170: Chapter 170 Entering the Inner Gate

After speaking, Qin Yunhe waved his hand, and ten jade plaques engraved with Azure Cloud patterns slowly flew toward Ye Tianhao and the others.

Faint ripples of spiritual power emanated from these Command Tokens; they were the status symbols of Inner Sect Disciples. Those who held these tokens could enter the Inner Sect area to Cultivate, receive more abundant cultivation resources, and obtain personal guidance from the Elders.

Yun Jian's gaze swept over the top ten Disciples, his tone solemn: "After becoming Inner Sect Disciples, you must Cultivate diligently, strictly abide by the Sect rules, refrain from harming your fellow Disciples, and never tarnish the reputation of the Qingyun Sect."

"We will keep the Elder's teachings in mind!" the ten Disciples replied in unison, their voices resonant and echoing throughout the entire square.

After finishing his instructions, Yun Jian turned his gaze toward the remaining Cultivators on the square, his tone indifferent.

"The rest of you Cultivators who did not meet the standard in this assessment may decide for yourselves whether to stay or leave; you remain Outer Sect Disciples."

Yun Jian's tone was flat: "But do not be discouraged. The Sect holds an Inner Sect examination for its Disciples every five years. As long as you Cultivate diligently and improve your strength, you may well stand out next time."

"Today's assessment is over. Outer Sect Disciples, return to your respective residences. Inner Sect Disciples, follow us to the Inner Sect area to familiarize yourselves with the environment."

With those words, Yun Jian and Qin Yunhe were the first to take flight on their swords, their figures turning into two streaks of spiritual light that shot into the sky.

Ye Tianhao and the other two quickly followed.

As a spiritual wind brushed past, the group's figures gradually receded, flying toward the direction of the Qingyun Sect's Inner Sect.

The Cultivators on the square split into two groups: some went to serve as Outer Sect Disciples, while others, unwilling to let themselves be buried like this, left in indignation.

On that white jade stone tablet, the names of the top ten Disciples remained clearly visible. Especially the three characters for Ye Tianhao, which were as dazzling as stars, becoming the most shocking presence in this Inner Sect examination.

In the Qingyun Sect's Inner Sect, clouds and mist swirled, and the Spiritual Qi was abundant, several times denser than in the Outer Sect.

Simple and ancient palaces were scattered orderly throughout the mountains; these were the places where Inner Sect Disciples lived and cultivated.

Ye Tianhao and the other two followed behind the two Elders, their gazes slowly sweeping over the surroundings, their eyes full of curiosity and anticipation.

Qin Yunhe looked at the Ye siblings with a smile, his tone softening slightly: "Ye Tianhao, Ye Tianyao, the three of you have outstanding strength and quite rare Heart-Nature. In the future, if you have any questions regarding your cultivation, you can come find me or Elder Yun Jian."

Ye Tianhao and Ye Tianyao naturally recognized that this Elder was the old man who had previously appeared in the Mission Hall.

Thus, they both cupped their hands in a salute and said, "Thank you for your guidance, Elder. We will certainly keep it in mind."

As they spoke, the group had already arrived at the center of the Inner Sect area.

A palace named "Ruyun Hall" stood before them. The palace had a magnificent Aura, with upturned eaves, painted rafters, and countless spiritual crystals embedded at the top, emitting a dense Spiritual Qi that was refreshing to the soul.

Qin Yunhe said in a plain tone, "This is the Ruyun Hall, the place where Inner Sect Disciples discuss matters and receive teachings."

"Today, my eldest Disciple Lu Shaoyou will first assign your residences. You should rest for now and familiarize yourselves with the Inner Sect environment."

Everyone complied, their gazes falling upon the scenery surrounding the Ruyun Hall, their hearts already filled with anticipation for their future cultivation life in the Inner Sect.

The two Elders departed first, and Lu Shaoyou stepped forward, saying to the Inner Sect Disciples, "Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters, please follow me."

Lu Shaoyou arranged for the Disciples to stay at a mountain peak near the Ruyun Hall. The peak towered into the clouds and was surrounded by lush greenery.

The residences for female and male Disciples were temporarily separated. After Lu Shaoyou had arranged the dwellings for all the Cultivators, he called out to the Ye siblings separately.

