The morning mist of Qingcang Mountain draped the undulating peaks like a sheer veil.
The mountain gates of Lingxi Sect stood at the summit of ninety-nine jade-green steps. These staircases, hewn from millennia-old warm jade, glowed with a gentle golden radiance when touched by sunlight. The air itself pulsed with such potent spiritual energy that breathing felt ethereal—a concentration of spiritual veins reserved solely for the most esteemed immortal sects.
Three days prior, Su Qingyuan had been an unremarkable orphan girl in Qingfeng Town.
Her parents had passed away early, leaving her with nothing but a dilapidated thatched cottage. She scraped by gathering medicinal herbs and mending clothes. Frail and weak, she would pant after a short run and couldn't even withstand the winter winds. The townspeople mocked her, saying she "wouldn't live past twenty."
Yet who could have foreseen that a sudden thunder tribulation would strike her thatched cottage? Amidst the blazing inferno, the innate spirit essence dormant within her for eighteen years was forcibly awakened!
The moment the lightning dissipated, Elder Zhang, the Outer Sect Steward of Lingxi Sect, rushed to the scene upon hearing the news. As he examined the seven-coloured spiritual light surging skyward on the jade plate during the spiritual assessment, he trembled with excitement, his voice cracking: "A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天灵体! A先天
Overnight, Su Qingyuan transformed from the town's "sickly weakling" into Lingxi Sect's most celebrated new disciple.
Yet she felt not a shred of joy.
She had heard countless tales from storybooks about the cruelty of the cultivation world: exceptional talent brought both opportunity and peril. Lingxi Sect appeared glorious on the surface, yet fierce competition raged within its inner circle. Those with superior aptitude secured resources, while the mediocre faced elimination. If she drew attention to herself, she would inevitably become a thorn in the side of those with ill intent.
Thus, she deliberately suppressed all traces of her spiritual essence. Even during the spiritual assessment, she intentionally restrained most of her innate energy, presenting only "adequate" aptitude. Blending among the new disciples, she climbed step by step, silently ascending the ranks.
Dressed in a coarse, faded disciple's robe, a simple bamboo-woven book basket slung over her shoulder, she trailed at the rear of the procession. While fellow disciples either brimmed with youthful vigour or chattered excitedly, she alone kept her eyes lowered, her steps measured and quiet, as if afraid to draw attention.
"Look! That's the disciple brought personally by Senior Zhang, the Outer Sect Steward! They say she's quite gifted!"
"Shh! Quiet! The Immortal Lord's palanquin is passing!"
Suddenly, the crowd fell silent, all eyes lifting towards the sky.
Su Qingyuan instinctively raised her eyes too, her heart clenching sharply.
From the depths of the cloud sea, a figure clad in immaculate white robes slowly descended upon the clouds.
The figure wore a moon-white Taoist robe, with jet-black hair cascading like a waterfall, held back only by a single jade hairpin. Strands of hair fell over the shoulders, fluttering lightly in the breeze. His features were of a beauty transcending the mortal realm—eyebrows and eyes cold as frosty stars, a straight nose, and sharply defined lips. A faint golden aura shimmered around him, not overbearing but radiating a jade-like, distant serenity.
It was him!
The Patriarch of Lingxi Sect, acknowledged throughout the cultivation world as surpassing even Immortal Sovereigns, the one before whom ten thousand immortals bowed—Ling Xuanchen!
Legend held that a single stroke of his sword could settle the heavens and earth, and a single flash of his anger could annihilate ten thousand races. A century prior, he had single-handedly quelled the Demon Clan's rebellion, safeguarding a millennium of peace for the cultivation world. He was the faith in the hearts of countless cultivators, yet also a figure lofty and unreachable.
Su Qingyuan had never imagined that upon entering the sect, she would behold the Immortal Sovereign.
She hastily lowered her gaze, holding her breath, daring not to look again.
Yet at that very moment, an irresistible, colossal suction force descended from the heavens, enveloping the area!
"Trouble! It's spatial turbulence!"
"Look! Disciples are being sucked in!"
A chorus of alarmed cries erupted. Su Qingyuan felt her body grow light as the jade-green steps before her shattered into countless fragments. Surrounding disciples were tossed about by the turbulence, their screams rising and falling in a chaotic din.
