Three Months Later
Three months passed in the blink of an eye.
Since accepting Mu Qingluan as his personal disciple, Xu Tianyi had rarely left Tianyi Peak. During this period, he devoted most of his time to guiding her—teaching her the common knowledge of the cultivation world, explaining sect rules and hierarchies, refining her foundation, and personally correcting even the smallest mistakes in her cultivation.
To Mu Qingluan, these three months were nothing short of transformative.
Today was a special day.
It was the Disciple Acceptance Ceremony, the grand event where new disciples would officially enter the Heavenly Sword Sect. This would also be the first time Mu Qingluan appeared publicly as Xu Tianyi's disciple since her brief introduction in the Grand Hall months ago.
After leaving his room and stepping out of the wooden house, Xu Tianyi was greeted by the familiar sight of Mu Qingluan and Mu Qing waiting respectfully outside.
Mu Qingluan had changed noticeably.
Her aura was calm and condensed, spiritual qi circulating smoothly through her body. The once faint fluctuations of an inexperienced cultivator had vanished, replaced by stability and confidence that far surpassed ordinary Foundation Establishment disciples.
Mu Qing, on the other hand, looked even more radiant than before.
Since formally serving Xu Tianyi, her complexion had become clearer, her aura fuller, and her cultivation speed had increased at a visible rate. Xu Tianyi had never intended to treat her as mere indulgence—if he accepted someone, he ensured they gained something of true value in return.
He had personally bestowed upon her a Heaven-grade dual cultivation technique—the Sun and Moon Samarasa Art.
Cultivation techniques were divided into Basic, Profound, Earth, and Heaven grades, in ascending order of quality and difficulty. Heaven-grade techniques were treasures that even core disciples and elders would fight over.
Under normal circumstances, Mu Qing would have needed years just to take her first step into such a profound art.
However, with Xu Tianyi's personal guidance—and their frequent dual cultivation sessions—she progressed at an astonishing pace.
In just three months, she had advanced from mid-stage to late-stage Foundation Establishment, a result made possible by the immense gap between their cultivation realms and the purity of Xu Tianyi's spiritual essence.
Mu Qing was overjoyed by this change.
As for Mu Qingluan, she had initially felt conflicted when she realized the nature of her mother's relationship with her Master. But seeing Mu Qing genuinely happy, more confident, and full of vitality, those feelings slowly faded. In the cultivation world, strength and survival mattered more than rigid mortal values—and Xu Tianyi had never treated her mother lightly.
After exchanging greetings and a few words, Xu Tianyi waved his hand lightly.
A gentle yet irresistible force enveloped the two women.
Under the influence of his magical power, the three figures rose into the air and descended from Tianyi Peak, streaking toward the outer square of the Heavenly Sword Sect, where the Disciple Acceptance Ceremony was already underway.
Normally, a Nascent Soul realm Supreme Elder would never personally attend such an event. The ceremony was meant for outer sect elders and inner court supervisors.
But this time was different.
Xu Tianyi wished to observe.
More importantly, he wanted his disciple to witness the ceremony with her own eyes—to understand where she stood and how far she had already surpassed most of her peers.
Over the past three months, Mu Qingluan had successfully broken through to the Foundation Establishment Realm—and not just any foundation.
She had formed a Great Dao Foundation.
In the cultivation world, the quality of one's foundation determined their future potential.
Foundations were divided into three levels:
Cracked Foundation – unstable, limiting future breakthroughs
Complete Foundation – acceptable, the standard of talented cultivators
Perfect Foundation – flawless, rare, and reserved for true geniuses
Another hidden Foundation is the Great Dao Foundation that is only made possible with rare Heaven and Earth Material Or with Opportunities.
And Mu Qinglaun was able to achieve this with the help of the Pheonix True feather bestowed upon her by Xu Tianyi.
And now, as the Supreme Elder descended upon the ceremony grounds with his disciple at his side, the fate of the Heavenly Sword Sect's younger generation was about to shift—whether they realized it or not.
.....
Jiang Country — Heavenly Sword Sect
On the mist-shrouded White Jade Square, hundreds of young men and women sat cross-legged in absolute silence.
Spiritual light flickered faintly beneath them as complex formations engraved into the jade platform activated in unison. A formless pressure spread across the square, heavy yet intangible, pressing directly upon the mind rather than the body.
