Chapter 151 Yunchuan Immortal Sect

Yunchuan Peak rises a thousand zhang high, spanning a hundred li, and boasts the reputation of being the foremost among its three peaks and nine ridges.

The three peaks are Yunchuan Peak, Jishui Peak, and Tianxiu Peak; the nine ridges include Chiri Ridge, Guyue Ridge, Luoxing Ridge... and Qingfeng Ridge. Among them, Yunchuan Peak is the main peak, serving as the dwelling place for the senior elders of the Immortal Sect; Tianxiu Peak houses the inner sect of the Immortal Sect; and Jishui Peak is home to the outer sect, where the Baichuan Hall is located.

The Yunchuan Immortal Sect is governed by the Sect Master and is divided into five halls: Shenqi, Daomuni, Tiangong, Yunshui, and Baichuan, each overseen by elders and stewards. The Shenqi Hall belongs to the inner sect, bearing the heavy responsibility of safeguarding Yunchuan Peak, and recruits elite disciples renowned for their bravery and combat prowess; the Daomuni Hall is responsible for patrols and disciplinary enforcement; the Tiangong Hall handles weapon forging, talisman crafting, and array formation; the Yunshui Hall is tasked with herb gathering and alchemy; and the Baichuan Hall serves as the outer sect, responsible for imparting Daoist teachings to newly inducted disciples and managing the various miscellaneous chores of the entire Immortal Sect.

The Immortal Sect also enforces ten strict commandments. Violators face severe punishments—ranging from execution, crippling of cultivation, and expulsion from the mountain gates—to lighter penalties such as confinement and hard labor...

On the mid-level of Jishui Peak.

Yu Ye stood quietly before a stone tablet with his arms crossed.

Inscribed upon the stone tablet were the names of the three peaks and nine ridges, an overview of the inner and outer sect, and the monastic rules and precepts. Commemorating these strictly to heart was the first test to pass in becoming a newly inducted disciple.

A newly inducted disciple?

By gambling at a critical juncture, he had unexpectedly become a disciple of the Immortal Sect.

Before he had time to process the astonishment, Yu Ye knew that in order to remain undercover here, he must maintain propriety and honestly play the role of an immortal disciple.

When Yunchuan Peak opened its gates to recruit disciples, it appeared strictly regulated, yet it was not entirely without loopholes. The so-called guarantor only needed a token as a keepsake. Having witnessed the recruitment process at the mountain gate, Yu Ye immediately thought of the several immortal sect tokens he had obtained by killing people and seizing their treasures. Not daring to produce the token from Nanshan, he instead used a Qi-gathering disciple as his guarantor. Fortunately, he remembered the name Gan Song, and his wish was ultimately fulfilled.

Yet Changming, the steward, was completely unaware of the whereabouts of Nanshan, Buyi, and the other immortal sect disciples.

Just as Gan Xing had previously mentioned, his journey through the Great Marsh was shrouded in extreme secrecy. It was precisely this loophole that helped him sneak into the Immortal Sect.

However, the origins of that Ming Ye remained unknown. Was he from the Qi family of the Ten Thousand Beasts Manor, a disciple of the Xuanling Immortal Sect, or perhaps connected to Chu Yuan, the patron of Mutian City...

"Junior Brother Yu, come over here—"

The stone tablet stood beneath a cliff.

Not far away stood a stone house with green tiles and flying eaves, known as the Jishan Pavilion, which served as the storehouse for the Baichuan Hall.

A group of newly inducted disciples had gathered in front of the Jishan Pavilion, busy collecting their provisions. Dang Guiyi was among them, hopping on one foot and waving to call him over.

The Immortal Sect spanned a hundred li—it was simply too vast. Even knowing the geographical names made it impossible to locate every specific spot.

Jishui Peak was an independent massive mountain. Without the permission of their seniors, disciples on the mountain were strictly forbidden from wandering elsewhere, lest they violate the sect rules and face severe punishment.

The steward senior brother of Jishan Pavilion was distributing robes and tokens.

Yu Ye received two cyan Daoist robes, two pairs of soft-bottomed boots, some daily necessities, and a plate forged from black iron. Inscribed with the words "Jishui" and "Baichuan," the iron token served as the identity insignia of an outer sect disciple.

A moment later, another steward senior brother led the group toward the back mountain.

Outside the mountains, it was still cold. But on the mountain, lush greenery thrived and gentle breezes blew. A dense surge of spiritual energy rushed directly toward them, instantly refreshing their spirits.

After a journey of three or four li, they reached the back mountain. At the foot of the mountain lay a small lake; along the hillside were mountain terraces, cliffs, dwellings, pavilions, and a row of caves winding around the mountain.

