Just at the moment when the dark clouds outside swelled, Yu Ci crouched down slightly, taking only two steps on the ground before his figure began to blur. By now, the dark clouds had surrounded him from all sides. However, the Primordial Qi around his body, driven by the Foggy Sword Divine, generated its own fluctuations. Although he held no sword in his hand, it was as sharp as a sword, tearing open the binding of the dark cloud net in an instant. He was not moving outward, but towards Brother Li.
In a blink of an eye, he covered the distance of more than twenty feet. Within a five-foot radius around Brother Li, there was no cloud or Yin thunder effect, thus Yu Ci found his footing. Looking up, he saw Brother Li smiling at him, "I apologize, I just wanted to let those naive children understand your abilities, and to know when to advance and retreat."
With that, he closed his fingers and the dark clouds in the sky immediately retracted, converging into a dark sphere in the palm of his hand. Then, his smile faded slightly and he said seriously, "I am Li You, a fourth-generation disciple of the Empirical Department of the Lichen Sect. I apologize for any offense I may have caused you, Brother Yu Ci."
Yu Ci also smiled and returned the courtesy, "Not at all. When Brother Li released the Yin Thunder Net, he deliberately made a show of force, but was merciful. Otherwise, I wouldn't have been able to get in."
He was referring to the fact that when Li You released the Yin Thunder Net, he had gauged Jin Chuan's strength and reaction and deliberately slowed down. In fact, Li You was not the only one who had shown mercy. Bao Guang, Jin Chuan, and Kuang Yan Qi were all within the coverage of the "Thousand Knot Yin Thunder Net", but none of them were affected in any way. The finesse of this control was truly admirable.
Upon hearing their conversation, Bao Guang finally understood the principle and changed his anger to joy. He quickly introduced Yu Ci, "Brother Yu, Brother Li is one of the most formidable seniors in our Sect's Mountain Gate. He's only thirty-five years old, has already achieved Perfect Yin Spirit, and is about to set the Mechanism and form the Golden Elixir."
Impressive indeed! Yu Ci couldn't help but be surprised. For a cultivator, after entering the Communicating Profound Realm, it takes a considerable amount of time to nurture and refine the Yin Spirit through Refining the Hidden Consciousness. Gradually increasing the time and distance of the Yin Spirit's Astral Travel until it is fully matured, it can trigger the deep sensing of Primordial Qi and Divine Soul to find the opportunity for the two to converge and embrace, which is called the Mechanism of the Cauldron. This is also the Initial Stage of Golden Elixir's Cultivation Level.
According to Bao Guang, Li You has everything ready, and only needs to find that mysterious "Mechanism" to achieve the Golden Elixir. And he's only thirty-five years old, which is indeed quite remarkable.
"Stop flattering me, young Taoist. I remember well your words just now!"
Li You, a lively man who, despite being ten years older than Yu Ci, seemed more sprightly, said with a beaming smile, "In front of my younger brother Yu, I dare not boast. Your Sword Energy technique just now was intricate and shadowy as mist, truly impressive. I've read about your prowess in Swordsmanship in the materials from Uncle Master, but I hadn't expected it to be so extraordinary. Hmm, speaking of which, it somewhat resembles the Sect's Dissolution Sword Technique."
Lowering his voice, he continued, "May I be so bold as to ask whether Uncle Master has taught you any secret Swordsmanship techniques?"
Yu Ci shook his head with a smile, offering no further explanation. Li You didn't mind, he had merely been making casual conversation. Winking at Yu Ci, he turned to Jin Chuan, whose face was sour, and said, "See, you witnessed Yu's technique. Even if you had released your Yin Thunder Net, you wouldn't have been able to catch him. Moreover, he could reach you in the blink of an eye, at that moment..."
He didn't finish his sentence, merely drew a finger across his throat. Jin Chuan's face turned beet red, then quickly paled.
Seeing his reaction, Li You grinned, about to speak again when his expression changed slightly, and he turned his head. Following his gaze, Yu Ci turned as well. The snow powder dislodged by the "Thousand Knot Yin Thunder Net" was still swirling in the wind, and the Taoist who had been playing with the bird in the forest was now leisurely approaching.
It was then that Yu Ci remembered; this person should have been within the range of the "Thousand Knot Yin Thunder Net", so why hadn't he noticed?
As he pondered this, his gaze fell on the approaching figure. He was slightly surprised to see that although the newcomer was dressed simply, the exposed skin was as fair as snow. Without any makeup, her face was still beautiful and exquisite. It was a female cultivator.
Then, he noticed her clear, refined eyes. They were calm and serene, indicating that the female cultivator was deeply cultivated.
After several glances, the female cultivator had already reached them. She swayed her dust whisk, bent her thumb and index finger, and bowed, saying softly, "Greetings, Brother Li and fellow disciples."
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Her manners were impeccable, her voice not loud but delicate and gentle, which matched Yu Ci's impression of her. However, Yu Ci noticed that as the female cultivator greeted them, Li You's smile became awkward, and the faces of Jin Chuan and Kuang Yan Qi turned pale.
Only Bao Guang exclaimed, "Sister Meng!"
After his shout, the other flustered cultivators quickly recovered. Led by Li You, they bowed in return as if rehearsed, addressing her as senior or junior sister, each more formal than the last. This left Yu Ci a beat behind.
The female cultivator's gaze naturally fell on him. Remembering her teasing the Water Mimic Bird and seeing the inexplicable reactions of Li You and the others, Yu Ci couldn't help but chuckle. He nodded in acknowledgment. The female cultivator lowered her eyes without responding, but a faint smile appeared on her lips.
