After He Yi spoke, he immediately withdrew his spiritual sense from the identity token.
Moments later, the Talisman Sect's disciple token in his hand crumbled into ashes.
Lin Xiao: …
Wait a minute, he hadn't even agreed to let this guy join the sect yet.
Sure, he had extended an invitation earlier.
But still!
It was just an invitation!
He still needed to walk the Path of Reflection, didn't he?
He Yi had just destroyed his own identity token—if he couldn't pass the Path of Reflection, he wouldn't be able to return to the Talisman Sect either…
Lin Xiao's mouth twitched as he looked at He Yi and asked, "Daoist He, don't you think you're being a bit hasty?"
Earlier, He Yi had clearly been reluctant to accept the invitation, and now he was proactively requesting to join the sect. Lin Xiao could guess that He Yi's real motive was to get closer to him, hoping to uncover the truth about the yuan energy and then convince him to activate the Binding Ji Treasure Formation.
He Yi's sudden, unconditional acceptance of joining the Lingxian Sect was his way of demonstrating sincerity.
But Lin Xiao couldn't help but think, This is way too hasty, brother!
He Yi, however, remained unfazed. Instead, he calmly asked, "Is Sect Master Lin unwilling to accept me?"
Lin Xiao tucked the small wooden carving into his storage pouch and shook his head, somewhat speechless.
"It's not that. I'm just worried you won't be able to pass our sect's Path of Reflection."
Yet He Yi seemed unbothered, his demeanor serene and content as he rose, bowed respectfully, and said, "I've heard much about the profound mysteries of the Path of Reflection. I request the honor of walking it."
Looking at He Yi bowing before him, Lin Xiao felt as if he was seeing a bird that had been caged all its life, now finally free to fly.
...
The two arrived before the Path of Reflection.
"Our sect actually just completed the recruitment process a few months ago… Are you sure you want to do this now? Shouldn't you at least inform your master or elders in the cultivation world first?" Lin Xiao asked, still feeling a bit uneasy.
It wasn't that Lin Xiao was worried about He Yi's personal relationships; rather, he was concerned about the potential trouble if the Talisman Sect received word that He Yi's disciple token had been destroyed. If they mistakenly thought he had been harmed and came to investigate, things could get messy—especially since He Yi was rumored to have the Talisman Sect's sect master as his backer.
He Yi immediately understood Lin Xiao's concern and reassured him.
"Sect Master Lin need not worry. Before departing for the mortal realm, I had already made an agreement with my elders. Unless I am in mortal danger, they will not intervene. My destruction of the identity token was voluntary, and they will be informed."
Upon hearing this, Lin Xiao nodded in understanding and no longer pressed the matter. He raised his hand to disable the restriction on the Path of Reflection.
In truth, Lin Xiao wasn't sure if the identity token He Yi had just destroyed was real or not. But it didn't matter.
If He Yi truly passed the Path of Reflection and officially entered the sect, Lin Xiao would see his status on the disciple roster, confirming his severance from the Talisman Sect.
And if He Yi were lying, Lin Xiao was confident that he wouldn't even pass the Path of Reflection. Even if he did manage to pass, the system would flag the issue, preventing him from joining Lingxian Sect while still being part of another sect.
Therefore, Lin Xiao wasn't at all concerned about He Yi trying to play some double-agent trick.
"Daoist He, good luck."
"Thank you." He Yi cupped his hands in thanks and then calmly stepped onto the peach blossom-strewn Path of Reflection.
As Lin Xiao watched He Yi's figure stand still on the path, his own expression fell, and he sat cross-legged at the roadside, looking somewhat deflated.
"System, I have a bad feeling about this."
System: [?]
"He Yi mentioned the Binding Ji Treasure Formation and how it requires yuan energy to activate. Be honest with me—are there any other people in this world who can use yuan energy?" Lin Xiao asked through gritted teeth.
System:
[The world is vast. Please explore it yourself.]
Hearing this response, Lin Xiao collapsed onto the ground in a spread-eagle position, feeling utterly drained.
"Great… So even if someone else can use yuan energy, they're probably incredibly hard to find."
If it's hard to find, that likely means if no one else steps up, he'll have to take responsibility himself.
And it's not like he could just sit back and do nothing while the Ji Stone faction wreaks havoc.
Obviously, he couldn't.
But if he had to activate a formation that was recorded in the Talisman Sect's ancient scrolls, it would undoubtedly draw attention. Many people would realize he possessed a different kind of power—one described only in ancient texts: yuan energy.
This would mean attracting a lot of attention, and in the cultivation world, attention often equaled danger.
To neutralize these dangers, or prevent them from arising in the first place, he would need overwhelming strength.
Which meant he had to grow even stronger.
After all, while being at the Nascent Soul stage wasn't exactly weak in the cultivation world, it was just that—not weak—but still far from the top.
And with Lin Xiao, a cultivator from the mortal realm, entering the broader cultivation world's radar, Lingxian Sect wouldn't be spared either.
So the overall strength of Lingxian Sect needed to rise as well.
Their development efforts were already maxed out!
His head pounded.
Lin Xiao gazed blankly at the sky above, sighing.
I hope the Ji Stone faction lays low for a while, gives us more time to grow stronger.
"I just came out of seclusion—can't I enjoy myself for a little longer?"
...
Though the Talisman Sect was located in the Northern Domain, it wasn't far from the border between the Northern and Southern Spiritual Domains.
The Talisman Sect's territory was vast, boasting forty-nine peaks and thirty-six valleys, along with numerous lakes and forests.
Outside its mountain gate was a massive marketplace. Many years ago, this market was exclusively for internal transactions between Talisman Sect disciples. However, due to its fair pricing, stable management, and excellent security, more and more external cultivators began visiting, and it gradually developed into a marketplace that welcomed traders from all over.
No matter who passed by the Talisman Sect's gates—whether from large or small sects, or even rogue cultivators—they couldn't help but look up at the sky above the sect as they approached.
Suspended about seven thousand meters above the Talisman Sect was a floating island—the only one of its kind in the entire Northern and Southern Spiritual Domains.
It was said that this floating island housed the core of the Talisman Sect.
Its most valuable treasures, its rarest medicinal herbs, its finest disciples, its most secret tomes... all were located on that island.
The floating island also had the sect's most powerful defenses, as well as the greatest combat strength in the entire Northern and Southern Spiritual Domains: Talisman Sect's Sect Master, Daoist Taihua.
Over the years, the exact level of Daoist Taihua's cultivation had become something of a mystery.
All that was certain was that he was incredibly powerful, though whether he was in the Void Refinement stage, the Integration stage, or even at the cusp of ascension to immortality—the Great Ascension stage—was a matter of debate.
Truths and rumors blended together, making it impossible to know for sure.
However, one belief was shared by all cultivators across the Northern and Southern Spiritual Domains:
Daoist Taihua was the pinnacle of the Northern and Southern Spiritual Domains.