Martial Uncle Yue stepped out of his cave dwelling, and a sword light swept everyone up, streaking upward into the sky. In the blink of an eye, they broke through the dense layers of mist and beheld the azure sky.
After joining the Kuiyin Sect, not only were they forbidden from leaving the sect grounds, but they could not even step foot outside the Yin Baleful Abyss.
Having spent every day trapped in the abyss where howling yin winds and choking mists reigned, suddenly seeing ten thousand li of clear skies and the vast earth moved several people to howl toward the heavens, venting the pent-up gloom in their hearts.
The sword light shot straight for the mountaintop, parting the tiered clouds before finally landing before a cave dwelling carved into a mountain precipice. Across its entrance, an array of arcane restrictions flickered in and out of sight, exuding an aura of profound mystery.
The sect master of the Kuiyin Sect cultivated within this very cave dwelling, which also housed the spirit tablet of Patriarch Kuiyin. Every council of the Kuiyin Sect was convened here as well.
Martial Uncle Yue bowed respectfully toward the cave dwelling and said, "Reporting to Master, I have brought this batch of disciples."
The grand entrance of the cave dwelling opened silently, followed by a deep, resonant voice from within.
"Enter."
Every disciple followed respectfully behind Martial Uncle Yue, none daring to step out of line. They had assumed the interior would resemble an immortal paradise, only to find it quite austere.
Along the way, not a single ornament could be seen; on both sides of the corridor were smooth stone walls. After walking inward for a stretch, they arrived at a resplendent, magnificent hall.
Ahead of them, Martial Uncle Yue knelt upon the ground. "Disciple Yue Wu pays respects to Master."
Qin Sang hurriedly knelt along with the others, not daring to raise his head, paying homage to the sect master just as Martial Uncle Yue had instructed earlier.
In the four corners of the hall stood four dragon pillars, each topped with a luminous pearl the size of a fist, their brilliance illuminating every corner of the room. The furnishings inside were sparse. Upon the far wall hung a portrait of the founding ancestor, Patriarch Kuiyin. Beneath the portrait sat several grandmaster armchairs, upon one of which sat a man—Yi Tiannie, the current sect master of the Kuiyin Sect.
Sect Master Yi wore a plain azure robe, and his appearance was astonishingly youthful—looking no older than Qin Sang and his peers. His disciple Yue Wu, by contrast, looked old enough to be his grandfather.
Sect Master Yi said in a gentle voice, "Rise."
Taking the opportunity to steal a glance at the sect master, Qin Sang was equally stunned by his youthful looks. He had long heard that their sect master was nearly five hundred years old, yet he appeared so young.
Yue Wu turned slightly, gesturing toward the row of disciples behind him. "Reporting to Master, a total of seventeen disciples met the requirement this time. They are all here."
Sect Master Yi gave an acknowledging hum, an approving smile gracing his face. "For seventeen disciples to break through to the sixth layer of the Qi Refinement stage this time, your efforts are no small contribution, Yue Wu."
A flash of excitement surfaced in Yue Wu's eyes, and he hurriedly replied, "This disciple would not dare claim credit! To relieve Master's burdens is merely this disciple's duty. I shall always do my utmost."
Sect Master Yi pondered for a moment, then said, "I see you have already broken through to the middle Foundation Establishment stage. These are some of my insights into the *Tongxuan Record* from when I was at the Foundation Establishment stage. Take them and study them carefully."
With a flick of Sect Master Yi's finger, a beam of spiritual light flew forth and sank between Yue Wu's brows.
Yue Wu was overjoyed. "Disciple kowtows in gratitude to Master!"
Sect Master Yi nodded, and only then addressed the disciples below: "Yue Wu must have told you long ago that if you broke through to the sixth layer of Qi Refinement before the deadline, the sect would reward you with a top-grade magic tool. Now, you may choose for yourselves."
With that, Sect Master Yi lightly tapped his mustard seed bag. Over twenty dazzling streaks of flowing light flew forth in rapid succession, the radiant glow of the magic tools illuminating the entire hall in kaleidoscopic brilliance.
