Imperial Scepter

"Slap! Slap!"

The crisp, chilling sound of the whip echoed through Ping'an County like tearing silk, lingering for a long time.

Above the void, a headless figure dressed in snow-white robes wields a soft whip, herding a flock of white sheep.

"Oh oh oh."

The white sheep trod across the empty sky, their hooves flailing wildly, bleating with despair and sorrow. Their cloudy eyes held no light, and tear tracks, not yet dried, clung to the corners of their eyes.

This is the infamous headless shepherd in the cultivation world!

As Gao Chun stared at the headless man, his blood boiled instantly, like a raging fire doused with boiling oil, the heat shooting straight to his head, and even his fingertips trembled slightly.

How could he forget?

When he was three and a half years old, his Dao Seed had yet to sprout. It was then that the headless shepherd passed by Gaojia Village. A warm, invisible force burst into his body, allowing him to give birth to the astonishing five-colored Dao Seed!

Everything in the world has a cause and effect. Such an extraordinary opportunity could not have fallen from nowhere; it must be inextricably linked to the headless man.

He also remembered that in order to give birth to the Dao Seed, he had made a blood oath: if he could give birth to the Dao Seed, he would kowtow nine times to the headless man and call him his godfather!

At this moment, the old vow echoed in his mind, and he longed to rush forward and fulfill his promise. But when he glanced at the four people beside him out of the corner of his eye, he instantly regained his composure.

This is no time to lose control under the watchful eyes of everyone!

He forcefully suppressed his surging excitement, his tender face instantly becoming serious, and a dignity beyond his years appeared between his brows and eyes, hiding all his excitement in his eyes.

"Our standard five-person team is officially formed today!"

Gao Chun's voice was clear and resonant, carrying an undeniable certainty: "Huang Xiaoming, from this moment on, you are the fifth member of the team!"

After saying that, he raised his hand and gestured, "Let's welcome the new member with applause!"

Crisp applause rang out in the training ground, and after a simple ceremony, this youth team was officially formed.

Gao Chun turned his gaze back to the headless figure on the horizon, his tone becoming more somber.

"According to the rules of the cultivation world, the team name can only be decided when all of us have reached adulthood (sixteen years old). Since we are all minors now, we will call ourselves the 'High Purity Team' to the outside world."

"As you all have seen, the headless shepherd has emerged from the Southern Wilderness Forest and entered our Eastern Chen Empire for the third time. There must be a great secret hidden within this."

"But we are just minor cultivators at the Bronze Realm, and we are not qualified to peek into these core secrets."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd. "Instead of indulging in irrelevant curiosity, we should focus on cultivation and improve our cultivation level as soon as possible. For cultivators, strength is paramount; this is what we should be doing right now."

As he finished speaking, he nodded slightly to the four of them, his youthful voice devoid of any emotion.

"The team has disbanded; everyone is on their own."

There were no further instructions, nor did they linger for even a moment.

As soon as he finished speaking, he turned around and sped off towards his own courtyard.

Under the blazing sun, the figure stood tall and straight like a pine tree, his steps quick yet steady, exuding a decisiveness that was quite incongruous with his age of twelve and a half.

In the sky, the strange phenomenon of the headless man herding sheep continued to shake the heavens and earth, causing a stir throughout the entire Ping'an County.

But Gao Chun never turned his head once, as if the spectacular sight in the sky that drove countless cultivators crazy was nothing more than an insignificant cloud.

This extreme calmness, which appeared to others as composure even in the face of a collapsing mountain, was something only Gao Chun himself knew. His hands, hidden in his sleeves, had already clenched tightly due to extreme excitement.

His composed demeanor was also deeply noticed by the people around him. Wang Hu watched Gao Chun's determined figure walk away, his eyes instantly filled with admiration, and he was so excited that he almost slapped his thigh and cheered on the spot.

The captain truly lives up to his reputation!

No wonder he is the boss that Wang Hu truly respects!

