Chapter 12: Elite Disciple Li Haoran

The enrollment procedures for outer-disciple candidates were simple; under the urging of Sect Master’s daughter Xuan Qingqing, they were completed in just a few minutes, involving only the registration of name, age, and date.

After registration, Cang Luo received two sets of outer-disciple green robes, along with his outer-disciple identity jade tablet and dormitory key.

The identity jade tablet was a green, jade-like slab the size of an ID card, engraved with Cang Luo’s basic information and the dormitory number “Xin Yi Qi Liu.”

Finally, there were five lower-grade yuan stones for disciple cultivation.

Lower-grade yuan stones were milky-white mineral stones storing yuan energy, typically cut into cubes one inch per side.

They were classified into four grades based on yuan energy content: lower-grade, middle-grade, upper-grade, and supreme-grade yuan stones.

One lower-grade yuan stone was worth ten silver taels, a middle-grade one a hundred silver taels, and so on.

Yuan stones served as a universal medium of exchange and were the hard currency of the Yuanwu Continent; most cultivation-related items accepted only yuan stones for trade.

Cang Luo donned his newly acquired outer-disciple green robes and stepped out of the Clerk’s Pavilion, full of joy: “Qingqing Senior Sister, can we go collect a cultivation technique now?”

“Mm, the Technique Pavilion is right next door.”

Saying this, Xuan Qingqing prepared to lead Cang Luo to the Technique Pavilion to help him choose a technique.

But at that moment, Li Haoran, who had been waiting for some time, suddenly appeared before them, blocking their path.

“Li Senior Brother, what a coincidence!” Xuan Qingqing said cheerfully upon seeing him.

Li Senior Brother?

Cang Luo looked at the newcomer and immediately felt inferior.

A strikingly handsome young man, with sword-like brows and star-like eyes, his sharply defined face wore a confident smile.

Dressed in the exclusive white training attire of an inner-disciple, he looked utterly dashing, occasionally fanning himself with a folding fan, exuding elegance.

Li Haoran had not intended to appear, but upon seeing Cang Luo in his outer-disciple green robes, he changed his mind and decided to probe his identity.

He glanced at Cang Luo briefly, sensed his yuan energy fluctuation, and guessed his cultivation base was at the Warrior stage.

Observing his appearance, he estimated Cang Luo to be around twenty years old—yet a twenty-year-old Warrior outer-disciple had not been expelled from the sect?

Had he used connections?

Of course—he must have some connection with Qingqing Senior Sister.

But such low talent, even with the Sect Master’s favor, was still worthless.

Such wastes weren’t uncommon; many elders’ descendants in Xuantian Sect had mediocre cultivation potential.

Without massive resource investment, these wastes were doomed to spend their lives as pensioners in Xuantian Sect, barely scraping by as clerks.

Thinking of this, Li Haoran relaxed, convinced Cang Luo posed zero threat to him.

Still, he decided to find an opportunity to kill him.

How dare this waste dare to embrace Qingqing Senior Sister so intimately?

A surge of nameless rage rose in Li Haoran’s heart; he ignored Cang Luo and turned to Xuan Qingqing with a soft voice: “It really is a coincidence.”

“By the way, Qingqing Senior Sister, why did you leave suddenly yesterday? Didn’t we agree to go on a mission together?”

“Ah!” Xuan Qingqing stuck out her tongue apologetically: “Sorry, Li Senior Brother, I had something to attend to yesterday!”

“Something?”

Li Haoran tapped the closed fan toward Cang Luo, probing: “Is it about this junior brother? Was the man the Sect Master brought back yesterday this junior brother?”

Cang Luo realized: this Li Senior Brother was definitely infatuated with Xuan Qingqing—likely one of her suitors.

Naturally—she was the Sect Master’s daughter, so noble; her suitors must number in the hundreds, stretching from inner-disciples to outer-disciples.

Thinking this, Cang Luo instinctively stepped two paces away from Xuan Qingqing.

He resolved from this moment on to avoid contact with her entirely, to prevent provoking jealousy and inviting undeserved disaster.

His primary goal was survival; once he endured this year and returned to Earth, with his Warrior status, what beautiful woman wouldn’t be within his reach?

Li Haoran noticed Cang Luo’s small gesture and sneered inwardly: You waste has at least some self-awareness.

