I Have an Omen System

When Qin Xuan heard the rule about not stepping on shadows, he was dumbfounded.

'These rules are even more meticulous than the Holy Sect's!'

Chen Li didn't notice and continued, "Above the True Disciples are the Chief True Disciples. They are exceedingly rare, and their status is so revered that it's comparable to an ordinary Purple Mansion Elder."

"And if one can distinguish themselves in the Outer Sect's grand competition, or advance to the Purple Mansion Realm before the age of thirty, they might be noticed by a Nascent Soul Elder and accepted as a Core Direct Disciple. That is a position we Cultivators can only dream of achieving!"

He sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness.

"As for the Elders, those in the Purple Mansion Realm can become Outer Sect Elders, managing various affairs. Only Golden Core Zhenrens can become Inner Sect Elders, a position of great prestige. Nascent Soul Daoist Monarchs are the pillars of the Sect, ranked among the ten Honored Elders. As for Venerable Divinity Transformations..."

"They are the legendary Supreme Elders—mysterious figures who are rarely ever seen."

In the Cyan Cloud Sect, a low Cultivation was a cardinal sin.

Never mind that Outer Sect disciples had to kneel before Inner Sect disciples; even within the Inner Sect, those with a slightly lower Cultivation had to take the initiative to bow and make way for their senior brothers and sisters.

Chen Li said, "Two years ago, a Senior Brother Zhang from the Inner Sect got into a dispute with a True Disciple over a Magical Artifact in the Marketplace. Even though he ultimately yielded, his attitude was deemed insufficiently respectful. The Law Enforcement Hall later found an excuse to punish him. He was sentenced to three years of solitary confinement in the Ice Cave, a punishment that nearly shattered his Dao Foundation…"

Chen Li's words painted a vivid picture of the Cyan Cloud Sect's rigid hierarchy.

Here, the distinction between superior and inferior permeated every word and deed.

Qin Xuan listened in silence, the favorable impression he'd initially had of the Sect's atmosphere long since evaporated.

'In some ways, the rules of this Cyan Cloud Sect are even more suffocating than the Holy Sect's blatant law of the jungle.'

'At least in the Holy Sect, you can break any rule as long as you're strong enough. But here, the rules themselves are an insurmountable mountain.'

...

In the days since settling into the Cyan Cloud Sect's Inner Sect, Qin Xuan, using his disguise as Han Mo, was able to move about freely and witness more of its character.

At first, when he saw the orderly manner in which Low-Tier Disciples conducted themselves through complex rituals upon meeting High-Tier Cultivators, the thought, 'This is a bit better than the Holy Sect,' had even crossed his mind.

But the more he saw, the more that feeling soured.

He saw two Foundation Establishment Disciples arguing over a few Spirit Stones in the Marketplace. Their eyes were practically shooting fire and the veins on their hands were bulging, yet they still had to clasp their hands in salute and exchange pleasantries like, 'Senior Brother speaks with reason,' and, 'This Junior Brother humbly concedes.'

Ultimately, under the approving gazes of onlookers praising their "brotherly harmony," they each departed, seething inwardly.

He saw a Purple Mansion Elder giving a lecture. Below the stage, all the disciples, whether they understood or not, sat bolt upright with expressions of "sudden enlightenment" or "deep contemplation."

Not a single one dared to raise an objection.

It was as if every one of them was wearing a meticulously carved mask.

He also saw an Inner Sect Disciple accidentally knock over the Spirit Tea on a True Disciple's table.

Before the True Disciple could even speak, the disciple's face had drained of color. He dropped to his knees and began slapping himself, crying, "This disciple deserves death for offending Senior Brother's sight!"

The True Disciple merely watched with indifference, as if observing a play that had nothing to do with him.

'Obsessed with trivialities but devoid of true righteousness, prizing hollow rituals over actual substance...'

The novelty Qin Xuan had felt upon his arrival was gradually replaced by a strange sense of oppression.

Everyone was like a puppet controlled by invisible strings.

Their every move and posture followed a set pattern.

Their joys, angers, sorrows, and pleasures all had to conform to the rules.

The entire Sect appeared to be wreathed in celestial energy, a picture of peace and harmony. But inwardly, it exuded an indescribable, deathly stillness, a far cry from the Holy Sect, where one could kill as they pleased and lines of gratitude and grievance were clearly drawn.

The Holy Sect might be cruel, but it was far more real and straightforward.

...

One day, Chen Li came to accompany him again, and they walked near a side hall faintly shrouded in Evil Qi. Qin Xuan sensed a few familiar wisps of Demon Dao aura coming from within.

He couldn't help but stop and ask curiously, "Nephew Chen, the aura here doesn't seem to match your sect's pure and righteous energy, does it?"

Upon hearing this, an expression of vicarious pride immediately appeared on Chen Li's face.

"Elder Han, you may not be aware, but this is a side storehouse for our Daoist Sect's Demon Suppression Hall. Sealed inside are Demon Artifacts that our sect's predecessors confiscated from the outside world."

"They are used for research and as a warning, to display the determination of our Righteous Dao to cleanse the world of demons!"

"Oh... Demon Artifacts?" Qin Xuan's expression was strange.

'I'm a Demon Cultivator and even I've never heard of Demon Artifacts. Where did the Cyan Cloud Sect get these?'

Chen Li nodded and said with a hint of pride, "Elder Han, don't underestimate these Demon Artifacts. The most powerful batch among them was personally collected by our Daoist Sect's Venerable Han Bai from the Little Cloud Peak Celestial Realm!"

Qin Xuan's expression was subtle. "I'd like to hear more."

Chen Li explained, "You may not know, Elder Han, but the Little Cloud Peak Celestial Realm isn't a fragment of our Circulation Realm. It's a complete, minor world of its own, with a vast and boundless territory. It's said to be even larger than the East Sea and the Southern Border combined."

"Within the Celestial Realm, demonic fog is abundant, giving birth to seventy-two Blessed Lands and thirty-six Grotto Heavens."

"Once the demonic fog in each of these places is purified, they become Holy Lands for cultivation. While it can't compare to the vastness of the Chixiao Celestial Realm in the Daqian Imperial Capital, which possesses three hundred Blessed Lands, it is still a top-tier Secret Realm in the Circulation Realm. Every time it opens, it causes the prodigies of every major power to fight tooth and nail to get in."

"And the most famous things to come from it are these Demon Artifacts—naturally formed objects that have been tainted and nurtured by the demonic fog..."

Qin Xuan listened in silence, committing the key information to memory.

'So this is the kind of treasured land that Ye Qingxuan fought to get me a chance to enter.'

'No wonder even the Holy Sect is paying such close attention to it.'

Maintaining a calm expression, Qin Xuan praised him, "I see. Your sect's foundation is truly profound, to be able to control even such a Secret Realm."