A look of surprise appeared in the eyes of the surrounding Disciples. Could it be that these siblings knew this Eldest Senior Brother?

Li Linlin snorted, not wanting to pay them any mind, while Su Wan gave a polite bow and took her leave.

After the other Cultivators had dispersed.

Lu Shaoyou stepped forward with cupped hands and said, "Congratulations, Brother Ye, on entering the Qingyun Sect."

"Senior Brother Lu, we are all fellow Disciples now, no need to be so polite!" Ye Tianyao said with a charming smile.

Lu Shaoyou gave a sheepish laugh. "Indeed, Junior Brother Ye, Junior Sister Ye!"

After the simple greetings were over, Ye Tianyao couldn't wait to ask Lu Shaoyou, "Senior Brother Lu! Now that we are Inner Sect Disciples, when will we be given the foundation establishment pill?"

"Tianyao!" Ye Tianhao was helpless in the face of his sister's overfamiliarity.

Hearing this, Lu Shaoyou smiled and said, "Junior Sister Ye, do not be in such a hurry. Becoming an Inner Sect Disciple doesn't mean you can easily obtain a foundation establishment pill!"

He explained patiently, "You heard Junior Martial Uncle Yun Jian earlier; the Qingyun Sect holds an Outer Sect Disciple assessment every five years, which also includes a competition among Inner Sect Disciples for foundation establishment pill slots. The Sect rules dictate that there are only three pills, so Inner Sect Disciples must compete against each other to obtain one."

"We have to compete again!" Ye Tianyao curled her lip.

Ye Tianhao stepped forward: "Then may I ask, Senior Brother Lu, how long until this Sect competition begins?"

Lu Shaoyou smiled faintly. "Junior Brother Ye, there is still one year. This should be plenty of time for you. I also need to participate in this trial; perhaps we will even be opponents!"

As soon as these words were spoken, both Ye Tianhao and Ye Tianyao were startled. Even as the eldest Disciple, did Lu Shaoyou also need to participate in this competition for the foundation establishment pill?

Seeing their surprised expressions, Lu Shaoyou sighed. "Foundation Establishment is not so easily achieved. Having a foundation establishment pill only increases the success rate by thirty percent. Even with the pill, success is not guaranteed. Therefore, this is also an opportunity for me at Qi Refining Perfection."

At this point, he smiled. "So, for this competition, I will not yield to anyone!"

Hearing this, Ye Tianhao and Ye Tianyao both thought to themselves that this battle for the foundation establishment pill would be another hard-fought struggle...

At that moment, Lu Shaoyou looked at Ye Tianyao: "By the way, Junior Sister Ye, I have something to ask you. Do you know how to drive Yao Beasts?"

Ye Tianyao was stunned for a moment, then nodded. "It's just some superficial knowledge, Senior Brother Lu. Please don't laugh at me."

Lu Shaoyou thought of the demon fox and the large number of Spirit Sparrows Ye Tianyao had summoned earlier. That kind of control ability clearly came from a Family Beast-Taming Method; if developed, her future would be limitless.

He said, "Junior Sister Ye, most of our Qingyun Sect are Sword Cultivators. Only Old Man Yun He has considerable research into beast-taming. If there is anything you don't understand, you can go and ask Old Man Yun He for guidance!"

Ye Tianyao's eyes lit up, and she hurriedly cupped her hands. "Thank you, Senior Brother! Tianyao has noted it down!"

Seeing the girl's spirited appearance, Lu Shaoyou averted his gaze slightly and took a step back. "In that case, I won't disturb you any further. Rest well; there are Morning Lessons tomorrow!"

After saying that, he departed on his sword.

Seeing Lu Shaoyou's hurried manner, a hint of playfulness flashed in Ye Tianhao's eyes.

"Oh right! Brother, let's quickly tell Grandfather the news that we've entered the Qingyun Sect's Inner Sect! Let the old man be happy!" Ye Tianyao said excitedly.

Ye Tianhao nodded, then prepared to use Ye Tianyao's Spirit Sparrow to send a message, while also sending back the heart-burning whip he had previously damaged.

He knew Grandfather had a special method for repairing Spiritual Artifacts. This whip's power was not ordinary; leaving it for Grandfather would be somewhat useful.