Chapter 67: A Higher Level of Demon Qi

Chapter 67: Chapter 67: A Higher Level of Demon Qi

Without any Demon Qi to detect, the watch was just an ordinary object. It had no Spiritual Qi, no Array Patterns—at best, it was just an intricate trinket.

Just like the beautifully packaged Energy Bars, it was completely useless.

In the eyes of Meng Mingzhe and the others, the watch wasn’t even as valuable as the Energy Bar’s wrapper.

After all, the watch was made of glass and metal, but the Energy Bar’s wrapper was plastic, a material they had never even seen before.

Lu Qingling, the Peak Master of Changle Peak, had traded Spirit Stones for the few Energy Bars just to study their wrappers.

Plus, Li Ye had claimed the watch was a token from his Master’s Sect, the only memento his master had left him. So, the people of the Cyan Sun Sect naturally returned all his remaining belongings.

They weren’t about to create a rift with this talented disciple from the Lower Realm over a common item.

Li Ye’s origins and aptitude were far more important than a watch.

’As expected of Renowned and Righteous Sects. So open-minded, yet so ignorant.’ As he slipped the watch back onto his wrist, Li Ye formed his opinion of the Cyan Sun Sect.

...

"...Li Hao, once you complete the discipleship ceremony, you will be my seventh Direct Disciple. However, the initiation for Direct Disciples requires a ceremony in the Ancestral Hall, so your official entry will have to wait a while. During this time, you’ll follow your First Senior Brother in your cultivation. You can ask him anything you don’t understand."

On the way back to Changding Peak with Li Ye, Xu Jingxing instructed, "You’ve already met First Senior Brother Shen Weifeng and Liu, Yang Tianrui. I will warn them not to reveal your identity, but you must also be careful. Your background is unique, and if it’s exposed, it could bring you a fatal disaster. Before your official initiation, try to stay on Changding Peak to cultivate and don’t go out."

"Yes, Master." Having successfully infiltrated the Cyan Sun Sect, Li Ye was being exceptionally obedient, naturally agreeing to whatever Xu Jingxing said.

"Also, you have performed a great service by presenting the *Five Elements Mutual Production Technique* and the *Mental Tranquility Spell*. When you are officially initiated, the Sect will have a reward for you, so there’s no need to be anxious. The Cyan Sun Sect doesn’t mistreat any of its disciples." Xu Jingxing smiled. "Now that you’ve come to the Cyan Sun Sect, this is your opportunity. Cultivate well and don’t slack off, lest you squander your own potential."

"I will follow Master’s teachings," Li Ye quickly replied.

...

"Little Junior Brother, for the next few days, you’ll stay in Sixth Junior Brother’s cave residence. After your official initiation, I will arrange a new place for you." In Yang Tianrui’s residence, Shen Weifeng looked at Li Ye, his attitude warm and completely different from before. "The introductory Mental Method of the Cyan Sun Sect is the *Qingyun Heart Method*. Sixth Junior Brother will teach it to you shortly."

"Your *Five Elements Mutual Production Technique* only goes up to the Foundation Establishment stage, so don’t cultivate it for now. Your most urgent task is to convert the Inner Strength in your body into Spiritual Qi. Your innate talent is excellent. If you had started on the path of cultivation from the beginning, you would probably have already reached Foundation Establishment. Now that you’re only just starting, the Inner Strength in your Dantian is the biggest obstacle..."

"Yes, First Senior Brother." Li Ye nodded, then turned to Yang Tianrui and bowed. "I’ll be troubling you, Sixth Senior Brother."

"Of course! You’re the Little Junior Brother now. Guiding your cultivation is my duty," said Yang Tianrui, beaming at his promotion to Sixth Senior Brother.

"For cultivation matters, ask me and First Senior Brother as much as possible. Don’t hinder Little Junior Brother’s progress," said the Fourth Senior Brother, who had been hostile toward Li Ye from the start. He still wore a cold expression, and his tone was icy.

"Fourth Senior Brother, I’m not the Little Junior Brother anymore. Li Hao is the Little Junior Brother," Yang Tianrui corrected him earnestly.

"He hasn’t been officially initiated yet, so nothing is certain," said the Fourth Senior Brother. "What I despise most are swindlers and frauds."

With that, he flicked his sleeve and turned to leave the cave residence.

"Little Junior Brother, Fourth Junior Brother doesn’t know your origins. Don’t take him to heart," Shen Weifeng said, shaking his head helplessly.

"Exactly. Fourth Senior Brother is a good person; you’ll see once you get to know him." Yang Tianrui laughed and slung an arm around Li Ye’s shoulders. "Master won’t let us say anything right now. Once he gives permission and Fourth Senior Brother learns your story, he’ll naturally stop holding a grudge against you."

"Mm, I don’t mind. I’m already thrilled just to be able to join an Immortal Sect," Li Ye said.

’Demon Qi is of a higher grade.’

The Arrays between the cave residences of the Cyan Sun Sect couldn’t stop him from eavesdropping. Li Ye knew exactly what Xu Jingxing had told them.

’Compared to the watch I still don’t know how to use, this Divine Sense with a five-li range seems to be my real golden finger.’

’It’s not that Changding Peak doesn’t have any spare cave residences. The reason Xu Jingxing put me with Yang Tianrui is twofold: one, to monitor me, and two, to use Yang Tianrui to get more information from me about the other world.’

’The Cyan Sun Sect’s vetting process for me isn’t over.’

’The official initiation will probably only happen when I’ve truly earned the Sect’s trust.’

