ARK SPIRIT

As soon as they returned to the courtyard, Tieu Lan poured tea for Hao Nhien.

He did not sit down right away. Instead, he walked to the window and looked out over the small courtyard.

A light breeze passed over several pots of medicinal herbs. The tender green leaves swayed gently beneath the sunlight, carrying a very faint fragrance.

After his conversation with Quan Vo Cuc, Hao Nhien had been thinking a great deal.

Three years.

The Grand Clan Secret Realm.

Foundation Establishment.

Even Golden Core.

Those things were still far away.

But the road directly ahead had already begun to take shape.

Tieu Lan set the cup of tea on the table.

“Young Master is thinking about the sects?”

Hao Nhien turned back.

“Mm.”

He returned and sat opposite her.

“I’ve been thinking that if we truly want to join a sect, it would be best to find a place with a path suitable for both of us.”

Tieu Lan paused slightly.

Hao Nhien noticed her hand unconsciously tighten on her knee.

He knew what she was thinking.

“I’m not trying to leave you behind.”

Tieu Lan lowered her eyes.

“I know.”

Her voice was very soft.

Hao Nhien remained silent for a moment before continuing.

“But if I enter a major sect, I may not be able to keep you by my side the way I do now.”

Tieu Lan’s hand tightened further.

Hao Nhien saw it.

His heart ached slightly.

He spoke slowly.

“I asked the Clan Head for some information.”

“Tieu Dao Sect has quite a few different inheritance branches. Some cultivate the sword, some temper the body, and some follow the medicine path.”

Tieu Lan looked up.

“Tieu Dao Sect?”

“Only one option.”

Hao Nhien shook his head.

“I haven’t decided yet.”

“Sword Sect, Thanh Van Sect, Huyen Thien Sect, Tieu Dao Sect... we’ll have to see them at the selection gathering first.”

He paused.

“Medicine Sect too.”

Tieu Lan’s gaze shifted slightly.

Hao Nhien looked at her.

“The Clan Head said the wood qi around you is very pure.”

“I’ve also noticed that your affinity with medicinal herbs is better than most people’s.”

“I remember everything you’ve done for me.”

“But if staying beside me means giving up your own path entirely...”

He shook his head.

“That would be what I consider a waste.”

Tieu Lan pressed her lips together.

“I don’t think it’s a waste.”

Hao Nhien smiled faintly.

“I know.”

“But I don’t want you to only stand behind me and wait for me to return.”

Tieu Lan looked at him.

Hao Nhien spoke more slowly.

“This world is too dangerous.”

“I can’t protect you every moment.”

“And you shouldn’t spend your whole life waiting for me to protect you.”

He looked directly into her eyes.

“I want you to have your own path.”

Tieu Lan fell silent.

Her eyes reddened slightly.

But this time she did not cry.

Only after a long while did she speak softly.

“I don’t want to be far from Young Master.”

“I know.”

“I only want to stay beside you.”

“Cook.”

“Make tea.”

“Prepare medicine.”

“As long as I can see that Young Master is safe every day, that is enough for me.”

Hao Nhien did not interrupt.

Tieu Lan lowered her head.

After a moment, she continued.

“But...”

“I also know Young Master is right.”

She looked up.

There was still worry in her eyes, but now there was also a trace of determination.

“If I can learn more about medicinal herbs.”

“Learn medicine refining.”

“Learn how to protect myself...”

“Then later I can help Young Master more.”

Hao Nhien immediately shook his head.

“Not only to help me.”

Tieu Lan froze slightly.

“For yourself too.”

He looked at her very seriously.

“I want you to become stronger.”

“I want you to be able to choose where you want to go and what you want to do in the future, even when I’m not standing beside you.”

Tieu Lan looked at him for a long time.

Finally, she nodded slightly.

“Then...”

“I’ll try.”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“You don’t have to decide right now.”

“We’ll see when we get to the gathering.”

“If there’s a place suitable for both of us, even better.”

“If not...”

He paused.

“We’ll think of something else.”

Only then did the tension on Tieu Lan’s face ease a little.

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien reached out and took her hand.

It was still slightly cold.

He gave it a gentle squeeze.

“The gathering doesn’t begin for another seven days.”

“During that time, I’ll stabilize the seventh layer.”

“And you...”

He looked at her.

“Practice with the sword and crossbow.”

Tieu Lan immediately sat a little straighter.

