If I stay in the Hehuan Sect, I'll live off the pampered daughters of the Heavenly Pride Sect.

After bidding farewell to her master Liu Xinyan, Xiao Qinghan walked up the mountain with the two of them.

At the end of the jade steps was a spacious Taoist temple ground, paved with bluestone. In the center stood an ancient tree without leaves, its trunk gnarled and its branches stretching out in all directions. A futon was placed under the tree.

Many disciples have already arrived at the temple.

Some of them were dressed in outer sect attire, their cultivation having just begun, and they sat rather stiffly.

Some had a deep aura and a calm demeanor, clearly having honed their skills at the Golden Core stage for many years.

Several Foundation Establishment disciples huddled together, whispering amongst themselves.

"That must be Xie Buci from Qingquan Peak, right?"

"It's him. He also practices ancient methods?"

"You didn't know? I heard that when he formed his core, he attracted lightning."

"Don't talk nonsense, or someone might overhear you."

"I'm more interested in who the person next to him is; she's dressed quite neatly, though."

"Mo Chengyue of the Sutra Repository".

"Oh, is that the one that's been making headlines lately?"

Mo Chengyue did not change his pace, maintaining a polite expression on his face.

He whispered, "Senior Brother, I don't think I'm invisible anymore."

Xie Buci said, "Congratulations."

Mo Chengyue said, "What's there to congratulate me on?"

Xie Buci said, "That means you've made a name for yourself."

Mo Chengyue said, "I don't want that kind of name."

Xiao Qinghan looked at him.

"Does Junior Brother Mo dislike being the center of attention?"

Mo Chengyue said, "Attention usually means trouble."

Xiao Qinghan said, "But if a cultivator has a sharp edge, it will always be noticed."

Mo Chengyue said, "That's why I like to keep my sharp edges hidden."

Xie Buci said, "What you're doing is not wrapping, it's burying."

Mo Chengyue said, "The deeper the burial, the longer the life."

Xiao Qinghan couldn't help but laugh, but quickly composed herself.

Xie Buci saw this and immediately said, "Junior Sister Xiao, you smiled."

Xiao Qinghan said, "No."

Mo Chengyue said, "Senior Brother, you're making yourself an easy target for someone to draw their sword."

Xie Buci said, "I'm not you."

At the edge of the training ground, a female disciple from Jade Rain Peak noticed them and whispered to her companion, "Why is there such a large difference in cultivation level among the ancient disciples who came today?"

The companion said, "The Supreme Elder specifically said that anyone who practices the ancient methods of our sect is welcome to come, whether it's Qi Refining or Golden Core cultivation, it all counts."

A female disciple from Yulin Peak said, "Only forty or fifty people. It turns out that our sect has so few practitioners of ancient methods."

His companion said, "The ancient method is difficult, slow, and prone to mistakes. Who would want to take this path?"

A male disciple standing nearby chimed in.

"That's not how you put it. Isn't Xie Buci a practitioner of the ancient Golden Elixir method?"

A female disciple from Yulin Peak said, "Can someone like Senior Brother Xie be used as a typical example?"

The male disciple looked at Xie Buci's half-open robe, his tone subtle.

"Indeed, no."

Hearing this from afar, Xie Buci waved to the other side.

"You can praise someone louder behind their back, I can hear you."

Those disciples immediately shut up.

Mo Chengyue rubbed his forehead.

"Senior Brother, can you please be a little more discreet?"

Xie Buci replied, "No."

Xiao Qinghan asked, "Why?"

Xie Buci laughed and said, "Being low-key is Junior Brother's way, not mine."

Mo Chengyue said, "What Senior Brother said makes some sense, but not much."

The gray-robed deacon entered the dojo and raised his hand to signal everyone to be quiet.

"Fellow disciples, please take your seats according to your cultivation level. There is no need to argue about who is first or last. No noise is allowed before the Supreme Elder begins his lecture."

A Qi Refining disciple asked the person next to him in a low voice.

"Are all the Golden Core cultivators sitting in the front?"

The person next to him said, "Based on the cultivation level, it should be."

The Qi Refining disciple had a bitter face.

"Does that mean I can only sit at the very back?"

The other person offered comfort.

"It's good enough that you even came; you'll have plenty to brag about for half a year when you get back."

Mo Chengyue felt a complex mix of emotions upon hearing this.

He originally wanted to sit at the very back.

Not anymore.

The Golden Core cultivator was located to the left of the ancient tree, towards the front. Xie Buci led him there, while Xiao Qinghan was led to the line of Qi Refining disciples.

Just as Xiao Qinghan was about to go over, several pairs of eyes fell on her.

