TTC Chapter 120

Translator: Lynn

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<<Start of Arc 9: Disciple Recruitment>>

“The Sect Master’s order has been issued to the forty-nine seats in charge of Sixing Peak, including Yun Lie, who has been assigned to supervise the selection of disciples at the outer gate of the immortal sect. If he successfully completes the task, he will earn three thousand merits,” a majestic voice proclaimed as the golden silk floated above Xiaolu Peak. The silk ignited with the wind and left behind a faint golden light that landed on a black token held by Yun Lie.

The token emitted a solemn aura, perfectly complementing the chilling sword energy that surrounded Yun Lie’s body. Xu Ziqing observed a ferocious black dragon imprinted on the token, with a menacing appearance and the word “Punishment” engraved within. Under the word “Xing,” the number “forty-nine” marked Yun Lie’s current position in Sixing Peak.

According to the details Master Qiu He described in the Jade Slips, Sixing Peak was one of the Five High Peaks in the Sect. The main peak served as the Sect Master’s residence, and the four secondary peaks housed various elders. The Sixing Peak, where Yun Lie was assigned, held a special position, dedicated to dealing with sect offenders.

The punishment hall on Sixing Peak served as the place for judging disciples who broke the sect’s rules. It was led by a punishment hall master, nine elders of the punishment department, and forty-nine punishment chiefs.

The cultivation levels of those in the Sixing Peak were shrouded in mystery, except for the Sect Master. The elders of the Sixing Peak had attained the Nascent Soul stage, while the officers in charge of punishment needed to have at least a golden core cultivation base.

These enforcers strictly adhered to the sect’s rules, and their formidable cultivation made them figures to be feared. Over the years, the individuals who earned a spot among them were often the core disciples of their generation, as they could defeat all the powerful opponents.

Yun Lie’s smooth entry into this position surprised Xu Ziqing. A few days ago, Yun Lie applied for the post when he was only at the peak of the late Golden Core Transforming period. Yet, with the guidance of his sword intent, he defeated several officers during the application process, showcasing his aptitude for punishment and his potent killing intent. This unique combination made him an exceptional case among the punishment chiefs.

However, despite being a special case and being able to surpass his cultivation level and defeat Golden Core cultivators, Yun Lie’s position in the punishment department is still limited. His remarkable achievements in swordsmanship might have allowed him to achieve more, but there are rules he cannot break if he wants to advance to a higher seat.

Thus, Yun Lie is assigned to oversee the forty-nine seats of punishment.

As a member of the Sixing Peak, Yun Lie has on-the-job responsibilities to fulfill. Every tenth day after the opening of the Dragon Ascension Gate, when the sect opens for disciple recruitment, there are inevitably individuals who use deceitful practices. Therefore, someone needs to supervise the process.

As a newly appointed officer, Yun Lie is obligated to take part in this task.

Upon hearing about the recruitment, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but think of his comrades who had come to the Dragon Ascension Gate with him. He inquired, “Yun Shixiong, are the disciples who came from the small world included in this recruitment?”

Yun Lie nodded affirmatively, saying, “If you’re worried, you can accompany me.”

Xu Ziqing was delighted by the offer. He didn’t fully comprehend the complexities of disciple recruitment at first, but after learning about it, he became somewhat anxious. Due to various reasons, he couldn’t interfere. Unexpectedly, his shixiong was understanding and allowed him to join them, giving him a chance to meet his comrades again. However, Xu Ziqing considered the situation and asked, “Is there any inconvenience, shixiong?”

Yun Lie reassured him, “No problem.”

Grateful for the opportunity, Xu Ziqing decided not to linger and resumed his practice of swordsmanship. Understanding his shixiong’s strict rules on sword practice, he knew it was time to leave. After bidding farewell, he left the peak and intended to once again adorn the mountain with greenery as he had done before.

Yan Shuang, who had transformed into a human form, served Xu Ziqing and brought along the seeds that had been prepared beforehand.

