The Moon-Crossing Raft carried Luan Shan, Yu Hua, Zhao Yan, along with Qin Sang and the eleven newly inducted disciples, back to Yuanzhao Sect, retracing their steps. The other rogue cultivators, who had failed to make it into the top twelve, were dismissed on the spot.

Besides Qin Sang and Ruan Nanfeng, there was also a senior sister named Wu Liuyue who earned one of the spots, though her cultivation level was only at the sixth stage of the Qi Refining Realm.

Had Liu Yi not died, Kuiyin Sect members would have made up one-third of the group.

Qin Sang also saw several senior brothers and sisters who had failed to pass, leaving the Eight Trigrams Forbidden Ground with heavy hearts. What fate awaited them, he could not tell.

𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

However, Qin Sang’s biggest concern was still himself.

"You are now disciples of the Yuanzhao Sect and must follow the sect’s rules. If you betray the sect, you will be killed without mercy!"

Yu Hua was giving them a lengthy speech on the rules of Yuanzhao Sect, his expression full of righteous fervor. To Qin Sang, it felt incredibly ironic.

"After joining the sect, you will begin as servant disciples to temper your hearts and minds. Normally, Senior Uncle Du would personally handle the allocation of tasks, but he is occupied today, so I will take his place."

As he spoke, Yu Hua retrieved twelve blank wooden waist tokens from his Mustard Seed Pouch, sweeping his gaze over the group. After a moment of thought, he pulled out one token and, with a stroke of spiritual power, quickly inscribed it before tossing it to Ruan Nanfeng.

"Ruan Nanfeng, since you cultivate the

True Art of Yin Fire

, you will go to the fire room and guard the furnace."

"Kun Li..."

"Wu Liuyue..."

…

One by one, Yu Hua assigned each person their task, and no one dared object.

Then, Qin Sang heard his own name.

"Qin Sang, since you cultivate a water-based art, you will go to Cloud Valley to tend to the spirit fields. Take this."

Under Yu Hua's watchful gaze, Qin Sang obediently answered, reaching out to catch the waist token. He flipped it open and saw a few lines written on it.

"Yuanzhao Sect disciple, Cloud Valley, Qin Sang."

In the end, all twelve were assigned to different places. Ruan Nanfeng went to the fire room, while Wu Liuyue was sent to the Beast-Taming Ridge. None of the assignments seemed particularly important, and from Yu Hua’s tone, it was clear that these tasks were rather burdensome.

Qin Sang recalled the disdainful tone of the young man in the combat suit when he mentioned servant disciples. With a bitter smile, he reflected on how he had joined the immortal sect seeking the path to immortality, only to end up with such menial duties. Not only were they tiring, but they would also take up most of his time, leaving little for cultivation. No wonder the young man looked down on them.

"Do your best in your assigned tasks, and the sect will take notice. If you are diligent enough, it is not uncommon for a senior brother at the Foundation Building Realm to accept you as a true disciple."

Yu Hua offered some words of encouragement. As he spoke, the Moon-Crossing Raft was already nearing the gates of Yuanzhao Sect.

Just then, a streak of light flew out from the nearby mountains. A thin elder, appearing to be in his fifties or sixties, with a slightly anxious expression, wearing a cyan Daoist robe, stood atop a green bamboo staff, speeding toward them.

"Senior Brother Du!"

Luan Shan quickly halted the Moon-Crossing Raft, and both he and Yu Hua greeted the approaching figure with a bow.

Zhao Yan addressed him as "Senior Uncle Du," and Qin Sang, along with the others, followed suit. They had already heard from Yu Hua that this was Du Siyu, the one responsible for assigning tasks to new disciples.

"Senior Brother Du, wasn’t there a family matter? Why have you returned so hastily?" Yu Hua asked curiously.

Du Siyu shook his head, a hint of anger in his tone. "It was nothing worth mentioning, Junior Brother Yu. My family’s younger generation made a fuss over a minor issue, nearly delaying my important matters. I’ve already ordered them to reflect on their actions."

