Starting as a Talisman Master

Although Old Man Gu's expression did not change much, the sternness in his eyes had dissipated.

"To be able to discern the pathology of a second-tier spiritual plant at a glance and hit the nail on the head, your eyesight and knowledge are indeed far superior to those of the fools under my tutelage."

Having said that, he waved his sleeve and said, "Come back to my thatched cottage with me."

The three returned to the ancient thatched cottage.

Old Gu sat down in the rattan chair, picked up the spiritual tea on the table, took a small sip, and said directly:

"Since you possess such true skill, I will naturally keep my promise. I accept your status as an outer disciple, and I will send someone to take you to the External Affairs Pavilion shortly to collect your identity jade token and other necessary items."

Yun Zhi's face immediately lit up with a smile, her genuine joy was undeniable.

She turned to look at Lu Chi and solemnly warned him:

"Fellow Daoist Lu, now that you have entered the Taiqing Palace, you must abide by the sect rules and diligently cultivate. Do not waste this great opportunity for immortality. You are new here and alone in the outer sect. If you encounter any troublesome difficulties, you are welcome to come to Shuiyun Peak to find me."

She gently raised her hand, took out an exquisite storage bag embroidered with subtle cloud and water patterns from her sleeve, and handed it to Lu Chi, saying softly:

"The outer sect is a mixed bag, and some friction and infighting are inevitable. In this bag, I have prepared some pills to strengthen your foundation and nourish your vital energy, as well as a few magical artifacts for self-defense. Consider it a gift to congratulate you on joining the sect; please accept them."

Lu Chi did not make any false refusals. He carefully accepted the storage bag with both hands and solemnly said, "I will always remember the kindness of the fairy in guiding me and bestowing this treasure."

Seeing that he acted efficiently and without affectation, Yunzhi's admiration deepened.

She smiled freely, and without further ado, bid farewell to Old Man Gu. With a light touch of her toes, she once again summoned the Water Cloud Carpet, which transformed into a graceful streak of light, piercing through the clouds and mist and disappearing into the distance.

After that graceful ray of light completely disappeared into the sea of ​​clouds, Old Man Gu slowly put down his teacup, looked at the horizon, and sighed, his wrinkled face revealing a hint of helplessness.

"Junior Sister Yun possesses a rare earth-elemental root, with considerable talent, a clean and honest nature, and a strong sense of loyalty and righteousness. Yet, for some reason, such a promising talent has taken a liking to that one from Zixiao Peak."

Lu Chi stood to the side, his heart stirred slightly as he listened.

Judging from the implication of these words, Yun Zhi seems to already have a Daoist partner. However, judging from Old Man Gu's sigh, the other party is probably not someone to be trifled with.

He remained calm and pretended not to have heard anything.

Such a complex entanglement between Daoist prodigies must involve many hidden interests.

For a mere outer disciple who has just entered the sect, it is best to keep a respectful distance; it has nothing to do with him whatsoever.

Old Gu seemed to realize he had spoken out of turn and stopped talking.

He took out a wooden plaque engraved with the words "Hundred Herbs" from his sleeve, tossed it onto the table, and called out loudly, "Someone come here."

No sooner had the words left his mouth than a figure slipped in through the door.

As luck would have it, it was the same chubby disciple who had been pleading for spiritual plants with a pained expression by the second-tier spiritual field.

"Take my credentials and lead him to the Foreign Affairs Bureau to register and collect the items." Old Man Gu tapped the wooden plaque with his finger and waved for him to leave.

The plump disciple, feeling as if he had been granted a pardon, repeatedly agreed, respectfully picked up the wooden plaque, and led Lu Chi out of the thatched cottage.

Once they were walking down the bluestone path, free from Old Man Gu's spiritual probing, the chubby disciple's tense shoulders immediately relaxed.

He let out a long sigh, turned and cupped his hands in a respectful gesture towards Lu Chi, his round face beaming with amiability:

"My name is Tao Feng, an outer disciple of Hundred Herbs Peak. Just now on the ridge, thanks to your discerning eye, fellow Daoist, you saw through the Fire Spirit Sunflower's ailment. Otherwise, my usual supply of pills for the past six months would have been completely confiscated. Thank you very much!"

Lu Chi returned the greeting slightly, his expression gentle: "My name is Lu Chi. I am new here, and we will be serving together on the peak from now on. I hope Senior Brother Tao will give me your guidance."

