Inner Gate Competition

The mountain gate of the Qinglan Sect was hidden deep within a sea of clouds. A white jade mountain path wound upwards, flanked every hundred zhang by a green jade lion statue. The lions' mouths exhaled faint green spiritual energy, interweaving with the circulating clouds in the sky to form a net.

This was a seventh-grade Spirit Gathering Array, capable of compressing the spiritual energy within a thousand-li radius into liquid form, nourishing the sect disciples' cultivation.

"This array is called 'Ten Thousand Clouds Returning to the Sect,' and it is the foundation upon which our Qinglan Sect was established." Qiu Xuan stroked his beard, his fingertip tracing the cloud patterns in the air. "Ordinary disciples need to cultivate in the inner sect for three years before they can barely perceive the array's core circulation."

White Night's gaze swept over the cloud patterns. His Heavenly Heart Imprint had automatically analyzed the seventy-two nodes of the array, and he could even discern three subtle areas of energy stagnation, which were signs of wear and tear on the array patterns from years of operation.

He nodded slightly: "The array is exquisite, but the cloud patterns in the southwest corner seem a bit sluggish."

Qiu Xuan paused, a flicker of surprise in his eyes.

The array core in the southwest corner was precisely what he was responsible for maintaining, and there were indeed a few areas of wear that had not yet been repaired. How could this young man see through it with a single glance?

He gave White Night a deep look and smiled: "You are quite perceptive. After the initiation ceremony, you may come to my Law Enforcement Hall to read 'Shallow Interpretations of Array Patterns.'"

Passing through three mountain gates, a suspended white jade hall appeared ahead. The hall's roof was covered with faint green glazed tiles. Sunlight shone upon them, reflecting a sky full of wind patterns. This was the Qinglan Sect's Transmission Hall, and also where initiation procedures were handled.

"Drip a drop of your vital blood onto this jade slip." Qiu Xuan took out a palm-sized green jade tablet. The characters "Qinglan" were carved in the center of the tablet, and wind-element runes encircled its edges. "This is your identity jade slip. With it, you can collect your monthly stipend and enter the Scripture Depository Pavilion."

White Night bit his fingertip as instructed, and a drop of golden vital blood fell onto the jade slip.

The jade tablet suddenly lit up, and his name and cultivation appeared in the green light: [White Night, Golden Core First Stage, Law Enforcement Hall direct disciple].

Just then, a system prompt sounded in his mind, informing him that he had successfully completed the task and received a reward.

Yet, his face remained unperturbed.

A warm current of air flowed from his fingertip into the system space. A long sword, glowing with fireflies, floated quietly within. The sword body was three chi and seven cun long, and the sword spine was carved with flowing cloud patterns. It was precisely the top-grade immortal artifact, the "Wind Chant Sword."

White Night didn't even lift an eyelid. With a slight movement of his fingertip, he stored the long sword deep within the system space. To outsiders, he merely casually clenched his fingers... Qiu Xuan didn't notice anything unusual, simply assuming he was calm upon first entering the sect. He stroked his beard and said, "Since you have joined my sect, you must abide by its rules. This is your direct disciple token. With it, you can freely enter and exit the Law Enforcement Hall and the inner sect area."

White Night took the token and cupped his hands, saying, "Thank you, Elder."

After completing the procedures, Qiu Xuan led him to the Wind Listening Courtyard, where direct disciples resided.

The courtyard was built against the mountain, and seven condensing wind bamboos were planted within it. Liquid spiritual energy flowed within their nodes. If an ordinary Golden Core disciple cultivated here, one month would be equivalent to three months outside.

"You will reside here from now on." Qiu Xuan handed him a jade slip. "This is our sect's basic cultivation method, 'Qinglan Art.' You can study it on your own first, and I will test your progress in three days."

White Night watched Qiu Xuan leave before picking up the jade slip.

As his fingertip touched the jade, the nine layers of the Qinglan Art unfurled in his sea of consciousness.

He quietly circulated the cultivation method, and when he noticed the sluggish circulation of spiritual energy in the seventh layer, he frowned slightly, thinking, "After all, it's only a sixth-grade sect. The cultivation method they impart is truly mediocre."

Then, he used his Heavenly Heart Imprint to deduce and correct it, making the spiritual energy rotate three parts counter-clockwise in his meridians, subtly entering his Dantian with the flow of the wind.

With the Heavenly Heart Imprint's correction, the grade of this cultivation method was elevated by three levels!

If White Night were to give the corrected cultivation method to the Qinglan Sect, it would likely bring about a qualitative improvement for the entire sect.

But clearly, he wouldn't do that.

Such a thing would be more trouble than it was worth for him.

Three days later.

