[Rewrite] A Sect Elder's Journey - Chapter 2

The Verdant Valleys Sect’s annual Disciple Selection Ceremony was one of the most anticipated and prominent affairs throughout the Dawnlight Jade Province.

As the strongest sect in the eastern region of the empire, the induction ceremony always attracted eager participants from all walks of life. Every clan pursuing a brighter future for their progeny, every merchant seeking to sell their goods to wealthy visitors, and every child who had passed the preliminary tests with dreams of walking the path of cultivation rested their ambitions on the Disciple Selection Ceremony. 

Becoming a cultivator—even one who was not exceptionally gifted—would allow a person to live a life that was longer, healthier, and almost always more prosperous than a regular mortal. With all of this in mind, it was no wonder why Verdant Gate City was currently packed to the brim with the families of those seeking to join the sect.

It wasn’t only prospective disciples who stood to benefit today, either. Many people, including Mo Duan, saw this day when all of the most influential figures in the region gathered as an opportunity to further their interests. 

Mo Duan was glad that his… passenger’s unfortunate dietary preferences had been sated by the meal delivered by Elder Yuanlei a few days prior. He had several different objectives that he wanted to achieve by the end of the ceremony, and they’d be much harder to accomplish if he was regularly assaulted by the urge to kill and devour every other person he met.

Especially since he would have probably already snapped at the constantly fidgeting disciple accompanying him through the city.

“Disciple Xiao Li, if there’s something that you wish to say, feel free to do so,” said Mo Duan as he made his way through the dense crowds and glanced toward the teenage boy following at his side. “As long as you don’t try to do so intentionally, I sincerely doubt you’ll say anything that would cause me to take offense.”

Xiao Li, a boy with calloused hands and a sturdy frame earned through years of physical conditioning, momentarily tensed when he was addressed before forcing himself to relax.

Mo Duan had decided to make Xiao Li the head disciple of his valley mostly because the kid had shown himself to be very hardworking and had reached the 5th stage of Qi Condensation mostly on his own. There were many other disciples the same age as Xiao Li who had superior cultivations, but none among the generally less valuable disciples who Patriarch Songyu had been assigned to Mo Duan’s valley. 

Not only did Xiao Li have an impressive drive for cultivation—which he had likely developed by growing up powerless on the streets of a nearby city—but he was also fairly clever and well-liked by his peers. Xiao Li’s only disadvantage was that he had been born with a relatively unimpressive talent for cultivation compared to many others.

It’s a good thing that he’d been taking steps to address that little issue these past few weeks.

“Uh, thank you for indulging me, Guest-Elder Mo. I was just wondering why you decided to bring me along with you to the ceremony,” Xiao Li said nervously, his manner of speaking showing that he was clearly unaccustomed to speaking formally. “I, uh, couldn’t think of anything that I can help you with, and it feels like I’d be a… bit out of place.”

‘A bit out of place’ would probably be putting it lightly if Xiao Li was just a random Qi Condensation disciple who Mo Duan decided to bring along. But the kid was missing some context which Mo Duan probably should have explained beforehand… if it hadn’t slipped his mind.

Understandable given all of the ridiculous things he had to deal with, but still somewhat embarrassing.

“I was waiting for you to finally ask, disciple,” Mo Duan lied as he stroked his beard and made his best attempt at sounding wise. “On the path of cultivation, one must be willing to seek guidance from their seniors if they are willing to prosper. Never feel that you need to remain silent if there is something you don’t understand.”

Mo Duan hadn’t actually been trying to teach Xiao Li any kind of lesson, but his words were true nonetheless. He’d much rather his students actually ask questions instead of clamming up because they were worried he’d bite their head off.

Fortunately, Xiao Li was a rather straightforward sort of person. 

“Thank you for your guidance, Guest-Elder Mo,” said Xiao Li, expression sincerely grateful as he looked up at Mo Duan. “I'll take it to heart.”

