The incarnation had come to visit the Daoist boy in order to draw closer and build rapport, hoping to borrow his influence for future actions. He never expected that the boy would directly take him in as a true legacy disciple.
"Follow me!"
The Daoist boy first cast a voice transmission talisman toward Jade Finger Peak, then flicked his sleeve and led the incarnation straight toward the mountain summit.
Wary and cautious, the incarnation fully restrained his aura. Diminished as the Yin-Yang branch might be, the mountain certainly did not lack Core Formation experts.
Before long, the two arrived before a wooden pagoda on Yin-Yang Peak.
This wooden pagoda was exceedingly peculiar, constructed midair across the sheer chasm between the Twin Yin-Yang Peaks, supported only by a single stone bridge in a perilous position.
The Daoist boy pushed open the doors and stepped inside; the interior was entirely deserted.
Inside the pagoda stood a statue several tens of feet tall depicting a lean, gaunt Daoist.
The Daoist possessed a profound gaze and an extraordinary bearing.
The statue was clearly carved from some kind of spiritual wood and reinforced with restrictions. Though it had stood here for countless years, its surface remained pristine and glossy as new.
"This is the patriarch of our Yin-Yang branch, Daoist Yin-Yang."
With his back to the incarnation, the Daoist boy lit a stick of incense and bowed respectfully to the statue.
"Disciple pays respects to the Patriarch!"
His heart jolting, the incarnation dropped to both knees.
In life, Daoist Yin-Yang had been an illustrious Nascent Soul expert in the Canglang Sea, single-handedly establishing the lineage of the Landou Sect's Yin-Yang branch.
"Master is away from the sect right now, but he instructed me to oversee your arrangements. Swear a heart demon oath now, and I will first impart the first layer of the Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art to you. Once Master returns, I will report the matter to him..."
Only the first layer. Disappointment rose in the incarnation's heart, but he swore the oath as ordered.
A streak of light shot from the Daoist boy's fingertip and sank between the incarnation's eyebrows.
The incarnation shuddered slightly. A passage of scripture surfaced in his mind, and just as the boy had said, it was only the first layer of the Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art—the portion for the Qi Refinement stage.
"Do not look down upon this foundational first layer. This is the very essence of the entire cultivation method. It was from this technique that the Patriarch comprehended the true meaning of the Yin-Yang Dao and made his name shake the Canglang Sea..."
With a solemn expression, the Daoist boy recounted the patriarch's deeds.
Hearing this, the incarnation thought to himself that his instincts had indeed been correct. The ancient scroll of the Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art contained only the first layer; all subsequent cultivation methods had been created by Daoist Yin-Yang himself!
This left the incarnation thoroughly astonished.
Senior Qingzhu had possessed peerless talent and created the killing talisman, but even he had only accomplished that because five layers of the Origin Soul Sword Nurturing Chapter were preserved, carrying him all the way to the Core Formation stage.
With only the first layer surviving, the Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art was fragmentary to the extreme. Could Daoist Yin-Yang have begun creating cultivation methods from the Foundation Establishment stage onward?
"Most likely, Daoist Yin-Yang had already entered the Dao through yin and yang, and only discovered the Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art after achieving success in his cultivation. From there, he comprehended its true meaning and gradually devised the subsequent methods. No one could defy the heavens to such an extent. Even so, it is formidable enough—his talent was certainly not inferior to Senior Qingzhu's."
As the incarnation memorized the technique and listened to the Daoist boy's exposition, these thoughts crossed his mind.
"Once you return, seek out Senior Brother Lu to update your entry in the jade register. When Master returns to the mountain, he will make further arrangements for you. From now on, switch to cultivating the Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art and strive to nurture the first wisp of yin-yang qi in your dantian as soon as possible. When the Dongming Island Dharma Assembly begins in two months, you can go and gain some experience..." the Daoist boy continued.
"Martial Uncle Yang, what is the Dongming Island Dharma Assembly?" the incarnation asked curiously.