The caves were only about a zhang in circumference, connected vertically and horizontally by stone steps. This was the dwelling area for the newly inducted disciples. Each person was to choose a cave to settle in, and tomorrow at the Yin hour, they were to proceed to the Dharma-Imparting Cliff, where they would reportedly receive instructions from the senior elders.

Yu Ye found a cave on the eastern side of the hillside. Inside the cave sat a stone couch, a stone desk, and other furnishings. It must have long been unoccupied, as a layer of dust covered everything. He fetched a bundle of branches and busied himself cleaning the interior and exterior.

Regardless of anything else, this was his place of lodging, and he might have to live here for a very long time, so it ought to be made clean and comfortable.

After finishing the cleaning, he paused to catch his breath.

Outside the cave lay a sloping hillside, several zhang wide and overgrown with green grass. Beyond the slope dropped a sheer cliff a hundred zhang deep. It was now midday, and looking eastward from here, mist drifted across the landscape and mountain peaks scattered in the distance, presenting a magnificent sight.

To the right, there were more than a dozen caves, most of which already had occupants. A stone path also led down the mountain.

To the left lay several other caves, which had been claimed by Dang Guiyi, Yu Fei, and Yu Xing. At this moment, the group sat on the rocks outside their cave doors, chatting and laughing.

"Junior Brother Yu, come over and join the conversation!"

Dang Guiyi was waving at him.

Yu Ye walked over.

Whether it was Dang Guiyi, Yu Fei, or Yu Xing, all of them had changed into brand-new Daoist robes and wore tokens at their waists, looking quite spirited. However, Dang Guiyi had finally put away his peachwood sword.

Seeing himself covered in dust, Yu Ye stopped about a zhang away.

Dang Guiyi sat cross-legged on a boulder with a straight spine, yet wore an expression of utter disdain, complaining: "Junior Brother Yu, look at your appearance! You are no longer living in the past; you should maintain the dignity of an Immortal Sect disciple!"

Yu Ye scratched his head and said, "What's wrong with me now? What is an Immortal Sect disciple supposed to look like?"

"Junior Brother Yu, please take a seat!"

Yu Fei remained modest and courteous.

Yu Xing also gestured with a wave of her hand, saying: "Junior Brother Yu was busy cleaning and didn't have time to change clothes; it's entirely excusable. Senior Brother Dang, stop making things difficult for him!"

Yu Ye asked in confusion, "Miss Yu, you are also calling me 'Junior Brother'?"

Yu Xing smiled faintly and said, "I am already twenty, and you are only eighteen. What do you think?"

"Ah, among the newly inducted disciples this time, you are the youngest. Don't be ignorant of the rules—go apologize to Senior Sister!"

Dang Guiyi stood on ceremony, reprimanding Yu Ye in the tone of a senior brother.

At that very moment, someone walked out from a nearby cave. It was Gu Muzi. With a flick of his sleeve, a whirlwind stirred up behind him, instantly sweeping the dust out of the cave. He then adjusted his Daoist robe and laughed heartily: "Ha-ha, you all seem quite leisurely!"

His speech and deportment were exceptionally unconstrained and elegant.

Dang Guiyi looked on in deep admiration and hurriedly said, "Senior Brother Gu, please sit!"

Yu Ye was also rather envious.

Had he known that divine arts and spells could clean a cave, he wouldn't have bothered getting covered in dust from head to toe. Unfortunately, he couldn't remember how, nor did he know how to execute them. Perhaps he could try a thing or two from the *Art of Heavenly Seclusion*.

Before Gu Muzi could even sit down, another person emerged from the adjacent cave, smiling as he said: "Fellow disciples, let us grow closer to one another from now on, ha-ha!"

Gu Muzi exchanged pleasantries with the Yu siblings—

"Brother Ming, please take care of us!"

"Senior Brother Ming!"

"Ha-ha, Yu Fei and Yu Xing are one thing, but how can Brother Gu joke like that? I should be the one calling you Senior Brother!"

The newcomer was Ming Ye. He had also become neighbors with the group and was quite familiar with Gu Muzi and the Yu siblings. Especially since his bearing and demeanor were on par with Gu Muzi's, Yu Xing could not help casting a few extra glances in his direction.

Dang Guiyi, however, leaped down from the boulder with a start, feigning relaxation as he said, "Senior Brother Ming, please sit—"

Ming Ye feigned surprise and said, "Oh? Does Junior Brother Dang not wish to be close to me?"

"Heh, no, no not at all!"

Dang Guiyi gave a dry laugh and seized the opportunity to walk over to Yu Ye's side.

