Chapter 591

Within the Grand Void Gate, it was ancient and magnificent.

Clouds rose in radiant hues, suffused with immortal qi.

A broad, endless jade path stretched like a heavenly staircase, leading straight to the mountain's peak.

Centered on this path, pavilions and halls lined both sides—terraces, towers, palaces, and gardens, all steeped in antiquity, immersed in Bai Bai's mountain mist, as if steeped in time, exuding even greater weight.

As Mo Hua walked among them, he felt all worldly dust washed clean, his mind serene, his spiritual sense calmed considerably.

Shangguan Xu led Mo Hua to some pavilions on the right, met several cultivators—whether instructors or elders, he could not tell—and spoke a few words, completed some formalities.

Afterward, Mo Hua would be inspected by several elders.

Including his blood qi, meridians, cultivation technique, spiritual sense, and more.

This inspection used a spiritual artifact resembling a lustrous mirror, not the elders' spiritual sense probing directly.

Disciples from noble families often carried ancestral cultivation methods, and naturally could not allow others to peer into their secrets—especially these deeply accomplished elders.

Otherwise, their lineage's teachings might easily be leaked.

The sect's purpose was to transmit the Dao and instruct disciples, not to steal their heritage; elders who rashly probed a disciple's foundation violated the sect's greatest taboo.

In Qianxue Province, where noble families were numerous and lineages strictly guarded, this was especially emphasized.

Thus, such inspections could only use standardized spiritual artifacts.

The inspection itself was merely superficial.

It merely checked whether the disciple's blood qi was impure, meridians chaotic, technique aligned with the orthodox path, or spiritual sense tainted by malevolent influences…

The sole purpose was to prevent disciples from falling into heresy and qi deviation.

When Mo Hua was illuminated by the lustrous mirror, the elders glanced and all nodded.

His heart was pure, his aura genuine.

He was a sincere, kind-hearted young cultivator, wholly devoted to the Dao.

But his talent was truly poor…

Also, the images on the lustrous mirror were blurred, as if disturbed, somewhat unclear.

But as long as he was a proper young cultivator, that was enough.

Once enrolled, talent was beyond their concern—they didn't care and didn't bother.

"Acceptable," one elder said.

Mo Hua exhaled in relief.

Afterwards, Mo Hua's storage pouch was also inspected.

This was mainly to prevent newly enrolled disciples from bringing improper items up the mountain.

Such as dangerous talismans, prohibited pills, illegal arrays…

Especially demonic artifacts.

Dao Ting Si established laws, clearly distinguishing orthodox from demonic.

Manufacturing, secretly possessing, or using demonic artifacts were grave crimes.

If a disciple was found secretly possessing demonic artifacts, his enrollment would be revoked, and he might even be delivered to Dao Ting Si and treated as a demonic cultivator.

His family behind him would also be implicated.

Thus, all demonic cultivation methods, Dao arts, and spiritual artifacts were utterly unacceptable to Dao Ting Si and orthodox sects.

Besides these, there were other prohibited items…

Some disciples secretly kept pornographic scrolls and jade slips, indecent and corrupting to the Dao heart…

This was not a major offense—elders would merely issue a mild reprimand.

But these scrolls and jade slips would certainly be confiscated, and never returned.

What surprised Mo Hua most, however, was spirit stones.

There was a limit on how many spirit stones a disciple could bring into the sect—only enough for daily cultivation needs.

This was to prevent wealthy noble families from indulging their disciples by flooding the sect with vast quantities of spirit stones—either to bribe instructors, recruit followers, or squander extravagantly in competition, polluting the sect's atmosphere and severely corrupting the spirit of seeking the Dao.

Thus, most sects imposed limits on how many spirit stones disciples could bring in.

Mo Hua had never known about this spirit stone limit before.

He worried his accumulated wealth—tens of thousands of spirit stones gained from killing traffickers—was too much to bring into the mountain.

But he soon realized he'd overestimated…

He carried "only" this much—already considered remarkably "frugal and plain."

Mo Hua was stunned; only then did he understand that a single hair from a noble family was thicker than his entire body.

"The gap in wealth among cultivators is too vast…"

Mo Hua sighed helplessly.

