“He really does have good fortune, actually getting accepted as a disciple by Immortal Lord Yunchuan,” a resentful voice sounded, filled with grievance.
“So what if he is? Immortal Lord Yunchuan hasn’t appeared for five hundred years, yet the moment he shows up, he takes Lu Qing as a disciple. Could time possibly be rewound to the day disciples were accepted?” Another person spoke in a flat tone, acid spilling over in every word.
“I just find it unfair. He looks completely ordinary, and there are plenty of people with better aptitude than him. What on earth did Immortal Lord Yunchuan see in him?”
“You must not know about this, then. I heard from my Master that five hundred years ago, Immortal Lord Yunchuan went into seclusion because Immortal Lord Yuqing perished, and he has ignored all affairs of the sect ever since.” His voice dropped extremely low. “Didn’t you notice? Lu Qing bears a striking eighty-percent resemblance to Immortal Lord Yuqing from five hundred years ago.”
“Really or fake? What kind of relationship do Immortal Lord Yunchuan and Immortal Lord Yuqing have? To actually take a mortal with mediocre aptitude as a disciple purely on the basis of a face.”
“Of course it’s real. Immortal Lord Yunchuan and Immortal Lord Yuqing were senior and junior fellow apprentices, and this Lingyao Sect was built single-handedly by Immortal Lord Yuqing. And that Immortal Lord Yuqing was acknowledged across the cultivation world as the absolute leader slaying demons and eliminating devils, comprehending the way of the five elements, splitting the heavens and severing the void with a single sword. That region of Qiongming was slain and sealed by Immortal Lord Yuqing himself, and he is the object of pursuit for absolutely everyone across the entire cultivation world.”
“People inside the sect don’t even know these matters; it’s only because I entered the sect early that I learned some news from my Master after several centuries passed.”
“Then Lu Qing really does have good fortune, getting to enter Wangxu Palace purely on the basis of a face. From today onwards, the Lingyao Sect is going to have plenty of lively drama to watch.”
“Lively drama? More like a laughingstock, if you ask me.” A cold snort and disdain rang out simultaneously. “Just wait and see, Lu Qing is going to have a hard time from now on.”
Having overheard an earful of this while standing with his back against the stone tablet, Lu Qing complained: “You didn’t even tell me that Immortal Lord Yunchuan had a white moonlight.”
From the conversation between the two, it was abundantly clear that his “good master” shared an exceptionally close relationship with that Immortal Lord Yuqing—so close that he accepted him as a disciple purely because of a face.
[The white moonlight is already dead,] the system chimed in coldly. [Furthermore, the white moonlight has been dead for five hundred years.]
“Tch.” Lu Qing felt a slight aversion in his heart; it was always extremely difficult to extricate oneself upon encountering this sort of situation, so he said ungraciously and reluctantly: “So, your meaning is that you want me to romance Immortal Lord Yunchuan, who still harbors a white moonlight in his heart?”
“Otherwise, you might as well just let me fend for myself and perish.”
[Then the host can go die.]
Choked by this, Lu Qing turned ashen-faced: “Is that any way to speak?”
[If the host wants to live, you must complete the quests. The appearance of the system is to allow the host to clear the game and return; if the host cannot manage to clear it, you can only die.] The system showed zero shred of leniency.
“Understood, understood.” Lu Qing felt a ache in his teeth, waiting until nobody was left before emerging.
What Immortal Lord Yunchuan looked like was something he had no idea about. Anyway, after agreeing to accept Immortal Lord Yunchuan as his master upon the Ascension Platform, Immortal Lord Yunchuan had simply departed.
Meanwhile, the middle-aged man in black robes seated at the very top was the Sect Master of the Lingyao Sect, Shen Zhihang.
The disciple selection hadn’t even finished when Shen Zhihang instructed someone to take him to Wangxu Palace. Yet it was quite a pity that that disciple had been somewhat irresponsible, dumping him halfway and leaving in a hurried manner.
Since he didn’t know the way, he could only wander about blindly, and then ended up running into other people’s dissatisfaction and jealousy over him entering Immortal Lord Yunchuan’s lineage.
Jeez, as expected, regardless of what place one was in, jealousy was simply unavoidable.
