“I understand, but it’s infuriating!”
Ling Xiao gritted his teeth. “A sect with unclear rewards and punishments will fall sooner or later.”
“You’re right, but that’s the reality. The good news is, your master injured the Demonic Flame Heavenly Venerable, and it’ll take him at least a year to recover. So, train hard. If you can’t reach the Heavenly Human Realm in a year, leave the Yuehua Sect early, or no one can help you,” Yang Danlin said, nodding.
“Didn’t you say a month?”
“A month? Hmph, Yuan Zun’s unique technique isn’t so easily undone! At least a year!” Yang Danlin scoffed. “Those old fools in the Law Enforcement Hall only know cultivation; they’re complete amateurs in this regard.”
“A year, huh?”
Ling Xiao clenched his jaw. It was a tight timeline, but not impossible.
After all, in less than a year, he’d gone from Martial Vein Realm first level to surpassing Mortal Realm first level.
With pill refining, formation crafting, and higher-level martial arts to aid him, his cultivation would only progress faster.
“Don’t worry, Master Yang. I won’t let you or my master down. He was captured because of me, and I’ll definitely save him.”
“Good! That’s the spirit. I’ll do my best to help you. If we don’t crush the Demonic Flame Heavenly Venerable’s arrogance, I can’t swallow this anger!” the Guanghan Heavenly Venerable declared loudly.
“By the way, Ling Xiao, do you know the Moon Advent Festival is coming soon?” she suddenly asked.
“What’s the Moon Advent Festival?”
Ling Xiao had never heard of it.
“If you want to reach the Heavenly Human Realm within a year, you absolutely can’t miss the Moon Advent Festival’s Tower Climbing Ceremony! The Demonic Flame Heavenly Venerable advanced so quickly because he benefited from it!” she continued. “The ceremony involves climbing the Yuehua Treasure Tower, left by the Yuehua Sect’s founder. It contains special trials designed to train our martial artists.”
The Yuehua Treasure Tower?
Ling Xiao’s mind flashed to the sect’s most forbidden place, steeped in ancient aura.
Since joining, he’d only seen it from afar, unable to approach within a hundred metres, as even the weakest guards were Mortal Realm ninth-level martial artists.
“The Moon Advent Festival happens annually, and the Tower Climbing Ceremony is its main event. For disciples aiming to leap forward, it’s an incredible opportunity!” Yang Danlin added. “Though the ceremony is open to both inner and outer sect disciples, no outer sect disciple has ever entered the formal ceremony. Before the festival, I hope you can break through to the Mortal Realm and become an inner sect disciple.”
Ling Xiao jokingly asked, “If an outer sect disciple wins the ceremony, are there extra rewards?”
He was half-joking, but the Guanghan Heavenly Venerable replied seriously, “Absolutely! Martial art secrets, divine weapons, rare pills, and even the sect’s powerhouses vying to take you as a disciple!”
“I’ll pass on taking another master. I already have Master Yuan Zun, and taking another would be improper,” Ling Xiao said, shaking his head. “But the other rewards are tempting. Maybe I shouldn’t rush to join the inner sect and wait until after the ceremony.”
“You talk as if you can enter the inner sect anytime,” Yang Danlin said. “You’re at the peak of ninth level, but you’re still far from half-step master. And breaking through from there is even harder!”
Ling Xiao smiled, not arguing.
Some things were best kept secret.
A stunning performance at the Moon Advent Festival would surprise these two seniors far more than revealing his progress now.
“You’re right, Seniors. I’ll train hard and aim to break through to the Mortal Realm before the festival,” he said.
“Then we won’t delay you. Get back to training. The festival is just a few months away. The ceremony is ultimately a contest of strength—the stronger you are, the better your chances,” Yang Danlin urged.
“I take my leave!”
Learning his master was imprisoned, Ling Xiao was even more eager than Yang Danlin and the Guanghan Heavenly Venerable to boost his strength.
To save his master, he needed at least Heavenly Human Realm power and to show limitless potential. Otherwise, there’d be no chance.
The Moon Advent Festival was undoubtedly a major opportunity for Yuehua Sect disciples.
Though open to all sect disciples with no restrictions, only a select few could truly enter the Yuehua Treasure Tower.
For outer sect disciples, it was a chance, but more of a tantalising illusion.
Yet Ling Xiao was determined to make that illusion reality!
He understood the ceremony’s importance.
The Yuehua Treasure Tower, an ancient relic, likely held ancient inheritances. Gaining them would propel him further on the martial path.
Moreover, disciples who completed the ceremony would become key cultivation targets, valued above ordinary inner sect disciples.
The Demonic Flame Heavenly Venerable had risen to prominence through the ceremony, despite being unremarkable when he joined.
So had the Desperate Tower Master, the Inner Sect Yuehua Tower Master, and the Guanghan Palace Master.
They were all exceptional.
In contrast, contemporaries like Elder Bai and Elder Hei, who failed, couldn’t compare.
For Ling Xiao, completing the ceremony held another significance.
Yang Danlin and the Guanghan Heavenly Venerable had discussed that if Ling Xiao succeeded, they’d fully support him and help rescue Yuan Zun.
If he failed, they’d send him away from the Yuehua Sect, regardless of his wishes, to keep him safe.
Ling Xiao had guessed this, so he was even more determined to succeed, refusing to become a disciple who abandoned his master.
…
Before the Moon Advent Festival, Ling Xiao went into seclusion.
He didn’t abandon his steady plan for a rushed breakthrough, sticking to his methodical approach.
His cultivation pace was already fast; he couldn’t afford to be reckless.
The final move became his primary focus.
Inner force, defence, and martial techniques all improved comprehensively.
During this time, other outstanding outer sect disciples saw changes too.
Seven days later, Zhao Zhi broke through to the Mortal Realm, became an inner sect disciple, and was formally accepted as a direct disciple by an elder from the Bei Han Kingdom’s royal family.
