As Li Guanqi made his choice of spiritual root, heaven and earth fell silent.
Employing a profound divine technique, Lu Kangnian enveloped the youth within an earthen-yellow barrier of primordial energy, sealing out all clamor while obscuring everything inside from outside view.
Everyone was intensely curious about which root this monstrously talented youth would choose.
Meng Linhai, an elder of Tianjin Peak, broke into a broad grin and laughed. "Ahem, well... Sect Master."
"Look at what that boy is carrying on his back. Doesn't it look like an oversized sword casket?"
"We are the Great Xia Sword Sect, after all. In my view, the lad will definitely choose the metal spiritual root!"
At these words, the other peak masters and elders could find no way to refute him, much as they wished to.
Lu Kangnian looked at Meng Linhai with a hollow smile and said softly, "In your view? What can you even see?
"What if... cough, what if he chooses earth?"
Beside them, Xu Zhengjie, the Second Elder of Tianlei Peak, curled his lip and muttered, "Bah! 'What if he chooses earth'—chooses a load of crap, more like. If he chooses earth, I'll eat three jin of nightsoil."
With Lu Kangnian's keen senses, he heard every word no matter how faintly muttered.
Lu Kangnian glared at Xu Zhengjie and ground his teeth in a voice transmission: "Good, very good! This month, you will be the one cleaning all the nightsoil from Tianzhu Peak!"
Xu Zhengjie's face instantly turned ghastly pale...
Suddenly!
The sky above the Great Xia Sword Sect, previously awash in rosy clouds, underwent a violent upheaval!
Dark clouds gathered, howling winds surged, and torrential rain poured down.
Lan He stepped forward into the air and gave a light wave of her hand, blocking all the rainwater from above.
"What is going on..."
Rumble!
Boom! Boom!
The world dimmed. A bolt of pitch-black lightning tore across the sky, and Xu Zhengjie burst into uproarious laughter!
"Metal, my ass! Only my Tianlei Peak's lightning root possesses the greatest lethality!"
The barrier dissolved. Li Guanqi, looking thoroughly composed, bowed toward the helpless Lu Kangnian and said, "This junior chooses lightning!"
Lu Kangnian put away the disappointment on his face and clapped the boy on the shoulder with a chuckle.
"Haha, no matter. Just follow your heart.
"And here I thought I might take on another personal disciple."
Lu Kangnian then cast an exasperated glance at the dancing old man and said, "It seems from now on, sect resources will have to lean somewhat toward Tianlei Peak.
"Disciple Li Guanqi shall enter Tianlei Peak!
"For awakening a saint-grade lightning spiritual root, he is rewarded with three Qi Condensation Pills, three hundred low-grade spirit stones, five hundred sect contribution points, and an estate on Tianlei Peak!
"Granted: as a disciple of Tianlei Peak, he may enter the Spirit Ascension Platform three times without expending contribution points."
Li Guanqi stood straight and said respectfully, "My thanks to the Sect Master for the appointment."
Meanwhile, the Second Elder of Tianlei Peak was grinning so broadly his cheekbones seemed to reach the sky. He bowed and said, "Thank you for the rewards, Sect Master! Leave everything on Tianzhu Peak to me!"
The old man stepped to the youth's side, fended off the other elders who still wished to persuade him, and vanished in a flash.
Carrying the boy through the air, the old man flew straight toward Tianlei Peak!
"Whoa..."
Suspended in the open air, the boy could not help crying out in wonder. This was the first time he had ever soared into the sky!
This miraculous sensation took root deep in his heart at once.
The youth looked around in silence, his fists clenching as he made a quiet vow: he would cultivate diligently from now on and strive to fly upon a sword as soon as possible!
The old man merely smiled as he watched the youth look all around, as though seeing himself a hundred years ago.
Back then, he had been terrified of heights, faring even worse than this little fellow!
Noticing the elder's persistent gaze, Li Guanqi said softly, "I still do not know Senior's name?"
The old man chuckled and said gently, "This old man is the Second Elder of Tianlei Peak, Xu Zhengjie. You may call me Elder Xu, Old Man Xu, or Old Drunkard—whichever suits you."
The boy smiled faintly and said, "Then I had best call you Elder Xu. The others... would be too presumptuous."
