Chapter 5: 5. 1st Disciple

An unknown amount of time later, Chen Li woke up to a strange scent. Almost like incense, but, not quite.

The bed he was sleeping on was too soft to be his own. Even the sheets were of high quality, a touch was all he needed to notice that.

‘… What happened?’

He stood up in a hurry after recalling some fragmented memories. Though before he could make sense of them, the room completely overwhelmed his brain.

White walls all around had some sort of writing on them. The hardwood floor too, was completely white, clearly made from a tree that he never saw before.

‘F*ck, don’t tell me this is the Xianxia equivalent of an insane asylum-’

“You’re awake. Good!” Chen Li instinctively looked for the source of the voice, and saw the man in white clothes. His memory returned immediately!

Although last night (?) it was a bit hard to see, Chen Li was 100% certain that this man, was his master.

A man, that looked more like a male model, wearing stylish white robes, with long and beautiful hair, and sword-like eyebrows. This man, was looking at him with a benevolent smile!

Chen Li immediately bowed his head and made a clumsy martial salute from the bed. “Master.” After realizing he was still on the bed, he hurriedly jumped down and gave a proper bow. “Master, thank you for your benev-”

“Shh..”

“-olent…” Chen Li stopped and glanced up to see what was going on, only to see his new master shaking his head with a kind(?) smile.

“Raise your head.” His master said, so Chen Li obliged, though he did so slowly! “From now on you are not allowed to convey your gratitude with words. You are my disciple! We are beyond that!” His master said with a wider smile. A smile that made Chen Li doubt his previous guess. But his master continued without giving him enough time to think. “If you want to display your gratitude, do so with your actions. Cultivate diligently! That is all I ask.”

“…” It took Chen Li more than a moment to understand his master’s words. As a normal human being with ordinary aptitude, hearing such a thing from an unfathomable master… It was stunning, to say the least!

Chen Li’s body moved on its own and he gave his master another martial bow, but deeper this time. He only spoke those words of gratitude because he thought that he should; there wasn’t any deeper meaning to them. This time though, Chen Li felt regret for not being able to convey his true feelings.

“Get up, get up. If you don’t get up, I will also ban you from bowing!” Chen Li stood up straight and a shy smile appeared on his face. His master laughed and flicked his wrist. “Come!”

Of course, there was a minor doubt in Chen Li's mind. Was this person treating him so well because of his sister? Could it be that he was going to be her weak point? As he thought of a variety of possibilities, memories of classic Xianxia plots resurfaced. Could it be that someone wanted to steal his sister’s talent? Or was it to steal her providence? Were they going to possess her? Were they going to use his blood to strengthen his sister through some demonic ritual, and then possess her?...

Many thoughts came and went in a fraction of a second. Worry was there, but perhaps due to excitement, and a healthy dose of optimism, Chen Li brushed the doubts away.

As he followed, the man in white -no, his master- spoke. “This is the 13th peak of the Kunlun sect. Normally, a peak would have many disciples, and govern itself as an internal sect. But I don’t have time, nor desire to do that.” The peak, as his master called it, was more like a mansion. With many identical rooms, Chen Li couldn’t tell where they were going.

“In the future, you may dabble in those things if you wish. Though you are my disciple, you are after all, your own person. With your own interests, your own talents, your own needs. I, Ji Jiang, as your master, will provide you with every opportunity! You only need to grasp them!”

As his master animatedly spoke, they finally reached a big, multi-level garden. Seeing tall mountains piercing through the clouds took Chen Li’s breath away.

Ji Jiang glanced back for a moment and smiled. “Jump on.” He said while flicking his wrist, and a sword appeared out of nowhere.

Chen Li had seen people flying with swords before, but never imagined that he would ride one in his lifetime.

After all, he had no cheat, and his aptitude was ordinary. Not ‘ordinary’ ordinary either, but ‘super-duper’ ordinary! No one could beat him in the Dao of Ordinariness!

Chen Li took a deep breath -a breath that he realized he desperately needed- and jumped on the sword. As they took off, he was momentarily worried about balance, out of instinct more than anything else. But even though the sword dove and slanted, he stayed firmly rooted, and did not feel even a little bit of inertia!

