Next, Lin Da Qiao turned his discussion to the sect's regulations. With a measured tone, the Seventh Senior Brother explained that although the rules are many and lengthy, a disciple need only remember a few key points to avoid trouble.
First, no infighting is allowed among fellow sect members. Killing one's own kin is strictly forbidden—the law is clear: one life for every life taken. Of course, if the killing is purely in self-defense, the matter is handled differently. In such cases, the incident is reviewed by the enforcement hall of the affected branch or, if necessary, jointly by the enforcement authorities of the two relevant peaks.
Second, if you encounter a fellow disciple in distress outside the sect, you are obliged to intervene—unless the difference in cultivation levels is so vast that the situation is clearly insurmountable. Those who choose to ignore a brother or sister's peril and act selfishly will be severely punished. For minor transgressions, the penalty might be a steep fine in spiritual stones or the suspension of several years' worth of cultivation resources; in the most serious cases, a disciple's cultivation may be nullified entirely, accompanied by expulsion from the sect.
Third, you must refrain from committing crimes and misdeeds when out in the world. Although the Wangliang Sect never proclaims itself as the paragons of righteous conduct, it does have its own strict style of operation. If a disciple is found engaging in illicit behavior outside the sect, the consequences are dire—not merely the loss of cultivation power but sometimes the torment of being devoured by myriad poisonous insects and toxic mists. It is not simply a matter of "loss of power"; such a fate is far worse, and even death by such means would not occur in just a few days. In short, suicide is considered a luxury even in these desperate times.
Lin Da Qiao then explained that where there are punishments, rewards are also provided. The sect is structured from the lowest ranks upward into three main tiers: the Menial Work Section, the Outer Gate, and the Inner Gate. Not every disciple sent via the subordinate immortal sects is immediately accepted into the main body. Only those who pass a rigorous evaluation are admitted for training in the Outer Gate. A number of disciples whose potential is promising yet fail the initial tests are not sent back to their original subordinate sects; instead, they are assigned to the Menial Work Section. Here, they perform tasks such as chopping firewood, cooking, or cleaning as a means to earn rewards. These tasks are designed to help them accumulate extra spiritual stones, which in turn can be used to further their own cultivation. Each year, peaks hold a small in-house exam. Those who pass are then allowed to progress into the Outer Gate.
As for entry into the Inner Gate, only those elite Outer Gate disciples who climb through multiple layers of examinations may eventually join. The Inner Gate represents the core of the sect—the true geniuses and future hopes of each peak. There is also another route: even if you have started in the Menial Work Section or the Outer Gate, once you manage to achieve Foundation Establishment, you too can be admitted into the Inner Gate. At that moment, Lin Da Qiao glanced at Li Yan and remarked, "Your ability to join our sect is largely tied to your success in attaining Foundation Establishment in the Outer Gate."
Li Yan was taken aback. His mind began churning as he recalled what Dong Fu Yi had said long ago. He could vaguely guess at some of the underlying circumstances, and his expression revealed a mixture of astonishment and puzzlement as he stared at Lin Da Qiao.
Noting Li Yan's look, Lin Da Qiao smiled mysteriously and continued his lesson. "About twenty years ago, a disciple from the Outer Gate of Lingchong Peak, by the name of Lian Shan, successfully attained Foundation Establishment and was originally qualified for admission into the Inner Gate. However, in the end, he was not allowed to join the Inner Gate. The reason was that, while outside the sect, Lian Shan possibly committed the atrocious act of raping—and even murdering—a mortal woman. Although he carried out this deed with absolute secrecy, and the subordinate immortal sect only received a report without any concrete evidence, they resolved to keep a close watch on him and decide his fate later. But it seems Lian Shan became aware of their suspicions; before Lingchong Peak could react, he sneaked away with the sect's entrance documents and jade slips, defecting from the Peak. When the high authorities of Lingchong learned of his betrayal, they were furious and dispatched teams to hunt him down. Being a cunning man who had spent over forty years in the Wangliang Sect and who knew exactly how to evade their pursuit, he eluded capture for a long time. Eventually, however, he met his end outside a Golden Core cave. His storage pouch—and all its mysterious contents—was later acquired by Ji Junshi."