Everything Mo Hua kept in his storage pouch was ordinary, clean, and unremarkable.

The truly important items—such as the Great Expansion Scripture, the Five Elements Array Flow Map sealed with strange source runes—he kept in his Nai Zi Ring.

The Nai Zi Ring was given to him by his master; no one else could see it.

After inspecting him, the elders returned his storage pouch.

Yet, perhaps seeing his storage pouch was meager, his spirit stones few, and he a lone cultivator, one elder felt pity and comforted him:

"Having fewer spirit stones doesn't matter."

"Once inside the sect, if you work hard, you can earn your own spirit stones—enough for your cultivation needs…"

Earn your own spirit stones…

Mo Hua froze.

Did that mean… he could milk the sect for profit?!

If I work harder and harvest more, does that mean joining the Grand Void Gate won't just cost me no Spirit Stones, but let me make a little extra profit too?

The Grand Void Gate is truly a wonderful place!

Mo Hua's eyes sparkled as he smiled warmly, "Thank you, Elder!"

The Elder nodded slightly, silently praising him in his heart.

Poor yet resolute, never abandoning his lofty aspirations; though born a lone cultivator, he is optimistic and upward-bound—a good child…

The formalities were then completed.

Mo Hua received a new storage pouch.

This storage pouch was better than the one he had used before—larger in space, sturdier and more attractive, with the Grand Void Gate's emblem embroidered upon it.

It was a pattern of black and white, swirling in yin-yang flow.

Yin-yang chaos gives birth to the Grand Void.

Mo Hua liked it more and more.

Inside the pouch were a Grand Void Gate disciple robe, some pills, some cultivation scriptures, and a Grand Void Token.

This token was the disciple token.

It was also the Grand Void Gate's most basic token—made of jade, warm to the touch, grand in form, yet slightly plain, bearing only a single sword mark upon it.

This meant Mo Hua was an outer-disciple of the Grand Void Gate, newly admitted, at the early Foundation Establishment stage.

Shangguan Xu said, "This Grand Void Token is very important—be sure to keep it safe…"

"Whenever you do anything within the Grand Void Gate that requires sect authority, you must use this token."

"To enter the disciple quarters, the Scripture Hall, the cultivation grounds, the pill-refining chamber, the artifact-forging room, the library, and so on, you must present this Grand Void Token."

"If you wish to exchange sect merits for cultivation items, you must use it as well…"

"And look at the back…"

Mo Hua froze, flipped the Grand Void Token over, and saw faint lines shimmering into characters upon its reverse surface.

Shangguan Xu said, "This Grand Void Token also functions as a message jade slip…"

"It will display sect announcements—such as the Sect Master's edicts, the Elders' orders, some disciple messages… and most importantly, the cultivation curriculum schedule."

Mo Hua blinked. "Cultivation… curriculum schedule?"

"Yes," Shangguan Xu nodded. "It will tell you what time, where, and which cultivation class you must attend…"

"The sect's curriculum is extensive—covering cultivation, arrays, artifact forging, pill refining, talisman crafting, Dao techniques, and more. Scheduling classes, times, and locations is extremely complicated; sometimes the teaching Elders or instructors have personal matters and must reschedule or delay lessons…"

"Thus, the entire sect's cultivation class coordination and scheduling relies entirely on this Grand Void Gate disciple token…"

"It reminds you when and what class to attend; if you arrive on time, it logs your attendance; if you skip, it records it too…"

"These may seem simple, but they conceal an extremely complex array logic…"

"Array logic?!"

Mo Hua's eyes lit up.

Shangguan Xu was startled—he didn't know why Mo Hua suddenly looked so delighted. After a moment's thought, he slowly nodded. "Yes…"

"Brother Xu, what kind of array logic is it? What's the name of the array? A Five Elements array? Or some other type?"

Mo Hua asked eagerly.

Shangguan Xu smiled wryly. "I don't know either… I only heard it from the instructors. The sect won't teach us this array—otherwise, some disciples would surely try to tamper with the Grand Void Token to cheat."

Mo Hua felt a pang of disappointment.

He truly wanted to know what this array was…

Purely out of research interest!

He was a proper cultivator—he would never cheat!

