Book 1- The Start of Cultivation Chapter 9: Outer Sect Disciple!

The Soaring Sword Sect was one of the three great sects of the Saint Soul Kingdom and arguably its most powerful one. Nestled in a valley between three majestic mountains, the sect thrived in an environment ideal for cultivation, where spiritual energy was so abundant that in certain special areas, it even condensed into liquid form.

Many years ago, the Sect Master of the Soaring Sword Sect chose this location precisely because of its natural concentration of spiritual energy. Over time, it evolved into the grand and majestic place it was today, with beautiful buildings and pagodas scattered throughout the valley like jewels adorning a crown.

The sect was divided into three main areas. The outer sect area housed the Outer Sect Disciples. The inner area was home to the Inner Sect Disciples, as well as the residences of some elders and prominent families of the Soaring Sword Sect. Given the sect's rich history, it was natural for factions to form over time.

Lastly, there was the core area—the training ground for the Head Elders, the core disciples of the sect, and a few other special individuals of the sect. It also boasted the highest concentration of spiritual energy.

The sect was bustling with activity as usual when a flying ship pierced through the skies, heading directly toward the core area.

"Wow, was that the flying ship of Grandmaster Chu Feng?" exclaimed one of the disciples on patrol duty.

"Of course it was, you dumbass. Didn't you see the insignia on the ship?" replied his companion.

"Hmph, it could have been one of the other elders," he grumbled, dissatisfaction evident in his tone.

The two continued their patrol, bickering back and forth as they went about their duties.

"Junior Sister Long, we will go and deliver the plant to Master. I'm sure you're also eager to receive your reward; after all, with so many people searching for it, you were the one who found it," said Yan Yi in a meaningful tone.

"Not at all, Senior Brother Yan," replied Long Huo modestly.

They disembarked from the flying ship and walked along a small stone path.

"Master must be on his way. I already sent him a message the moment we arrived at the sect. He—"

"Finally! Yan, you brat, what took you so long, goddammit? Don't you know that if the Phoenix Fern isn't well preserved, it loses some of its potency over time?" At that moment, they heard an old man's voice and saw a figure soaring through the sky toward them, shouting.

Yan Yi wore a dejected look. "Master, you know that I..." but he was interrupted again.

"Yeah, yeah, who cares about that? Where is it?"

"Here," said Yan Yi as he tossed a ring to his master.

Grandmaster Chu Feng held the ring for a moment, his eyes brightening. "Ha ha ha! It really is a Phoenix Fern. Excellent, excellent!"

"Master, this is the disciple who completed the mission," said Yan Yi, gesturing toward Long Huo.

"Good, good. You can take this token to the Dragon Hall to receive your rewards. Congratulations on becoming a core disciple," said Grandmaster Chu Feng.

Then he turned and flew away.

"You will have to excuse my master, Junior Sister Long," Yan Yi said apologetically.

"Not at all, Senior Brother Yan. I wouldn't dare to take more time from someone as busy as Grandmaster Chu Feng. It was already a great honor to see him in person," said Long Huo with a sweet smile.

"Well then, Junior Sister, I will escort you to the Dragon Hall."

"This junior sister would be honored, Elder Brother Yan. As for the others, I will escort them to the outer sect area later."

"As for the rest of you, come with us; someone will escort you later to the outer sect area," Yan Yi said.

"Yes, Senior Brother," they all responded in unison.

Xue San observed these interactions, stupefied. Was this the same woman who looked at him with scorn and disdain? Now, she appeared as an innocent, delicate girl conversing with her childhood sweetheart.

They left Grandmaster Chu Feng's dwelling and walked toward a grand pavilion. Xue San was in awe the entire time, his eyes wide as he took in the majestic surroundings, and the others were not much better.

This was the Major Dragon Hall a majestic and sacred place within the Soaring Sword Sect. Here, Elders, Inner Sect Disciples, and Core Disciples could accept missions from the sect in exchange for rewards or contribution points.

But that wasn't all; disciples and Elders could also issue missions in exchange for rewards and contribution points, provided they offered the promised reward upfront. This system ensured that no one worked for free.

The Major Dragon Hall was bustling with activity. Xue San noticed that, aside from a few individuals wearing robes of different colors, all the disciples wore white-grey robes emblazoned with an insignia on their chests that read "Inner Sword." Without exception, almost all disciples carried a sword with them.

People were coming and going. When they saw Yan Yi walking beside Long Huo, many threw glances their way, recognizing Yan Yi, the personal disciple of Grandmaster Chu Feng, and Long Huo, a famous figure even among the inner sect.

They approached a counter where a beautiful disciple in black robes stood, the words "Outer Sword" emblazoned on her chest.

"Good morning, how may I assist you today?" she asked in a professional tone.

"We are here to collect the rewards of a mission," said Yan Yi.

"May I see the token to confirm the completion of the mission, please?"

Yan Yi glanced at Long Huo.

"Here it is," she said, handing over the token Grandmaster Chu Feng gave her.

The young woman took the token from Long Huo's hands and passed it over a formation inscribed on the table. When she saw who had issued the mission and what the rewards were, she couldn't suppress a gasp.

" It's Gra... It's Grandmaster Chu Feng's mission!"

She let out a tiny yelp. Those words of hers silenced the great hall as if someone had stolen all sound from the air. Everyone turned to look in their direction.

"Wh... What? Someone already found the Phoenix Fern?" exclaimed an inner sect disciple.

"Shit, I can't believe it," said another.

"The heavens are blind, why is she the one to find it," another one lamented.

Yan Yi and Long Huo didn't seem bothered by the attention, but Xue San and the others felt as if a mountain were pressing down on them, with everyone staring in their direction.

