Chapter 419 - 387: The New Instructional Senior Brother
Chapter 419: Chapter 387: The New Instructional Senior Brother
At the start of the Jia-Chen year, a sea of people gathered before Wendao Peak in Han Chi County, welcoming the new class of disciples into the sect.
As the Spiritual Qi in the mortal realm became more abundant, the number of youths from the mortal world possessing Spiritual Roots reached a staggering forty-three this year. There were also thirty-seven local disciples from Nanhe Province—both record-breaking numbers.
Senior Brother Instructors Wei Yi and Dong Lingcheng stood before the Spirit Dao Institute, waiting to welcome the new disciples.
"Senior Brother Dong, I heard from Elder Wu that there are seventeen disciples with high-grade Spiritual Roots this year. That’s more than twenty percent of the total."
Wei Yi looked at the list in his hands, his voice filled with emotion. "Back in our year, there were only two disciples with high-grade Spiritual Roots. The dean and the elders treasured them like precious jewels. I can’t believe that in the blink of an eye, thirty years later, high-grade Spiritual Roots have become so commonplace."
Dong Lingcheng laughed. "Times have changed. Every year, the disciples are more numerous and more powerful than the last."
"This shows our sect’s strategies are sound, willing to distribute the Spirit Veins across the mortal realm and the various provinces, instead of reserving them exclusively for the upper-echelon Golden Core Zhenren and Purple Mansion elders."
Wei Yi deeply agreed, saying, "Brother Dong, you’re very insightful. As the sect grows stronger, we, as its members, also get to enjoy the benefits."
He suddenly changed the subject. "Brother Dong, did you know? The Spirit Dao Institute has a new disciple instructor—a female cultivator, and she’s quite a looker."
Dong Lingcheng’s eyes lit up. "Really?"
Wei Yi grinned. "Of course. I saw her this morning."
Dong Lingcheng pressed, "What’s her cultivation level?"
Wei Yi spread his hands. "I only caught a quick glimpse; it would’ve been rude to use my Qi Observation Skill on her directly. But since she’s here as a disciple instructor, her cultivation must be at least at the seventh or eighth level of Qi Refining, right?"
Dong Lingcheng nodded and muttered to himself, "That’s true..."
As the two were talking, the eighty new disciples, led by an attendant, ascended Wendao Peak and began walking toward them from a distance.
"So this is the Spirit Dao Institute? It’s so magnificent!"
"It’s a place for immortals to cultivate, of course it’s going to be extraordinary."
Gazing at the magnificent halls and pavilions, the disciples let out waves of amazed gasps.
"Uncle, this place is even bigger than our Duke Zhen’s Mansion!"
A sturdy-looking boy of about thirteen or fourteen in the crowd was the one who spoke.
"No matter how grand Duke Zhen’s Mansion is, it’s still in the mortal world. It naturally can’t compare to this place. The elders and senior brothers are very kind, so you can relax and focus on your cultivation here."
The person speaking to the boy was a tall young man with a short mustache, who smiled faintly at the comment.
The boy said happily, "I’ve wanted to learn martial arts since I was little, but you never taught me, Uncle. Now I get to cultivate, which is even cooler than the Martial Path!"
The tall young man gave a gentle smile. "You’re very lucky. Not only do you have the aptitude for cultivation, but you also have a high-grade Spiritual Root. Your starting point is even higher than mine."
"Once you’ve made achievements in your cultivation, don’t forget to earn plenty of merit points and Spirit Stones so your parents, your younger siblings, and your grandmother can live good lives."
The boy nodded firmly. "Mm-hm," he said, then asked, "Uncle, is it true what the attendant said? That you’re the number one expert in the Spirit Dao Institute?"
The tall young man looked dismissive. "The Spirit Dao Institute is full of disciples who have only been cultivating for a year or two. What’s the big deal about being the ’number one expert’ here?"
"Oh, and don’t you go spreading that around. I can’t afford the embarrassment."
The boy agreed, but then a question occurred to him. "Uncle, I’m a disciple of the Spirit Dao Institute now, right?"
