Chapter 522: Firm Control
Translator: Noodletown Translated Editor: Noodletown Translated
Qin Yin’s sect master Liu Yan’s realm was lower than Hao Ren’s, and her five senses were not as strong, so she couldn’t hear what these new disciples were talking about and only saw them exchange words to ears. She then slapped the desk beside her, “Practice sword techniques!”
Teaching sword technique was the job of a second-generation disciple of the Qin Yin Sect, but she was too busy checking out Hao Ren and had forgotten to teach the new disciples.
When she heard the sect master’s reprimand, she hurriedly turned to the dozens of new disciples, “Sky Spirit Sword Technique, first formation!”
She slowly performed the formation, and the new disciples in array followed suit.
This was similar to Hao Ren learning broadcast exercises in high school.
“These are new disciples. They are not yet skillful in sword techniques. Sorry you have to see this,” Liu Yan said cautiously.
“Master, please have some tea.” Wu Yan came out from the inner hall with tea on a tray.
Hao Ren felt weird hearing “master” but did not intend to correct their address. In the area of Fifth Heaven, cultivators of the Core Formation Realm were powerful cultivators, not to mention those of the Nascent Soul Realm. Therefore, their cautiousness was reasonable.
Hao Ren picked up the tea from the tray and symbolically took a sip. Wu Yan immediately stood beside Hao Ren cautiously. She did not dare to peek at Hao Ren.
The tea was not fragrant nor sweet, but it tasted ancient. This must be the best tea leaves the Qin Yin Sect could afford.
“Thanks to master’s care, the Qin Yin Sect now enjoys peace. There are more new disciples than the previous year. Except for Ye Su and Wu Yan, the other first-generation disciples are all selecting new disciples at the foot of the mountain, so they cannot be here to welcome master,” Liu Yan stood beside Hao Ren and reported the situation in the sect.
In the past, a low-tier sect like Qin Yin Sect could barely recruit a few disciples a year. Those that actively came to the sect were bad quality young cultivators who were kicked out from other sects.
Wu Yan had a special body type and so was mistaken by other sects as spiritually impure in the entrance exams. She fortuitously joined the Qin Yin Sect and fruited a golden pill. She was an extremely rare and excellent disciple.
Also, Wu Yan was grateful to Liu Yan’s support and teaching, so she continued to stay in Qin Yin Sect – for some disciples, once they first tasted achievement they pretended to be independent cultivators and joined other sects instead, much like job hopping in the secular world – with the weak strength of the Qin Yin Sect, there was no way to recall those disciples who ran out.
But this year the situation was very different.
The story of the disciple of the Nascent Soul Realm master of the Herb King Valley, Ethereal Summit, laying waste to Kongtong Sect with one move was widely circulated in the Fifth Heaven in various versions. Everybody knew this disciple did it for the Qin Yin Sect. And it was speculated that he must have the approval of the Nascent Soul Realm master. All of a sudden, the Qin Yin Sect who n.o.body had heard of became famous. Many female cultivators came to join Qin Yin Sect.
Now the Qin Yin Sect was extremely busy with cultivators coming and going. Liu Yan could only stay by Wu Yan and Ye Su and sent the rest of the first-generation disciples to the foot of the mountain to select new disciples.
During this time, all kinds of good news kept coming. Children with single spirit root or even double had come to join the Sect.
At the same time, the surrounding sects, large or small, all sent their “amba.s.sadors” to make friends with Qin Yin Sect. The sect which hurt Ye Su in a fight before even had the clan head himself come to apologize with gifts of many spiritual herbs to show sincerity.
The status of Qin Yin Sect went from a low-tier sect directly to the treatment of a first-tier sect overnight. After all, some first-tier sects did not have Nascent Soul Realm cultivators in-house… Even some first-tier sects which were far away and had no dealings within Fifth Heaven sent disciples to make friends with Qin Yin Sect.
Including Qin Yin Sect, the three small sects around the Herb King Valley still bore the ident.i.ty of “exchange agent”. The female disciple of the Herb King Valley Ethereal Summit would regularly issue Foundation Establishment Pills to the three sects. But the incident of the Kongtong Sect set an example for potential thieves. Now n.o.body dared to rob the pills.
On the contrary, big or small sects all wanted to curry favor with these three small sects. They knew the Nascent Soul Realm master of the Herb King Valley specialized in elixir making. And the importance of pills in the Cultivation World went without saying.
Except for the Sky Mountain Sect on Sixth Heaven which was known for their elixir making, it was harder than reaching the heavens to obtain a good pill in Fifth Heaven.
Contrary to what was expected, the Nascent Soul Realm master in the Ethereal Summit already declared that, except exchanging with level five or six spiritual herbs, other small amounts of pill requests should be handled by the three sects and no one should bother the valley otherwise.
One pill was hard to find. In order to obtain pills, the other sects must have good relations with these three sects.
Especially the Beauty Pill which female cultivators dreamed about was managed by the only all-female sect, Qin Yin Sect. The market price of a Beauty Pill was 200 spirit stone, and it was not always available.
But in here, it could be exchanged with spiritual herbs. Of course, there was a qualification on the amount and quality.
Combining these factors, in this month and a half, the Qin Yin Sect went from nonexistent to popular. The ceaseless stream of visitors almost flattened the threshold.
Correspondingly, all kinds of spiritual herbs resources kept coming to the Ethereal Summit from every corner of Fifth Heaven, continually replenis.h.i.+ng the spirit field that Xie Yujia was tending to.