However, as Xu Ziqing saw Yan Shuang, he couldn’t help but think of the warnings recorded in the jade slips. He sighed softly, realizing that Yan Shuang had transformed into a human form and wiped out his original cultivation. The change was an attempt to start anew, but as a beast, Yan Shuang’s human form was unstable, and practicing this way could cause significant harm to his body. If done repeatedly, it could even lead to a dangerous backlash, reverting him back and forth between his beast and human forms until no form remained.

Understanding Yan Shuang’s loyalty and sense of duty, Xu Ziqing didn’t want him to be so reckless. He said, “Chonghua has always been lively and can’t stand being confined to the mountains. In the future, when you go to buy seeds, you can take it with you and let it fly to accompany you. Also, since you have a deep love for swordsmanship, take good care of yourself and avoid dangerous actions like this again.”

Seeing Xu Ziqing sighing earlier, Yan Shuang worried that he had done something wrong to upset him. The young immortal’s uneasiness was evident, but when he heard Xu Ziqing’s words, he lifted his head, showing a trace of gratitude in his eyes. He spoke, “Thank you, Master Xu, for your kind consideration, but being responsible for my own actions is essential as a servant. I dare not take such matters lightly.”

Xu Ziqing smiled softly, “You’ve always been there to support me, sharing my burdens. If anything happens to you, I won’t find such a caring companion. Besides, I’ll be working with my shixiong recently, and I don’t want Chonghua to feel lonely in the mountains. Your company will be a great help.”

Yan Shuang listened earnestly, showing a serious expression, “This servant takes your orders, and I will not disappoint Master Xu’s expectations.”

Xu Ziqing felt a sense of relief, beckoned Chonghua over, and then said, “Yan Shuang will take care of you for me, and you should treat him kindly. If he needs to go out for anything, you can also accompany him as my representative, alright?” After a few howls, Chonghua responded with a sense of grievance.

Xu Ziqing’s eyes softened as he gently stroked its feathers before letting it fly away.

Today was different from the past. In the past, he led a nomadic life, and even when he was with Chonghua, there was little time for cultivation. However, now that he has settled on Xiaozhu Peak, it is a good opportunity for Chonghua to focus on his own practice.

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The next day marked the time for various sects in the Qingyun Great World to recruit disciples, and the Wuling Immortal Sect was no exception.

Stepping out of his cave, Xu Ziqing made his way to the peak to find his shixiong. However, as he ascended the peak, he was taken aback by what he saw.

Yun Lie, who had always been dressed plainly, appeared quite different today. He was donning a striking black brocade robe with wide sleeves, featuring a golden dragon pattern on his shoulders. Around his waist hung a black dragon badge, and his long hair was neatly tied in the middle.

His usual intense killing intent seemed even more formidable in this black attire, making Xu Ziqing unable to tear his gaze away, leaving him breathless.

Such a formal outfit exuded a powerful and thrilling aura.

As Xu Ziqing approached, Yun Lie nodded slightly, saying, “Let’s go.”

Composing himself, Xu Ziqing responded with a gentle smile, “Yes, Yun Shixiong.”

Yun Lie turned around, raising his hand to release a black light. To Xu Ziqing’s surprise, the light materialized into a black vulture with an impressive ten-foot wingspan.

Yun Lie soared into the sky, taking a seat cross-legged on the back of the magnificent black vulture. Xu Ziqing followed suit, settling behind his shixiong. As he took his seat, he realized that there were no feathers beneath his legs; instead, the surface was smooth and polished. Curious, he inquired, “Yun Shixiong, what is this?”

Patting the neck of the black vulture, Yun Lie turned his head slightly and replied, “This is a mechanism puppet.”

A mechanism puppet?

Xu Ziqing carefully pondered the name “mechanism puppet” that Yun Lie mentioned. The master’s jade slips never covered this topic, so he was naturally unfamiliar with it. However, just by hearing the name, he could surmise a bit about what it might be.

