Chapter 63 - 27: Four Seasons Valley, Twenty-four Solar Terms

Chapter 63: Chapter 27: Four Seasons Valley, Twenty-four Solar Terms

"Jiang Xuan, I’ve managed to find out some things about the situation with the Shenxiao Sect’s various peaks."

While Jiang Xuan’s mind was wandering, Dong Hao sidled up to him and shared all the information he had gathered the day before.

He first described the overall structure of the Shenxiao Sect. "Our Shenxiao Sect has always been known for its Three Halls, Nine Peaks, Thirty-Three Mountains, and Eighty-one Blessed Lands."

"Among these, the Nine Peaks are the Upper Vein, the Thirty-Three Mountains are the Middle Vein, and the Eighty-one Blessed Lands are the Lower Vein. As for the three great halls—Shenxiao Hall, the Law Enforcement Hall, and Profound Origin Hall—they are transcendental entities, the core hub of our Shenxiao Sect."

"The three great halls each have their own duties: Shenxiao Hall is where the Sect Leader practices secluded Cultivation, and it’s also the highest chamber for discussing and deciding Sect affairs. The Law Enforcement Hall exclusively handles the Sect’s criminal code; it investigates Elders for misconduct from above and disciplines disciples for rule violations from below. Even handling the Sect’s external grudges falls under its jurisdiction. As for Profound Origin Hall, it’s the residence of the Sect’s highly respected Elder Suo. These Elders both assist Shenxiao Hall in deciding the Sect’s grand strategies and act as a check on the Sect Leader’s power..."

As Dong Hao explained, Jiang Xuan gained a thorough understanding of the Sect’s power structure and operational rules. He finally understood why the Shenxiao Sect, despite being divided into the Upper, Middle, and Lower Veins with vast disparities between them, had never fallen apart.

It was because, beyond the three veins, the three great halls acted as an absolute central authority, stabilizing the entire structure.

Moreover, these three great halls were like the administrative departments of a mortal Dynasty. They didn’t care about your origins, only your ability. Regardless of which peak’s disciple or Elder you were, as long as you could pass the examinations, you could take up a position in a hall and wield authority.

Even for the supreme position of Shenxiao Hall Master—the Sect Leader—the Sect’s rules stated that the masters of the Middle and Lower Vein mountains were also qualified to compete for it.

Of course, that was just what the rules said. It was obvious that the Middle and Lower Veins had almost no chance of producing a Sect Leader, and very few of their members ever entered the three great halls. Or rather, if a peerless prodigy truly capable of becoming Sect Leader appeared, their home vein would have already ascended from the Middle or Lower Veins to join the ranks of the Nine Peaks of the Upper Vein on the strength of that person alone.

Since the Great Dao itself demanded competition, the Shenxiao Sect was no exception. Every sixty years, the Sect would hold a great competition between the peaks and veins to re-evaluate the ranks and positions of all the peaks and mountains.

At this point, Dong Hao lowered his voice. "They say the politics involved run deep. The rotation among the Middle and Lower Veins is relatively orderly, but whenever a change among the Upper Vein’s Nine Peaks is involved, it always stirs up a storm of blood."

Shaking his head, not wanting to touch upon such a Sect taboo any further, Dong Hao abruptly changed the subject to the most pressing matter for the two of them. "These major affairs of peak and vein succession are not for new disciples like us to worry about. Right now, what we should be thinking about is how to choose a peak, enter it, and find a stable place for our Cultivation."

"I asked around about the benefit Lecturer Song Zhou mentioned yesterday. It’s a decree from Shenxiao Hall. With this token, all disciples from the Daoist Schools can enter an inner peak to pursue their Cultivation."

"But you should know, an order is one thing, but whether it’s carried out—and to what extent—is up to each peak to decide."

"In your situation, most of the Eighty-one Blessed Lands will set up an entrance trial. Only by passing it can you enjoy the corresponding Sect benefits. As for the thirty-three Middle Vein peaks, only a handful will disregard your Spirit Root Grade and give you a chance to even participate in a trial..."

Dong Hao didn’t mention the Nine Great Upper Peaks at all, but Jiang Xuan understood his meaning. With his current Spirit Root Grade, the Nine Great Upper Peaks wouldn’t even give him a second glance.

Jiang Xuan’s heart was not the least bit stirred by this.

He had seen this kind of scene—where Talent determined status and one’s Spirit Root decided one’s worth—far too many times.

But the news Dong Hao wanted to share with Jiang Xuan wasn’t just this common information that anyone could find out with a little effort.

After a pause, he unreservedly shared some secret information that only circulated within small circles.

"Among the Lower Vein’s Eighty-one Blessed Lands, I’ve filtered it down to three that would suit you best: the Five Viscera Temple, Mayfly Valley, and Spirit Butterfly Mountain." 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

"The Five Viscera Temple is based on nurturing the Five Qi within the chest, which aligns with the foundation of the One Qi Sword Technique you practice, but I don’t recommend you go there. That vein follows the path of the Five Qi Divinity Transformation and excels at the deduction of Techniques, but they haven’t delved deeply into the Sword Dao. Going there would just waste your Talent as a Sword Cultivator."

"Your Talent for the Sword Dao is exceptional, so the best fits are really Mayfly Valley and Spirit Butterfly Mountain. The former’s Vessel-Suppressing Sword Technique, ’Heaven and Earth as a Mayfly,’ is a top-tier Sword Manual comparable to a Middle Vein legacy. However, this vein’s approach to the sword is unorthodox; they go all-in on cultivating a single, ultimate sword strike of instantaneous life and death, neglecting their Dao Foundation and Cultivation in other areas. It’s precisely because of this Innate flaw that they’ve always been stuck in the Lower Vein, unable to advance to the Middle Vein."

"Spirit Butterfly Mountain also focuses on the sword, following the Light Spirit Sword Dao, and they possess a Secret Technique called ’Breaking the Cocoon and Becoming a Butterfly.’ I strongly recommend you choose this vein, and the most critical reason isn’t just the compatibility of the Cultivation Technique. The current Vessel Master of Spirit Butterfly Mountain not only has formidable Cultivation but also deep connections within the Sect. He received guidance from an Elder Suo of Profound Origin Hall and, building on ’Breaking the Cocoon and Becoming a Butterfly,’ is in the process of comprehending a Technique for a second transformation. It’s rumored that once this Cultivation Technique reaches Perfection, Spirit Butterfly Mountain is very likely to ascend to the heavens in a single step at the next peak and vein competition, directly joining the ranks of the Middle Vein."

Dong Hao was indeed very capable and well-informed. Each of the three veins he had selected for Jiang Xuan played to his apparent strengths.

The Five Viscera Temple and Mayfly Valley had the advantage of being highly compatible with his current Cultivation Technique. Spirit Butterfly Mountain not only had a suitable Cultivation Technique but was also a bet on a future opportunity for promotion. If he joined it, it would be like getting an early ticket to leap from the Lower Vein to the Middle Vein.