“How on earth do you get to Wangxu Palace?” With a gloomy expression, Lu Qing stared fixedly at the stone tablet, feeling thoroughly displeased in his heart. “Not only is the master irresponsible, but even the Lingyao Sect disciples are irresponsible.”
This master was a truly lousy one to take; not even a person to lead the way was provided.
“What are you doing here?” A surprised voice rang out beside his ear, and a straightforward gaze landed upon his body.
Lu Qing turned his head and lowered his gaze. The person before him wore robes that swept the ground, possessing a smooth and soft texture. Moving upward revealed straight, long legs and a slender, taut waist. White hair cascaded down to his waist, and his collar was left open to reveal a broad chest. His charm was natural-born, yet his facial features were blurred.
His appearance can’t be seen clearly?
Stunned for a moment, Lu Qing lowered his gaze to reply: “Disciple… disciple lost his way.”
While Lu Qing was sizing up Yuan Luogui, Yuan Luogui was likewise sizing him up. Clad in dust-covered, drab clothing, with a slender physique and a face blooming like jade. However, his hair was somewhat long, hanging down to obscure his brows and concealing three parts of his striking elegance.
The previous dissatisfaction and unbridled posture were restrained, and his respectful expression instead lacked a certain liveliness and charm.
Filled with spirited interest, Yuan Luogui curved the corners of his lips upward: “This monarch belongs to the array cultivation lineage, and my dao name is Zhaoming. You may address me as Uncle-Master.”
“Uncle-Master Zhaoming?” Lu Qing raised his tone and lifted his gaze slightly. “Then might Uncle-Master Zhaoming lead disciple to Wangxu Palace? Disciple would be eternally grateful.”
“Very well.” Yuan Luogui nodded, walking straight past him to stride forward. “Wangxu Palace is desolate and lonely, with only your master residing there. He has never taken a disciple before, so he likely forgot about you.”
“You don’t need to take those words from just now to heart; this monarch will inform the Sect Master, and naturally someone will punish them.” Even if internal rivalries within the sect were unceasing, judging by the circumstances of this incident, the consequences threatened to be somewhat severe.
In the past it didn’t matter, but now things needed to be managed properly. If the matter blew up, wouldn’t it simply become a laughingstock for the remaining sects?
And this Yunchuan was truly something else—he didn’t emerge at all if he could help it, yet the moment he did, he caused a sensation across the entire sect.
Following behind him as he walked, Lu Qing didn’t take those words to heart upon hearing them; Immortal Lord Yunchuan’s status was right there. Even if those individuals wanted to plot something, they wouldn’t have the opportunity.
Besides, some matters tended to experience a fiercer rebound the more they were suppressed. He was actually rather curious, wondering how the Lingyao Sect would handle this.
However, judging by Immortal Lord Zhaoming’s implications, had he been lingering around here for a long time?
“Why would Uncle-Master Zhaoming happen to be here? Did Uncle-Master also take in a disciple of his fancy?” Lu Qing asked half as a probe, half out of curiosity.
After all, he couldn’t even make out Yuan Luogui’s facial features—were all the immortal lords around here like this?
“This place is not far from the array cultivation lineage, and hearing that disciples were being accepted today, this monarch merely came over to watch the excitement,” Yuan Luogui replied indifferently without turning his head.
“As for taking a disciple? This monarch didn’t spot anyone who caught my eye. Since Yunchuan took you as a disciple, you ought to possess some extraordinary qualities; why don’t you come follow this monarch to study array techniques instead?”
Yuan Luogui tilted his head slightly, sizing Lu Qing up.
Offering a bright smile, Lu Qing replied: “Disciple has already entered the lineage of Wangxu Palace. If Uncle-Master genuinely fancies my aptitude, why doesn’t Uncle-Master go have a word with Master?”
“Hoh.” Yuan Luogui chuckled softly as he turned back around. “You certainly have a sharp tongue. Very well, this monarch is actually quite curious to see just what Yunchuan intends to teach you.”
Since Yunchuan cultivated the Daoist legal system, he was indeed harboring a degree of anticipation.
[Host, what are you doing? What if he actually goes to Wangxu Palace to demand a person? How are you going to carry out the quest then?] The system grew somewhat anxious. [Ancestor, can you please stop stirring up trouble and properly do your quest?]