Faced with the most wondrous sight in the cultivation world, he was able to remain calm and focused solely on cultivation. His composure far surpasses that of his peers!

He clenched his fist tightly, thinking to himself, "The boss is right! Personal strength is fundamental! What right do I, a mere three-star Bronze Realm cultivator, have to be curious about those unattainable secrets?"

Since following Gao Chun and returning from the training in the Southern Wilderness Forest less than two months ago, he has broken through to the third level of the Bronze Realm. Such progress was something he never dared to dream of before!

"My boss is the guiding light in my life!"

Wang Hu's resolve grew stronger. He quickly greeted the other three and then turned and rushed home, wanting to seize every minute and second to cultivate.

Unlike Wang Hu's pure expression, Li Daoqiu looked at the headless figure in the void with a slight frown and deep thought in his eyes.

Among his peers, only Gao Chun can rival him in terms of mental maturity.

More than three years ago, on the day Gao Chun was born with the Dao Seed, it was also the day when the headless man, Void Shepherd, appeared in Ping'an County for the second time.

"Why that particular day?" He had asked his father, Li Quan, the same question back then.

Old Man Li Quan didn't answer directly at the time, but instead gave him a mysterious smile, patted him on the shoulder and said, "Daoqiu, the path of the Xuanzhe has many answers that you need to find for yourself."

"Whether the birth of a pure Dao seed is related to the headless phenomenon is something even my father can't say for sure. Some guesses are best kept to ourselves; speaking them aloud could bring disaster."

"Human hearts are complex. You were born into a sect and have witnessed countless battles among cultivators, but you may not understand human relationships." His father's voice still seemed to echo in his ears.

"My son and I were able to escape death from the sect and live in seclusion here entirely thanks to your help, Uncle Gao Changhe. The entire Gao family is shrouded in mystery. Even if you discover anything unusual, you must keep it to yourself and never mention it to outsiders..."

Memories flashed through his mind, and Li Daoqiu's eyes grew increasingly deep.

He could tell that Uncle Gao Changhe, Sister Gao Xuemei, and Brother Gao Qingfeng were not as simple as they seemed on the surface.

Now, his childhood friend Gao Chun has become increasingly mysterious and enigmatic.

"The Gao family must be hiding a secret about their past," he murmured to himself.

But he knew the principle of "repaying a drop of kindness with a spring of gratitude," and the Gao family had saved his and his son's lives; this kindness was heavier than Mount Tai.

"No matter how many secrets the Gao family holds, I will keep them to myself. This is my principle as a person, and even more so, it is my 'way' as a Xuanzhe (a practitioner of metaphysics)."

Suppressing his thoughts, Li Daoqiu no longer lingered on the strange phenomenon in the sky and turned to walk home.

Gao Chun is right. One's own strength is fundamental; excessive curiosity will only hinder cultivation.

On the other hand, Gao Chengzhi's reaction was completely different from the others.

He stood on tiptoe, craning his neck, his eyes wide open, staring intently at the headless man in the sky.

His face was full of gossip and curiosity, looking exactly like someone watching a spectacle.

As soon as Gao Chun announced the disbandment, he ran like a wild horse, dashing into the group of teenagers next to the training ground, craning his neck and straining his ears to hear every word of their conversation.

He was already obsessed with storybooks, especially those bizarre and fantastical tales. Now, having actually witnessed the legendary headless man herding sheep in the void, his curiosity was piqued and he couldn't wait to get to him.

He squeezed into the crowd, listening intently to the young cultivators' discussions, occasionally chiming in with a word or two. His eyes shone brightly, and his face was filled with barely suppressed excitement, as if this astonishing phenomenon before him was a live drama a hundred times more exciting than any storybook, filling him with immense joy.

Huang Xiaoming, who recently joined the team, is a completely different story.

His mouth was stretched wide, his eyes were smiling like two crescent moons, his cheeks were bulging, and he was filled with unconcealed joy, even his eyebrows and eyes revealed his smugness.

"Finally! I've finally joined the High Purity team! From now on, I have a strong backer!"

