C24 At the Martial Stage, Sign up for the Taiqing Sword Manual.

"Eldest Senior Brother, Martial Uncle Chou Yue is already waiting for you inside. He's arranged for you to stay in the left-side room. Once you've dropped off your bags, go see him," Shen Yunqing said, her voice betraying a hint of shyness and a slight tremble.

Jiang Su nodded and made his way to the left. The wooden steps were parched and creaked under their weight, as if struggling to support them.

Upon opening the door, Jiang Su was greeted not by the mustiness he expected, but by a breath of fresh air. Elder Chiu Yue had anticipated their arrival and had the place cleaned beforehand.

The room was modest but well-appointed, dominated by a small bed nestled against a wall of bookshelves that took up considerable space. The books, dense and well-thumbed, showed signs of frequent use, their page edges tinged with yellow.

Wang Tian was taken aback by the tidiness of the room; there was no need for him to do any cleaning. He placed his luggage on the room's table. Jiang Su, meanwhile, casually picked up a tome on sword cultivation and began leafing through it.

Shen Yunqing entered and, with a shy apology, clarified to Wang Tian, "Sorry for the confusion earlier. You'll be staying in the right-side room."

Wang Tian was momentarily bewildered. He and Jiang Su would each have their own room. Sword Wing Peak had only one main house, two side rooms, and a spacious courtyard. It was a privilege reserved for Elder Chiu Yue's disciples to occupy the side rooms.

Thanks to Jiang Su, Wang Tian was also afforded this special treatment. Energized, he grabbed his luggage and dashed out like a liberated breeze.

"See you in a bit, Jiang. And thank you, Holy Maiden," he called out.

With Wang Tian gone, only Shen Yunqing and Jiang Su remained. She gestured for him to follow her.

By now, the sun had set, and the heavy curtain of night was slowly descending.

Approaching the main house, they could hear voices before even stepping inside. Elder Chiu Yue and Elder Wuyou were deep in conversation.

"Senior Brother Chiu Yue, I never imagined either of us would successfully take on disciples. I certainly didn't expect things to unfold this way," they overheard.

Su Wuyou fidgeted with the hem of her garment, her confusion palpable. It baffled her that Chiu Yue would take such an action. Sure, she found Jiang Su attractive, but that was solely because of his good looks.

Despite possessing the Ancestral Dragon Martial Spirit, Jiang Su needed to reach the Nascent Infant Stage to fully awaken it. Currently lingering in the Qi Sensing Stage, he faced a lengthy journey to achieve such a breakthrough.

To make matters worse, she had recently lost an exceptional sword, a loss that infuriated her. She had endured countless hardships to acquire that blade. Moreover, the sword was of no use to Jiang Su, a Medical Cultivator. Yet, Chiu Yue was now intent on teaching him swordsmanship.

She resolved to let go of the issue; her visit was simply to vent her frustrations.

Elder Chiu Yue remained silent in response to Su Wuyou. Sensing Jiang Su's presence outside, he gestured grandly, and the main house door swung open.

Jiang Su entered with poise, greeting Elder Chiu Yue and Su Wuyou with a respectful bow. "Master, Martial Uncle, greetings."

"Please, no 'Martial Uncle.' Just call me Sister Wuyou."

Having not seen Jiang Su for merely a day, Su Wuyou noticed he seemed even more self-assured and dashing. Her fondness for him grew.

Elder Chiu Yue, aware of Su Wuyou's penchant for flirting with handsome men, glanced at her and spoke with a chill in his voice, "You should head back now. I'm about to have a meal and a chat with my disciple. Yunqing, you haven't completed your practice of the Jade Lady's Heart Sutra, have you?"

Turning to Shen Yunqing, he continued, "You must put in more effort. Don't follow in your master's footsteps."

Elder Chiu Yue's pointed comment struck home.

Shen Yunqing wished the ground would swallow her up. Elder Chiu Yue had just outed her lack of dedication to her cultivation in front of the man she idolized. The embarrassment was overwhelming.

She was desperate to flee the scene.

With a huff, Su Wuyou said, "Senior Brother Chiu Yue, I'll take my leave now."

After Su Wuyou and Shen Yunqing had departed, Elder Chiu Yue motioned for Jiang Su to take a seat. Selecting a spot, Jiang Su settled in.