This scene, unbeknownst to all but Yu Ci, unfolded just as Li You and his companions were bowing in greeting.
Having concluded their salutations, Li You stepped forward with a hearty laugh, "So it really is Sister Meng who has arrived. I was wondering why the Yin Thunder Net scan felt somewhat off, yet it didn't detect you. Your cultivation level is becoming increasingly refined, isn't it?"
The female cultivator watched him approach, her eyelids slightly lowered, and said, "Senior Brother Li You."
Upon hearing this address, Li You froze, his jovial expression instantly replaced with a bitter smile, "Sister Meng, do you have any advice for me?"
"Our sect's rules state that cultivators must not be frivolous or insincere in their speech or actions. They should be reserved, with morality as their duty. You, Senior Brother, are naturally vivacious, which is not advantageous in this regard. You must be cautious."
At her words, Li You responded with a dry laugh, "No harm done. I haven't yet taken the precepts, so these disciplines don't apply to me."
The female cultivator shook her head slightly, "Being a cultivator, you should abide by these disciplines, regardless of whether they suit your nature or not. You should show some reverence. Your earlier frivolity and inconsiderate words could be misconstrued as mockery, adding fuel to the fire, and certainly not conducive to easing the situation. Moreover, your capricious behavior and partiality towards others have already violated three disciplines. Please, after returning to the mountain, go to the Disciplinary Court to atone for today's transgressions."
Li You's face turned ashen. He wanted to plead for mercy, but seeing the serious expression on the female cultivator's face, he could only stamp his foot and concede, "Fine, I accept the penalty!"
However, being a cheerful character, he was used to being disciplined at the Sect's Mountain Gate. He quickly regained his composure and turned to Yu Ci, "Come, let me introduce you to an extraordinary fellow disciple: This is Meng Wei, Sister Meng, the top figure in the Discipline Department of our Sect's Mountain Gate. Despite her young age, she is highly respected within the Sect. Once, she..."
He abruptly stopped mid-sentence, as a stiff cough from Bao Guang behind him filled the air. Li You's face turned genuinely embarrassed, just as he was pondering how to smooth things over, Meng Wei stepped forward and bowed to Yu Ci,
"I am Meng Wei, a fourth-generation disciple of the Discipline Department of the Lichen Sect. Pleased to meet you, Daoist Yu."
Her timely words allowed Li You to breathe a sigh of relief, but then he curiously asked, "Why not 'Junior Brother'?"
Meng Wei gazed deeply at Yu Ci, calmly replying, "Although Daoist Yu has been recommended by our Uncle Master and is planning to start from the Merit Points of the One Mind Hall, aiming to become an external disciple of the Mountain Gate, his Merit Points are not yet complete. I need to verify them one by one before I can be sure."
Yu Ci, a man, courteously returned a bow to Meng Wei, a woman, while uttering, "As it should be."
He had been observing for a while and had already noticed the resemblance between this female cultivator and Elder Jie Liang, both of whom hail from the Discipline Department. However, Elder Jie Liang was a man of stern countenance but warm heart, clumsy in speech but kind in nature. On the other hand, Sister Meng, judging by her earlier antics of playing with birds, seemed not as serious and dull as she appeared.
Having had the experience from the previous night, Yu Ci handled the situation with ease. It was only at this moment he realized that the woman before him was the one who came from the Sect's Mountain Gate to review his qualifications as an Outer Disciple. In a sense, half of his future journey towards immortality depended on this female cultivator.
There was no need to pander to her preferences, but the reality was that he could not afford to offend her either. Thankfully, it seemed that their first impressions of each other were not bad.
Just as he was trying to gauge the female cultivator's temperament, he noticed her attention shift towards Jin Chuan and Kuang Yan Qi, who had been ignored for quite some time.
Looking at where her gaze fell, the two young men appeared uncomfortable. Meng Wei's expression was not particularly stern, but the two looked very restrained, only managing to murmur a "Sister Meng," clearly intimidated.
"Earlier in the forest, I heard you discussing Yu Ci's alleged collusion with the Sky Rift Valley Demons."
At these words, the expressions of those present varied. Not to mention the attitude of Yu Ci and others, Jin Chuan and Kuang Yan Qi's expressions were distinctly different.
Upon hearing this, Kuang Yan Qi's face turned ashen. He was about to signal his companion to be cautious, but Jin Chuan, in a fit of hot-headedness, blurted out, "He must be in league with the Demons!"
Meng Wei remained unperturbed, asking softly, "Is that so? And what were you doing?"
"I was taking him to see the Immortal Elder."
At this point, Jin Chuan finally realized his foolishness, and his words choked in his throat. But it was too late.
The female cultivator, her gaze fixed on Jin Chuan, questioned, "Where did you discover Yu Ci's collusion with the Demons? Where is the evidence? Did you report to the Sect? Did the Sect issue an arrest warrant? Who was it issued by? Who is to execute it? Which of you two are in charge of Discipline, and are qualified to arrest?"
Her voice remained gentle and soft, yet the oppressive power within her words grew with each sentence. By the end, Jin Chuan was already as pale as a sheet, only managing to lower his head, not daring to meet the female cultivator's gaze.
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Sister Meng officially enters the scene, let's welcome her with applause. Riding on Sister Meng's coattails, clicks, bookmarks, votes, I want them all!
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I have also posted the following more chapters [All free] on: https://www.readgates.com/article/74a39e