On the fifth day of the third month, in the Arctic Hall.
The Arctic Celestial Emperor wore an imperial crown and robes adorned with ten thousand stars, seated upon a Seven Stars Throne with a blazing golden halo behind him.
Cast from a blend of gold and bronze, this statue of the Northern Emperor stood fully two zhang tall, radiating majestic dignity and extraordinary presence.
Upon the altar table rested an array of offerings—fruits, the five grains, and fresh flowers—alongside ritual implements such as the Tianpeng ruler and the Demon-Subduing Bell, all arranged in meticulous order while fragrant smoke curled gently from the censer.
Two ever-burning lamps cast steady flames, bathing the entire hall in bright, clear light.
Seven bronze braziers were arrayed according to the positions of the Seven Stars. Yizhen wore a star crown and purple-gold ritual robes, clutching the Seven Stars Sword with solemn gravity.
As Hall Master, Yizhen possessed profound mastery of Daoist arts, and his command of ritual protocols stood unmatched throughout the Branch Abbey.
Every movement and word of the transmission and ordination he presided over strictly observed established rules and sacred rites.
Zhou Wuji knelt before the incense altar, silently and devoutly reciting the Supreme Mysterious Efficacy Northern Dipper True Scripture.
This was the foundational scripture of the Arctic Sect. Though it did not cover specific cultivation techniques, it served as the core theoretical framework for the sect's practices, making it of paramount importance.
Zhou Wuji was well aware that many onlookers were observing the ceremony. Without turning his head, he knew Martial Uncle Yiping stood in the crowd alongside Shangxing and Yang Tieying.
There were also Wuming and Li Ruyi; neither of their auras could escape his perception.
And then there was Abbot Zhiyuan. His presence was profound and unfathomable, bearing a "flavor" entirely distinct from anyone else in attendance—an aura achievable only by someone who had attained the fifth rank.
As for the rest, he could not identify them, though they were undoubtedly the Branch Abbey's elite.
Martial Uncle Yiping had mentioned that among the Branch Abbey's "Wu" generation, there were several formidable talents.
Wu'ai, foremost in swordsmanship, and Wujing, foremost in magical arts, had both advanced to the seventh rank before turning twenty. Having steeped themselves in the seventh rank for years, they stood merely a step away from the sixth rank.
Martial Uncle Yiping had urged Zhou Wuji not to show off his brilliance unnecessarily. Factions abounded in the Branch Abbey; if trouble truly erupted, Yiping would have few means to shield him.
Zhou Wuji had paid little heed to the warning. What talents? What elites? So long as they remained within the seventh rank, he was confident he had no rival.
Besides, the Branch Abbey was already being bullied by a mob rallied by the Zhang family, unable even to suppress the Five Dragons Gang. What point was there in squabbling among themselves like chickens in a coop?
The onlookers stood flanked on either side. Most were seeing Zhou Wuji for the first time, and their gazes were filled with curiosity and scrutiny.
Had Abbot Zhiyuan not attended the ceremony in person, low murmurs and private discussions would have broken out among the crowd.
With Zhiyuan standing at the front, everyone was forced to keep their thoughts to themselves.
Standing just below Zhiyuan was the Master of Stillness, Daoist Yiding. He was also the Chief of the Branch Abbey's Disciplinary Hall, charged with upholding the precepts, overseeing conduct, and meting out punishments.
Daoist Yiding was emaciated and withered in build, with grizzled hair and beard, narrow eyes glinting sharply, and a stern, chilling countenance.
Vast though the Branch Abbey was, Daoist Yiding held a remarkably exalted standing, ranking below only the Abbot, the Hall Master, and the Grand Administrator.
Hearing that Zhou Wuji was receiving his register to advance to the seventh rank, Yiding could not help but feel curious, bringing along his proudest disciple, Wu'ai, to witness the rite.