At the time of binding, the other party had acted completely nonchalant; on the flying boat, when told to exterminate demons and rescue people, he had claimed he wanted to observe. Now that he had already entered Wangxu Palace, he still wanted to take another person as his master?
“What are you panicking for? Only he is allowed to probe me, and I’m not allowed to probe back?” Completely unfazed, Lu Qing spoke in a leisurely tone: “Yunchuan has already taken me as his disciple. Judging by their attitude toward Yunchuan, you can tell they won’t easily go provoke misfortune by crossing Yunchuan.”
Lu Qing knew Wangxu Palace was desolate, but he hadn’t expected it to be this desolate. The palace buildings were massive, the withered peach trees stood barren in front of the hall, and white mists wreathed the perimeter of the palace as an atmosphere of cold isolation and loneliness permeated the air.
“Yunchuan, I’ve brought your disciple.” Raising a hand to flick forward, Yuan Luogui sent a white jade plaque flying toward the interior of the hall, where it came to a halt mid-air halfway through its trajectory.
“It seems I forgot.” A clear and ethereal voice rang out, and the jade plaque spun around to fly back and land right before Yuan Luogui.
“Since the person has been delivered, you may return now.”
Accepting the jade plaque with a raised hand to properly stow it away, Yuan Luogui turned and departed without speaking further, while Lu Qing turned sideways to watch him leave.
Clearly covering only a few paces of distance, the next instant he vanished right before his eyes as winds and clouds drifted and shifted, as though he had never been there at all.
Cultivation of immortality truly a domain yearning to be desired.
No wonder it had been such a sensational craze when Huanxi Corporation launched the Cultivation game. Experiencing it firsthand you’d have to be crazy not to find it popular. Who didn’t harbor a dream of cultivating immortality?
A delicate, sweet fragrance drifted into his nostrils as a tall figure materialized, arriving barefoot while their robes swayed, a silver crescent moon dangling at their waist, and their dark hair cascading like a waterfall. Broad shoulders and a slender waist, embroidered with soaring clouds beneath the waist, and swirling golden-tinged auspicious white clouds above the waist outlined with gold thread.
Brows like painted ink, bright eyes and white teeth, with cyan robes fluttering without any wind—what a peerless, jade-like immortal lord.
The surroundings fell completely silent, leaving only that flash of cyan.
“What is your name?” Immortal Lord Yunchuan lowered his gaze slightly, his voice as clear and crisp as flowing water.
“Disciple Lu Qing pays respects to Master.” Kneeling upon the ground, Lu Qing performed the master-disciple bowing ceremony.
For a fleeting instant, Immortal Lord Yunchuan wore a dazed expression, lowering his gaze to fixate on him without speaking for a long time.
A stiffness seized Lu Qing’s frame as his eyes stared fixedly at the white jade floor while his brows knitted together.
What is he playing at? He was the one who took me as a disciple, so what’s with him making things difficult for himself right now?
“May your days and months forever flourish and shine with mutual brilliance; your dao name shall be Minghui.” Bending over slightly, Immortal Lord Yunchuan extended a hand to hand him a cyan token. “Rise. There are only the two of us master and disciple in Wangxu Palace; if you feel bored, take this token and stroll around the Shifang Realm.”
“Many thanks, Master.” Smiling brightly, Lu Qing stood up to accept the token, his eyes shining brightly. “Master, how should I go about cultivating?”
Immortal Lord Yunchuan’s figure paused slightly before turning to walk inside the hall: “This monarch has never taken a disciple before; let this monarch inquire about it first before teaching you. Your disciple robes have already been prepared in the side hall, and you shall reside in the side hall as well.”
The choice of whether to enter or not split within his heart. Standing in place in hesitation, Immortal Lord Yunchuan turned his head to look back over his shoulder: “Your situation has reached this monarch’s ears; you must be exhausted as well, so go rest first.”
The moment Lu Qing raised his head, Immortal Lord Yunchuan’s figure had already vanished from sight. Turning on his heel, he walked toward the adjacent quarters.