“Your sister is quite talented. In fact, she could be the biggest genius I’ve ever seen in my life.” Ji Jiang spoke slowly. “But you need not worry. Junior sister dotes on her disciples, and is fiercer than a tiger if anyone dares to make trouble for them. Her growth will be steady, and safe.”

Chen Li breathed a sigh of relief. Su Yan was his only sibling, in both lifetimes! Her talent for cultivation had been a frequent source of worry for almost half of his current life! Hearing that she could grow without typical Xianxia bullsh*t, even drowned the tiny voice of doubt inside.

But of course, his sister wasn’t the only thing that Chen Li worried about. “Master, what about my parents?”

“On the surface, they believe you two were recruited by the Twilight Thunder Sect. A name of a subsidiary sect of the 7th peak. Before they enter the threshold of Kunlun Sect, it is better for them not to know. Kunlun is the strongest of the holy lands, but that means we have many enemies. You can visit and tell your parents yourself once they settle in Violet Peak city.”

Chen Li nodded, and almost said thank you, but held his tongue back at the last second. He didn’t know the true attitude of his new master yet; it was better to take him at his word for now!

Ji Jiang smiled meaningfully, but Chen Li couldn’t see his expression from the back.

“Your aptitude…” Chen Li heard his master trail off and listened with bated breath, afraid to miss even a single word. “… Is quite… average. Yes, average. But aptitude, talent - they aren’t everything. That isn’t why I chose you as my disciple.” Ji Jiang nodded to himself. “There is something much more valuable, much more rare than inborn talent and aptitude for cultivation. An indomitable will!”

Chen Li blinked in quick succession. An indomitable will? He was pretty sure he didn’t have that! Inevitably, his thoughts went back to the dream, and the demon inside. It was only through luck of being a transmigrator/reincarnator that he was able to realize what was going on. In Chen Li’s mind, this didn’t have anything to do with will; it was only a trick!

“You were going to say that you do not have a strong will just now, weren’t you?” Ji Jiang asked, then continued without waiting for an answer. “Do not doubt yourself. I’m not the kind of person to take a disciple at a whim. I choose you, knowing that your aptitude was average. I choose you, knowing that you had an invincible will. An Ancient Realm cultivator can see through the tricks of fate, let alone the tricks of a mortal.”

Chen Li didn’t know what to say or think. He absentmindedly looked sideways and realized that the birds he saw from afar weren’t birds at all. Around the dozens of huge peaks, and hundreds of smaller peaks surrounding them, tens of thousands of cultivators were flying in harmony. The distance between the peaks was difficult to judge, so was the speed of their sword.

“You will understand your strength soon enough. Until you do, cultivate diligently.”

Chen Li nodded and gave a martial salute again. “Yes, master.” He doubted Ji Jiang’s words but hoped that they were true at the same time.

For the rest of the way, Ji Jiang told him the names of the peaks they saw, and their general attitude. It was unfortunate that the 2nd peak that his sister stayed in wasn’t on their way!

“Kunlun itself doesn’t have many rules. And you don’t need to worry about following them either. Simply put, don’t severely hurt other Kunlun disciples, and protect the innocent if it is within your means. If anyone seeks any trouble, tell them you are the first disciple of the 13th peak!” Chen Li nodded, and couldn’t see Ji Jiang's crooked smile.

As they flew past another huge mountain, Ji Jiang spoke. “That, is the 4th peak, their master is my junior. Now that I have a disciple, we’ll visit there frequently.”

Chen Li looked at the peak with some worry. ‘They all look the f*cking same! How the hell am I going to differentiate them?!’ After a few seconds of thought, he shook his head and stopped caring. He was a Qi Condensation disciple! There was no need to worry about recognizing the peaks, because there was no way for him to fly on his own!

Soon, a small and isolated mountain appeared. As they got closer, Chen Li saw a tall, golden pagoda on top. From a distance, it felt as if the pagoda had hundreds, if not thousands of floors, yet when he tried to count, he couldn’t seem to go above nine.