Mo Duan nodded in approval, suddenly very grateful that Ruo Xingchen hadn’t interacted enough with his disciples to have left a strong impression.

“Good. As for your question, there’s nothing at all out of place about me bringing a Direct Disciple to one of these affairs,” Mo Duan said as they turned around a corner and stepped into one of the wealthier and more restricted parts of the city. Even if none of the guards seemed to recognize him, a simple pulse of his unrestrained aura was enough to keep them away. “The clans never miss an opportunity to show off the most impressive of their descendants, and my fellow Elders will have brought their Direct Disciples to make connections. There’s no reason why I should be any different.”

Xiao Li nodded along to the explanation until he suddenly realized exactly what he had just heard and nearly stumbled over his feet, needing Mo Duan to pull him to the side to avoid walking into a passing carriage.

“D-Direct Disciple? Me?” Xiao Li stuttered as he struggled to compose himself.

Mo Duan raised a single eyebrow as he looked down at the kid, both amused and unsurprised at his reaction. “I don’t see anyone else who I could be referring to.”

Even as he was making light of it, Mo Duan understood Xiao Li’s shock at being named a Direct Disciple. The Verdant Valleys Sect operated on a hierarchical system where the various Elders oversaw their own valleys and ostensibly guided the disciples assigned to those valleys on their cultivation path.

But not all disciples are treated equally.

Those who showed promise rose through the Sect’s ranks and were given greater resources. The vast majority of the Sect’s members were either Outer Disciples, who attended general classes and had access to standard resources, or Inner Disciples, who received more personalized training and access to rare techniques.

However, there were a lucky few who managed to catch the attention of one of the sect’s older and more powerful cultivators and convince them to take on the role of a mentor, thus becoming a Direct Disciple. This was a far more preferable position within the sect than any other, as the senior cultivator would dedicate their personal time and resources to the disciples' development.

Needless to say, going from someone who was effectively at the bottom of the sect’s hierarchy to a Direct Disciple was sort of a big deal.

Mo Duan allowed Xiao Li to silently adjust to his extreme change of status and turned his attention to their destination. The Moonlit Jade Hall was a rather grandiose and opulent structure at the heart of Verdant Gate City, rising several stories high and adorned with intricate carvings that depicted scenes of mythical beasts and legendary cultivators in action. It usually served as an administrative center for those assigned by the sect to manage the city, but it was also frequently used as a venue to entertain important guests during large events, such as the Disciple Selection Ceremony.

It wasn’t long before Mo Duan found himself standing in a long line of wealthy merchants, powerful cultivators, and local nobility all waiting to be allowed into the Moonlit Jade Hall. An angry woman wearing an overly ornate dress was arguing with a clearly beleaguered guard at the entrance, making it clear that Mo Duan would have to wait a while before he could enter.

There were naturally multiple ways that he could get himself inside faster—such as fully unleashing his aura and demanding that he be allowed entry or simply using the alternate entrance meant for those too powerful to be kept waiting—but Mo Duan had no intention of doing so.

The beginning of the Disciple Selection Ceremony was a written test meant to evaluate the knowledge of the examinees on various topics. This was important, but not a deciding factor given that the Verdant Valleys Sect was perfectly willing to take in even those who were illiterate. In truth, this stage of the ceremony was used as an opportunity for the sect to discreetly examine each prospective disciple to ensure they weren’t malicious shapeshifts, possessed by evil spirits, or a threat to the sect in any way.

Those who passed this section would then be teleported to an undisclosed location via array where they would undergo whatever tests the Verdant Valley Sect had come up with for the year.

Unless there was some kind of spectacle like a person with ill-intentions being caught and dealt with, then this part of the ceremony was rather dull and Mo Duan had no reason to rush inside.

Besides, he had a feeling that Xiao Li had a few questions and he wanted to give the kid a chance to voice them before the two of them were exposed to the wolf's den. Ruo Xingchen didn’t have much experience dealing with the wealthy and influential, but Mo Duan did and he sincerely doubted the people inside were any less vicious than the rich bastards he frequently dealt with in his first life.

