104: Chapter 104 Seven Clouds Sect!

Lin Tian stepped out of the study at the Centurion Office, two items now tucked inside his sleeves.

The first was the letter of recommendation, sealed with wax and embroidered with seven-colored rosy cloud patterns; it felt cool to the touch, as if it contained the weight of a path to another world.

The other was a thick stack of large-denomination silver banknotes; after a quick count, it amounted to a staggering thirty-two thousand taels!

This was a special allocation Centurion Shen Lian had made from the assets confiscated from the Liehuo Martial Arts Hall, bestowed directly upon him.

The deeper meaning was self-evident—it was both a reward for his merit and an investment; it was Centurion Shen Lian's final and most practical form of support for this young Genius about to embark on a long journey.

After carefully stowing the two items away, Lin Tian did not linger at the Imperial Guard office and headed straight back to the Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall.

In the back courtyard of the martial arts hall, Revered Master Chen Qingfeng and Senior Sister Chen Yu arrived upon hearing the news. When Lin Tian recounted the two paths offered by Centurion Shen Lian and his final decision to head to the "Qixia Sect," both were stunned, their faces displaying vastly different expressions.

Hall Master Chen Qingfeng was stunned at first, which then transformed into deep shock and an indescribable complexity of emotions, finally settling into a long sigh and undisguised envy.

"Qixia Sect... That is one of the most prominent Schools in Yunzhou!" Hall Master Chen Qingfeng's gaze burned, his tone filled with emotion and longing. "It is rumored that they possess several Fundamental Diagrams that point directly to the 'Dark Force' Realm, and even higher!"

"Tian'er, this journey of yours is like a carp leaping over the Dragon Gate; you are truly stepping into the inner sanctum of martial arts cultivation!"

"Revered Master... I had originally intended, once your cultivation stabilized further, to gradually entrust this Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall to you."

"Now it seems, I was narrow-minded. The shallow waters of Heishan City truly cannot contain a true Dragon like you. Go, go! Pursue a higher path of martial arts, so as not to waste this world-shocking talent you possess!"

He patted Lin Tian on the shoulder, his eyes filled with relief and expectation, and said in a deep voice, "Go with peace of mind. Your parents, sister, and the Lin Family—I will personally look after them. The Qingfeng Martial Arts Hall will always be your backing!"

"Thank you, Revered Master!" A warm current surged through Lin Tian's heart, and he bowed solemnly. Hall Master Chen Qingfeng truly had the grace of imparting knowledge and providing protection and support to him.

Beside them, Senior Sister Chen Yu's pretty face was filled with reluctance and a trace of melancholy. She bit her red lips gently, her beautiful eyes gazing at Lin Tian, her gaze flickering as if she wanted to say something but held back.

She knew that Lin Tian's departure meant mountains and rivers would lie between them, and she did not know when they would meet again. The gap between her and him seemed to be widening with every leap he took.

But in the end, she only said softly, "Junior Brother, take care on your journey. One day... if you have the time, remember to come back to Heishan City to visit." Her tone carried the unique reserve of a young girl and a faint sense of melancholy.

"Rest assured, Senior Sister, Lin Tian will remember." Lin Tian nodded at Senior Sister Chen Yu, his tone gentle.

Over the next month, Lin Tian handled all the matters in his hands properly.

He returned to the Lin Family compound with his parents and sister, enjoying a rare, peaceful, and warm time with his Family.

Every day, apart from accompanying his Family, he would discuss martial arts with Hall Master Chen Qingfeng, or meditate in solitude to consolidate his Third Grade Realm and polish his "Fire Element Fist" and "Wind-Facing Slash."

With the residual medicinal power of the red blood vermilion fruit and his unremitting hard work, his strength steadily improved, and he was not far from the "Major Achievement" Perfection Realm.

A month passed in the blink of an eye. On the day of his departure, there was not much sentimentality.

Lin Tian bade farewell to his parents and sister, and bowed to Hall Master Chen Qingfeng, Senior Sister Chen Yu, Liu Yunfeng, Wang Yu, and other mentors and fellow Disciples who had come to see him off.

Immediately after, he shouldered his simple luggage, wore his long saber at his waist, carried the recommendation letter and silver banknotes in his bosom, turned around, stepped over the threshold of the Lin Family compound, and embarked on the long road to Yunzhou and the Qixia Sect.