*Whoosh! Whoosh!*
The magic tools flew before the crowd, circling around them. Every single tool was enveloped in flowing light. Qin Sang reached out with his spiritual sense to test them, but was blocked by the radiance; his Qi-Watching Technique could not see through the light either. One could only rely on their own eyesight to choose, and whether the magic tool obtained in the end was good or bad depended entirely on luck.
Since they were all top-grade magic tools, their power would not differ drastically, only varying in their specific focus.
The others were just like Qin Sang—it was their first time laying eyes on so many top-grade magic tools, and their vision was dazzled, every one of them wishing they could claim them all.
Just as everyone was hesitating, a senior brother named Yang Yuanzang suddenly leaped into the air, reaching out toward one of the streaks of light.
Within that streak of light was a sword-shaped magic tool.
Without even thinking, one knew it was very likely a spirit sword. In the cultivation world, pure offensive magic tools of sufficient power were exceedingly rare, each one extraordinarily precious. Senior Brother Yang had indeed chosen shrewdly.
As soon as Senior Brother Yang caught it, the streak of light dispersed on its own, and the spirit sword within fell into his hand, returning to its normal size.
Around the three-foot azure blade swirled a ring of blue-black chilling qi, coursing endlessly with an intimidating cold. The frigid aura took the shape of a hornless dragon, and faint dragon roars even seemed to echo from within.
Holding the precious sword, Senior Brother Yang hovered in midair, enveloped by the chilong, looking heroic and formidable.
At this sight, the crowd snapped out of their daze as if waking from a dream, instantly scrambling to snatch the lights in the air. The most fiercely contested among them was a black, cone-shaped magic tool.
The cone-shaped tool and the sword-shaped tool were the sharpest and most aggressive among the lot. Qin Sang had actually set his sights on them early on, but after some thought, he decided to choose something suited to his needs.
He possessed the ebony sword, which was crafted from spirit treasure material; as long as he mastered the *Song Family Sword Art*, it would not be inferior to that Chilong Sword. What he lacked right now was a magic tool that could help him flee when facing danger.
Qin Sang swept his gaze across the air and locked onto a streak of light enclosing a pair of white feathered wings.
In truth, what Qin Sang had first fancied was a pair of shoe-shaped magic tools, but a quick-witted senior sister, being closer to it, seized the opportunity and snatched the shoes first.
That senior sister must have harbored the exact same thought as him. Left with no choice, Qin Sang settled for second best and snatched the pair of wings into his grasp.
Once everyone had taken a magic tool, Sect Master Yi put away the remainder and tossed a jade slip to each disciple, containing an introduction to their respective magic tool and its refining methods.
Scanning the jade slip with his spiritual sense, Qin Sang furrowed his brows slightly.
The pair of wings was named the Cloudfall Wings, and their function was completely different from what Qin Sang had imagined. Instead of flight speed, they brought down clouds upon the wings to cloak the entire body, concealing both aura and form. It was a concealment magic tool, even purer in nature than the Cloud Escape Technique.
*At least it's still for saving my life,* Qin Sang consoled himself.
Seeing how every face beamed with joy as they held their magic tools affectionately, Sect Master Yi remarked calmly, "Granting a top-grade magic tool to every single disciple is such a grand gesture that it is exceedingly rare even among great cultivation sects presided over by Nascent Soul patriarchs. You must harbor no small doubt in your hearts... The reason for this generosity is that the sect has a matter that requires you to carry out. Are you willing?"
Sect Master Yi paused, gazing at the crowd with a genial smile.
In the presence of the sect master, who would dare say they were unwilling?
Holding their magic tools, the disciples exchanged glances before bowing down to Sect Master Yi in unison: "We await the Sect Master's orders! How could your disciples dare not do our utmost!"
Kowtowing alongside the rest, Qin Sang felt his heart abruptly leap to his throat. The sect possessed three Golden Core Masters and countless Foundation Establishment cultivators—what kind of matter could possibly require dispatching mere Qi Refinement disciples like them?
Chapter 66