Qin Mengyao had naturally heard about it, but she trusted her master's judgment in choosing disciples. If Chu Xuan were truly a person of great evil, he would certainly be an exception.
After meeting with him today, her first impression was quite good. Although he appeared physically weak, his will was strong, and his demeanor was upright. However, his eyes seemed sad, as if he carried a special past.
After leaving the main hall, Qin Mengyao led Chu Xuan on a casual stroll around the main peak, providing him with a general introduction to the sect's affairs.
The Dao Palace consisted of seven branches, with the branch of the sect leader situated on the main peak, overseeing all matters of the sect.
The other six branches each had different cultivation focuses and preferences. Some specialized in the Inner Core, others in the Outer Core, some focused on the Sword Dao, and others on the art of divination. Thus, they formed seven distinct branches.
There was no distinction between inner and outer disciples within the Dao Palace. All were ranked according to seniority, and the relationships between the branches were generally harmonious, with mutual support and watchfulness.
Of course, it was not without conflicts.
As a Daoist sect, naturally, each individual had different understandings of the "Dao," especially between the branches.
Sometimes disputes would arise over these differences, leading to heated arguments that required mediation from the main peak.
However, when faced with external enemies, the seven branches of the Dao Palace were very united. No matter how fierce the arguments were behind closed doors, they could trust each other on the battlefield with life and death.
After listening, Chu Xuan felt that the Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace was indeed a relatively harmonious sect.
Cultivating here meant no need to deal with scheming and deceitful elders, no need to compete with cunning brothers for cultivation resources, and no need to be wary of being seduced by temptresses...
This was truly a righteous sect. Of course, in Chu Xuan's understanding, the Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace was among the minority in the entire cultivation world.
Other righteous sects might have relatively better atmospheres, but internal power struggles were not uncommon, especially as managing a larger number of people becomes more difficult.
From this perspective, the Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace controlled the overall number of disciples through strict selection criteria, which could indeed be beneficial.
...
As they walked to the tranquil back mountain, Qin Mengyao pointed distantly to the summit, where an ancient and simple cyan stone lay like a recumbent ox.
"That is the highest point of the back mountain, closest to the sky. Although the concentration of Spiritual Qi is no different from elsewhere, the view is very open."
"Previously, I enjoyed sitting there to cultivate. Occasionally opening my eyes, the sight of the endless green mountains in the distance would bring peace to my heart."
"Now, you can have this place."
Chu Xuan intended to politely decline, but Qin Mengyao continued:
"No need to be polite. I haven't gone there in a long time. After watching mountains for many years, they've become imprinted in my heart."
Chu Xuan pondered over these words for a moment before nodding slightly.
At that moment, the nearby forest resonated with the song of a jukebox bird, clear and melodious, like a babbling brook or the gentle ringing of a wind chime, quite pleasant to the ears.
As Chu Xuan listened, he felt a pang of sadness, and tears unconsciously welled up in his eyes.
When the first tear fell, he was surprised, asking himself why he was crying.
It was strange. He had not thought of Ji Mingyu just now, nor had she ever raised such birds, and he had never heard her sing.
Chu Xuan sat there dazed, tears slipping down for a while before he made his way to the cyan stone on the summit, seemingly having forgotten the presence of his senior sister.
He felt something might be wrong with him, so he hoped to calm his emotions through cultivation.
Watching Chu Xuan sit on the cyan stone, palms facing upward, eyes closed, Qin Mengyao didn't find him rude.
She was merely more curious about her junior brother. What kind of past did he have? Why did he shed tears for no apparent reason?
...
Thus, Chu Xuan's new cultivation journey in the Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace began.
He went nowhere else, spending day and night on the cyan stone at the summit, wholeheartedly practicing his Cultivation Technique, absorbing the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi to aid in the repair of his Dao Body.
Sometimes when he opened his eyes, Chu Xuan would recall many past events, although now he could relatively calmly accept them.
On one hand, he understood that person was not so heartless; on the other, his own condition was gradually improving.
However, during such moments, his mood would inevitably fluctuate.
To calm down more quickly, Chu Xuan followed his senior sister's advice, gazing at the distant green mountains.
Then he would unroll the hand-copied Huangting Scripture from his master, and recite it word by word.
Over time, rumors about Chu Xuan became more exaggerated within the Dao Palace. The young disciples called him a cultivation fanatic, saying he neither ate, drank, nor slept, simply sitting upon that stone cultivating.
There were even claims he would inexplicably shed tears at times.
In any case, the label of "odd person" became deeply etched in the minds of the disciples.
However, there were many inexplicably odd people in the sect, making Chu Xuan seem not so strange.
For instance, there was an elder who talked to trees every day, sometimes hugging them while laughing and crying.
Another example was the "devilish figure" the sect had, who terrified everyone; they couldn't comprehend what the sect leader was thinking when admitting such a dangerous person into the sect.
Recently, rumors spread of a newly accepted disciple suffering from hysteria, claiming to be the reincarnated third-generation ancestor of the Cyan Lotus Daoist Palace, causing headaches for the instructors.
Chu Xuan naturally knew nothing of this, as his master had not visited him in the past three months, perhaps feeling there was nothing that needed guiding.
Senior Sister Mengyao did visit once, asking if he was getting accustomed.
Chu Xuan merely nodded, and so she left as well.
He didn't find this unpleasant; they provided him the space and time to silently lick his wounds, trusting he would eventually heal.
-------------------
On this day like any other, Chu Xuan sat on the stone, reciting the Huangting Scripture.
"Above the Supreme Purity, before the Emperor of the Purple Mist, the Great Dao of Supreme Morning."
"At leisure, nestled in the Essence of Flowers to form a seven-character verse, dispersing to transform the five shapes, altering all spirits."
"..."
But at this time, two girls around the age of ten sneaked nearby, hiding in the woods, peeking distantly at Chu Xuan and whispering about something.
One wore a light green dress, the other a red dress, both quite cute and jade-like in appearance.
Chu Xuan paid no mind, such curious glances were not uncommon among disciples pretending to pass by.
But this time, it seemed different. The two girls began to argue, and finally, the one in green turned away, while the one in red plucked up her courage, slowly inching towards the stone.
Chu Xuan looked up slightly and recognized a "familiar face," someone he had seen at Feixian Temple, apparently a newly accepted disciple of Real Person Xu.
The girl in red, unafraid upon meeting his gaze, instead mustered her courage, quickening her pace to approach.
Then, in a quite formal manner, she bowed slightly and chirped, "Yue'er greets Senior Brother!"
Chu Xuan was somewhat startled, "Why call me Senior Brother?"
Yue'er raised her head, replying naturally, "You are the sect leader's disciple. Since we call Sister Qin 'Senior Sister,' it stands to reason that you are Senior Brother."
Saying so, she pouted slightly, looking a bit unwilling, "I joined earlier than you, shouldn't you call me Senior Sister instead?"
Chu Xuan allowed himself a rare smile, "Such is the hierarchy."