On a sunny morning, Maiden Furong led Jiang Yan toward Lingyan Peak, the sect's base. Looking toward Lingyan Peak from Qiyun Mountain, the entire peak towered into the clouds, faintly emanating an aura of mist. Amidst the swirling clouds and fog, the summit seemed unimaginably high—an existence completely out of reach for ordinary mortals in their entire lifetime, impossible to scale barehanded.
At that moment, Maiden Furong formed hand seals with both hands and chanted an obscure incantation, pulling Jiang Yan along as she said, "Let's hurry!" A flash of golden light illuminated their feet, and a gigantic hibiscus flower instantly appeared beneath them. Jiang Yan and Furong were suspended above the enormous hibiscus flower as it rapidly soared toward the peak, reaching the summit in no time at all. "We've arrived, Jiang Yan," Furong called out. Only then did Jiang Yan snap out of his shock. Jiang Yan asked, "Sister Furong, what was that hibiscus flower just now?" "Oh! That is my natal soul. I am the avatar of a hibiscus flower." As it turned out, Maiden Furong was the fairy spirit of a hibiscus flower transformed into human form, known in the Cultivation World as a flower sprite or flower demon.
The two walked a short distance across the summit until they reached a deep precipice. Maiden Furong took out a completely green jade ruyi from her bosom, tossed it toward the cliff, and chanted an incantation. With a flash of golden light, the two of them were enveloped by the golden light and vanished together. After a good while, they arrived in an expansive realm. Before their eyes appeared a massive palace, surrounded by waves of floral fragrance, towering ancient trees, small bridges over flowing streams, and purple qi swirling everywhere, radiating an ancient and solemn aura. "We've arrived, this is where our sect is," she said as she led Jiang Yan into the palace. "Master, Master, I've brought Jiang Yan to see you!"
"Oh! I'm already aware of this." With that, she called over a disciple named Qifeng and instructed, "Take him to bathe, fast, and change his clothes first, then bring him to see me."
The disciple replied, "Understood, Master! I'll go right away."
After quite a while, the disciple brought Jiang Yan—who had finished bathing and fasting—before the master and said, "This disciple has respectfully brought him here as instructed by Master."
"Good! You may withdraw first."
"Understood, Master! This disciple takes his leave!"
At that moment, the Divine Flame Sect Master led Jiang Yan into a secret chamber. "Come here! Your name is Jiang Yan, right? I already know everything else. I am the current Divine Flame Sect Master: Venerable Shenlong. You will cultivate under my Divine Flame Sect from now on, and you are now an inner sect disciple of the Divine Flame Sect. You will first be taken under the wing of the maiden who saved you last time—she is also my disciple, and her name is Furong. From now on, she is your Senior Sister, and she will guide your cultivation first. Her cultivation is higher than yours at Integration Stage Level 7, so you must listen carefully to her guidance and ask her if you don't understand anything. Once you reach a certain level of cultivation, I will guide you personally. Very well, you may withdraw first!"
"Understood, Master! This disciple takes his leave!"
Accompanied by his Senior Sister, Jiang Yan spent about a day walking around the sect to see the various environments and learn the restrictions within the sect, basically familiarizing himself with all the places.
The next day, Jiang Yan came as promised to see Master Venerable Shenlong. As soon as they met, Venerable Shenlong said solemnly, "Anyone who voluntarily joins our sect must abide by the founding teachings and the foundation of our sect, and keep firmly in mind the three core tenets of the sect: cultivation as the foundation, benevolence of a healer, and saving the world and aiding the people! Under no circumstances may you do anything that violates our sect, brings disgrace to the sect's rules, the Sect Master, or the Grandmaster. If anyone violates this in the future, they will be expelled from the sect and barred from ever entering again. Jiang Yan, you must keep this firmly in mind. Have you memorized it?"
"Master, this disciple will surely strictly obey Master's teachings!"