7: Zhang Taiqing Sect.

The flying boat tore through the clouds, the wind whistling past their ears.

The mountains and rivers below were stretched into blurred patches of color, rapidly receding backward.

Wang Ergou and Gu Changfeng had nearly half their bodies hanging over the railing, their faces twisted in a mix of fear and excitement, emitting bursts of unintelligible exclamations.

Gu Changyue also gripped the side of the boat tightly, her face somewhat pale; she was both afraid of this astonishing speed and intimidated by this immortal means.

Only Gu Changsheng sat peacefully on the cushion, his body rising and falling with the slight jolts of the flying boat.

He kept his eyes closed, but his mind was immersed in the cushion beneath him. A faint yet continuous stream of cool airflow was seeping out from the incomplete Spirit Gathering Rune, slowly merging into his body.

Although he had not yet learned the method of breathing and could not actively guide it, this subtle nourishment still made his body, which had become somewhat weak after marrow-cleansing and bone-forging, become more solid.

This was the benefit brought by information asymmetry.

Just as he was immersed in this subtle improvement, a vast and immense aura rushed toward him.

Gu Changsheng opened his eyes abruptly.

He saw that on the skyline ahead, a continuous range of mountains broke through the sea of clouds and entered his field of vision.

These were not Mortal mountains; every peak towered into the clouds, strange and steep, with clouds and mist swirling between them, and groups of immortal cranes dancing while emitting clear, melodious cries.

Countless jade palaces and pavilions appeared faintly between the mountain peaks and the clouds, reflecting brilliant rosy clouds, composing a magnificent and grand immortal scroll.

"We have arrived..." the white-haired Elder at the bow of the boat uttered these two words, and even his originally calm face showed a hint of tenderness upon returning home.

The flying boat slowed down, passed through a huge mountain gate carved from white jade, and landed steadily on a giant square paved with a single piece of bluestone.

The square was already gathered with over a hundred children of similar age to them, led by a dozen deacons or Elders wearing the same attire, evidently recruited from other jurisdictions of the Taiqing Sect.

Gu Changsheng and the other three followed behind the white-haired Elder and stepped off the flying boat. The moment their feet touched the ground, a density of Spiritual Qi more than ten times richer than that of the mine slave camp rushed toward them, making all the children feel refreshed.

The white-haired Elder handed them over to a middle-aged deacon with a black beard who was responsible for reception on the square. After a brief exchange, he turned into a stream of light and flew impatiently toward the Main Peak, presumably to report the merit of finding a High Grade Spiritual Root.

"Follow me!" The black-bearded deacon was clearly not doing this task for the first time. He wore a serious expression and shouted without a trace of emotion, leading all the newly arrived children on the square toward a magnificent hall.

The hall was named the Welcome Hall, and the space inside was extremely large, enough to accommodate thousands of people. At this moment, over a hundred children were gathered here, yet it appeared empty.

Most of the children were in a state of confusion and nervousness. They looked at the carved beams and painted pillars of the hall with awe, and curiously peeked at the peers around them, whispering in groups of three or five, buzzing with noise.

Gu Changfeng and Wang Ergou were mixed in the crowd, already stunned by the scene before them, unable to speak, their mouths agape, filled with awkwardness and unease.

Gu Changyue stood beside Gu Changsheng, her small hands tightly clutching the corner of her clothes. The trace of pride that had arisen from entering the Outer Sect dissipated without a trace after seeing these hundreds of children from various places. Here, she was not outstanding.

Gu Changsheng calmly scanned the entire hall.

One hundred and thirty-seven people. He counted silently in his heart. Most of them were like him, coming from Mortal backgrounds, with simple clothing and a reserved demeanor. But there were also a few dozen children who were dressed luxuriously and carried themselves with composure, evidently descendants of cultivation families.

They formed their own circles, and their gazes toward others carried undisguised superiority.

At this moment, a young Cultivator with a handsome face, wearing a green robe, walked onto the high platform in front of the hall.

He looked to be only in his early twenties, but the spiritual power fluctuations emitted from his body far exceeded any deacon they had seen before.

"Quiet!"