Their eyes were tightly shut, faces frozen in various states of inner struggle.
Some clenched their teeth, veins bulging along their necks as if resisting an invisible force. Some trembled violently, cold sweat soaking through their robes. Some smiled foolishly, lost in blissful illusions they refused to abandon. Others wept in silence, tears streaming down pale cheeks without sound.
This was the Heart-Asking Platform.
The fourth stage of the Heavenly Sword Sect's Immortal Sect Assessment.
It tested neither talent nor cultivation strength.
It tested only one thing—
The Dao Heart.
A weak Dao Heart would shatter under illusion. A wavering Dao Heart would drown in fear. Only those with firm conviction could awaken unscathed.
"Hiss…"
A faint, suppressed groan broke the stillness.
Among the many seated figures, a young woman slowly opened her eyes.
Her brows furrowed instinctively as she pressed a slender hand against her forehead, breathing unevenly.
A violent torrent of memories surged through her mind like a collapsing dam.
Past and present collided.
Scenes overlapped—cultivation breakthroughs, bloody sect wars, bitter regrets, and long nights of solitary cultivation beneath the moon.
Two lifetimes intertwined.
After several breaths, the chaos gradually subsided.
Clarity returned.
Her gaze steadied, pupils sharpening like drawn sword edges.
"I… returned to the past."
Yun Wanshang silently confirmed.
She had returned two hundred years into the past.
To A year ago.
The day she was Sixteen years old.
Now Today was the day she stood upon the Heart-Asking Platform of the Heavenly Sword Sect.
In her previous life, Yun Wanshang had cultivated step by step until she reached the Nascent Soul Realm, eventually becoming a Supreme Elder of the Azure Cloud Sect. Her reputation had once shaken the surrounding regions, yet even so… regret followed her to the end.
Because she knew what was coming.
While countless sects fell before calamities, invasions, and hidden catastrophes, the Heavenly Sword Sect alone stood firm, weathering every storm and growing stronger with each tribulation.
In the future—under the leadership of Xu Tianyi, known to all as the Absolute Sword Monarch—the Heavenly Sword Sect would rise above all others.
This time—
She would not repeat her old path.
Instead of joining the Azure Cloud Sect as before, she had deliberately come to the Heavenly Sword Sect, carrying her future knowledge and unwavering resolve.
Her goal was clear.
To become the disciple of Xu Tianyi.
In her past life, she had been a sword cultivator with considerable attainment. Though she never reached the pinnacle, her foundation had been solid. Given a second chance—and the guidance of the Absolute Sword Monarch himself—she was confident she could walk much further.
The first stage of the assessment had already passed.
Spiritual Root Testing.
To cultivate immortality, the most basic requirement was a Spiritual Root.
Spiritual Roots were divided into nine ranks:
Nine-Rank to Seven-Rank: Low Grade
Six-Rank to Four-Rank: Medium Grade
Three-Rank to One-Rank: High Grade
Above these were even rarer existences—Earthly Spiritual Roots, Heavenly Spiritual Roots, and various mutated roots that defied common classification.
Yun Wanshang's result had been—
Three-Rank Spiritual Root.
A high-grade talent.
Not peerless, but more than sufficient to guarantee entry into the sect. With such aptitude, she would easily be accepted as an inner court disciple, and possibly even taken in by an elder.
But her true confidence did not lie there.
Hidden beneath the surface was her greatest secret.
A Pure Spiritual Body also known as Blank Physique.
A rare constitution that greatly assisted breakthroughs from Foundation Establishment to Core Formation, and even into the Nascent Soul Realm. Her cultivation speed would soar, and her spiritual energy would become purer and more refined.
More importantly—
If cultivated alongside another through dual cultivation, the benefits were immense.
The higher the cultivation realm of her partner, the greater the shared gains for both sides.
And if Rare Heaven and Earth treasures are used to Nourish the Physique The Pure Spirit body will attain Attributes of that Heavenly Material, that was the reason It was called the Blank Physique.
As Yun Wanshang steadied her breathing and rose slowly from the Heart-Asking Platform, her eyes burned with quiet determination.
This time…
She would seize her destiny with her own hands.
And she would not miss the opportunity standing before her.