“The second formation, Falling Moon Picking Stars,” the disciples who taught sword techniques shouted.
The dozens of new disciples all switched to the new formation. In front of the disciple of the Nascent Soul Realm master, they all performed very seriously. In their hearts they secretly wanted Hao Ren to notice them and become a disciple of the Nascent Soul Realm master – despite this was almost impossible.
Of course, they did not dare to flirt or do anything out of line. Since this cultivator did not even take a glance at the graceful Wu Yan who had reached the Core Formation Realm, how would he like them? They only hoped their seriousness could attract this cultivator’s attention.
“En, it’s all good as long as the sect is progressing.” Hao Ren had another sip of the tea, waved his hand, and stood up.
He came to oversee the situation at the Qin Yin Sect and was not slightly interested in the sword technique practice.
These new disciples were disappointed to see Hao Ren losing interest and leaving. But if they thought about it, joining the Qin Yin Sect and train under the indirect blessing of the Nascent Soul Realm master was already an enormous gift. They should not be greedy.
Like Wu Yan who had reached the Core Formation Realm, the cultivator only remembered her name and that was it. They must put great effort into cultivation.
Hao Ren strode a few steps. Liu Yan and the two disciples followed closely.
“Hua…” Hao Ren took off, and Liu Yan, Ye Su, Wu Yan and many Qin Yin Sect disciples cupped their hands hurriedly, “Farewell master!”
They deeply admired this disciple of the Nascent Soul Realm master who could directly take off without the aid of flying swords. Not many Core Formation Realm cultivators could do it.
But until now, they still didn’t know Hao Ren’s name, and called him master, because no one dared to ask… Hao Ren returned to the valley. Xie Yujia and the Lu sisters were helping each other feed the snow lion cubs.
Little White ate spirit pills and spirit herbs, which was of high quality, so its p.o.o.p was the most nutritious, and it grew the quickest. But for these snow lion cubs, Xie Yujia could not afford too many spirit pills. Instead, she used the spiritual herbs received from the three sects to raise them.
“Ruff ruff… Ruff ruff…” A dozen snow lion cubs surrounded Xie Yujia and the Lu sisters, happily munching on a green spiritual herb.
Although snow lions were called “lions”, they were generally gentle creatures and ate meat only occasionally. It was only the spoiled Little White who would never eat raw meat.
“If Zi saw a dozen snow lion cubs being raised at Ethereal Summit, she must be very excited,” Hao Ren thought as he was looking at the three girls filled with happy smiles.
“Linlin, Lili, it is almost time to head back,” Hao Ren landed on the gra.s.s and said.
“Yes, Gongzi!” The two let go of the snow lion cubs in their arms and got up. When the snow lion cubs who were lazily rolling on the gra.s.s saw Hao Ren, they ran away all of a sudden.
“I almost have to head back as well,” Xie Yujia got up and said.
“When are you returning to China?” Hao Ren asked her.
“The day after tomorrow. School is about to start. I have to prepare for it.” Xie Yujia touched the bow on her chest. “Thank you!”
“For what?” Hao Ren laughed. “We are not strangers.”
Xie Yujia nodded and smiled sweetly. She sat on Little White’s back.
Little White carried Xie Yujia and took off. It soared out of the valley.
“Gongzi, we are going back too!” Lu Linlin and Lu Lili each held on to one of Hao Ren’s shoulders and left the valley.
The surrounding three small sects saw two lights flying out of the valley in different directions.
Hao Ren and the Lu sisters were going to the seaside house, where Lu Linlin and Lu Lili would make dinner for Hao Ren.
They did not know how to cook before because they were not used to modern kitchen supplies. Now gradually adapting to the tools, they could easily make a variety of delicious pastries and meals.
In this month and a half’s time, Yue Yang and Hao Zhonghua could taste the surprises brought by the Lu sisters every day. They liked the two little girls more and more.
Time pa.s.sed day by day, Hao Ren stayed at the house to cultivate, and the Lu sisters spent every day accompanying Hao Ren while not disturbing him. Zhao Yanzi was grounded by her mother to read books and had not come to the seaside house.
Hao Ren’s Mystic Water Sword Techniques went up from six variations in the first formation to ten variations.
“Linlin, Lili, would you like to practice sword techniques with me?” Hao Ren sat on a chair cross-legged and said.
Leaning against Hao Ren’s bed and enjoying the air conditioner in the room, Lu Linlin and Lu Lili almost went to sleep. When they suddenly heard Hao Ren say this, their spirits were immediately lifted. “Childe wants to practice sword techniques with us?”
“Let’s go!” Hao Ren went out of the room to the courtyard outside.
He single-handedly snapped three wilted twigs from the tree, got himself the shortest one, and handed the rest to the Lu sisters.
“Gongzi, we also know sword techniques!” Lu Linlin picked up her twig and said with a smile.
This was the first time Hao Ren asked them to spar.
“Okay, let’s begin.” Hao Ren gently nodded. He drew three arcs with his twig.
Lu Linlin and Lu Lili eyed each other, then flanked Hao Ren on both sides.
“Snap! Snap!”
The twigs in the Lu sister’s palms fell to the ground.
On their soft white wrists, two shallow red marks appeared.
“Gongzi!” They blinked their beautiful big eyes and looked at Hao Ren with surprise and admiration.
“Screech…” Outside the house, the sound of a car braking was heard.
“Uncle, Auntie, I’m back!” Xie Yujia’s crisp voice sounded at the door.