After two days of anticipation and apprehension.
As the golden brilliance of the third day's sun spilled across this Mirror Heaven, twelve resplendent beams of divine light, like meteors tearing through the firmament, shot down from the towering sect gate and landed precisely before the crowd.
The light faded, revealing twelve young Daoists clad in light gray Daoist Robes, their auras deep and composed.
Knowing the induction ceremony was about to begin, the eager Apprentice Disciples outside the sect gate all rose to their feet, their eyes fixed on the twelve Daoists.
The lead Daoist had hair as white as snow and a face so handsome it seemed otherworldly. A crimson, flame-like cloud mark between his brows added to his mystical appearance.
He stepped forward slowly, his eyes, which faintly shimmered with a mysterious blue-green light, swept across the hundreds of young, nervous faces before him as if with physical weight.
With a flip of his palm, a golden flash flared, and a Jade Scroll suddenly materialized.
"You have ascended the Blood Stepping Tier and knocked upon the Celestial Gates, weathered calamities and cleansed your mortal coils.
Today, with your Dao Hearts as the covenant, you are bestowed the Profound Jade Decree.
Henceforth, you shall temper your hearts and bones to prove the Great Dao, and become pillars that strengthen our home.
Should you betray the Holy Sect!
Your Three Souls will fall to the Karmic Fire, your seven spirits will feed the Stygian Abyss;
And only on the day ten thousand demons gnaw at your heart will you know—the Holy Sect's might shows no mercy!"
A vast, booming, celestial voice instantly echoed in everyone's ears. A majestic and boundless, terrifying pressure—as if the heavens were collapsing and the earth was overturning—descended without warning, weighing down heavily upon them all!
As deep as the abyss, as vast as the sea, and utterly overwhelming.
In a single instant, everyone's back was soaked in cold sweat. Their hearts hammered wildly in their chests, and their blood seemed to freeze in their veins.
Taking in everyone's reaction, the silver-haired Daoist's expression remained unchanged. He formed a hand seal for a spell and tapped the Jade Scroll in his hand.
Instantly, countless Jade Tokens transformed into a thousand streams of Flowing Light, flying into the palms of the Apprentice Disciples.
"This Taixu Jade Token will serve as your proof of identity as a Holy Sect Disciple. It can be activated through Sacrificial Refinement with your True Qi. It's used for all sorts of matters within the Sect, so be sure to keep it safe."
Hearing the silver-haired Daoist's instructions, Qi Yun instinctively glanced at the Taixu Jade Token in his hand.
The Jade Token was about the size of his palm, a translucent, azure blue. It felt warm and smooth to the touch. The front was engraved in Ancient Seal script with the two characters for "Wuji," while the back was completely blank.
Qi Yun tried infusing a trace of True Qi into it. The Jade Token immediately bloomed with faint wisps of light, and a line of text appeared on the previously blank back.
[Outer Mansion Disciple—Qi Yun!]
'It even has account-binding?'
Seeing the unique mark on the back of the Jade Token, Qi Yun clicked his tongue in wonder. The profound methods of this world of cultivation were truly far beyond his imagination.
"Next, we will assign Mansions." The silver-haired Daoist's voice interrupted everyone's amazement. "Everyone, pay attention to your Taixu Jade Tokens. The Outer Mansion you are assigned to will appear on it.
Memorize it. That will be your place of cultivation after joining the Sect."
He paused, his gaze once again sweeping over the crowd. His voice softened slightly, but still carried an unquestionable authority:
"The path of the Dao is long, the road to immortality is vast.
I, a humble Daoist, congratulate you, my junior brothers, on entering our Holy Sect."
He gave a slight nod, and the eleven Inner Mansion Disciples behind him followed suit, uniformly bowing with cupped fists toward the several hundred Apprentice Disciples.
"We hope you will all cultivate diligently and advance to the Inner Mansion soon."
The silver-haired Daoist left them with a final word of expectation.
"I will be waiting in the Inner Mansion for your good news. I hope that one day, we can all comprehend the Great Dao together!"
As his voice fell, the twelve of them did not linger. With a flicker, their bodies transformed into twelve dazzling beams of divine light, soaring into the sky and vanishing into the towering sect gate in an instant.
"We respectfully see you off, Senior Brothers—!"
Before the sect gate, hundreds of voices, filled with reverence and excitement, merged into a torrent as they bowed in unison to see them off.
