Lin Zhiyue had accumulated seven Gold Tickets.
She had originally wanted to wait until she saved up enough for a ten-pull, but the preview image of that Nine-Tailed Celestial Fox set was always hanging in the system panel.
Every time she opened the panel, she would see the silhouette of those robes interwoven with snow-white, silver-white, and dark gold, the faint shadows of the nine tail feathers at the edge of the hem floating slightly in the preview.
In the end, she couldn't resist and threw all seven Gold Tickets into the gacha interface.
Seven dark gold lights lit up in succession on the light screen.
When the first light descended, it was an accessory: a silver-white celestial fox earring, not very large, with a ring of fine, dark patterns around the edge. The second item was a waistband, a thin dark gold line pressed into the middle of the snow-white satin. The third item was a pair of short boots, with a ring of very light silver-gray fluff at the collar, soft to the touch and without any excess decoration.
After the first three items, the subsequent lights only revealed duplicate pieces, which were automatically converted into points by the system.
With all seven Gold Tickets used, she had only obtained three out of the fifteen regular pieces. There wasn't even a shadow of the hidden pieces, the Nine Tails and the Lingyue Fox Silk.
The three newly drawn pieces were automatically stored in the set's slots, occupying three spaces among the gray, locked silhouettes, looking empty and scattered.
Lin Zhiyue leaned against the back of her chair and closed the light screen.
She blew out the lamp on her desk, sat in the darkness for a moment, then stood up, closed the window, and went to lie down on the bed.
The drop rate for this round was truly dismal. Looking at the remaining pieces, Lin Zhiyue couldn't help but feel her heart sink—who knew how much more time she would have to waste to complete this set piece by piece?
...
Half a year of time was but the blink of an eye, like a few spiritual herbs turning to ash in a cauldron.
Lin Zhiyue opened her eyes amidst the dense, fragrant aroma of pills, the wisp of crimson pill fire at her fingertips not yet fully extinguished.
Over the past half year, she had been grinding away at the Dao of alchemy while using the power of pills to advance her cultivation. The days flew by like flowing water, yet they were incredibly fulfilling.
She had just stood up and pushed open the window when a crisp mountain breeze swept in, carrying the sound of whispering pines.
“Little Junior Sister, the Sect Master has issued an order.”
The voice of a messenger disciple came from outside the door, respectful but carrying an undeniable weight.
Lin Zhiyue wiped the herb residue from her hands, her brow furrowing slightly. “What is it?”
“Today is the grand day of the sect opening its gates to accept disciples. The Sect Master specifically instructed that you and the other Venerables head to the Heart's Inquiry Steps immediately to pick a few promising disciples who catch your eye.”
Lin Zhiyue was stunned, thinking she had misheard. “What did you say? Me, taking disciples?”
“Indeed.” The disciple handed over a green jade token, his expression serious. “According to the sect's rules, any cultivator in the Nascent Soul Stage can open a peak and accept disciples. Since you are now in the early-stage Nascent Soul, you should establish your own lineage according to custom.”
Lin Zhiyue took the token. It was cold to the touch, but felt like a hot potato.
She looked down at her green robes, which still smelled of herbs, and then touched her face, which was still young and tender.
Eighteen years old. In the mortal realm, this age was just the coming-of-age ceremony, the prime of one's youth. How was it that in the cultivation world, she was already going to be called “Master”?
She rode the wind all the way to the Heart's Inquiry Steps, her mind in a complete muddle.
Below the Heart's Inquiry Steps, clouds and mist swirled. Thousands of newly admitted disciples knelt on the ground, holding their breath in concentration. High up on the platform, several white-haired, white-bearded elders sat with dignified postures, looking down at the youthful faces below with benevolent expressions.
The reason the last disciple recruitment ceremony had been co-hosted by several sects was because Tiance Palace was reopening its recruitment for the first time in fifty years. The other sects, harboring doubts, had proposed holding a joint event in Juxian City.
