Chapter 18: Is This Our Sect?

“Senior Sister, is this really our sect?”

The biting wind howled, and Jiang Yan couldn’t help but ask. At this moment, his heart felt as frail as a blade of grass in the cold wind, trembling and on the verge of collapse, overwhelmed by sorrow.

“Yes, this is our sect. What’s wrong, are you dissatisfied?” Ji Chuxue glanced at the astonishment on the young man’s face, behind which disappointment was thinly veiled. She found it rather amusing. It seemed the sect would be lively in the days to come...

He had hoped for his senior sister to deny it, but upon her confirmation that this was indeed the Qilin Sect, Jiang Yan’s heart shattered into pieces.

“Meow… meow… meow meow meow… meow…” Little White was bounding around joyfully.

All Jiang Yan saw were a few thatched huts—how was this anything like an immortal sect? It looked more like a tiny village!

To think he had started as a second prince—a position of such glory—yet upon arriving in the cultivation world, he had become a mere commoner. His dreams of living as a rich scion in this world of immortals were dashed to pieces.

“Senior Sister, then… how many people are in our sect?”

“Not many. Including you, there are seven in total.”

Jiang Yan grumbled inwardly: Not many? That’s barely any at all!

Forget it. He was exhausted. Better to wash up and sleep early…

“Senior Sister, where are the other senior brothers and sisters? Are they in the sect now?”

“Little junior, they’re all out training and earning spirit stones.”

Damn! How poor was their sect that disciples had to go out to make money?

“Senior Sister, where will I sleep tonight?” Jiang Yan asked.

“There are plenty of thatched huts here. Pick whichever you like.”

“So casually? What if I pick one that belongs to a senior brother or sister?”

“You needn’t worry—they haven’t lived here in a long time.”

After a pause, Ji Chuxue pointed with her slender, snow-white fingers in a certain direction and said, “See over there? That’s where they live now.”

Perhaps the distance was too great, for Jiang Yan couldn’t make out where “over there” was. Still, he guessed it must be another thatched hut—after all, the Qilin Sect was so destitute…

“So, it’s just you and me living on this side?” Jiang Yan asked, a little excited.

Heh, didn’t that mean he could be alone every day with such a beautiful senior sister? How delightful!

“No, just you…”

Fine, Jiang Yan understood—he had the thatched huts all to himself.

“Oh, then I’ll go pick one for myself. Thank you for bringing me here, Senior Sister. See you tomorrow!”

Seeing Jiang Yan’s utterly dejected expression, Ji Chuxue suddenly felt a twinge of guilt.

Had she bullied him too harshly?

“Little junior, it’s still early. You should settle down here for now.” As she spoke, Ji Chuxue took out a small blue pouch and handed it to Jiang Yan. “This is a storage pouch—a gift for your initiation. Keep it well.”

“Heh, thank you, Senior Sister. You’re too kind.” Jiang Yan accepted it with a smile.

Once he’d put it away, Ji Chuxue didn’t linger. After bidding him farewell, she soared away.

“Even the way Senior Sister flies is beautiful!” Jiang Yan couldn’t help but sigh.

He whistled and went to choose his thatched hut, with Little White cheerfully trotting after him.

And so, one man and one cat temporarily settled down in the Qilin Sect…

—

“Little junior, it’s time to get up and cultivate.”

At dawn, as Jiang Yan was meditating, he suddenly heard Ji Chuxue’s voice.

When he stepped out of his hut, he saw Little White being stroked in Ji Chuxue’s arms.

Indeed, a cute pet could always win a girl’s heart. Heh—perhaps Little White should start learning backflips…

“Senior Sister, why are you here? Where’s Master?” Seeing only Ji Chuxue, Jiang Yan asked.

“Little junior, I’ll be guiding your cultivation for a while. As for Master, who knows where he’s wandered off to this time.” Ji Chuxue thought to herself, Master has probably run off long ago…

She handed Jiang Yan a small porcelain bottle. “You haven’t practiced fasting yet, have you? These are Fasting Pills—one will keep you full for three days. Take one for now, but you’ll need to make your own from here on.”

“Thank you, Senior Sister, you’re so thoughtful,” Jiang Yan said with a smile, accepting the bottle.

Having already suffered from hunger, he immediately swallowed one. Indeed, it was completely tasteless…

Ji Chuxue then handed him a few yellowed cultivation manuals. “Little junior, these are the manuals Master left for you. Study them well, and remember—never reveal them to outsiders. If you have questions, come to me.”

Jiang Yan glanced at the titles and flipped through the pages. To his delight, he could understand the words, as though a live demonstration played out in his mind.

He rejoiced inwardly: At last, my path to greatness begins! These manuals are clearly extraordinary!

He thanked her with a smile: “Thank you, Senior Sister. Don’t worry—I won’t breathe a word.”

Seeing that it was about time, Ji Chuxue grabbed him by the collar and whisked him off through the air.

“Ahhh, Senior Sister, why didn’t you warn me!” Jiang Yan yelled.

Was it a habit in the cultivation world to always catch people off guard?

Ji Chuxue said nothing more. In a flash, they landed in a peach orchard that seemed like a paradise from a dream.

Jiang Yan was shocked to see that the Qilin Sect possessed such a place.

The spiritual energy here was so dense he could feel his very core automatically absorbing it.

Unable to wait, Jiang Yan found a flat spot, sat down, and began absorbing and refining the energy.

Ji Chuxue hadn’t expected her little junior to enter meditation so quickly!

She didn’t disturb him, instead starting her own cultivation a short distance away.

After only the time it takes an incense stick to burn…

The sky suddenly darkened, thunder rumbled, and lightning flashed. Sensing something, Ji Chuxue’s eyes snapped open—she saw thunderclouds gathering rapidly above Jiang Yan.

She was stunned. Was her little junior about to undergo a tribulation? Just yesterday, she’d checked his cultivation—he was only at the advanced stage of Qi Refinement. How, in just one day, had he summoned the Foundation Establishment thunder tribulation?

To enter the Foundation Establishment stage, one had to survive three lightning tribulations. Could her little junior really manage it?

With these thoughts, Ji Chuxue quietly moved even farther away.

Boom, boom, boom.

Jiang Yan remained in meditation. As the first bolt struck, he felt electric currents coursing through his body, a tingling numbness spreading throughout.

The second bolt followed hard upon the first, its power even greater—his hair stood on end, making him look like a punk rocker straight out of a music video.

The sensation of electricity in his body grew more intense, accompanied by a sharp sting.

The third and final bolt, seemingly dissatisfied with his performance, crashed down with even greater force.

Ji Chuxue was shocked by the sheer might of this tribulation—she’d never seen one so fierce for the Foundation Establishment stage. Could her little junior possibly endure?

At that moment, the lightning struck the boy. Jiang Yan spat out a mouthful of blood; his hair was singed black, and his skin charred.

[Tip: In the lower realm, cultivation is divided into eight major stages: Qi Refinement, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, Integration, Great Ascension, and Tribulation Transcendence. Each stage is further subdivided into four levels: beginner, intermediate, advanced, and peak. Upon reaching the peak of a stage, a cultivator will face a lightning tribulation—a life-and-death ordeal testing their worthiness to ascend. The number and severity of tribulations grow with higher cultivation; failure can result in instant annihilation.]