Troublemaker’s Guide to Immortality

"Qing Yun, are you planning to take a disciple?"

A hearty voice echoed across the courtyard.

A middle-aged man walked over, smiling brightly.

"Looks like you really are," a graceful woman added with a soft chuckle. "Qing Yun, if that extraordinary genius turns out to be a girl, wouldn't it be more appropriate for her to join my Xuandan Gate? I'd be a much better fit as her teacher."

These two were none other than the two other ninth-grade alchemists of Xuandan Gate: Li Yun and Feng Yu.

Qing Yun immediately grew anxious. "Feng Yu, stop messing around! You already have several disciples, I haven't even accepted one yet!"

"Even with several disciples, I doubt any of them compare to yours," Feng Yu teased. "Besides, what if the girl doesn't like the look of your old face and prefers a pretty elder sister instead?"

Qing Yun's face turned green. "Feng Yu, are you seriously trying to compete with me?"

Feng Yu only laughed. "Alright, alright, I'll back off this time. It's rare for you to take an interest in someone. I won't fight you for her. But if she doesn't want to take you as her master, you can't blame me if I step in."

"Hmph. That's none of your concern," Qing Yun replied flatly.

The three of them were close, so their banter wasn't unusual.

But the other disciples listening nearby couldn't help feeling a mix of envy, jealousy, and frustration.

They had struggled for years just to gain entry into Xuandan Gate. To be accepted as a disciple by one of the three grandmasters was an entirely different league, requiring countless trials and years of effort.

Yet that girl from the Canglan Kingdom—barely old enough to have come of age—was about to be personally recruited by Master Qing Yun?

What kind of absurd fortune was that?

Several of them couldn't help but contribute a surge of emotional value to Yun Jin.

And besides—

Qing Yun's successful trial of a new pill formula and his plan to personally seek out that girl hadn't yet spread. Only a few knew.

Once word got out...

The envy and jealousy would multiply tenfold.

"Qing Yun, you'd better leave soon," Li Yun said with a smile. "If that genius joins another sect first, you'll be crying into your beard."

"Other sects? What right do they have to compete with me?" Qing Yun answered calmly. "There's no need to rush."

Even as he said that, he added, "I've got things to do. No time to stand around chatting."

With that, he turned and hurried off.

Li Yun and Feng Yu exchanged knowing smiles but said nothing.

A short while later, Qing Yun was ready to depart.

Before leaving, he remembered Feng Yu calling him an old man and turned to the mirror, tugging at the wrinkles on his face. After some grooming, he looked noticeably younger. He thought for a moment, then stuffed his storage ring with a variety of fine gifts. If he really got the chance to take her as a disciple, the meeting gift couldn't be lacking.

Prepared on all fronts, Qing Yun immediately set off.

Canglan Kingdom was remote, and the journey would take nearly half a month. On the way, he began practicing how to open the conversation when they finally met.

—

Back on Tianjian Peak, Yun Jin was still puzzled.

This time, however, the system offered no explanation.

The distance was probably too great for it to detect the cause.

Still—

Since it was an increase in emotional value and not a loss, Yun Jin wasn't too bothered.

Although the emotional value from Xuandan Gate had slowed, it continued in bursts. She estimated another hundred thousand points could eventually be gathered without much trouble.

The main advantage of Xuandan Gate's members was their high cultivation and intense emotional fluctuations. Each one gave at least [500 Combo Hits], almost rivaling Ye Danxia in terms of emotional output.

With that, Yun Jin's deficit for her next Advanced Simplification was down to just two hundred thousand. If she could host another sales livestream, she'd meet the quota in no time. But since that wasn't possible at the moment, she needed to find another method.

Lately, Yun Jin had been trying to stay low-key. She considered sending Gu Jinghong out to work in her stead.

She was still pondering when—

Suddenly—

The system panel began to ring again, a series of familiar dings.

Once more, the emotional values were at the maximum—[+500 Emotional Value.]

Yun Jin: "???"

What now?

Was it those bigshots from Xuandan Gate again?

Unable to resist, she asked the system for an update.

This time, the response was just as brief as before.

[Kunlun Sword Sect.]

Yun Jin was stunned.

Kunlun Sword Sect?

What happened over there?

Could it be that Elder Jian had told them she'd learned the Azure Lotus Sword Art?

But surely plenty of Kunlun disciples had mastered the Azure Lotus Sword Art by now...

Was that really something to get this worked up over?

—

A short while earlier.

At Kunlun Sword Sect.

To find the rare Innate Sword Body, the sect sent disciples across the realm each generation. Whenever one of these scouts found someone promising, they immediately reported it back to the sect.

A specialized team would then review the candidate's information. If they found someone especially gifted, the case would be escalated, eventually landing on the Sect Master's desk.

Unlike many sects, where the sect master served more as an administrator than a combatant, Kunlun Sword Sect was different.

Every sect master in their history had possessed the Innate Sword Body, and each was indisputably the strongest in the sect. Their authority surpassed all others.

Kunlun Sword Sect's guiding principle was simple: only the strongest deserved the greatest power.

Today—

Sect Master Ji Wusi was in high spirits. He had gathered the elders to review a batch of new reports together.

The Nine Provinces were vast, brimming with talent.

One young man, barely past his coming-of-age ceremony, had already reached the fifth level of the Azure Lotus Sword Art.

Another girl had not only mastered the technique but developed her own interpretation of it.

Mastery of the Azure Lotus Sword Art was the basic requirement for being considered as a candidate.

But Ji Wusi, a Innate Sword Body holder himself who had witnessed countless prodigies, found such things unimpressive.

"Cang Li," Ji Wusi said, turning his head. "Talent like yours is nearly impossible to find again."

Cang Li, Ji Wusi's first disciple, responded without emotion. "I do not possess the Innate Sword Body. In terms of talent, I am nothing special."

Ji Wusi sighed softly, a hint of melancholy flashing in his eyes.

It was not that Kunlun Sword Sect stubbornly insisted on finding someone with the Innate Sword Body.

The problem was their sect's ultimate treasure, the Azure Lotus Sword Codex.

Others could cultivate it, but none could truly grasp its essence.

Only those with the Innate Sword Body could resonate with the ancient master who created it, view their cultivation insights, and inherit the true legacy.

In the last generation, Ji Wusi's master had discovered him early. His path had been smooth ever since. After his master ascended, Ji Wusi naturally took over the sect.

But this generation...

He hadn't been so lucky. Not once had he found even a possible candidate.

Just then—

The next image on the recording stone began to play.

Cang Li watched as calmly as ever.

The image opened with a small raincloud.

Ji Wusi raised his brows. "Is that... Light Rain Technique?"

Wasn't that a planter's secret art?

Had they brought the wrong recording stone?

Then—

A sword appeared, pointing directly at the cloud.

Cang Li blinked, his expression shifting slightly.

On the hand holding the sword, he saw a storage ring.

That ring...

It looked incredibly familiar.

A young voice rang out. "First Wave of Tides!"

First Wave of Tides?

Using that on a raincloud?

Ji Wusi's expression changed slightly.