Upon hearing this, the young man in the white robe naturally dared not obstruct Han Li and his companion any longer. Instead, he led them directly along a corridor toward the interior.
After walking for a while and passing through several courtyard gates, Han Li faintly heard the sound of recitations, no different from an ordinary academy. Yet he paused slightly, his eyes flickering with subtle surprise. Though this place was called an academy, were these low-level cultivators truly wasting most of their time on reading instead of meditating and refining their Qi?
“These are the junior disciples of our Bailu Academy, conducting their routine midday study. To enter the senior academy for cultivation, merely possessing spiritual roots and mana is insufficient—one must also cultivate the righteous aura of our Confucian school. After all, many of our Confucian techniques rely on this righteous aura as a foundation. The more abundant and robust it is, the faster one’s future cultivation will progress, with limitless potential.” The white-robed youth seemed to notice Han Li’s surprise and explained with a smile. Given that this young man had been personally brought by the Confucian scholar surnamed Yan, he seemed inclined to befriend him.
“I see!” Han Li sensed the goodwill and nodded with a faint smile.
Soon, the three passed through a cluster of pavilions and, after a few turns, arrived before an elegant courtyard. The moment they stepped inside, the previously clear sound of recitations vanished completely—the courtyard was evidently shielded by a soundproofing barrier.
The Confucian scholar surnamed Yan remained unfazed, as if he had visited this place many times before. Meanwhile, the white-robed youth dared not proceed further and stopped at the gate, bidding them farewell before departing.
Only after the young man’s figure disappeared behind a pavilion did the Confucian scholar surnamed Yan straighten his robes and stride toward the largest building, preparing to knock.
Yet before he could take another step, the tightly shut door swung open with a soft creak. At the same time, the voice of the esteemed Master Lu echoed from above:
“Brother Yan, please come in! The Daoist Huilian from Huangqing Temple happens to be visiting my humble abode. I shall introduce you.” Master Lu’s tone was composed and steady, revealing no particular emotion.
“Huangqing Temple?” A flicker of surprise crossed the Confucian scholar’s face, but he stepped inside without hesitation. Han Li naturally followed.
Upon entering, they found themselves in a reception hall where a man and a woman sat as host and guest.
The man appeared to be in his forties, with a lean face, a long beard, and an air of unshakable composure—his demeanor somewhat resembled that of the Confucian scholar surnamed Yan, yet carried an additional sense of sternness.
The woman, in her twenties, had jet-black hair and snow-white skin. Clad in a yellow Daoist robe and holding a silver horsetail whisk, she exuded an aura of noble grace—a Daoist nun.
As soon as the Confucian scholar and Han Li entered, the two turned their gazes upon them.
“So this is the renowned Master Yan Yao? Though I seldom concern myself with worldly affairs in the temple, I have long heard of Master Yan of Yonghua Academy.” Unexpectedly, before Master Lu could speak, the young and beautiful Daoist nun greeted them with a faint smile. Her eyes briefly swept over Han Li before indifferently withdrawing.
Though only a Foundation Establishment late-stage cultivator, she sat with ease before Master Lu and spoke freely—clearly a figure of significant background.
“You flatter me. The esteemed nuns of Huangqing Temple are likewise renowned. Greetings, Daoist Huilian!” The Confucian scholar surnamed Yan responded with utmost courtesy, cupping his hands in salute.
“This junior pays respects to both seniors!” Han Li also stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
“And this young friend is…?” Master Lu narrowed his eyes slightly, his tone neutral.
“This is Han Li, a distant relative of an old friend of mine. Having heard of Bailu Academy’s reputation, I brought him here at my friend’s request to see if he qualifies to join.” The Confucian scholar surnamed Yan replied smoothly.
“Oh? A relative of Brother Yan’s old friend? His spiritual roots seem average, but we must examine his attributes more carefully. Young friend Han, come here.” Master Lu scrutinized Han Li for a moment before speaking impassively.
“As you command, Senior.” Han Li stepped forward without hesitation, allowing the man’s slightly cool hand to grasp his wrist.
With Han Li’s formidable spiritual sense, he had no fear of being exposed. Whether it was his spiritual root attributes or bone structure, he could easily conceal his true condition, revealing only what he wished.
However, Han Li had no intention of drawing undue attention, as it would hinder his discreet cultivation within the academy. Thus, he fully displayed his spiritual root attributes without manipulation—four spiritual roots, barely meeting the minimum standard for joining a cultivation sect.
