As dusk fell, Alex returned to Righteous Peak. Shui Bing and Duan Renyi waited for him there.
"I choose the Sect Leader's path," Alex said. His eyes were bright with determination. "The Dao of the Sword."
Duan Renyi beamed. His grin was manic. "Welcome to Righteous Peak, my first disciple! We'll cut the corrupt heavens!"
Shui Bing nodded. Her face was cold but her eyes were warm. "You'll live with us. I'll ensure your chaos becomes strength."
The outer disciples heard the news. They were stunned.
"Righteous Peak? With the Sect Leader?" Liang muttered. He dropped his tea.
Mei smirked. She tossed Alex another spirit apple. "Those two are gonna blow up the heavens."
Alex caught it this time. He felt a spark of hope. With Jin Hao's friendship and the sect's chaotic embrace, maybe his curse could become his sword.
Righteous Peak was a radiant summit of jade and silver. Its air was thick with righteous qi. There was also the faint scent of scorched earth from past "training accidents."
Alex was now an inner disciple under Sect Leader Duan Renyi. He stood in awe as Senior Sister Shui Bing led him to his new home.
It was a sturdy bamboo hut she'd built herself. Its walls were etched with water runes that shimmered like ice.
"This is yours," she said. Her voice was cold but her gesture was kind. Her warm heart was evident in the hut's thoughtful design. It was built to withstand Alex's bad luck. "Don't destroy it."
Alex clutched his basket of soggy spirit turnips. He also held the Spirit Heart Crystal from the examination. He nodded nervously. "Uh, thanks, Senior Sister."
Her strictness was intimidating. Her Nascent Soul aura made his knees wobble. But her quiet kindness made him feel oddly safe. It was like the protective talisman she'd given him.
Duan Renyi bounced with childlike excitement. He clapped Alex's shoulder. The force nearly knocked him over. "My first disciple!" he boomed. His white robes fluttered. "We'll forge a sword to cleave the corrupt heavens!"
Shui Bing shot him a look that could freeze a volcano. He shrank back. "Uh, Senior Sister will handle your basics. I'm… busy meditating."
He fled to his pavilion. He was muttering about "heavenly strategies." This left Alex with the terrifying Valley Master.
Shui Bing's face was icy. She handed Alex a glowing scroll. "This is the Heaven Attraction Art," she said. Her voice was sharp. "It's the foundation for the Dao of the Sword. It draws qi to temper your body and dantian through herbs, baths, and exercises. Begin now."
Her tone brooked no argument. But she added softly, "You're cursed, but your heart is righteous. Don't fail me."
Alex unrolled the scroll. Its text pulsed with qi. The art involved grinding spirit herbs into pastes. It also required soaking in medical baths. There were bizarre physical exercises to channel qi.
"Grind herbs?" he muttered. He scratched his head. "Sounds easy enough."
It was anything but easy.
Shui Bing led him to a stone pavilion. It overlooked Righteous Peak's jade cliffs. Piles of spirit herbs awaited on a granite table. There was Starleaf, Moonpetal, and Firethorn.
"Grind these into paste," she ordered. Her water whip hovered like a threat. "One mistake, and I'll drown you in a qi bath." Her eyes glinted with chaotic mischief. This hinted at her unorthodox methods.
Alex, predictably, tripped over a pestle. Firethorn spilled across the pavilion. The herbs ignited. Flames licked up the walls in a spectacular blaze.
"Not again!" he yelped. He dove for a water bucket.
Shui Bing sighed. Her water qi surged in a wave. It extinguished the fire but soaked Alex to the bone. "Focus," she snapped. Her face was cold. But she handed him a fresh batch of herbs. Her warm heart was evident in the gesture. "You're a walking disaster, but disasters forge strength."
Alex ground the herbs. His hands trembled under Shui Bing's glare. Disciples from other valleys visited. They were drawn by rumors of the Chaos Duo.
Mei was now an outer disciple in Thunder Salvation Valley. She leaned against the pavilion, laughing. "Burning herbs already, Chaos Boy? You're gonna set the peak on fire!"
Liang carried a basket of spirit fruits. He gaped. "You're training with Shui Bing? I'd rather face a beast wave!"
Alex groaned. His pestle slipped. Moonpetal splattered on Liang's robe. "Sorry!" he said.
But Liang laughed. He tossed Alex a spirit plum. "You're making training fun, at least!"
The pavilion became a hub of activity. Disciples dropped by to gossip and share snacks. Fang from Flood Redemption Valley brought qi-infused tea. Alex spilled it when he tripped over a rune. This triggered a harmless puff of sparkles.
"Classic!" Fang laughed. He poured Alex another cup.
Mei started a mock "Chaos Training" game. Disciples tried to grind herbs without spilling them. They failed spectacularly when Alex's bad luck caused a table leg to wobble. Herbs went flying everywhere.
Shui Bing's whip cracked. It silenced the laughter. "Focus!" she barked. But she tossed Mei a drying talisman. Her eyes twinkled with suppressed amusement.
Shui Bing pushed Alex through the Heaven Attraction Art's exercises. He did lunges while balancing on qi-infused stones. He kept knocking them over. This triggered mini-explosions that made disciples scatter.
"Again!" she roared. Her water whip grazed his feet. "Your chaos is your strength. Harness it!"
Alex was sweating and bruised. He felt his dantian stir. It climbed to Qi Condensation Stage 2 by noon.
During a break, he sat with Mei and Fang under a jade tree. They shared spirit plums. They swapped stories about their villages. "My hometown had a spirit cow that ate my shoes," Alex said. This earned laughs. The peaceful moment eased his nerves. The peak's qi hummed softly around them.
Jin Hao visited that evening. His gold robes were stained with elixir soot from Medicine Valley. "Shui Qing's got me brewing pills that explode if you sneeze!" he bragged. He tossed Alex a healing salve. "Heard you set the pavilion on fire. Classic, brother!"
They sparred playfully. Alex's clumsy sword swings knocked over a herb rack. This revealed a glowing Jade Lotus hidden beneath.
Mei watched and laughed. "How does he do that?"
Liang muttered, "I need to trip more."
Shui Bing oversaw everything. She nodded approvingly. "Your chaos finds truth," she said. Her voice was stern but her eyes were warm.
At night, Shui Bing ordered Alex into a medical bath. It was a steaming tub of herb-infused water. It smelled like burnt socks and stung like nettles.
"Soak for an hour," she said. Her face was cold. "Or I'll freeze the tub with you in it."
Alex complied. He winced as the qi seared his skin. But his dantian surged to Stage 3.
During the soak, Fang and Bao dropped by. They shared qi candy. They teased Alex about his red face. "You look like a boiled turnip!" Bao said, giggling.
Shui Bing caught Alex slacking. She froze the tub's surface. This forced him to break out with qi. "Pathetic," she said. But she slipped him a warming talisman. Her warm heart was clear. The disciples' laughter and the peak's quiet night air made the grueling training bearable.RetryClaude can make mistakes.