Pushing open the hall doors, what came into view was a half-mountain folding screen, with a window on the left side looking out over precipitous cliffs where cyan pine needles could be seen. On the right side stood a cabinet with its door half-open, hanging with clothes to change into. Passing the folding screen revealed a pearl and jade gauze curtain, behind which lay a bed, while to the lower-left corner sat a water basin where white mist coiled lazily with a gentle temperature.
Resting upon the bed was a set of cyan robes, and conspicuously placed beside them was a jar of ointment a square white porcelain bottle radiating a trace of adorable charm. To the right stood a couch and a washing stand.
Wearing a peculiar expression, Lu Qing stood frozen in place for a moment. Walking over to sit down before the washing stand, he caught his own original features reflected within the water mirror.
Lu Qing: “…”
There were rather too many things to about here, leaving him entirely unsure of how to complain.
Maintaining a blank expression within the water mirror, he deadpanned: “Tell me, why is everything inside the game identical to me in reality?”
[First of all, the host is already inside the game world, and can no longer treat this place as merely a game. Secondly, when the host initially created the account information, it was set up using your own personal photographs.] The system rejected Lu Qing’s cross-examination and pointed out his unreasonableness.
Sitting down, Lu Qing tilted his head to inspect himself, pointing and criticizing: “Back when I created it, it wasn’t this refined; how is this any different from my actual self?”
There naturally had to be a gap between game data and reality, yet right now, as he looked at it, zero gap existed.
“Forget it, these past few days have exhausted me to death; I’ll wash up and sleep first.” Unwilling to tangle further with this, Lu Qing figured it was a game world anyway, so why worry so much about it?
Curving the corners of his lips upward, Lu Qing hadn’t expected this cheap master of his to actually be rather considerate. Knowing his knees were injured, he had thoughtfully prepared ointment and disciple robes for him.
The temperature within the water pool was just right. Lowering his gaze to inspect his knees, he saw they were bruised black and blue, presenting a startling sight.
Opening the lid, he scooped out some cream and smoothed it onto his knees; it felt cooling, and the bruises rapidly faded away. A brilliant shine instantly lit up his eyes, and his mood improved manifold.
After washing up, he changed into the disciple robes, feeling thoroughly refreshed all over. “Rumble…” Before he could even lie down on the bed, his stomach let out a growl.
Lu Qing felt troubled. “So hungry.”
Having tumbled from the flying boat into Qiongming, returned from Qiongming, and then gone through the master-dunking ceremony, he hadn’t eaten a single thing all day how could he not be hungry?
Who knew whether Wangxu Palace had anything edible; he might as well go look for his cheap master to check things out, which would also serve to boost his presence a bit.
Acting on the thought, Lu Qing turned around to walk out, rounding the corridor to arrive at the main hall as he spoke with cautious care: “Master, are you there? Disciple is hungry and would like to have a meal.”
Silence stretched for the better part of the day, with the main hall doors remaining firmly shut.
Lu Qing grabbed the door ring and knocked against the door, speaking with dejected listlessness: “Master, are you there? Disciple is really hungry and needs to eat.”
Still not a single peep of movement. Turning green in complexion, Lu Qing felt a wave of anger ignite within his chest.
Accepting him as a disciple, refusing to teach him cultivation, and now not even showing his shadow. All of that aside, upon arriving at Wangxu Palace he had been subjected to vicious gossip behind his back, and ultimately had to be brought here by someone else.
With his temper flaring up, his mouth ceased filtering any polite words: “Immortal Lord Yunchuan, if you didn’t want to accept me as a disciple then please let me leave! I have nothing to eat or drink, and even had to rely on someone else to show me the way here.”
“Immortal Lord Yunchuan, why don’t you take back your words about accepting me as a disciple? As for me, I won’t trouble you to teach me cultivation either.”
“If you don’t speak, I’ll take it that you agree. I’m leaving.”
Absolute dead silence surrounded him, where even the wind felt chillingly cold. Shuddering, Lu Qing muttered under his breath: “Where on earth did he run off to?”
Raising his voice and stepping up onto his toes, he declared: “I’m really leaving now.”
“What are you doing?” A cold voice carrying a hint of confusion drifted from behind him.
Stiffening right where he stood, Lu Qing felt his heart skip a beat, his complexion turning pitch black.