Chapter 650: Being an Attendant in the Sect (I)

The Boundless Palace on Heaven-Reaching Peak.

Even though six years had passed, Venerable Wen Yuan still looked the same. He remained calm and unshaken, like a still pond. However, the moment Chu Liang stepped inside, a rare flicker of excitement flashed across Venerable Wen Yuan's face.

"You're back," Venerable Wen Yuan said.

He rose to his feet, stepping forward to greet Chu Liang with a warm pat on the shoulder.

The leader of the Mount Shu Sect rarely welcomed others like this, something that likely happened to only a few people in the last century.

Chu Liang responded humbly, "I apologize for worrying the elders."

"Ah..." Venerable Wen Yuan gently pulled him down to sit. "We know what happened before you disappeared. You played a crucial role in helping the court root out the Celestial Charm Sect spies. The imperial court sent the Golden Dragon to Mount Shu, and they have been supporting us over the years. It is all undoubtedly a gesture of gratitude for what you have done for them."

"It was all thanks to the elders' guidance. I wouldn't dare take credit for it," Chu Liang said with a modest smile.

Venerable Wen Yuan chuckled. "If you don't take credit for Mount Shu's rise, who else should? Even Red Cotton Peak’s current prosperity comes from the plans you left behind."

"That only happened because the elders trusted me enough to let me try different experiments at the Red Cotton Peak," Chu Liang replied.

"If we must fault you for something," Venerable Wen Yuan said, "it's that you returned to the sect and left again without visiting the elders. I only found out that you came back through the disciples' reports."

"There were pressing matters to attend to," Chu Liang replied with a calm smile.

"And what could be so important?" Venerable Wen Yuan asked.

"My esteemed teacher and I killed someone who used to be a powerful former eighth-realm diabolical cultivator," Chu Liang said casually.

"..." Venerable Wen Yuan straightened his posture, suddenly feeling uneasy.

After Chu Liang briefly recounted the events, Venerable Wen Yuan finally exhaled and settled back into his seat.

It wasn’t Chu Liang that Venerable Wen Yuan was worried about. If Chu Liang truly returned after six years with the strength to slay an eighth-realm cultivator, Wen Yuan wouldn’t hesitate to hand over the sect leader's position.

If someone was that much of a prodigy, it would be unreasonable for them not to become the Hallowed One of this era.

Clearly, it was Di Nufeng he was wary of.

If she gained the strength to single-handedly defeat an eighth-realm opponent, it might not necessarily be a blessing for the Mount Shu Sect...

With her rebellious nature, her first step would likely be storming the imperial city to challenge her own father. As for the second, she might challenge him for the position of sect leader. Then for the third... she might just start challenging the Divine Nine and Terrestrial Ten altogether.

After the false alarm, Venerable Wen Yuan let out a heavy sigh. "Xuan Yinzi was of my generation, the leader of a diabolical sect that once held unrivaled power. It is truly lamentable that his life ended this way."

Chu Liang nodded in agreement. "It's just the cycle of karma. Retribution always finds its way."

By all rights, such an achievement from a disciple should have earned high praise from the sect leader.

Yet somehow, when it came to Chu Liang, Venerable Wen Yuan felt numb to the news.

Chu Liang was like a merit-making machine for the Mount Shu Sect, racking up countless achievements. For him to return and immediately accomplish another great feat—well, it fitted his character.

"Not bad." Venerable Wen Yuan nodded. "Since you're back, it's time to take on some responsibilities. Red Cotton Peak is flourishing, so you don't need to devote all your attention there. Why don't you serve as an attendant at a hall?"

"Hmm..." Chu Liang hesitated.

After the Assembly of Immortal Sects, younger disciples were considered to have reached the graduation phase. The Sword Exchange Pavilion no longer provided tasks suited to them, making it harder for them to acquire resources. Some would leave to seek opportunities, while others would choose to venture in the outside world for more training. Those who remained had to assume the roles of attendants across the halls of the sect.

Of course, with Red Cotton Peak thriving, many disciples of the Mount Shu Sect had another option. The critical matters of the peak had to be handled by the members of the sect. For those not interested in becoming attendants, working at Red Cotton Peak was a viable path—one that often yielded greater rewards than sect positions.

Still, serving as an attendant within the sect was a steady, comfortable role—like holding a golden ticket to lifetime job security. It also paved the way to higher leadership.

Given Chu Liang's status, he would naturally gain more prestige if he continued overseeing Red Cotton Peak. However, if he took on an attendant role, he would have to start from the bottom.

Venerable Wen Yuan insisted for one reason alone.