"Of course, of course! Now that we've joined Hundred Herbs Peak, we're all family."

Tao Feng chuckled, his naturally outgoing personality impossible to hide.

He slowed his pace slightly, leaned closer, and lowered his voice, asking with great curiosity:

"But Junior Brother Lu, you were truly remarkable just now. You even managed to keep up with the strict gaze of Senior Uncle Gu."

"Senior brother, I'm really itching to know! Where did you learn your skill in identifying whether second-tier spiritual herbs are incompatible with water or fire? You're even more experienced than us old hands who spend all our time rolling in the mud!"

Lu Chi smiled slightly and casually replied, "In my early years, I wandered around and once happened to see a similar pathology on a tattered scroll in a remote market. It was just a blind cat stumbling upon a dead mouse; don't take it seriously."

Tao Feng was not particularly shrewd, and being naturally carefree, he didn't suspect anything upon hearing this. Instead, he looked on with envy and said, "That's your good fortune, Junior Brother! If it were me, even if there were incomplete copies of the book in front of me, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to memorize it."

Changing the subject, the chubby disciple's eyes suddenly lit up with a gossipy glint. He leaned closer, winking and asking, "Speaking of which, Junior Brother, how exactly did you manage to get close to Martial Aunt Yun Zhi of Shuiyun Peak?"

Lu Chi remained calm and replied without revealing any flaws, "It was just a chance encounter that brought us good fortune. Years ago, when I was traveling, I happened to run an errand for my Uncle Yun. He remembered that and that's why he bestowed this favor upon me."

Since it concerned Yun Chen's remains, he naturally wouldn't reveal everything to an outer disciple he had just met.

However, seeing that Tao Feng was talkative and couldn't keep secrets, he realized that he was a good candidate to find out the secrets of the sect, so he went along with it and chatted with him for a while, inquiring about the power structure within the Taiqing Palace.

Tao Feng, who was worried about having no one to listen to his idle chatter, immediately started talking non-stop, like beans pouring from a bamboo tube, igniting the plot with the latest chapter! He then launched into a long, rambling monologue.

"Our Taiqing Palace has a profound foundation, consisting of seven main peaks. There is Tianxing Peak, which is in charge of laws and punishments; Shuiyun Peak, where Uncle Yun is located; Huoling Peak, where a group of alchemy and weapon-forging fanatics gather; and Baicao Peak, which is in charge of cultivating spiritual plants."

Tao Feng counted on his short, thick fingers as if he knew them all well, "Besides these four peaks, there is also the Hidden Sword Peak, where a group of sword fanatics gather, and the Myriad Manifestations Peak, which is proficient in array formations and talismans."

"Of course, the most remarkable of all is Zixiao Peak, the highest peak in this mountain range."

At this point, a look of awe unconsciously appeared on Tao Feng's round face, and he even lowered his voice slightly.

"Zixiao Peak is the main peak, shrouded in clouds and mist all year round. A Nascent Soul ancestor who has lived for countless years personally oversees it! As for the other six peaks, including our Baicao Peak, they are each governed by several Golden Core stage peak masters with extraordinary cultivation."

As the two talked, they unknowingly arrived at the Foreign Affairs Pavilion halfway up the mountain.

The interior of the pavilion was spacious and filled with the fragrance of incense.

Behind the long table sat a middle-aged cultivator dressed in a gray-blue Taoist robe. His spiritual pressure was profound and imposing, indicating that he was also a Foundation Establishment stage senior uncle in charge.

The moment Tao Feng stepped across the threshold, he immediately abandoned his carefree and unrestrained manner and became extremely respectful.

He strode forward, holding the wooden plaque bestowed by Old Man Gu in both hands, and presented it to him with utmost respect.

The middle-aged Taoist priest took the wooden plaque, probed it with his divine sense, and nodded slightly after confirming that it was correct.

Immediately, he took out a jade scroll, picked up the cinnabar spirit brush, and routinely questioned Lu Chi about his bone age, cultivation level, and spiritual root aptitude according to the sect's rules.

"Reporting to my senior uncle, I am twenty-one years old (by Chinese reckoning), possess a low-grade spiritual root, and have fortunately cultivated to the seventh level of Qi Refining," Lu Chi replied calmly and truthfully.

