Chapter 4

Seeking support, seeking to be featured. Guessing game: When did the book's clicks exceed ten thousand, and when did the recommendations exceed one thousand? Please specify the hour. There's a prize for guessing correctly.

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Rui'er, like a little white rabbit, hopped around.

"Master, Master, isn't it very dangerous? I heard that the entrance examination is terrible." Rui'er was worried, knowing that Tan Weiran had passed the entrance. Then, she said proudly, "I knew Master was the greatest."

Tan Weiran couldn't help but laugh, and he playfully messed up her hair, "Rui'er's thousand-layer cake is the greatest."

Lin Lao smiled from the side. No matter what, the young master entering the Xing Tian Sect meant he would have companions to play with and a backing. He wouldn't have to fear certain people coming to investigate the Tan family.

Tan Weiran smiled and said, "Old Lin, even if the Master shows mercy, Rui'er can't come with me. It's not good for her to wander around aimlessly." Rui'er, standing beside him, tugged at his sleeve, displeased.

Tan Weiran smiled and took out a book, "I asked my Master for a cultivation technique. This Tianren Wuxiang Gong, you can guide Rui'er to cultivate it well." This was just an excuse, but it provided a reason.

"I had the same idea. The young master will do great things in the future. Rui'er is a maid, but she can't be completely useless," Lin Lao chuckled, nodding. The young master, who used to seem carefree, considering things so thoroughly, surprised him.

Lin Lao added, "It's best that the young master intends to help Rui'er. However, the young master must also be careful. As I know, there are many internal conflicts within the major sects."

Lin Lao's eyebrows furrowed, and he said, "There are some troubles on the master's side. The young master should also pay attention to safety when going out. Just call me for anything."

If your parents have ambitious goals, you must be prepared to bear the additional consequences.

Lin Lao's unspoken meaning was clear to Tan Weiran, who nodded and smiled, "I understand."

Rui'er, unwilling to let him go, grabbed his arm and tearfully said, "Master, don't go. If you go, no one will play with Rui'er."

Tan Weiran and Lin Lao spent a long time comforting her before Rui'er, with tears in her eyes, looked at him with her bright, large eyes and said, "Master, if Rui'er isn't by your side, you won't be able to sleep at night."

Tan Weiran was instantly embarrassed.

At this time, the five peak leaders of the Xing Tian Sect were all gathered, discussing the candidates they favored.

This recruitment period lasted seven days, selecting over two hundred disciples from tens of thousands of applicants, all with clear backgrounds. Selecting about three hundred out of ten thousand seemed extremely strict, but in fact, including the sect leader Song Shenxing, they all knew it was already quite lenient.

During the peak of the Xing Tian Sect, the selection was at least one in a thousand, or even one in several thousand.

This time, among the over two hundred selected disciples, there was one with a Fire Spirit Body and one with a Metal Spirit Body. Only one person had meridians reaching over seventy degrees, a special case who joined through the "Wu Kao Zhi Lu" (Martial Examination Path), with seventy-two degrees.

Two people reached sixty degrees, one of whom was sixty-three.

The last one was Tan Weiran.

Although the number of selected disciples was not small, those who truly stood out were mostly already claimed. The few who caught the eye of the five peak leaders were few.

For example, the two with the Fire Spirit Body and Metal Spirit Body were discovered by the five peak leaders and brought back to the sect. Unless the sect leader had a specific intention, the rule was "whoever discovers, whoever brings back, it belongs to them."

There was little dispute over the allocation of outstanding disciples. The dispute was over Tan Weiran and the disciple with seventy-two degrees, Wei Kun.

The four peak leaders argued, and the Jianxing Peak leader Xu Daoning took out a thin book, opened a page, pointed to a name, and remained silent, which was even more intimidating.

Tan Weiran. Followed by "Recommended by Jianxing Peak," the five characters were clear. The four peak leaders were speechless and looked at the sect leader.

Song Shenxing pondered and said, "Daoning, this young man is quite extraordinary. I intend to take him under my wing." His simple words clearly expressed his intention.

He was genuinely interested. Even as the sect leader, finding an outstanding disciple to carry on a lineage was not easy.

The young man had a stunning performance in the fourth stage, outstanding natural meridians, and a remarkable performance in the life and death test. His determination was rare. Even if it could be cultivated later, it still moved him.

Xu Daoning frowned, knowing that Jianxing Peak had its unique aspects. He wasn't afraid of the other peaks competing, but if the sect leader was interested, it would be difficult: "Sect leader, Jianxing Peak only has four disciples."

Before the sect leader could speak, Xu Daoning said calmly, "Striving is as good as not striving. Let's wait and see his performance in the outer sect for three months before making a decision."

Song Shenxing nodded and stopped discussing the matter.

After everyone dispersed, Xu Daoning lingered and said slowly, "Senior, this young man is the son of an old friend. His father entrusted him to me."

