Chapter 264: Apprenticeship Ceremony

This voice was incomparably solemn, containing a tone different from ordinary speech.

Like a chant, it spread throughout heaven and earth!

Its words carried an ancient style, and the content was even more rhythmic, just like the word "present" mentioned within.

Like a sacrifice, it ascended to the Profound Yellow!

Even the Captain at the door became unprecedentedly serious at this moment, no longer winking at Xu Qing, but stepping out in one stride.

Today, the Captain was very rarely not in his gray Daoist robe, but had changed into a purple, gold-patterned Daoist robe exactly the same as Xu Qing's.

Their Daoist robes looked similar to those of the Seventh Peak disciples at a glance, but in reality, there were significant differences in the subtle details.

At this moment, the Captain stood at the door, his gaze becoming deep. He stared at Xu Qing and spoke faintly.

"Xu Qing, follow this Prince out. From now on, this Prince will be your Alliance Protector."

The Captain had never spoken like this before. At this moment, not only was his expression solemn, but his words were the same. As he spoke, he looked deeply at Xu Qing, cupped his hands, overlapped his thumbs, raised them to the level of his eyebrows, and bowed deeply, performing a Daoist salute in an extremely formal manner.

A sense of solemnity rushed toward him. Xu Qing could feel that what he was about to participate in was an incomparably solemn ceremony, so he tidied his clothes, cupped his fists in a similar bow to the Captain, and walked toward the hall door.

After three steps, he reached the hall door. The moment he stepped out, Xu Qing's heart trembled.

The great hall he was in was located near the top of the Seventh Peak. Before him was a huge octagonal Dao altar made of bluestone, emitting a divine charm, with a statue enshrined upon it.

This statue was a middle-aged man, currently with his hands behind his back, gazing into the distance.

His face could not be seen clearly; one could only see him wearing the Ancestral Dragon Imperial Robe, the Azure Heaven Imperial Crown, with nine world-shining canopies above, dragon energy added to his body, ruling the world, his aura swallowing mountains and rivers.

Just the statue alone possessed such heaven-shaking and earth-shattering aura, making Xu Qing's pupils shrink.

But he quickly withdrew his focus and looked around the Dao altar.

Around this Dao altar, Xu Qing saw at least a thousand Seven Blood Eyes disciples. These disciples included men and women, old and young, all wearing purple Daoist robes that seemed not to have been taken out for a long time, filled with solemnity.

As for directly in front of the Dao altar, there was a white stone dragon-patterned staircase, a full ninety steps.

Above the staircase was a great hall emitting purple light and vast intent. That place... was the highest hall of the Seventh Peak.

As for the sky, at this moment, clouds and mist swirled, with a huge black winged dragon within, causing the clouds to roll. Bolts of lightning followed its movement, rumbling and spreading in all directions.

Within those clouds and mist, there were six tall figures, standing like Dharma manifestations, gazing at the earth.

These six included men and women. Within them, Xu Qing saw the Peak Master of the First Peak and the Sixth Uncle.

They were all looking at Xu Qing. The Sixth Uncle's gaze even carried encouragement.

Xu Qing's heart was also somewhat nervous under this formation. He looked up again and saw a blood-red figure standing there like a god above the clouds and mist, incomparably tall, as if it could support heaven and earth.

It was the Seven Blood Eyes Ancestor, Blood Xue Lianzi.

They were all observing the ceremony in the sky!

"Seventh Peak disciple Xu Qing, this statue is the source of our Seventh Peak's Dao lineage, the Emperor Xuanyou Ancient Emperor."

"The Emperor Xuanyou Ancient Emperor was the last emperor of the human race to suppress Wanggu. You must bow once!"

"Begin the rites!"

The Captain stood beside Xu Qing, eyes fixed straight ahead, staring at the statue on the Dao altar, his voice solemn, spreading in all directions.