This time, however, it was merely a routine opening of the mountain gates to select disciples, with the elders and Venerables of Tiance Palace stepping forward to choose their disciples.
Before Lin Zhiyue even set foot on the white jade steps, the noisy clamor of voices carried by the mountain breeze crashed into her ears.
She looked up and instantly spotted Cen Xi'er leaning against the white jade railing under the corridor, casually watching the spectacle.
Cen Xi'er casually twirled a strand of hair hanging by her temple with her fingertip. Catching sight of Lin Zhiyue walking over, her lips immediately curled into a teasing smile, her voice light and playful. “You're finally here? Why do you look like you're heading to a funeral?”
Lin Zhiyue walked up the steps and rolled her eyes at her in annoyance, a trace of helplessness hidden in her eyes. “Did you already know the sect was going to have us accept disciples?”
“Of course I heard about it early on.” Cen Xi'er chin-gestured toward the crowd of newcomers waiting in line below the plaza, commenting in a low voice, “Look at that boy in red. His bone structure is extraordinary, and he has an innate sword bone. He's a rare talent for sword cultivation. And that slightly chubby boy at the very end—he looks simple and slow, but his spiritual root is pure and free of impurities. He's perfect for the path of alchemy.”
“Since your eye is so keen, why don't you take them in yourself?” Lin Zhiyue countered flatly.
Cen Xi'er shrugged her shoulders cleanly, sounding completely righteous and without a shred of guilt for her shirking. “I find taking disciples way too troublesome. Spending all day watching over juniors and guiding their cultivation—how can that compare to the thrill of traveling and training alone with my sword? Besides, the cultivation method I practice has a heavy aura of slaughter, and my personality is too undisciplined. If I took in disciples, they'd probably become lawless under my wing within days, ruining their foundation. That would just be creating bad karma for nothing.”
This speech left Lin Zhiyue temporarily speechless, unable to find a single word of rebuttal.
While the two were bickering in low voices, a gentle and dignified figure slowly walked toward them. It was Elder Ye Qingwu.
Today, Ye Qingwu was not wearing her usual plain Daoist robe for meetings. Instead, she wore a misty purple flowing broad-sleeved palace dress that accentuated her gentle posture and elegant bearing, though the space between her brows as she looked at Lin Zhiyue and Cen Xi'er was clouded with a lingering helplessness.
Ye Qingwu was the only female elder in the palace, so the Palace Master had dumped this chore on her, sending her to personally persuade Lin Zhiyue to accept disciples.
Actually, before this, the Palace Master had also approached Qi Yan, hoping he would put in a good word. However, Qi Yan had only given him a cold glare before shutting the door in his face, not even letting him finish his sentence.
She walked to their side and deliberately lowered her voice to avoid the ears of the newcomers below, gently advising them, “You two shouldn't be so willful. Currently, our Tiance Palace's influence is constantly expanding, and the various branch peaks are short-handed. This is exactly the time to branch out and pass down our lineage.
Both of you have already stepped into the Nascent Soul Stage. According to the sect's rules, you have reached the age to open a peak and accept disciples. As long as you take in personal disciples, the sect will allocate an entire spiritual peak for your exclusive residence. Your daily supply of spirit stones, immortal herbs, alchemical tools, and other resources will double directly. The benefits are numerous.”
“I won't do it!”
Without a moment's hesitation, Lin Zhiyue grabbed the green jade token engraved with the disciple-recruitment mark and shoved it straight into Cen Xi'er's arms, her tone resolute. “I really can't teach any disciples. I cannot accept this token.”
Startled by her sudden action, Cen Xi'er scrambled to push the cold jade token back into her palm, waving her hands repeatedly. “Don't shove it to me! I don't plan on taking disciples either. Spare me, please!”
Lin Zhiyue took a deep breath and turned to look at Ye Qingwu, her eyes full of distress. “Elder Ye, I am only eighteen this year. My cultivation journey has just begun, and I still have countless unresolved difficulties in the Dao of alchemy and the sword myself. What right do I have to guide others? Rashly taking disciples would surely lead them astray.”
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