Chapter 14: Please Wait a Moment

At the mountain gate stood a white jade gatehouse towering a hundred zhang high, with the three characters “Tianxuanzong” inscribed on its plaque—imposing and awe-inspiring.
In front of the gate stood two gatekeepers, who were also outer sect disciples at the second level of Qi cultivation.
It was said that there were about five hundred such gatehouses within Tianxuanzong’s territory, meaning thousands of outer sect disciples were needed to guard the gates every day.
Seeing that Su Che was not wearing the sect disciples’ robes nor was he a powerful figure, the two gatekeepers naturally asked about his purpose. Without a proper reason—such as seeking guidance from a master—they would never let him in.
Su Che took out the jade token, a token of Master Yuqing, to explain his purpose: “Uncle Yuqing is willing to act as my introducer. I beg you two to convey this message to him.”
One of them took the jade token and infused it with true energy using a special technique. The token then transformed into a beam of white light that soared into the sky before disappearing into the protective array.
Confirming that the token was genuine, the man said to Su Che, “Wait here. Brother Yuqing is inside the gate, and the token will automatically find its way to him. However, Xuanji Peak is quite far away, so you’ll need to wait patiently.”
“Understood. Thank you, uncle,” Su Che said with a slight bow.
The gatekeepers, bound by their duties, could not chat, so the three of them stood silently beneath the gatehouse.
Actually, Su Che was already at the first level of Qi cultivation, and his contribution points to the sect were sufficient. Even without Master Yuqing’s recommendation, he could join Tianxuanzong on his own merits. So why did he still seek out Master Yuqing, wanting to owe him a favor?
Su Che believed that since Master Yuqing had offered to recommend him, even if he had become stronger, he should still inform him in advance to show his gratitude and respect. Otherwise, Master Yuqing might think he was arrogant and dismissive of others’ kindness. Worse still, if Master Yuqing was petty, he might even become hostile toward Su Che, creating an unnecessary feud.
These principles of conduct had been taught to him slowly and earnestly by his master when he was a patrol officer in the yamen. But now, his master was no longer here…
After waiting for over two hours, Su Che heard the earlier gatekeeper whisper, “He’s coming.”
Following his gaze, Su Che looked up and saw a light blue teleportation beam flying out of the mountains, approaching faster and faster.

His speed was extremely fast; in the blink of an eye, he descended from the sky and stood before the Jade Mountain Gate.
This man had eyes like stars and a graceful appearance—nothing short of Yu Qing, the same person Su Che had met once in the valley.
“Senior Brother Yu Qing (Uncle).”
Su Che, along with the two mountain guards, bowed to him.
Yu Qing wore a kind expression, nodded at the two disciples, then turned his gaze to Su Che and smiled, saying, “Not bad. You’ve already reached the first level of Qi cultivation. You must have eaten quite a bit of bear meat, right?”
“Yes,” Su Che replied with a smile as well. “I also owe thanks to Uncle for being so generous and leaving me so much bear meat.”
“No need to thank me. That bear meat was something I discarded anyway. I didn’t plan to give it to you from the start.” Yu Qing waved his hand and added, “Come on. I’ll take you to the Fengxian Hall to officially join the sect!”
Of course, Su Che wouldn’t refuse, but he still wanted to remind him, “Uncle, my sect contribution points are already sufficient. All I need is your introduction. There’s no need to waste a recommendation slot.”
Su Che had heard that even inner sect disciples couldn’t recommend others to join the sect indefinitely—there must be a limit on recommendation slots, though he wasn’t entirely sure about the specifics.
“Oh?”
Yu Qing was slightly surprised but understood Su Che’s good intentions after a moment. He nodded in approval and praised, “It’s rare to see someone of your young age already so sensible…”
In Yu Qing’s eyes, Su Che was just a 14-year-old child. To his surprise, Su Che was mature and experienced in handling matters, which made Yu Qing like him even more.
The mountain gate was not far from Xuanji City. Instead of flying on a sword, Yu Qing walked with Su Che using light-footed techniques. It didn’t take long before they entered Xuanji City.
The Fengxian Hall, meaning “Hall of Inheriting the Immortal Path,” was both the place where outer sect disciples underwent assessments and were admitted, as well as the most magnificent building in Xuanji City.
The square in front of the hall was extremely wide, capable of accommodating hundreds of thousands of people without issue. Stalls were not allowed here—it wasn’t a trading area. Yet even so, many self-practicing disciples would gather there regularly.
These disciples would gather in groups of three or five, chatting or exchanging tips on completing tasks. No matter what they were doing, they would occasionally look up at the main gate of the Fengxian Hall. If they saw someone coming in or going out, they would cast envious glances their way.
Undoubtedly, those who could enter the hall had met the requirements to take the assessment. And if they could walk out, it meant their dream of becoming a sect disciple had come true.
“When will I be able to make it too and enter that gate?”

At this moment, countless eyes in the square were fixed on Su Che’s back—many filled with envy, many with jealousy… Su Che followed Yu Qing into the Chengxian Hall and then realized that the hall was far larger than he had imagined—vast, spacious, and magnificent. Statues scattered around stood over ten zhang tall, while the murals and reliefs on the walls resembled real paintings, quietly telling the history and achievements of the Tianxuan Sect. Inside the hall, an ancient, solemn, and profound atmosphere permeated everything, making Su Che naturally feel his own insignificance. At the same time, a desire surged within him—a desire for strength, for glory… “Perhaps one day, my deeds will also be engraved on some wall, becoming a myth that future generations will admire endlessly…” Moved by Su Che’s excitement, Yu Qing, standing nearby, couldn’t help but recall his own past and understood: “This boy has a firm will. On his first visit to this hall, instead of being suppressed by its atmosphere, it ignited certain desires within him… No wonder the Blood Curtain Mountains felt sympathy for him the first time they saw him. It turns out he’s the same kind of person as me…” Generally, young people have immature wills, and on their first visit to this hall, they are usually heavily suppressed by its atmosphere, leading most of them to show timidity or caution. Only a very few can have an exceptionally firm will at such a young age, unafraid of any suppression, and instead unleash something hidden deep within them. Back in the day, Yu Qing’s reaction was similar to Su Che’s today—this is a kind of spiritual resonance between people. For this reason, Yu Qing didn’t want to give him any special introduction. It was just an entrance exam; even mediocre people could pass it, so he should be able to as well. “Junior Su.” Yu Qing’s gaze carried clear encouragement. At this moment, even his way of addressing him changed, clearly signaling, “Go ahead, kid. I have faith in you.” Without any explicit words, Su Che immediately understood his meaning and smiled easily. “Alright. Please wait a moment, Senior Yu Qing.” Naturally, his way of addressing him also changed.