“Yes.”

“You don’t need to defeat someone stronger than you.”

“You only need to be able to hold out for a few breaths.”

“If you can run, run.”

“If you can’t...”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“Then hold out long enough for me to arrive.”

Tieu Lan smiled too.

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien closed the door.

Then he sent an intent toward the Cosmic Ark.

A faint blue green glow spread out.

The Cave Dwelling form slowly appeared in the middle of the room.

Tieu Lan had seen it once before, but when she saw the Cosmic Ark change form again, she still could not help widening her eyes.

“It still feels so strange.”

Hao Nhien laughed.

“I feel the same.”

The two stepped inside.

The space within was still familiar.

A lush medicinal herb garden spread out to one side.

The small pond in the distance rippled gently.

The spiritual qi was clearly denser than outside, mixed with the gentle wood qi released by the medicinal herbs that had been nourished in this space for so long.

As soon as Tieu Lan approached the herb garden, the surrounding wood qi naturally gathered a little closer to her.

Not much.

Nothing unusual.

This content has been misappropriated from NovelPhoenix; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

It simply seemed as though her aura naturally harmonized with plants more easily than most people.

Hao Nhien stood behind her and watched for a while.

The more he watched, the more certain he became.

Tieu Lan truly suited the medicine path.

Not because she was weak and therefore had to choose a path with less fighting.

But because she genuinely possessed that kind of talent.

With the right guidance, there was no reason she could not go far.

The next seven days passed quickly.

Hao Nhien spent most mornings stabilizing the seventh layer of Qi Condensation.

He did not try to increase his true qi further.

Advancing from the sixth layer to the seventh had already been a major step.

What he needed now was to make sure his foundation truly settled.

True qi circulated through cycle after cycle.

Each section of his meridians was checked again.

He paid special attention to the places that had endured the greatest pressure inside the Inner Secret Realm.

Whenever a cycle of true qi was completed, Hao Nhien used part of his intent to sense the embryonic cycle within his Divine Soul.

He did not force it to follow the true qi.

He did not make the two synchronize.

He only observed.

Only allowed them to naturally resonate.

The Soul Art at its current stage was like a child that had only just learned to walk.

If forced to run too early, it would only fall.

What he needed was not to make it grow within a few days.

But to let it continue existing.

Steadily.

And find its own rhythm.

In the afternoons, Hao Nhien practiced the sword.

He used the Tieu Dao Sword.

He did not practice complicated sword techniques.

Nor did he call upon the Spirit Sword.

Only the most basic movements.

Draw.

Sheathe.

Advance.

Retreat.

Change angles.

Shift weight.

Release force.

Stop force.

Every movement was simple.

But he repeated each one hundreds of times.

Hao Nhien understood this clearly.

The Spirit Sword was something special within his system, carrying the mark and resonance left behind by the sword intent of One Sword Tieu Dao.

But it could not replace the foundation of swordsmanship.

If he later stepped into Foundation Establishment and became able to ride the Tieu Dao Sword through the air, turning it into the Flying Tieu Dao Sword, then the demand on his sword control would only become greater.

He did not want to wait until then to discover that his foundation was hollow.

So for now.

He started with the simplest things.

Tieu Lan trained with him for one hour every day.

She used a small sword, lighter than an ordinary one.

The Mystic Shadow Crossbow rested nearby.

Hao Nhien did not teach her how to clash head on.

He taught her how to avoid.

Keep distance.

Use the sword to block a path.

Retreat in the right direction.

Never completely turn her back on the opponent.

And when an opening appeared...

Use the crossbow.

“You don’t need to win.”

Hao Nhien said.

“Remember that.”

“When you meet someone stronger, your first goal is not to defeat them.”

“It is to survive.”

Tieu Lan nodded.

“Yes.”

“If you can run, run.”

“If you can’t, delay them.”

“Even a few breaths are enough.”

He looked at her.

“Enough for me to arrive.”

Tieu Lan nodded seriously again.

During the first few days, she was still awkward.

Her grip on the sword was unstable.

Her steps were too small.

Whenever Hao Nhien suddenly closed the distance, she would often panic and retreat chaotically.

She raised the Mystic Shadow Crossbow too slowly.

Sometimes she even blocked her own retreat.

But Tieu Lan had one major advantage.

She was willing to learn.

She was not afraid of being corrected.

