Chapter 533: Taking a Disciple (2)
Not necessarily? While you are indeed outstanding among ordinary cultivators, you are nothing compared to those descendants of immortals whose bloodline has reached nine points. For example, they are born with the cultivation of Guiyi or even Huashen, are you? Or, even if they don’t cultivate true qi, it will still grow slowly, can you do that? Shi Yuqi questioned one after another.
“I can’t do that,” Qi Huang answered honestly.
Then that’s it? You were born in a remote small sect and probably don’t know the power of immortal bloodline. Let me tell you, there are only two types of cultivators in this Cultivation World: ordinary cultivators and descendants of immortals. There is a world of difference between them. They look at us as cultivators look at mortals in the secular world.
A trace of awe appeared on Shi Yuqi’s face.
“Heh heh…”
Qi Huang smiled noncommittally. She felt that those so-called monsters were no different from mortals in practice.
“Still don’t believe me? It’s a shame the Saintess is grounded, otherwise I’d take you to see her and you’d understand. She reached the early stage of Shentong Realm at the age of twenty-six. This is not something that can be achieved through hard work alone.”
Shi Yuqi shook her head helplessly.
“Can you tell me more about the Saintess? Why is she being grounded?”
Cheng Hong Ling took the opportunity to inquire.
“Why else? Lovesickness! At the last continental Evergreen Convention, that little monster from the Cao family not only shattered her Dao heart, but also stirred up her feelings of love. So, she became determined to marry him. Because the Hua Rong Sect has a rule that the Saintess cannot marry, she was grounded.”
A look of disdain appeared on Shi Yuqi’s face.
“Since she wants to get married, let her get married. By becoming in-laws with the Cao family, you would be a strong alliance.”
Qi Huang tried to persuade them. If the high-level figures of the Hua Rong Sect could let go, she and her main body wouldn’t have to act here.
“A strong alliance?”
Shi Yuqi smiled noncommittally and said, “Do you know why our Hua Rong Sect only recruits female disciples?”
Qi Huang guessed.
“That’s right! But the deeper reason is that we don’t want to be anyone’s stepping stone.”
Shi Yuqi took a deep breath and then narrated the whole story: “The founding ancestor of our Hua Rong Sect was named Hua Ying. She took in a disciple with extremely outstanding talent and then exhausted the sect’s resources to train her. Who knew that after the woman achieved some success, she ran off with a man and never appeared again! After this incident, Ancestor Hua Ying understood a principle: to avoid similar things happening, the sect could only recruit single female disciples and stipulate that the Saintess could not marry.”
“So that’s how it is.”
Qi Huang finally understood.
“But it turns out that the rule she set is not very useful. Just like Hua Yu, as long as she can leave the Hua Rong Sect, she will come into contact with men, and she will still fall in love if she is moved.”
Cheng Hong Ling questioned.
“Yes, actually I’m not afraid to tell you something funny. Before Hua Yu, there were several Saintesses in our Hua Rong Sect who got married. When these women first got married, they all vowed to continue to support their maiden families. But as a result, they gradually distanced themselves from the sect for various reasons. This caused us to be used as stepping stones repeatedly. So, the strong alliance you mentioned is basically impossible. A married daughter is like spilled water.”
A daughter who goes out is like spilled water, and it’s the same in the Cultivation World. Shi Yuqi explained.
“It’s truly tragic. No wonder the Hua Rong Sect is so wary of men.”
Qi Huang felt a trace of sympathy, and then inquired again: “I still don’t understand one thing. You… no… isn’t our Hua Rong Sect a pure female sect? How did Hua Yu get that immortal bloodline?”
“Heredity! Is there a problem?”
Shi Yuqi asked doubtfully.
“Heredity? How can women pass it down to women?”
Qi Huang was a little confused.
“Disciple, are you being too pedantic? First, I just said that our Hua Rong Sect was not a pure female sect before, so the immortal bloodline was passed down; Second, our Hua Rong Sect now only does not recruit male disciples, but it does not prohibit ordinary female disciples from marrying. Descendants of immortals are not necessarily all geniuses. Once they marry and have children, they will flourish in the secular world. Moreover, immortals also have male descendants, who were taken away at birth. They have been propagating for hundreds of generations. If any of these descendants have female bloodlines that reach nine points, they will be recalled for special training, such as this Hua Yu.”
Shi Yuqi explained helplessly.
“Uh… so that’s how it is.”
Qi Huang smiled awkwardly, thinking to herself that she was indeed not considerate enough. Bloodline heredity is not only carried out within the Hua Rong Sect. This is like a matriarchal society.
“By the way, why do you always wear a veil? Even your clone wears one?”
Shi Yuqi suddenly asked.
“Uh, because we have birthmarks on our faces, and they are really not presentable.”
Qi Huang responded skillfully.
“So that’s how it is.”
Shi Yuqi nodded and indicated that she understood. Girls all value beauty, so she couldn’t force it.
Not long after, Shi Yuqi brought Cheng Hong Ling and Qi Huang to her residence on Jade Peak.
“Since you are going to be my disciple, you must have a ceremony to accept me as your master.”