"Hmph, is there a need to shout?" said Long Huo in a dissatisfied tone to the girl behind the counter.

Realizing her mistake, the girl bowed deeply. "I am sorry, Senior Sister. I've confirmed the completion of the mission. The contribution points will be added to your token, and... and the Number Six manor in the core area will be assigned to you from now on. Here is the token that controls the arrays. The uniform of a core disciple will take some time to prepare; it will be done in a week." The girl composed herself and finished professionally.

"Very well. Find someone to take these people to the outer sect area to register; they are entering with the recommendation of the Long Clan of Dragon Fort City" Long Huo instructed.

"Yes, Senior Sister," the girl behind the counter responded. She pressed her head against her token, and another disciple wearing the same robes approached. It was a young boy with a round face. It was the first time Xue San saw such a fat person.

"Please follow me," he said, a warm smile spreading across his rotund face. He seemed cheerful and good-natured.

"My name is Fang Ma. If you have any questions, feel free to ask."

Xue San had many questions, but for now, he decided to remain silent, unnerved by the glares he received from the Long Clan disciples.

"Senior Brother Fang Ma, we are disciples of the noble Long Clan, so we already know all there is to know about the sect. We've been preparing since childhood to be selected," said Long Shang, a hint of pride coloring his tone. The other two also wore smug expressions as he spoke.

"Yes, unlike other people," added Long Xia, his voice dripping with contempt as he cast a disdainful glance at Xue San.

"My clan isn't as renowned as the illustrious Long Clan, so I actually have some questions," came a cold voice from behind the trio. It was Lan Shui.

The three instantly stiffened at the sound of her voice.

"Junior Sister Lan Shui, we didn't—"

"Yes, yes, Junior Sister Lan, how could you even think we were referring to you?"

"We meant no disrespect to the Lan Clan," they stammered.

"Hmph," Lan Shui snorted dismissively. "Senior Brother Fang Ma, I wanted to ask about the size of our Soaring Sword Sect."

"Well," Fang Ma began, "the sect has about fifteen thousand people, give or take. There are around five thousand outer sect disciples; of those, only about one percent can actually make it to the Inner Sect. The rest remain as outer sect disciples and then after a time are assigned to work under one of the Halls. There is Dragon Hall, the Punishment Hall, the Medicinal Hall, well you get the gist of it"

"What? Only about one percent?" Xue San exclaimed involuntarily.

"Yes." Fang Ma nodded "The criteria to become an inner sect disciple are very stringent. Even without the promotion trials for inner sect positions, most outer sect disciples are already disqualified."

"Why is that?" Lan Shui inquired.

"Because one of the conditions to become an inner sect disciple is to be eighteen years of age or younger and at least at the sixth stage of the Qi Condensation Realm."

The others seemed relatively unperturbed, but Xue San's expression fell. Unlike the others, he knew he had little talent for cultivation and had never cultivated before.

"What about the inner and core disciples?" Noticing Xue San's dismay, Long Xia seized the opportunity to twist the knife.

"The Inner Sect has around five to six hundred disciples," Fang Ma explained. "Most hail from major cultivator clans or are descendants of powerful elders. They have the resources and legacies to cultivate exceptional progeny. As for the core disciples, they're legendary figures within the sect, each destined to become a prominent figure in the cultivation world. All of them have to reach the Foundation Establishment Realm before the age of twenty-five to even qualify for the core disciple trial." Then, as if recalling something, Fang Ma added, "Well, almost all—excluding the new addition."

Seeing the somber expressions on their faces, Fang Ma attempted to lift their spirits.

"Don't worry too much about it; life as an outer sect disciple isn't so bad. You receive three Poor-Grade Qi Replenishing Pill when you join, and then one every month, plus ten contribution points just for being part of the sect, and you can take missions at the Minor Dragon Hall."

"What is the Minor Dragon Hall?" This time, to the surprise of the Long Clan trio, it was Xue San who asked the question.

"The Minor Dragon Hall is similar to the Major Dragon Hall we just left, you can issue and accept missions there but the difference is that even people who aren't part of the sect can accept missions at the Minor Dragon Hall. Non-sect members have to pay extra for the sect to issue the missions. We, outer sect disciples, can only accept missions issued at the Minor Dragon Hall."

"Why is that?" Xue San pressed.

"Because missions given in the Major Dragon Hall are intended to help inner sect disciples grow faster. It's a form of support the sect provides to its most diligent disciples. They don't want to squander precious resources on talentless outer sect disciples. Can you even imagine if some talentless guy, who isn't even part of our sect, could accept, for example, Grandmaster Chu Feng's mission and become a core disciple? Hahaha!" Fang Ma burst into laughter, oblivious to the chill that settled over the group as he spoke.

The remainder of the journey was cloaked in silence. Fang Ma assumed they were absorbing the information he had shared, unawaree of how tense the atmosphere had become.

"Here we are," Fang Ma announced.

The Minor Dragon Hall was a place of ceaseless movement and vibrant energy. Its grand corridors echoed with the footsteps of outer sect disciples, esteemed elders, and even visiting dignitaries. This was where the Sect conducted its business with the outside world, serving as a bridge between the Sect and the outside world. Merchants arrived with goods, messengers delivered news, and missions were dispatched for the outer sect Disciples. The Minor Dragon Hall wasn't just a building; it was one of the living pulses of the Sect, where ambitions ignited and destinies were forged.

Approaching one of the counters where a disciple in black robes stood—the words "Outer Sword" on his robes—Feng Ma said, "Hello there. These are new recruits from the Long Clan. Register them as outer sect disciples."

"Yes, Senior Brother Fang Ma," the disciple behind the counter replied with a bow.

"Well, good luck from here on out," Fang Ma said with a cheerful wave before leaving.