He should know, given that he’d been one of those bastards himself once upon a time.

“Why?”

Mo Duan was pulled from his thoughts as Xiao Li finally gave voice to the obvious question that had been looming between them. Rather than answering directly, Mo Duan decided that he may as well try his best to do this whole ‘teacher’ thing and test if the kid could reach the right conclusion on his own.

Mo Duan calmly used a Qi Technique designed to prevent anyone from eavesdropping on their conversation, causing several ethereal leaves to begin swirling around them as it took effect. 

“Why do you think powerful cultivators generally go through the effort of taking on disciples?” Mo Duan asked after he ensured that his Qi Technique was working as intended. “Given how tense you still are around me, I assume that you’re not naive enough to think that it’s purely out of the goodness of their heart or a desire to nurture the next generation.”

Xiao Li’s eyes widened briefly in surprise—likely due to Mo Duan’s bluntness—before a thoughtful expression settled on his face.

“Well, I’d guess it’d have something to do with the monthly tribute of Spirit Stones we have to give every month, right?” Xiao Li eventually said, shifting nervously as he considered his answer. 

Mo Duan nodded in satisfaction at Xiao Li’s response. It wasn’t the most difficult of deductions to make, but he was glad that his disciple had a decent head on his shoulders. Whether it was this world or his old one, resources were the ultimate bedrock that all power structures were built upon.

Spirit Stones were created by infusing a certain type of common stone with Qi and served as the dominant form of currency among cultivators—which was a role that a former businessman like Mo Duan found them to be uniquely suited for. Not only did they have a certain degree of scarcity due to requiring that a cultivator dedicate significant time to creating one, but they were also continuously removed from the market due to their consumable nature.

This balance of scarcity and utility not only maintained their value but also stabilized the cultivation economy, preventing issues like rampant inflation that could disrupt economic systems.

Mo Duan honestly found it to be pretty fascinating and would’ve loved to study the matter further if he had the time.

Regardless, the nature of Spirit Stones meant that every single disciple that the Verdant Valleys Sect took in was effectively their own passive money printer, contributing to the sect’s wealth and more than paying for the cost of their cultivation. Even if more powerful cultivators had a much larger and more refined pool of Qi to draw from—which naturally made the production of Spirit Stones easier for them—they still needed to consider the ratio of time invested to resources generated.

In the overwhelming majority of cases, creating an organization and drawing in a large number of people capable of cultivating would generate an obscene amount of resources compared to anything a person could do alone. The drive to ensure that the members of that organization were both loyal and powerful enough to protect it from covetous rivals could explain the actions of most clans, sects, and even nations.

Mo Duan spent a few minutes teaching this to Xiao Li, who stared at him with wide eyes as he eagerly absorbed the information.

“There are also a few reputational benefits that convinced me to bring you here as well,” Mo Duan said as the bothersome woman was finally escorted away and the lines started moving forward. “I am relatively unknown in the Dawnlight Jade Province and have yet to establish myself among the local cultivators. That needs to change if I’m ever going to convince anyone of note to send their children to train under me or form any kind of business relationship that could benefit our valley. The opportunity to show off my ‘Direct Disciple’ to the influential figures here and demonstrate my aptitude as a teacher is too perfect to ignore.”

Xiao Li was quiet for several moments before his eyebrows furrowed in confusion and he let out a frustrated sigh. “That sounds too complicated. Doesn’t make much sense to me either. I’d understand if I was some kind of genius like Senior Shenfeng, but I’m just… not someone who could impress a bunch of rich folks.”

Mo Duan hummed thoughtfully as he glanced down at his disciple, taking in the doubt and uncertainty that the boy was failing to hide. ‘Senior Shenfeng’ was the direct disciple of Elder Wuzhen, and had already reached the Foundation Establishment stage despite being of a similar age to Xiao Li.

