Chapter 13

After finishing a jar of wine and ten pounds of beef, the disheveled old Taoist was content and slurred, "Good, this year the five of you will be the trial disciples of the Immortal Capital Sect under this old Taoist. My surname is Qi, and my Taoist name is Yunhe. I am your entry master. Come and kowtow."

The group knelt down and paid their respects, reintroducing themselves to their master, arranging themselves by age. Yue Zhiyan was the oldest, followed by Wei Shiqi. The remaining three were two boys and one girl. The boys were twin brothers, the elder being Song Qi and the younger Song Ji, around thirteen or fourteen years old, from a wealthy family, dressed in fine clothing. The girl was just a young girl, surnamed Qin, with the single name "Zhen," quiet and reserved, her head lowered in silence.

Qi Yunhe looked at the five disciples and thought, "This year’s luck is a bit off. Yue Zhiyan has no talent, and Wei Shiqi has inferior talent. These two can only mix it up in the outer sect. The Song brothers each have three '先天窍' (innate acupoints), barely satisfactory. Qin Zhen is not bad, with seven innate acupoints scattered along two meridians. Entering the inner sect should not be a problem. Damn, it looks like I’ll be at the bottom again!"

He yawned, feeling drowsy, and muttered, "I’ll take a quick nap. We’ll set off when it’s light." With that, he fell to the ground, using his arm as a pillow, and fell into a deep sleep.

When the master has matters to attend to, the disciples must serve. Both Wei Shiqi and Yue Zhiyan were perceptive. One led the younger disciples outside the land temple to bid farewell to their families, while the other dismissed the miscellaneous people who had waited all night, telling them that the selection of disciples by the immortal master was complete and to leave quickly, breaking their delusions.

The image of the white-robed youth rolling like a gourd was still fresh in everyone’s mind. They were wary and did not dare to linger, dispersing in groups. The families of the Song brothers and Qin Zhen also wiped away their tears and left, occasionally looking back with reluctance, knowing that this parting meant a separation between the mortal and the immortal, unsure when they would meet again.

The five senior and junior disciples stood in front of the temple. The river breeze was cool, and the east was gradually turning white. The dawn illuminated the poplar trees, casting a golden edge around the dilapidated land temple.

A new day had begun.

The Song brothers and Qin Zhen, being young, had been up all night and were exhausted, barely able to stand. Wei Shiqi and Yue Zhiyan led them back to the land temple, finding a clean corner to settle them down. Without their families, they were both tired and anxious, and soon fell asleep.

Qi Yunhe slept until the sun was high in the sky, then stretched and slowly got up. His disciples were already ready, waiting quietly. On the altar, the gourd was filled with wine, the oiled paper wrapped beef, and the steamed buns were on the lotus leaves. Qi Yunhe laughed and beckoned, "Disciples, come, come, come, eat up!" He picked up the gourd and took a few sips of wine, then grabbed a piece of beef and stuffed it into his mouth.

Yue Zhiyan tore a bun and stuffed it with beef, passing it to the three junior disciples, and ate slowly himself. Seeing that Wei Shiqi was not moving, he asked, "Junior brother, aren’t you hungry?"

Wei Shiqi smiled and shook his head.

Qi Yunhe glanced at him and mumbled, "You’re so big, your stomach can’t be small. What’s wrong, shy? This old Taoist won’t mock you!"

Wei Shiqi explained, "I have a peculiar habit. I only eat meat, not vegetables or grains."

"Eat meat, then. What’s with the formality!" Qi Yunhe grabbed a large piece of beef and threw it to Wei Shiqi, who caught it and swallowed it in a few bites, wiping his mouth, still unsatisfied. The Song brothers stared with wide eyes, and Qin Zhen’s mouth hung open, a bun falling onto her clothes.

Qi Yunhe found this disciple increasingly interesting and asked curiously, "Disciple, how much meat can you eat in one meal?"

"About twenty pounds."