She did not mind looking clumsy.

And she did not become upset even after Hao Nhien knocked the sword from her hand several times.

He explained something once.

She remembered it.

She might not do it correctly the next time.

But she would do it a little better than before.

Little by little.

By the fifth day.

Hao Nhien held a branch in place of a sword.

Without warning, he stepped diagonally to the right, angled his body, and suddenly closed in.

Tieu Lan froze.

But this time, she did not retreat in panic.

Her left foot immediately moved half a step back.

Her body turned slightly.

The small sword rose horizontally, not to clash directly, but to block his path forward.

Almost at the same moment.

Her other hand lifted the Mystic Shadow Crossbow.

The bolt stopped aimed at Hao Nhien’s shoulder.

She did not fire.

But the angle was correct.

Hao Nhien stopped.

Tieu Lan also stood still.

The two looked at each other.

One breath later, Tieu Lan’s eyes lit up.

“I did it?”

Hao Nhien laughed.

“Mm.”

“This time, you got it right.”

Tieu Lan nearly jumped for joy.

But at that moment, the aura around her suddenly fluctuated.

Hao Nhien’s smile immediately faded.

He observed carefully.

It was not chaotic.

The spiritual qi around Tieu Lan was naturally gathering toward her.

The wood qi from the medicinal herb garden also grew slightly denser.

Hao Nhien immediately said:

“Sit down.”

Tieu Lan did not ask questions.

She sat cross legged on the spot.

Hao Nhien stepped back two paces.

Over the past few days, Tieu Lan’s aura had already moved very close to the third layer.

The spiritual qi inside the Cosmic Ark was dense.

The wood qi suited her.

And continuous training had kept both her body and true qi active.

The moment just now seemed to be nothing more than the final push that caused her accumulated foundation to move naturally.

Spiritual qi slowly gathered around Tieu Lan.

Not forcefully.

Not violently.

Only gently, like spring rain falling onto the earth.

Her breathing was slightly fast at first because of her excitement.

But it quickly stabilized.

Threads of spiritual qi carrying faint wood qi entered her body.

Hao Nhien stood nearby and watched.

If even the slightest instability appeared, he would intervene immediately.

But Tieu Lan’s breakthrough went more smoothly than he had expected.

There was no violent pain.

No chaotic true qi.

Her aura simply thickened little by little.

Like a sprout that had absorbed enough water and finally pushed out another new leaf.

About half an hour later.

Buzz.

A very thin wave of pale green energy spread outward, then quickly withdrew.

Tieu Lan slowly opened her eyes.

Her gaze looked clearer than before.

She looked down at her hands.

Then back at Hao Nhien.

“Young Master...”

“I...”

“Broke through?”

Hao Nhien smiled.

“Third layer Qi Condensation.”

Tieu Lan stood frozen.

Then her eyes immediately reddened.

“I advanced another step too...”

Her voice was very soft.

As though she still did not quite dare believe it herself.

Hao Nhien looked at her.

“Mm.”

“You’re not standing still anymore.”

Tieu Lan picked up the small sword beside her and stood.

She tried swinging it twice.

Her movements were still not pretty.

But compared with five days earlier, they were lighter.

Steadier.

Most importantly, her hand no longer trembled like before.

Tieu Lan looked at the sword in her hand, then at the Mystic Shadow Crossbow nearby.

Only after a while did she speak.

“I’ll work hard.”

“From now on...”

She paused slightly.

“At least I won’t make Young Master worry about me as much as before.”

Hao Nhien looked at her, then stepped forward and gently adjusted a strand of hair that the breeze had blown across her cheek.

“All right.”

“We’ll work hard together.”

Tieu Lan smiled.

“Yes.”

For the remaining two days, Hao Nhien did not increase the intensity of their training.

Tieu Lan had just entered the third layer and needed time to stabilize.

So did he.

The two spent most of their time regulating their breathing, checking medicinal herbs, spirit stones, weapons, and the things they would need to bring when they eventually left the Quan family.

Outside the Cosmic Ark.

Thanh Van City was also gradually changing.

Young cultivators from nearby families and towns began pouring in.

The inns filled up.

The streets grew busier.

Stalls selling weapons, medicinal powders, and talismans appeared in greater numbers with each passing day.

News of the upcoming selection gathering spread everywhere.

Each force coming to recruit disciples represented a different path.

And every young person arriving in the city carried a different hope.

