Chapter 2 — Immortal, Apparently

The Sect Master arrived before the tea had finished steeping.

Shen Yuan wasn't surprised.

What did surprise him was that Gu Tianhe hadn't come alone.

Three figures descended onto Cloudveil Peak almost simultaneously.

The first was Gu Tianhe, Sect Master of the Azure Origin Sect.

The second was Qin Feng, master of Heavenly Sword Peak.

The third was Mu Qinglan, master of Jade Lotus Peak.

Shen Yuan stood beneath the flowering tree in his courtyard and watched them approach.

Then he looked toward the sky.

"Only three?"

Qin Feng landed first.

His white-and-blue robes settled around him as the sword beneath his feet returned to its sheath.

"Disappointed?"

"A little."

Shen Yuan poured another cup of tea.

"I thought the entire sect might come."

"You nearly made that happen."

Gu Tianhe stepped onto the courtyard.

The Sect Master looked to be in his early forties, though Shen Yuan knew the man was several centuries old.

His expression was usually composed.

Today, it wasn't.

"Shen Yuan."

"Sect Master."

"What did you do?"

Shen Yuan considered the question.

"Can you be more specific?"

Gu Tianhe's eyebrow twitched.

"The sky."

"Ah."

"The spiritual Qi."

"Right."

"The formations across Cloudveil Peak activating simultaneously."

"I noticed that."

"And?"

Shen Yuan lifted his cup.

"I had a breakthrough."

Silence.

Qin Feng stared at him.

Mu Qinglan said nothing.

Gu Tianhe slowly sat opposite Shen Yuan.

"A breakthrough."

"Yes."

"That phenomenon came from a breakthrough."

"Correct."

"Your breakthrough."

"Naturally."

Gu Tianhe looked toward Qin Feng.

Qin Feng looked toward Mu Qinglan.

Mu Qinglan calmly poured herself tea.

"Why are you all looking at each other?"

Shen Yuan asked.

Qin Feng folded his arms.

"Three months ago, you told us you had only recently entered the seventh stage of Soul Transformation."

"I did."

"And now?"

That was a difficult question.

Shen Yuan had been thinking about it since the system disappeared from view earlier.

His status simply said:

Immortal Realm.

That wasn't particularly helpful.

He knew the mortal cultivation sequence.

Body Tempering.

Qi Refining.

Foundation Establishment.

Core Formation.

Nascent Soul.

Soul Transformation.

Void Refining.

Body Integration.

Tribulation Transcendence.

Mahayana.

After Mahayana came ascension.

Immortality.

But the Azure Origin Sect's records concerning what happened after ascension were frustratingly vague.

Some ancient texts mentioned True Immortals.

Others mentioned Heavenly Immortals.

One damaged scripture referenced Golden Immortals.

Shen Yuan had never paid much attention to the distinction.

Why would he?

Yesterday, he was a Soul Transformation cultivator.

Immortality had been something for the distant future.

Then his system arrived thirty years late and apparently decided to compensate for poor service.

"Above Soul Transformation," Shen Yuan answered.

Qin Feng's expression became flat.

"Very informative."

"I try."

Gu Tianhe leaned forward.

"Void Refining?"

Shen Yuan thought about it.

"Above that."

The Sect Master's expression changed.

Qin Feng's arms slowly unfolded.

Mu Qinglan finally looked directly at him.

"Body Integration?"

"Above that too."

Nobody spoke.

A breeze moved through the courtyard.

Several pale blossoms fell onto the stone table.

Gu Tianhe stared at Shen Yuan.

"Tribulation Transcendence?"

Shen Yuan took another sip.

"Still above."

Qin Feng's eyes narrowed.

"Mahayana?"

"Above."

This time, the silence lasted longer.

Gu Tianhe didn't immediately ask the next question.

There wasn't another mortal realm to ask about.

Finally, Mu Qinglan spoke.

"Immortal?"

Shen Yuan placed his cup down.

"Probably."

Qin Feng stared.

"Probably?"

"I haven't had time to research the Immortal Realm."

"You haven't had time?"

"The breakthrough happened less than an hour ago."

Qin Feng opened his mouth.

Closed it.

Then opened it again.

"You went from Soul Transformation to Immortal in less than an hour?"

Technically, it had been much faster than that.

Shen Yuan decided not to mention it.

Gu Tianhe suddenly stood.

"Impossible."

The word carried no accusation.

Only disbelief.

Shen Yuan understood.