Ming Ye swept the hem of his robe and sat down calmly, yet his words remained sharp and pointed: "Junior Brother Dang acted like a completely different person the moment he saw me. Could it be that he has been up to some mischief?"

Dang Guiyi's expression flickered slightly, and he hurriedly stammered, "That is not the case..."

With a guilty conscience, he inevitably felt flustered and weak-kneed.

Though Ming Ye wore a smile, his aggressive demeanor persisted: "I heard that within the borders of the State of Qi, someone has been swindling people, slaughtering the innocent, and claiming to be the successor of the Five Thunders Righteous Method. If such a person has sneaked into the Immortal Sect, shouldn't it be reported to the elders?"

"You're slandering people..."

Dang Guiyi was usually eloquent, but facing Ming Ye, he was completely at a loss for words and babbled incoherently.

Gu Muzi and the Yu siblings were unaware of the situation and looked on with puzzled expressions.

Yu Ye could no longer hold back. Lifting his chin, he spoke up: "Ming Ye, I also heard that you come from the Xuanling Immortal Sect of the State of Qi, and that you once colluded with immortal-cultivation families to commit wrongdoings. Now you have defected to the Yunchuan Immortal Sect—what plots are you harboring?"

Ming Ye frowned and rebuked, "Unfounded accusations..."

"Since it's an unfounded accusation, why are you bullying Dang Guiyi?"

"Are you Yu Ye?"

"So what if I am? You might as well fabricate some charges to frame me as well. Hmph, bullying the weak on the very first day of entering the sect is completely unreasonable. Excuse us—"

Yu Ye grabbed Dang Guiyi by the arm and turned to leave.

"This..."

Ming Ye wore an awkward expression and said, "I was merely joking just now; I didn't expect the two junior brothers to take it seriously..."

Unwilling to be dragged into trouble, the Yu siblings also found an excuse to stand up and leave.

Only Gu Muzi remained seated, looking interested as he said, "Brother Ming, you hail from the Xuanling Immortal Sect?"

"Ha-ha!"

Ming Ye let out a bitter laugh and said, "I come from Mutian City in the State of Qi. Perhaps we crossed paths with the two junior brothers while riding the teleportation array, leading to some mutual misunderstandings..."

Meanwhile, Yu Ye returned to the entrance of his own cave.

Following closely behind him, Dang Guiyi transmitted his voice: "Junior brother, thanks to you for speaking up righteously. You seemed so tongue-tied, yet I never expected your words to be so spine-chillingly bold..."

"Senior brother is too polite; this little brother merely did what was proper!"

Yu Ye walked straight into the cave and cast a sealing restriction with a wave of his backhand, blocking the entrance.

Dang Guiyi was forced to halt, turning back to gaze at the closed opening.

Ming Ye and Gu Muzi were conversing, and the Yu siblings had already returned to their quarters. Now that he had run into trouble, Junior Brother Yu remained his only hope. Yet why was he suddenly angry?

Dang Guiyi lingered for a moment before departing in resignation.

Inside the cave, Yu Ye paced back and forth in deep thought.

Ming Ye was indeed someone with ill intentions.

Yet the fact that he concealed his identity as a disciple of the Xuanling Sect meant he must harbor concerns. Since that was the case, there was no need to act timidly. He simply needed to guard against Ming Ye's covert schemes and wait to see what plots the man would hatch.

Sigh!

He had thought that after sneaking into the Immortal Sect, he could use the disciple identity as a cover to gather information, achieving two goals at once. Who would have expected trouble to follow right on its heels? It just went to show that even the pure lands of the Immortal Sect were far from tranquil.

Yu Ye took out two night-pearls and embedded them into the stone walls, instantly brightening the gloomy space. Rummaging through his storage iron ring for a moment, he produced a mattress, two futons, an earthenware bowl, and an earthen jar, arranging and placing each item neatly before nodding in satisfaction.

Small though the place was, it finally looked like a proper dwelling.

Yu Ye sat down cross-legged, fell silent for a moment, and could not help raising an eyebrow as he softly murmured: "Dragon Shadow, I have arrived at the Yunchuan Immortal Sect and become an outer sect disciple. I should let you know."

There was no response.

With a look of fatigue, Yu Ye closed his eyes and muttered to himself: "I once wanted to enter Xuanhuang Mountain, learn true skills, and exact revenge on Chen Qi, only to nearly die in Moya Cave. Ever since then, I abandoned unrealistic ambitions. Yet after tossing and turning for two years, I have actually become a disciple of the Qizhou Immortal Sect. Isn't that absurd? I think it's absurd too, but I had no other path left. The spiritual energy here is rich; let us settle down here first..."