Qiu Xuan returned and saw him still sitting cross-legged. Just as he was about to speak, he saw White Night open his eyes, and the faint aura of a Golden Core Second Stage cultivator subtly emanated.

"Breaking through in three days?" Qiu Xuan took back the jade slip he handed over, and seeing that not a single word of annotation had been added, he only assumed he had cultivated step-by-step, and his surprise grew. "You have already mastered the first three layers?"

White Night twirled a condensing wind bamboo leaf between his fingers: "I luckily stumbled upon some understanding."

Qiu Xuan took out the 'Heavenly Wind Sword Scripture' jade slip: "This is our sect's guardian sword technique. Take it. With your progress, you might win the inner sect grand competition next month. The top spot grants you one day in the fourth floor of the Scripture Depository Pavilion."

White Night took the jade slip, gently tapped its cover with his fingertip, and had already memorized the general outline of the sword scripture, only saying: "Thank you, Elder."

For the next six months, White Night went to the Scripture Depository Pavilion every day at dawn and returned to the Wind Listening Courtyard at dusk, never conversing with other disciples.

When outer sect disciples saw him alone and deliberately blocked his path to provoke him in the training ground, he would merely draw an ordinary iron sword from the wall, disarm his opponent within three moves, neither harming them nor speaking much, then turn and leave.

Such a low profile, yet his progress was too fast to completely hide his abilities.

His cultivation speed for the Qinglan Art far surpassed his peers, even surprising the elder guarding the Scripture Depository Pavilion, who exclaimed, "This White Night must be naturally compatible with wind-element cultivation methods. He only borrowed 'Basic Talismans' last month, and this month he can already draw third-grade Wind-Walking Talismans."

This afternoon, he was inking array patterns on the third floor of the Scripture Depository Pavilion when he suddenly heard an argument from downstairs.

"Why should that direct disciple monopolize the third floor?" The yellow-robed disciple's voice was filled with indignation. "He's just relying on Elder Qiu's favoritism. If we truly compare strength, he might not even be worth a single finger of Senior Brother!"

Footsteps drew closer, and a white-robed figure stood at the stairwell, five cloud-patterned jade pendants at his waist particularly striking. It was Li Muran, the top-ranked inner sect disciple, at the late Golden Core stage.

"I hear Junior Brother Bai's swordsmanship is unique." Li Muran's voice was clear and cold, his gaze falling on White Night's back. "Dare I ask for some pointers?"

White Night's hand, holding the brush, did not stop. Only after the last stroke of the array pattern was completed did he slowly rise: "I wouldn't dare."

"Is Junior Brother afraid?" The disciple behind Li Muran sneered. "Senior Brother's single sword strike can cut gold and cleave stone. If you admit defeat, just kowtow three times and be done with it."

White Night picked up the iron sword from the table. Its blade gleamed with an ordinary metallic luster in the sunlight: "To a point."

On the training ground, Li Muran's sword light erupted like a sudden gale. Where his sword qi swept, several cracks appeared on the bluestone ground.

The observing disciples gasped repeatedly; such power was infinitely close to the Nascent Soul stage.

White Night advanced instead of retreating, his iron sword sliding along the opponent's sword spine. What seemed like a light flick, precisely neutralized most of Li Muran's strength.

"Clang!"

Li Muran felt a numbness in his wrist, and his long sword nearly flew from his hand. As he stumbled back, he saw White Night had already sheathed his sword and was turning to leave.

"Stop!" He shouted in a deep voice, "You didn't use your full strength!"

White Night paused his steps slightly, without turning back: "Senior Brother's swordsmanship is exquisite, but today your spiritual energy circulation seems somewhat sluggish."

Li Muran's expression suddenly changed. He had indeed misdirected a wisp of spiritual energy during his cultivation this morning, a matter he had never spoken of to anyone.

Watching White Night's retreating figure, he tightened his grip on his long sword, his fingertips trembling slightly.

When the news reached Qiu Xuan's ears, he was caressing a newly finished Wind-Walking Talisman. This talisman was drawn smoothly and flawlessly; it was the thank-you gift White Night had sent that morning.

"This kid." Qiu Xuan chuckled and shook his head, "He certainly knows how to hide his sharpness."

He took up his brush and wrote a handwritten order, sending the inner sect grand competition entry token to the Wind Listening Courtyard, but he didn't mention Li Muran's matter.

White Night received the token while he was meditating in the courtyard.

He placed the token on the stone table, his fingertips unconsciously tapping the surface. In his sea of consciousness, the system prompt quietly sounded:

[Detected host's steady improvement, triggering side quest: Win the Inner Sect Grand Competition]

[Reward: One hundred jin of high-grade spiritual marrow]

He slightly lifted his eyelids, looking towards the Main Peak where clouds surged in the distance.

"Grand Competition, huh...?"

...