Chapter 206: Chapter 68, Chief Disciple Appointed, Meeting with the Ancestral Master
“Qiu Changtian, the 280th generation disciple, assumes the position of the Chief Disciple of the Foundation Establishment Realm from today. Ancestors above, please take note,”
the Ziwei Master said solemnly as he inserted three sticks of incense into the burner with great reverence.
The sound echoed in the ancestral hall, where the elders all had solemn expressions on their faces.
Outside of Kunlun, within the countless cave abodes, the various leaders also had a sense of awareness; as they lifted their heads, they knew that the position of Chief Disciple in the Foundation Establishment Realm of Kunlun had been transferred.
As the ceremony for the Chief Disciple concluded, the Ziwei Master waved his horsetail whisk, and a Daoist robe and a Daoist crown floated towards Qiu Changtian, landing in his embrace.
The Daoist robe, called the “Star Orbs Shift Robe,” felt as smooth as silk to the touch, yet upon closer inspection, there were no visible seams; in style, it was nearly identical to the robes worn by the Inner Sect Disciples of Kunlun, with hardly any noticeable difference.
Only embroidered on the back was a map of the constellations, which included the “Four Symbols Constellation Formation Method” that held special defensive and life-preserving qualities—It was said that in his most critical moment, Xu Changqing had activated the Four Symbols Star Constellation Formation Method on the robe to narrowly survive amidst a molten sea formed by tribulation lightning.
Considering how, during his ordeal of transcending the heavenly tribulation, Xu Changqing’s array of magical treasures and Flying Swords were all destroyed, yet this robe remained intact without even a scorch mark, one could understand its extraordinary nature.
The Daoist crown was named “Sun and Moon Essence-Gathering Crown,” and similarly to the crowns worn by the Inner Sect Disciples, it had the same outer shape; however, the front was embroidered with the sun in silver threads and the back with the moon, concealing two layers of Daoist magic that could be activated:
One was the “Great Sun Wheel Method,” which upon activation could revive the dead and restore white bones—the divine technique for regenerating blood and extending life.
The other was the “Illusory Moon Reflection Method,” which upon activation could stabilize the soul and ward off mental attacks.
One for healing and blood regeneration, the other for dispelling negative states, coupled with the robe’s Four Symbols Constellation Formation Method, essentially meant that once the Chief Disciple of the Foundation Establishment Realm donned this attire, his ability to survive would increase manifold instantly.
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After reflecting for a moment, Qiu Changtian realized the intended design of the robe and crown was to allow the Chief Disciple to focus on breathing and qi refinement, to concentrate fully on advancing his cultivation level without having to worry about whether he could stand his ground against others in magical competition.
“Now go change in the back hall, then enter the inner hall to meet the Ancestors,” the Ziwei Master instructed.
Qiu Changtian respectfully complied without a word, then holding the Daoist robe and crown, he headed into the back hall.
In a secluded corner where no one else was present, he changed into the clothes symbolizing the Chief Disciple of the Foundation Establishment Realm and pulled out the Yu Long Sword, examining his own reflection against the bright and flawless blade.
Not bad, dignified and imposing—I am worthy of the title, and the majesty of the Chief Disciple was immediately evident.
Gathering his sleeves, Qiu Changtian strode majestically towards the depths of the back hall.
This ancestral hall was not normally open to the public, and he had never been here before; he had only heard people mention that it seemed to contain the spiritual tablets of many great Ancestors from the Clarify Cult.
Passing by the long table of spiritual tablets, Qiu Changtian saw a door at the end.
Upon opening the door, the view suddenly expanded before him; he had unexpectedly come outside.
Just three paces ahead was the edge of a cliff, below which was an endless sea of clouds, quite similar to the secret realm of the Divine Palace of the Queen Mother of the West.
There was also a stone staircase leading from the edge of the cliff all the way to the top of a certain mountain peak opposite.
Underneath the stone staircase, there seemed to be no support of any kind, as if defying gravity, it floated in mid-air.