If their positions were reversed, he wouldn't believe himself either.

Breaking through a single major realm could require decades or centuries.

Tribulation Transcendence cultivators sometimes prepared hundreds of years just to survive their next heavenly calamity.

Shen Yuan had skipped everything.

There had been no bottleneck.

No enlightenment.

No tribulation.

One moment he was at Soul Transformation.

The next—

Immortal.

"Show me."

Gu Tianhe's expression had become serious.

Shen Yuan looked at him.

"Show you what?"

"Your cultivation."

That created another problem.

Shen Yuan had spent the last hour learning how to conceal it.

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Fortunately, the Primordial Autonomous Dao Body seemed extremely cooperative.

The moment he thought about suppressing his presence, every trace of his cultivation disappeared.

Completely.

Not even Gu Tianhe had detected anything upon arriving.

Shen Yuan released a tiny portion.

Gu Tianhe froze.

The teacups rattled.

Qin Feng's sword hummed inside its sheath.

Mu Qinglan's eyes widened.

Then—

Shen Yuan suppressed it again.

Everything returned to normal.

Gu Tianhe remained standing.

"What realm was that?"

Shen Yuan blinked.

"I barely released anything."

"I know."

"Oh."

That didn't answer the question.

Gu Tianhe slowly sat back down.

Qin Feng was no longer looking at Shen Yuan like a fellow Peak Master.

He was looking at him like a mountain had suddenly grown legs.

Mu Qinglan was the first to recover.

"Your aura felt different."

Shen Yuan turned toward her.

"Different?"

"Not simply stronger."

She frowned slightly.

"Complete."

That caught his attention.

"Explain."

Mu Qinglan considered her words.

"When cultivators release their aura, there are imperfections. Fluctuations. Spiritual energy interacts with the surrounding world."

She looked toward the trees.

"When you released yours, the surrounding spiritual Qi stopped moving."

Shen Yuan hadn't noticed.

Qin Feng looked around.

"So did my sword intent."

Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow.

"You were releasing sword intent?"

"Not intentionally."

That was more interesting.

Gu Tianhe's expression grew increasingly complicated.

"Shen Yuan."

"Hm?"

"How?"

There it was.

The question Shen Yuan had expected.

He couldn't exactly say:

My system finally activated.

Fortunately, cultivators were convenient people.

The more impossible something became, the easier it was to blame it on enlightenment, inheritances, secret realms, bloodlines, ancient treasures, or the Dao.

"I comprehended something."

Gu Tianhe waited.

Shen Yuan didn't continue.

"Something?"

"Something profound."

Qin Feng's expression became strange.

"How profound?"

Shen Yuan gestured vaguely toward himself.

"This profound."

Mu Qinglan covered her mouth with her cup.

Shen Yuan suspected she was hiding a smile.

Gu Tianhe looked tired.

"You realize this makes absolutely no sense."

"Most breakthroughs don't."

"Most breakthroughs don't skip half the cultivation system."

"Perhaps I understood something particularly profound."

Qin Feng finally sat down.

"I suddenly dislike you."

"You've disliked me for years."

"Not enough."

That earned the smallest smile from Shen Yuan.

Despite the absurdity of the situation, this was why he preferred dealing with these people.

The Azure Origin Sect wasn't perfect.

No sect was.

There were factions.

Competition.

Arguments over resources.

Disagreements between peaks.

But Gu Tianhe had supported Shen Yuan when several elders thought him too young to become a Peak Master.

Qin Feng competed with him constantly but had never sabotaged him.

Mu Qinglan rarely involved herself in disputes unless necessary.

They were people Shen Yuan trusted.

Just not enough to tell them about the system.

At least not yet.

Perhaps never.

Gu Tianhe exhaled.

"Does anyone else know?"

"About my cultivation?"

"Yes."

"No."

"Keep it that way."

Shen Yuan nodded.

That had already been his intention.

An Immortal suddenly appearing in the mortal world would attract attention.

Shen Yuan didn't yet know what kind.

Until he understood the consequences, revealing his cultivation would be foolish.

"Publicly," Gu Tianhe continued, "you remain Soul Transformation."

"Fine."

Qin Feng frowned.

"That won't work forever."

"It doesn't need to."

Shen Yuan picked up his cup.

"It only needs to work until I understand what happened."

That answer seemed to satisfy them.

Mostly.

Then Mu Qinglan glanced toward the palace.

"I heard something even more unbelievable."

Shen Yuan knew immediately.

