Cultivation begins with earning spirit stones

Chapter 70 The Envoy of Danxia

Zhang Lin's heart stirred slightly.

At the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, as an inner disciple, he is already considered a backbone force within the Danxia Sect.

The fact that a sect would send someone like this to guide new disciples shows how much importance they attach to this selection process.

"Thank you for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Chen." Zhang Lin cupped his hands in thanks.

Chen Boyuan waved his hand and returned to his original spot to continue talking to the middle-aged rogue cultivator.

More and more people gathered in the square, numbering nearly a hundred.

Three poles in the sun.

Suddenly, someone in the crowd exclaimed, "They're here! They're here!"

Everyone looked up at the sky.

At the horizon, a white dot appeared, growing closer and closer.

That was a spirit boat.

The boat is ten zhang long, carved entirely from white jade, and covered with runes that shimmer with spiritual light and gleam with a seven-colored halo under the sunlight.

A flag stands at the bow of the boat, bearing the two characters "Danxia" in vigorous strokes, subtly conveying a sense of Taoist philosophy.

The spirit boat flew over the square and slowly descended.

There were three people standing on the boat.

The leader was a woman in her early twenties, with a slender figure. She wore a white dress as white as snow, and her long, black hair was tied up with a white jade hairpin, with a few strands hanging down beside her ears.

Her appearance was exceptionally beautiful; her eyebrows resembled distant mountains, her eyes were like autumn water, her nose was straight and elegant, and her lips were like painted rouge.

Her temperament was as cold and aloof as frost, and she exuded an aloofness that kept people at a distance.

With a cultivation level at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, his spiritual light was restrained, and his demeanor was extraordinary.

Luo Qinghe, an inner disciple of the Danxia Sect.

Behind her stood two middle-aged men, both at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, dressed in blue Daoist robes, with tokens hanging from their waists, their faces serious and unsmiling.

Outer Gate Steward.

The spirit boat landed, and Luo Qinghe stepped off.

Her footsteps were light and silent as she landed. Her gaze swept over the crowd in the square, and she said calmly, "Where are the new disciples of the Qingxuan City branch?"

The voice was clear and cool like a spring, not loud, but it clearly reached the ears of everyone present.

Three people stepped out from the crowd.

Zhang Lin, Zhou Mingyuan, Chen Boyuan.

Zhou Mingyuan walked at the front, his face calm, with a faint smile on his lips, displaying the composed demeanor of a scion of a prominent family.

Today he wore a brand new brocade robe, with a jade pendant hanging from his waist and a jade crown on his head, making him look radiant.

Chen Boyuan walked in the middle, still wearing that worn-out gray Taoist robe, carrying a medicine basket on his back. Standing next to Zhou Mingyuan, he seemed out of place.

But he looked calm and showed no sign of inferiority.

Zhang Lin walked at the back, dressed in a blue Taoist robe. His hair was casually tied back with a single wooden hairpin, his bun loose, with a few strands hanging down beside his ears, gently blowing in the wind. He exuded a carefree and unrestrained air.

The three of them walked up to Luo Qinghe and bowed in unison.

"Disciple Zhang Lin (Zhou Mingyuan, Chen Boyuan) greets Senior Sister."

Luo Qinghe's gaze swept over the three of them, lingering on Zhang Lin for a moment longer before she nodded slightly.

"Get on the boat."

The three stepped onto the spirit boat.

Luo Qinghe turned around, about to board the boat, when Zhang Lin suddenly spoke.

"Senior sister, please wait."

Luo Qinghe stopped and looked at him.

Zhang Lin cupped his hands and said, "This disciple has a request."

"explain."

"I have a fellow practitioner who came with me from Chuzhou to participate in the Danxia Sect's entrance examination. I wonder if Senior Sister would allow her to accompany me?"

Luo Qinghe's gaze sharpened slightly as she looked in the direction Zhang Lin was pointing.

At the edge of the square, Yu Youwei stood alone, her light blue dress fluttering gently in the morning breeze.

Luo Qinghe looked Yu Youwei up and down, her gaze lingering on her for a moment before asking, "What is your cultivation level?"

"Early stage of Qi Refining," Yu Youwei stepped forward and cupped her hands in greeting.

"Do you know how to refine pills?"