But since Brother Shangguan Xu didn't know, Mo Hua had no way of finding out either…

"But what kind of array could it be…"

Mo Hua frowned, beginning to ponder.

Grand Void Token…

Every disciple has one, so this array must resemble the "Spirit Pivot Array," built on a centralized-control, distributed-network structure.

There must be a central location housing the array's core, upon which the array's pivot is constructed.

Through this pivot, all disciples' Grand Void Tokens are linked together, forming an entire system…

Mo Hua frowned. "... an entire communication array?"

"Or perhaps, it does more than that?"

As he walked, Mo Hua pondered, his small brow furrowed, muttering to himself…

Shangguan Xu watched him, chuckled, and shook his head—he had no idea what his little junior brother was thinking about…

Mo Hua pondered further, but though he was proficient in Five Elements arrays and even some supreme arrays, his overall array knowledge was limited—he could deduce no more.

He tried to deduce or sense the Grand Void Token.

Inside the token, there indeed seemed to be some array inscribed—but the token itself sealed it completely, revealing not a single trace.

"I can't deduce anything…"

Mo Hua felt disappointed.

He could only wait until after enrollment—to broaden his array knowledge, consult relevant scriptures, improve his array expertise, and then study the array within the Grand Void Token…

As the two walked, they arrived at a cluster of pavilions and towers.

"This is the disciple quarters—where disciples live and practice daily…"

"To the left, past the cultivation grounds, are the Scripture Hall, the artifact-forging room, the pill-refining chamber—buildings that teach the myriad arts of cultivation."

"Each disciple has his own room in the quarters; it's very quiet—perfect for self-study or cultivation, undisturbed by others."

"With your Grand Void Token, you may enter the Disciple Quarters and find your assigned dwelling..."

Shangguan Xu said patiently.

Mo Hua flipped through the Grand Void Token and saw the characters "Taiyi" clearly inscribed, followed by the number "Fifty."

"Taiyi?" Mo Hua frowned in confusion.

"Oh," Shangguan Xu seemed to suddenly remember, "I forgot to tell you—Grand Void Gate accepts disciples every three years, roughly a thousand each cycle..."

"Within three years, if you advance to Foundation Establishment Mid-Stage, you may be promoted; if not, you'll be held back."

"These thousand disciples are divided among the Disciple Quarters—each quarter is essentially a class."

"Since this is Grand Void Gate, the quarters are named with 'Tai' as the first character, ordered by the Earthly Branches: starting from 'Taijia,' 'Taiyi,' 'Taibing,' all the way to 'Tairen' and 'Taigui'... totaling ten quarters, or ten classes..."

"Disciples in the same class reside in the same pavilion."

"You're Taiyi—that means you live in Taiyi Quarters, number fifty, which is the fiftieth room."

Mo Hua asked quietly: "Is this based on cultivation level or talent?"

Shangguan Xu shook his head. "No, it's random. The elders draw lots— whoever gets drawn gets assigned. So it's luck, and your destiny."

"Oh."

Mo Hua nodded, understanding dawning in his heart.

He'd thought—how could someone with his talent possibly be assigned to 'Taiyi'? Turns out he just had good luck...

Shangguan Xu smiled. "The Sida Sects are far stricter—they assign disciples based on bloodline, status, and background, so every division of the Disciple Quarters requires long deliberation and involves massive interests..."

"Where you live determines your status and treatment..."

"And once assigned, to motivate disciples, they constantly adjust rankings based on academic performance—those who progress slowly or perform poorly gradually get demoted to the bottom..."

"Our Grand Void Gate's sect master and elders are far lazier—they just draw lots. Whatever you get, you get. Saves a lot of trouble."

Mo Hua clicked his tongue in amazement.

The Sida Sects really were terrifying...

The disciples they produced probably only knew how to compete and show off.

But perhaps that's exactly what these clans and sects intend—to breed them like fighting insects, so only the truly outstanding prodigies can rise above the rest...

But none of this had anything to do with him.

With his talent, outside of arrays, he couldn't even be called bottom-tier—he could only drift through the days...

Shangguan Xu thought for a moment, then pointed toward some pavilions in the distance and whispered a warning:

"Those quarters over there are for female disciples—they're far away. If you have no business there, don't go near them, or they'll label you a 'Little Lothario'..."

