Chapter 4
Our Sect Finally Has Someone!
Lin Qingfeng walked ahead, and Su Lingâer followed behind.
She kept her steps at a distance of about five paces from himâjust far enough to clearly see the path ahead, but not so close that he could âmake a moveâ again.
It was a distance she deemed safe, on her own terms.
The further they went, the denser the scent of grass and trees became.
Along with the growing life energy came some strange noises.
âWhooshâ!â
A sharp sound of air splitting, followed by a dull thud and a cry of pain.
Su Lingâer froze and turned toward the sound.
Lin Qingfeng ahead, however, seemed oblivious, walking steadily.
âJunior sister, thereâs no need to be alarmed. Thatâs just some senior brothers sparring. Itâs a bit noisy, thatâs all.â
Sparring?
This noise was âsparringâ?
A hint of doubt arose in Su Lingâerâs mind, yet she followed him, still half-believing.
As they rounded a wall, the scene ahead made her stop again.
It was a wide stone plaza, with dozens of Guixi Sect disciples scattered about.
She couldnât make sense of their actions, but she was deeply shocked.
Some refused to walk on the flat stones, instead leaping across the rooftops of the halls, moving so fast that only afterimages remained.
Nearby, a disciple wishing to go just a dozen steps away conjured a celestial sword.
He chanted as he mounted the sword, hovering a few inches above the ground, and floated toward his destination.
The sword glimmered beautifully, dazzling with light.
When he summoned it, countless disciples turned to watch, exclaiming:
âIsnât that the Sacrificial Spirit Sword from the last event?!
Itâs not particularly strong, but itâs so flashy!
I want one too!
I heard you had to spend a lot in the event to get it!â
âEver since then, he shows off the sword every few steps!â
âShow-off! I want to show off too! Why isnât it me? Iâm so jealous!â
Even stranger, another disciple rode a demonic beast engulfed in flamesâa wolf.
The fire reached his rear, yet his clothes were untouched.
Had he used spiritual energy to shield himself from the flames? Riding while the beast burnedâwas he continuously training his body?
Other disciples on the ground also looked in awe at the fiery beast.
âIsnât that the mount âFlame Wolfâ?â
âProbably jealous of the flashy flying sword, so he brought out a beast to show off too!â
The rider reached the Transmission Hall and landed. At that instant, the huge wolf vanished.
Su Lingâer was stunned.
In Qingxu Sect, she could never imagine such behavior.
Disciples walked steadily, outer disciples only hurried when doing chores in secluded areas. Any inner or direct disciplesâor eldersâhad to move gracefully.
Flying on swords or running along rooftops was forbidden, with penalties for violations.
Everything emphasized order and propriety.
Here, however, there was no order, nothing conventional. Everything was extreme!
At first she was confused, but then a thought struck her:
No⊠maybe this isnât chaosâŠ
This is cultivation!
Unceasing, rigorous training!
She understood!
They used rooftops for physical training!
Every movement honed agility, reflexes, and courage.
Falling and getting back up wasnât due to toughness aloneâit was both physical and mental endurance!
Flying a sword for mere steps trained the subtle circulation of spiritual energy!
Colliding seemingly foolishly trained responses in real combat!
And the disappearing wolf?
Su Lingâer gasped.
It had to be a spatial technique!
The Sumeru Mustard Seed Technique? Or a âUniverse in the Sleeveâ?
Or some storage treasure she had never heard of?
To freely store and summon such a huge creatureâit was beyond imagination.
Realizing this, Su Lingâerâs fear deepened.
She recalled practicing movement in a secluded spot at Qingxu Sect, only to be reprimanded for recklessness.
Evil cultivators relied on plundering life for shortcuts, with weak foundations but rapid advancement.
Yet here, she saw them harder at work than righteous disciples!
Every second, every moment, devoted to cultivation!
If even shortcut-seekers trained like this⊠how could the righteous path compete?
Before she could think further, the two flashy disciples, annoyed by each other, began to quarrel.
âAre you crazy? You have to flaunt that sword every two steps? Afraid everyone wonât know you got the reward last event?â
âBetter than some people, nearly burning yourself on a mount while pretending to look cool!â
Their argument quickly escalated into a real fight, reminiscent of âwho is stronger, lion or tiger?â
Being in the game, they were even more reckless.
âMy Flame Wolf isnât worse than your lame sword! Yours is just flashy effects!â
âBullshit! My Sacrificial Sword radiates immortal energy; your fiery mutt is nothing!â
âFight me!â
âBring it on!â
Before finishing, they clashed.
The wolf rider roared, flames engulfing the beast as it lunged; the sword wielder summoned countless sharp beams of light from his sword.