The spatial turbulence raged with unbridled fury, overwhelming even Foundation Establishment cultivators. For someone like her, newly initiated and still struggling to stabilise her Qi cultivation, it was utterly overwhelming.
Su Qingyuan's body was yanked by the turbulence, hurtling towards the abyss! Wind roared into her throat, blurring her vision as the shadow of death instantly descended.
Instinctively, she channelled the last shred of spiritual energy within her, attempting to steady herself. Yet that thread of energy proved as futile as a mantis trying to stop a cart against the spatial turbulence, instantly scattered.
It's over...
She had only just entered the Immortal Gate, not even beginning true cultivation. Was she to meet her end here?
Resentment and terror spread through her heart.
At this critical moment—
A voice, cool as moonlight and profoundly gentle, slowly sounded above her.
Not loud, yet carrying an authority that brooked no argument, it pierced the raging turbulence and reached her ears with perfect clarity.
"Unrelated parties, withdraw."
The instant the words fell, the swirling spatial turbulence froze abruptly.
Time seemed to hit pause.
The raging currents ceased their churning. Shattered jade steps hung suspended mid-air. Struggling disciples froze in place. Across the entire expanse, only that figure in white remained, descending slowly towards her.
Su Qingyuan, suspended in mid-air, opened her eyes in terror. Following the source of the voice, she met a pair of cold, profoundly deep eyes.
They were Ling Xuanchen's eyes.
Like an autumn pond, yet harbouring myriad stars, they rested upon her with serene calm, seemingly able to pierce through every layer of her disguise and concealment.
He raised his hand, his fingertips shrouded in a faint golden spiritual light. The spatial turbulence, once violent enough to destroy everything, now yielded to his touch like docile lambs, gently soothed and dispersed.
Su Qingyuan's heart skipped a beat, her very breath forgotten.
The Immortal Sovereign... had personally come to her rescue?
The next instant, an exceedingly gentle spiritual force enveloped her, as soft as a spring breeze caressing her skin. It steadied her, gently guiding her back to the jade steps.
"Thank you... thank you, Immortal Sovereign, for saving my life!"
Su Qingyan steadied herself at once, bowing deeply towards the depths of the cloud sea. Her voice trembled slightly with emotion, and beads of sweat formed on her forehead.
The surrounding disciples turned their gazes towards her, their expressions a mix of envy, jealousy, and astonishment.
To be personally rescued by the Immortal Lord was an opportunity of the highest order! Countless disciples toiled for centuries without even catching the Immortal Lord's glance, yet she, a mere novice, had received such fortune?
Yet Ling Xuanchen merely gave her a faint glance. His thin lips parted to utter words that instantly petrified the entire assembly of disciples.
"Your spiritual body... is well concealed."
Boom!
Su Qingyuan snapped her head up, her eyes wide with disbelief.
She had concealed it so thoroughly—even Master Zhang, who had conducted the spiritual assessment, had failed to detect her innate spiritual body. How could the Immortal Sovereign have seen it at a glance?
Could it be... the Immortal Sovereign had noticed her all along?
Ling Xuanchen observed her bewildered expression. Within his icy gaze, a flicker of a faint smile seemed to pass, fleeting as mist, almost indistinguishable from illusion.
"A先天灵体 should not be concealed for long."
He spoke slowly, his voice resonant and melodious like jade striking jade. "The resources of Lingxi Sect rightfully belong to true prodigies. Since you possess this constitution, there is no need to conceal it. Cultivate diligently henceforth and do not squander this innate gift."
Su Qingyuan's heart gave a violent jolt.
Was the Immortal Sovereign... offering her guidance?
Before she could process it, Ling Xuanchen's fingertips flickered. A smooth, white jade token materialised from thin air, drifting gently towards her.
The token was pure white throughout, engraved with an ancient character for "Chen". A faint golden spiritual light shimmered around it, warm to the touch and soothing to the soul.
"This is..." Su Qingyuan was flustered, hastily attempting to step back and decline. "Immortal Lord, it is too precious. Your disciple dares not accept..."
This was the Immortal Lord's token! How could she, a mere newly initiated outer disciple, dare to receive something so significant?
"Take it."
Ling Xuanchen's voice brooked no refusal, carrying an undeniable authority yet an inexplicable gentleness. "This token grants direct access to Lingxiao Hall. Should you encounter an insurmountable crisis in future, present this token and seek me at Lingxiao Hall."
