Chapter 590: Tai Xu Gate
Chapter 590: Tai Xu Gate
Inside the Tai Xu Gate, there was an ancient and majestic aura. The place was shrouded in mist and ethereal energy, creating a heavenly scene.
A wide and long jade pathway, resembling celestial stairs, stretched towards the peak of the mountain. Flanking this central pathway were numerous buildings related to the cultivation of the Dao: pavilions, towers, palaces, and gardens. Their architecture exuded an ancient charm, and they seemed to be immersed in the white mountain fog, giving them an air of aged dignity.
As Mo Hua walked along this path, he felt as if he was leaving the mundane world behind, his heart calming and his spiritual sense settling into a peaceful state.
Shangguan Xu led Mo Hua to the right side of the complex, where they met with several elders or instructors. After a brief conversation and some paperwork, it was time for Mo Hua to undergo an inspection by the elders.
This inspection included examining his blood energy, meridians, cultivation technique, spiritual sense, and more. Instead of using their spiritual sense to peer into Mo Hua's body, the elders employed a spiritual artifact that resembled a translucent mirror.
Disciples from aristocratic families often possessed inherited cultivation techniques and methods, so it was imperative to maintain secrecy, especially from these elders with profound cultivation. Otherwise, there was a risk of exposing their family's heritage.
The purpose of the sect was to impart the Dao and provide education, not to steal another's heritage. An elder intruding into a disciple's foundation was a serious taboo in the sect. In a place like Qian Xue Province, where aristocratic families were numerous and their traditions were strictly guarded, this was especially important.
Therefore, these inspections could only be performed using standardized spiritual artifacts. Even then, the inspections were brief and superficial.
Their purpose was to ensure that the disciples' blood energy was not tainted, their meridians were not in chaos, their cultivation techniques adhered to the righteous path, and their spiritual sense was free from evil influences. The goal was to prevent disciples from straying onto the path of evil and falling into madness.
When Mo Hua was examined using the translucent mirror, the elders nodded in approval.
He had a pure heart and a sincere desire for the Dao. He was a kind and earnest young cultivator.
However, his talent left much to be desired...
Additionally, the image on the translucent mirror seemed slightly blurred, as if it had been interfered with, making it a bit difficult to see clearly.
But as long as he was a sincere cultivator, that was sufficient.
Since he had been accepted, they couldn't do much about his talent, nor did they care to.
"He's fine," said one of the elders.
Mo Hua breathed a sigh of relief.
Next, the elders inspected Mo Hua's storage bag.
This was primarily to prevent incoming disciples from bringing inappropriate items into the sect. These could include dangerous talismans, prohibited pills, illegal array formations, and especially demonic artifacts.
The laws established by the Dao Court clearly distinguished between righteousness and evil. The creation, possession, or use of demonic artifacts was considered a grave crime.
If a disciple were found to possess such artifacts, they would be expelled from the sect, and they might even be handed over to the Dao Court to be punished as a demonic cultivator. Their family would also be implicated.
Therefore, any demonic cultivation techniques, methods, or artifacts were not tolerated by the Dao Court or righteous sects.
In addition, there were prohibited items...
Some disciples might secretly bring in erotic paintings and jade slips that could distract and corrupt their hearts.
While this wasn't considered a major offense, the offending items would be confiscated, and the disciple would receive a simple reprimand from the elders.
What surprised Mo Hua the most was the restriction on spirit stones.
There was a limit to the number of spirit stones one could bring into the sect, and it was only enough for daily cultivation needs.
This was to prevent wealthy aristocratic families from indulging their disciples with excessive spirit stones. It discouraged bribery, extravagant spending, and lavish displays of wealth that could corrupt the sect's atmosphere and severely damage the spirit of seeking the Dao.
Thus, most sects restricted the number of spirit stones their disciples could bring with them.
Mo Hua had never heard of this limit on spirit stones before, and he became worried that the tens of thousands of spirit stones he had accumulated, including the large sum he had obtained from the slave trader, would be too much to bring into the sect.
But then he realized that he had worried for nothing...
The amount he had was already considered quite "frugal" by the standards of these disciples...