"I know some basics."

Luo Qinghe pondered for a moment and said, "Alright. But whether I can enter the sect depends on the sect's assessment."

Yu Youwei cupped her hands in greeting, her voice clear yet firm: "Thank you, Senior Sister."

Luo Qinghe said no more and turned to board the boat.

Zhang Lin and Yu Youwei exchanged a glance, nodded slightly, and then boarded the spirit boat.

Zhou Mingyuan stood on the boat, watching Zhang Lin and Yu Youwei walk up one after the other, his gaze lingering on Yu Youwei for a moment.

For a fleeting moment, a strange light flashed in his eyes, but he quickly returned to normal.

Yu Youwei noticed that gaze, her expression remained unchanged, but she paused slightly in her steps.

She walked quietly to Zhang Lin's side and stood beside him.

Zhang Lin also noticed Zhou Mingyuan's gaze and sneered inwardly.

This person, I wonder what he's up to now, his wicked intentions haven't died down.

There were already more than ten people on the spirit boat, all of whom were the top three in the alchemy competitions of various cities in the Southern Wilderness Continent and newly recruited as outer disciples.

Some sat in the boat with their eyes closed, some stood by the side of the boat overlooking the city, and some gathered in twos and threes to talk in hushed tones.

Most of them were at the late stage of Qi Refining, with a few at the middle stage. Each of them possessed an extraordinary demeanor and was clearly a top performer in their respective cities.

Zhang Lin's gaze swept over these people, memorizing their faces one by one.

These people will become fellow disciples in the future.

Some are friends, some are strangers, and some are... enemies.

He found a corner to sit down, and Yu Youwei sat beside him.

Chen Boyuan also came over and sat down on the other side of Zhang Lin, whispering, "Fellow Daoist Zhang, you've got some nerve, daring to make a request in front of Senior Sister Jieyin."

"That Senior Sister Luo seems very serious and doesn't smile much. Aren't you afraid she'll reject you?"

Zhang Lin said calmly, "Bringing people along isn't an unreasonable request. If you don't even have this much magnanimity, Danxia Sect doesn't deserve to be called one of the Nine Great Mysterious Sects."

Chen Boyuan was taken aback, then gave a thumbs up: "You have guts, I admire you!"

On the spirit boat, Luo Qinghe stood at the bow, gazing ahead without uttering a word.

Two outer sect deacons stood behind her, also without saying a word.

The spirit boat slowly rose, changed direction, and flew southeast.

Qingxuan City grew smaller and smaller in the field of vision, and eventually turned into a black dot and disappeared into the clouds.

Yu Youwei sat beside Zhang Lin, her gaze passing through the railing of the spirit boat as she looked down at the earth.

Mountains, rivers, fields, and towns flashed by one by one.

This was the first time she had ever looked down at the world from the air.

It was also her first time leaving home to travel to the legendary Yunmeng Continent.

In her heart, there was anticipation, nervousness, and a hint of indescribable emotion.

"Nervous?" Zhang Lin's voice came from beside me.

Yu Youwei looked away, glanced at him, and shook her head slightly: "I'm not nervous."

Zhang Lin didn't ask any further questions, closed his eyes, and began to meditate.

The spirit boat is not a good place for cultivation, but it is always possible to close your eyes, calm your mind, and nourish your true energy.

Yu Youwei looked at his profile, remained silent for a moment, then closed her eyes and silently memorized the contents of the scroll.

One hundred and thirty-seven kinds of spiritual medicines and three kinds of basic pills.

I dared not omit a single word or phrase.

The spirit boat flew for about an hour before Zhang Lin opened his eyes.

His gaze swept over everyone on the boat, finally settling on Luo Qinghe at the bow.

Luo Qinghe remained standing at the bow of the boat, her white robes fluttering like snow, resembling a fairy from a painting.

Her back view was aloof and proud, as if nothing in the world was worth her attention.

Zhang Lin noticed that her spiritual consciousness was constantly being projected outwards, enveloping the entire spirit boat.

Her spiritual sense, at the mid-Foundation Establishment stage, covered an area of ​​several hundred feet, and everyone on the boat was within her perception.

He was observing her, and she was observing everyone.

(Thanks to Baozi and Ziweixi for the donations.)