Chapter 2: Heaven-Sent Opportunity |
After the man landed, his gaze immediately locked onto the huge pit formed by the lightning strike.
He slightly raised his brows and flicked his sleeve. The violent thunder spiritual energy remaining at the bottom of the crater flowed into his palm like hundreds of rivers converging into the sea, turning into a docile cluster of thunder-light.
Then, his gaze turned toward Lu Fengmian.
At that instant, Lu Fengmian felt as though he had been scanned from head to toe, with not even the gaps between his bones spared.
“Strange...” A trace of surprise and suspicion flashed through the man’s eyes. “The aura of that tribulation lightning just now was clearly an opportunity bestowed by the Heavenly Dao. Although it was only a faint sign of true intent, it could never have been triggered without great Heavenly Dao fortune and great karma. But this child...”
He walked in front of Lu Fengmian, his tone gentle yet carrying an inborn dignity: “Little friend, do you know what happened here just now?”
Under that gaze, Lu Fengmian’s heart skipped a beat, and he hurriedly replied, “Replying to Senior, this junior only saw a terrifying heavenly lightning strike down, and I was nearly caught up in it.”
That person stretched out his hand and pressed against the air, and a force lifted Lu Fengmian up. At the same time, a pure stream of spiritual energy probed into his meridians.
“Bone age, sixteen. Mortal body. No cultivation foundation whatsoever, nor any special bloodline. Inheritance... hm?”
“You were at the center of the tribulation lightning’s aftershock, yet your meridians and internal organs were completely unharmed, and your soul did not show the slightest sign of terror. How interesting.”
Lu Fengmian listened with a pounding heart and could only gather his courage to ask, “May I ask which Senior you are...”
That person glanced at him and said, “This Venerable One is Lingxuan, Sect Master of Lingyun Sect.”
Lu Fengmian: “!!!”
His eyes widened instantly, and his heart began to pound violently once again—but this time, from excitement.
Lingyun Sect! Sect Master! The big boss of the number one sect in the world!
System, do not tell him that bolt of lightning was not trying to kill him, but was instead...
【Beginner’s gift pack “Heaven-Sent Opportunity” had taken effect: triggering a Heavenly Dao phenomenon, attracting a key figure’s attention, and creating an opportunity for the host to join Lingyun Sect.】
The System explained at just the right moment.
Lu Fengmian nearly burst into tears of joy. So that was it! That bolt of lightning had not been meant to strike him, but to create a disturbance and draw this important figure over!
“So it was Venerable Lingxuan himself!” Lu Fengmian hurriedly got up and bowed respectfully. “This junior, Lu Fengmian, pays respects to Venerable.”
Venerable Lingxuan slightly nodded, his gaze still sizing him up. “Your name is Lu Fengmian? When that heavenly lightning fell just now, did you feel anything unusual? Or do you have any special item on you?”
“My parents died early, and I drifted to this place. I only have a few tattered clothes on me, and no valuable possessions.’”
Lu Fengmian answered truthfully; as for the System, no one would believe him, so it was best not to mention it.
Venerable Lingxuan was silent for a moment, then asked, “Are you willing to join my Lingyun Sect?”
Lu Fengmian was wild with joy inside, but he forcibly suppressed the excitement in his heart and revealed just the right amount of surprise and hesitation: “This junior was deeply grateful for Venerable’s grace! It was only that this junior knew his own mediocre talent, with no Foundation at all, so I feared...”
“The foundation can be reshaped. Talent is not the only factor.” Venerable Lingxuan cut him off.
“But opportunity can be sought and yet not obtained. The power of the Heavenly Dao contained within that bolt of heavenly lightning just now had even shocked this Venerable. And you, a mortal with no cultivation at all, stood at the center of the tribulation lightning and yet remained completely unharmed. After cultivating for many years, I have never seen such a strange sight.”
He paused, then slowly said, “This Venerable has a premonition that you may become an opportunity for my Lingyun Sect.”
Lu Fengmian was so excited that the System poured information into the sea of his consciousness in an overwhelming flood:
【The completion condition for the main mission “Join Lingyun Sect” had been triggered! Host, please seize the opportunity!】
He took a deep breath and bowed solemnly. “This little junior, Lu Fengmian, having received Venerable’s favor, was willing to join Lingyun Sect and listen to Venerable’s teachings!”