The Daoist boy glanced at him. "I almost forgot—the assembly has nothing to do with outer disciples, so it is only natural you have not heard of it. This assembly is actually held jointly by our Landou Island and several nearby sects, which send their true legacy disciples to compete. Because the venue is on Dongming Island, it is called the Dongming Island Dharma Assembly. Dongming Island is a secret island off the coast of Landou Island, opened only during the assembly."
The incarnation let out a gasp of surprise. "The true legacy disciples of each sect are all Foundation Establishment seniors like Martial Uncle Yang. Wouldn't a junior like me just end up at the very bottom?"
"Did you think you could take first place?" The Daoist boy scoffed. "Other smaller sects are not as strict with their true legacy disciples as our Landou Sect. There will be plenty of Qi Refinement disciples participating. You need not worry about competing for a top ranking; just display your true strength and treat it as an opportunity for experience. Besides, the assembly offers quite good rewards that will benefit your future cultivation. If not for this rare opportunity, there would have been no need to rush to grant you true legacy status."
"Disciple understands. I will certainly cultivate with all my heart."
Though the incarnation said this, he felt no genuine interest in the assembly.
Back then, he had not even participated in the Grand Competition of the Eight Righteous Sects in the Xiaohan Realm, so there was no chance he would be tempted now. No matter how good the rewards at the assembly were, how could they catch his eye?
Still, he could not refuse the Daoist boy's demand, planning to simply go through the motions when the time came.
However, the mention of this secret island, Dongming Island, stirred a thought in his mind: could it have some connection to Douniu Peak?
A secret ground, a forbidden ground...
On second thought, the incarnation felt that was unlikely.
Dongming Island was not held exclusively by the Landou Sect. Once the assembly began, sects from all around converged there; why would a branch's true legacy have been established in such a place?
After that came another tedious series of procedures. Only after a full two hours did the incarnation fly out from Yin-Yang Peak and return to Jade Finger Peak to update the jade register.
"Accepted as a true legacy disciple just like that—even faster than anticipated. The incarnation cannot possibly switch to cultivating the Yin-Yang Heavenly Dipper Secret Art. Using the true body's assistance to fake it might fool the Daoist boy, but before a Core Formation cultivator thoroughly versed in this art like Old Daoist Huayang, there would be nowhere to hide, and the truth would easily be exposed. I can only pretend that I have failed to grasp the way and cannot cultivate yin-yang qi, stalling for time while inquiring about information as quickly as possible..."
Having become a true legacy disciple, moving about was indeed far more convenient than before. In areas where outer disciples were forbidden from entering, a true legacy disciple could pass without hindrance.
Nor was he in any hurry to leave Jin Yan's stone hall. Relying on his dual identity, he successfully slipped into several secretive places, secretly ordering the Heavenly Eye Butterfly to open its Heavenly Eye to peer about while investigating from multiple angles.
Before he knew it, the date of the Dongming Island Dharma Assembly drew near.
The Daoist boy grew even more attentive toward him later on, but the incarnation's prolonged failure to cultivate any yin-yang qi left the boy at his wit's end, even making him begin to doubt whether his own judgment had been flawed.
After receiving yet another harsh reprimand, the incarnation returned to his cave dwelling to find two figures standing outside the entrance, one of whom was none other than Fang Ting.
During this period, Fang Ting had visited frequently. Her background was no secret in the Landou Sect, and the Daoist boy had even cautioned the incarnation not to slight her over what had happened that day.
Since it did not interfere with his real objectives and Fang Ting's identity might prove useful, the incarnation had patiently humored her all along.
Unexpectedly, a month ago, Fang Ting had brought along another person—Zhao Songqiao, who had participated alongside them in the Yanmiao Pavilion's disciple acceptance ceremony.
"Senior Brother Zhang!"
Seeing him arrive, Fang Ting waved joyfully.
Zhao Songqiao's aged face broke into a broad, blossoming smile, and he cupped his hands. "Your elder brother has been craving Junior Brother Zhang's spiritual tea and came to trouble you once more."
Chapter 890