Chapter 2709 Plan

The rankings of the nine peaks were never fixed. Take the current Ninth Peak, Lotus Peak, as an example. It held the title of ‘ninth’ simply because it ranked last among them. This ranking had clung to Lotus Peak for countless years.

Changing positions, in theory, was simple. Every thousand years, the core disciples of all nine peaks of the Origin Sect would compete in the Nine Peaks Dao Contest. When that time came, the rankings would be reshuffled according to the performance of each peak’s core disciples.

Of course, in the many Nine Peaks Dao Contest of the past, Lotus Peak’s dismal performances had left its ranking firmly fixed at the bottom to this very day... If the nine peaks were ranked by overall strength, Lotus Peak was undeniably the weakest.

Thus, when the elders and disciples of the Ninth Peak saw that the successor brought back by Peak Master Qiu Wuyu was Lin Xun, they were all visibly astonished. After all, they knew what had happened during the three rounds of the assessments. How could they not know how heaven-defyingly powerful Lin Xun was?

What they hadn’t expected was that Lin Xun would actually choose to join Lotus Peak, the lowest-ranked among the nine peaks... Only the elders faintly guessed the truth, feeling a mix of joy and concern in their hearts

They were pleased because with Lin Xun joining the Ninth Peak as there was no longer any doubt that the Ninth Peak’s ranking could be turned around. They were concerned, however, because he seemed trailed by endless troubles, and it would be all too easy for the Ninth Peak to be dragged into it...

Qiu Wuyu offered no explanation. After bringing Lin Xun to the summit, he simply said, “Elder Mo, you’ve met Lin Xun before. I'll leave him in your care.”

Then, without another word, he turned and left. Everyone was stunned. It even seemed as though Peak Master Qiu Wuyu was not particularly pleased about Lin Xun’s arrival.

Mo Lanshan broke the silence with a smile. “Little Friend Lin Xun, congratulations on passing the assessment, and welcome to our Ninth Peak. From today onward, you are one of Lotus Peak’s successors.”

“Brother Lin, we can cultivate together from now on.” Ye Chunjun waved cheerfully, clearly delighted at Lin Xun’s arrival.

“Brother Lin, do you still remember me? We met last time in the Mystic Forbidden Realm.” The speaker was a pretty and charming young woman, her hair tied up in a neat little bun, her eyes bright and lively beneath graceful brows. She spoke with a playful smile, her voice soft and sweet, delightfully pleasant to the ear.

Lin Xun recognized her. She was Qin Ruoling, the daughter of Qin Wuyu, peak master of the Ninth Peak. Standing beside her were several men he had also met before: Meng Haochen, Zhuo Lin, and Huang Muji.

The rest were unfamiliar, but with Mo Lanshan’s introductions, Lin Xun quickly gained a clear understanding of the Ninth Peak’s situation. Aside from Peak Master Qin Wu Yu, the Ninth Peak had only three elders, including Mo Lanshan, whose cultivation had reached the Immortal Stage.

There were also fifteen true disciples and five core disciples. With Lin Xun’s arrival, the number of true disciples finally increased to sixteen.

One reality Lin Xun had to face was that among the nine peaks of the Origin Sect, the Ninth Peak had the fewest disciples and elders. For instance, the First Peak alone boasted nine elders! In addition, its combined number of core and true disciples reached fifty, which was twice that of the Ninth Peak!

Under such circumstances, it was little wonder that in the past Nine Peaks Dao Contest, the Ninth Peak had always placed last. With so few disciples, changing their position was near impossible.

......

From that day on, Lin Xun officially became a true disciple of the Ninth Peak and was given his own abode on Lotus Peak.

True disciples enjoyed considerable benefits. Each month, they received one thousand pounds of immortal divine essence and one hundred pounds of immortal divine materials, along with the privilege of entering Scripture Mountain once to consult the sect’s inheritances and ancient texts, as well as various other advantages.

Among them, the immortal divine essence was by far the most precious. It was a cultivation resource similar in nature to a cosmic origin crystal, but its value far exceeded it. Born from the primal chaos origin of a universe, this treasure alone was sufficient to fully sustain an Immortal’s cultivation needs. Even among the great immortal forces of the Seventh Heaven Domain, immortal divine essence was regarded as a peerless treasure that only true immortals were qualified to enjoy.

The fact that the Origin Sect provided such a resource to its true disciples at the supreme Emperor Ancestor level spoke volumes about its vast wealth and unfathomable foundation.

Immortal divine materials, though secondary, were still incomparably precious, as they were indispensable for refining treasures. To be granted a hundred pounds of them every month was an incredibly generous benefit.

Scripture Mountain was the site of the Origin Sect’s scripture repository, a place that had always been guarded by the Origin Clarity Pavilion. The scriptures stored there were as vast as a sea of mist and smoke, encompassing every kind of cultivation text and inheritance under the heavens, and even many that had survived from the previous epoch!

Of course, the most precious of all had to be the rumored immortal legacy within Scripture Mountain!

In the entire Eternal True Realm, an immortal legacy was almost unheard of. This was because every cultivator’s path to attaining immortality was different, and the great dao they sought was never the same. It was nearly impossible to instill the profound mysteries of the immortal realm into a form that could be taught or passed down. Despite that, within the Scripture Mountain of the Origin Sect, such an immortal legacy existed!