Some wanted to change their lives.

Some wanted to bring honor to their families.

Some wanted to find a great master.

Some simply wanted to leave the place where they had been born and see how vast the world truly was.

Hao Nhien was the same.

Only now, there were more things he wanted than before.

To cultivate.

To find his parents.

To protect the people beside him.

To find a way to bring Anh Nhien back.

To understand the Cosmic Ark.

And finally...

To see where this road could take him.

On the seventh day.

Hao Nhien stood within the Cave Dwelling form of the Cosmic Ark, watching Tieu Lan practice drawing her sword before raising the Mystic Shadow Crossbow.

This time, she did not rush.

Each movement was clearer than before.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, the embryonic cycle inside his Divine Soul also slowly completed another circuit.

Very faint.

But stable.

Hao Nhien smiled slightly.

The seven days were over.

Tomorrow, a new door would open.

No longer the Quan Family Inner Secret Realm.

But the broader stage of the Eastern Plains.

Today, the weather was unusually beautiful.

White clouds drifted lazily across the deep blue sky. Morning sunlight fell over the tiled roofs of Thanh Van City, casting a soft, clear glow across the stone streets without the slightest harshness. A breeze blew in from beyond the city walls, carrying the faint scent of wildflowers and spiritual herbs. Mixed with the voices and laughter of the crowd, it made the entire city seem to awaken after days of anticipation.

The disciple selection gathering of the orthodox forces had finally begun.

From early morning, young cultivators from every direction had poured toward the center of the city. Some wore embroidered robes from prominent families, jade pendants hanging from their waists and guards following behind. Others wore nothing more than rough cloth, an iron sword strapped across their backs, their eyes filled with both nervousness and hope. There were also young men and women who had traveled from distant towns, clutching their luggage as they stood amid the dense crowd, unable to hide their amazement.

Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan walked side by side along the broad stone street leading toward the central square.

Today, Hao Nhien wore a simple pale blue robe. His hair was tied neatly behind his head, while the Tieu Dao Sword was stored inside his ring rather than carried openly. After seven days of consolidation, his seventh layer Qi Condensation aura had become stable. He neither displayed it deliberately nor concealed it too deeply. At a glance, he looked like a young cultivator calmer than his age, his gaze steady and his steps unhurried.

Tieu Lan walked beside him in pale white and pink robes. Her sleeves were light and soft, and her long black hair was tied back with a simple ribbon. She wore no expensive jewelry and little adornment, yet the purity of her wood qi and her naturally fresh appearance still drew more than a few lingering glances from those passing by.

She lightly held the edge of Hao Nhien’s sleeve, her steps small and quiet as she remained comfortably beside him.

“Hao Nhien,” Tieu Lan said softly, her eyes bright as she watched the streams of cultivators moving through the streets, “it’s so lively today. I’ve never seen so many cultivators in one place before.”

Hao Nhien looked around and smiled faintly. “Mm. This is probably the busiest Thanh Van City has been in several years.”

The closer they came to the square, the denser the crowd became. Temporary stalls had appeared all along both sides of the road. Some sold protective talismans, others sold wooden practice swords, while several merchants displayed bottles of medicinal powder for treating injuries and loudly insisted that anyone taking part in the selection should prepare properly beforehand. An old man with a white beard had even set up a fortune telling stall and was loudly predicting people’s chances of joining a sect, drawing several fascinated youths around him.

Yet as they approached the city center, the noise gradually softened.

It was not because there were fewer people.

Rather, the presence of those guarding the square naturally made everyone behave with greater restraint.

The central square finally appeared before them.

It was far larger than Hao Nhien had expected. The ground was paved with pale gray stone, each slab engraved with faint runes used to stabilize spiritual qi and prevent disturbances. Six broad roads converged toward the center from different directions, and every entrance was guarded by Foundation Establishment cultivators. Their auras were not deliberately released, yet simply standing there was enough to discourage anyone from pushing, provoking others, or causing trouble.

The atmosphere was lively without becoming chaotic. Thousands of people gathered in the same place, voices filling the square, yet an unmistakable order remained.

The moment Hao Nhien reached the edge of the square, he saw six large areas clearly divided from one another, each marked by the banner of a different force.

To the east was the Sword Sect.