"What?"

"You are accepting disciples."

Qin Feng turned toward him.

Gu Tianhe's serious expression disappeared.

For some reason, this appeared to interest him more than Shen Yuan becoming an Immortal.

Shen Yuan frowned.

"Why is that more surprising than my breakthrough?"

"Because I've spent six years trying to make you accept one."

Gu Tianhe leaned back.

"Apparently, becoming an Immortal was easier."

"..."

Shen Yuan couldn't argue with that.

Qin Feng looked amused now.

"How many?"

"I haven't decided."

"You ordered all the disciple residences prepared."

News traveled quickly.

Shen Yuan glanced toward the attendant standing very far away at the edge of the courtyard.

The young man immediately looked elsewhere.

"Preparation doesn't mean I'll fill them."

Mu Qinglan tilted her head.

"What kind of disciple are you looking for?"

That was an excellent question.

Shen Yuan didn't know.

The system had given him a mission.

Accept your first disciple.

The reward was Disciple Inspection.

Which meant he wouldn't even possess the inspection ability until after accepting someone.

That was inconvenient.

He had spent the last hour examining the system's available information.

No hidden beginner radar.

No glowing arrows.

No automatic notifications identifying heaven-defying geniuses.

For his first disciple, Shen Yuan would have to choose normally.

Unless the system offered something during the ceremony.

He hoped it would.

"Someone suitable."

Qin Feng looked unimpressed.

"Insightful."

"Thank you."

Gu Tianhe rubbed his temple.

"The recruitment ceremony begins tomorrow morning."

Shen Yuan paused.

"Tomorrow?"

"You really didn't read the notice."

"I read enough."

"You read the title."

"That was enough at the time."

Gu Tianhe stared at him.

Then he laughed.

It wasn't a dignified Sect Master's laugh.

It was the laugh of someone who had spent years dealing with Shen Yuan and had finally accepted defeat.

"Fine."

He stood.

"Come tomorrow."

"I will."

"Before noon."

"I'll consider it."

"Before noon."

Shen Yuan sighed.

"Fine."

Gu Tianhe turned toward the others.

"We should go."

Qin Feng stood, but before leaving, he looked back at Shen Yuan.

His expression had become serious again.

"When you've stabilized whatever you've become, spar with me."

Shen Yuan stared at him.

"No."

Qin Feng frowned.

"Why?"

"Because I don't know whether you'll survive."

Silence.

Qin Feng's expression darkened.

Then Shen Yuan smiled.

"Probably."

"Shen Yuan."

"Go prepare your disciples."

Qin Feng left without another word.

Mu Qinglan followed, although Shen Yuan could clearly see amusement in her eyes.

Gu Tianhe remained for several breaths.

"Be careful."

Shen Yuan's smile faded slightly.

"I know."

"No, you don't."

Gu Tianhe looked toward the sky.

"If you've truly crossed that boundary, then you've stepped into territory none of us understand."

His voice lowered.

"Our oldest records say ascension carries cultivators away from this world."

Shen Yuan followed his gaze.

"But I'm still here."

"Exactly."

That was the problem.

Gu Tianhe placed a hand on Shen Yuan's shoulder.

"Until we understand why, don't assume becoming stronger means becoming safer."

Then he left.

Shen Yuan remained in the courtyard.

The words stayed with him.

Becoming stronger didn't mean becoming safer.

In cultivation stories, that was usually true.

Every new realm simply introduced stronger enemies.

Shen Yuan looked at the sky for a moment.

Then a notification appeared.

[Passive cultivation progress increased.]

He stared.

A second notification followed.

[Primordial Autonomous Dao Body has absorbed surrounding spiritual energy.]

[Cultivation increased slightly.]

Shen Yuan's expression changed.

Slightly?

He focused on himself.

The energy inside his body had indeed grown stronger since the morning.

Not by much.

But undeniably stronger.

He had done nothing.

He had drunk tea.

Talked.

Sat down.

Stood up.

And somehow become stronger.

"Ridiculous."

The system offered no response.

Shen Yuan walked toward the edge of the courtyard.

He decided to test something.

With a thought, his divine sense expanded.

Across the palace.

Across Cloudveil Peak.

Down the mountainside.

He immediately sensed the disciple residences being cleaned.

Attendants carried furniture between courtyards.

Several spirit cranes fought over something near the garden.

One of the elderly cooks was complaining that nobody had warned him he might suddenly need to feed disciples.

Shen Yuan's divine sense continued outward.