"Little Lothario?"

Mo Hua was startled.

"Mm," Shangguan Xu still looked shaken. "I remember a few male disciples once tried to sneak over there... cough, to look for something. But a group of senior sisters and junior sisters caught them and beat them half to death..."

"They were too injured to accept it, so they went to the elders to complain. But when the elders found out, they flew into a rage and beat them again..."

"It was terrible..."

Mo Hua opened his mouth, then thought better of it and whispered: "They deserved it..."

Having ill intentions was bad enough.

After getting beaten once, they still had the nerve to complain to the elders—walking straight into the trap...

Mo Hua shook his head.

Indeed, lust clouds the mind...

Cultivators must hold firm to their Dao heart—beware of feminine allure!

"I'm just warning you—don't go spreading this around," Shangguan Xu said.

"Don't worry, Brother Xu, I won't say a word!" Mo Hua vowed solemnly.

Shangguan Xu nodded. "Go inside. I'm two cycles ahead of you—I live on the hill behind. If you have any questions later, come find me..."

"Mm!" Mo Hua nodded. "Thank you, Brother Xu!"

Shangguan Xu waved and left.

Mo Hua entered the Disciple Quarters with his disciple token, found room number "Fifty," presented the Grand Void Token at the door, and a flash of light dissolved the array—the gate opened.

Mo Hua stepped inside, glancing around in quiet wonder.

The chamber was spacious, furnished with tables, chairs, screens, carpets, and beds—all present, simple yet elegant.

It perfectly matched the Daoist ideal of quiet simplicity.

Mo Hua was very satisfied.

This room would be his home in Grand Void Gate from now on.

Mo Hua settled in.

Three days later, Grand Void Gate held its Grand Opening Ceremony.

The Grand Opening Ceremony, held every three years, was a grand event hosted by the sect master and senior elders to welcome new disciples.

Though called a "grand ceremony," it was actually quite simple.

It took place in the vast Dao Hall at the center of Grand Void Gate.

Over a thousand disciples bustled about.

The sect master spoke first, then several revered elders took turns speaking—all saying nearly the same things.

They spoke of Grand Void Gate's long history, deep roots, ancient lineage, and glorious deeds.

Then they encouraged the disciples to study diligently.

To one day achieve cultivation and bring glory to Grand Void Gate.

And to uphold their Dao heart, remain on the righteous path, avoid missteps, and never stray into demonic ways... and so on.

Mo Hua had never before seen the Grand Void Gate's sect master.

He seemed merely… an ordinary sect master: his expression gentle, dressed in brocade and fine robes, his aura profound, yet nothing else stood out.

Only his hair was jet-black and thick, as Shangguan Xu had said, evidence of exceptional "nourishment."

Meanwhile, the Grand Void sect master silently observed the vast sea of disciples in the ritual ground, his face expressionless, yet his mind murmured:

"Looking at them… they're just ordinary disciples, middling at best, not terrible, but nowhere remarkable…"

"Why on earth would blue smoke suddenly rise from the mountain gate?"

The Grand Void sect master was baffled.

After the ceremony, everyone dispersed; formal Dao cultivation classes would begin the next day.

Having attended the initiation ceremony meant Mo Hua had officially become a disciple of the Grand Void Gate.

Now he could settle down to cultivate, and learn arrays in peace.

The heavens' mechanism was chaotic, karma obscure; many things in the world were profound and complex, and Mo Hua knew little of them and could do nothing about them.

He was merely a lowly Foundation Establishment cultivator.

He could only do what he ought to do.

Steadily, step by step, he would cultivate, learn arrays bit by bit, and climb the Dao, one footprint at a time, to save his master…

And his next goal was the Jin Dan!

To transform his primordial enlightenment into a Jin Dan!

Mo Hua's gaze was resolute, shining brightly.

He would forge a spiritual sense with over twenty patterns, a Golden Body without leaks, and prove the Dao through spiritual awareness to become a great Jin Dan cultivator!

Thank you to patrons Beishangde Huoyan Fashi, San Qing, Huose Shengxiang, Taiyang Xin Ge, Wo You Yi Jian Ke Sui Shanhai for your tips~

Another chapter later tonight~

(End of Chapter)