"Excuse me, Senior Brother, could you direct me to Chessboard Peak?"

"Turn right from here, first reach the Spirit Sky Pavilion, then head due north, pass the Rainbow Bridge, and continue."

"Uh, which one is the Rainbow Bridge?"

""

After nearly half an hour, Yu Ci finally understood the whole route. He thanked the Senior Brother profusely and proceeded towards the fork in the right. Similar situations had occurred several times over the past dozen days, yet his sense of direction hadn't improved.

Truth be told, it wasn't entirely Yu Ci's fault for his lack of progress. The Mountain Gate of the Lichen Sect was simply too vast and complex. Within the Mountain Gate, there were over three hundred floating peaks, each serving different purposes and separated by dozens of miles. Although they were often connected by Rainbow Bridges, these bridges constantly shifted their positions in accordance with the changes in the Sect's Mountain Gate Prohibitions. For someone who had only arrived at the Sect's Mountain Gate half a month ago, memorizing hundreds of ever-changing routes was indeed a daunting task.

By now, Yu Ci had realized that without a Golden Elixir level of cultivation and the ability to fly, navigating the Mountain Gate of the Lichen Sect was akin to an arduous journey. He had already sent a plea for help to the Still Heart Temple, hoping to borrow Bao Guang's Ghost Yarn Cloud. While it might be slower, it would allow him to travel directly and save a lot of effort.

However, until the Ghost Yarn Cloud arrived, Yu Ci had to endure.

Despite being unable to soar through the clouds or fly on a sword, walking on the mountain paths had its own charm.

Yu Ci was currently passing the Spirit Sky Pavilion.

From the Countless Method Sanctuary to the Spirit Sky Pavilion, it was about seventy miles. This marked the boundary between the Empirical Department and the Theory Department. The Spirit Sky Pavilion was one of the largest libraries within the Sect's Mountain Gate, reportedly housing over a hundred million books. Yu Ci hadn't yet had the chance to explore it, but he observed that outside the library, on the mountain paths, under the green trees, and within the pavilions, there were people holding scrolls, either deep in thought or chanting verses. Occasionally, someone would gesture in the void, their divine light radiating and filling the air, creating an overall atmosphere of tranquil serenity.

Yu Ci was in high spirits. It must be said that this was the most relaxed time of the year at the Mountain Gate of the Lichen Sect. Most of the cultivators above the Sect Vacuum Walking level had gone to the Outer Realm of the Nine Heavens for cultivation. Due to their absence, the lower-ranked disciples within the Sect's Mountain Gate were more active, with interesting things happening every day, if you could blend in.

At this moment on Chessboard Peak, the Theory Department was hosting a clear talk seminar to expound on the profound principles. In addition to the Theory Department, the Morality Department, Discipline Department, and Empirical Department all had participants. Yu Ci was going to join the crowd and enjoy the spectacle.

Having passed the Spirit Sky Pavilion, Yu Ci was searching for the location of the Rainbow Bridge when two figures approached him swiftly from behind, calling out to him simultaneously, "Is the gentleman ahead Yu Ci, the Junior Brother Yu from the Yellow Series Room of Ding House?"

Yu Ci paused in surprise, turning back to respond, "And you two Senior Brothers are?"

The two exchanged a glance before one of them, a cultivator, spoke up: "We are from the Zhou Series Room in Bing House. I am Ge Hui, and this is Senior Brother Nie Zong."

The speaker had slightly dark skin, his eyes and brows hinting at his shrewdness. With his first words, Yu Ci understood that he too was from the Empirical Department.

The Empirical Department was probably the one among the Four Departments of Lichen that placed the most emphasis on hierarchical differences. In the half-month that Yu Ci had spent at the Sect's Mountain Gate, he had felt that the cultivators of the Empirical Department always had a habit of categorizing and quantifying all methods and realms, not only in cultivation, but also in all aspects of life.

Yu Ci lived in the Countless Method Sanctuary of the Empirical Department, where the residences were divided into four categories: A, B, C, and D. Each category was further divided into eight levels, reflecting the cosmic elements of Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow. The newcomers to the Sect's Mountain Gate, including Outer Disciples like Yu Ci who had come to the mountain for cultivation, were housed in the Ding House. The fourth-generation disciples with initial achievements in cultivation lived in the C residence, while the A and B residences were inhabited by Immortal Elders with Vacuum Walking or higher cultivation levels. Some particularly talented fourth-generation disciples with outstanding cultivation levels, like the leading figures of the Empirical Department, Senior Brother Zhou Yu, and Brother Li Hong, also lived there.

Such a distribution made everyone's status clear at a glance. Even Yu Ci, who had just arrived not long ago, could deduce that these two Senior Brothers had a cultivation level on the upper echelon of Nature-Connecting, nearing the breakthrough level of Golden Elixir. Their level was slightly higher than his, but there was no fundamental difference.

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Ge Hui and Nie Zong were quite polite. Although Nie Zong was not much of a talker, he still gave Yu Ci a friendly greeting. Ge Hui, on the other hand, was all smiles, asking, "Where is Junior Brother Yu headed?"

Upon learning that Yu Ci was heading to Chessboard Peak, Ge Hui exclaimed with understanding, "So Junior Brother Yu is also interested in the profound discussions on metaphysics! Today's topic on Chessboard Peak is Yin and Yang. Does Junior Brother Yu have any insights into this?"

"I simply wish to hear the profound insights of you, my Senior Brothers."

Yu Ci found Ge Hui's attitude somewhat peculiar. Rather than spending time in pointless circles, he asked, "My Senior Brothers, you called upon me. May I know your commands?"

