Second day.
Early in the morning, Arden went to find Ju Fufu, ready to begin the first day of disciple life and training.
Male and female disciples lived in different courtyards, though not far apart. When Arden arrived at the small courtyard where Ju Fufu lived, he happened to meet her just as she walked out.
Seeing Ju Fufu and the other female disciple beside her, Arden's eyes lit up.
Yunkui Summit's sect attire came in two types—short jackets and long robes. Disciples could freely choose based on preference or weather. For example, Ju Fufu wore a short jacket in gray and yellow tones, while Arden wore a dark navy robe.
"Arden, over here, over here!"
Ju Fufu had also noticed Arden and waved at him.
She looked mostly the same as usual, but Arden, who knew her very well, could still tell that she seemed a bit off—as if she hadn't slept well last night.
"This is my roommate, xxx…"
"Hello, I'm Arden Xu."
Arden extended his hand in a friendly manner.
"H-hello!"
Ju Fufu's roommate looked extremely shy; she only lightly brushed Arden's hand before shrinking back.
"May I ask—are you… a Raccoon Thiren?"
Looking at her ears and tail, Arden seemed intrigued.
"She's a Red Panda Thiren!"
Before the roommate could speak, Ju Fufu corrected him, "And! Don't you dare have any ideas about her, got it?"
"Ha~~"
Hearing her warning, Arden rolled his eyes. "Do you really distrust me that much? Looks like I have to punish you!"
"Come on, give me a kiss!"
"..."
Disciples passing by all turned to look.
Showing affection early in the morning! So envi—ahem… so hateful! They must be burned!
But because of the strength Arden and Ju Fufu had displayed during the entrance examination, no one dared to cause trouble.
…
After breakfast, the new disciples gathered in the Grand Lecture Hall and began their first class.
The instructor was not Sect Master Yixuan nor any elder, but a Bangboo.
Belion—extremely strong and far beyond what normal disciples could contend with. After a few troublemakers were disciplined, everyone obediently listened. As for the content, it was nothing more than Yunkui Summit's rules and important guidelines.
There would also be cultural lessons, but that would come later.
Time passed into the afternoon.
After enjoying a rather sumptuous lunch personally cooked by Chef Pan Yinhu, the new disciples gathered again and headed to the training grounds for free training.
This time, Sect Master Yixuan herself would be giving guidance.
Back when Yixuan was still a disciple, Yunkui Summit's training methods had been extremely traditional: Shoulder-pole water carrying, plum blossom stakes, horse stance practice, and the like. But now, keeping up with the times, Yunkui Summit had switched to using professional training equipment from the Hollow Investigative Association.
Of course, everyone had their own habits. You could train in your own way as well.
On the first day, disciples were allowed free training—or rather, they were to demonstrate their personal training methods in front of Sect Master Yixuan, who, as a Void Hunter–level expert, would offer more professional advice.
"Everyone, do whatever you usually do when you train!"
"Do you all understand?"
"Understood, Sect Master!"
They were all outer disciples and did not yet have the qualifications to call Yixuan "Master." At this time, Sect Master Yixuan did not have a single personal disciple.
…
"You… raise this part a little higher…"
"And you, stop repeating that motion—it puts too much strain on your body. Switch to one that trains the same area but with less load…"
Though they were only outer disciples, Yixuan guided them with seriousness and care.
"…"
But when Yixuan walked past Ju Fufu and Arden, the corner of her mouth visibly twitched.
"One hundred four, one hundred five, one hundred six…"
Ju Fufu was doing one-handed, one-finger push-ups, while Arden sat leisurely on her back, counting.
Arden was 1.8 meters tall, whereas Ju Fufu was just over 1.4 meters. The tall, broad Arden sitting atop the small Ju Fufu looked strange no matter how one viewed it.
Disciples nearby all glanced over; none of them could focus on training anymore.
Isn't it usually the other way around—the man on the ground, with the woman on top?
Yixuan complained inwardly but did not speak up nor interfere.
She knew very well that despite surface appearances, Arden was the one more suited for cultivating mystical techniques, while Ju Fufu, being a Tiger Thiren, excelled in physical strength.
After walking around and observing everyone's training, Yixuan stopped on the small platform at the front of the training grounds.
Clap clap!
She clapped twice to draw everyone's attention.
"If you have any questions, you may ask them now."
"Me me me~~"
The first to raise his hand was Arden—who had switched from sitting cross-legged to sitting astride Ju Fufu's back like riding a mount.
"Arden Xu, go ahead."
Their posture made Yixuan's eyelids twitch again, but she did not intervene.
"Sect Master Yixuan, do you have any hobbies?"
"..."
Arden's question instantly caught the attention of all disciples, because they also wanted to know.
"Hobbies? Probably… tea appreciation. And perhaps…"
As she spoke, Yixuan touched the Qingming Bird perched on her shoulder. "Bird walking?"
"Then… do you have a boyfriend?" Arden asked again.
At that moment, all disciples stopped training entirely, waiting for Yixuan's answer.
"No."
"Whew…"
The moment she answered, the entire training ground let out a collective sigh of relief.
"…"
Realizing what was going on, Yixuan narrowed her eyes, a dangerous glint sweeping toward Arden, then over all the disciples present. "Do not ask questions unrelated to cultivation. Otherwise, you will be punished according to sect rules. Understood?"
"U-understood."
Arden immediately yielded, swallowing the question regarding her three sizes.
…
After the first training session ended, Yixuan explained the curriculum for outer disciples of Yunkui Summit.
Every week, three days were fixed-subject training, including martial arts, mystical arts, talismans, and more. Even if disciples specialized in different fields, basic proficiency was necessary; too obvious a weakness could become a fatal opening for enemies.
There was also one day when Yixuan would answer disciples' cultivation questions.
Although asking anytime would be ideal, Sect Master Yixuan was far too busy—and with so many disciples, if they visited her one by one at random times, she would have no time left for anything else.
Thus, she designated a fixed day for collective Q&A sessions.
The remaining three days were free for disciples to arrange on their own.
They could train on their own, visit the Sutra Library to read Yunkui Summit's treasured texts, go down the mountain to take on commissions, or even relax and have fun—Yixuan did not interfere.
However, Yunkui Summit held one small assessment every month to evaluate disciples' training results. If someone repeatedly failed to meet Yixuan's expectations, they risked being expelled from the sect.
Of course, if a disciple violated sect rules—or even broke the law—serious offenders would be expelled immediately.