“That little structure on top of the lonely peak is the sect archives. Whenever you feel like you want to learn a new technique, come here with your token.” A golden token with the word Unbreakable appeared from thin air just in front of Chen Li.

‘… This Xianxia token… is flashier than I thought it would be… Wait, I can come here whenever I feel like?’

Didn’t most, if not all Xianxia novels had a limit for accessing new techniques? Thousands of people wandering around the square below seemed to confirm his guess. Chen Li asked directly. “Master, is there an access limitation?”

The smile on Ji Jiang’s face grew wider and more crooked! “You’re the first disciple of the 13th peak. This is a rank, not the order of disciples’ entry. There are no limitations or restrictions for you.” By the time Ji Jiang finished his words, they had arrived at the gates of the pagoda already!

Other people seemed to land outside the walls and walked the rest of the way. Yet they landed directly at the pagoda’s gates! Chen Li warily looked around before hearing his master’s voice. “Follow me. I’ll show you where to good stuff is!”

‘…’

“Um, senior, you can’t land-” Ji Jiang showed something, and the person that appeared out of nowhere bowed in an instant. “Please forgive my insolence!” Ji Jiang waved his hand dismissively and walked away without pause.

Once Chen Li got a better look, he realized the person wore the same red robes as some of the people inside. And looking inside gave Chen Li yet another shock!

Though the exterior of the pagoda seemed slightly bigger than a stadium, the interior was even bigger! An entire city was in the middle, and the walls were covered with endless rows of bookshelves!

Chen Li suppressed the urge to go outside and compare the size difference. Though he knew he was in a Xianxia world and could even use a technique that qualified as magic himself, this was his first time seeing a spatial formation. Some things were better experienced rather than read!

Though the interior space was huge, it only took them a dozen steps at most to reach the other side of the pagoda. He couldn’t even take a good look at the people inside! On the entire way Chen Li was desperately trying to control his chin from dropping!

“This door leads to the Heaven grade scriptures. No one can see them without peak tokens.” Ji Jiang confidently walked inside with Chen Li right behind. “You can browse and read as much as you want. Anything you find on this floor is limited to your cultivation level. As you progress your realm, more floors and side rooms will open. Take your time, I will be back in a few hours.” Ji Jiang glanced sideways at Chen Li and disappeared.

After witnessing one magical spectacle after the other, Chen Li’s inner Xianxia enthusiast was stirred!

‘Holy sh*t, this really is a sect library…’ He thought as he slowly walked toward the center. Looking up, he could see countless floors. It was as if there was no end to the library! Dizziness struck when he started to count. Clearly this wasn’t an action that he was meant to do!

‘Sh*t, wait… Wait a second…’

You are reading story Brother of the Divine Empress at novel35.com

Restrictions in a Xianxia library… Weren’t they simply stepping stones for an MC?

A young, but ambitious man (probably abandoned by his fiancé), comes to the sect archives. But instead of finding a suitable cultivation method, he challenges the limits of the library, and finds the secret, super-rare-heavenly-chaos-primordial-god rank cultivation method!

Chen Li entertained the thought of going against the will of the library. Only for a moment!

Then he smiled and shook his head. ‘I’ll try if I end up receiving a System or something.’

The library was truly a library, with shelves full of books, scrolls, and jade slips. Were heaven-rank cultivation methods so common? Chen Li couldn’t help but doubt that!

‘He did say Kunlun was the strongest holy land… Kinda weird that I never heard the name before, but technically I am a country bumpkin. So… it shouldn’t be surprising, I guess.’

Chen Li started browsing by glancing at the names of the methods first.

‘Great Transformations of Earth Scripture? Iridescent Soil Reversal Art? Hell Shattering Unstoppable Fist? Damn, they all sound impressive…’

While browsing, Chen Li noticed that everything he saw was actually an Earth element method. Even the ones with questionable names turned out to be Earth element related once he opened them!

Was this a coincidence? Chen Li tried to find out by going to the opposite side of the library. And yet, even there, all he could find was Earth element methods! After going deeper, he could find some non-elemental methods, but that was it!