Wu'ai was watching with exceptional intensity. Others hailed him as the foremost swordsman in the Branch Abbey, yet Zhou Wuji had gained renown for his consummate swordsmanship.
Even Zhiyuan and Yizhen regarded Zhou Wuji with the utmost esteem.
Wu'ai was naturally unconvinced. Slaughtering crowds of mutinous soldiers was indeed brutal and ruthless, but to claim Zhou Wuji's swordsmanship surpassed his own? That remained to be seen!
While everyone else stared at Zhou Wuji, only Wujing was observing Wu'ai.
As Yizhen's eldest disciple, Wujing possessed tremendous mastery over magical arts, unrivaled among his peers.
Having long heard his master speak of Zhou Wuji's deeds, he was now curious to see Wu'ai's reaction.
Sure enough, Wu'ai's eyes flared with sharp defiance.
Wujing found it amusing. Wu'ai had always opposed him; he would gladly watch Wu'ai clash with Zhou Wuji while he sat back to watch tigers fight from the mountaintop.
The sudden emergence of this newcomer had stolen everyone's thunder, which displeased him.
Nor did he believe that someone who had only just advanced to the seventh rank could be all that formidable!
Still, there was no need for him to play the villain. Daoist Yiding and his circle had always been at odds with his master; any talent his master elevated would inevitably become a target for Yiding's faction.
Factional struggle was just that straightforward: a newcomer from a rival camp was an enemy to be suppressed.
Conversely, his own circle would never show mercy to Daoist Yiding's group either.
Of course, no matter how fiercely they competed, boundaries were observed.
Wujing wanted to see just how capable Zhou Wuji truly was.
Moreover, Wujing detested Zhou Wuji's dashing, debonair demeanor, which had utterly bewitched his junior sister—it truly sickened him...
Wuming paid no attention to Senior Brother Wujing beside her. Her gaze remained fixed on Zhou Wuji. Nervous, she kept a tight grip on Li Ruyi's hand.
It was not that Wuming was particularly close to Li Ruyi; she had merely brought Li Ruyi along to broaden her horizons and let her see just how close she was to Senior Brother Wuji...
Yet now, all of that was forgotten in her anxiety, terrified that something might go wrong during Zhou Wuji's ceremony...
Presiding over the transmission and ordination, Yizhen had eyes only for the ritual, caring nothing for those around him.
As the ceremony reached its final stage, Yizhen impaled the golden record of oaths and the talismanic scrolls of sacred script upon the Seven Stars Sword. Channeling his spell, flames blazed brightly along the blade, and the burning parchment and scrolls were cast into the incense burner.
With the formal altar consecrated and the statue of the Northern Emperor towering above, the completed rites meant that consigning them to the flames was equivalent to presenting them before the Arctic Celestial Emperor.
The seventh rank required receiving the Ultimate True Precepts, a strict code of conduct observed throughout Daoism.
Yizhen chanted the Ultimate True Precepts line by line, and Zhou Wuji repeated each phrase after him.
The final vow was identical to that of the Intermediate True Precepts: "Should I betray this oath, I willingly submit to the mysterious laws."
Daoist Yizhen withdrew the Seven Stars Sword from the incense burner and lightly tapped its tip against the center of Zhou Wuji's brow, chanting in a low voice: "Hold fast to the precepts without fail; the Celestial Emperor bestows his blessing..."
This marked the final rite of the transmission and ordination: Yizhen was now conferring the Arctic Celestial Pivot Divine Thunder Register upon Zhou Wuji on behalf of the Celestial Emperor.
Strictly speaking, the Arctic Celestial Pivot Divine Thunder Register was not a spell, but the authority to wield thunder arts.
In essence, through ritual prayer to the Arctic Celestial Emperor, Zhou Wuji obtained divine approval and was granted this register, thereby receiving authorization to deploy the thunder arts of the Arctic Celestial Emperor.
The Arctic Celestial Pivot Divine Thunder Register was roughly analogous to an official seal.