Mo Hua was stunned. He now understood that even a single strand of hair from an aristocratic family was worth more than his entire being.
"The wealth gap among cultivators is just too vast..." Mo Hua sighed helplessly.
The items Mo Hua had in his storage bag were ordinary and unremarkable. The truly important things, such as the Tian Yan Secret Art cultivation technique and the Five Elements Array Flow Chart with its mysterious origin patterns, were safely stored in the storage ring given to him by his master. Others couldn't see what was inside that ring.
After the elders finished their inspection, they returned the storage bag to Mo Hua.
However, seeing the meager contents of his storage bag and the small number of spirit stones, they felt a bit of sympathy for this disciple from a humble background. They offered him some comforting words:
"It doesn't matter if you have fewer spirit stones."
"Once you're in the sect, as long as you work hard, you can support yourself and earn some spirit stones for your cultivation..."
Self-sufficiency... Earning spirit stones...
Mo Hua was taken aback for a moment.
Did that mean... he could fleece the sect?
If he worked hard and fleeced them enough, did it mean that by joining the Tai Xu Gate, he wouldn't just avoid spending spirit stones, but he might even... make a small fortune? Tai Xu Gate was truly a wonderful place!
Mo Hua's eyes sparkled with excitement, and he smiled broadly as he thanked the elders.
The elders nodded slightly, feeling admiration for this optimistic and hardworking young man who remained steadfast in his aspirations despite his humble origins.
With the formalities concluded, Mo Hua received a new storage bag.
This bag was of better quality than his previous one—larger, more durable, and aesthetically pleasing. It was also emblazoned with the mark of the Tai Xu Gate: a flowing pattern of dark and light colors, symbolizing the interplay of yin and yang.
The interplay of the two extremes gave birth to the vast void—the Tai Xu.
The more Mo Hua looked at it, the more he liked it.
Inside the storage bag were a set of Tai Xu Gate disciple robes, some pills, cultivation manuals, and a Tai Xu token.
"You will need to present this token for anything related to the sect's authority during your time here," Shangguan Xu instructed. "Whether it's accessing the disciple residences, the Teaching Pavilion, the training grounds, the pill refining rooms, the artifact forging chambers, the library, and more, you will need to show this token."
"If you accumulate merits for the sect and need to exchange them for cultivation resources, you will also rely on this token..."
"Also, take a look at the back," Shangguan Xu added.
Mo Hua turned the token over, and his eyes widened as he saw intricate lines of light forming words on the back of the token.
"This token also serves as a message jade slip," Shangguan Xu explained. "It will display various notices and information from the sect, such as orders from the Sect Master or elders, messages from fellow disciples, and most importantly, your cultivation curriculum."
"Cultivation... curriculum?" Mo Hua asked, puzzled.
"Yes," Shangguan Xu nodded. "It will inform you of the times and locations for your cultivation classes."
"The sect offers a wide range of courses covering cultivation, array formations, artifact forging, pill refining, talisman crafting, and Taoist techniques," he elaborated. "The scheduling of classes, including the times and locations, can be quite complex, and sometimes instructors may have personal matters to attend to, requiring class rescheduling or postponements."
"So, this disciple token from the Tai Xu Gate is how your cultivation courses are managed and coordinated," he concluded. "It will remind you of the class times, sign your attendance, and even record any absences..."
"These may seem like simple tasks, but they involve extremely complex array logic," Shangguan Xu emphasized.
"Array logic?!" Mo Hua's eyes lit up at the mention of arrays.
Shangguan Xu was taken aback by Mo Hua's sudden enthusiasm, but he slowly nodded, "Yes..."
"Big brother Shangguan, what kind of array logic is it? What's the name of the array? Is it a Five Elements Array or something else?" Mo Hua asked eagerly.
Shangguan Xu smiled bitterly, "To be honest, I don't know... I only heard the instructors mention that the sect won't teach us this array because they're afraid that some disciples might try to tamper with the tokens to cheat."
Mo Hua found this a bit disappointing. He was genuinely curious about the array and had no intention of cheating; he just wanted to study it. However, if even Shangguan Xu didn't know, then it would be difficult for him to find out.