His back was straight, his steps firm, as he walked further and further away, merging into the morning light.

Half a month later, travel-worn and weary, Lin Tian finally arrived within the territory of Yunzhou, at "Caixia City," where the mountain gate of the Qixia Sect was located.

The city was built against the mountains, its scale far exceeding that of Heishan City, with wide streets, towering pavilions, and dense crowds, bustling and prosperous.

The Origin Qi permeating the air seemed to be several times denser than in Heishan City.

At this moment, the city was exceptionally lively; everywhere one looked, there were young Martial Artists carrying sabers and swords, with fierce auras, mostly between the ages of fifteen and twenty-five, each with sharp eyes, their expressions showing excitement, nervousness, or arrogance.

Clearly, these were talents from all over who had heard the news and were preparing to participate in the Qixia Sect's triennial grand ceremony for recruiting Disciples.

Lin Tian found a fairly large restaurant in the city, ordered some food and wine, and while resting and eating, he concentrated on listening to the conversations of the surrounding patrons.

Soon, all sorts of information about the Qixia Sect flooded into his ears like a tide.

The Qixia Sect was one of the top Sects in Yunzhou, with a Legacy spanning over five hundred years and an unfathomable Foundation.

Its main body was situated within the towering and continuous Qixia Mountain Range, divided into seven branches according to the terrain, each with a different focus in its Legacy and vastly different styles:

The Chixia Branch specialized in Fire Element Cultivation Techniques, which were fierce and violent, excelling in frontal assaults and crushing force; it was the Sect's main combat force, known for having the greatest attack power.

The Zixia Branch was where Sword Cultivators gathered, pursuing extreme speed and the sharpness of a one-hit kill; their movement techniques and swordsmanship were the best among the seven branches.

The Qingxia Branch specialized in movement techniques, light-body skills, and tracking; its Disciples were known for being elegant and agile, difficult to entangle and hard to kill, excelling in mobility and attrition.

The Xuanxia Branch focused on Body Refining and defense, with peerless Physical Bodies; they were the Sect's solid shield and the backbone of mountain defense and protection.

The Jinxia Branch was the orthodox path of the blade, with saber techniques that were grand and open, overbearing and unparalleled, emphasizing breaking finesse with brute force to slash through all obstacles.

The Bixia Branch specialized in miscellaneous studies such as Medicinal Pills, poisons, medicine, divination, and Formations; their methods were strange and varied, with extremely strong endurance and support capabilities, and they could not be underestimated.

The Moxia Branch acted in secrecy, specializing in assassination, claw techniques, soul control, and other unorthodox paths; they walked in the shadows and were impossible to guard against.

Martial Artists who came for the assessment, even if they passed the entrance test, would ultimately be assigned to one of these seven branches based on their talent, Heart-Nature, and specialties.

Although the seven branches belonged to the same Sect, internal competition was also extremely intense.

Understanding this, Lin Tian had a more intuitive understanding of the complexity and strength of the Qixia Sect.

He put down his bowl and chopsticks, paid the bill, left the restaurant, and headed straight towards the direction of Qixia Mountain outside the city, which was shrouded in clouds and mist with faint rosy light.

Arriving at the true mountain gate of the Qixia Sect, the scene was even more spectacular. A towering mountain gate, several dozen zhang high, white as jade, with the four ancient characters "Qixia Immortal Sect" inscribed upon it, stood between two mountains.

In front of the mountain gate was an extremely wide bluestone plaza, which was currently crowded with thousands of young Martial Artists waiting for the assessment, the noise deafening, shoulder to shoulder.

However, everyone was blocked outside the mountain gate. Guarding the gate were eight young men dressed in uniform cyan martial attire, with standard long sabers at their waists and cold expressions.

They stood scattered, their auras heavy and condensed, their eyes like lightning, scanning the restless crowd; the invisible pressure caused those in the front to involuntarily take a half-step back.

Lin Tian's gaze swept over these eight people, and his heart tightened slightly. These eight gate guards looked to be no more than twenty-five or twenty-six, but each had vigorous Qi and blood, sharp eyes, and without exception, were all Second Grade Martial Artists!

Moreover, their Foundation was solid, clearly not built up by relying on Medicinal Pills.

"Second Grade Martial Artist... Here, they are actually just gate-keeping guards?" Lin Tian clicked his tongue in wonder.