If he was to be honest with himself, Mo Duan was far from the most nurturing or empathetic of people. During his past life, he had dedicated himself almost entirely to his work to the detriment of almost everything else, including the people around him. He’d often been told that he was cold, distant, and inconsiderate of the opinions of others—which were all qualities that hadn’t exactly been diminished after Mo Duan assimilated the memories of a narcissistic sociopath.

And it was only now after he’d died that Mo Duan was beginning to second guess how he’d lived his life.

He couldn’t say that he was particularly generous or that he chose Xiao Li out of a crowd of other options for anything but purely pragmatic reasons… but there was definitely a part of him that wanted to see the kid thrive.

“You don’t need to worry, Disciple Xiao Li, that’s something that I’ve already taken into account,” Mo Duan said with a sly smile that only seemed to confuse the boy more. “You might not be a genius, but you’re definitely going to draw some attention. I hope you’re ready for that.”

Mo Duan chuckled at his increasingly worried expression and couldn’t resist the urge to ruffle the kid’s hair. Xiao Li looked at him as if he was crazy, but Mo Duan simply ignored him as the line continued to move forward. 

It wasn’t long before Mo Duan was presenting the guards a jade slip etched with the sigil of the Verdant Valleys Sect and infused with Patriarch Songyu’s oppressive Qi. The guards at this entrance obviously hadn’t expected to receive any truly important guests and were almost frantic in their eagerness to allow him entry.

Mo Duan ignored the wide-eyed expressions of everyone close enough to realize who he was and calmly made his way through a protective Formation and into the Moonlit Jade Hall. His first impression as he stepped inside was to once again be impressed by Elder Feng Ke’s Formations, as the Moonlite Jade Hall’s internal space had clearly been significantly expanded beyond its natural state.

Mo Duan was greeted to the sight of a vast hall filled with rows upon rows of lavishly decorated tables and surrounded by cultivators of varying ages and attire. Floating trays of delicacies and spiritual teas meandered through the air as beautiful music played softly in the background. Mo Duan followed the sound to a gorgeous woman on the other side of the hall strumming the strings of a zither and wearing a set of iridescent robes that marked her as a member of the Eternal Melody Sect.

A series of massive glass mirrors had been set up along the walls, each of them displaying different scenes of interest from the Disciple Selection Ceremony. 

However, hardly anyone seemed to be paying much mind to the ongoing affair given that it was still going through its preliminary phases. Instead, members from groups like the Azure Serpent Merchant League mingled with representatives of the smaller sects and clans, discussing alliances, trade agreements, and the latest developments in the region. 

Mo Duan could also see several of his colleagues among the crowd—including Elder Yuanlei who subtly gave him a single baleful glare before turning her attention back to a conversation with a richly dressed merchant. Patriarch Songyu and Elder Wuzhen were both nowhere to be seen, though Mo Duan did spot a few members of their valleys who were no doubt representing the interests of their superiors. 

Honestly, despite many of the people in the room being strong enough to bend steel with their bare hands and kill dozens of mortals with barely any effort, Mo Duan found the atmosphere to be amusingly similar to some of the more elaborate social gatherings in his previous life.

I guess people are the same no matter where you go, Mo Duan mused as he made his way over to one of the empty tables near the periphery of the hall, with Xiao Li following closely by his side. 

He’d noticed several people glancing their way and even felt a few of the more brazen ones fail to probe his aura with their Qi, but only a few seemed to have recognized him. None of them actually approached on account of him being a powerful cultivator with a relatively unknown temperament—but it wouldn’t be long before someone mustered the courage to try.

Mo Duan wasn’t opposed to this, of course, but he needed to find the right person in the crowd of cultivators if he wanted his strategy to make a good first impression to actually succeed.

“Nervous, disciple?” Mo Duan asked as he took a seat and accepted a cup of tea from one of the floating trays that approached their table. “If so, then you should do your best to hide it. I can see many of your peers are watching you quite closely.”

