The crowd was utterly bewildered, yet they had nowhere to dodge.
Lu Kangnian rose slowly, his expression solemn as he spoke in a deep voice.
"For the Great Xia Sword Sect to possess disciples like you is the sect's great fortune! It is my great fortune as your sect master!"
As the words fell, nearly a thousand storage bags suddenly appeared in Lu Kangnian's hands!
A storage bag drifted to a halt before every person present.
The man chuckled softly. "Open them. Everything inside is what you rightfully earned!"
Hsss!
Someone sent their divine sense inside, and gasps of cold air immediately rose in succession across the hall.
Li Guanqi extended his divine sense inward. Within his bag lay a full thousand low-grade spirit stones!
Glancing around, he saw everyone's face filled with shock; it seemed all of them had received the same.
Calculated this way, the spirit stones distributed among all the disciples here amounted to nearly a million low-grade spirit stones!
Even converted into priceless high-grade spirit stones, that was still nearly a thousand!
Lu Kangnian smiled faintly. "Keep them without worry! They're merely spirit stones.
"Having all of you is what is truly precious to the Great Xia Sword Sect!
"The spirit stones in your hands are just a drop in the ocean compared to what we plundered from the treasuries of the four sects."
Hearing this, smiles broke out across the disciples' faces.
Lu Kangnian's expression turned stern again as he continued.
"Every person in this hall may enter the Scripture Pavilion once!
"The Scripture Pavilion now... is more than three times larger than before! Any cultivation method or secret manual, so long as it suits you, is yours for the taking!"
The moment these words were spoken, the entire hall erupted into cheers.
Li Guanqi could not help but feel a surge of emotion. With this, the strength of those who had fought in the battle against Ziyang Palace would surely rise rapidly!
When the time came, the Great Xia Sword Sect's overall might was bound to take a leap to an entirely new level.
Once everyone had dispersed, Li Guanqi was held back by Lu Kangnian.
Seeing that no one else was around, Lu Kangnian plopped down onto the threshold of the main hall.
He patted the space beside him and waved Li Guanqi over.
"I heard from your master that you want to travel out in the world?"
Li Guanqi did not hide it and gave a slight nod.
Lu Kangnian smiled and said, "There's nothing wrong with that. Young people should go out and make their way in the world.
"However, once you leave, you must always keep your wits about you.
"If trouble arises and you strike, you must ensure a kill with a single blow, and you must weed them out by the roots!
"Core disciples of many major clans and factions have life-bound jade slips. The moment they die, their people know instantly.
"Some clans even have special methods to leave tracking marks on your body!
"Or they might transmit the deceased disciple's final vision back to their sect!
"In short, when wandering out there, you must be cautious, cautious, and cautious again!
"Out in the pugilistic world, the people of the cultivation world are almost all petty and vindictive to some extent.
"Remember this well: never harbor malice toward others, but never let your guard down against them either!"
Li Guanqi had heard his grandfather tell him these things long ago.
Yet listening to the man rambling on beside him, he still felt an immense sense of reassurance.
The Sect Master was just like an elder anxious about a junior setting out into the world, nagging endlessly for fear of forgetting some piece of advice.
Li Guanqi suddenly said softly, "Sect Master, I, Li Guanqi, come from humble beginnings.
"Yet within this sect, I have felt a warmth I had long missed.
"This place... feels just like home."
Lu Kangnian laughed heartily.
"Home—a fine word. I like it."
Li Guanqi grinned as well, scratching his head in slight embarrassment before asking curiously, "Sect Master, do we have life-bound jade slips too?"
A mysterious smile touched Lu Kangnian's lips. He waved his hand gently.
A breathtaking scene instantly manifested before Li Guanqi!
It was the hollow of a mountain, where jade slips flickered like countless starlit specks, radiating a faint azure glow!
The image vanished, and Lu Kangnian spoke softly.
"Your identity jade slips are linked to the life-bound jade slips inside.
"So if anything happens to any of you, the sect will know!"
Li Guanqi was inwardly astonished. The number of life-bound jade slips just now far exceeded the current number of disciples in the sect.
To think that even under such severe scarcity of resources, the sect still maintained the lingering spiritual glow of so many life-bound jade slips!
Lu Kangnian chuckled and said, "I heard you even abducted Tu Kui's disciple, hahahaha.
"That works too. Traveling together, you can look out for each other.
"Besides, that kid's talent isn't weak, though his temperament doesn't match yours."
With that, Lu Kangnian rose slowly and said softly, "If you want to leave, wait a month before setting off. During this time, go to the Scripture Pavilion and pick out cultivation methods and secret manuals that suit you.
"A few spirit incantations were looted from the three sects as well. In addition, as the senior brother of Tianlei Peak, you need to set a proper example."
Li Guanqi bowed to the man's retreating back and nodded softly. "Yes, I shall obey the Sect Master's orders."
Hearing this, Lu Kangnian could not help but curse with a laugh, "You brat."
Just as he was about to leave, Lu Kangnian turned back to look at him.
"In short, remember one thing: never forget that the sect has your back!"
Early the next morning.
Li Guanqi appeared in the main hall of Tianlei Peak.
The white-robed youth had shed much of his childishness, standing a full head taller than when he had first entered the sect.
Tall and straight, the young man was exceedingly handsome, his features sharpened and more defined.
The newly recruited disciples in the hall rose one after another, clasping their fists in salute.
"Senior Brother Li."
"..."
Li Guanqi nodded with a gentle smile, looking just like a mortal scholar.
He walked to the very front of the hall and sat down upon a prayer mat on the floor.
Rustle, rustle.
The disciples sat cross-legged on prayer mats across the floor, and the hall fell completely silent.
Li Guanqi then began explaining the basics to everyone, such as how to use the sect jade slip and how to exchange sect contribution points.
He also showed them spirit incantations, spirit talismans, Mohist silver soldier pellets, and more.
It thoroughly opened the eyes of these little fellows who had just stepped into the cultivation world.
Li Guanqi released his origin power, wrapping them gently within it so they could perceive its subtle shifts.
Afterward, he began instructing them on how to temper their bodies and how to gauge their current strength.
Though Li Guanqi had assumed he would make a poor instructor, it became the finest first lecture in the hearts of all the disciples.
When midday arrived, the disciples were still eager for more.
Li Guanqi stood up, thought for a moment, and went to the dining hall to fetch several steaming meat buns fresh from the bamboo steamer.
When he reached the courtyard, before he could even push open the door, he faintly heard a feeble voice coming from inside the room.
The voice was childish, yet tinged with urgency and longing.
"Who... took... took my buns...?"
A surge of delight instantly swept through Li Guanqi's heart, and he pushed the door open at once.
As the door swung open, he saw Yu Sui'an cracking one eye open to peek outside.
The moment she caught sight of Li Guanqi, her eyes reddened, and tears burst forth like a broken dam.
"Wuuu... Li Guanqi... Urgh... Are the buns meat?"
Chapter 186