In Heishan City, a Second Grade Martial Artist was enough to serve as a martial arts hall Elder, a pillar of a Family, or even secure a good position in the county government. But here in the Qixia Sect, they were just the lowest-level gate-guarding Disciples!

The Foundation and threshold of a great Sect could be seen from this! This also made him develop a stronger anticipation for the deeper martial arts Legacy that might exist within the Sect.

He mingled in the crowd and listened for a while, learning that there were about two hours left before the official entrance assessment began. Everyone was waiting here anxiously.

Lin Tian pondered for a moment. He had Centurion Shen Lian's recommendation letter; he wondered if he still needed to participate in the preliminary test with these ten thousand people? Perhaps he could use this letter to obtain some convenience?

Thinking of this, he did not hesitate any longer, pushed past a few people in front of him, and walked towards the mountain gate guards.

"Stop! The assessment time has not arrived, go back and wait in line!" A guard with a cold and hard face saw Lin Tian approaching, frowned, and shouted sternly, his voice containing a trace of warning force that made the eardrums of those nearby tingle slightly.

Lin Tian was unhurried, took out the black envelope from his bosom, presented it with both hands, and said loudly, "I am Lin Tian, recommended by Centurion Shen Lian of the Heishan City Imperial Guard, specially here to visit the mountain. This is Centurion Shen Lian's personal recommendation letter, please take a look."

"Recommendation letter?" The few guards were stunned upon hearing this, looked at each other, and a trace of surprise flashed in their eyes. Clearly, those who came with a direct recommendation letter were rare.

The cold-faced guard took the envelope, carefully looked at the wax seal and the embroidered seven-colored rosy cloud patterns, his expression softened slightly, and he said to a guard next to him who looked a bit younger, "Junior Brother Wang, you take this person up the mountain and present this letter to Elder Li who is on duty today, and ask the Elder to make the decision."

"Yes, Senior Brother Liu." The young guard called Junior Brother Wang nodded, took the recommendation letter, and said to Lin Tian, "You, follow me."

"Thank you for your trouble." Lin Tian bowed in thanks, and then under the guidance of Junior Brother Wang, amidst thousands of eyes filled with suspicion, envy, or jealousy, he crossed the long crowd of people waiting, walked straight through the towering white mountain gate, and stepped onto the bluestone stairs leading into the mountain.

"Why?! The assessment hasn't started yet, how can he go in?!"

"Quiet!" Another guard shouted, his voice like the clashing of gold and iron, suppressing the commotion behind, "He holds a recommendation letter recognized by the Sect, so he naturally has his qualifications! If you don't have one, then wait here honestly for the assessment! If anyone dares to make noise again, they will be disqualified from the assessment!"

As soon as these words were spoken, the crowd immediately quieted down a lot, but the whispers and discussions could not be stopped.

"Recommendation letter? What is that?"

"I heard that only those affiliated forces that have made great contributions to the Sect, or certain big shots, are qualified to recommend a few truly brilliant juniors. With the letter, one can directly meet the Elder and skip the preliminary test and even part of the assessment!"

"What is this guy's background? Heishan City? Never heard of it..."

"No matter what the background is, with a recommendation letter, joining the Sect is almost a certainty! How enviable!"

"Sigh, people are different, it's maddening. Let's just honestly prepare for the assessment..."

Amidst the complex and obscure gazes and discussions of the crowd, Lin Tian had already followed the guard surnamed Wang along the winding and steep stone steps hidden among the green pines and cypresses, all the way up.

The clouds and mist on both sides became thicker, and the Spiritual Qi became more abundant. Occasionally, the clear cry of a crane and the faint sound of bells and chimes came from the depths of the clouds, making one's mind feel refreshed.

After about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the view suddenly opened up. A series of palaces and pavilions built against the mountain, under the reflection of the lingering clouds and seven-colored flowing light, were faintly visible, magnificent and grand, like an immortal Realm.

Completely different from the noise below the mountain, this place was quiet and solemn, and the air was filled with an ancient and heavy Dao aura.

The guard surnamed Wang led Lin Tian to a complex of palaces and stopped in front of a medium-sized hall with a plaque inscribed with "Guest Reception Hall."

"You wait here for a moment, I will go in to report to Elder Li." The guard said to Lin Tian, and then took the recommendation letter and walked quickly into the hall.

Lin Tian stood on the white marble-paved square in front of the hall and looked up. Qixia Sect, I am here.