‘Huh…’ A smile appeared on Chen Li’s face once again and he grabbed a random book. ‘Supreme Sage Manifold Scripture? Why not?’

Upon starting to read, Chen Li realized he couldn’t flip through the book as he pleased. Only the first dozen or so pages were readable. ‘Must be because my cultivation is too low. Nice!’

Chen Li glanced at the first few pages with a smile. There were diagrams of the human body, some graphical illustrations showing different stances, and complicated graphs that seemed to show some arbitrary order of meridians.

‘Sh*t, my Qi practice method is basically “feel the Qi and be like Earth!” This is so detailed!’ Chen Li went back to the first page and started reading properly. There were many terms that he didn’t understand, many references to techniques that he never even heard of. Still, he could get the gist of it after reading the available pages a few times.

‘… If I really circulate my Qi like that somehow, will I really be able to burrow myself into solid rock?’ Chen Li couldn’t help but stay skeptical! The book clearly said that this was a method usable in the 2nd stage. Yet Chen Li’s powers were limited to molding rock for 10 minutes to create a medium-sized vase!

The difference was just too big!

He made a mental note of the book and read another. Unstoppable Amber Storm, a martial art that uses the staves to conjure and hurl huge rocks at the enemy!

Then another. Solemn Earth Scripture, a method to use all earth within a kilometer as a spying method. In the 1st stage of the Qi Condensation realm.

Chen Li knew that they should be real, and the methods described should be doable with his cultivation base. He knew, but after a lifetime of herb gathering, and half a year of sparse hunting experience, the difference in power was just too dramatic! Was this the same 1st stage of the Qi Condensation realm that he knew?!

After half an hour, he discovered the library was divided into sections. Qi cultivation methods only occupied a quarter of the floor, and most of them left Chen Li confused, and worried.

His own breathing and Qi circulation technique came from his father, an earth element cultivator like himself. Though Chen Li knew his technique was rather straightforward, after reading more than 20 cultivation methods, he couldn’t even call it basic!

Unlike martial arts techniques, Chen Li held the possibility of trying the cultivation techniques at the back of his mind. Surely, circulating his Qi a few times wouldn’t hurt, right? But the complexity of all the methods was so big, he was sure that he couldn’t cultivate any of them! Not even months of studying would be enough!

‘Hmm. I guess this could be the difference of talent.’ Thought Chen Li, and continued to read random methods from a different aisle.

Sometime later, his master came back. “Have you found anything that caught your eye?” He asked with a smile. Chen Li couldn’t know what Ji Jiang was thinking, so he answered truthfully. “I don’t know. These techniques are too advanced, and their effects seem miraculous compared to what I know.”

Ji Jiang nodded. “Nn. You will get used to them soon. Follow me.” He turned back and enveloped Chen Li with his footwork technique once again. ‘He thinks they are advanced, but not impossible? Not bad.’ Ji Jiang thought inwardly. His disciple’s comprehension seemed to be better than he thought! As they walked, Ji Jiang couldn’t help but smile with anticipation!

The journey back took less than half a minute. Chen Li understood that his master was purposefully slow the first time so he could show the sect. They didn’t land in the outer gardens, but in a spacious courtyard instead.

Chen Li got a better understanding of the 13th peak after seeing it from above. There were thousands of roofs, and dozens of gardens and courtyards. This was beyond excessive for two people; the size was obviously meant to be used by a sect!

“This side wing is now yours. There are many formations underneath that will keep all sounds, lights, and smells within. You can practice any sort of technique without the worry; you won’t be able to disturb anyone even if you tried.”

Ji Jiang made a follow gesture with his finger and kept speaking.

“The library is on the other end of this corridor. I have already placed all the essential knowledge and techniques that you need to study. Take your time and focus on digestion. Necessary supplies such as pills and materials, you can find them on the east wing, within the storage. There are even some food and wine for when you get bored with fasting pills.” Ji Jiang gave a side smile to Chen Li. ”Eat and drink in moderation!”

They entered a room with nothing but a praying mat inside. Somehow, Chen Li felt as if he stepped from a dry desert into a damp rainforest. It wasn’t a sensation he ever felt before!