He was deeply grateful for his father's teachings, which had taught him how to conduct himself, how to read people's expressions, and how to maintain good interpersonal relationships since he was a child.

What he held even higher in his heart was his father's famous saying: "If you're unlucky, befriend people who are lucky, or join a team that's lucky."

These words were more precious to him than any cultivation manual; they were practically the Huang family's family heirloom! He wanted his descendants to have them etched into their very bones.

"As long as we truly understand and put these words into practice, the Huang family will never decline; in fact, they might even soar to great heights in the cultivation world!"

"Although the Huang family is the largest clan in Gaojia Village, they are ultimately of humble origins and have no special privileges whatsoever."

"Grandpa and Dad's lifelong wish was to elevate the Huang family to the ranks of the 'gentry,' to become beneficiaries of the Dongchen Empire's 'One Chief and Six Departments' system, so that future generations could hold their heads high and say: 'The position of Chief of Department X was born to be our Huang family!'"

Just imagining that magnificent scene, Huang Xiaoming's mouth almost stretched to his ears, and he nearly drooled.

"To realize this dream, I can't do it alone. My dual-colored Dao Seed talent, no matter how hard I cultivate, will never amount to anything. The real hope lies entirely with Gao Chun!"

"Father was right: 'A golden carp is no ordinary fish; it transforms into a dragon when it encounters wind and clouds.' Gao Chun is that dragon!"

"Gao Chun stood out from the crowd from a young age, excelling in academics and combat. Yet, even at the age of nine, when his Dao Seed reached its limit, he still managed to give birth to a rare three-colored Dao Seed. What else could he be but a chosen one?"

"I, Huang Xiaoming, don't have that destiny, nor that talent, but I know how to leverage resources! As long as I cling to Gao Chun's coattails and stick with Gao Chun's team, my destiny will naturally change, and the Huang family's dream will surely come true!"

Huang Xiaoming made up his mind and pulled his wandering thoughts back.

He first glanced at the headless shepherd in the sky, then looked at the chattering teenagers in the training ground, and immediately put on a friendly smile.

The opportunity has arrived; we must seize this moment to build more connections.

"As for Captain Gao Chun telling me to cultivate diligently, I certainly haven't forgotten. But I know perfectly well that with the aptitude of a two-colored Dao Seed, no matter how much I cultivate, it will be difficult to achieve great things."

"A person may not work hard, but they cannot lack self-awareness. Playing to one's strengths is true wisdom. This is the true meaning of 'choice is more important than effort'!"

"My value doesn't lie in cultivation. My real skills are being good at socializing, thick-skinned, good at building connections, and good at gathering intelligence."

Huang Xiaoming smiled knowingly, and the words his mother often said echoed in his ears: "The way to a man's heart is through his stomach."

His eyes darted around.

Although Gao Chun is a boy, he is still a man after all.

It seems that if I want to win over Gao Chun and hold onto this golden opportunity, I'll have to keep practicing cooking diligently.

He secretly resolved to hone his culinary skills and hold fast to this golden opportunity that would change his own destiny and that of the Huang family.

......

Meanwhile, Gao Chun had already hurried back to his own courtyard.

Following his father's previous instructions, he busied himself and finally activated the protective array that had been set up in the courtyard. The pale golden light curtain spread silently, completely enveloping the small courtyard.

In the shimmering light of the array, the image of his father leaving the village a few days ago clearly appeared in his mind.

The old man remained calm, his eyes revealing a profound understanding of everything. His tone was gentle yet carried an undeniable certainty: "Your Dao Seed has been born for three and a half years. I am about to go out for a while. Remember, if the Headless Shepherd reappears, immediately return to the courtyard and stay there. Do not go out."

Although he was only twelve and a half years old at the time, his face showed no trace of childish restlessness, only composure. Only a hint of doubt flashed in his clear eyes as he softly asked:

"Father, I know that the day the Dao Seed was born three and a half years ago was the day the headless man first appeared, and I also remember the mysterious power that surged into my body. But why are you insisting that I hide in the courtyard this time?"

