Chapter 131.2: Ascending the Heavenly Stairway and Entering the Northern Region Heavenly Sect! (II)

Magnificent halls lined the mountain peak. The outer sect disciple led Lu Changsheng to one of them and explained, "This is the Outer Sect Hall. Almost everyone who joins the sect begins as an outer sect disciple.

"Outer sect disciples are all below the Divine Fortification Realm. Most are martial artists in the Divine Strength Realm, with a few exceptionally talented ones still in the Body Tempering Realm."

Lu Changsheng nodded and followed him inside. The hall was quiet, with only a few people present.

They approached several elderly men, and the outer sect disciple bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Elders. This one has a recommendation from the imperial family of the Da Yu Dynasty. He has just ascended the Heavenly Stairway and has now come to complete the entry procedures."

After speaking, the outer sect disciple stepped aside.

"

Hmm?

So you entered the sect by climbing the Heavenly Stairway..." one of the elders said. "It seems the outer sect has gained another scion disciple. Hand over the recommendation token."

Lu Changsheng handed over the token.

"What is your name?" the elder asked.

Lu Changsheng paused briefly before replying, "Lu Changsheng."

This time, he chose not to use an alias.

"Lu Changsheng... Lu Changsheng..."

The elder repeated the name a few times but did not recognize it. The Northern Region was vast. Aside from the Da Yu Dynasty and the Northern Barbarian Kingdom, there were countless other nations within it.

The elder handed Lu Changsheng another token. "Take this identity token. Since you passed the Heavenly Stairway, you are now an outer sect scion disciple. You may go to the Transmission Hall and choose one top-tier Divine Fortification Realm martial art. The sect will also grant you greater support. Your cultivation resources, medicinal pills, and contribution points from completing sect missions will all be doubled.

"A scion disciple must also accept challenges from other disciples. Since you have just entered the sect, you are exempt for the first three months. Use this time to strengthen yourself. After three months, you must accept at least one challenge each month.”

Lu Changsheng accepted the identity token. "Thank you, Elder."

This identity token was similar to Tian Xin's, except that his name, "Lu Changsheng," was engraved on it as proof of his identity.

"The rest of the outer sect basics are recorded in this outer sect handbook," the elder added, presenting Lu Changsheng with a handbook. "Read through it yourself."

Lu Changsheng nodded, accepted the handbook, and left the Outer Sect Hall.

As he stepped outside, he discovered that the outer sect disciple who had brought him to the Outer Sect Hall was still waiting for him.

"Senior Brother Lu, make good use of these first three months. The scion disciple status is extremely important. But if your strength falls short, do not force it. Challenges... can be fatal."

With that, the outer sect disciple took his leave.

"Scion disciple..." Lu Changsheng murmured.

The first three months were essentially a period of protection for newcomers. After that, he would have to rely on his own strength to defend the title. A scion disciple could not only choose a top-tier martial art, but they would also receive double the cultivation resources and contribution points.

Ordinary disciples lacked such privileges, so envy alone would be enough to bring a steady stream of challengers each month. Keeping the status was certainly not going to be easy.

However, Lu Changsheng was not worried. He still had three months to familiarize himself with the outer sect of the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. Challenges were a matter for later. Besides, he was no weakling.

Lu Changsheng then thought of Tian Xin. He took out Tian Xin's token and noticed that it was different from his own. Tian Xin's token did not have his name engraved on it.

Perhaps Tian Xin had never truly joined the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. He only gained the qualification to enter and had yet to officially become a disciple.

He must have remained on the Northern Region Battlefield to practice the Slaughter Domain with the intention of using it to climb the Heavenly Stairway and become a scion disciple at once.

Fortunately, Lu Changsheng had already formed his Sense Domain before arriving at the Northern Region Heavenly Sect. Otherwise, there was a chance that he couldn't make it past the Heavenly Stairway.

Lu Changsheng opened the outer sect handbook. It contained detailed information about the outer sect. Since he had just joined the Northern Region Heavenly Sect, the first thing he needed was a residence.

As a scion disciple, he qualified for a private courtyard. Hence, Lu Changsheng went to the outer sect steward and presented his token. "Arrange a courtyard for me."

The steward's eyes sharpened at the sight of it.

A scion disciple! He climbed the Heavenly Stairway. A disciple like him possesses outstanding talent and might one day become a true inheritor disciple.

The steward immediately put on a smile and respectfully said, "Courtyard Twelve is still vacant. Would you like to take a look?"

"Alright. I'll have a look."

The steward led Lu Changsheng to a secluded courtyard.

Lu Changsheng examined it carefully. After a while, he turned to the steward. "This isn't too bad. I'll take it."

"Very well. Your daily necessities will be delivered shortly," the steward replied, then quickly left.

Lu Changsheng stepped into the courtyard and became lost in thought.

Come to think of it, this is a rather interesting coincidence. One of my aliases is Dao Shi'er, and now, the courtyard assigned to me is also number twelve.

[1]

Lu Changsheng looked around the courtyard, which would house no one else but him. He could not recruit attendants yet, as only inner sect disciples were permitted to do so. But that suited him just fine. He preferred quiet and solitude anyway.

While Lu Changsheng settled into his new residence, news of his arrival spread throughout the outer sect. News of a new scion disciple was no small matter, and his name quickly passed from mouth to mouth.

"The new scion disciple is called Lu Changsheng, isn't he? This means in three months I can challenge him, and if I succeed, I'll become the new scion disciple!"

"New scion disciples are usually the easiest targets. They tend to be the weak opponents. This is a good chance."

"Investigate him first. Find out everything you know about him. Those who managed to climb the Heavenly Stairway aren't weak. If we don't know who we're dealing with, we might walk straight into a loss."

"I heard he killed several attendants belonging to our seniors from the inner sect at the foot of the mountain."

"Good heavens. What a ruthless and domineering person. He dared to kill before even entering the sect. He's no ordinary genius."

"He's definitely far from ordinary. He doesn't seem to be afraid of causing trouble. We must look into his background carefully first."

Many disciples quietly investigated Lu Changsheng's origins. They were not fools who would engage in meaningless provocations. Instead, they prepared in silence. Once the three-month mark had passed, they would strike and take his place as a scion disciple.

1. The "Shi'er" in "Dao Shi'er" means "Twelve" in Chinese. ☜