Very well, I’ll spare your miserable life.

But those hands that touched Qingqing Senior Sister… had better not remain…

Thoughtless Xuan Qingqing didn’t notice Cang Luo stepping away, nor did she realize the silent battle just waged between him and Li Haoran.

She grabbed Cang Luo’s arm and said to Li Haoran: “Li Senior Brother, let me introduce you—this is my distant cousin, Cang Luo. Due to family misfortune, he came to join the sect yesterday.”

As she spoke, Xuan Qingqing secretly pinched Cang Luo’s arm, signaling him to cooperate.

Then she pointed at Li Haoran: “This is Li Haoran, an elite inner-disciple.”

“Li Senior Brother is a genius disciple—he’s only seventeen, yet already at Wu Ling First Layer, leading all new inner-disciples this year.”

Damn, not only handsome, but a genius—this one’s even less to be messed with.

Cang Luo quickly bowed: “Greetings, Li Senior Brother.”

Li Haoran gave a slight bow in return, frowning slightly: “Cang? The Cang from Cang Tian? Are you from a branch family of one of the Four Imperial Families of the Capital?”

His question wasn’t baseless; on the Yuanwu Continent, families and sects were divided into three tiers.

First tier: Imperial Sects and Imperial Families—those with at least one Wu Di cultivator as their pillar.

Second tier: Royal Sects and Royal Families—those with at least three Wu Huang cultivators.

All others were ordinary factions, with no special designation.

Of course, sects with a Wu Sheng as their pillar were beyond these three tiers—they were transcendent.

Such as the Martial Alliance, Mo Family Mechanism City, and the imperial houses of Qin and Yuan.

As the sole Imperial Sect in Tongzhou of Chu State, could the Sect Master’s own relative be ordinary?

The surname Cang—outside Chu State, the only well-known Cang clan on the entire Yuanwu Continent was the Cang family of the Chu Capital.

The Chu Capital had Four Royal Families; the Cang family was one of them!

Hence Li Haoran’s question—he feared offending someone beyond his reach…

As a transmigrator, Cang Luo had no idea what Li Haoran meant; he was merely curious about the “Four Royal Families of the Capital” Li Haoran mentioned.

Xuan Qingqing waved her hand: “No, my relative is just an ordinary merchant family.”

“They have no cultivation talent at all, which is why the disaster happened—now he’s the only one left.”

“Oh!” Li Haoran nodded meaningfully, then stopped looking at Cang Luo.

He turned to Xuan Qingqing: “Qingqing Senior Sister, are you free now? Shall we go on a training expedition?”

“I’m currently creating a stepping technique that allows Wu Ling—even Wu Shi cultivators—to walk through the air. I’d appreciate your insights.”

“Really?” Xuan Qingqing was astonished—she hadn’t expected Li Haoran to create a technique.

Creating a technique required at least Wu Wang cultivation—Li Senior Brother was only Wu Ling First Layer!?

Xuan Qingqing was stunned, disbelieving: “If you learn it, you can fly? Even cultivators below Wu Wang?”

Li Haoran smiled faintly and nodded: “It won’t grant true flight, but it’s close enough. Are you free?”

Xuan Qingqing was clearly tempted; such a technique allowing early flight wasn’t beyond her reach.

As the Sect Master’s daughter, she could freely browse any technique in the Technique Pavilion.

She’d read them all—but most required at least Wu Ling, even Wu Zong cultivation to practice.

She glanced at Cang Luo and hesitated: “I…”

Before she could speak, Cang Luo, who understood Li Haoran’s intent, immediately stepped in: “Senior Sister, you go train with Li Senior Brother.”

“I’ll go collect the technique alone—the Technique Pavilion is right next door.”

Saying this, Cang Luo walked straight toward the Technique Pavilion without waiting for Xuan Qingqing’s reply.

As he passed Li Haoran, he politely bowed again, signaling he had no romantic intentions toward Xuan Qingqing.

After taking a few steps, Li Haoran’s voice came from behind: “Cang Junior Brother, when choosing your technique, mention my name—the Pavilion clerks will give you special favors.”

Cang Luo paused, waved back to show thanks, but secretly smiled bitterly.

Is this your charity, for giving up on pursuing Qingqing?