With this register, Zhou Wuji could also mobilize the Eight Divisions of Daoist Soldiers from the Arctic Sect's upper altar.
The intangible register, woven from thousands of runes into a single speck of golden light, flowed through the Seven Stars Sword into the center of Zhou Wuji's brow. It merged naturally with the Tianshu true qi held within the divine acupoint between his eyebrows, transforming into a stable, radiant register that resembled a shining blue star.
Through this blue star, Zhou Wuji sensed the presence of the stars high in the Nine Heavens, as well as the potent, profound aura emanating from the statue of the Northern Emperor before him.
The Arctic Celestial Pivot Divine Thunder Register served as an invisible tether, linking him to the Northern Emperor's statue and the stellar numinous qi across the Nine Heavens.
The ancient depth of the celestial stars and the majestic sanctity of the Emperor's statue converged through the register into the depths of his brow, binding intimately with his consciousness.
Zhou Wuji's study of the Green Pouch Scripture had granted him a profound understanding of the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture, allowing him to grasp an initial sense of his own Dao.
At this moment, his Dao converged with the Arctic Sect's millennium-old heritage, blending seamlessly into one.
Through this wondrous harmony, Zhou Wuji corroborated the Dao he had realized, and his resolve toward the Dao grew all the firmer.
Through this wondrous resonance, Zhou Wuji knew the transmission and ordination was nearing its end; he truly sensed the sublime unity between heaven and humanity.
The Branch Abbey was like a colossal array, with the Northern Emperor's statue serving as its core hub. Through the array, he forged a tighter, more profound bond with the stars above the Nine Heavens.
At this moment, he felt as though he had become a star in the Nine Heavens, gazing down upon the boundless earth and the diminutive form of his own physical body.
No matter how small, this mortal frame remained the truest and most stable anchor between himself, the world, and all living beings—the fundamental root of his existence.
In this wondrous moment, Zhou Wuji opened the Northern Emperor's Book of Heavenly Punishment within his sea of consciousness.
Two sixth-rank ghost soldiers—one from the Yin-Yang Dao demonic cultivator, the other from the Cold-Blooded Twin Fiends—both weighed four liang and one qian.
There was also an evil spirit from the Heavenly Puppet, slain by his Seven Stars Demon-Slaying Sword, which weighed fully four liang and seven qian.
From lowest to highest, Zhou Wuji converted the sixth-rank ghost soldiers and the evil spirit into primordial profound qi one by one.
Having reached the Consummate realm in the Northern Dipper Celestial Pivot Scripture, Zhou Wuji could circulate primordial profound qi with far greater efficiency.
The circulating primordial profound qi, in turn, strengthened his subtle connection to heaven, earth, and all myriad beings.
Zhou Wuji focused completely on the circulation of the primordial profound qi, immersing himself in the state of unity between heaven and humanity.
He could not see the statue of the Northern Emperor flaring with brilliant light, nor the invisible stellar numinous qi gathering and glistening above the grand hall.
At this moment, everyone in the hall seemed to witness the Tianshu Star high in the Nine Heavens, beholding the brilliant shine of the first star of the Northern Dipper.
Even Yizhen, presiding over the transmission, was startled. Yet he immediately realized that this was a resonance with the numinous qi of heaven and earth.
To put it more mystically, it was a blessing bestowed by the Arctic Celestial Emperor.
As the presider, Yizhen naturally merged into the marvelous transformation, and even with his level of cultivation, he benefited from it.
Though the onlookers could witness the anomalous shifts in numinous qi, they were ultimately excluded from the circulation of qi, unable to perceive the genuine transformation within, much less benefit from it.
Abbot Zhiyuan wore a complex expression. During Zhou Wuji's previous transmission and ordination, he had also received a blessing from the Arctic Celestial Emperor.
Back then, Zhiyuan had not observed in the hall, but had sensed the unusual movements of numinous qi through the Heart Inquest Mirror.