Xu Zhengjie said nothing, but a youth who showed respect to his elders was naturally very endearing.
The boy suddenly spoke up again. "Elder Xu, does our Great Xia Sword Sect accept blind people too?"
"Hahahahaha! Boy, you may be blind in the eyes, but you're not blind in your heart!
"I really don't know who your grandfather is to raise a monster like you. That thing on your back must weigh two hundred jin, right?"
The boy gave a bashful smile.
"Five hundred jin."
"Uh... pretend I never asked."
"The Great Xia Sword Sect..."
The old man's tone grew very soft. He paused for a moment before continuing.
"This is a sect worth entrusting your life to. What if you are blind? What if you are crippled?
"When the Dao resides in my heart, can physical flaws constrain me?"
The moment those words landed, Li Guanqi felt a tremendous jolt run through his spirit!
*What a line—'When the Dao resides in my heart, can physical flaws constrain me!' What a Great Xia Sword Sect!*
*No wonder Grandfather specifically told me to come here.*
The old man's face suddenly beamed with smiles. "Come, let me take you to settle into your estate first.
"I still have to head back and see if I can recruit a few more disciples. Tianlei Peak may have few people, but we are tightly united."
Whoosh!
Li Guanqi quietly savored everything around him, closing his eyes to feel the wind brushing his ears.
As the two of them swept past a flock of wild geese, he reached out and touched the wing of one of the birds.
The goose let out an indignant honk and veered slightly away from them.
The corners of Li Guanqi's mouth curved up in a gentle smile.
Before long, a mountain peak soaring into the clouds came into view.
Along the way, he had already seen numerous immense, pillar-like mountains.
No wonder he had heard people saying earlier that the Great Xia Sword Sect boasted "three thousand wondrous peaks, eight hundred fair waters!"
Buzz!
The shimmering outline of a barrier humming with lightning power appeared before them. Xu Zhengjie produced a jade slip, and an opening parted in the barrier.
The old man explained, "The barrier sensed the aura of a stranger. After tomorrow's peak-welcoming ceremony, you'll be given your identity jade slip.
"In the future, you won't encounter this barrier when coming and going from Tianlei Peak."
Along the path up the mountain, countless lofty pavilions and halls stood nestled among the trees, alongside many secluded hillside estates.
The old man said with a smile, "Your courtyard is just up ahead, halfway up the mountain. It's convenient for going anywhere.
"It even comes with a small plot of spiritual soil. The Sect Master truly values you highly."
Curious, Li Guanqi voiced the doubt lingering in his mind: "Why did the Sect Master grant me so many rewards? Isn't it a bit too..."
"Too much?"
The old man looked at him with squinted eyes, smiling.
"A bit. I feel somewhat flattered and overwhelmed."
The old man put his hands behind his back and said softly, "Not at all, not in the least...
"The Great Xia Sword Sect hasn't developed well over the years, and our foundation is thin.
"Otherwise, why would your rewards be limited to just this much?
"In any other major sect, spirit stones, magical treasures, techniques, secret manuals—you'd have your pick of anything.
"Even if you wanted the eldest daughter of an ancient clan to be your concubine, they could arrange it for you!"
Li Guanqi wore a look of utter disbelief, but the old man kept rambling on.
"However... this is the Great Xia Sword Sect. Whatever you want, you must earn through your own efforts!
"Alright, here is your courtyard. I'll be heading back now.
"You can learn about the sect at your own pace in the days ahead. For today, just get some rest.
"Little Steamed Bun, I'm off~"
Before the boy could react, the old man had already vanished without a trace.
Turning around, the boy saw a little girl of six or seven squatting by the courtyard gate.
She wore two upright braids and a colorful padded jacket.
Her eyes were round as beads, her face delicate and fair as carved jade, utterly adorable.
Squatting on the ground, she held a white steamed bun in both hands, staring wide-eyed at him.
Li Guanqi scratched his head, wondering whose child this was.
He walked over and squatted down beside her. Before he could speak, the little girl stuffed the bun into her shirt and bolted like a streak of smoke.
The look in her eyes was one of pure terror, as though she feared he had come to snatch her bun away.
Chapter 14