Chapter 6: The Three-Year Term (Part 1)
Moon Palace.
Inside the grand hall, sages and worthies had gathered in full, a vast assembly of young and old alike.
True Monarch Ruiying rose and walked down from her seat, taking Jiang Runyue by the hand to introduce her personally. "Disciple, let me introduce you to your elders here!"
"This is True Monarch Shenying, our sect leader and the only Heavenly Immortal Realm cultivator in our sect. Treat him with the same respect you show me, and be a good girl and address him as Uncle-Master!"
True Monarch Shenying smiled helplessly. Quick-witted and astute as he was, how could he not understand his elder sister's intentions?
She clearly wanted to squeeze some benefits out of him for her new disciple.
Jiang Runyue bowed obediently and properly. "Disciple Jiang Taizhen pays respects to Sect Leader Uncle-Master!"
Smiling, True Monarch Shenying accepted the bow and helped her up. He produced two treasures and placed them in her hands, his expression warm and kind. "There is no need for such formality, Junior Niece. Your master and I are full brother and sister, born of the same mother. Since we are family, there is no need to stand on ceremony. Just call me Uncle-Master!"
"Uncle-Master!"
Jiang Runyue immediately murmured softly, then turned to look at her own master.
"Accept them. Your Uncle-Master possesses boundless cultivation and a deep foundation—these are merely two trivial Dharma Treasures!"
True Monarch Ruiying's tone carried a hint of sarcasm.
Nearby, True Monarch Xuanming laughed in spite of himself. "I knew it! How could Senior Sister suddenly want to take on a disciple and hold such a grand master-induction ceremony? So you were planning to fleece your Junior Niece for a few Dharma Treasures!"
True Monarch Ruiying shrugged helplessly. "What else can I do? Who can blame my Moon Palace lineage for being so poor? The two of you each rule over the Taiyin Divine Mountain and Xuyu Immortal Island, both of which are rare and abundant domains in this world!"
Hearing this, True Monarch Xuanming shook his head.
"This is your Uncle-Master Xuanming, master of Xuyu Immortal Island of the Taiyin Sect. Among us old fellows, his wealth is by far the most abundant!" True Monarch Ruiying teased.
"Greetings, Uncle-Master Xuanming!"
Jiang Runyue stepped forward and paid her respects, looking somewhat restrained.
For some reason, she always felt that this Uncle-Master Xuanming didn't look like a good person. Especially the way he looked at her—it was a bit like a wolf grandmother eyeing Little Red Riding Hood.
*"The old fellow looks a bit like that stubborn old bastard Cangsong!"* Jiang Runyue muttered quietly to herself.
"My Junior Niece here clearly has the makings of great fortune—she has the posture of a dragon and the bearing of a phoenix, and her spirit is refined and elegant. I happen to have a Dharma Treasure of rather decent quality on hand, so I shall give it to my Junior Niece as the icing on the cake!"
With that, True Monarch Xuanming placed a gorgeously crafted long spear and a jade pendant into Jiang Runyue's hands.
"Senior Brother Xuanming is truly generous. You are even willing to part with the Jingshen Spear—the very weapon Ao Geng, the Dragon King of the East Sea, used to roam across the world ten thousand years ago!"
Sitting right next to True Monarch Shenying, a handsome, clean-shaven man smiled broadly as he bantered.
True Monarch Xuanming shook his head with a helpless smile. "Junior Brother, do not mock me. Aside from the Dragon Race, it is very difficult for cultivators of our generation to unleash the full might of the Jingshen Spear. It can only be considered an ordinary Dharma Treasure now."
"Haha, only Senior Brother could utter such words. If it were me, I would feel at least some reluctance to part with it!"
True Monarch Ruiying spoke again. "This is also your Uncle-Master—our sect's Sutra-Transmission Elder, True Monarch Hongying. His cultivation is unfathomable, and even your master is no match for him!"
"Senior Sister, you..."
True Monarch Hongying gave a wry, helpless smile and also produced two Dharma Treasures, shoving them into Jiang Runyue's hands. With a laugh, he said, "Junior Niece, you mustn't disdain your Uncle-Master's gifts as shabby. After all, not everyone has a foundation as wealthy as Senior Brother Shenying and Senior Brother Xuanming. Aside from this immortal sword of mine, the only things I have worth showing are these two sword pellets!"
As he spoke, he raised a hand and patted the sheathed long sword at his waist.
Jiang Runyue held the two sword pellets somewhat awkwardly, looking cautiously toward True Monarch Ruiying.
"Accept them. Your Uncle-Master Hongying is truly a pauper. Aside from that Green Rhinoceros Immortal Sword which is bound to his very life and soul, the Dharma Treasures and flying swords he captures as spoils are usually traded away for wine!"
"These two sword pellets were probably won in a gamble from Heavenly Sword Mountain just recently, before he had the chance to trade them for wine!"