"I wonder what kind of array it could be..." Mo Hua furrowed his brows, deep in thought.
The Tai Xu Token... Every disciple has one, which means the array is likely similar to the 'Ling Shu Array', a centralized control system.
There must be a central location where the array eye is placed, and above it, the array pivot is constructed.
Through the array pivot, all the disciples' tokens are linked together, forming a complete system...
"An entire set of communication arrays?" Mo Hua frowned, deep in thought. "Or perhaps it has other functions as well?"
As they walked, Mo Hua continued to ponder, his eyebrows knitted together as he muttered to himself.
Shangguan Xu watched his curious demeanor with a smile, shaking his head as he wondered what his little junior brother was thinking about.
Mo Hua pondered for a while longer, but even with his proficiency in Five Elements Arrays and some forbidden arrays, his overall knowledge of arrays was limited, and he couldn't deduce much more.
He tried to calculate or sense the array within the token, but it seemed to be completely sealed within, leaving no traces for him to discern.
"I can't calculate anything..." Mo Hua sighed in disappointment.
It seemed that he would have to wait until he enrolled, improved his understanding of arrays, consulted relevant ancient texts, and enhanced his array prowess before he could study the array within the Tai Xu Token.
As they walked, they soon arrived at a place between a palace and a tower.
"This is the disciple residence, where disciples live and practice their daily cultivation," Shangguan Xu explained. "To the left, beyond the training grounds, are the Teaching Pavilion and the buildings for artifact forging, pill refining, and other cultivation arts."
"Each disciple has their own room here, providing a quiet environment for self-study and cultivation without any disturbances," he added. "You can use your token to access the disciple residence and find your assigned room."
Mo Hua examined the token and noticed the characters 'Tai Yi' followed by a number '50'.
"Tai Yi?" Mo Hua asked, confused.
"Oh, I almost forgot to mention," Shangguan Xu said, as if suddenly remembering, "The Tai Xu Gate accepts disciples once every three years, with about a thousand disciples in each batch..."
"Within those three years, if you advance to the middle stage of Qi Refining, you can move up a batch. If you don't, you'll have to repeat the same batch," he continued. "These nearly a thousand disciples are divided into residences, which is like a class system."
"Since it's the Tai Xu Gate, the residences are named with 'Tai' as the first character, followed by the earthly branches, starting from 'Tai Jia', 'Tai Yi', 'Tai Bing', and so on, all the way to 'Tai Ren' and 'Tai Gui', for a total of ten residences or classes," he elaborated. "Disciples from the same class live in the same tower."
"Since you're assigned to Tai Yi, you'll be residing in the Tai Yi residence, and the number 50 indicates that your room is the fiftieth room," Shangguan Xu concluded.
"Is this arrangement based on cultivation level or talent?" Mo Hua asked quietly.
Shangguan Xu shook his head, "No, it's random. The elders draw lots, so it's all up to luck and your destiny."
"Oh."
"Where one lives also determines a disciple's status and treatment," Mo Hua added.
"And to encourage the disciples to progress, their housing arrangements can be adjusted at any time based on their academic performance. If they fall behind in their cultivation or perform poorly, they will gradually be demoted to the lowest ranks," Shangguan Xu continued.
"Our Tai Xu Gate's Sect Master and elders are much more relaxed. They just draw lots, and whatever the result is, that's what it is. It saves them a lot of trouble," he said with a chuckle.
Mo Hua clicked his tongue in amazement. "The Four Great Sects are truly intimidating..."
The disciples they produce are probably only skilled at competing and comparing themselves to others.
However, this is probably the intention of the noble families and the higher sects. It's like nurturing a group of insects, and only the truly outstanding geniuses can rise to the top.
But all of that had nothing to do with him.
With his talent, aside from formations, he couldn't even be considered mediocre in other aspects. He could only bide his time and get by...
Shangguan Xu thought for a moment, then pointed to some distant buildings and whispered, "Those residences over there are for the female disciples. They're quite far away, so if you don't have any business there, don't go over, or you'll be seen as a 'little pervert'."