Song Shenxing was surprised, eager for talent: "Can't you let him go to me?" Xu Daoning looked at him frankly.

Song Shenxing smiled bitterly, shook his head, and patted Xu Daoning's shoulder, "Missing out on such talent is regrettable."

"Putting him in Jianxing Peak is a waste."

......

......

Etiquette is not just empty talk. To stand in a sect, one must first fully understand this.

Newly admitted disciples openly discussed and privately complained, wondering why they were still in the outer sect, unable to find a master, and not assigned to any peak.

Feeling neglected, they thought the sect treated them as outsiders. They believed they should become true disciples immediately upon entry and receive significant attention.

Tan Weiran always smiled at such complaints. He didn't mock them because he once had similar grievances in his previous life.

No matter how good one's talent, how outstanding one's natural meridians, or how strong one's connections, everyone had to stay in the outer sect for a while, at least three months, sometimes up to a year, before finding a master and being assigned to a peak.

The Xing Tian Sect called this "enduring, observing, and waiting." Endure to temper one's character, observe to understand one's nature, and wait for any overlooked talents.

In the outer sect, some tried to build relationships, calling each other brothers. Others focused on cultivating the basic qi techniques provided by the sect.

"Jiemo Song."

Tan Weiran's body was numb with pain, each point of pain as if pierced by a needle. The pain during cultivation was bone-chilling, making it hard to believe anyone could be so ruthless to themselves.

When the pain subsided, his body was covered in sweat mixed with blood. Tan Weiran drank water to replenish his fluids and ran his fingers over his skin, feeling the wet sweat mixed with real blood.

Upon closer inspection, he noticed tiny stains. Tan Weiran looked up, his eyes bright with excitement: "From sixty-four degrees in my previous life to sixty-six degrees in this life."

It seemed like a small change, but Tan Weiran finally discovered the true source of the change from the stains covered in blood and sweat.

The mysterious and profound "Taishang Jimo Pian"!

No wonder cultivation was so painful. It turned out it had the miraculous effect of cleansing meridians and acupoints even at a very low cultivation level.

"In my previous life, I obtained the 'Taishang Jimo Pian' and was killed by a mysterious person not long after. Could it be because the cultivation time was too short that I didn't notice?"

Tan Weiran pondered, "No, it must be because I had to scatter my cultivation and start over after rebirth. Could it be that the 'Taishang Jimo Pian' is most effective when cultivated from scratch?"

If it required scattering one's cultivation and starting over, that would be a problem. I originally intended to give it to my parents and Master under their names. Conversely, I could give it to my parents under Master's name.

My intention was to strengthen the Jianxing Peak lineage and my parents before the Huangquan War, so they could protect themselves in the chaotic era. Now it seems this path is not feasible.

"Never mind. I'll let Rui'er cultivate it." Tan Weiran had made up his mind.

Leaning over the desk, Tan Weiran began to transcribe the "Taishang Jimo Pian." He was shocked to see the words he had just written on the pure white paper disappear without a trace.

They vanished completely, leaving no ink marks.

Tan Weiran's heart raced. He tried to calm down, feeling a sense of disbelief, and repeatedly wrote, discovering that if the words were not from the "Taishang Jimo Pian," they remained visible and wet with ink.

If the words were from the "Taishang Jimo Pian," they would naturally disappear without any external force.

Such an extraordinary phenomenon appeared before him. Tan Weiran was incredulous for a long time, "Why is this happening?"

"In my previous life, I heard that a few extremely powerful techniques, being too close to the essence of martial arts, were difficult to copy and not visible to others. It turns out the rumors were true!"

Such phenomena were often described as "not tolerated by heaven and earth," but this was just a misunderstanding.

Thus, the "Taishang Jimo Pian" belonged to this category of techniques.

Tan Weiran drew a sharp breath, now certain that the mysterious person who killed him in his previous life was most likely after the "Taishang Jimo Pian."

He never expected that the "Taishang Jimo Pian" he obtained by chance in his previous life was so powerful. Unable to copy it for his parents and Master, Tan Weiran felt disappointed.

He heard that it wasn't impossible to copy, but it required some special methods. He would have to wait until he learned them before making a decision.

For now, he abandoned the idea. Tan Weiran, sensing a breakthrough, focused on his cultivation.

In both his previous and current lives, he had little connection with the outer sect disciples or the disciples of the other four peaks, and certainly no close relationships.

Cultivation requires prioritizing and balancing. Vigorous effort is commendable, but one shouldn't be overly aggressive.

This time, Tan Weiran felt confident about breaking through. After a period of cultivation, the young man under the moonlight suddenly felt his muscles and skin make a slight sound, and his pores released a bit of gray-black substance.

He had returned to the first level of the Human Pass.

Tan Weiran was satisfied, but then he was shocked.

In his unopened middle dantian, a drop of dark red essence blood had condensed!