The tall young man nodded. "Yes, a first-year disciple."
"Then I have a question."
"Go ahead."
"See, I’m a first-year disciple, and you’re a third-year disciple. That makes us sect brothers. But you’re also my uncle. How am I supposed to address you? Do we keep the relationships separate?"
The corner of the tall young man’s mouth twitched. "What do you mean, ’keep them separate’? Blood ties are more important than sect seniority. No matter where we are, you will call me Uncle."
"If you dare call me Senior Brother, I’ll tan your hide."
The boy giggled. "Okay, then I’m relieved."
The tall young man was none other than Zhao Lin, and the boy beside him was his nephew, Zhao Changxing, the eldest son of his brother, Zhao Shan.
Late last year, Zhao Lin had returned to the mortal realm to visit his family. The stationed cultivator there told him that his nephew, Zhao Changxing, had a gifted Spiritual Root—a high-grade, tri-attribute one of wind, fire, and water.
Zhao Lin was both shocked and overjoyed, never expecting such good fortune to fall upon his own family.
He had been worried that his family wouldn’t want to come to the Xuanyuan Continent, but now that his nephew had cultivation talent, things would be much easier.
Zhao Lin returned home and explained everything about the Cultivation Realm, as well as the full story of his own cultivation journey over the past two years, to his mother, his older brother, and his sister-in-law.
It was only then that Zhao Shan and his wife learned that his younger brother had run off to become a cultivator. Since their eldest son also possessed the legendary Spiritual Root, they couldn’t stand in his way. They unanimously agreed to move the entire family, and Mrs. Zhao consented as well.
And so, the whole family traveled to the Chenghua Sect aboard a Spiritual Vessel.
Zhao Lin spent five hundred merit points to settle his family in Han Chi County.
It would have originally cost six hundred merit points, but because Zhao Changxing had become a disciple of the Chenghua Sect, he saved one hundred.
Reunited with his family, Zhao Lin felt not only joy but also a heavier burden on his shoulders.
How well one’s relatives lived depended entirely on a cultivator’s own abilities. Merit points and Spirit Stones were like the silver coins of the mortal world; as long as you had enough, even mortals could receive excellent treatment.
Zhao Lin had specifically taken some time off today to accompany his nephew for his "enrollment."
"Brother Zhao, which do you think is harder... cultivation or martial arts?"
A hoarse voice sounded in Zhao Lin’s ear.
The owner of the voice was a rugged man with thick eyebrows and a simple, old-fashioned air about him. He wasn’t tall and wore only a short martial arts tunic, revealing coppery, knotted muscles. A conspicuous scar ran across his thick neck.
He moved without a sound, like a bipedal beast.
The speaker’s name was Basang. He was from Wuche in the northern part of the Great Yue, cultivated a Thunder Attribute Skill, and was Zhao Lin’s most formidable opponent at the martial arts tournaments.
For three consecutive tournaments, the two of them had vied for first place.
Just last year, Basang had cultivated to the Martial Grandmaster realm and formed his own Spiritual Root. The stationed cultivator who had been watching him immediately recruited him, and he came to the Chenghua Sect.
Hearing Basang’s question, Zhao Lin smiled. "Cultivation and martial arts are quite different. If I had to compare, I’d say practicing martial arts is harder, but the path of cultivation is much longer."
"A Martial Artist’s lifespan is only a century, but cultivation is all about perseverance."
Basang nodded. "I am enlightened. Thank you, Senior Brother Zhao."
He was four years older than Zhao Lin, but in cultivation, precedence is given to the more advanced, so he addressed him as Senior Brother.
"There’s no need for such formalities, Brother Basang. We’re old friends."
Zhao Lin waved his hand dismissively and smiled. "If you run into any problems with your cultivation in the future, feel free to come find me."
"The Spirit Dao Institute has elders and senior brothers to teach you, and they don’t hold back their knowledge. But you and I are Martial Cultivators, so some things are different for us compared to others."
Zhao Lin wasn’t just making polite conversation; he genuinely intended to offer him guidance.
