The afternoon passed quietly in the Archive Hall.
Lin Mo closed the mysterious black book and carefully wrapped it again before placing it back into the hidden drawer beneath his desk.
For a moment, he remained seated in silence.
His thoughts slowly settled.
The Third Path.
The words from the book still lingered in his mind.
But Lin Mo did not rush.
He had already learned one important lesson about cultivation in this world.
Impatience destroyed more cultivators than weakness.
Instead, he turned his attention toward something equally important.
Understanding the sect he now belonged to.
The Azure Cloud Sect stood on a massive mountain range known as the Cloud Spine Mountains.
From a distance, the peaks looked like enormous pillars piercing the heavens, their tops often hidden behind drifting white clouds.
The sect itself was divided into several main regions.
Most new disciples only knew a small portion of it.
But through the books in the Archive Hall, Lin Mo had gradually pieced together a clearer picture.
The Outer Sect
This was where Lin Mo currently lived.
The Outer Sect was home to several thousand disciples.
Most of them were newcomers who had only recently begun cultivation.
Their daily lives revolved around basic training.
Breathing techniques.
Martial exercises.
Simple spiritual control.
The strongest among them could reach the middle stages of the Body Tempering Realm.
Those who showed talent might eventually be promoted to the Inner Sect.
But most outer disciples never advanced that far.
Some stayed here for years.
Others eventually left the sect entirely.
The Inner Sect
Far higher up the mountain stood the Inner Sect.
Its halls were larger and far more refined.
Only disciples with strong talent or great progress were allowed to enter.
Inner disciples had access to far better cultivation techniques and spiritual resources.
They also received guidance from true elders of the sect.
Most cultivators in the Inner Sect had already passed the Body Tempering Realm and stepped into the next stage:
Qi Gathering.
At this stage, spiritual energy was no longer scattered through the body.
Instead, it gathered within the dantian—the spiritual center near the lower abdomen.
This allowed cultivators to store and control far greater amounts of spiritual energy.
Compared to ordinary outer disciples, Qi Gathering cultivators were already considered powerful.
The Core Disciples
Above the Inner Sect were the Core Disciples.
Only a handful of individuals held this title.
Each one was personally taught by a powerful elder or even by the sect leader.
Their strength far surpassed ordinary cultivators.
Some had reached the Foundation Establishment Realm.
At that level, spiritual energy condensed into a stable foundation that supported all future cultivation.
These cultivators could easily defeat dozens of Body Tempering disciples without effort.
The Elders and the Sect Leader
Above the disciples stood the true rulers of the sect.
The Elders.
Each elder controlled an important part of the sect—training halls, spiritual mines, herb gardens, or combat forces.
Above them all stood the Sect Leader.
A cultivator rumored to possess strength capable of shattering mountains.
Most outer disciples never even saw him.
Lin Mo leaned back slightly in his chair.
From the perspective of the Azure Cloud Sect…
He was almost invisible.
Just another outer disciple with weak spiritual roots.
Assigned to manage dusty books no one cared about.
And that suited Lin Mo perfectly.
But there was another side of the sect that many newcomers did not understand.
Competition.
Even within the Outer Sect, resources were limited.
Spirit herbs.
Cultivation manuals.
Instructor guidance.
Disciples constantly fought for better opportunities.
Small rivalries often grew into fierce conflicts.
Some disciples were injured.
Others mysteriously disappeared during dangerous missions outside the sect.
The sect rarely interfered.
Because the cultivation world followed a simple rule.
Strength decides everything.
Lin Mo stood up slowly and walked toward the tall windows of the Archive Hall.
From here, he could see the lower training terraces where outer disciples practiced their techniques.
Some shouted loudly while sparring.
Others struggled through breathing exercises.
Many of them dreamed of rising through the ranks.
Becoming powerful cultivators.
Gaining recognition.
But Lin Mo's gaze remained calm.
He had no interest in competing openly.
At least not now.
His strength was still far too small.
Body Tempering was merely the first step on the endless road of cultivation.
If someone discovered the mysterious black book…
If someone realized he had opened hidden meridian pathways…
That quiet life could disappear instantly.
Lin Mo turned away from the window.
He returned to the desk and began organizing another stack of returned books.
Dust brushed softly from their covers.
The familiar smell of old paper filled the hall.
Outside, the sun slowly began to set behind the mountains.
The Archive Hall grew dimmer.
Soon it would be night again.
And when night arrived…
Lin Mo would sit quietly in the silent hall.
Guiding spiritual energy through the First and Second Paths.
Preparing for the moment when the Third Path would finally awaken.
The journey ahead remained long.