Weapon power clashed, flames surged, beasts howled!
Su Lingâerâs heart racedâevery move was lethal; there was no camaraderie!
Was this daily life in a demonic sect?
Of course, internal conflicts were likely normal; a single dispute could turn deadly.
Suddenly, a runaway spell, mixed with sword energy and fire, shot toward her and Lin Qingfeng!
Her mind went blank. Legs wobbled.
What should she do? Am I going to die right after joining? Is there no justice?
What about my undercover mission?
âSenior brother⊠isnât senior brother here?â
Where had he gone?
In an instant, Lin Qingfeng appeared behind her, blocking the attack.
âSenior brother? When did you get behind me?â
Indeed, he had used the opportunity to protect her before!
Lin Qingfeng, speechless, instinctively shielded her. Then he rememberedâthis was a mission target!
The only NPCâhe could not let harm come to her!
Quickly, he placed Su Lingâer safely behind him. Then, with a finger flick like a sword, he lightly tapped at the incoming sword energy and fire.
âDing!â
With a faint sound, the destructive sword energy and fire shattered at his fingertips, vanishing into nothingness.
A sword wind brushed Su Lingâerâs cheek, cutting a strand of hair, yet she remained unharmed.
Whew⊠That⊠nearly killed me!
Why didnât senior brother act sooner? You scared me half to death!
Lin Qingfengâs expression darkened.
Those two idiots almost harmed the NPC he had brought in!
He glanced at the stunned junior sister, then at the two still fighting. He snapped his fingers.
âPa!â
An invisible aura enveloped the area.
The two fighting disciples froze mid-action, then were pressed to the ground, their health bars emptied instantly, turning into white light and disappearing.
A message popped up in the sect channel:
Lin Qingfeng: Take it to the training ground! You almost ruined the future of our sect mission!
Lin Qingfeng: Iâve reported your screenshots to the Enforcement Hall. Reflect on your behavior!
System Message: Player [FlameWolfCoolest] muted for one hour.
System Message: Player [SacrificialSwordCoolest] muted for one hour.
To Su Lingâer, however, it looked different:
Lin Qingfeng barely moved; one snap of his fingers eliminated the fighting disciples!
Truly a dangerous demonic sectâkilling fellow disciples without hesitation!
So⊠this is a demonic sect? More terrifying than the books suggested!
Lin Qingfeng looked back at the new junior sister, who wore an expression of sheer panic, muttering under her breath, looking like a glitched character about to disconnect.
No! The mission reward hasnât been claimedâshe canât run!
She must have been scared by the two idiots!
Lin Qingfeng quickly put on his gentle, encouraging senior-brother smile, walked over, and said:
âJunior sister, were you shocked by senior brothersâ actions?â
Su Lingâer looked up, bewildered.
Lin Qingfeng straightened his back, proudly declaring:
âYou see, this is the foundation of Guixi Sectâdiligence!
We never miss an opportunity to improve!
Walking is cultivation, breathing is cultivation, and battles between disciples are also cultivation!
Within the sect, laziness is forbidden. A single lapse can be exploited by heart demons, destroying your Dao foundation!
Observe the senior brothers closely, understand the deeper meaning, and integrate into this constant stream of progress.
Only then can you hope to survive in this competitive world and glimpse immortality!â
Though the sect had never left the mountain, and he didnât truly know the cultivation world, he spoke convincingly.
Su Lingâerâs last shred of hope was shattered.
Lin Qingfeng, seeing her stunned face, thought his âborrowed forum wisdomâ had worked and decided to practice more impressive lines to appear like a true cultivator.
The news of a local NPC who could help the sect advance had already spread in the sect channel.
âDamn, those two almost ruined our exploration of the cultivation world!â
âIf they delayed the Demon Suppression Ceremony, it would be unforgivable!â
âConfiscate their Flame Wolf and Sacrificial Sword! I was annoyed seeing them ride those daily anyway!â
âYes! Confiscate them, I want them too, Iâm so jealous!â
Outside, other disciples watched in envy as the new junior sister was escorted.
âThere! Thatâs the newcomer the senior brother brought back!â
âWhere? Where?â
âLet me see!â
âLuckily they werenât hurt by those idiots!â
âHa! Our sect finally has someone!â
âGuixi Sect will finally rise! Hehehe!â
One by one, the words echoed clearly in Su Lingâerâs ears.
Why are you all staring at me?
Two people just died! Didnât you see?
They turned to ash!
What do you mean⊠âfinally someone arrivedâ?
Does that mean nobody came before?
Then how did you recruit disciples before?