Shi Yuqi’s expression turned serious.
“…”
Qi Huang and Cheng Hong Ling looked a bit embarrassed. They were not here to take a master, so making it so formal was really unnecessary.
“It’s very simple. First, kowtow to me three times, and then offer a cup of tea.”
Shi Yuqi started pouring tea by herself.
Qi Huang was startled and quickly slipped into the Sea of Consciousness of her main body.
Cheng Hong Ling carefully considered for a moment, then picked up the tea, kowtowed three times respectfully, and said, “Master, please have some tea!”
“Are you serious?”
Qi Huang asked in surprise.
“Since I’m going to put on a show, I have to go all the way. If I don’t kneel, will you kneel?”
Cheng Hong Ling retorted.
Qi Huang was speechless. Then, a warmth rose in her heart. Her main body understood the principle that “a man’s knees are made of gold,” so she bore all of this.
“Don’t think too much about it. After all, she is the head of Jade Peak of the Hua Rong Sect. It’s always good to be able to build a relationship with her.”
Cheng Hong Ling explained considerately.
Qi Huang immediately reacted, and her guilt lessened a bit.
“Sigh!”
Upon hearing Cheng Hong Ling call her Master herself, Shi Yuqi responded sweetly. She was so happy like a little girl that she even choked on her tea.
Next, Shi Yuqi took Cheng Hong Ling, her disciple, to her residence and gave a detailed introduction to the current situation of the Hua Rong Sect.
As one of the ten major forces in the Cultivation World, the Hua Rong Sect has nearly 20,000 female disciples and over a million ordinary female residents. Its scale is comparable to that of an ordinary prefecture capital, so it is not an exaggeration to call it a “country of daughters.” All of this is thanks to the giant Immortal Tablet standing tall on the main peak.
“Master, I heard that Immortal Tablets are also graded, right?”
Cheng Hong Ling inquired.
“Yes, Immortal Tablets are divided into six grades: Heaven, Earth, Emperor, Kin, Master, and Human.”
Shi Yuqi answered everything she knew.
“Then what grade is our Hua Rong Sect’s Immortal Tablet?”
Cheng Hong Ling pressed, although she had heard people talk about it when she was in the Xian You Empire, she still wanted to confirm it personally.
“Master grade!”
Shi Yuqi replied.
“Master grade? The second to last grade?”
A look of disappointment appeared on Cheng Hong Ling’s face.
“Don’t look down on it. Among the nine major cultivation forces in the current Cultivation World, four have Immortal Tablets of the lowest Human grade, while only three have reached the Master grade. There is only one each of the Kin and Emperor grades, and none above the Emperor grade.”
Shi Yuqi quickly explained.
“Then what grade is the Immortal Tablet of the Lü Family in the Zhou Wei Yuan Empire?”
Qi Huang suddenly jumped out and asked.
“Can you stop appearing out of nowhere?”
Shi Yuqi touched her heart, which was pounding due to the fright. “Their family’s Immortal Tablet is also of the Master grade.”
“Even if they are of the same grade, there should be differences in strength, right? Who is stronger?”
Qi Huang asked relentlessly, as it concerned her and her main body’s future.
“If we’re talking about specifics, our Hua Rong Sect’s Immortal Tablet is slightly stronger, because our Immortal Tablet is a ‘Six Tribulations’ Master grade Immortal Tablet, while the Lü family’s is just a ‘Five Tribulations’ Immortal Tablet.”
Shi Yuqi answered everything she knew.
“What are ‘Five Tribulations’ and ‘Six Tribulations’?”
Qi Huang was confused, and so was Cheng Hong Ling.
“Each grade of the Immortal Tablet is further divided into nine tribulations, just like how each major realm of a cultivator is divided into nine minor stages. The strength is related to the heavenly tribulations the immortal passed before ascending. The so-called ‘Five Tribulations’ and ‘Six Tribulations’ refer to the number of heavenly tribulations that the owner of the Immortal Tablet has passed. Take our Hua Rong Sect’s Master grade ‘Six Tribulations’ Immortal Tablet as an example. It represents that the owner has passed fifteen heavenly tribulations.”
Shi Yuqi explained patiently.
“Fifteen heavenly tribulations?”
Qi Huang was startled. She had seen heavenly tribulations before. It was extremely difficult to pass fifteen. Anyway, she wasn’t confident in passing even one right now.
“So, don’t underestimate our Immortal Tablet. Each tribulation represents the great achievements of our immortal ancestor defying heaven.”
Shi Yuqi said with reverence.
After understanding the situation, Qi Huang and Cheng Hong Ling were finally relieved. As long as the Hua Rong Sect’s Immortal Tablet was stronger than the Lü Family’s, it was fine.
Shi Yuqi was in a good mood, so she personally helped Cheng Hong Ling tidy up her residence before reluctantly leaving.
“Let’s go, let’s sneakily go to Tian Du Peak to see if Hua Yu is really determined to marry that little monster from the Cao family, and then make a detailed plan.”
Qi Huang suggested in a low voice. Tian Du Peak was the main peak of the Hua Rong Sect.