With that, the long-awaited induction ceremony officially came to an end.
"Brother Qi, which Outer Mansion were you assigned to?"
The moment the ceremony ended, Wu Tao excitedly walked over.
"The Seventh Outer Mansion." Qi Yun glanced at the Taixu Jade Token in his hand. The faint wisps of light on it had coalesced into the words: [Seventh Outer Mansion].
"I'm in the Ninth Outer Mansion. It's a shame we can't be together." Wu Tao was a little disappointed that he and Qi Yun weren't assigned to the same Outer Mansion.
After all, they had come all this way together, and both were just commoners with no background or connections. If they could be in the same Mansion, they could support each other, which would undoubtedly make things much easier.
"It's alright. Just focus on your cultivation after joining the Sect. We'll see each other again in the Inner Mansion!" Qi Yun said with a smile.
"Yeah!" Qi Yun's words ignited Wu Tao's confidence, and he nodded firmly. "Then it's a deal. We'll reunite in the Inner Mansion."
After the induction ceremony, the previously sealed sect gate swung wide open. Twelve brilliant, radiant staircases, as if paved with gold, extended from within the gate.
The twelve staircases each led to one of the twelve Outer Mansions.
Finding the staircase leading to the Seventh Outer Mansion, Qi Yun stepped forward. At that moment, he also noticed that Shen Fan and his two companions seemed to have all been assigned to the same Outer Mansion.
'The Fourth Outer Mansion, was it...'
Silently committing this information to memory, Qi Yun merged into the stream of people heading for the Seventh Outer Mansion's staircase and stepped onto the golden path.
He walked up the long staircase and stepped over the threshold of the tall sect gate.
The scenery before him changed in an instant. Qi Yun found himself standing in a private, single-residence courtyard.
The courtyard was quaint and traditional, with a small bridge over flowing water. There were side rooms on the left and right, a kitchen, a stable, and even a grape trellis on one side.
'This isn't quite what I imagined.'
Surveying the small courtyard, Qi Yun located the main gate. Just as he was about to unlatch the bolt and push the gate open to take a look outside...
...he heard a CREAK as the gate was pushed open from the outside.
Startled, Qi Yun looked at the smiling young Daoist standing outside the gate. He took half a step back and asked hesitantly,
"And you are...?"
"Hehehe, you must be a new junior brother. A quick introduction: my name is Cao Song. You can call me Senior Brother Cao." After introducing himself, Cao Song walked in as if he owned the place and beckoned for Qi Yun to follow him.
"No need to be nervous. I'm just here to explain the things new disciples need to know."
'A newbie tutorial?'
'How considerate. Is the customer service in a Demon Sect this good nowadays?'
Sighing internally, Qi Yun cupped his fists slightly and said,
"Then please, Senior Brother, enlighten me."
"Mm, it's actually very simple." Cao Song spoke at a measured pace, but his words were crystal clear, as if he had recited them countless times.
"As you can see, this courtyard is your place of cultivation here in the Seventh Outer Mansion. Unless it is necessary, please do not leave without authorization.
Besides cultivation, you can embed your Taixu Jade Token into the Screen Wall by the entrance. It will display various Sect affairs.
By accepting and completing Sect affairs, you can obtain [Holy Essence].
Holy Essence is the sole designated currency of our Wuji Holy Sect.
You could say that everything within the Sect—your food, clothing, housing, and travel; purchasing cultivation resources; consulting cultivation manuals; buying and selling intelligence; greasing palms; hiring assassins... it all requires Holy Essence."
'Wait, hiring assassins...?' Qi Yun shot a surprised glance at Cao Song, but seeing that the man had no intention of explaining, he didn't ask.
"Outer Mansion Disciples must participate in an annual assessment. Those who rank at the bottom will receive corresponding punishments.
Those who fail to meet the standard for two consecutive years will be sent to the talent market.
In short, you must do everything in your power to cultivate diligently and raise your Realm.
Alright, my explanation is over. Thank you for listening."
The instant he finished speaking, the warm smile on Cao Song's face vanished. Without a moment's pause, without even a second glance at Qi Yun, he turned, pulled open the gate, and his figure flashed before disappearing outside.
"..."
Staring at the gently swaying gate with a strange expression, Qi Yun felt a mix of emotions.
'This so-called 'newcomer briefing'... it couldn't be a Sect affair too, could it?'
...