Ninety-one, ninety-two, ninety-three...
Ye Qingshuang crawled on her hands and knees, her small face flushed red with strain. The pressure mounted with each step, sweat soaking her clothes, yet the light in her eyes grew brighter.
Ninety-eight, ninety-nine, one hundred!
When her tiny form finally, steadily, reached the summit of the hundred-step Jade Capital Platform, a gentle radiance enveloped her, dispelling her exhaustion and making her gaze shine with an extraordinary brilliance.
"Good! Good! Good!"
Jiang Ling exclaimed three times in a row, his face lit with undisguised surprise and admiration.
"To ascend the Jade Capital is to possess a will of iron! Ye Qingshuang, from this day forth, you are my third personal disciple under Jiang Ling!"
His voice, loud and clear, echoed before the mountain gate, declaring the girl who had climbed from the refugee crowd now possessed an utterly different status.
"Thank you, Master."
Ye Qingshuang's voice remained hoarse and cold, but the hand clutching her cloth doll trembled slightly. She bowed deeply towards Jiang Ling.
Below the mountain gate, the new disciples still struggling up the steps stared dumbfounded at the small figure atop the hundredth step. Envy, awe, and even a hint of shame churned within them. The highest among them had barely reached the sixty-fifth step—compared to a hundred, it was the difference between cloud and mud!
Hua Yuntian's face had miraculously lost its scowl. Even his gaze had changed, now holding a scrutinizing look as he watched Ye Qingshuang. To conquer a hundred Jade Capital Steps meant that beneath that seemingly frail mortal body must lie some extremely special, perhaps even shocking, constitution or potential!
"Hmph, I suppose you barely qualify to be my fellow disciple," he snorted inwardly, forcibly suppressing his displeasure. Much of the disdain in his eyes had finally faded.
[Ding! Sect upgrade mission completed. Sect rank elevated to: Ninth Grade!]
[Rewards distributed: Sect territory expanded to a ten-li radius. Immortal Formation coverage expanded accordingly. Immortal Formation defense level upgraded: Absolute defense against all below the Celestial Immortal realm!]
[Sect reputation elevated to 'Rising Fame'!]
[Ding! Detected core disciple Ye Qingshuang ascending the Jade Capital Platform, triggering hidden reward: Sect Command Token (Master Token) x1 (Can infinitely replicate Subordinate Tokens to bestow upon disciples)!]
[Sect Command Token: Each disciple should bind a blood-dedicated Subordinate Token to signify their identity. Subordinate Tokens draw a wisp of the disciple's primal soul essence, converging within the Master Token. The Sect Master can perceive a disciple's life/death status at any time and also control their life and death.]
[Additionally, the Sect Command Token contains profound restrictions that automatically detect the loyalty of bound disciples towards the sect. Upon harboring strong thoughts of betrayal or committing tangible acts of betrayal, the destruction mechanism activates immediately.]
A rapid-fire series of system notifications exploded in Jiang Ling's mind, the sheer volume of information almost making him lose his composure as a profound master. The corners of his mouth twitched wildly upward!
After reading the description of the Sect Command Token, he sucked in a sharp breath.
"Holy smokes! A pillow delivered just as I was nodding off! This token... it's simply the ultimate divine artifact for managing a sect!"
With this thing, any potential turncoats or ingrates would have nowhere to hide. Life and death under control, loyalty monitored at all times—it was the ultimate tailor-made treasure for a sect!
At this moment, the remaining eight new disciples finally finished their arduous climb up the Jade Capital Platform. To Jiang Ling's surprise, all of them had passed the sixtieth step, though none had reached the seventieth, stopping them at the outer sect level.
"Your wills are passable. Although you did not meet the standard for ordinary disciples, having crossed the sixty-step threshold qualifies you as outer sect disciples of the Primordial Sect!"
Jiang Ling announced clearly, his voice carrying a note of encouragement. "Diligent cultivation may yet allow you to surpass those ahead!"
Hearing this, the eight outer sect disciples felt some regret at not advancing further, but being formally accepted into the sect and receiving a monthly stipend was already immense fortune. They bowed excitedly in unison. "Thank you, Sect Master!"
Rumble...
At that moment, the entire edge of the Primordial Mountain range seemed to come alive. The earth trembled faintly as an invisible boundary expanded outward. Simultaneously, Mount Taishi itself grew taller by ten li, now wreathed in mist and clouds, taking on an even more immortal aspect.
Hum!
The Nine Heavens Loess Unyielding Dragon Array manifested. The yellow-brown light membrane became denser and more solid, its coverage suddenly vast and open. A more profound power permeated the air.
This was the might of the upgraded Immortal Formation—invincible below the Celestial Immortal realm. Jiang Ling's heart settled. With this turtle shell, his Primordial Sect was secure!
"An immortal's methods!"
At this moment, all the disciples looked at Jiang Ling with immense reverence.
"I told you Master was a wolf in sheep's clothing! Just this feat alone means he must be at least at the Tribulation Transcendence stage!" Jin Cancan's eyes flashed with a strange light, convinced he had seen through Jiang Ling.
Meanwhile, Hua Yuntian stood thunderstruck, rooted to the spot for a long time.
Wasn't that old rogue Jiang a mortal?
To alter reality from nothing, without any prior signs... this seamless, effortless method wasn't something easily achieved even in his past life. Could it be... Jiang Ling wasn't a mortal, but a hidden powerhouse?
Yes, that must be it!
Hua Yuntian's face cycled between green and pale, finally arriving at this conclusion.
Next came settling the new disciples.
Jiang Ling flipped his hand, and eight jade slips recording the 'Basic Breath Absorption Technique' appeared.
"This is the foundational entry technique of our Primordial Sect, bestowed upon you, the outer sect disciples. I hope you cultivate diligently, draw in qi, and set foot on the immortal path!"
He distributed the jade slips. The system returned a few Earth-grade cultivation techniques, some decent-quality Qi-Gathering Pills, and a small number of mid-grade spirit stones—better than nothing.
Finally, Jiang Ling turned his gaze to Ye Qingshuang, feeling a bit troubled.
This girl was a mortal body, with no spiritual roots. Even if he gave her the 'Basic Breath Absorption Technique,' she wouldn't be able to cultivate at all!
"System Bro, this girl has no spiritual roots. How is she supposed to cultivate?" Jiang Ling complained inwardly.
System: [Ye Qingshuang possesses an extremely tenacious heart, making her excellent cultivation material. Host can try guiding her to enter the Dao through martial arts.]
Enter the Dao through martial arts?
Jiang Ling's eyes shifted. He remembered there seemed to be a mundane martial arts cultivation manual in the sect's treasury, looted from some unlucky fellow years ago.
What was it called... 'Star-Swallowing Great Art'? It was said to absorb others' inner energy for one's own use, considered a wicked technique in the mortal martial world.
But for this delicate little girl to cultivate the Star-Swallowing Great Art... it felt a bit odd.
Whatever. Having a technique to cultivate was good enough; one couldn't be picky. The system said to enter the Dao through martial arts; at worst, she could switch to a proper cultivation technique after entering the Dao.
Feeling more assured, Jiang Ling straightened his back even more.
He cleared his throat, deciding to first introduce the sect's core members.
"Qingshuang, come. Meet your eldest senior brother. From now on, revere him as you would revere your master. Do not be impertinent."
He pointed at Jin Cancan, who was tilting his head curiously examining the new junior sister, speaking as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Ye Qingshuang complied, turning respectfully towards Jin Cancan to perform a bow.
However, when her empty, deathly still pupils clearly reflected Jin Cancan's lively, spirited chicken head... time seemed to freeze solid.