With a slight curl of his lip, Qiu Changtian cautiously stepped onto the first stair to test its stability.
Indeed, it was stable, with no shaking at all.
Considering the length of the staircase, it was likely some form of Immortal Law Restriction that did not follow the laws of physics, so there was no need to worry about it collapsing midway.
Qiu Changtian continued to ascend, feeling the weather around him was excellent—sunny and breezy, completely different from the cutting winds above the snow peaks of Kunlun.
The stone steps under his feet were also firmly supportive, easily holding up his weight.
When he reached the top of the stone staircase, Qiu Changtian saw that the summit was not very spacious and only had a solitary small temple.
An elderly man was sitting on a stone bench in front of the hall, staring blankly at a stone table.
On the stone table, intersecting lines carved out a Go chessboard, dotted with black and white stones in an intricately staggered layout, seemingly equally matched.
The old man stroked his beard with his left hand, using his right hand to place a white stone first, then a black one, followed by another white one, murmuring,
“Hold on, let the old Daoist finish this game of chess…”
Qiu Changtian bowed in salute and then stood respectfully to one side without looking at the chessboard, remaining silent.
If this were any other novel’s protagonist, this would be the moment when the male lead nonchalantly gives a few pointers on the game, leading the old man to ponder for a moment before being struck with astonishment, looking at him with new eyes… But unfortunately, Qiu Changtian didn’t know how to play Go.
Even if he did, he wouldn’t be able to grasp this old man’s personality. What if the latter was the type who didn’t like interference; wouldn’t his good intentions backfire?
Fortunately, the old man didn’t keep him waiting; after thirty or forty moves, the outcome on the chessboard became clear.
Sweeping across the chessboard with a wave of his long sleeve, making all the pieces vanish, the old man then turned around and smiled,
“Very good, you’re sensible. Are you the new Chief Disciple of the Foundation Establishment Realm?”
“I have seen the Patriarch,” Qiu Changtian hurriedly bent down to salute, “Your junior…”
“No need, no need,” said the old man, beaming, “It is rare to encounter someone whose Daoist Heart is as clear as yours; I would surely know.”
He gestured towards the inner hall, saying,
“Go ahead. Seeing that you didn’t disturb my mood, I’ll give you a hint: if you find yourself inadequate, feel free to rest.”
Qiu Changtian: ???
What does that mean? To just sleep through difficulties?
Nevertheless, the old man didn’t seem inclined to explain further, just waving his sleeve, and the doors of the small hall opened.
Qiu Changtian quickly stepped inside and saw that the hall wasn’t very large, approximately thirty square meters.
At the front, by the wall, there was an altar with the divine image of “Taiqing Realm’s Great Red Heavenly Virtue Celestial Honored One.”
In front of the altar was a worn meditation cushion, its purpose obvious.
Taiqing, Yuqing, and Shangqing, the ancestral halls of the Clarify Cult’s Three Pure Ones, weren’t devoted to any historical figures of great ability, but rather to anthropomorphic representations of the Great Dao.
Therefore, Qiu Changtian knelt down without any psychological burden and began to silently pray:
“Disciple Qiu Changtian, currently the Chief Disciple of the Foundation Establishment Realm of the Kunlun Taiqing Sect, prays for the Patriarch’s blessing…”
With this thought, he suddenly became aware of a mysterious force descending from nowhere, beginning to invade his Dantian.
To be precise, after this force infiltrated the Jade Mansion, it quickly began to rotate his Qi Sea’s True Yuan and continuously soaked and repaired the damaged inner walls of his Jade Mansion.
Kneeling here can actually increase my Refining Mansion Cultivation!
Qiu Changtian was overjoyed and promptly coordinated the circulation of his energy, speeding up his cultivation.
However, as more of the mysterious force infiltrated, he began to feel as if he were losing control of his body, and his mind became groggy.
Instinctively, he wanted to bite his tongue to maintain consciousness, but then he recalled the old man’s advice outside and relaxed imperceptibly, quickly succumbing to the overwhelming drowsiness that overtook his consciousness.