Elder Xu's sharp gaze remained fixed upon Li Xuan, heavy and unblinking. Inside the grand hall, the atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive, suffocating every corner until even the ambient Qi seemed to freeze in place.
"Now tell me, Li Xuan," Elder Xu's calm voice echoed off the pillars, carrying the subtle weight of his immense cultivation. "Where did you obtain that token?"
The question stirred a memory buried deep within Li Xuan's mind—a scene from not long ago.
Beneath a dense forest canopy, Ling Yue had been preparing to leave. A pale blue light gathered beneath her boots, causing the surrounding spiritual energy to swirl in a quiet, hypnotic vortex. It was clear her departure was imminent.
Li Xuan watched her silently. He knew that after today, their paths in the vast cultivation world would likely never cross again.
But just as her figure began to drift into the air, she paused. Slowly, she turned back to face him. With a slight flick of her slender fingers, a flash of jade arced through the air.
Li Xuan caught it instinctively. The token felt ice-cold against his palm, etched with ancient azure patterns. At its dead center, a single character was carved with profound, sharp intent: Dao.
Li Xuan looked up, confusion clouding his features. "What is this?"
Ling Yue's voice drifted down to him, as ethereal and distant as the wind. "If the injuries to your foundation worsen... go to the Dao Temple Sect. Show them this token. They will help you recover."
Li Xuan lowered his gaze to the jade, a trace of genuine surprise flashing through his eyes before he looked back up. "If I go there... where can I find you?"
For a lingering moment, Ling Yue remained silent. When she spoke again, her tone brooked no argument. "There is one more thing. You must not tell anyone that this token was given to you by me."
Li Xuan's brows furrowed. "Why?"
"There is no need for you to know," she replied, her expression an unreadable mask of calm. "Just remember it."
The forest fell into a quiet lull. Eventually, Li Xuan gave a firm nod. "I understand. I give you my word."
Ling Yue offered a faint, almost imperceptible nod. Without another word, she turned. The pale blue light beneath her feet erupted into a brilliant flash, and in the next instant, she turned into a streak of shooting light, vanishing into the distant horizon. She left Li Xuan standing entirely alone beneath the rustling trees, the jade token gripped firmly in his hand.
The memory receded like a pulling tide, and Li Xuan returned to the present. Elder Xu was still watching him, waiting for an answer with the patience of a mountain.
Li Xuan's eyes flickered. He had given his word, and whatever hidden dangers or reasons Ling Yue had, he would keep that promise.
"This token was given to me by a mysterious benefactor," Li Xuan spoke, his voice remarkably steady.
Elder Xu narrowed his eyes slightly, a dangerous glint passing through them. "A mysterious benefactor?"
"Yes," Li Xuan lied smoothly, nodding his head. "I do not know their true identity."
The answer wasn't entirely false—he truly knew almost nothing about her. He continued calmly, control returning to his posture. "That person only told me one thing: if I came to the Dao Temple Sect, this token would grant me entry, and that the sect might possess a way to heal my shattered dantian."
Silence reclaimed the hall. Elder Xu's gaze shifted briefly toward Li Xuan's abdomen, sensing the ruined, dormant state of his core, before returning to his face.
"You know nothing else?" the Elder pressed.
Li Xuan shook his head without a hint of hesitation. "That is all I know."
Elder Xu stared at him for several agonizing breaths. With his centuries of experience, he could tell the young man was withholding finer details. Yet, looking into Li Xuan's eyes, he saw no fear. No trembling. No telltale sign of deceit. There was only an unyielding, calm determination.
Finally, Elder Xu slowly closed his eyes. A single, legendary figure had already materialized within his mind. Within the entire Dao Temple Sect, fewer than five people possessed a token of that specific caliber. And among them, only one would bother handing it to a crippled youth in the mortal realms.
When the Elder opened his eyes again, the way he looked at Li Xuan had completely transformed. The casual, aloof curiosity from before was entirely gone. In its place was an intense seriousness—and perhaps, a trace of profound disbelief.
Elder Xu slowly leaned back into his grand seat, his gaze locking onto the youth. "At this point, how you obtained the token no longer matters. What matters is the terrifying authority the token itself holds."
Li Xuan remained silent, listening intently.
The Dao Temple Sect recognizes three standard ranks of disciples," Elder Xu explained, his voice taking on a formal tone. "Outer Disciples, Inner Disciples, and Core Disciples. Ordinary cultivators must bleed just to enter as Outer Disciples. They must pass brutal examinations, survive trials, and ruthlessly prove their talent just to advance a single step. The higher one's rank, the more astronomical the resources and cultivation techniques they receive."
As Li Xuan listened quietly, Elder Xu's gaze drifted back to the token.
"However... the token in your possession operates outside the laws of the sect. In our entire history, very few have ever been cast. Anyone holding it possesses a singular, absolute privilege."
Li Xuan's eyes narrowed slightly. "What privilege?"
Elder Xu looked directly into his soul. "With that token, you bypass every examination. You bypass every trial, every assessment, and every elder's approval. You directly become a Core Disciple of the Dao Temple Sect."
The words echoed in the vast space. For the first time since stepping into the hall, genuine shock shattered Li Xuan's calm facade.
A Core Disciple? Directly? Without a single test?
Even with his calm temperament, he found it incredibly difficult to process. His thoughts immediately raced back to the forest canopy and the cold jade. Back then, he had assumed the token was merely a recommendation letter—a small favor to get him through the front gates. He had never imagined it possessed such earth-shattering authority.
Just who exactly are you, Ling Yue? the question screamed in his mind. What kind of terrifying status do you hold here?
Elder Xu quietly observed the genuine bewilderment playing across the youth's face. Satisfied that the boy truly hadn't understood the value of what he carried, the Elder slowly nodded.
"It seems you truly were ignorant of its weight," Elder Xu murmured. Then, his tone dropped an octave, growing incredibly solemn. "But... there is still something you must know before you accept this destiny."
The air in the hall shifted once more, turning sharp and hazardous. Li Xuan's instincts flared, his eyes narrowing. "What is it, Elder Xu?"
The elder looked directly into his eyes, his gaze profound, weighing the fate of the boy before him. Several tense moments passed before he finally opened his mouth, his voice carrying the chill of a warning.
"Because that token does not just grant you glory, kid. It brings a target. And that matter will dictate whether you survive your first month within the Dao Temple Sect."