As Lin Da Qiao recounted this tale, Li Yan slowly nodded in realization. He already had his own suspicions, and this story confirmed many of his guesses—even though it forced him to wear an expression of resigned understanding.
Moreover, Lin Da Qiao explained that another special category of disciple exists: some, like himself and even Li Yan, join directly by taking a master without undergoing an initial evaluation. However, such disciples are still classified as Outer Gate members. In Little Bamboo Peak, for example, only the eldest senior Li Wu Yi, the third senior Yun Chun Qu, and the sixth senior sister Gong Chenying belong to the Inner Gate. Historically, before Li Yan's arrival, such inner-gate disciples made up nearly half the total number of disciples at Little Bamboo Peak.
Lin Da Qiao then described the sect's periodic competitions. The sect holds a major contest once every five years for disciples at the early and mid-stages of Foundation Establishment, and another once every ten years for those during the mid-to-late stages of Foundation Establishment. In these combined contests, all peaks participate without exception. The first competition primarily assesses the overall cultivation levels across peaks; the second is meant to gauge the sect's core strength—analyzing which high-level disciples show the promise of forming a Golden Core, so that they may be nurtured further. This emphasis on legacy and succession harks back to ancient times when entire dynasties were forged on the principle of passing down cultivation secrets. Furthermore, these contests come with lavish rewards—secret techniques, massive quantities of spiritual stones, and more—to spur disciples to truly display their abilities. Though injuries are common, fatalities remain rare; a cultivator who survives, with the aid of medicinal pills and adequate recovery, can often return to normal even after prolonged injuries.
On top of that, intermittent inter-sect exchange competitions and treasure-hunting expeditions in mysterious realms are occasionally held among the four great sects. These inter-sect contests are even bloodier and more ruthless—often amounting to life-and-death hunts. Their focus, however, remains primarily on the Foundation Establishment stage, with the Nascent Qi stage relegated to a supporting role. The goal is twofold: to strengthen the sect by ushering in fresh, vigorous blood and to secure additional cultivation resources.
Changing the subject, Lin Da Qiao then shifted to explaining how the sect allocates its resources. Every disciple is entitled to choose a set of basic cultivation techniques and immortal arts without cost. However, these techniques are usually rather mundane. If a disciple wishes to practice more powerful or refined techniques, purchasing them with spiritual stones is necessary. The purpose behind this policy is clear: the sect wishes to instill in its disciples a heightened sense of survival. In the harsh, dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, complacency might lead to a clan being eradicated in an instant.
For instance, as a disciple at the Nascent Qi stage, Li Yan receives a fixed allotment of three low-grade spiritual stones every month. Combined with the sect's rich ambient spiritual qi, this might be adequate for early training. Yet as one's cultivation deepens, better techniques, more potent immortal arts, high-quality pills, and additional talismans and devices become essential—and these all require the payment of spiritual stones.
Naturally, Li Yan wondered where all those spiritual stones come from. Lin Da Qiao explained that the Old Lord Peak's task hall is the primary source of spiritual stones. In that hall, disciples accept a variety of missions—ranging from slaying monstrous beasts and safeguarding the herbal garden for the elder disciples, to venturing out to locate rare medicinal herbs and even – in some cases – carrying out the assassination of cultivators from rival sects. Such tasks, while similar in nature to those in other sects, are an open secret; behind the facade of unity, the four great sects are far from harmonious. As long as you avoid letting any compromising evidence fall into the wrong hands, your individual transgressions are considered your own, not the sect's. The sect is an organization and will sometimes seek to crush an opponent, but if the opposing side is equally matched, any resulting "sect war" would simply leave both sides injured.
