Direct Disciple

"Ahem, that is how I address your martial uncle. Do you know why the word 'War' is part of my Taoist name?" Li Yun’s face looked somewhat unnatural; explaining himself suddenly felt rather embarrassing.

"Because Master is invincible in battle," Lin Jiuge answered without hesitation, having already experienced it firsthand when she became his apprentice.

"That is one reason, but do you know the true cause of my invincibility?" Li Yun continued to guide her.

"Because Master has laid a solid foundation and fears no challenge," Lin Jiuge said, clenching her fists. Her master was so formidable; she could be that way too!

Li Yun was moved by her words. While there was some truth to that, it wasn't the answer he was looking for.

"Jiuge, besides that, what else?" Li Yun almost spelled it out for her.

"Then it must have something to do with Martial Uncle," Lin Jiuge said after some thought, offering an unexpected answer.

"What does it have to do with your martial uncle?" Li Yun glared at his disciple. What kind of joke was that? His achievements had absolutely nothing to do with that old bookworm!

"Of course it does. Master charges into battle, and Martial Uncle provides the supplies," Lin Jiuge reasoned, thinking of her uncle’s mastery over various arts, and felt confident in her conjecture.

"Besides your martial uncle, what else?" Li Yun’s eyes blazed. The main reason!

"Master, you aren't a Sword Master, are you?" Lin Jiuge pondered. She had never heard that her master was a former Sword Master.

"No." Why did everything have to circle back to Sword Masters? Even if he weren't one, he had beaten plenty of them!

"It couldn't be the cultivation method, could it?" Lin Jiuge honestly hadn't considered the technique. After all, anyone who gave a technique that leaned toward health preservation—one that looked devoid of combat power at first glance—wouldn't think twice about it. Health preservation and combat were truly worlds apart.

*Thwack.* Li Yun could no longer hold back and brought a palm down on Lin Jiuge’s shoulder.

"You blockhead, of course it's the technique! The technique!" Li Yun gripped her shoulder. What a blockhead.

"But Master, you said the technique was for health preservation," Lin Jiuge said, nearly losing her footing from the blow, her tone aggrieved.

"Health preservation! When I said health preservation, I meant a ceaseless, flowing supply. Your master’s techniques are not only powerful, but they also rely on a core cultivation method that provides a constant stream of vital energy. Our lineage has always stored more and denser energy than others of the same rank." Li Yun felt he shouldn't have listened to that old bookworm about appearing profound and mysterious. He shouldn't have taken advice from someone who only read books and had no apprentices of his own!

"Master, if you explained it like that, I would have understood. Does this mean I should practice our sect’s core technique? But Master, wouldn't I be practicing too many things at once?" Lin Jiuge frowned. The first level of *God-Slaying* wasn't yet mastered, and the first level of *Thunderclap* was not yet perfected. Adding the sect’s technique on top of that—would she be biting off more than she could chew?

"Jiuge, it is good that you have such concerns. Our sect’s technique is highly inclusive; once you master the basics, it will operate naturally alongside your other practices." Li Yun let go. He was pleased with this trait; many people saw high-level techniques and immediately chose the strongest ones, not realizing that higher rank doesn't mean better—only what suits you best is truly superior.

"Master, I will practice it." Since he had put it that way, Lin Jiuge had no reason to refuse.

"This is the technique. Use your spiritual sense to examine it," Li Yun said, handing the jade slip to Lin Jiuge.

Lin Jiuge examined it earnestly with her sea of consciousness. Soon, the technique transformed into characters that surged into her mind, neatly arranging themselves into a complete scripture.

*The Scripture of Rational Qi*. Before Lin Jiuge could even look at how to practice it, the mysterious sword within her sea of consciousness stirred, scrambling the entire scripture and reordering it. As she read it carefully, she noticed five extra words.

Lin Jiuge returned the jade slip to her master and began to practice. Li Yun stood by to guide her. Lin Jiuge’s movements were precise, though he noticed slight nuances he planned to correct once she stopped.

However, Lin Jiuge showed no signs of stopping. The hardest part of this technique was the entry; once one had mastered the basics, the rest would follow naturally. Among his fellow disciples, the old bookworm had been the fastest, taking three months. He had taken three months and ten days—that ten-day difference was why he became the junior brother! And the sect leader had taken half a year! Surely, Jiuge couldn't succeed in one go.

A familiar *pfft* sound made Li Yun’s eyes widen. His own master had clearly said that entry was extremely difficult and that if one couldn't master it within a year, they weren't qualified for his lineage. But his disciple had succeeded in just three hours? Was this what his master meant by "it varies from person to person"?

Lin Jiuge was unaware of her master’s elaborate internal monologue. She simply followed the internal energy pathway map from her sea of consciousness, running it over and over—seventy-two variations in total. Though the routes differed, she clearly felt that battling across levels would be no problem now. If she were back at the time of her apprenticeship, those people wouldn't have even needed to suppress their cultivation levels to compete with her.

Lin Jiuge opened her eyes. A flash of purple light flickered through them, but the determination in her gaze remained unmasked.

This technique was truly excellent. It allowed her to accumulate far more energy than others of her rank, making combat effortless. However, there was one drawback: she would now require even more energy to advance.

"Master, I have mastered the basics," Lin Jiuge said. She worried that taking three hours to enter the basics meant she hadn't met the standard, and she looked at Li Yun with some trepidation.

Li Yun was shocked beyond measure. Was this destined disciple of his sent by his own master to collect a debt? The boomerang he had thrown out had finally struck him—it hurt, it hurt so much, but it was agonizingly hilarious! Li Yun wore a look of pained expression.

"Master, did I do something wrong?" Lin Jiuge felt even more anxious. Why did her master look as if she had committed an unforgivable crime? She didn't think she had.

"No, you are excellent." It was he who was unworthy. Li Yun recalled what his master had told him: "You brat, one day you will taste the feeling of your disciple being more talented than you." Master, did you consult with the Junior Uncle about this? Was his master intentionally preventing him from ascending, just so he could experience the bittersweet joy of having an overly gifted disciple?

Lin Jiuge was confused, but since her master said so, it must not have been a mistake on her part.

"Jiuge, go find your senior brother and discuss the technique. Also, give me a drop of your essence blood; I need to craft your Life Tablet. Once you have the tablet, you will be my true disciple." Li Yun said. This statement signified true recognition. It could be said that only by mastering *The Scripture of Rational Qi* could one be considered a true disciple of their lineage. This was the reason why, despite their small numbers, no one dared to underestimate them!

"Yes, Master." Lin Jiuge felt the difference. Previously, it could only be called a series of tests; now, she felt a profound sense of belonging.

This feeling intensified when she received her identity plaque. On the front, in seal script, were the words "Lin Jiuge," and on the back, "Direct Disciple." At this moment, Lin Jiuge finally felt a sense of belonging as a true member of the Daiyue Sect.

"Congratulations, Junior Sister." Zhou Yan’s congratulations were sincere. From now on, Lin Jiuge was his true junior sister.

"So, Jiuge really only took three hours!"