“This is your cultivation room. The spiritual energy within will adjust to the needs of your cultivation base. The door on the back leads to another cultivation chamber, you will find a bottle of marrow cleansing pills. Take one every day, in that chamber.” Once Chen Li nodded, Ji Jiang smiled. “Alright, you can familiarize yourself with your abode for today. I will start teaching you tomorrow.”

With that, Ji Jiang completely disappeared, leaving Chen Li in a daze.

Change had come suddenly and without any warning. What was his sister doing right now? What were his parents doing right now? Now that he was alone, his worries came back, though this time it was only for his family members.

Chen Li sighed as he looked around the empty cultivation chamber. Maybe his master would change his mind in the future after realizing the truth about Chen Li’s talent. Whatever the case, he decided to do his best in the present.

After visiting every room and taking note of everything, Chen Li went back to the cultivation chamber and found the jade bottle. Next to a pool.

‘Why the f*ck is there’s an indoor pool inside a cultivation chambe- Oh… Is this for that body cultivation stuff?’

Chen Li’s eyes started shining as he inspected the pool. The water inside was clearly not ordinary, as it didn’t have the slightest hint of blue! Despite the size and depth!

After hesitating for a moment, Chen Li tentatively dipped his index finger. The liquid was neither hot nor cold. A comfortable feeling started radiating from his finger after a few seconds.

Chen Li couldn’t help but think in technical Xianxia terms: ‘Good pool!’

Then, his attention went back to the jade bottle. The first and last time he bought a pill, it was the marrow cleansing pill. The bottle it came in was small, and everything about it looked ordinary, exactly like how Chen Li imagined in his previous life!

“Yes, this is also a bottle…” Chen Li muttered. “A jug-sized bottle is still a bottle. Right.”

Just how many pills were inside the bottle? Curiosity got the better of Chen Li. A strange, wind-like sensation swept away as soon as he opened the bottle. A scent that he could only describe as fresh, permeated through the air. Countless tiny pearls inside emitted a faint light, making it even more difficult to judge their numbers.

Chen Li closed the bottle after a few seconds, afraid that keeping it open would affect the efficacy of the pills.

‘I never thought a higher quality marrow cleansing pill would be smaller. Huh…’ The pill that he bought was the size of a grape. But these ones looked smaller than half a grain of rice.

While Chen Li was mentally preparing himself to swallow the pill, he noticed a crucial problem.

A marrow cleansing pill’s job was to cleanse the impurities within the body. Some of it would be expelled through the skin!

‘Is this why he put the pills here? Should I take them within the pool?’ The finger that Chen Li dipped into the pool was noticeably smoother. The pool was doing something, but was it really cleaning?

Chen Li immediately went back to the gardens and rubbed his hand on the soil, then he came back to the mystical pool and slowly dipped a dirty finger inside.

‘F*ck, it really cleans the dirt!’

In hindsight, this somehow made sense. Cultivators would frequently expel impurities during their cultivation. The novels didn’t mention the characters cleaning themselves up -unless it involved a river and a jade beauty- but real people had to think about the logistics of hygiene!

After thinking for a while, Chen Li removed his clothes and moved the jug- no, the jade bottle of pills near the pool. Marrow cleansing pill didn’t need any intervention from the user, only swallowing it was enough. Chen Li had researched how to use it many times so his sister wouldn’t suffer.

To think that he had an entire bottle of pills in front of him… Chen Li thought it was an absurd development! But since it had happened, he ignored his emotions and entered the pool.

A moan escaped from his lips immediately. “… This is so great…” A moment later he took a pill out of the bottle, and realized that the pill wasn’t small at all. In fact, it was a little larger than the pill he bought! ‘F*ck, how big is the interior of this thing.’ Thought Chen Li as he swallowed the pill.

Nothing happened for a while. After about half a dozen breaths, Chen Li started to become concerned. Was he supposed to do something? A few minutes later, a warm wave of energy appeared and traveled through his body. Chen Li immediately calmed his mind, just in case, and let the pill do its thing.

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