The task hall's assignments are as varied as they are plentiful, serving as the main source of spiritual stones. Additionally, many disciples embark on private treasure hunts or band together to hunt down monsters. When they return, they can either sell or exchange their loot for spiritual stones—a lucrative side income. Tasks are available for disciples from the Nascent Qi stage all the way to the Golden Core stage. Even Golden Core practitioners sometimes take on challenging missions because their cultivation demands extra spiritual stones. In contrast, elder cultivators—those known as the Nascent Soul Old Ancestors—do not need to undertake such missions, as every expense is borne by the sect. These venerable figures are pillars of the entire organization; when the sect faces a crisis of survival, they are the ones who can decisively turn the tide.
Besides the task hall at Old Lord Peak, each individual peak maintains its own smaller task hall, though these assignments are more specialized and targeted rather than general in nature. For example, if a disciple from Lingchong Peak is away, someone must be assigned to temporarily care for his spirit insects; similarly, Old Lord Peak often calls for assistants in the areas of alchemy or artifact production. However, these peak-specific tasks are usually less competitive externally, as each peak's disciples are most familiar with their own local requirements. Of all the peaks, Little Bamboo Peak's tasks are the most sought after, as the peak is home to a myriad of daily chores—such as watering spiritual plants, cooking, and tending to animals. Due to the relative scarcity of disciples at Little Bamboo Peak, there is an abundance of assignments, and tasks are frequently posted. Disciples from other peaks often clamour to grab these task orders.
At this point, Li Yan's eyes brimmed with questions. Watering spiritual plants made sense to him, but what exactly were these "cooking" tasks? Weren't menial workers supposed to handle food preparation? Was it that Little Bamboo Peak simply had too few menial disciples to manage all the chores? Moreover, by the time a cultivator reaches the third tier of the Nascent Qi stage, they are capable of subsisting on little more than air for days on end. Even if they do occasionally crave a meal, it wouldn't normally justify issuing a task. And why would Little Bamboo Peak be rearing a great number of spirit insects? Isn't that typically the domain of Lingchong or Bu Li Peak?
Noticing Li Yan's bewildered expression, Lin Da Qiao grinned mischievously and said, "Hehe, little junior, the cooking tasks posted by the peak's task hall aren't your everyday meal-preparation. They are overseen mainly by Second Senior Brother. When he finds himself too busy to manage everything, he issues a task order for cooking. As for the nurturing of spirit insects, that responsibility falls to Fourth Senior Sister and Fifth Senior Brother. In time, you will come to understand all of this." With that, he deliberately left the matter at that, his expression as enigmatic as ever.
Watching his Seventh Senior Brother's air of secrecy, Li Yan couldn't help but recall the method used at Bu Li Peak for rearing those infamous "gu insects"—creatures so repugnant they made one's scalp stand on end. Li Yan's imagination immediately conjured ghastly scenes of tiny, repulsive insects crawling everywhere in the vicinity of Little Bamboo Peak, their incessant rustling in the dead of night sending shivers up his spine.
Lin Da Qiao, noticing Li Yan's uncomfortable look, quickly refrained from further elaboration. He chuckled softly, recalling how Fifth Senior Brother had once told him the same thing when he first arrived—so much so that he hadn't slept well for days until he clarified the situation with Grand Senior Brother. "Little junior, you should try it too," he added, "though I'm not entirely sure whether our senior brothers do this intentionally." He continued in a conspiratorial tone, "It's said that all newcomers must be taken on a circuit of several peaks before finally arriving at Little Bamboo Peak. The most outrageous part is that on my very first day, Fifth Senior Brother whisked me off to Bu Li Peak, leaving me no time to settle..." At this point, Lin Da Qiao shuddered briefly and quickly glanced at Li Yan. Fortunately, Li Yan's mind was busy picturing an unsettling scene of insects crawling wildly across the grounds of Little Bamboo Peak, so he paid little heed to the implication.
Seeing that Li Yan's expression remained awkward rather than engaged with the topic, Lin Da Qiao recognized that the new disciple had unwittingly "fallen for" the teasing. Clearing his throat, he decided not to dwell on it any longer. "I'll let you ponder this on your own tonight," he said, deftly shifting the conversation back to the formal instruction.