"Little pervert?" Mo Hua was startled.
"Yes," Shangguan Xu shuddered at the memory, "I recall that a few male disciples from our sect once went over there to... ahem, look for something. They were discovered by a group of senior and junior sisters, who beat them half to death."
"Their injuries were so severe that they complained to the elders, but when the elders heard about it, they flew into a rage and gave those disciples another beating."
"How pitiful..."
Mo Hua opened his mouth to speak, but then thought better of it and whispered, "Well, they deserved it..."
It was one thing to have improper intentions, but to get beaten up and then complain to the elders, they were asking for it.
Mo Hua shook his head. Lust truly clouds the mind...
Cultivators must have a firm Dao heart and be vigilant against the allure of women!
"I'm just reminding you, but don't go spreading this around," Shangguan Xu warned.
"Don't worry, Brother Xu. I won't say a word," Mo Hua promised.
Shangguan Xu nodded. "Go on in. I'm two years ahead of you, and I live on the mountain behind. If you have any problems in the future, come and find me."
"Okay! Thank you, Brother Xu!" Mo Hua nodded.
Shangguan Xu waved goodbye and left.
Mo Hua held the disciple token and entered the disciple residence, finding the room numbered '50'. He presented the Tai Xu Token to the door, and it flashed with light as the formation unlocked, opening the door.
Mo Hua stepped inside and looked around, feeling a sense of wonder.
The room was spacious, with tables, chairs, screens, carpets, beds, and everything else one could need. It was simple yet elegant.
It was very much in line with the style of a cultivator, emphasizing a pure heart and a simple life.
Mo Hua was quite satisfied.
From now on, this room would be his "home" within the Tai Xu Gate.
And so, Mo Hua settled in.
Three days later, the Tai Xu Gate held its initiation ceremony, a grand event that took place once every three years, hosted by the Sect Master and the elders to welcome the new disciples.
Despite being called a "grand ceremony," it was actually quite simple.
The ceremony was held in the vast arena at the center of the Tai Xu Gate.
Over a thousand disciples gathered, creating a lively atmosphere.
The Sect Master gave a speech, followed by several revered elders, who all spoke along similar lines.
They talked about the Tai Xu Gate's long history, profound heritage, ancient traditions, and glorious achievements.
They encouraged the disciples to cultivate diligently and bring glory to the sect in the future.
They also emphasized the importance of maintaining a pure Dao heart, adhering to the righteous path, and avoiding the evil path and the demonic path... and so on.
This was Mo Hua's first time seeing the Sect Master of the Tai Xu Gate.
He seemed like... a typical Sect Master, with a gentle expression, fine clothes, and a deep aura, but nothing else stood out.
The only notable feature was his hair, which was black and thick, just as Shangguan Xu had described, a result of excellent "health preservation".
The Tai Xu Sect Master quietly observed the sea of disciples in the arena, his expression unreadable, but his mind was whispering:
"He seems like an ordinary disciple, neither exceptional nor terrible. Nothing too impressive..."
"Why is there suddenly smoke coming from the mountain gate?" The Tai Xu Sect Master wondered, confused.
After the ceremony, everyone dispersed, and the next day, formal cultivation classes would begin.
With the initiation ceremony concluded, Mo Hua was now officially a disciple of the Tai Xu Gate.
From now on, he could cultivate with peace of mind and focus on studying formations.
The mysteries of heaven were profound and complex, and the workings of cause and effect were obscure. There were many things in this world that Mo Hua didn't know and couldn't control.
He was just a small Foundation Establishment cultivator.
He could only do his best in the things that were within his control.
He would cultivate step by step, learn formations bit by bit, and climb the path to the Great Dao, one step at a time, to save his master...
His next goal was the Golden Core realm! To comprehend the Dao and forge a Golden Core!
Mo Hua's eyes shone with determination, glowing with a brilliant light.
He would forge a divine sense with over twenty strands, a perfect golden body, and a spiritual sense that could comprehend the Dao, becoming a great cultivator in the Golden Core realm!
(End of Chapter)
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