Jiang Daoyi ran her hand through her new robes, they were silky white and edged in blue, very much like the mantle Tianyi wore. On the sleeves there was a jade ruyi* sewn on, the symbol of Jade Peak. Earlier she had to act solemnly, but now that the guests had all left to chat with her master, Xi Mengfei, Daoyi could finally inspect her new clothes that she had donned.
"Junior sister, I think the color blue looks better on you." In front of her, Tianyi said smiling.
Daoyi also smiled back as if the chains connecting her to the past had finally been severed. "Many thanks, senior brother. I think so too, but I'm just a new disciple. In the future there will be more chances for me to wear clothes that I like. The most important thing is for me to cultivate, Master said that since I've started late and so I need to put in more effort."
Tianyi nodded. Xia Yushan who also stayed spoke up. "Indeed, however, do not be in a rush. Someone's cultivation speed may not be suitable for you. Everyone has their own pace, I've seen quite a few geniuses because of the pressure from their peers, rushing their cultivation; resulting in a shaky foundation that severed their immortal path."
Daoyi glanced at Tianyi before smiling at Xia Yushan. "Senior brother Xia, thank you for your guidance."
Xia Yushan stood still for a moment before a kind smile appeared on his face. "Haha, for a moment you reminded me of junior brother Xi. Is it perhaps you two are alike that Grand Elder Xi accepted you as a disciple? Moreover you two even share the same characters."
Tianyi and Daoyi blinked before looking at each other.
"Perhaps this is destiny." Tianyi said with a mischievous smile.
Xia Yushan also smiled. "Perhaps."
Then he looked at Jiang Daoyi once more. "Since this is junior sister's first day, I as the senior disciple of the Sect Master should give you a greeting gift."
"Hold on a second, senior brother." Tianyi said. "Junior sister Daoyi is my mother's second disciple, so I should be the one to give the greetings gifts first."
Xia Yushan paused before smiling and making "you first gesture."
Tianyi smiled as he pulled out a spatial pouch. "Junior sister Daoyi can't use a spatial pouch yet, but," Tianyi reached in and grabbed out a beautiful instrument that took Daoyi's breath away.
It was a seven stringed instrument made of waxed dark wood with elegant silver vines design on it, a guqin. "Junior sister, back in the Xi Dynasty I bought quite a lot of instruments since junior sister seems to like music. Right I've taken the guqin out, if junior sister wants the rest, quickly reach the Foundation Establishment realm to get them. Think of it as motivation."
And Tianyi also took out the Peacock Essence Jade bracelet and placed it onto the guqin that he had given to Daoyi. "Think of this as an extra, it never hurts to have another defensive artifact. Truthfully I should have given you when I first bought it, but giving it now is also fine since nothing happened to junior sister."
Daoyi accpeted the instrument, spatial pouch, and bracelet. But Daoyi stroked the strings of the guqin almost lovingly, she had always wanted one of her own. When she was younger she had stared enviously at her eldest sister who received a guzheng wishing for her own. Unfortunately she was unloved and her mother was powerless.
Daoyi stilled when she felt something thin and cold under the guqin and when she looked to see what it was she froze. It was the hairpin that Tianyi had bought as a gift for Mengfei. Back in the shop she hadn't bought anything. Daoyi looked up to see Tianyi wink and mouth "greeting gift for Master" to her.
Daoyi didn't have a chance to refuse as Xia Yushan came forward. "I don't know what junior sister likes so I can only give a general gift."
Xia Yushan pulled out a golden hairpin with peach blossom on it, it looked extremely beautiful with the pink jewels inserted in the flowers. "This is also a defensive treasure at the Foundation Establishment realm, but you can use it in the Qi Gathering realm just by inserting qi into it. I'm also looking forward to the day junior sister breaks into the Foundation Establishment realm. Oh, but don't be in a rush."
Daoyi accepted it after seeing Tianyi nodded subtly behind Xia Yushan.
"If you don't understand anything I can bring you to ask senior brother Xia." Tianyi said. "Among all the people I've interacted with, senior brother Xia is the best at guiding others. Of course you can also ask mother, but sometimes she enters secluded cultivation for months or years at end without warning."
"Can I not ask you, senior brother?" Daoyi asked and Tianyi stilled.
"Haha, I haven't given any guidance or pointers to anyone. So I'm not sure if I would be of much help." Tianyi admitted. Back on Earth he understood many concepts and theories quite quickly, at least on the surface level. But when he tried to explain them to his classmates they said he didn't make any sense.
Soon the day came to an end and all the guests left Jade Peak, including Sect Master Xia and Xia Yushan. But before Sect Master Xia left he came to speak with Tianyi.
"Little Xi, the Three Heavens Connecting Meeting is coming up are you interested?"
Tianyi raised an eyebrow. "Sect Master, are you talking about the meeting where the three hegemonic sect of the Huang Realm will gather and have the juniors compete?"
Sect Master Xia nodded. "Not just us from the hegemonic sects, we will also give some slots to the first rate powers under us. After all depending on how the juniors do, the benefits we gain might be important."
"Why do we juniors compete, should it not be the elders?" Tianyi asked. The Three Hegemonic Sect, it included the Buzhou Immortal Sect, the Eight Pillars Sect, and the Saintly Scholar School and each of them controlled the three primary continents of the Huang Realm.
"Little Xi, who do you think is more important. A genius who has not fully unleashed his potential or an elder who is nearing his potential or has already fulfilled it?" Tianyi had no words for this.
"Little Xi, this time the Three Heavens Connection Meeting is a little different." Sect Master Xia said and seeing Tianyi's expectant eyes he continued. "Those who are in the top are able to have a chance to enter a minor realm formed from the broken pieces of the Immortal Court which is filled with opportunities. The secret realm has a strange restriction, us fogies pass the Transcendent Mortality Stage cannot enter."