This fact alone explained why the Origin Sect’s status was so transcendent.

“It’s a pity not everyone can access it...”

At that moment, Lin Xun sat cross-legged in his own cave-dwelling, reading through a jade scroll. Mo Lanshan had given it to him. Recorded within it were all sorts of matters and regulations about the Origin Sect Ancestral Court. It had helped resolve many doubts he had long carried in his heart.

For example, if he wished to consult the immortal legacy in the Scripture Mountain, two conditions had to be met:

First, one had to be a core disciple of the Nine Peaks.

Second, one had to possess three nine-star merits.

In the Origin Sect, aside from cultivation, disciples could choose to undertake missions issued by the sect to obtain additional cultivation resources. Each mission completed would grant a corresponding amount of merit, which could then be exchanged for resources.

Depending on the mission, merits were divided into nine tiers, from one-star up to nine-star. One-star merits were the most common, while nine-star merits were the highest tier. In other words, to study the immortal legacy from Scripture Mountain, one had to complete three nine-star missions, earning three nine-star merits in total!

As Lin Xun read through the jade scroll’s list of unclaimed nine-star missions, the corner of his mouth twitched.

“Refine a complete sixth grade Heaven Rank law power or higher. Reward: one nine-star merit.”

“Slay an Evil Spirit Lord whose strength rivals the Heavenly Longevity level, and retrieve its heart. Reward: one nine-star merit.”

“Collect a wisp of cosmic primal chaos. Reward: one nine-star merit.”

Each nine-star mission was monstrously difficult, their challenge beyond imagination. After going through them, Lin Xin was left speechless. Not to mention the average supreme Emperor Ancestors, even for him, completing those nine-star missions would be no easy task!

“It won’t be too late to attempt these after I’ve adapted and grown familiar with the Origin Sect Ancestral Court,” Lin Xun murmured.

He was deeply tempted by the immortal legacy within Scripture Mountain and longed to study it. However, for now, having only just joined the Ninth Peak as a mere true disciple, he lacked the qualifications to pursue such an opportunity.

“The priority should be to become a core disciple first.”

Lin Xun never forgot his true purpose in joining the Origin Sect Ancestral Court: to ultimately become the pavilion master of the Origin Clarity Pavilion.

The jade scroll also recorded the conditions for ascending to core disciple status. By the usual process, a new disciple underwent assessment after ten years. At that time, the peak master and three elders would evaluate one’s cultivation, talent, and performance over the decade. As long as the results were outstanding, there was a great chance of promotion.

However, Lin Xun had no intention of waiting ten years. If he advanced by that route, he could never hope to become the pavilion master of Origin Clarity Pavilion within a hundred years.

Fortunately, the jade scroll mentioned an alternative path: Go to Origin Clarity Pavilion to demonstrate your understanding of the dao!

The Origin Clarity Pavilion was responsible for selecting and appointing disciples. At that time, a key figure in charge of promotions would arrange and oversee the dao assessment and accept challenges from others.

Challengers were chosen from the core disciples of other peaks, and the candidate under assessment had to face them in three duels. Losing even a single match would cost them the chance to become a core disciple.

From ancient times until now, many true disciples of the Nine Peaks had attempted this path of advancement, but almost all had ended in failure. It was simply too difficult.

Competition already existed among the nine peaks, so who would willingly watch true disciples from other peaks leap to core disciple status in a single stroke? For example, if Lin Xun chose this path, he would face challenges from the core successors of the eight peaks, and he would have to win all three duels!

Of course, he was not afraid. No matter how strong the core disciples of the other peaks were, they were still only at the supreme Emperor Ancestors level, and in this realm, he had never feared anyone.

Hadn’t he already defeated a figure like Li Zhongyuan, ranked among the top ten of the nine peaks? For most, this road might be grueling and seem hopeless. However, for him, it was a reliable shortcut!

“Three days from now, I’ll receive my sect token. When that time comes, I’ll make a trip to the Origin Clarity Pavilion.” Lin Xun decided.

Only with a sect token could one be considered a true successor of the Origin Sect. In the future, whether for cultivation or for obtaining sect resources, everything would depend on it. Likewise, if he wished to go to the Origin Clarity Pavilion to undergo a dao assessment, a sect token would also be required.

“Brother Lin, are you ready?”

Outside his residence, Ye Chunjun’s clear voice rang out, instantly pulling Lin Xun from his thoughts.

“Coming.” Lin Xun stood up and walked outside.

“Let’s go! The junior brothers and sisters are already waiting for you at the banquet. Even all three elders are here, which is quite rare.” Ye Chunjun said with a smile as he watched Lin Xun step out.

Lin Xun nodded with a smile. This was his first day in the Origin Sect. He had become a true disciple of the Ninth Peak and at Elder Mo Lanshan’s suggestions, all the true and core disciples of the Ninth Peak gathered tonight to hold a welcoming banquet for him.

Lin Xun could hardly refuse to attend such a gathering. After all, no matter how renowned he was in the outside world, within the Origin Sect Ancestral Court, he was still nothing more than a newcomer.