The Wuling Immortal Sect was a great second-rank sect with a long history, and it followed well-established rules in all its affairs.
Leaving aside the outer sect, any inner disciple who advanced in cultivation received a reward from the sect master.
Among the rewards ordinary sects could scarcely hope to match were spiritual veins.
The great world was rich in spiritual energy. As that energy accumulated, it condensed into spirit stones, and deposits of spirit stones eventually formed spiritual veins.
Over ten million years, countless spiritual veins had formed underground. These were divided into first-rank, second-rank, third-rank, and lesser spiritual veins.
Lesser spiritual veins could barely produce spirit stones. Their scattered spiritual energy condensed mostly into small, beadlike forms, so they produced spiritual pearls and were not included in the three main ranks.
Third-rank spiritual veins produced lower-grade spirit stones, second-rank veins produced middle-grade stones, and first-rank veins produced upper-grade stones. To a cultivator, possessing any of these veins was far more useful than merely absorbing the ordinary spiritual energy of heaven and earth.
The Wuling Immortal Sect had established a rule: an inner disciple who formed a Golden Core could establish residence on a separate small peak and receive a third-rank spiritual vein. A disciple who formed a Nascent Soul could claim a middle-sized peak and a second-rank spiritual vein. Upon reaching the Out-of-Body stage, a disciple could establish residence on a great peak or move to the main peak, and receive a first-rank spiritual vein!
There were many additional rewards, including spiritual pills, magical treasures, cultivation manuals, and other resources, too numerous to list here.
Only a colossal institution like the Wuling Immortal Sect could afford such generosity!
Now that Yun Lie had formed his Golden Core, he faced a choice.
Would he establish his own peak and live independently?
Qiu He was reluctant to part with his disciple. Yet Yun Lie was now a Golden Core cultivator himself, and continuing to share his master’s peak might be unfair to him. Besides, Qiu He’s eight female disciples were all terrified of Yun Lie. If he remained on Little Bamboo Peak, he would still be confined to the summit, which hardly suited his newly elevated status.
It was better to let Yun Lie decide for himself.
Xu Ziqing was naturally happy that Senior Martial Brother Yun would have a residence of his own, but he could not help feeling somewhat disappointed.
He had joined the Wuling Immortal Sect partly because of its reputation, but even more because he wished to cultivate alongside his friend. Now they belonged to the same sect and had become martial brothers, yet Yun Lie might be moving away. Future meetings could be few and far between. In the past, he had seldom seen his friend in person, but because Yun Lie had always been within the ring, there had been no sorrow of separation. This time, the prospect of parting felt real.
Before Yun Lie could answer, a powerful pressure suddenly descended from the sky.
Everyone raised their heads. Not far away, a man wearing flowing, wide-sleeved robes was striding through the air. He had a beard beneath his chin and a smile upon his face.
He soon arrived above Little Bamboo Peak and stopped, looking down at them.
Someone walking through the sky without support must be at least a Nascent Soul cultivator!
Xu Ziqing was shocked.
Why had such a powerful cultivator come here? He instinctively turned toward Qiu He. Seeing no sign of concern on his master’s face, he relaxed.
The bearded man laughed and declared in a ringing voice, “Yun Lie of Little Bamboo Peak has attained the Golden Core Great Dao through cultivation of the Ruthless Slaughter Sword Dao, becoming the first person in a million years of the Qingyun Great World to succeed upon this path! I am Wei Yi of Lingyue Peak, here at the sect master’s command to offer congratulations!”
Yun Lie turned and looked upward. “My thanks to the sect master.”
Wei Yi nodded slightly, his eyes full of approval as he regarded Yun Lie.
With a sweep of his sleeve, he produced a long silk document, gleaming with golden light and carrying a mighty aura. It unfurled with a sharp rustle.
Wei Yi read aloud, “By the sect master’s decree, Yun Lie of Little Bamboo Peak, having formed a Golden Core, is hereby rewarded with one third-rank spiritual vein and one small mountain peak!”
When he had finished, Wei Yi looked down and asked, “Perfected Yun, where would you like the new peak to be established?”
Yun Lie replied, “Near Little Bamboo Peak.”
Wei Yi laughed. “There is an empty tract ten li to the right of Little Bamboo Peak. Would that suit you?”
“Very well.”
Wei Yi nodded, then took a few strides through the air, instantly reaching the open sky ten li to the right.
The next moment, he reached out with one hand. Countless streams of brown light erupted from his palm!
Xu Ziqing watched breathlessly, his heart surging with excitement.
This cultivator’s tremendous power surpassed anything Xu Ziqing had witnessed in his life. Even without releasing his pressure, he was as unapproachable as a mountain reaching the heavens.
The brown light in the man’s hand looked no larger than a fist from a distance, but when it erupted, it multiplied into countless strands. The tiny fraction of energy escaping from it struck Xu Ziqing’s heart like a heavy fist, making it pound violently.
What level of cultivation had this man reached? Nascent Soul… or something even higher?
As the brown light spread, a mound suddenly rose from the empty ground. With every shower of light falling upon it, the mound grew taller and wider.
Soil and stone compressed into a solid structure. Ridges formed, and the body and summit of a mountain took shape. Before long, a bare small peak had risen straight out of the earth!
It had neither grass nor trees, only soil and stone, like a barren mountain. Yet it had not formed naturally. A high-level cultivator had created it by brute magical power, raising it from level ground!
What immense strength must a cultivator at the Nascent Soul stage or higher possess to achieve such a feat?
Wei Yi seemed perfectly relaxed, as though the technique had required no effort. He smiled. “Perfected Yun, what do you think of this mountain?”
