Chapter 3 : Develop Quietly
Chapter 3: Develop Quietly!
After a night passed, the sun rose, its light evenly spreading across Gu Yan’s small courtyard.
He did not, like in the past hundreds of mornings, immediately rush to the sect’s mission hall to take tasks and earn contributions.
Now that his cheat had fully loaded, focusing wholeheartedly on cultivating immortality was the top priority.
Gu Yan sat cross-legged on his bed, his mind sinking inward.
The Tanzhong acupoint, the core hub of the first revolution of martial cultivation, was slowly rotating, filled with martial inner force.
To fill the entire acupoint with spiritual power and complete the transformation from martial to immortal—
this process required continuously absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth to accumulate. It could not be rushed.
After all, using spiritual energy to generate inner force was relatively easy, like dropping ink into clear water.
But to replace the entire vat of water with a higher-grade nectar—that was not something that could be done in a day or two.
Time quietly passed in meditation.
In the blink of an eye, it was already mid-morning. He stood up, left his courtyard, and headed toward the C-Grade Herbal Garden.
Although cultivation was the core, his daily routine tasks could not yet be completely abandoned on the surface.
The C-Grade Herbal Garden was as usual, filled with the fresh scent of mixed vegetation.
Outer sect disciples and servants busied themselves with their work.
Gu Yan skillfully began his own duties.
His movements were meticulous, but half his mind remained immersed in the insights from his morning cultivation.
At noon, under the blazing sun, a subtle disturbance suddenly arose at the entrance of the herbal garden.
Almost all the outer sect disciples working with their heads down raised their heads or turned to look.
Gu Yan followed suit, casting his gaze toward the gate.
Two people had arrived.
Both wore black inner sect disciple robes, well-tailored and made of fine materials, exuding an elegant and refined aura.
More importantly, the two women possessed outstanding appearance and temperament.
One had hair cascading like a waterfall, her expression cold, holding a long sword—standing still like a lone pine on a snowy ridge.
The other had bright eyes and rosy cheeks, with a slightly livelier demeanor.
Gu Yan inwardly praised them as two great beauties.
But what he saw more clearly was the stark difference between their inner sect attire and his dull gray outer sect robe.
Outer sect disciples sounded better than servants, but in reality, aside from having an independent courtyard and this identifying robe,
in the eyes of the sect’s higher-ups, their status was not necessarily much higher than servants responsible for cleaning and labor—they were all marginal figures.
The inner sect was the true body of disciples—the core and future of the sect.
Of course, this thought only lasted for a moment.
Envy? A little, but not much.
After all, the path he was walking now was already different from these fellow disciples still exploring martial cultivation.
What they pursued was the higher realm of martial arts, while his goal was already the threshold of the immortal path.
The cold woman holding the sword stepped forward, her gaze sweeping over Elder Chen, the herbal garden’s manager who had rushed over.
“By order of the inner sect, from today onward, I, Su Zhi, and my junior sister Lin Wei will be responsible for guarding Elder Xuanqing’s herbal garden. You may proceed as usual.”
A trace of tension flashed across Elder Chen’s face as he carefully asked, “Senior Sister Su, Senior Sister Lin, has something happened to Elder Xuanqing…?”
The lively woman, Lin Wei, answered, “The elder is fine. It’s just that recently, it is suspected that members of the demonic sect have infiltrated the sect, causing disturbances and sabotage.
This C-Grade Herbal Garden is an important supply source for low-grade pills. The inner sect has specially assigned us to guard and prevent incidents.
There’s no need to panic. Continue your work as usual.”
Elder Chen visibly relaxed.
As long as nothing had happened to Elder Xuanqing himself, it was fine.
He quickly cupped his hands. “Thank you for your trouble, Senior Sisters! If anything is needed, please instruct us.”
Seeing that the two inner sect disciples had nothing more to say, he tactfully withdrew and resumed his duties.
Su Zhi and Lin Wei also ignored the others, each taking position beneath ancient trees on either side of the garden gate.
Su Zhi closed her eyes and sat cross-legged, her sword resting horizontally on her knees, her aura gradually merging with the surrounding vegetation.
Lin Wei drew her sword and began practicing a sword technique beneath the shade, her sword light clear and her movements graceful, attracting many young outer sect disciples to secretly watch.
Gu Yan withdrew his gaze and continued working, but his mind held a few more thoughts.
Demonic sect infiltrators? This was the first time.
Three days passed peacefully under the watch of the two inner sect disciples.
On the evening of the third day, Elder Xuanqing appeared at the garden entrance.
Su Zhi and Lin Wei immediately stopped and stepped forward, bowing respectfully.
After all, he was an elder—even if only an outer sect elder.
