"I heard you've been spending a lot of time with Senior Brother Zhang these days?"

"Mm."

"He sought you out?"

"Mm."

"Practicing swordplay every day?"

"Mm."

"Good heavens, how did you manage that?"

"Who knows?"

Yu Ci was cornered and interrogated by Li You, unable to move from his chair, his face etched with helplessness. Their voices were hushed, but in the tranquil surroundings, they still seemed somewhat boisterous, drawing curious glances from passing Cultivators.

The reason for their discretion was because they were in Spirit Sky Pavilion!

Li You was relentless. He leaned in and asked, "Come on, at least let me understand why Senior Brother Zhang is so enthusiastic. His total sword practice in the past decade doesn't even match these few days."

Yu Ci inwardly cursed, pointing to the person dozing off next to him, Zhang Yan. He gave a wry smile, "Senior Brother Zhang is right here, Brother Li, if you want to understand, why not ask directly?"

"That's not fair!"

Li You was greatly displeased, "Our friendship is much stronger than yours with Zhang, isn't it too obvious to favor the new over the old?"

However, with his flamboyant personality, he lowered his voice even more when saying this, so as not to wake Zhang Yan. Although Li You was just a novice Mechanism of the Cauldron, he was not inferior to the experienced Zhang Yan. Both had similar realms, and the latter had been idle for decades. If they really fought, it would be hard to predict the outcome.

But Zhang Yan's current mental state was peculiar. Relying on his Golden Elixir cultivator's intuition, Li You felt it was better not to provoke him.

The more he thought about it, the more curious he became. He didn't understand what tactics Yu Ci had used to make Zhang Yan, a seemingly hopeless case, bloom like an iron tree, rejuvenate like a withered tree in spring, and produce pearls like an old clam.

As Li You was lost in his thoughts, the sound of footsteps echoed.

Both of them recognized the identity of the newcomer and fell silent, standing up. Even Zhang Yan, who had been dozing off in the corner, opened his eyes.

A thin, white-haired old man slowly emerged from between the tall bookshelves nearby, walked straight to the table in front of them, and sat down without even glancing at them.

Yu Ci and Li You exchanged wry smiles, and ultimately, it was Yu Ci who stepped forward and bowed, "Old Master Zhu."

Yu Ci's precious cultivation time at the Spirit Sky Pavilion was not spent chatting with Li You, but to apologize.

His swordplay with Zhang Yan had caused a disaster in the room, with all the items inside shattered by Sword Energy, including the "Comprehensive Treatise on the Sword of Enlightenment." This scroll was borrowed from the Spirit Sky Pavilion before he entered the Law Sky Secret Realm for secluded cultivation. As an Outer Disciple, he was able to borrow books from the Spirit Sky Pavilion, especially such a significant work, all thanks to the jade tablet Old Master Zhu had gifted him. He never thought that it would be destroyed within a few days of borrowing. How could he not come to apologize?

Although Old Master Zhu paid them no heed, he did not seem particularly infuriated either. He merely flipped through the records on his desk nonchalantly. Seizing the opportunity, Yu Ci explained the whole situation and sincerely apologized, expressing his willingness to accept any punishment that Old Master Zhu might mete out.

Old Master Zhu responded with an air of indifference, "The 'Comprehensive Treatise on the Sword of Enlightenment' is not a unique copy, so its loss isn't that big of a deal. Since you are in the Empirical Department, you can repay it with Merit Points. The book is worth 15,000 Merit Points. Just hand them over."

"Uh..."

Yu Ci could see that Old Master Zhu didn't care about the loss of the book and wasn't trying to make things difficult for him. However, this only made him feel more awkward. What did 15,000 Merit Points mean? The top-tier pill method of the Sect, the 'Taiqing Liquid Divine Elixir Technique', was only worth 10,000 Merit Points on the Merit Points Board.

Of course, for the elite disciples of the Sect's Mountain Gate, such a number of Merit Points was not an unreachable sum. If they frequently visited the One Mind Hall and took on some relatively difficult Merit Points tasks, they could accumulate enough over ten or eight years. But for Yu Ci to produce them now...

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Old Master Zhu was oblivious to the trouble his casual comment had caused Yu Ci and quickly changed the subject, "How are your preparations for the Hanzhang Conference?"

Yu Ci, still overwhelmed by the number of 15,000 Merit Points, was taken aback by the question. He exchanged a glance with Li You before responding, "I am aware of my humble position and lack of experience. I am planning to go to the Sword Garden for training and to build up some reputation so as not to lose face for you, Master."

"Oh, I should thank you for that then."

Old Master Zhu lightly twirled his white beard, a half-smile on his face, "The Sword Garden, huh? Are you so certain that a trip to the Sword Garden will be enough to save my face?"

"Well..."

Yu Ci was unsure of Old Master Zhu's insinuations. As he hesitated, the old man continued, "The Hanzhang Conference is roughly at the end of the year, and the Sword Garden opens in November. If everything goes smoothly, well and good. But if there's any mishap or oversight, you might not make it in time."

"I shall certainly be cautious," Yu Ci affirmed.

