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Chapter 444: Relentless Pace
🕑 Added 2024-11-04 13:25:16 +0000 UTCIf even the more experienced cultivators were so astonished, it was needless to say how shocked those who had never encountered cultivation before must have been.
Over a hundred people stood on the open ground of the floating island, experiencing the sensation of being high up in the sky for the first time.
The clouds surrounding them seemed within reach, but when they extended their hands, they grasped nothing.
Many of them finally realized what clouds were truly like. Before, when they would gaze up at the sky, they thought the clouds might feel soft, like cotton.
After the overwhelming shock of the floating island, the other sights, such as the Spirit Dining Hall and the Library Pavilion, seemed more ordinary by comparison.
The Law Enforcement Hall and Finance Hall were merely places to register their presence.
Only Lingyun Mountain, which had been meticulously landscaped over the past few years, continued to garner praise for its beauty.
However, a small incident occurred during the visit to the Law Enforcement Hall, though most people didn’t notice it.
When Yang Jinshu, the Hall Master of the Law Enforcement Hall, was receiving the group, she caught a glimpse out of the corner of her eye of a figure in the crowd—a figure that had haunted her thoughts for the past twenty years.
Shocked, Yang Jinshu focused her gaze and saw, very clearly, an elderly woman with graying temples smiling at her and gently shaking her head. For a moment, her usually poised posture wavered, and her eyes immediately reddened.
Mother!
She called out in her heart.
But knowing this wasn’t the right time for a reunion, she used all the self-control she had built over a lifetime to suppress her joy and excitement.
Few noticed Yang Jinshu's reaction. Even Liu Yunan, standing nearby, only saw that his mother seemed strangely emotional for a moment. He was puzzled but said nothing when she quickly regained her composure, and he continued speaking to the new disciples.
Once she had calmed down, Yang Jinshu glanced around, but she did not see her father anywhere.
Perhaps it was the connection between father and daughter, but she took a deep breath and mentally prepared herself for the worst possible outcome, while still clinging to a sliver of hope that her father simply hadn’t passed the Path of Heart and was waiting at the base of the mountain.
Zhu Xiurong, having been recognized by her daughter and noticing Yang Jinshu searching for someone, felt a pang of sadness.
The two did not reunite, and after the tour of the Law Enforcement Hall, Zhu Xiurong followed the group to their next destination—the final stop, Yaoguang’s Small World.
However, the final tour went as follows:
Liu Yunan led the group to the center of the floating island and pointed at the small bead hovering above a fountain on the ground, saying:
“This is the entrance to our sect’s medicinal herb garden.”
“However, since the garden is full of precious herbs, if we all entered at once, we might trample the herb beds. So today, we won’t go in. Later on, if any of you are curious, you can enter from here on your own.”
In truth, they could have gone in by entering in smaller groups, but to save time, Liu Yunan had consulted Elder Liao Pantu the previous night and decided against it.
Liao Pantu, knowing that tending to and maintaining the herbs wasn’t difficult for him, didn’t see the need to compete with other areas that were in more urgent need of manpower. Besides, he was confident that with the beauty of the herb garden, plenty of people would volunteer to work there in the future.
Thus, after a hurried pace, the new disciples finally finished touring the sect by noon.
Along the way, Liu Yunan also took the opportunity to explain various common practices and points of caution.
After this comprehensive overview, every new disciple finally had a clear structural understanding of Lingxian Sect.
Next, Liu Yunan began implementing the next phase of his plan.
By now, it was midday.
Since the new disciples had eaten spiritual food the night before, though it wasn’t as filling as Fasting Pills, it was still more than enough to keep them full for a day or two. As such, Liu Yunan hadn’t arranged any meals for the day to avoid wasting time.
He led the new disciples back to the Cultivation Hall in their living quarters without pause.
Once the new disciples were all seated in an orderly manner on the mats in the Cultivation Hall, Liu Yunan stood before them and said:
“Alright, now that the tour of the sect is complete, I trust you all have a basic understanding of Lingxian Sect and have a sense of what daily cultivation life will be like. So, it’s time for you to start moving forward.”
Hearing this, all the new disciples perked up! Among the younger ones, there was a slight stir of excitement.
It was finally time to get started!
Cultivation! It was finally happening!
Then they heard Liu Yunan continue:
“Speaking of cultivation, first, let me tell you that this is the Cultivation Hall, where you will come to cultivate from now on. Listen carefully: starting tomorrow, you are to come here every day at the hour of Mao. Every day, a different lecturer will give a cultivation lesson.”
“There are a total of eleven lecturers, and I have already posted the lecture schedule here.” As he spoke, he pointed to the area near the front door before continuing,
“Of course, if you’re late or miss a class, there will be no punishment. After all, cultivation is a personal matter. However, to encourage diligence, we will be offering small rewards to those who have perfect attendance each month.”
He looked around at the new disciples, then his gaze landed on Baishu:
“Baishu, you were the first among your group to pass the Path of Heart. For the next month, I would like you to help by keeping track of attendance. Would you be willing to do that?”
This last question was directed at Baishu.
Baishu, who had never known his parents and had grown up following various old beggars just to survive, had only managed to earn a living doing odd jobs for kind people once he had grown older.
Elder Liu’s unexpected request and attention made the thirteen-year-old’s eyes instantly redden with emotion.
He looked up at Liu Yunan, his eyes shining brightly despite the tears, and nodded earnestly:
“I will do my best and not disappoint you.”
His expression was noted by Liu Yunan, who, after receiving Baishu’s reply, smiled and nodded, then addressed the group again:
“One more thing: The mountain we’re currently on will be your residence and cultivation site from now on. This mountain doesn’t have a name yet, so over the next few days, think of some good names. Baishu will collect your suggestions, and then you can discuss and decide on the best one to name your mountain.”
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