Yun Lie looked it over without changing expression. “Acceptable.”
Wei Yi was clearly an easygoing person, despite his formidable cultivation. “There is also the third-rank spiritual vein. Would Perfected Yun prefer to keep it personally, or have it placed inside this peak?”
“Place it inside the mountain.”
This question was merely part of the procedure, and Wei Yi was not surprised. He nodded and slipped his right hand into his sleeve.
The sleeve suddenly began to shake, fluttering as though something inside was struggling and trying to escape.
Xu Ziqing had already guessed what it might be and stared wide-eyed.
Wei Yi withdrew his hand, his five fingers gripping a long, snake-like object. White mist swirled around it, and it radiated a tremendously powerful wave of spiritual energy!
That dense spiritual energy washed over Xu Ziqing, leaving him gasping in astonishment.
A third-rank spiritual vein!
Wei Yi was actually holding an entire third-rank spiritual vein firmly in one hand!
The vein writhed and twisted like a living creature, trying to escape from his grasp. Yet his five fingers were like claws of steel, imprisoning it completely and leaving it no chance to break free.
Wei Yi commanded, “Go!”
The spiritual vein shot toward the barren peak as though bound by an invisible rope. It plunged through soil and rock and entered the mountain itself.
In the blink of an eye, the barren mountain began to pulse as though it had gained a beating heart. It trembled violently, and intense spiritual energy enveloped it. Though still without vegetation, its aura had transformed completely, making it seem every bit as wondrous as the other immortal peaks around it.
At that moment, Yun Lie’s aura stirred. An immensely powerful killing intent suddenly erupted from him, taking the form of an invisible giant sword that plunged directly into the new peak.
This was a strand of his sword intent. It merged with the mountain’s own will and simultaneously suppressed the third-rank spiritual vein, forcing it to acknowledge him as master.
The mountain now carried an overwhelming killing intent throughout its aura. It became cold and filled with slaughtering power. No birds would settle there, and beasts would find it impossible to live upon its slopes.
Seeing that the third-rank spiritual vein had accepted its master, Wei Yi regarded the younger cultivator with even greater appreciation. “The peak is established, and the spiritual vein has been granted. The sect master has additional rewards for you to receive, Perfected Yun.”
Yun Lie waited silently without speaking.
Wei Yi knew that brilliant geniuses often had peculiar temperaments. Rather than waste words, he began reading the remaining rewards from the silk document.
“Because Yun Lie has formed his Golden Core, he is awarded one hundred Silver Marrow Pills, thirty Gold Marrow Pills, and five Jade Marrow Pills!”
“Because Yun Lie has comprehended ruthless slaughter sword intent, he is awarded one hundred bottles of One-Origin Pills, ten bottles of Supreme-Origin Pills, and one bottle of Chief-Origin Pills!”
“Because Yun Lie has mastered the Ruthless Slaughter Sword Dao, he is awarded ten Yellow-rank cultivation manuals, five Mysterious-rank manuals, and one Earth-rank manual, which he may select for himself from the sect library.”
“In addition, Perfected Yun, because you practice the sword Dao and rarely use other magical treasures, the sect master grants you an upper-grade spiritual artifact, the spirit sword Frostslaughter. May you use it well. The sect master also declares that if you reach Nascent Soul in the future, further generous rewards await!”
When Wei Yi finished reciting the entire list, he tossed down an object. “Perfected Yun, please accept your rewards.”
Yun Lie raised his hand and caught a storage ring. Sweeping it with his spiritual sense, he saw the various items within his sea of consciousness and confirmed that everything listed was present.
He looked up. “My thanks to the sect master.”
Wei Yi smiled and tossed down a small bottle as well. “Many years ago, I obtained a bottle of Sword-Origin Pills. Please accept it as a modest personal gift in celebration of your Golden Core.”
Yun Lie placed it in his storage ring.
With his task complete, Wei Yi turned and strode away through the air.
Many cultivators on the surrounding peaks, hundreds and thousands of li around, had seen the spectacle and heard the full list of Yun Lie’s rewards. All were exceedingly envious.
At the summit of Little Bamboo Peak, Qiu He looked at his disciple and smiled. “Yun’er truly has limitless potential. The rewards I received when I formed my core were nowhere near as generous.”
Yun Lie said nothing. He simply drew a brightly glowing spirit sword from the ring and then tossed the storage ring itself toward Qiu He. “Everything else is for Master.”
Qiu He froze in surprise, then felt deeply touched. He flicked the ring back. “I know your filial regard, Yun’er. But I still have some resources of my own. You needn’t give me your rewards.”
Yun Lie nodded and put the ring away.
Xu Ziqing watched with a gentle gaze.
He knew that Senior Martial Brother Yun was habitually a man of few words. Though Yun Lie could not charm others with eloquent speech, he had never been stingy with his possessions. If Master ever needed anything, Yun Lie, cold-faced but warmhearted, would certainly not stand aside.
Before the sect master’s rewards arrived, the master and his disciples had been discussing their living arrangements. The interruption meant that no decision had yet been made.
Now that the rewards had been received, it was time to settle the matter.
Qiu He asked, “Yun’er, will you move to the new peak?”
Yun Lie nodded. “Yes.”
Qiu He sighed and then smiled. “In that case, I shall let Ziqing live at the summit you have been using… What do you think, Yun’er?”
Xu Ziqing looked toward Yun Lie. After all, that had been Senior Martial Brother Yun’s residence for many years. Would he mind?
Yun Lie’s calm gaze passed over him. “Junior Martial Brother may live on my peak.”