Venerable Lingxuan nodded in satisfaction. “Very good. Since that is the case, from this day onward, you are this Venerable Lingxuan’s personal disciple, and at the same time the first disciple of the current Sect Master’s line of Lingyun Sect, as well as the Chief Senior Brother.”
This time, Lu Fengmian was truly dumbfounded: “Chief Senior Brother? Venerable, then what about the other Personal Disciple Senior Sisters in the sect, as well as the senior disciples under the various peak masters...”
“The seat had been vacant.” Lingxuan’s tone was calm. “The peak masters may take a few personal disciples, but as the Sect Master’s line, I had never before accepted any disciple. Since you have now entered my sect, then you are my first disciple. According to etiquette, all disciples should address you as ‘Senior Brother.’ The personal disciples of every peak should likewise address you as Senior Brother.”
Lu Fengmian felt his scalp go numb.
Was this starting point a little too high? Air-dropped in as the “Chief Senior Brother” of all disciples? Even if it was only nominal, the pressure was still too great!
Before Lu Fengmian had time to digest this shocking news, Venerable Lingxuan flicked his sleeve.
“Come. Follow this Venerable back to the sect.”
The scene before his eyes instantly blurred and turned into streaks of light that vanished in a flash.
When Lu Fengmian’s feet landed on the ground and he steadied himself, the sight before him left him dumbstruck.
He stood at the end of a white jade bridge stretching thousands of feet across a sea of clouds, and before him towered an enormous mountain gate that pierced straight into the heavens.
The mountain gate had been carved from some unknown spiritual jade, dazzling in color from top to bottom, and engraved with the three ancient characters “Lingyun Sect.” Every stroke seemed to contain the true meaning of the Dao, leaving one dizzy and spellbound.
Beyond the mountain gate lay a boundless and magnificent immortal mountain realm of breathtaking beauty. Seven peaks pierced the skies like giant swords, and amid the rolling clouds and mist, pavilions, towers, and upturned eaves could faintly be seen.
There were even spiritual springs and spiritual waterfalls pouring down like the Milky Way, while immortal birds and spiritual beasts soared and frolicked among them. The dense spiritual energy of heaven and earth had nearly condensed into tangible spiritual mist, making every breath feel refreshing to both body and soul.
This was the aura of the number one sect in the world!
Lu Fengmian’s heart trembled, and at the same time, the System’s crisp notification sounded:
【Main mission “Join Lingyun Sect” completed! Reward: cultivation raised to the third stage of Qi Refining, complete mastery of the basic cultivation technique “Lingyun Art”.】
A warm current instantly poured into his limbs and bones, and Lu Fengmian clearly felt a faint yet real stream of qi within his body—that was spiritual energy.
At the same time, a vast amount of cultivation knowledge flooded into his mind, as though he had already studied the “Lingyun Art” thousands of times.
Venerable Lingxuan seemed to notice something. Casting a sidelong glance, the trace of surprise in his eyes deepened as he said, “In such a short time, you had already guided true qi into your body and reached the third stage of Qi Refining? It seems that the ‘fate’ I spoke of has already begun to come true.”
Lu Fengmian hurriedly lowered his head. “This was all thanks to Master’s guidance, as well as the nourishment of the spiritual energy in this blessed land.”
But inwardly, he said to the System, “At least you still had some conscience, knowing enough to bring some actual benefits.”
【Host’s current identity: first disciple of the Lingyun Sect Master, Chief Senior Brother. Main mission updated: obtain the preliminary recognition of 5% of the sect’s core members within one year.】
【Mission reward: one Foundation Establishment Pill, one mid-grade first-tier flying sword, and one set of exclusive Senior Brother robes.】
The recognition requirement did not seem too high? But “core members” sounded rather complicated.
Lu Fengmian hurriedly asked, “System, what exactly did ‘core members’ mean? And how many people was 5%?”
【Calculating... The scope of Lingyun Sect’s core members is defined as: including the Great Elder, the Sect Master, the peak masters, resident elders, important deacons of the inner and outer sects, the personal disciples of the various peak masters, mountain-guarding spiritual beasts, artifact spirits of divine artifacts at the Scripture Pavilion level and above, for a total of approximately 207.】
【The current number of units required to obtain recognition: 11.】
207 core units?! Lu Fengmian clicked his tongue inwardly; as expected of the number one sect in the world—even spiritual beasts and artifact spirits were counted.
But he only needed to deal with 11 of them. It sounded as though there was still a glimmer of hope.
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