This time, he had come in person: first, to demonstrate his regard for Zhou Wuji; second, to prevent any mishap during the ceremony.
Most importantly, however, he had wanted to witness the Celestial Emperor's blessing for himself!
Standing in the hall was actually less conducive to grasping the overall picture than using the Heart Inquest Mirror.
However, being in close proximity allowed him to detect far more subtle shifts in numinous qi and observe the changes in Zhou Wuji's state.
Zhiyuan did not sense the will of the Northern Emperor; he merely felt the unusual stirrings of heaven-and-earth numinous qi, along with an anomalous eruption of numinous energy within Zhou Wuji's body.
He was also somewhat puzzled by this. Zhou Wuji's state did not look like the result of consuming some spiritual herb or elixir; it was as though he had suddenly resonated with heaven and earth, gathering the purest, most refined essence from them.
Aside from that, there was no other explanation.
Should Zhou Wuji be deemed a Daoist cultivation prodigy? But why had he shown no trace of it during the preceding ten years?
Zhiyuan remained somewhat doubtful. The higher one's cultivation grew, the calmer and more detached one's attitude toward deities became.
It was not that he lacked faith; he simply would not chalk up anomalies during ordination ceremonies solely to divine blessings.
Regardless of whether Zhou Wuji was exceptionally gifted or whatever else the reason, this was a good thing overall.
Zhiyuan had fought hard to secure a seventh-rank quota from the Main Abbey; with this divine blessing, he could at least shut the mouths of those dissenters back at the Main Abbey.
Lacking Zhiyuan's wisdom and insight, the others were thoroughly shaken by the spectacle before them.
It was the first time any of them had seen the Tianshu Star manifest so clearly, showering down pure numinous light.
Such wondrous movements of numinous qi astonished the observing Daoists.
Even the Master of Stillness, Daoist Yiding, wore a grave expression, his gaze laser-focused.
Daoist Yiding in truth harbored a deep dislike for Zhou Wuji. The young man was practically a harbinger of doom: he had jinxed his master to death, and along his path here, he had killed countless people.
In just a few short months, he had leapt from the ninth rank to the seventh rank and entered directly into the Branch Abbey.
That Yizhen went out of his way to promote Zhou Wuji only deepened Yiding's disgust.
Yiding watched coldly. A blessing from the Celestial Emperor might not truly be a deity working wonders, but Zhou Wuji's resonance with the world's primordial qi was genuine.
On that point alone, Zhou Wuji truly possessed a gift for cultivation.
Yet the more evident that became, the more Yiding loathed and spurned him.
Transmission and ordination was the sect's most vital lineage ritual. With Yizhen conferring the register upon Zhou Wuji, Zhou Wuji was now effectively Yizhen's disciple.
No matter the circumstances, Zhou Wuji could not be separated from Yizhen's faction.
For a formidable figure to rise within a rival faction boded exceedingly ill for Yiding.
Yiding knitted his grizzled brows, his gaze growing darker and more calculating as he stared at Zhou Wuji's back.
Daoist Yiping paid no heed to anyone else; his eyes were reddened with emotion.
Another blessing from the Celestial Emperor proved Wuji's extraordinary talent; Senior Brother's legacy truly had a worthy heir.
Given time, Wuji might very well advance to the fifth or fourth rank, perhaps even entering the Main Abbey!
He prayed silently in his heart: If Senior Brother's spirit in heaven can see this, seeing Wuji accomplish so much, he must be deeply gratified...
Shangxing and Yang Tieying had never seen such a spectacle. Both stood wide-eyed and slack-jawed, completely losing their composure.
On the other side, Wuming's face beamed with joy. In her excitement, she squeezed Li Ruyi's hand even tighter.
Li Ruyi, completely numb to the grip, stared fixedly at Zhou Wuji's back. So this is transmission and ordination; this is the Celestial Emperor's blessing. One day, I will do this too...
Chapter 87