With everything finally in place, Lin Xiao carried the pile of identity tokens from his private storage back to the main sect grounds.
The first thing he did was change the name of the Affairs Hall to General Affairs Hall, which was located not far from the Ten-Mile Peach Blossom Tree. Previously, this was the place responsible for all sect matters, but now its responsibilities had been adjusted, so the name naturally had to reflect that change.
That's right—Lin Xiao had decided to appoint Liu Yunian as the General Affairs Hall Leader. Of all the members of the sect, he was the most familiar with the daily operations and everyone's responsibilities, making him the best candidate.
After renaming the hall, Lin Xiao went inside and handed Liu Yunian the tokens. He explained the process of binding the tokens and their functions, then gave him the task of distributing the tokens to everyone.
From the pile of tokens, he pulled out the General Affairs Hall Leader token and handed it to Liu Yunian. "Yunian, this is the token for the General Affairs Hall Leader. From now on, that's your official position."
Lin Xiao then detailed his plans for the various roles and responsibilities, outlining the duties for each hall leader and elder.
Liu Yunian, now holding a pile of identity tokens, nodded in agreement. "Don't worry, Xiao. I'll draw up the regulations today and distribute these tokens to everyone by tomorrow. But..."
He hesitated slightly before continuing, "But don't you think something this important should be announced in an official meeting in front of everyone?"
Lin Xiao had originally intended to delegate the task quickly, as there were many matters still waiting for him. He paused for a moment, then sighed. "You're right. This is something that deserves a proper gathering. Fine, let's hold a meeting. Can you contact Jianghe and see if he can return soon? Once he's back, we'll set a time."
Hearing Lin Xiao agree to the meeting, Liu Yunian smiled. "Got it. I'll send a message to Jianghe right away, and then I'll notify everyone else."
With that, Liu Yunian pulled out a message talisman and sent word to Qin Jianghe. Meanwhile, Lin Xiao left the General Affairs Hall to begin preparing the two remaining halls—Finance Hall and Disciplinary Hall—both of which he planned to place on the floating island.
These two locations were mainly administrative, so there was no need for abundant spiritual energy. Setting up their buildings was straightforward. Lin Xiao positioned them near the Library Pavilion, about a hundred meters apart from each other. However, he decided to leave the General Affairs Hall at its original location, as it dealt directly with all disciples, handling tasks like distributing assignments and resources. Keeping it on the main grounds would be more convenient for everyone.
Once both the Finance Hall and Disciplinary Hall were established, each building automatically generated a Contribution Counter near its entrance. Not just here—Lin Xiao found that every key facility now had one.
The next morning, Xiao Luan rushed to find Lin Xiao, squawking excitedly as it pointed towards the Heart-Testing Path.
"That person finally came out!" it called.
Having been busy for the past few days, Lin Xiao blinked in surprise before realizing it must be Yuan Qing. He smiled, patting Xiao Luan's head before retrieving a red fruit from his storage, a treat that the sect's beasts enjoyed. "Thanks, Xiao Luan. I'll head over right away."
Xiao Luan sniffed the fruit, its rich scent and spiritual energy making it very happy. It quickly took the fruit and scurried off to enjoy its snack. Watching Xiao Luan, Lin Xiao couldn't help but chuckle. Despite having matured over the past year, the bird still behaved like a child. But that was to be expected—it had only been a year since it gained its intelligence, and with everyone in the sect treating it like a beloved child, it was natural for it to remain playful.
With a smile, Lin Xiao made his way towards the Heart-Testing Path.
Meanwhile, having just awakened, Yuan Qing had spent a long time reflecting on his dreamlike experience before following Lin Xiao's earlier instructions to ascend the mountain path.
As he walked, he encountered a misty barrier ahead, completely obscuring the way forward. He hesitated, unsure of what to do, when suddenly, a large spirit chicken emerged from the fog.
The creature's cultivation level seemed to be even higher than his own.
Yuan Qing immediately grew wary, his hand instinctively moving towards his storage pouch. However, sensing no hostility from the beast, he refrained from drawing a weapon. To his surprise, the spirit chicken eyed him up and down, as if confirming something, before clucking a few times and disappearing back into the mist.
Yuan Qing stood there, stunned. After a moment, he realized that beyond the mist lay the destination Lin Xiao had spoken of. Perhaps this spirit chicken was part of Lin Xiao's sect?
In the cultivation world, it wasn't unheard of for certain sects to specialize in beast taming, though such practices were rare.
Having no other option, Yuan Qing waited. Soon enough, Lin Xiao emerged from the mist.
"Apologies for keeping you waiting, Yuan Daoist."
Yuan Qing hurriedly waved his hands. "Not at all."
With so much on his plate recently, Lin Xiao cut straight to the point. "So, how do you feel now? After passing through the Heart-Testing Path, I trust your heart is clearer. Do you still wish to join Lingxian Sect?"
Without hesitation, Yuan Qing nodded firmly. "Yes, I do. Please, Sect Master, allow me to formally join Lingxian Sect and become your disciple."
And so, after going through the formalities at the end of the Heart-Testing Path, the number of Lingxian Sect members grew by one more.
After completing the process, Lin Xiao pulled out a Lingxian Sect Disciple Token from the spare tokens he kept on hand and handed it to Yuan Qing. "From today on, you are officially a disciple of Lingxian Sect. This is your identity token. Simply press it to your forehead and connect with it using your divine sense. Once linked, the connection will remain until you choose to leave the sect."
Yuan Qing accepted the token, inspecting the words Lingxian Sect Disciple carved into it before following Lin Xiao's instructions to establish a bond with it.
Lin Xiao then stepped aside, extending his right arm. "Welcome to Lingxian Sect."
As Yuan Qing accepted the token, the dense mist that had shrouded the area gradually dissipated, revealing the path ahead, and with it, the first glimpse of his new home.