Someone recognized her.

"Isn't that Xiao Qinghan from Yingtian Peak?"

"Why is she sitting over there practicing Qi cultivation?"

"I heard she discontinued her cultivation and started over."

"Really? The Azure Phoenix of yesteryear is starting all over again?"

"Shh, keep your voice down, Elder Liu is still outside the mountain."

Xiao Qinghan's expression remained unchanged as she walked to the prayer mat belonging to the Qi Refining disciples and sat down, her back straight and her sleeves neatly arranged, without the slightest hint of unease.

Mo Chengyue glanced at it and said in a low voice, "Senior Sister Xiao's temperament is more stable than many Golden Core cultivators."

Xie Buci stopped laughing.

"If she can get through this period, she may not lose to anyone in the future."

Mo Chengyue asked, "Does Senior Brother also think so?"

Xie Buci said, "The idea of ​​'destroying the old and then building the new' sounds good, but very few people can actually do it."

Mo Chengyue said, "Indeed."

Xie Buci went to see him.

"Don't just talk about others, you are one yourself."

Mo Chengyue sat down on the futon.

"I'm different."

Xie Buci asked, "How is it different?"

Mo Chengyue said, "I'm being pushed along by life."

Xie Buci laughed and said, "You make it sound like no one is the one who isn't."

The disciples in the temple took their seats one after another.

Mo Chengyue glanced around and saw that there weren't many people, just forty or fifty. Their cultivation levels ranged from Qi Refining to Golden Core, and their clothing was also different, clearly indicating that they belonged to different peaks.

He saw young outer disciples as well as elderly inner disciples with graying temples.

Some looked expectant, some were filled with trepidation, some were reciting scriptures in hushed tones, and some were secretly observing Xie Buci and Xiao Qinghan.

Mo Chengyue took in the expressions on everyone's faces.

He whispered, "Senior Brother."

Xie Buci said, "Hmm?"

Mo Chengyue said, "This lecture hall today is probably not just about cultivation."

Xie Buci looked at the empty main seat under the ancient tree.

"What did you see this time?"

Mo Chengyue said, "The elders of each peak will only send people off, and will not enter the venue."

Xie Buci said, "Continue."

Mo Chengyue said, "The disciples who came have vastly different levels of cultivation and aptitude, which means that the Supreme Elder is not looking at cultivation level."

Xie Buci's smile faded slightly.

"Anything else?"

Mo Chengyue said, "There are few people who practice ancient methods, but the sect has summoned everyone, which means that this matter may become more important in the future."

Xie Buci placed the peach blossom branch across his lap.

"Junior brother, it's a shame you're not in the Power Hall with a brain like that."

Mo Chengyue said, "Quan Tang sounds very busy."

Xie Buci replied, "That's true."

Xiao Qinghan looked over from a distance.

Mo Chengyue noticed her gaze, looked up and nodded slightly.

Xiao Qinghan nodded, then looked away and sat quietly.

A female disciple practicing Qi cultivation next to her asked her in a low voice.

"Senior Sister Xiao, aren't you nervous?"

Xiao Qinghan looked at her.

"Being nervous is useless."

The female disciple had a bitter face.

"But I'm afraid I won't understand."

Xiao Qinghan said, "Understanding one sentence means gaining one sentence."

The female disciple blinked.

"What if you can't understand a single word?"

Xiao Qinghan thought for a moment.

"Remember the Supreme Elder's exact words, and think about them slowly when you get back."

The female disciple breathed a sigh of relief.

"Senior sister is right."

On the other side, Xie Buci nudged Mo Chengyue with his shoulder.

"See? Junior Sister Xiao is better at comforting people than you are."

Mo Chengyue said, "I can do that too."

Xie Buci asked, "What can you do?"

Mo Chengyue said, "If you don't understand, don't force yourself to listen. Forcing yourself to listen will only give you a headache."

Xie Buci tried to hold back, but still burst out laughing.

"Your words of comfort are truly fitting for Qingquan Peak."

The gray-robed deacon walked to the ancient tree again, his expression much more solemn than before.

"Fellow disciples, the Supreme Elder is about to arrive."

The whispers within the dojo gradually subsided.

Mo Chengyue sat up straighter.

Xie Buci also put away the peach blossoms in his hand.

Xiao Qinghan lowered her eyes and composed herself.

At this moment, the forty or fifty disciples who practiced the ancient methods of this sect all fell silent.

The mountain breeze rustled through the leafless ancient trees, causing the branches to sway gently.

Mo Chengyue stared at the empty space under the tree, with only one thought in his mind.

Hopefully, this Supreme Elder won't call on me by name.