True Monarch Hongying chuckled, leaning back lazily in his chair as he said, "Still, Eldest Senior Sister understands me best!"
Seeing his words and actions grow increasingly uninhibited, True Monarch Ruiying could not help but glare at him before continuing to introduce the other cultivators in the grand hall to Jiang Runyue.
Within the Taiyin Sect, Sect Leader True Monarch Shenying was a towering Heavenly Immortal, and alongside him were six Earth Immortal mighty figures.
Deputy Sect Leader True Monarch Leying and Law Enforcement Elder True Monarch Kuying had been unable to attend in person due to pressing matters, but they had already entrusted others to deliver gifts, each sending several bottles of precious medicinal pills.
As for Primordial Spirit cultivators like Jiang Runyue, the Moon Palace lineage alone boasted over thirty of them, while the Taiyin Divine Mountain and Xuyu Immortal Island each housed more than two hundred individuals who had attained the Primordial Spirit realm. Every single one of them was a precious, core disciple.
As for Golden Core Realm cultivators, the Taiyin Sect currently numbered well over twenty thousand. Consequently, their status was somewhat more ordinary, placing them merely as true successor disciples.
During this master-induction ceremony, half of the core disciples of the Moon Palace lineage who were present stood inside the grand hall.
Jiang Runyue stepped forward one by one to pay her respects.
As the ceremonies concluded, the grand induction ceremony gradually drew to a close, and True Monarch Xuanming, True Monarch Hongying, and the others took their leave one after another.
Having received six Dharma Treasures, the one surnamed Jiang followed her master and True Monarch Shenying with boundless joy into a grand hall named Cold Soul.
"Sit."
True Monarch Ruiying and True Monarch Shenying took their respective seats, then both turned to look at Jiang Runyue with identical, strange expressions.
"Master, Uncle-Master..."
Jiang Runyue sat down with a calm and composed demeanor.
"All Primordial Spirit Realm disciples of our sect possess their own unique Dao title. Do you have one in mind?"
True Monarch Shenying asked with a smile.
Jiang Runyue thought for a moment and asked, "This disciple wishes to use Guanghan as her Dao title. I wonder if there are any senior brothers or sisters in the sect with the same name?"
"Guanghan?"
True Monarch Shenying pondered for a brief moment before breaking into a smile. "There are none. However, once a Dao title is recorded, it cannot be changed. Are you certain you wish to use this as your Dao title?"
"This disciple is certain!" Jiang Runyue replied, lowering her head slightly.
True Monarch Shenying immediately retrieved a scroll shimmering with auspicious multi-colored light. Unfurling it, he began to record Jiang Runyue's information—this was the authority granted to him as the leader of the Taiyin Sect.
*"Jiang Taizhen: Taiyin Immortal Body, Dao title Guanghan, Ascender from a lesser thousand world, thirty-sixth core disciple of the Moon Palace lineage of the Taiyin Sect, disciple of Earth Immortal True Monarch Ruiying."*
Seated beside him, True Monarch Ruiying looked at her blankly blinking disciple and explained, "This scroll, the Taiyin Immortal-Sealing Roll, is an immortal treasure personally forged by Ancestor Changxi ten thousand years ago. All Primordial Spirit Realm cultivators of our sect must leave their names upon this roll!"
"Should any disciple meet an untimely demise one day, her name will vanish from the Taiyin Immortal-Sealing Roll."
"The Taiyin Immortal-Sealing Roll?"
Jiang Runyue murmured to herself, growing increasingly certain in her heart that Ancestor Changxi must be, just like her, a transmigrator hailing from Earth.
Having finished recording the information, True Monarch Shenying put away the Immortal-Sealing Roll and smiled faintly. "Junior Niece Guanghan, from this moment on, you are one of the five hundred and twenty core disciples of our sect. In the future, you must cultivate diligently, condense the three flowers atop your crown at the earliest opportunity, and take care never to stray onto a crooked path!"
"This disciple understands!"
"Oh, that's right. Keep this jade token safe. Four years from now, on the twenty-ninth day of the second month, the Taiyin Secret Realm, which has been passed down in our sect for ten thousand years, will open. You may go and try your luck."
"The Taiyin Secret Realm?"
True Monarch Ruiying took up the conversation. "Mmm. Back in the day, Ancestor Changxi overawed the four seas and five realms, making all immortals, buddhas, demons, and monsters bow in submission. Before her ascension, she used great divine power to capture a lesser thousand world, refined it, and embedded it within the Taiyin Divine Mountain, using it as our sect's foundation and ultimate trump card!"
True Monarch Shenying also smiled warmly. "There are many top-quality treasures within the secret realm. If you do not wish to miss out, Taizhen, you must head toward the Taiyin Divine Mountain somewhat in advance. After all, the opening of the secret realm waits for no one."