Li Yan, though still feeling somewhat exasperated by the diversion, resolved to steel himself and concentrate on absorbing the rest of the lessons on cultivation techniques.
Next, Lin Da Qiao went on to explain the organization of each peak's "collection hall" (or treasure repository). He explained that every peak's collection hall was generally divided into three broad categories. The first category contained the books and jade slips that recorded the sect's cultivation techniques and immortal arts. The second encompassed a variety of spiritual artifacts, magical treasures, talisman papers, and even collections of puppets. The third category consisted of various pills and poisonous substances.
The cultivation techniques preserved in these halls differed from peak to peak, but they all pertained either to the primary spirit root attribute of that mountain or served to complement it. For introductory techniques—from the Nascent Qi stage all the way up to the Golden Core stage—there was no charge at all. In addition, each peak also housed a collection of common immortal arts, such as the "Wind Blade Technique," "Fire Bomb Technique," and "Flowing Sand Technique." These are considered universal arts and are provided to all disciples free of charge. However, more advanced, high-level techniques and immortal arts must be purchased with spiritual stones.
At this point, Li Yan raised a question: "Since they are called 'Wind Blade Technique,' 'Fire Bomb Technique,' and 'Flowing Sand Technique,' why are they common to all peaks? Shouldn't the Wind Blade be suited for wind, the Fire Bomb for fire, and the Flowing Sand for earth?"
Lin Da Qiao explained that these basic immortal arts do not require the utmost mastery of elemental specialization. They are flexible enough to be employed by cultivators of various spirit root types—even if the performance isn't as smooth or natural as it would be if the user's spirit root matched the attribute in question. For instance, a cultivator with a fire spirit root will certainly wield the Fire Bomb Technique more fluidly and effortlessly than someone without it. Otherwise, how would a disciple who has reached Foundation Establishment or even the Golden Core stage be able to produce even a simple fireball?
As for pills and spiritual artifacts, apart from the one-time allotment given at the time of initiation, all such items must later be purchased using spiritual stones. And the costs can be steep—sometimes amounting to a few, tens, or even hundreds or thousands of spiritual stones.
Li Yan listened to all this and, thinking back to the three low-grade spiritual stones he'd initially received, realized with sinking heart that he was a cultivator so poor he couldn't even afford a new pair of pants if he needed to.
This completes the detailed discussion on sect regulations and resource management. Throughout the lesson, Lin Da Qiao methodically covered topics ranging from the inviolable rules of fraternal conduct to the intricate system of promotion within the sect, as well as the various means by which disciples earn the spiritual stones essential for advancement. Every word was imbued with both the weight of ancient tradition and the harshness of a world in which only the strongest survive.
As Li Yan absorbed these teachings, he found himself both enlightened and daunted by the complexity of the immortal world. The rules seemed designed to ensure that every disciple would remain vigilant in their own conduct—lest they incur not only personal ruin but also jeopardize the balance of the entire sect. And while the system of rewards and punishments appeared rigid, it also provided a framework within which determination and tenacity could eventually transform even the lowliest disciple into an indispensable pillar of the sect.
By the end of Lin Da Qiao's lesson, Li Yan was left with a host of questions and uneasy thoughts about his own future. Yet amidst the rigidity of regulations and the relentless pursuit of perfection, there was also a palpable sense of opportunity. The sheer abundance of tasks—from rearing spirit insects to even cooking assignments—served as a constant reminder that survival in this perilous world depended not only on raw strength but also on adaptability, resourcefulness, and the willingness to earn every bit of progress, even if it meant scrubbing floors or preparing meals.
In that moment, Li Yan realized that the path of cultivation was not just about learning powerful techniques and ascending to higher realms; it was also about navigating a complex social hierarchy, honing one's moral compass, and building resilience by accepting even the most menial tasks as stepping stones toward mastery. And while his heart raced at the thought of the many challenges ahead—from strict sect rules to the fierce competition for resources and positions—he also felt a stirring determination to overcome them, no matter how steep the cost.