"We dare not command, rather, we have a request."

Ge Hui and Nie Zong exchanged a glance, and the former spoke, "A few days ago, a fellow disciple named Dong Ji inadvertently broke the sect rules and was sentenced to meditate in front of the Speech-Forgot Peak. Ordinarily, this wouldn't be a problem, but due to a misunderstanding, his sentence was extended from three months to a year. In four months, it will be time for the triennial Sword Garden event, which cannot be delayed."

Ge Hui explained the situation clearly and logically in a short time.

The so-called Sword Garden event was a part of the Lichen Sect's "Triennial Examination" for its disciples, an opportunity to advance their Cultivation Level. Yu Ci was not entirely familiar with the detailed process, but he knew the event was of great importance. Almost all of the sect's disciples who were diligently cultivating the Sword Way would not miss this opportunity.

Ge Hui and Nie Zong were obviously planning to participate in the examination. Dong Ji was their partner. The three had similar cultivation levels and a great understanding of each other. They practiced a technique called the "Tri-Polar Spectrum Sword Array". When the three of them joined forces, they could compete with a Golden Elixir cultivator. This was their greatest reliance for participating in the examination. However, Dong Ji's punishment was a fatal blow to their trio, which was why Ge Hui and Nie Zong sought out Yu Ci.

Yu Ci understood not only the predicament of the trio but also the thoughts of Ge Hui and Nie Zong. He couldn't help but smile bitterly. As expected, Ge Hui continued, "We heard that you are acquainted with Sister Meng from the Discipline Department. Could you possibly help us out? We will be very grateful."

Before Ge Hui could finish his sentence, Yu Ci interrupted him, "Brother Ge, regardless of my relationship with Sister Meng, think about it, would Sister Meng still be Sister Meng if she accepted personal favors?"

Yu Ci's words flowed smoothly. After finishing, he didn't wait for Ge Hui and Nie Zong to recover. He said, "Excuse me," turned around, and left without them following him.

It wasn't until he briskly walked onto the Rainbow Bridge, stepping on clouds over the abyss, and suspended in the void that Yu Ci finally let out a sigh.

The reason he could speak so eloquently was that similar incidents had happened more than once in the past half month.

The first to start this was Li You. Not long after Yu Ci settled in the Countless Method Sanctuary, Li You came to him, saying that he had accidentally violated the rules and was afraid of being punished. He asked Yu Ci to speak to Meng Wei on his behalf. In reality, the matter was trivial. Yu Ci casually mentioned it, and Meng Wei didn't pursue it with Li You.

This incident should have been ordinary, but whether it was because Li You had a big mouth or for some other reason, the story spread and was greatly exaggerated. Now, many people were saying that an Outer Disciple who had moved into the Countless Method Sanctuary could save people from the always fair and impartial Sister Meng, indicating that their relationship was extraordinary.

The situation had suddenly become complex, with individuals like Ge Hui and Nie Zong being the third group to arrive in the past ten days. Most of those who had violated the Discipline and still dared to seek favors were involved in trivial matters. Aside from the seriousness of Ge and Nie's case, the other two probably did not hold much hope. It seemed that curiosity and the desire to join in the excitement were more prevalent.

It was these people who had made the rumors increasingly absurd. However, under the solemn authority that Meng Wei had accumulated over the years, even the most outrageous rumors had their limits. As for what people truly thought, it was hard to say.

Because of this incident, coupled with the affair at Sheer Cliff City, Yu Ci had gained some renown within the Sect's Mountain Gate. According to Li You, not every disciple of the Sect's Mountain Gate, especially those from the Empirical Department, might recognize him, but if his name was mentioned, six or seven out of ten would have heard of him.

Shaking his head, Yu Ci ascended Chessboard Peak. The top of the peak was flat and famous for being a place where sages once conversed. It was a common place for the Theory Department Cultivators to discuss scriptures and doctrines. At this moment, over a hundred people were present, standing or sitting in various places. The only man-made structure on the peak, the "Rotten Axe Pavilion," was the center of everyone's attention, with two individuals each holding their ground, quoting scriptures, and engaging in profound discussions.

Yu Ci found an inconspicuous place to sit. The two debaters in the pavilion were energetic, their words clear, reaching the entire peak, so there was no fear of not hearing them clearly.

However, not long after sitting down, Yu Ci realized that his decision to come to Chessboard Peak today was somewhat overambitious. Not to mention anything else, the two individuals debating in the pavilion both had solid foundations in cultivation theory and were capable of presenting new interpretations. Their debate on the "Way of Yin and Yang" was quite challenging for Yu Ci, who had never received formal cultivation education.

After listening for a while, Yu Ci's greatest gain was only to catch glimpses of the "Returning to Void Merging Method" and the "Great Dream Yin and Yang Method" taught by He Qing from their fragmented discussions. But to truly benefit from it, he was still far away.

With a silent sigh, Yu Ci already knew the problem and decided not to waste time here. Just as he was about to get up and leave, he felt a sudden movement in his heart. Turning his head, he saw someone among the listeners outside the Rotten Axe Pavilion casting a glance at him.

As their eyes met, Yu Ci's brows furrowed slightly.

This man, dressed in a white robe and a crown, stood tall and looked handsome. However, three long scars ran parallel from his temple to his nose, greatly damaging his elegant face. But upon closer inspection, they added a touch of ruggedness, a kind of deep and masculine charm that a pretty boy could never possess.

Yu Ci recognized him. This man was none other than the chief of the Fourth-generation disciples of the Empirical Department, Senior Brother Zhou Yu.

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