A deep red banner fluttered in the wind, embroidered with a straight silver sword. Five swordsmen in white stood before the examination area, red sword patterns embroidered around the cuffs of their robes and long swords strapped across their backs. The sword presence surrounding the area was not overwhelming, but it was sharp and distinct, making the nature of the sect immediately apparent.

Most of the candidates waiting there also carried swords. Some held them across their chests, while others stood so straight they almost seemed rigid. Every face looked serious.

Hao Nhien glanced over them and instinctively thought of the Tieu Dao Sword resting inside his ring.

Sword Sect.

He would definitely take a closer look.

But there was no need to rush.

To the south was Thanh Van Sect.

A white banner embroidered with blue clouds moved gently in the wind. Compared with the Sword Sect, the area felt lighter and more orderly. Several formation disks glowed with faint blue light, while the candidates nearby watched the shifting patterns in silence. From the looks of it, the examination there seemed to focus more on perception, deduction, or control of spiritual qi.

To the southwest was Medicine Sect.

A green banner embroidered with a spiritual herb swayed lightly above the crowd. Even from a distance, the fragrance of medicinal ingredients drifted through the air, fresh rather than overpowering, like the scent of a mountain valley after rain.

Hao Nhien glanced at Tieu Lan.

As expected, her gaze had already settled there.

The Medicine Sect’s area was filled with jade boxes, wooden trays, and small pots of spiritual herbs. Some candidates sat cross legged and adjusted their breathing, while others studied the medicinal ingredients displayed before them. Several young women near the examination tables could not hide the excitement in their eyes, looking remarkably similar to Tieu Lan whenever she entered the Fragrant Medicine Pavilion.

Hao Nhien only smiled and said nothing.

To the west was Huyen Thien Sect.

Its dark purple banner barely moved even though the wind continued to blow. Several rune covered stone tablets stood on the ground, glowing and dimming in patterns that did not seem to follow any obvious order. Hao Nhien watched them for a while but still could not tell what the examination was testing.

To the northwest stood a pale yellow banner embroidered with a crane spreading its wings.

Tieu Dao Sect.

Compared with the other areas, this one looked so casual that it barely seemed like a disciple selection at all.

There was no perfectly organized line, nor were there disciples standing stiffly at attention. Beneath the pale yellow banner, several people in different kinds of robes sat drinking tea. One person in green carried a zither, another in gray leaned comfortably against a bamboo chair, while someone in white had gone so far as to rest his feet on the table.

The number of candidates gathered there was also noticeably smaller.

Hao Nhien let his gaze linger for a little longer.

It certainly looked scattered.

But he did not believe that one of the Five Sects would truly operate without any rules at all.

More importantly, among the people seated inside were several whose depths he could not judge at all. From the traces of aura they revealed naturally, Hao Nhien could at least tell that they were considerably stronger than him.

Tieu Lan was also looking in that direction.

The corner of her lips curved slightly.

Perhaps she was remembering their conversation from seven days ago, just as he was.

Finally, to the north was Bich Van Palace.

A pale blue banner fluttered above a thin curtain of water suspended in front of the examination table. Every time a candidate stepped through, ripples of light spread across its surface in different patterns. Hao Nhien could not tell what it was measuring, but the reactions of those who came out varied greatly. Some looked delighted, others disappointed, while a few stood in silence for a long time before finally leaving.

Hao Nhien took in all six areas.

Sword Sect was sharp.

Thanh Van Sect was steady.

Medicine Sect was gentle and harmonious.

Huyen Thien Sect was difficult to read.

Tieu Dao Sect was free and unconventional.

Bich Van Palace was cool and distant, with a hint of mystery.

Each had its own character.

As for the Three Demonic Cults Tieu Kiem had once mentioned, naturally none of them had appeared openly today. The Blood Demon Cult, Yin Soul Cult, and Heavenly Evil Cult all had their own methods of recruiting new members, but at a public gathering held by the orthodox forces in the middle of Thanh Van City, they were hardly going to raise their banners and openly recruit disciples.

Tieu Lan looked around once, curiosity and a trace of nervousness in her eyes.

“Hao Nhien, where should we go first?”

Hao Nhien was about to answer when two figures suddenly approached from the right.

He turned his head.

They were two young women around nineteen or twenty years old, clearly walking straight toward him and Tieu Lan.

Both wore the pale blue robes of Bich Van Palace.

Hao Nhien smiled faintly.

It seemed that before they could even decide which place to visit first, someone had already come looking for them.