Li Ye didn’t think much of it. Even returning to the Demon Hunting Bureau required a series of tests, to say nothing of a massive sect like the Cyan Sun Sect.

’This is a normal reaction.’

’The fact they didn’t just capture and torture me for information already shows how much the Cyan Sun Sect lives up to its name as one of the Renowned and Righteous Sects.’

...

The moment Shen Weifeng left, Yang Tianrui excitedly sidled up to Li Ye. "Little Junior Brother, quick, tell me! What did Master take you to the Main Peak for? Was the Sect Leader super shocked by your origins?"

"A few of the Peak Masters gathered to question me. Once they confirmed I really did cross over from another world, they let Master bring me back." Li Ye sighed, a desolate look on his face. "Sixth Senior Brother, joining the Cyan Sun Sect has fulfilled a lifelong dream. I should be happy, but for some reason, my heart feels... heavy..."

"Heavy about what?" Yang Tianrui asked, confused.

"Maybe because I’ll never see my friends and family again!" Li Ye looked at Yang Tianrui, his voice filled with sorrow. "Sixth Senior Brother, in this world, I have no family left."

"..." Yang Tianrui was stunned. A moment later, he reached out, patted Li Ye’s shoulder, and smiled. "It’s okay, you’ve got me. From now on, I’m your family. First Senior Brother, Second Senior Brother, Third Senior Sister, Fourth Senior Brother, and Fifth Senior Sister are all your family, too. They’re all good people."

"Mm." Li Ye nodded, forcing himself to cheer up. "Sixth Senior Brother, speaking of which, how come I haven’t seen the other senior brothers and sisters?"

"Second Senior Brother is in seclusion trying to break through to the Nascent Soul Realm. Third Senior Sister is traveling, and Fifth Senior Sister is out on a Sect mission." Without realizing it, Yang Tianrui was once again being led by Li Ye’s conversational rhythm. "I’ll introduce you to them when they get back."

"Okay." Li Ye smiled. "Sixth Senior Brother, tell me more about the cultivation world. Is the Nascent Soul Realm really powerful?"

"Of course the Nascent Soul Realm is powerful! On all of Cyan Yang Peak, First Senior Brother is the only one in the Nascent Soul Realm right now," Yang Tianrui said. "From Second Senior Brother to Fifth Senior Sister, they’re all in the Golden Core Realm. My cultivation is the weakest; I only just completed my Foundation Establishment two months ago..."

"What about Master? What’s his realm?" Li Ye asked.

"Master is in the Divinity Transformation Realm." Speaking of Xu Jingxing, Yang Tianrui’s face filled with admiration. "Although Master specializes in the Alchemy Dao, his own cultivation level ranks in the top ten of the Cyan Sun Sect..."

"What’s above the Divinity Transformation Realm?" Li Ye asked.

"Above that are Void Refinement and Harmonization," Yang Tianrui said. "Experts at the Void Refinement Realm are already a rare sight. As for experts at the Harmonization Realm, I’ve never even heard of any. They probably only exist in the Upper Three Sects!"

’In a new world, information is more important than strength.’

He had successfully entered the Cyan Sun Sect on his first day, and his gains were already substantial. Li Ye wasn’t in a rush to cultivate. He consciously guided Yang Tianrui, extracting more information from him about the cultivation world and the Cyan Sun Sect.

Yang Tianrui didn’t think too much about it. Perhaps it was because he was the one who had brought Li Ye into the sect, or perhaps he felt Li Ye’s questions were trivial, or maybe he pitied Li Ye for being a newcomer with no family in this world. For whatever reason, he answered almost all of Li Ye’s questions.

In no time at all, Li Ye had a general understanding of this world.

The Path of Ascension was severed, making the Harmonization Realm the pinnacle of cultivation in this world. Those who reached this realm were exceedingly rare; anyone who managed it was an old monster who had lived for at least several thousand years.

Reaching the Nascent Soul Realm, even for a genius, took at least thirty years.

First Senior Brother Shen Weifeng looked young, but he was already over 180 years old. He successfully formed his Nascent Soul at the age of eighty and was now at the Mid-stage Nascent Soul realm. However, if he couldn’t break through to Divinity Transformation before he turned five hundred, his lifespan would run out.

Breaking through to Divinity Transformation granted a lifespan of two thousand years. By the same token, failing to break through to the Void Refinement Realm within those two thousand years meant the end of the road. No amount of Elixir Pills could help.

Xu Jingxing, the Peak Master of Changding Peak, was at the mid-stage of the Divinity Transformation Realm and had already been cultivating for over 1,200 years...

Because of lifespan limitations, cultivators had to seize every moment of their lives to cultivate.

This was where the importance of innate talent came into play.

The better one’s innate talent and comprehension, the faster one could break through to the next realm.

This was also why sects always sought out talented disciples. With the same investment of resources, a talented disciple would benefit more, which was more advantageous for the sect.

Yang Tianrui, the darling of Cyan Yang Peak, was a cultivation genius with excellent innate talent. He had successfully reached Foundation Establishment in his twenties. At this rate, he was highly likely to form his Nascent Soul before the age of forty, breaking the Cyan Sun Sect’s record.

The resources of Cyan Yang Peak were all tilted in Yang Tianrui’s favor, as he was being groomed to be the next Peak Master. This was also why Fourth Senior Brother was so unwilling to let Li Ye hinder his cultivation.

’However, they say with age comes cunning, but these old monsters who have lived for hundreds or even thousands of years spend most of their time in secluded cultivation. Their life experience isn’t necessarily any greater than that of a Mortal...’