"Caution is indeed good. I have no issue recommending you. With a reputation, it's easier to make friends. But have you considered this: While the Hanzhang Assembly is a place of tranquility, there is still room for discussion and exchange. What will you bring to the table? Debating scriptures? Interpretations of the profound? Or perhaps discussions on how to draw a sword and kill?"

Yu Ci was momentarily speechless. It was then he realized that this old gentleman seemed to have some dissatisfaction with his decision to go to Sword Garden and even his pursuit of swordsmanship?

He glanced at Li You, who had strongly supported this course of action. Li You's face was indeed somewhat awkward, but he was mostly defiant, muttering, "Who would dare to belittle someone who has walked in the Sword Garden?"

"That's why your Empirical Department always makes a fool of itself at the Hanzhang Assembly!"

Old Master Zhu was truly not mincing words. He coldly glanced at Li You, "In terms of influence, the Sword Garden attracts sword cultivators from all over the world. Any slight movement within it can easily make one famous. The Minor Incantation Ceremony is indeed inferior. But can the Sword Garden offer the reserved seats prepared specifically for the high-level assembly thirty years from now at the Minor Incantation Ceremony?"

Li You was immediately dumbfounded and speechless.

Seeing his strange expression, Yu Ci was also puzzled, "What is a reserved seat?"

"A reserved seat is a place saved for you at the highest-level Hanzhang Assembly."

The answer came from Zhang Yan, who had been sitting quietly in a corner. He lifted his face, his voice unusually strong, "Junior Brother Yu should strive for this. The Minor Incantation Ceremony is held every four years, and each time three places, a total of thirty, are submitted. Once successful, you will be registered at the global Hanzhang Assembly of the Cultivation World, becoming one of the three thousand heroic figures, the rising stars under the spotlight of the Cultivation World, naturally becoming a core disciple of the Sect!"

He and Li You suddenly understood, "This is indeed a shortcut to entering the inner circle!"

Yu Ci's heart also skipped a beat. Was this Old Master Zhu's intention? To leap from an outer disciple to an inner disciple, to permanently reside at the Sect's Mountain Gate, this was a huge favor!

Old Master Zhu neither agreed nor disagreed with their judgment. Instead, he stared at Zhang Yan for a long time before saying, "Your gambling addiction has deeply ingrained itself, the heart demon rooted, with no possibility of eradication. I originally thought you were done for in this life, but I didn't expect you to have this desperate gamble in the end, finally staking your own life?"

Zhang Yan gave a slight smile, "I had considered it before, but I didn't have a clear path. I have to thank Junior Brother Yu for his guidance."

"What are you guys talking about?" Li You exclaimed dramatically, merely wanting to understand the situation.

At that moment, a soft, serene voice sounded in their ears: "Senior Brother Zhang has regained his vitality. A cause for celebration indeed."

Upon hearing this, Zhang Yan turned around and flashed a wide grin. "Indeed, it is a joyous occasion. At least after changing the rules of the game, it won't be so easy for Sister Meng to reprimand me in the future."

The speaker was none other than Meng Wei. Unbeknownst to them, she had arrived, clad in her black Taoist robe, a Dust Whisk in hand, and approached them at a leisurely pace. She greeted everyone present with a respectful bow, observing all the necessary courtesies. Only then did she address Old Master Zhu, "As per your instructions, sir, I have brought this item."

With that, she took out a disc-shaped object from her Storage Ring and handed it to Old Master Zhu. Before anyone could get a clear look at it, she turned to Zhang Yan and said, "While it is indeed a joyous occasion that you have regained your vitality, I do not approve of you abandoning Orthodox Taoism and embracing the Heart Demon Refinement Technique."

Zhang Yan chuckled, "Let's agree to disagree."

Not wanting to dwell on the topic, he stood up and said, "I have some matters to attend to. Junior Brother Yu, I'll be waiting for you in the Thousands Method Secret Realm."

As Zhang Yan left the room, Li You frowned, "So, he's really practicing the Heart Demon Refinement Technique?"

Meng Wei nodded slightly, "Senior Brother Zhang has voluntarily reported to the Disciplinary Court. We'll discuss this further when our seniors return."

She then turned her gaze to Yu Ci, her eyebrows relaxing into a gentle curve, "Regardless, Junior Brother Yu, you have done a great deed in reviving Senior Brother Zhang's vitality."

Yu Ci merely smiled and remained silent.

The so-called "Heart Demon Refinement Technique" is a method for rapid cultivation growth, based on the unrest of the heart demon and the obstruction of cultivation. This method differs from the Orthodox Taoism's Authentic Qi Cultivation Technique, as it neither timely clears the heart demon, but even guides it in various ways to stimulate the potential of the human body, achieving a rapid progress.

"This is no longer the path of the Golden Elixir of the Mysterious Gate, but a path with characteristics of evil skills. Is this the direction Zhang Yan has chosen?"

I must ask him clearly when I see him next!

Just as Yu Ci made up his mind, Old Master Zhu brought the conversation back.

"Let's not digress. Yu Ci, do you recognize what this is?"

Aren't you the one who started the digression? Yu Ci thought to himself, but he still looked closely. At one glance, he exclaimed:

"A Talisman Plate!"

...