Shortly after Su Chan's calculated departure from the Outer Sect Scripture Pavilion, a veritable flood of newly minted Outer Disciples, Ye Fan prominent among them, arrived. Their faces were alight with a mixture of awe for the ancient repository of knowledge and a burning eagerness to claim their first true cultivation and martial arts techniques from the renowned Tianshang Holy Land.
The vast first floor of the pavilion, with its towering shelves groaning under the weight of countless scrolls and jade slips, seemed like a paradise to these aspirants, many of whom had never had access to more than the most rudimentary, crudely copied manuals in their hometowns. Under the watchful eye of Elder Liu and the guidance of the senior Outer Disciples on duty, they began the exciting, yet daunting, task of browsing. The air filled with hushed whispers, the rustle of parchment, and the occasional excited gasp as a disciple found a technique that resonated with them.
Ye Fan, feigning a similar level of naive excitement, moved through the aisles with a carefully hidden agenda. He wasn't just looking for any technique; he was subtly scanning, his spiritual sense (guided by his master's far more perceptive ancient consciousness) probing for anything that felt… different. He picked up several Mortal Grade cultivation methods, examining them with an outward show of deep contemplation, before finally settling on one titled "Basic Five Elements Qi Art" – a common, unremarkable, but stable foundation method. For his martial art, he spent a considerable amount of time in the less-visited corners, as if searching for something unique. He eventually picked up a rather generic-looking fist technique manual, "Stone-Shattering Fist," another standard Mortal Grade art. He felt a faint, lingering sense of… something missing, that same odd feeling he'd had earlier, but he couldn't pinpoint it and eventually dismissed it as unimportant in the face of his grander plans.
After making their selections, the disciples queued up to register their chosen techniques with the senior Outer Disciple at the counter, their new disciple tokens being stamped with the information. Once done, they were directed towards the sprawling residential area designated for Outer Disciples – a vast complex of simple but clean courtyards and dormitories.
Ye Fan located his assigned courtyard. It was small, spartan, with a single stone bed, a simple table, and a meditation cushion. A far cry from the opulent chambers he envisioned for his future, but it was a start. The spiritual energy here was noticeably thinner than in the main plaza, let alone the inner peaks, but it was still richer than anything in Azure Sky City.
Closing the door to his new, humble abode, Ye Fan finally let his carefully constructed facade drop. A frown creased his brow.
"Master," he communicated mentally, his voice tinged with a slight dissatisfaction, "the techniques available were… rather pedestrian. The 'Basic Five Elements Qi Art' and 'Stone-Shattering Fist' are serviceable, but hardly befitting my potential."
The ancient voice of the Saint King resonated in his mind, calm and unperturbed. "Patience, Little Fan. The Outer Sect is merely a stepping stone. These Mortal Grade techniques, while crude, will suffice for your initial breakthrough to the Foundation Building realm, especially with my guidance to optimize their usage. We did not sense any truly hidden treasures or significant fragments on that floor today. Perhaps fate has other, more direct opportunities in store for you soon. Focus now on consolidating your Qi Refining 2nd Level and pushing towards the 3rd. With the ten spirit stones and your reawakened aptitude, progress will be swift."
Ye Fan nodded internally, his slight disappointment fading. His master was right. These were temporary tools. His true advantages lay in his master's encyclopedic knowledge and his own indomitable will. "Yes, Master. I will begin cultivating immediately."
Meanwhile, Su Chan, having successfully secured the complete 'Shadowless Steps' technique, made his way back towards the ethereal, mist-shrouded slopes of Fairy Peak. The Peak Earth Grade movement art was already beginning to integrate into his understanding, its profound principles settling into his sea of consciousness with an ease that spoke volumes about the Chaos Divine Body's superlative comprehension abilities.
He found his martial sisters waiting for him near the familiar archway that marked the entrance to their peak's inner sanctum. Fang Xin, Ning Youxi, and Lin Ruo'er turned as he approached, their expressions a mixture of relief and curiosity.
"You took your time, Junior Brother," Fang Xin remarked, though her tone was light, a hint of a smile playing on her lips. She, along with the others, had been subtly updated by their own diary interfaces about Su Chan's successful interception and reward.
"Apologies, Senior Sister," Su Chan said smoothly. "The 'matter' took a little longer than expected."
Lin Ruo'er bounced on the balls of her feet. "So, what important 'work' did you have, Senior Brother Su Chan? Did you find some amazing treasure in the Outer Sect?" she asked, her eyes wide with playful innocence.
Su Chan merely smiled. "Just tying up some loose ends. Shall we report to Master now?"
"Indeed," Fang Xin agreed. "Master Bai will be keen to hear about the outcome of the recruitment, especially regarding any noteworthy new talents." Her gaze held Su Chan's for a moment, an unspoken understanding passing between them.