The middle-aged Taoist priest paused slightly as he picked up his brush.

Tao Feng, standing to the side, gasped in astonishment, his round eyes widening as he stared at him in disbelief.

A poor, rogue cultivator with a low-grade spiritual root was able to open the door to the late stage of Qi Refining at the tender age of twenty. Such a speed of cultivation must have come from some extraordinary opportunity he encountered outside.

However, this surprise was fleeting in the eyes of the two of them.

The Taiqing Palace possesses unfathomable depths of knowledge and resources. Not to mention a few spiritual herbs and elixirs, it also boasts numerous top-tier ancient inheritances.

The unorthodox skills of a mere Qi Refining junior are far from being worthy of the attention of a Foundation Establishment cultivator.

The middle-aged Taoist priest quickly regained his composure and, without hesitation, recorded Lu Chi's name.

After the ink on the jade tablet had dried, he did not immediately bestow upon the outer disciple's identity jade token. Instead, he stood up and said calmly, "Come with me."

He led Lu Chi into the inner hall.

Inside the hall, there was nothing else of value except a simple array platform in the center, with an ancient bronze mirror hanging at the center of the array.

"Our Taiqing Palace is a righteous and prestigious sect, with strict rules for accepting disciples. This is the 'Purifying Heart Examination,' specifically designed to test for bloodlust and demonic energy."

The middle-aged Taoist priest stood with his hands behind his back, gesturing for Lu Chi to step into the formation. "Go up and take a look to prove your innocence, to guard against demonic monsters trying to pass themselves off as genuine."

Lu Chi understood and stepped into the fray with composure.

Suddenly, a burst of cool, spiritual light shone from the bronze mirror, sweeping across Lu Chi's body like ripples of water.

The magical power of the *Taiyuan Xuanshui Jing* within Lu Chi's body was balanced and tranquil, without a trace of resentment or bloodlust left from slaughter and devouring. The clear light disc spun once, without showing any abnormality, and then dimmed and disappeared.

Seeing this, the middle-aged Taoist priest finally lowered his guard and took out a lustrous jade identity token, two sets of outer sect gray robes, and a standard storage bag from his sleeve and handed them to Lu Chi.

At the moment of handover, the middle-aged Taoist priest's face turned solemn, and his tone became unusually serious and weighty:

"By accepting this jade token, you will become a member of my Taiqing Palace. Although my sect does not demand that its disciples swear an oath of loyalty to the Great Dao and the Heart Demon, the sect's laws are strict, and we will always observe your character and supervise your conduct."

"In your future actions, you must never emulate the heinous and perverse practices of the demonic path. If you disobey, the sword of Heavenly Punishment Peak will show no mercy or leniency! Do you understand?"

Lu Chi's expression turned serious, and he replied in a deep voice, "This disciple humbly accepts your instruction. I will certainly abide by the sect's rules and live up to the name of the righteous path."

The middle-aged Taoist priest nodded slightly, his expression softening. He then led him to the depths of the inner hall, where a portrait of the Taiqing Patriarch hung high above, exuding an air of otherworldly grace and overlooking all living beings.

Following the sect's etiquette, Lu Chi stepped forward, burned three sticks of incense, and kowtowed deeply.

Once the smoke curls and disappears into the Dharma image, the initiation ceremony is considered completely complete.

The middle-aged Taoist priest slowly offered his advice:

"Now that you're officially registered, the sect will certainly not mistreat you. All outer disciples can come here each month to collect thirty low-grade spirit stones, plus a certain number of regular pills to aid their cultivation. Since you're new here, remember to be diligent and don't waste your time."

"Thank you, Uncle-Master." Lu Chi accepted the gift.

He now carries over two thousand low-grade spirit stones in his storage pouch. These mere thirty spirit stones are insignificant to him and not a large sum.

In the past, when they wandered the market, those low-level cultivators would earn three or five spirit stones, and then they would often have to venture into dangerous places, risking their lives and dying if they were not careful.

With hundreds or even thousands of disciples in the Taiqing Palace, the amount of spirit stones that are painstakingly distributed to the lower-level disciples every month, when accumulated over time, becomes an extremely staggering figure.

One of the three major immortal cultivation sects in Jingzhao Kingdom, it truly possesses unfathomable depth and immense wealth.