Ten kilometers.

One hundred.

One thousand.

It didn't stop.

His awareness crossed the entire Azure Origin Sect.

He saw Heavenly Sword Peak.

Thousands of disciples practiced beneath Qin Feng's sword formations.

Jade Lotus Peak.

Mu Qinglan had already returned and was speaking with several elders.

The central peak.

Gu Tianhe entered the Sect Master's hall.

Shen Yuan pushed farther.

Mountains.

Cities.

Rivers.

Cultivator clans.

Demonic beasts hidden in forests.

His perception expanded until the sheer amount of information became irritating.

He withdrew it.

Shen Yuan stood quietly.

"...So that's an Immortal."

He wasn't sure how he felt about it.

Power had always been something he pursued step by step.

Every improvement had required effort.

Now enormous strength had simply been placed into his hands.

And worse—

his physique continued increasing it.

He needed time to understand what he could actually do.

Shen Yuan raised his hand.

Space trembled around his fingers.

He stopped immediately.

No.

Testing Immortal techniques on Cloudveil Peak was probably a terrible idea.

He liked his mountain.

Instead, he walked toward the meditation pavilion.

Perhaps the sect library contained records about ascension.

He had taken several steps when the system appeared again.

[Reminder.]

[Primary Mission: Accept your first disciple.]

[Reward: Disciple Inspection.]

Shen Yuan stopped.

"I know."

[Time until recruitment ceremony: 18 hours.]

"Are you rushing me?"

No answer.

Shen Yuan narrowed his eyes.

The system disappeared.

The next morning, the Azure Origin Sect was louder than Shen Yuan had heard it in years.

Thousands of people gathered beyond the main sect gates.

Some were cultivators.

Most were mortals.

Young men and women stood beside parents, clan elders, guards, or traveling companions.

Flying ships hovered beyond the mountains.

Carriages drawn by spirit beasts filled the lower roads.

Banners from cultivation clans across the region moved in the morning wind.

For many of them, today would determine the direction of their entire lives.

The Azure Origin Sect held its major recruitment ceremony only once every three years.

Anyone between the required ages could participate.

Background mattered less than talent.

At least officially.

In practice, powerful clans still prepared their descendants from childhood.

They arrived with superior cultivation methods, medicines, martial training, and knowledge.

Ordinary candidates arrived with hope.

Sometimes that was enough.

At the main sect plaza, enormous testing formations had already activated.

Azure light flowed across the white stone.

Elders occupied raised platforms.

Inner disciples managed registration tables.

Representatives from the Five Great Peaks sat above the plaza.

Heavenly Sword Peak.

Jade Lotus Peak.

Vermilion Flame Peak.

Black Tortoise Peak.

And—

An empty seat.

Cloudveil Peak.

Gu Tianhe looked at it.

Then at the sun.

Then back at the empty seat.

Qin Feng sat nearby.

"I told you."

Gu Tianhe's expression darkened.

"He said he would come."

"He also said he'd consider arriving before noon."

Mu Qinglan quietly drank her tea.

"Give him time."

"The ceremony is starting."

As if summoned by his irritation, a ripple passed through the clouds.

Several elders looked upward.

A figure descended from the sky.

No flying sword.

No spirit beast.

No artifact.

Shen Yuan simply walked down through the air.

White robes moved gently around him.

His long dark hair was secured behind him by a simple ornament.

His aura was completely restrained.

To everyone below, he appeared exactly as he had before.

A young Soul Transformation Peak Master.

Nothing more.

But his arrival immediately changed the atmosphere.

Candidates began whispering.

"Who is that?"

"You don't know?"

"That's Peak Master Shen!"

"Cloudveil Peak?"

"I thought Cloudveil Peak didn't recruit disciples."

"It doesn't."

"Then why is he here?"

That question spread rapidly.

Shen Yuan landed beside the empty seat.

Gu Tianhe looked at him.

"You're late."

Shen Yuan looked toward the sun.

"I'm early."

"The ceremony started."

"But it's before noon."

Gu Tianhe closed his eyes.

Qin Feng looked away.

Mu Qinglan smiled into her tea.

Shen Yuan sat.

Below them, thousands of candidates filled the plaza.

The system appeared before him.

[Recruitment environment detected.]

Shen Yuan's attention sharpened.

Finally.

[Primary Mission remains active.]

[Accept your first disciple.]

[Special temporary function unlocked.]

Shen Yuan's eyes narrowed.