"Good, being able to eat means being able to fight. There’s plenty of game on Tian Du Peak. You come from a hunting family, so you won’t go hungry."

After everyone had finished eating, Qi Yunhe took out a jade bottle from his sleeve, opened the stopper, and poured out five pills, each the size of a thumb, wax yellow in color, and fragrant. He said, "These are the Yin Xu Pills of the Immortal Capital Sect. They have the effect of lightening the body and strengthening it. Consider them a gift from your master. One each, eat them and we’ll set off."

Yue Zhiyan took one first, followed by Wei Shiqi, who swallowed it directly. Then the Song brothers and Qin Zhen took theirs.

The pills dissolved in their mouths, and a warm force rose from their abdomens, spreading continuously to their muscles and bones. Wei Shiqi was almost certain that the essence in the pills was the same as that in bear meat, but more gentle and nourishing. Having experienced the violent surge of essence, he could better appreciate the subtleties of the Yin Xu Pills. The pills were like a well-formulated prescription, with the main and auxiliary ingredients properly balanced, preventing any harm to the body.

The group set off, crossing the West Min River and heading towards the snow-capped Kunlun Mountains.

Qi Yunhe’s sleeves fluttered, and he walked swiftly. At first, he walked and stopped, but later, he rushed for four to five hours at a stretch, stopping only at night. The hurried pace was tiring even for Yue Zhiyan, let alone the Song brothers and Qin Zhen. Fortunately, the Yin Xu Pills were highly effective, and the three, though young, managed to keep up with the help of the pills.

Wei Shiqi had made some progress in the technique from the tattered animal skin. This journey was nothing to him. When his fellow disciples were exhausted and fell asleep, he remained energetic, taking his hunting spear and bow to catch game for his master. Wei Shiqi’s roasting skills were not bad, and Qi Yunhe, who did not restrain his appetite, appreciated this disciple greatly. They often talked while eating, and in his relaxed state, Qi Yunhe inadvertently revealed a lot of information.

A new world unfolded before them.

The Immortal Capital Sect was a branch of the Kunlun Sect, belonging to the sword cultivation lineage. The successive patriarchs were all from the Kunlun lineage. The disciples were divided into inner sect, outer sect, and trial disciples. The inner sect were sword cultivators, dedicated to cultivation, while the outer sect handled secular affairs. New recruits were admitted every three years. Upon entry, they were trial disciples, taught the Kunlun Daoist methods. If they could form a Daoist embryo within three years, they would advance to the inner sect. If not, they would be transferred to the outer sect.

Sword cultivators must have an innate body. The human body is a small universe, and the universe is a large one. In the womb, all acupoints are open, known as "innate acupoints." Upon birth, these acupoints close, cutting off communication with the universe, turning the body into a mundane object. Among thousands, a few have exceptional talent, with some "innate acupoints" remaining open, known as an innate body. The first step for sword cultivators is to use these "innate acupoints" to absorb the essence of the universe and the sun and moon, refining the body, opening the closed acupoints within, and creating "后天窍" (acquired acupoints) to store the essence.

Only with abundant essence and the "acquired acupoints" connected through the meridians can one attempt to form a "后天种子" (acquired seed) in the dantian, known as the Daoist embryo.

Among the five disciples Qi Yunhe had taken, Qin Zhen had the best talent, with seven innate acupoints and an affinity for fire. The Song brothers were slightly inferior, each with three innate acupoints. Song Qi had an affinity for wood, and Song Ji for water. As for Wei and Yue, he did not mention them. Wei Shiqi, knowing his own limitations, did not dare to ask. He guessed that Qi Yunhe might have mistakenly thought he had only one innate acupoint.

The technique on the animal skin was incomplete, a method for refining the body. However, no matter how strong the body, it could not withstand a single sword strike from a sword cultivator. Therefore, Qi Yunhe dismissed it as a crude technique, not worth practicing. But for Wei Shiqi, it was the straw that could change his fate...