Xu Qing lowered his head, cupped his fists, and bowed deeply toward the Ancient Emperor statue on the Dao altar. The moment he rose, the Captain and all the Seventh Peak disciples observing the ceremony around the Dao altar lowered their heads and bowed in unison toward the Emperor Xuanyou Ancient Emperor statue.

The movements were unified, possessing a heaven-shaking aura.

After the bow, rendered by the atmosphere of the surroundings, Xu Qing's expression became even more solemn. He followed the Captain forward, walking under the gaze of the Seventh Peak disciples all around, passing the Dao altar and walking to the foot of the ninety steps.

Here, the Captain's voice came out.

"Our cultivation is a path of defying heaven. In the Wanggu Great World, there are nine heavens and ten earths. Thus, our Seventh Peak has set up ninety white rock steps. Stepping onto these steps is to witness the nine heavens; ascending to the top of the stairs is to swear through the nine earths!"

"Xu Qing, ascend the mountain platform!"

The Captain's voice was like a dragon's roar, incomparably long.

Xu Qing was filled with solemnity, raised his footsteps, and stepped onto the first step.

The moment his foot landed, a bell chime echoed within the Seventh Peak.

Dong!

The bell chime was heavy. Once the sound arose, heaven and earth changed color, and the wind and clouds rolled.

Xu Qing's heart focused. A jade slip flew out from his bosom; it was the one given by the servant.

At this moment, this jade slip emitted a brilliant light, floating before him, moving forward with him like a guiding lamp.

Furthermore, within the light of this jade slip, a scene left behind by someone, with the help of this light, entered Xu Qing's mind.

In the scene, it was a beast-fighting arena at a scavenger camp. Inside, a young boy wearing a fur coat, his small face covered in dirt, was dragging a large python away.

In the seats to the side sat two figures invisible to outsiders. One was Seventh Uncle, and the other was the servant. They were watching Xu Qing, and Seventh Uncle's voice, carrying some interest, echoed softly.

"This boy is interesting."

Xu Qing's eyes widened. The boy in the beast-fighting arena was naturally him. At this moment, Xu Qing finally understood why he had come to the Seven Blood Eyes later.

This was the scene where the fate began.

Amidst the shock in Xu Qing's heart, he walked eight steps without knowing it, reaching the ninth step. The bell chime of the Seventh Peak, carrying the intent of striking gold and stone, emitted a second sound, deafening.

The jade slip in front of Xu Qing shone brightly, and a second scene appeared in Xu Qing's mind.

In the scene, a boy was squatting in the corner of a dark alley. When a tall, thin scavenger passed by, the boy leaped up, covered the scavenger's mouth from behind, and slit the other's throat with a knife.

In the scene, on the roof to the side, Seventh Uncle sat there, appreciation appearing in his eyes.

"Interesting little fellow."

Xu Qing's breathing was slightly rough. He understood, thoroughly enlightened. Until the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth bell chimes rang out one after another, Xu Qing had already walked quite far.

One bell chime for nine steps. After six chimes, he had already reached the fifty-fourth or fifty-fifth step.

The bell chimes were louder and more majestic one after another, just like the scenes in his mind, each one causing more waves in Xu Qing's heart.

The third scene was him wearing new clothes, carefully avoiding a mud puddle, while Seventh Uncle to the side was curious why he had changed clothes.

The fourth scene was him killing Fatty Shan, poisoned and staggering away under the moonlight, while Seventh Uncle on the roof smiled.

The fifth scene featured Master Bai. Seventh Uncle was in Master Bai's tent, and before leaving, he said a few words.

"Master Bai, if you truly feel that kid is a talent, then teach him more knowledge, giving him a chance to become a scholarly cultivator with a cultivation base in the Seven Blood Eyes."

The sixth scene was after Lei Ting, Master Bai, and the little girl had left one after another. Xu Qing was alone in his room, silently merging into the darkness, covered by loneliness. Outside the door of his room, Seventh Uncle spoke softly.

"Give him a white token."

Xu Qing's body trembled. He had had many guesses before, but until now he understood the reason. He raised his head to gaze at the mountain peak, walking to the sixty-third step, and the seventh bell chime spread throughout heaven and earth.

