is there too."
"And Junior Brother Xing Fei…"
The disciples stared at the silent, white-shrouded corpses laid out before them, their faces a mixture of disbelief and terror.
"These Martial Uncles and Junior Brothers… they all died inside Inner Mount Shu." Dugu Yuyun stood beside Xu Zhangqing, sighing softly, his own composure visibly strained.
Xu Zhangqing's eyes were heavy and unfocused, a rare moment of distraction for a veteran cultivator.
"Just now, at the sealed entrance to Inner Mount Shu, we found these Martial Uncles and Junior Brothers," the reporting disciple spoke sorrowfully. One of the bodies on the steps was his close Senior Brother. "But unfortunately, they were already without breath."
"There is a strange miasma inside Inner Mount Shu. Any Mount Shu disciple who enters loses all their cultivation."
Xu Zhangqing let out a long, ragged sigh, addressing the shocked crowd. "This is the failure of this Sect Lord."
Since he had succeeded his master, this internal collapse, the loss of Mount Shu's foundational Immortal Land, and the death of dozens of Elders and disciples, was a devastating blow. The immense pressure weighed heavily on his shoulders as he struggled to comprehend the source of the catastrophe.
Qin Yi finally squeezed through the densely packed crowd. His gaze fell upon the still form of the Laws and Morals Elder, and he stopped short.
No wonder that Situ Zhong fellow dared to drink so openly, he thought grimly. The enforcer of the rules was already dead.
Then his eyes tracked across the long row of white-shrouded corpses. His pupils shrank.
So many dead?
For a sect like Mount Shu, which only numbered a few hundred disciples in total, training a single Elder required immense effort and time. Losing even one was painful. To lose this many, dozens, was a catastrophe that threatened to cripple the sect for years.
The agony weighing on Xu Zhangqing's heart was almost palpable.
"You may all disperse," Xu Zhangqing commanded, his voice raw but firm. "I already have arrangements for the Inner Mount Shu matter. I will not allow this tragedy to repeat."
The disciples exchanged glances, bowed in silence, and withdrew slowly.
In the blink of an eye, the plaza before the Everlasting Pavilion emptied.
Qin Yi hesitated for a moment, then walked forward toward the Sect Lord.
"Senior Brother Zhangqing, please accept my condolences. The path of cultivation goes against the heavens, dying along the way is normal."
Xu Zhangqing opened his eyes, and seeing Qin Yi, his lips twitched in outrage.
"We cultivators walk with the heavens, how can we go against them? Dying on the road is normal? Chang Yi, what utter nonsense are you spouting?!" The Sect Lord's beard seemed to practically jump with indignation as he scolded him.
Qin Yi coughed twice. "Ahem… Chang Yi was wrong."
He felt awkward. Why did the blunt, brutal logic from his previous lives keep escaping his mouth at the worst possible times?
Fortunately, Xu Zhangqing didn't pursue the matter. He glanced at Qin Yi, and his eyes suddenly widened in astonishment.
"You've already reached the Fifth Level of the Comprehending the Dao Realm?! So quickly?!"
Xu Zhangqing was genuinely shocked. What impossible speed was this? Even the most favored genius who had mastered Controlling Sword Flight couldn't progress this fast! What shocked him further was the True Qi overflowing inside his Junior Brother, it carried the powerful, settled aura one should only possess after reaching the Sixth level.
"Junior Brother is merely gifted," Qin Yi said with a tight grin.
Seeing this ridiculous, miraculous cultivation speed, Xu Zhangqing immediately set aside the grief of his lost disciples. He grabbed Qin Yi's arm, pulled him straight into the Everlasting Pavilion, and waved his sleeve, slamming the heavy wooden doors shut.
"Senior Brother, this is…?!" Qin Yi was stunned by the sudden, urgent maneuver.
Xu Zhangqing didn't answer. Instead, he reached out and firmly grabbed Qin Yi's wrist to check his pulse. The speed was so great, even Qin Yi, with his vast experience, couldn't react in time.
"True Qi is abundant, the foundations are deep… So it really is an eruption after years of meticulous accumulation." After a moment, Xu Zhangqing revealed a deep, satisfied smile.
"Chang Yi, you are a naturally gifted cultivator. To reach this realm in such a short time, even factoring in years of accumulated foundation, it proves you were born for the Cultivation's Way."
"To awaken now and begin earnest cultivation… this makes me incredibly happy."
The recent disaster in Inner Mount Shu had caused heavy losses to the sect's combat strength. Discovering such a rising talent in Qin Yi was a profound, unexpected consolation.
"If your will is firm enough and you continue working hard, there is still hope for becoming immortal," Xu Zhangqing praised him repeatedly.
Qin Yi felt a flush of embarrassment from the relentless compliments and could only nod.
Next, Xu Zhangqing frowned, sinking into thought. Several minutes later, he pulled a small bottle of gleaming pills from his robe.
"This is a Calming Mind Pill, it can increase your True Essence. Use it sparingly."
He pressed the bottle into Qin Yi's hand. "Also, during this time, come to me often. If you have anything you don't understand, just ask. Raise your strength as quickly as possible."
Qin Yi was momentarily stunned, then his eyes flashed with surprise. He understood immediately: Xu Zhangqing planned to cultivate him heavily and personally!
"Though you started late on the path of cultivation, you are intelligent and have strong foundations. You still have hope, don't lose heart."
"Additionally, I will have Dugu Yuyun accompany you in the coming days. His cultivation is higher than yours. Ask him anything you don't understand about practical application."
When he heard Dugu Yuyun's name, Qin Yi felt a spike of awkwardness. As a Senior Martial Uncle, being weaker than that arrogant brat was highly embarrassing.
But he didn't refuse. If he was lacking, he would simply work harder and surpass the youth.
For the next hour, Qin Yi peppered Xu Zhangqing with complex cultivation questions inside the pavilion. The Sect Lord answered them one by one with precision, giving Qin Yi a sense of sudden, profound enlightenment on how to apply his multi-world knowledge to this system.
"On the path of cultivation, never shut yourself in blindly. If you don't understand something, come ask me," Xu Zhangqing spoke solemnly as Qin Yi prepared to leave.
Then, he dropped the bombshell.
"If, within one year, you can reach the Eighth Level of the Achieving the Dao Realm, the position of Laws and Morals Elder will be yours."
"It will also compensate for the years Mount Shu has neglected you."
Qin Yi froze for a moment, but a smile soon spread across his face. He didn't refuse. He bowed, thanked the Sect Lord, and left.
Laws and Morals Elder?
That sounded excellent. Situ Zhong and Dugu Yuyun, those two brats seemed like they desperately needed proper "guidance" and "discipline."
(End of Chapter)
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