"My disciple, the evening has drawn in, and I suspect you've yet to eat today. I've had the servants prepare dinner; you should join Wang Tian for a meal. Tomorrow, we rise early to meet with the Female Ruler," Elder Chiu Yue said.

Jiang Su's hand stilled. As Elder Chiu Yue's Head Disciple, he was to meet his own wife the following day.

"Master, why must I meet with the Female Ruler? She's incredibly busy, and I'd rather not impose," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.

The thought of facing his wife filled him with dread. Should his true identity be uncovered, Bai Yih would be the least of his concerns. Countless powerful beings across the Lower Realm, Immortal Domain, and Devil Domain held his wife in high regard. Exposure would mean certain death.

"Elder Chiu Yue continued, "You've mastered the Shadowless Step in a mere fortnight, and you possess the Ancestral Dragon Martial Spirit. I've mentioned these feats to the Female Ruler, and she's taken a keen interest in you. To join the Inner Sect, one typically needs a Single Spiritual Root. But for you, the rules may bend. The Female Ruler herself has agreed to assess your spiritual root tomorrow."

Pride swelled within Elder Chiu Yue. He mused to himself, 'Securing an audience with the Empress of the Devil Sect—am I not impressive?'

Yet, Jiang Su couldn't help but wonder about his wife's reaction upon discovering his Celestial Spiritual Root the next day. He had been considered a non-cultivator, a worthless being without a spiritual root.

Before parting, Elder Chiu Yue imparted some swordsmanship chants and techniques, still under the impression that Jiang Su was a novice. Little did he know, Jiang Su had already achieved unity between man and sword.

If his Celestial Spiritual Root were to be revealed, it would undoubtedly set many events in motion. Staying under the radar was essential.

Upon returning to his room, Jiang Su found a food box laid out on the table. He fetched the little Kylin from his storage space. The creature, previously languid, sprang to life at the sight of the feast, eagerly diving in.

Jiang Su retrieved a Sky Heart Grass from his storage space and presented it to the little Kylin, whose eyes sparkled with excitement before it devoured the herb in one bite.

He watched the creature for a moment, yet there were no noticeable changes in the little Kylin's size or appearance.

Bathed in the glow of the moonlight that filled the side room, Jiang Su realized he hadn't bothered to light a candle. Shrugging off the oversight, he decided to head straight to bed—after all, a battle awaited him the following day.

Upon awakening, Jiang Su found Sword Wing Peak enveloped in a veil of morning mist, resembling the Immortal Sect more than the Devil Sect. As he dressed, the sound of sweeping reached his ears. Could it be that his master or Wang Tian was already up and about? Dawn was breaking; it must have been around five in the morning. The life of a cultivator was indeed a rigorous one.

A mission was announced:

Check-in Location: First Devil Sect's Sword Wing Peak Martial Arts Platform.

Time Limit: None.

Reward: The Taiqing Sword Manual of the Sword Dao Immortal Book.

Jiang Su paused mid-shoe-tying. A Martial Arts Platform here at Sword Wing Peak? He had only seen this room and the clearing. Was there a hidden platform he was unaware of? The most elusive place turned out to be the check-in location.

"System, please direct me to the Sword Wing Peak Martial Arts Platform."

"Host, I am unable to guide you. Elder Chiu Yue must activate the platform," the system responded.

Stepping outside, Jiang Su found Wang Tian already hard at work, sweeping the courtyard and clearing. Noticing Jiang Su, Wang Tian dropped his broom and greeted him enthusiastically, "Jiang! Good morning!"

"Good morning," Jiang Su replied with a smile, then headed towards the main house to seek out his master. To his surprise, as he approached the entrance, Elder Chiu Yue emerged from within.

Elder Chiu Yue inquired, "Do you need something? As a beginner in swordsmanship, you should focus on memorizing the incantation I taught you today. I have errands to run. Once I'm finished, I'll ask the Female Ruler to visit. The Compendium Pavilion holds secret techniques akin to Shadowless Step; you might want to borrow a book to peruse."

Jiang Su nodded, addressing his mentor, "Martial Uncle, I wish to train at the Martial Arts Platform on Sword Wing Peak."