He gently ran his fingers along the spine of the puppet black vulture, feeling its cold touch. Watching it fly, the vulture seemed to exude a unique combination of coldness and fierceness, piquing his interest. He thought to himself, ‘Whenever I have some free time, I should visit the ‘Duobao Pavilion’ and explore some mechanism techniques.’

The puppet black eagle was swifter than ordinary spirit birds. By feeding it spirit stones, it could fly for extended periods without fatigue, making it highly favored by many monks over real spirit birds.

Unfortunately, finding such a lifelike and massive black eagle puppet was rare. Yun Lie could only ride on it during his duties as a criminal officer; otherwise, he would face punishment according to the rules of the criminal peak.

As the puppet black vulture swiftly traversed countless peaks, it arrived at the meeting point between the inner and outer gates. To the untrained eye, it looked like an empty void. If the puppet black eagle hadn’t stopped in mid-air, no one would have known this was the exit.

Yun Lie removed the Black Dragon Execution Token from his waist and waved it. The token sank into the air before them, causing ripples to form and create a black vortex that continuously circled. The puppet black eagle glided into the vortex and soon vanished as if it were being sucked into the shrinking spiral.

In the next moment, Xu Ziqing felt a momentary darkness and then witnessed a bright scene. When he looked up, a majestic palace stood before him.

Although the sight should have appeared awe-inspiring, having seen numerous grand buildings in the inner gate, he found this palace to be slightly less impressive in comparison.

The hall bore three prominent characters: “Hall in charge of affairs.” It was where the outer sect elders and stewards exercised their power and conducted discussions. Behind the hall, there were courtyards and tall buildings, presumably serving as their residences.

Hovering high in the sky, the puppet black vulture emitted a strong aura, which instantly spread across the entire mountain, causing the people in the hall to take notice. Within a short while, numerous figures emerged in front of them.

Looking from Xu Ziqing’s perspective, most of the monks appeared to be at a similar cultivation level to his own, and there were a few whose strength he couldn’t fully gauge, but none of them gave him a sense of threat. At best, they seemed to be in the late stage of foundation establishment.

Perched on the black vulture’s back, Yun Lie emitted a cold aura, and his expression was stern. Even with just a hint of his terrifying sword pressure, the monks below turned pale and broke into a sweat.

As the monks recognized the puppet black vulture, they all bowed down in salutation, addressing Yun Lie as the “judge in charge.”

Then, the imposing man in black declared, “I am Yun Lie, one of the officers of Sixing Peak, holding the forty-ninth seat, responsible for supervising the recruitment of disciples this time.” He continued, “Who is the head of the hall? Step forward and answer.”

In the outer sect, aside from numerous elders, stewards, and others holding power, there was another person in control, known as the “master of the hall of affairs.”

However, even for the master of the outer sect, their status and treatment were only on par with the direct disciples of the inner sect. If they encountered a Golden Core cultivator or a disciple highly favored by the inner sect, they had to show respect and avoid taking advantage of their position.

Among the monks, a chubby monk rode on a flying sword and approached a place slightly below the black vulture. He leaned forward and introduced himself, “Jia Yangping, the master of the hall of affairs, has seen Sixing Peak’s Officer Yun.”

Yun Lie lowered his eyes in acknowledgment.

Yun Lie inquired, “When will the door open?”

Jia Yangping replied respectfully, “It’s the early hour of Chen shi[mfn]7-9 am[/mfn].”

Yun Lie nodded in acknowledgment, “It’s the end of Mao shi[mfn]5-7 am[/mfn], you can go to Wuxin Hall.”

Naturally, Jia Yangping replied with a “Yes” and then went back to inform the many elders and stewards. They gathered various magic weapons, surrounded Yun Lie, and flew towards their destination.

Yun Lie controlled the black vulture as they flew quietly through the air, not jostling with the many outer sect disciples. There was a sense of independence in his demeanor.

Xu Ziqing had just witnessed the power of his shixiong, leaving him with indescribable emotions.

Before he could fully process his thoughts, the group of people had already arrived in front of Wuxin Hall.

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