’More friends mean more paths to walk. Mutual support is important on the road of cultivation, too.’
’Basang’s talent is extremely high. If I didn’t have a cheat like the Spirit Beast Scroll, he would have been the one to take first place in the last three tournaments.’
’Helping him out now might lead to a return on the favor in the future.’
Before long, the group arrived at the main gate of the Spirit Dao Institute.
"Alright, the two Senior Brother Instructors will show you around. I’m heading out now."
Zhao Lin patted Zhao Changxing’s shoulder, greeted Senior Brothers Wei and Dong, and hurried off toward the Transmission Hall.
Today was the first class of the new year, and the second- and third-year disciples were all gathered in the Transmission Hall.
When the hour arrived, Elder Wu pushed open the door and walked in, followed by a strikingly beautiful female cultivator.
The female cultivator was tall and slender with exceptional looks, immediately capturing the attention of all the disciples.
"Who is she? She’s gorgeous."
"What are you thinking? Look at her robes; she’s obviously one of the instructors."
Seeing the female cultivator’s face, Zhao Lin’s brow furrowed. ’Why is it her?’
The female cultivator was none other than Li Zhen of the Li family from Three Mountains County. She had come to the Spirit Dao Institute last year to find Zhao Lin, hoping to become his Daoist partner, but he had rejected her.
Seeing her again today, Zhao Lin felt that something was wrong.
"Before we begin the lesson, I have an announcement to make."
Elder Wu cleared his throat, looked at Li Zhen beside him, and said, "As the number of disciples in our Spirit Dao Institute continues to grow, the provincial headquarters has specially assigned us a new disciple instructor."
"This is Li Zhen, from the Spirit Dao Institute of the Western Ox Continent. She specializes in Water Element Skills. Her Water Manipulation Skill has reached the Great Achievement stage, and she is proficient in both the Water Spear Skill and Water Blade Skill. She also has considerable skill in talisman arts."
"In your future cultivation, if you have any questions in these areas, you may ask Li Zhen for guidance."
The disciples immediately burst into enthusiastic applause.
Li Zhen walked onto the stage, her almond eyes twinkling as she smiled. "Elder Wu flatters me; this disciple is unworthy of such praise. We are all just here to learn from each other. Please do not hesitate to point out my shortcomings."
Her words were addressed to all the disciples, but her eyes were fixed on Zhao Lin without blinking.
Zhao Lin instantly felt irritated, as if there were needles pricking his back. ’I just brought my family to Han Chi County, for crying out loud.’
...
"What do you think you’re doing?"
After the morning class ended, Zhao Lin intercepted Li Zhen outside the Transmission Hall and asked her bluntly.
"To get closer to you."
Li Zhen admitted it without hesitation, a smile gracing her face. "So your talent really is this good. After only two years of cultivation, you’ve already reached Minor Achievement in three different skills. Perhaps in another three to five years, you’ll have a skill at the proficiency level."
Zhao Lin stared at her for a moment. He had a feeling she didn’t know about the animosity between him and the Li family. He asked, "Does your father know about this?"
Li Zhen’s lovely brows knitted together slightly. "Why do you always ask about my family’s opinion? Though I come from the family, I can decide for myself who my Daoist partner will be."
Zhao Lin said, "What if I have a feud with your family?"
Li Zhen’s expression changed, as if she had just thought of something terrible.
Regardless of whether she knew or not, Zhao Lin decided to lay his cards on the table.
He recounted the story of how he had gone to the Li residence to deliver a message, only to be ambushed and hunted down. He then sneered, "Your patriarch couldn’t solve the problem, so he decided to ’solve’ the person who discovered it—me."
"You want to become Daoist partners with me? You should go ask them if they’d agree to it first!"
Li Zhen’s face went deathly pale. She stared at Zhao Lin, as if trying to determine if he was telling the truth.
Zhao Lin said, "If you don’t believe me, you can go and ask them."
Li Zhen bit her lip. The light in her eyes slowly faded as she let out a soft sigh. "I believe you. They are indeed capable of something like that."