The old man didn't answer immediately, but just stared at him quietly with those eyes that seemed to see into the future.

His gaze was deep and gentle, causing him to subconsciously suppress all his emotions and silently wait for what was to come.

After a while.

The old man spoke slowly, his words carrying a deeper meaning: "The headless man is destined to be with you. His appearance is not a danger to you, but an opportunity. The formation in this courtyard is both a barrier and a protection."

Gao Chun's heart skipped a beat, and he was about to ask further when he saw his father raise his hand to signal him to be quiet.

"Some opportunities must be experienced firsthand; there's no point in saying more," the old man said calmly.

"This formation can conceal unusual phenomena and prevent prying eyes. It will not let outsiders notice the movements on you, and it will also protect you from being disturbed, so you can accept this destiny with peace of mind."

At that time, Gao Chun had not fully grasped his father's deeper meaning, but he had obediently nodded and remembered it.

Looking back now, I realize that my father had long been aware of the connection between the headless man and him, and even knew that the man would send him a gift.

As Gao Chun gained more experience, he became increasingly aware that his father's seemingly ordinary appearance concealed many unknown secrets.

"My father must have known about the connection between the headless man and me long ago, and knew that the other party would bring me an opportunity at the right time, which is why he set up this exquisite formation in the courtyard in advance."

Gao Chun murmured to himself, carefully examining the array that surrounded his entire courtyard.

This formation is no ordinary protective barrier.

It completely separated its own courtyard from Gaojia Village, creating two separate worlds.

No matter what noises or strange phenomena occur in the courtyard, the villagers would never notice or see a thing.

Gao Chun stared at the runes flowing on the light screen, his heart filled with even greater shock.

The ingenuity of this formation is beyond the capabilities of ordinary Silver-level cultivators.

The old man may seem like just an average Silver-level cultivator, but the techniques he has mastered, the profound secret manuals he has produced, and the extraordinary knowledge he possesses all suggest that he is unfathomable.

Besides the formation, his father's good intentions for him became increasingly clear at this moment.

From a young age, his father used various methods to temper his mind:

During spring plowing, he was taught to appreciate the resilience of crop growth; during winter hunting, he was taught to be alert to danger; when arguing with others, he was made to calm down for three days before re-examining right and wrong; and he even tacitly allowed the ridicule of his fellow villagers, so that he could see through the coldness of human relationships and the impermanence of life at an early age.

Later, when he was born with a Dao Seed and his cultivation reached the Three-Star Bronze Realm, his father arranged for him to undergo trials in the Southern Wilderness Forest.

That journey not only honed his combat skills but also allowed him to adapt to the dangerous training environment in advance.

Looking back now, the "coincidence" that allowed him to escape danger during that ordeal must have been his father secretly protecting him, just to ensure his safety.

Gao Chun gazed at the runes flowing on the array's light screen, his heart filled with admiration.

The old man's wisdom lay not only in his foresight of the opportunities brought by the headless man, but also in paving the way for his growth step by step.

We should protect him with all our might, but not spoil him, so that he can face the storms of life independently.

Although he is only twelve and a half years old, his mental maturity far surpasses that of a sixteen-year-old adult Xuanzhe.

He knew perfectly well that the array in this courtyard was a "shelter of opportunity" that his father had tailored for him.

The reappearance of the headless man marks the crucial moment for him to seize this immense opportunity.

All of this was because he had a wise and insightful father.

He will certainly not let this painstaking effort go to waste, and will seize this opportunity to live up to his father's high expectations.

"I wonder what exactly this opportunity is?"

"How much weight will it carry? And how much will it increase my strength?"

Gao Chun's gaze grew increasingly intense, his eyes shining with an astonishing brightness.

He was filled with boundless anticipation for the headless man in the sky; his blood was already boiling, like a burning fire or surging magma, hot and turbulent.

[This chapter contains 4600 words. Today's total update count has exceeded 10,000. See you tomorrow!]