He spoke lightly. His voice was not loud, but it contained a peculiar penetrating power, instantly suppressing all the noise in the hall. All the children involuntarily closed their mouths and looked up at him.

"I am Chen Yuan, an Outer Sect Disciple responsible for imparting techniques," the young Cultivator introduced himself. "From today on, you are members of our Taiqing Sect. Here, I will first announce a few Sect rules."

"First, respect your teachers and the Dao, and do not disobey. Second, private fighting between fellow Disciples is strictly prohibited; violators will have their cultivation abolished and be expelled from the Sect! Third, do not trespass into the Forbidden Ground, and do not leak the Sect's Cultivation Technique!"

His words were concise and severe, adding a bit of solemnity to the atmosphere in the hall that had just quieted down.

"Now, we will distribute identity tokens." Chen Yuan waved his hand, and over a hundred wooden tokens engraved with names flew out from his sleeves, precisely hovering in front of each child.

Gu Changsheng reached out and took his. The token was warm and smooth; the front had his name, and the back had the character "Outer".

"The token is a proof of identity; you must keep it safe. Lost tokens will not be replaced," Chen Yuan continued. "Next, we will allocate courtyards and cultivation resources according to your Spiritual Root Aptitude."

He paused, and his voice suddenly turned cold.

"Those with Pseudo Spirit Root, enter the Menial Service Courtyard and reside on the West Mountain. Now, all those with no characters on the back of your tokens, step out and gather on the left!"

As soon as he finished speaking, there was a commotion in the crowd.

Over a hundred children's faces turned pale instantly. They tremblingly flipped over their tokens, and when they saw the bare back, many cried on the spot.

Gu Changfeng's body swayed violently. He gripped the wooden plaque tightly, as if he wanted to crush it. He didn't need to look to know that he was in this group.

"Go... hurry up and go!" Wang Ergou pushed him. He himself was quite straightforward and was the first to walk out with his head hung low.

Under Chen Yuan's cold gaze, the eliminated children, like leftover goods, walked toward the left side of the hall in low spirits. There, an expressionless servant manager was already waiting for them.

The cruel screening was once again displayed bloodily before everyone's eyes.

Gu Changyue looked at her brother Gu Changfeng's hunched back as he almost shuffled over. Her lips moved, but in the end, she didn't say anything, only gripping her "Outer" token tighter.

In the blink of an eye, less than twenty people remained in the hall.

Chen Yuan's face finally softened a little. He looked at the remaining dozen or so people and said: "Congratulations on becoming Outer Sect Disciples of the Taiqing Sect. You will reside on the East Mountain and can receive five Low-Grade Spirit Stones and one bottle of Bigu pills every month. Furthermore, you can choose one Qi Refining Stage Cultivation Technique for yourselves."

He looked at Gu Changsheng, his attitude becoming even gentler: "Gu Changsheng, Middle-High Grade Spiritual Root. You may have priority in choosing a residence in the A-grade courtyards."

As soon as these words were spoken, the gazes of the remaining dozen Outer Sect Disciples were fixed on Gu Changsheng. Envy, jealousy, and more.

Again.

Gu Changsheng felt a slight impatience in his heart, but his face remained calm and waveless. He bowed to Chen Yuan: "Thank you, Senior Brother."

After this small episode, Chen Yuan led these dozen newly promoted Outer Sect Disciples to the Scripture Pavilion.

The Scripture Pavilion was a nine-story ancient treasure pagoda, and they were only allowed to enter the first floor.

"Outer Sect Disciples may choose two Cultivation Techniques here," Chen Yuan pointed to the bookshelves filling the room. "One is the breathing technique of the Fetal Breathing Realm, used to sense Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi and guide Qi into the body. The other is a Qi Refining Stage Cultivation Technique that matches your Spiritual Root attribute."

"Remember, only after successfully promoting to Qi Refining can you practice the Qi Refining Cultivation Technique. Before that, your only task is to Cultivate the breathing technique and strive to absorb the first wisp of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi as soon as possible and step into the first level of Qi Refining!"

Everyone agreed, then scattered, excitedly picking through the bookshelves.