To reach the upper ranks—whether as a supervising elder, one of the Four Guardians, or sect leader—Chu Liang had to walk the same path as those before him. No one rose without first learning the inner workings of the halls, and the role of attendant was an inevitable milestone along the way.

It was clear Venerable Wen Yuan had high hopes for him.

Sensing Chu Liang’s hesitation, Venerable Wen Yuan softened his tone. "No rush. You’ve just returned—take a few days to rest. When you're ready, you can decide which hall to serve in."

...

Chu Liang understood Venerable Wen Yuan’s intentions and did not object.

The choice of which hall to join wasn’t a decision he should take lightly. It would set the course for his development in the years to come.

The top choices were obviously Sword Exchange Pavilion and the Four Great Halls.

For those lacking unique talents but possessing raw power and strong cultivation, the Sword Exchange Pavilion was the obvious choice.

The Sword Exchange Pavilion kept a team of enforcers, tasked with handling difficult missions. Its members were battle-hardened fighters. It was said that Xu Ziyang, the eldest senior brother of Jade Sword Peak, had assumed the role of attendant there.

In six years, he had ascended to the rank of Twin Flower Red Rod—a title coined by Di Nufeng herself.

The Hall of Weapons required no introduction. As its name suggested, the Hall of Weapons specialized in tool-making and weapon forging.

At the Hall of Conservation, the preservation of ancient texts and scholarly pursuits took center stage. Disciples spent their days studying scriptures alongside diligent scholars like the square-faced Senior Brother Yuan.

The Hall of Alchemy had been where Chu Liang spent the most time. His remarkable growth in the art of alchemy had once positioned him as the clear successor to the Alchemy Master.

However, over time, his path took a different turn. Instead of striving for the pinnacle of alchemy, he became fixated on making a fortune by trading pills—buying pills at low cost and selling them for profit as prices soared. This left the Alchemy Master quietly disheartened.

The Hall of Discipline was traditionally the hardest to enter, but it likely wouldn’t be much of a challenge for Chu Liang.

Unlike the errand-running junior disciples, joining meant becoming one of the Mount Shu Sect’s law enforcers. Proper attendants of the Hall of Discipline wielded real authority, with the power to punish fellow disciples both within the sect and beyond its walls.

Under the leadership of the Discipline Master, the Hall of Discipline was feared by all disciples.

Beyond the Sword Exchange Pavilion and the Four Great Halls, the Mount Shu Sect had various other administrative halls handling miscellaneous affairs.

Halls like the Hall of Construction, the Hall of Meals, the Foreign Affairs Hall, the Hall of Astronomy, the Hall of Healing, and the Hall of Agriculture didn’t hold much power. They mainly handled sect affairs and general maintenance. Most disciples who served as attendants there lacked lofty ambitions. Rarely did anyone from these halls rise to high-ranking positions within the sect.

Chu Liang pondered this as he made his way back to the Silver Sword Peak.

...

While Chu Liang was making his way back to the Silver Sword Peak, Chu Yi had just returned from his studies at the Hall of Conservation.

When Chu Yi saw Chu Liang landing on the ground, he excitedly ran to greet him.

"Senior Brother!" Chi Yi called out with a bright smile.

As a child, he used to call Chu Liang "Big Bro." But now that he had started cultivating, he would address Chu Liang as senior brother.

Chu Yi was at the age of eleven or twelve, appearing tall and slender for his age. With his current height, it seemed likely that he would grow to be quite tall in the future. His skin was fair, and his delicate features made him look refined and gentle when he smiled. Dressed in white robes, he carried himself with an air of elegance.

He bore a striking resemblance to Chu Liang, with at least seventy percent similarity in their features.

Chu Liang observed Chu Yi’s cultivation level. At just twelve years old, Chu Yi had already advanced to the third realm. With a soft sigh, Chu Liang thought,

This is what a real prodigy is like.

With the exception of prodigies like Qi Lin'er, whose abilities defied common sense, the young elites of immortal sects typically advanced rapidly, attaining the realms in the Mortal Gate.

On the other hand, Chu Liang had only advanced to the third realm at the age of seventeen, which was rather mediocre.

Ironically, it was this slow start that made Chu Liang’s rapid ascent all the more extraordinary.

As for Chu Yi’s cultivation, Di Nufeng never taught him anything. His actual mentor was likely Senior Brother Yuan Zhuo.

"I hear you're managing Red Cotton Peak now. That is very impressive," Chu Liang said with a smile.

"I'm just following the methods you left behind. I haven’t done much on my own," Chu Yi replied with a modest smile.

The two then continued walking to the pavilion where Di Nufeng resided.