Only his bone age was concealed, preventing any detection of anomalies.
“Hmm, four spiritual roots lacking metal—barely sufficient to join the academy. You’ve already cultivated some low-level spells, but fortunately, your technique is purely wood-attribute, not some demonic art. That’s no issue. However, given your age and aptitude, the likelihood of reaching Foundation Establishment is negligible. At best, you might reach the seventh or eighth layer of Qi Refinement. In that case, wouldn’t it be better to remain a rogue cultivator, free and unbound?” Master Lu released Han Li’s wrist and spoke calmly.
“I’ve heard similar assessments from other seniors. Yet I believe diligence can compensate for shortcomings, and I still wish to try my hand at cultivation.” Han Li stood respectfully before Master Lu, replying with utmost sincerity.
Master Lu’s expression shifted slightly. After glancing at the Confucian scholar surnamed Yan, he nodded. “If your resolve is so firm, I’ve little more to say. But since you’re entering as a rogue cultivator, do you possess any specialized skills?”
Han Li was momentarily taken aback. He hadn’t expected such a question directed at a mere Qi Refinement cultivator. Was this a gesture of favor due to the Confucian scholar’s influence?
His thoughts raced, but his reply was immediate: “This junior has dabbled in artifact forging, though given my limited cultivation and knowledge, I can only craft the most basic items—hardly worthy of the title ‘artificer.’” He even feigned slight embarrassment, his expression tinged with shyness.
“Oh? You know artifact forging? Few rogue cultivators bother with such techniques nowadays—the costs are prohibitive.” Master Lu seemed genuinely surprised.
Beside him, the Daoist nun’s eyes flashed with interest, followed by a trace of delight.
“I merely stumbled upon a jade slip on forging and experimented haphazardly.” Han Li deliberately downplayed his skills. Had it not been for the risk of jeopardizing his academy admission, he wouldn’t have mentioned forging at all.
Compared to forging, those versed in alchemy or formation arts were even rarer—revealing such knowledge would only invite more scrutiny.
“Fellow Daoist Han, you know artifact forging? How splendid! Senior Lu, perhaps there’s no need to borrow a forging disciple from your academy after all. Since Fellow Daoist Han hasn’t officially joined, why not let him enter our Huangqing Temple instead?” The Daoist nun suddenly interjected.
Both the Confucian scholar and Han Li were startled, their expressions turning blank.
“Daoist Huilian, surely that’s inappropriate? Your temple is a nunnery—how could a male disciple like Han join?” The Confucian scholar’s face stiffened as he spoke solemnly.
“Though Huangqing Temple is a nunnery, we do have lay priests and male disciples. They reside outside the temple proper—Master Yan need not worry.” The Daoist nun smiled faintly.
“I see. I’m not well-versed in Huangqing Temple’s affairs. But Han came here to join Bailu Academy—entering your temple would be rather irregular.” The Confucian scholar, despite knowing Han Li’s true nature, still argued earnestly on his behalf.
“With Fellow Daoist Han’s aptitude, even if he joins the academy, he’d only be an ordinary disciple with little future. Meanwhile, our temple is preparing to forge several treasures and currently lacks a low-level disciple skilled in forging. Should he join us, not only could he advance his forging skills, but I could also personally oversee his cultivation progress. To be frank, Master Yan, my visit here was precisely to borrow a forging disciple from the academy. Now that we have a ready candidate, there’s no need to trouble Fellow Daoist Lu further.” The Daoist nun remained unperturbed, her explanation delivered with a smile.
“This… Brother Lu, what do you think?” The Confucian scholar hesitated before turning to Master Lu.
“Fellow Daoist Han hasn’t yet joined our academy and remains a free agent. Whether he wishes to enter Huangqing Temple is his decision. However, as Daoist Huilian said, even if he joins our academy, I can offer little assistance—his prospects would be limited. Since Daoist Huilian came specifically to find a low-level forging disciple, joining Huangqing Temple might indeed be a better choice.” Master Lu’s expression remained unchanged as he spoke gravely.
At this, the gazes of all three in the hall settled on Han Li—some concerned, some curious, and one faintly excited.
“Huangqing Temple?” Han Li seemed to recall the name—a Daoist temple on another peak of Mount Yutian. But he hadn’t known it was a nunnery and was wholly unfamiliar with the sect, leaving him utterly bewildered.
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