After climbing the platform and trekking quite a distance along the mountain path, Minghui finally caught sight of the entrance to the Body Sect. Along the way, his teacher Du Bushi gave a brief introduction to the simulation training grounds scattered along the mountainside.
Standing before them now was a massive stone archway, with the words "Body Sect" engraved at the top.
Looking up, Minghui guessed it to be nearly thirty meters tall. Smooth mountain cliffs rose on either side, with the arch bridging the space between them.
Truly... simple and unadorned!
"Greetings, Sect Master!" Two young men stood guard beneath the gate. Upon seeing Du Bushi approach with a young disciple, they both bowed in respect.
Du Bushi nodded slightly. "This is Minghui, my newly accepted personal disciple. From now on, he's your junior martial brother."
A flicker of surprise flashed in their eyes before they smiled warmly. "Greetings, Junior Brother Minghui. I'm—"They each introduced themselves.
"Greetings, Senior Brothers," Minghui replied respectfully.
Some time later, they walked through a series of stone and wooden structures, encountering several other senior brothers and sisters along the way, before finally arriving at the residential area nestled behind the mountain. Du Bushi led him to a small courtyard, and then to a room on the right.
"Minghui, this will be your room from now on," Du Bushi said gently, pointing to the door.
"Rest well tonight. Tomorrow, I'll begin formally teaching you the secret cultivation methods of our sect, and lay out your training plan. If you have any questions, you can come find me anytime—I'll be in the room next door."
He had lived alone for many years, his partner long gone and no children of his own.
"Yes, Teacher!" Minghui responded respectfully.
All along the journey, Du Bushi had treated him with exceptional care—sharing many cultivation insights and in-depth knowledge about body martial spirits, broadening Minghui's horizons greatly.
To revitalize the Body Sect—his duty as a disciple—Minghui now felt he could shout that slogan with full conviction.
He had joined the Body Sect as the heir of the Qingluan family, not as a disciple of the Qingluan Clan, since he wasn't officially registered with them.
Strictly speaking, he was now a true disciple of the Body Sect.
Just like how Qingluan Douluo had once joined the Spirit Hall as a Worship and severed ties with her own clan's sect.
"Well then, go in and rest. I have some sect affairs to handle," Du Bushi said as he prepared to leave.
"Understood, Teacher. Take care," Minghui said, watching him go.
Then, creak—he pushed open the door and entered. The bedding was already laid out. He darted into the bathroom for a quick shower, then jumped onto the bed and sprawled out, arms and legs wide.
He was still just a kid, after all! Crossing rivers and climbing mountains had worn him out.
Eyes closed—he was asleep within a second.
Meanwhile, on the mountain path, Du Bushi gave himself a slight shake, using his strong soul power to cleanse the dirt from his body, and headed straight to the sect's main hall.
"What?! A god?!" As everyone gathered, the hall quickly became lively.
"If what the Sect Master says is true, this is a real opportunity!"
"No matter what, with a talent like Minghui, the sect should give its all to nurture him."
The Divine Lightwing Bow possessed three attributes, one of which was Ultimate Ice, and it also came with a Qingluan Beast Soul. His secondary martial spirit, the Pineal Gland, awakened with the power to perceive the mental realm.
Even on the surface, his talent seemed to surpass that of Princess Weina, who also possessed twin martial spirits.
Not to mention the divine dream—his body martial spirit also contained mysterious power strong enough to block even Du Bushi's spiritual probes.
This child… has the potential to become a god!
They no longer had any doubt about it.
"Hmph! Shrek Academy has remained strong for ten thousand years because it once nurtured seven gods. Having divine backing made all the difference! Meanwhile, our Body Sect has never been fully acknowledged because we've never produced a figurehead strong enough to prove our worth."
The elders grew more passionate as they spoke.
"If we, too, produce a god—those outsiders wouldn't dare utter a word against us!"
Du Bushi raised his hand to interrupt and said, "So, whether for Minghui or the sect, I believe we should erect statues to honor these two deities—even if they don't actually exist. It doesn't matter what others think. What matters is our belief."
"As long as we firmly believe in the existence of these two gods, and the disciples see our sincerity, they too will believe."
"They will believe our sect has received divine favor—we're not the 'heretical' group the outside world claims."
"Once the statues are erected, I'll have Minghui publicly reenact the divine visages and auras he witnessed. That should settle the disciples' hearts."
"With that belief, their unity will grow—and their cultivation will likely progress more smoothly."
"Moreover, if they spread this divine belief while traveling, other powers might hesitate to provoke them. Even if some recognize them and want to strike, they'll think twice."
After all, one can't grow without facing trials. Minghui, too, would eventually need to travel and train.
His identity could be hidden, but more protection never hurts. Du Bushi now wanted to firmly establish the Body Sect's momentum.
Our Body Sect has gods behind us. Believe it or not—we believe it ourselves!
"The Sect Master is right," one elder agreed. "This will give the disciples a sense of security."
"Then let's do it!" the other elders echoed.
"Elder Three, I'll leave these two projections to you," Du Bushi turned to one side. "As for the male deity—we still don't know his name or face, so let's not assume anything. Just use the vision as it is."
If the god was real, presuming details would be blasphemy.
The third elder nodded in understanding.
Du Bushi looked around at everyone and declared, "Everyone, our sect sees the body martial spirit as a divine gift and has always sought to uncover the secrets of the human body. In a sense, aren't we exploring the mysteries of life itself?"
"And this goddess… just so happens to be the Goddess of Life. Perhaps Minghui's birth and arrival at our sect was part of her divine plan."
The crowd was struck with inspiration.
It did seem to make sense! Awakened a body martial spirit, dreamed of the Goddess of Life—what a coincidence!
"As a response, it is only natural for us to worship the Goddess of Life as our faith," Du Bushi continued.
What a brilliant Sect Master! Even that could be tied together! Everyone straightened up and cried again—
"Sect Master is wise!"
Two hours later, in his room, Minghui slowly woke.
Glancing outside, he saw that the sun had already set and night was falling.
"I slept that long?!" he blinked, quickly flipping out of bed and stepping outside.
"Minghui, come eat!" Du Bushi's gentle voice called out.
Perfect timing, Minghui thought, catching the scent of food in the air. Without hesitation, he rushed into the main hall.
Not long after dinner, he returned to his room to cultivate soul power.
Meanwhile, Du Bushi sat in his own quarters, contemplating his disciple's next training regimen.