Together, the four disciples of Fairy Peak made their way along the winding, picturesque paths, past bubbling spiritual springs and trees that shimmered with a soft, ambient light, towards the heart of their domain – their Master's main hall.
The hall was an elegant, serene structure, built from pale, luminous moonwood that seemed to glow faintly from within. Its eaves curved gracefully towards the sky, and the air around it was imbued with a profound, almost sacred tranquility, as well as a subtle, immensely powerful aura that bespoke the cultivation level of its occupant.
Arriving at the intricately carved double doors, Fang Xin, as the eldest disciple present, stepped forward. "Master," she called out, her voice clear and respectful, yet carrying the warmth of a beloved student, "disciples Fang Xin, Su Chan, Ning Youxi, and Lin Ruo'er have returned from observing the recruitment ceremony and seek an audience."
A voice, ethereal and melodious, like the chiming of distant celestial bells or the sigh of a gentle breeze through ancient pines, drifted out from within. "Come in."
The heavy moonwood doors swung inward silently, as if moved by an unseen force, revealing the interior of the main hall. It was spacious yet uncluttered, suffused with a soft, ambient light that seemed to emanate from the very walls. Delicate, almost translucent silks adorned the windows, stirring gently in a non-existent breeze. The air was fragrant with the subtle, calming scent of rare spiritual incense and the faintest hint of frost-kissed orchids.
And there, upon a raised dais at the far end of the hall, seated gracefully upon a throne carved from pure, unblemished white jade, was a figure that seemed to embody all the beauty and serenity of Fairy Peak itself.
It was their master, Bai Lianxin.
Her appearance was like that of a celestial fairy descended to the mortal realm. Her long, ink-black hair, smooth as polished silk, cascaded down her back and over her shoulders, adorned only by a single, exquisitely crafted jade hairpin shaped like a crescent moon. Her robes, the color of the purest winter snow, flowed around her like liquid moonlight, embroidered with subtle, almost invisible patterns of frost flowers and swirling mists. Her face was a perfect oval, her features delicate and exquisitely carved, as if by the hand of a divine artisan. Her skin was flawless, like polished jade, suffusing a faint, ethereal glow. Her willow-like waist was slender, her posture elegant and poised, exuding an aura of otherworldly grace and profound, restrained power. Though her eyes were currently closed in a state of light meditation, Su Chan knew that when open, they were like deep, clear pools reflecting a starlit winter sky, capable of freezing a man's soul with a glance, or melting the hardest heart with a rare moment of warmth.
Seeing his devastatingly beautiful master, even with her eyes closed, Su Chan felt an almost overwhelming surge of… appreciation. An involuntary urge, a familiar phantom sensation from his past life's baser instincts when encountering such supreme beauty in fiction, threatened a nosebleed. He quickly, discreetly, took a deep, calming breath, forcefully suppressing the inappropriate reaction and focusing on her revered status as his master, a Saint King powerhouse.
He joined his sisters in a deep, respectful bow. "Disciple Su Chan (Fang Xin/Ning Youxi/Lin Ruo'er) pays respects to Master!"
Bai Lianxin's long, dark lashes fluttered, and her eyes slowly opened. They were indeed as breathtaking as Su Chan remembered, clear, profound, and holding a hint of an icy Sring that could make even powerful cultivators tremble. Yet, as her gaze fell upon her four disciples, a minuscule, almost imperceptible softening occurred around their edges.
"Rise," she said, her voice carrying that same ethereal quality. "Report. Were there any developments of note during the recruitment trials?"
Fang Xin, as the senior, stepped forward to give a concise overview of the number of aspirants, the general quality, and the outcome of the two tests. Lin Ruo'er chimed in with a few enthusiastic, if less formal, observations about some of the more dramatic moments. Ning Youxi remained mostly quiet, still processing the day's revelations.
Then, it was Su Chan's turn to add anything he had particularly noted. He spoke of Ye Fan's reawakened aptitude and his swift passage through the Illusion Heart Formation, phrasing it as an objective observation of a "surprisingly resilient new disciple." He carefully omitted any mention of his own activities at the Scripture Pavilion or his foreknowledge of Ye Fan's ring grandpa.
Bai Lianxin listened patiently, her jade-like fingers resting lightly on the arm of her throne. Her gaze, as Su Chan spoke of Ye Fan, seemed to sharpen for a fraction of a second, an almost invisible flicker of glacial light within their depths, before returning to its usual serene inscrutability. The diary entries had already painted a vivid picture of this "Ye Fan." Hearing her own disciples now speak of his initial successes, however minor, added another layer to her understanding.