Yu Hua offered words of comfort. "Senior Brother Du, as the head of the family, managing household affairs isn’t easy. Don’t let trivial matters upset you. Rest assured, I’ve followed your instructions and assigned tasks to the disciples accordingly. Take a look and see if there are any oversights that need adjustment."

"Oh?"

After inspecting the waist tokens of everyone present, the elder surnamed Du's expression softened. He praised, "Junior Brother Yu, your assignments fit each person’s strengths perfectly—no adjustments are needed. I was merely making a casual remark before, but you went to the trouble of personally handling it. I truly appreciate it."

After a few more compliments, Du Siyi turned his attention to Qin Sang and the others. With a wave of his hand, countless items flew out from his Mustard Seed Pouch, filling the sky and almost blotting out the sun.

"These are entry artifacts for you. Some are for cultivation, while others will be used for your duties as servant disciples."

Qin Sang saw several beams of light flying toward him and quickly reached out to catch them.

Among the items were a dusty-looking Mustard Seed Pouch and a book inscribed with five-elemental incantations.

As for the artifacts, there was a rather ordinary spiritual sword, which was only a low-grade artifact. This sword was actually a flying artifact and not related to sword cultivation’s sword-flying technique. It was simply shaped like a sword, though its speed was far inferior to the Empty Wind.

There was also a cyan Daoist robe, likewise a low-grade artifact. Though useless in combat, wearing it could keep one free of dirt and dust—quite practical.

Another item was a mat woven from bamboo leaves. Senior Uncle Du explained that it was crafted from the leaves of a spiritual bamboo called Waterheart Bamboo. Sitting on it during cultivation was said to help immensely with calming the mind.

Lastly, there was an artifact resembling a cloud, and after looking around, Qin Sang realized he was the only one who had received this particular item.

…

With various items in hand, Qin Sang carefully sorted them and stored them in his Mustard Seed Pouch.

By this time, the Moon-Crossing Raft had entered Yuanzhao Sect. At a dormitory area, Luan Shan dropped them off.

It was said that Yuanzhao Sect’s leader was not one of the two Golden Core Realm masters but a Foundation Building Realm cultivator. People like Du Siyu had reached the Foundation Building Realm but, due to their age and lack of further breakthroughs, had taken on the sect’s worldly affairs.

Qin Sang had hoped to meet the sect leader, but to his disappointment, there was no such opportunity. As soon as they landed, Du Siyu handed them over to a few senior brothers and departed swiftly.

Dozens of majestic spiritual peaks surrounded the towering central mountain, which was the main peak of Yuanzhao Sect—Yuanzhao Peak.

Standing on his spiritual sword, Qin Sang followed a senior brother surnamed Zhu, listening as he explained the sect’s entry protocols. Qin Sang nodded frequently as he absorbed the information.

It was said that the main peak was the convergence point of the sect’s spirit veins, and the spiritual power within the gates was even denser than that of Kuiyin Sect.

Senior Brother Zhu led Qin Sang through the area for quite some time. Yuanzhao Peak and several nearby mountains were filled with forbidden grounds. Eventually, they arrived at a grand complex of halls.

"Junior Brother Qin, this is the lecture hall. Senior uncles and senior brothers frequently hold lectures here on cultivation, spells, and how to wield artifacts. However, to listen in, you’ll need spirit stones, and the cost varies depending on the speaker’s cultivation level. Though your tasks will be arduous, the monthly stipend is generous, so you can attend a few lectures each month."

Following Senior Brother Zhu’s direction, Qin Sang took a distant look at the hall before Senior Brother Zhu hurried to leave.

"I’ve explained all the key locations in the sect. Now, let’s head to Cloud Valley. You’re in luck—Cloud Valley is within the inner sect. Though the duties are heavier, the spiritual power there is far denser than in the outer sect, and it’s close to the lecture hall. Plus, you’re more likely to encounter senior sect members. You might even be chosen as a disciple."