[Basic Candidate Evaluation.]

That was useful.

Very useful.

He looked toward the nearest candidate.

A small interface appeared.

[Spiritual Root: Mid-grade.]

[Talent: Moderate.]

[Compatibility: 31%.]

Shen Yuan's lips curved slightly.

So the system wasn't completely unreasonable.

He looked at another.

[Spiritual Root: High-grade Fire.]

[Talent: High.]

[Compatibility: 42%.]

Another.

[Spiritual Root: High-grade Wood.]

[Talent: High.]

[Compatibility: 38%.]

Shen Yuan scanned the crowd.

Interfaces appeared and vanished.

Twenty percent.

Thirty-five.

Forty-one.

Fifty.

Then—

[Compatibility: 71%.]

Shen Yuan paused.

A young man in expensive robes stood among several clan descendants.

Excellent spiritual root.

Strong foundation.

Promising talent.

Not bad.

Shen Yuan continued.

Sixty-three.

Fifty-eight.

Forty-seven.

Then another candidate drew his attention.

The testing stone before the young man erupted with brilliant golden light.

Gasps spread through the plaza.

An elder abruptly stood.

"Heavenly-grade spiritual root!"

The crowd exploded.

Even Qin Feng leaned forward.

Gu Tianhe smiled.

Shen Yuan looked at the candidate.

A system panel appeared.

[Name: Zhao Tianming.]

[Spiritual Root: Heavenly-grade.]

[Talent: Exceptional.]

[Destiny: Purple.]

[Compatibility: 82%.]

Shen Yuan raised an eyebrow.

Excellent.

Very excellent.

This was precisely the kind of disciple any Peak Master would want.

Several elders were already whispering excitedly.

Zhao Tianming stood proudly beneath the testing formation.

Then he looked upward.

His gaze landed on Shen Yuan.

For a brief moment, their eyes met.

The young man's expression changed.

Hope.

Clearly, he wanted Cloudveil Peak.

Shen Yuan considered him.

Eighty-two percent compatibility.

Heavenly-grade spiritual root.

Exceptional talent.

Purple destiny.

For a first disciple, that seemed almost perfect.

Then—

A commotion came from the far side of the plaza.

"Failed."

An elder's bored voice carried through the recruitment area.

"Next."

A young woman stood before a dim testing stone.

There was almost no light.

Several candidates behind her whispered.

"Another low-grade root?"

"Why even come here?"

"Wait, isn't that..."

Shen Yuan wasn't paying attention at first.

Then his system flickered.

Once.

Twice.

The translucent panel in front of Zhao Tianming disappeared.

A new message appeared.

[Warning.]

Shen Yuan's gaze shifted.

Across thousands of candidates.

Across the enormous plaza.

Toward the young woman standing beside the dim testing stone.

She wore simple clothes.

No clan insignia.

No expensive spiritual artifacts.

Her face was calm, but one hand was clenched tightly at her side.

The elder managing the test shook his head.

"Damaged spiritual root."

The whispers grew louder.

"Unfortunate."

"She won't get far."

"Maybe an outer disciple position?"

"With damaged roots?"

The young woman lowered her eyes.

Then Shen Yuan saw another system notification.

[Abnormal candidate detected.]

He straightened.

The system panel struggled to form.

Lines of information appeared.

Vanished.

Reappeared.

Finally—

[Name: Lin Yue.]

[Spiritual Root: Damaged.]

[Talent Evaluation: ???]

[Destiny Evaluation: ???]

[Hidden Condition Detected.]

[Compatibility: 97%.]

Shen Yuan stared at the final number.

Ninety-seven.

Below the platform, the elder had already gestured for Lin Yue to leave the testing area.

Zhao Tianming's heavenly-grade spiritual root was still illuminating half the plaza.

Everyone was looking at him.

Everyone except Shen Yuan.

He was looking at the girl nobody wanted.

And for the first time since arriving at the recruitment ceremony, Shen Yuan became genuinely interested.

"Interesting."

Beside him, Mu Qinglan heard the word.

She followed his gaze.

Her eyes landed on Lin Yue.

Then she looked back at Shen Yuan.

"Her?"

Shen Yuan didn't answer.

The system displayed one final message.

[Recommendation:]

[Observe candidate Lin Yue.]

Shen Yuan leaned back slightly.

Ninety-seven percent compatibility.

A damaged spiritual root.

An evaluation the system itself couldn't complete.

Perhaps his first disciple had just appeared.