Then came the eighth and ninth chimes.

Amidst the bell chimes, the jade slip's light still shone. Xu Qing saw the seventh scene.

That was when he had just come to the Seven Blood Eyes, in the middle of the night, amidst the swaying of the Dharma boat, he picked up a wine pot, toasting his parents, toasting Lei Ting, and toasting his own birthday.

The eighth scene was him being hunted down at the Sea Corpse Clan.

The ninth scene was his battle before the temple with Sheng Yunzi.

Xu Qing's heart surged with indescribable emotional fluctuations. As the jade slip's light dimmed and returned to his bosom, Xu Qing took the ninetieth step, stepping onto the final step.

He saw that vast purple hall, saw Seventh Uncle sitting there inside, gazing at him.

Beside Seventh Uncle were the Second Prince and the Third Prince.

Today, Seventh Uncle was much more grand in his attire than usual, wearing a Flowing Cloud Purple Robe, his hair coiled with a Blue Sky Nine-Python Daoist Crown, his gaze like lightning, sitting there with a vast and heaven-shaking aura.

"Xu Qing." It was not Seventh Uncle in the great hall who spoke, but the Captain who had followed Xu Qing all the way.

"After witnessing the nine heavens and swearing to step on the ten earths, you should respect the heavens and the earth. You must turn around and bow three times."

"Begin the rites!" As the Captain's voice echoed in the clouds, Xu Qing turned around, standing on these ninety steps, gazing at the heavens and earth, and bowed three times!

The moment he rose, the Captain and the disciples around the Dao altar bowed to heaven and earth three times simultaneously!

These scenes all exuded solemnity. Every ceremony carried deep meaning. A sect of cultivation in chaotic times could simplify everything, putting interests above all else, but only for ancestor worship and taking on apprentices, they could not be so; the ceremony was mandatory.

"The Dao is originally void. Without the scriptures, one cannot understand the Dao. The Dao is in the scriptures; without a master, one cannot grasp its principles."

"The Emperor Xuanyou Ancient Emperor created a great cause, thus our human race must bow once."

"Heaven, earth, and the profound yellow bear all things, thus our human race must bow three times."

"But the Ancient Emperor is high above and has never graced you. The sentient beings of heaven and earth are in a sea of bitterness and have never saved you. Only the master goes to heaven and enters the earth, gracing your current life, saving your next life, exhausting all efforts to walk the Great Dao together, thus you must bow nine times!"

The Captain's voice at this moment resounded through the clouds, shaking heaven and earth.

Xu Qing turned around, gazing at Seventh Uncle's figure in the great hall, lowered his head, and bowed nine times!

One bow to the Ancient Emperor, three bows to heaven and earth, nine bows to the master.

The act of nine bows was something only the Captain could do together with Xu Qing. The disciples around the Dao altar could only lower their heads in solemnity; they were not qualified to follow Xu Qing in bowing.

After the nine bows, Xu Qing stepped forward. The Captain waved his hand, and a purple teacup appeared in his hand, handing it to Xu Qing.

Xu Qing took a deep breath and stepped into the Purple Light Hall.

"Offer the Tea of Thought!"

Xu Qing lowered his head, took three steps, held the teacup with both hands, and raised it in respect.

Almost the moment he raised the teacup, the sky outside suddenly surged with wind and clouds. In the distance, one could see streaks of heaven-shaking sword qi, carrying a blood-red color that darkened the sky, like a blood-red giant hand about to cover the sky, rumbling and approaching the Seven Blood Eyes.

The Lingyun Sword Sect, coming to demand an explanation, had arrived!

Furthermore, a voice containing endless killing intent spread throughout every inch of the Seven Blood Eyes sect from within that blood sea of sword qi that permeated all directions and possessed infinite aura.

"Blood Xue Lianzi, hand over the lowly commoner Xu Qing of your sect to me!" ===== CHAPTER 265 =====