Lingxiao Hall was the Immortal Lord's residence. Within the entire Lingxi Sect, save for a few elders, no one could approach it freely.
Su Qingyuan clutched the token, her fingertips trembling slightly. The warmth radiating from it through her palm stirred an inexplicable flutter within her.
She knew that the moment she accepted this token from the Immortal Sovereign's hand, her life would be utterly transformed.
Ling Xuanchen said no more. Turning, his figure, clad in snow-white robes, slowly receded into the depths of the cloud sea.
His movements were deliberate, each step poised upon the clouds. The ethereal radiance surrounding him mingled with the morning mist, rendering him akin to a fallen immortal descending from the heavens.
Before departing, he cast one final glance back at Su Qingyuan. His thin lips parted, uttering two words in a voice gentle yet resonant enough to echo across the entire staircase.
"Qingyuan."
Qingyuan.
That was her name.
Su Qingyuan froze completely, her pupils widening slightly.
The Immortal Sovereign... actually knew her name?
She was merely an insignificant outer-door disciple, not even counted among the inner-door disciples. How could the Immortal Sovereign possibly remember her name?
The surrounding disciples instantly erupted into a frenzy!
"Good heavens! The Immortal Sovereign called her name! He knows her!"
"A先天灵体! So she really is a先天灵体! I knew she was no ordinary girl!"
"It's over, I'm green with envy! The Immortal Sovereign personally gave her a token! And called her by name!"
"What kind of chosen-one plot is this? I'm sour as a lemon!"
Whispers of discussion, envy, and jealousy swirled around her, yet Su Qingyuan remained oblivious.
Clutching the jade token tightly in her hand, she lifted her gaze towards the depths of the cloud sea. The figure in white had long vanished, leaving only a faint trail of spiritual light lingering on the horizon.
Immortal Sovereign... why treat her so kindly?
Was it because of her innate spiritual physique? Or... was there another reason?
An indescribable emotion welled up within Su Qingyuan's heart—doubt, apprehension, and a flutter she dared not admit even to herself.
She lowered her gaze to the token in her hand, then lifted her eyes towards the direction the Immortal Sovereign had departed. A resolute light gradually ignited within her eyes.
Regardless of the Immortal Sovereign's motives, she would cultivate diligently.
She would grow stronger.
Strong enough to control her own destiny, strong enough to stand her ground in this perilous cultivation world, strong enough that one day, she could stand proudly by the Immortal Sovereign's side, shoulder to shoulder with him.
That token bearing the character "Chen" was both the driving force propelling her forward and a bond she dared not lightly touch.
Su Qingyuan traced the character 'Chen' upon the token with her fingertips. The warm, smooth texture seemed to carry the Immortal Sovereign's very essence, permeating through the token into the palm of her hand.
She lifted her head once more, stepping forward to continue her ascent up the jade staircase.
This time, her stride held no hesitation, no timidity.
Her gaze was resolute, her posture upright, and the aura surrounding her had subtly shifted.
The faint spiritual glow of her innate spiritual physique was no longer deliberately suppressed. Instead, it now shimmered faintly around her, emitting a gentle ripple of spiritual energy.
The disciples nearby sensed this fluctuation, their astonishment deepening.
Indeed, the Immortal Sovereign had spoken truthfully—she truly possessed a先天灵体!
Su Qingyuan paid no heed to the gazes upon her. Within her heart, only one thought remained:
Cultivate. Grow stronger.
She knew that from the moment the Immortal Sovereign had saved her, from the moment she had received that token, her path of cultivation was destined to be anything but ordinary.
And between her and that lofty Immortal Sovereign, to whom ten thousand immortals paid homage, there would inevitably be an entangled, indelible immortal bond.
True Immortals preside above, ten thousand immortals pay homage.
The Immortal Sovereign stood above the sea of clouds, surveying all beings.
And she, Su Qingyuan, would ultimately ascend step by step along this arduous path of cultivation, reaching the pinnacle to become that one and only Dao companion who could command the Immortal Sovereign's special regard and devoted affection.
The morning mist dispersed, sunlight bathing Qingcang Mountain.
Upon the ninety-nine jade steps, a maiden's form ascends steadily, step by step, towards the immortal path destined for her.
The future of Lingxi Sect, by her arrival, is fated to stir a tempest.
And that ethereal, aloof Immortal Sovereign is destined to leave the most profound mark upon her life.