The Immortal Court, the Celestial Bureaucracy that governed the Three Realms of the past. However after a divine war the Immortal Court was no more and instead only ruins were left, some of them even becoming secret realms.
Tianyi indeed was very interested. "Hmmm, but I feel like I have no need for anything since mother can easily get it for me."
Sect Master Xia's lips twitched. "Little Xi, the fragment of the Immortal Court has many legacies that the modern world has not inherited. Also those above the venerable realm cannot enter and so the elders are hoping that juniors can bring back many precious scriptures and manuals. Naturally there will be plentiful rewards."
Sect Master saw that Tianyi hadn't changed his expression. What did he lack? As the son of Sword Empress Xi, although these things wouldn't be at the tip of his fingers but it was close enough. "Think about it Little Xi, it can be a good tempering experience for you. There are still a few more years before the Three Heavens Connection Meeting, if you reach the Core Formation realm and are interested contact me."
Saying so, Sect Master Xia and Xia Yushan left.
"Mother," Tianyi said as he looked at his mother. His conversation with Sect Master Xia naturally couldn't be hidden from Mengfei, especially in her home grounds.
"Whatever you choose, I will support it." Mengfei said before taking Daoyi away. She already wanted to start teaching Daoyi even though it was already late.
Tianyi shrugged. He still had a few more years before he would have to make his decision. Who knows, maybe he wouldn't be able to reach Core Formation in a few years and would be stuck at the bottleneck?
Like this a month has passed and after completing his cultivation for the day, Tianyi decided to look for Daoyi. Along the way Tianyi caught sight of Spiritual Venerable Jiao.
Venerable Jiao sent a flirtatious glance at Tianyi who immediately evaded her glance, his face slightly red.
Don't know what she's thinking, sending an eleven year old such a flirtatious gaze. Ah wait, it should be twelve year old now.
Tianyi walked past Spiritual Venerable Jiao as he recounted his birthday that had passed a few days ago without his notice. I spent my whole birthday cultivating, how sad.
But soon Tianyi put that thought into the back of his mind, back when he was on Earth his birthday had already begun to lose its appeal as he'd rather just do nothing all day.
When he neared Daoyi's residence he soon heard a faint tune that was calming, full of peace and contentment. When Tianyi neared the music became stronger and soon he saw Daoyi playing the guqin that he had gifted her, on her hand was the bracelet he had given her.
She was sitting in a pavilion atop of the water and the water was filled with all sorts of lotuses and water lilies, creating a intoxicating scenery like out of a painting.
Her mouth was opened and was singing along with the music, her lyrics fluctuating with the tune of her guqin. Her voice was light and airy, almost breathless but it had a dulcet tone that made one feel comfortable and wanted to listen more like bell chimes.
Tianyi stood on the side, not approaching but his ears were fully opened. How long has it been since I listened to music like this? It's very rare for people to sing like back on Earth with music instead of just speaking flowery poetry here.
When Daoyi finished her music she heard the sound of clapping, she looked up to see Tianyi standing in front of her. Despite this, she showed no embarrassment at being heard and instead smiled. "How was it senior brother?"
"Very unique, I have not heard music like this before. Your voice was especially mesmerizing like a spider web ensnaring all who listen." Tianyi honestly said.
Hearing this, Daoyi felt that her face flush a little but she quickly controlled herself. "Senior brother don't make fun of me, are you calling me a siren? I was simply releasing a little bit of my frustrations. I feel like I already hit a block after opening up my first meridian."
Tianyi shrugged. "It's already very good that you reached the first stage of the Qi Gathering realm within one month. All that's important now is accumulation, accumulate more qi in your first meridian and use it to break through the gate of the second meridian."
"That's what Master said too." Daoyi said.
Tianyi looked at her for a moment before a thought occurred to him. "Junior sister, the Disciple Acceptance Ceremony for the outer disciples should be completed now. Are you interested in coming with me to see who made it and who didn't?"
Daoyi thought about it for a moment. "Sure."
Tianyi waited for Daoyi to place the guqin back in her room and soon both of them stepped onto Tianyi's flying sword, making their way to Caimen Peak where the new outer disciples were stationed.
When Tianyi landed on Caimen Peak where the abodes of the new disciples were located, there were many plain white robed disciples who only dared to stare from afar.
Even those who had just entered after a few days understood the significance of a blue edged robe. Those with blue bordered robes were core disciples, excellent talents with elders as masters. A single word from them could allow them to ascend to heaven or bury them into the pits of hell.
None of the outer disciples came forward afraid of offending Tianyi and Daoyi who had just stepped off the flying sword. Tianyi rather enjoyed the awed looks, but the fear was rather unpleasant.
Tianyi gave a disarming smile at one of them. "This junior brother, do you know a new disciple by the name of Xi Ri?"
Tianyi didn't know if the other people from the Xi Dynasty passed the trials, but the one with the highest chance of passing was his older cousin, Xi Ri. If Tianyi could find Xi Ri, then he would know if any other people from the Xi Dynasty were accepted into the sect.
Upon hearing the name "Xi Ri" the faces of the surrounding outer disciples became a little strange.
"Y-yes!" The disciple Tianyi spoke up to reply and immediately gave directions to where Xi Ri's house was assigned. Tianyi gave him a bit of spirit stones for his help. It wasn't enough to incur envy but it would still help the disciple quite a bit.
The house was a bit dirty with a wooden fence around it, but it was perfect for one person to live in.
When Tianyi and Daoyi arrived they saw a youth wearing the customary white clothes of an outer disciple, but it was smudged with dirt and his hair was a mess without his coronet. There were even hints of bruises on his face.
"Older cousin Ri?"