Daoist Xuanqing nodded with a smile. After a brief exchange, Su Zhi and Lin Wei took their leave.
Soon after, Elder Chen quickly gathered all the outer sect disciples and servants on duty before Elder Xuanqing’s pavilion.
Elder Xuanqing wore a cyan Daoist robe representing his status as an outer sect elder.
His hair and beard were white, his complexion rosy, and his eyes gentle and bright, giving a naturally approachable impression.
He carefully listened to Elder Chen’s report of the past few days,
then inspected the herbal garden in detail, especially several key herb plots. After confirming there were no abnormalities, a satisfied smile appeared on his face.
“Good. Everyone has worked hard these past few days. The garden has been well maintained.”
Only then did everyone relax, smiles appearing on their faces.
Leaving a good impression before an elder was always beneficial.
At this moment, Elder Xuanqing’s gaze slowly swept across the crowd.
He lingered briefly on several younger disciples before pointing:
“You, you, and you… you all, follow this old man inside.”
He selected nine people, all outer sect disciples who had performed reasonably well or were relatively young with potential.
Gu Yan noticed that he was not among them.
His expression remained calm as he stood still, feeling little disappointment.
Meanwhile, the nine selected disciples were both surprised and delighted.
They quickly followed behind Elder Xuanqing, filing into the pavilion that was rarely accessible.
The last clever youth even remembered to gently close the door behind him.
Inside the pavilion, Elder Xuanqing sat at the main seat, calmly observing the nine slightly nervous young people.
“No need to be nervous.” He smiled and began examining their bones, checking their meridians, and testing their martial aptitude one by one.
The process was quick, and the results came just as quickly.
Among the nine, three had decent aptitude, especially with pure bone structure, earning slight nods of approval from Elder Xuanqing.
“You, you, and you,” he said, pointing to the three, “from today onward, you may be considered this old man’s nominal disciples.
At the beginning of each month, you may come here to listen to teachings for one hour. If you have questions in cultivation, you may also consult first.”
At these words, the three youths were overjoyed and immediately expressed their gratitude.
Being accepted as a nominal disciple by an outer sect elder—even in name only—
meant more resources and guidance in the outer sect, an opportunity many desperately sought.
Elder Xuanqing paused slightly, then looked at the others, who showed either envy or disappointment, and added calmly:
“You need not be discouraged.
The Taiyi Dao Sect’s rules are strict yet clear. Advancement depends entirely on oneself.
Outer sect disciples, regardless of origin or background, as long as they can raise their martial cultivation to the late stage of the first revolution before the age of thirty, may apply to the Affairs Hall for assessment.
Once passed, you can shed this gray robe, wear the black robes of the inner sect, obtain more advanced techniques, and step into a broader world.”
His gaze swept across them, carrying a note of warning:
“Thirty years old is a threshold.
Vitality, bones, comprehension—after this age, breakthroughs become far more difficult, and inner sect resources will not be easily granted.
Therefore, be diligent, cherish time—this is the proper path.”
Hearing this, the discouraged disciples regained a glimmer of hope in their eyes.
The pavilion door opened again, and the nine disciples emerged with varying expressions.
The three who had been accepted as nominal disciples could not hide their excitement and pride—their posture even straighter than usual.
The remaining six could not conceal their disappointment or forced smiles.
Elder Xuanqing then stepped out, gave Elder Chen a few instructions regarding the herbal garden’s daily matters, and returned to his quiet chamber.
Gu Yan followed the dispersing crowd, listening as the three spoke of being accepted as nominal disciples by Elder Xuanqing.
He said nothing, quietly returning to his secluded courtyard.
As night deepened, Gu Yan closed his door, a faint smile appearing at the corner of his lips.
Fortunately, a few months ago, he had already been tested by Elder Xuanqing for his bone aptitude, so he had not been called in this time.
Otherwise, how would he explain his perfected first revolution cultivation to this seemingly gentle yet perceptive elder?
Would he fabricate a story about encountering a mysterious master at night who empowered him, or discovering a divine technique in a hidden cave?
Most likely, the next moment, what awaited him would not be a disciple title, but the strict interrogation of the Discipline Hall.
Why hide cultivation?
So what if he had grown up in the Taiyi Dao Sect?
He could still be a spy of the demonic sect.
His parents died at the hands of demonic cultivators?
That could just as easily be a deeply planted cover, a long-term sleeper agent waiting to cause destruction.
Even though the Taiyi Dao Sect was a righteous sect, Gu Yan was accustomed to viewing others with the greatest suspicion.
His previous life’s upbringing had taught him well:
Do not harbor intentions to harm others, but always guard against others’ intentions.
Keep a low profile, remain cautious, and grow quietly.
With a cheat in hand, it was even more necessary to do so.