Righteous cultivators didn’t run their sects in the same way that demonic cultivators did—which was to basically allow its members to cruelly torture and exploit each other in a bid to elevate the most powerful—but there was no shortage of ruthless competition. 

Instead of contending to see who could slit each other’s throat in the night without getting caught or attempting to secretly cripple a rival disciples' cultivation, righteous cultivators favored a more overt warrior culture with frequent public challenges. Xiao Li’s future in the cultivation world would be heavily shaped by how much his peers respected him and how well he managed to build up his ‘face’, or reputation within the community.

This being the case, Mo Duan wasn’t the only one who needed to be concerned with making a good first impression.

His warning was enough for Xiao Li to straighten up immediately from his previous nervous posture as he took a seat, trying his best to mirror Mo Duan’s relaxed demeanor. Although that quickly came to an end when the kid noticed a pretty young woman from the Divine Maiden Sect glancing in his direction and promptly lost all sense of composure.

Mo Duan chuckled and spent a minute mercilessly teasing the boy before he decided to turn his attention back to his agenda.

Now if only I could find someone likely to recognize a rare Spirit Plant and influential enough to make my plan work, Mo Duan thought as he scanned the crowd and searched for an appropriate target. 

For all his faults, Ruo Xingchen was as diligent as he was paranoid and had put a great deal of research into the various factions of the Celestial Jade Empire after leaving the Scorched Hollow. Mo Duan thus recognized the majority of the cultivators in the hall from their unique garments and insignias. He was able to very quickly zero in on a pair of cultivators sitting at a nearby table and  speaking with Elder Ying—who was a kindly looking woman responsible for the sect’s alchemical and medicinal needs. 

One appeared to be a young man from the Eternal Forge Pavillion, if the crystalline orb flying by their side was any indication. Their sect was fairly small, but specialized in the creation of Spirit Tools and were well known for being accompanied by what were effectively magical drones that assisted and defended their creators. 

The other was an elderly woman from the Shang Clan, which was a group that specialized quite heavily in Spirit Plants and held a close alliance with the Verdant Valleys Sect. Their Clan wasn’t quite as distinctive as the Eternal Forge Pavillion, but Mo Duan could easily sense the soothing waves of Wood Qi wafting from the woman.

It was far different from the malevolent and ravenous undertone that Mo Duan’s demonic Qi took on when he wasn’t actively concealing it.

Much like most of the other people engaged in important conversations, Elder Ying and the two cultivators from the Shang Clan and the Eternal Forge Pavilion had taken some measures to hide their discussion from prying ears. Unfortunately for them, Mo Duan both had a higher cultivation base than all three of them and possessed the memories of a paranoid criminal, so he was easily able to overcome their precautions after he used a subtle Qi Technique.

A thin trail of pollen imperceptible to any conventional and most unconventional means of detection drifted from his palm and weaved toward the group. His Qi Technique allowed him to hear anything within a certain radius of the pollen, which quickly settled on the table of his targets without being detected.

“—derstand your difficulties, Elder Ying, but there’s little that I can do about the shortage in Crimson Heart Blossoms this season,” said the woman from the Shang Clan, her voice tinged with frustration. “The recent instability in the Scorched Hollow and the vexing number of demonic cultivators crossing the border has caused the cost of our caravans to drastically increase. Not to mention that nonsense near Misty Lake City.”

The representative from the Eternal Forge Pavillion huffed and crossed his arms as his mouth twisted into a sneer. “Hmph. Lady Shang Lianhua and I are in agreement. Those accursed scum should keep their quarrels to their own forsaken little hole in the ground. It would be much easier for us to deliver the Spirit Tools and alchemical supplies that you’ve commissioned without their interference, Elder Ying. It’s truly a shame that the vermin seem to have grown more adept at hiding from our efforts to exterminate them.”

Mo Duan perked up as he listened to their conversation, encouraged that they were speaking on topics directly related to his current interests.

“I see. Is there really nothing that can be done, Xu Zheng? This will make it much more difficult to properly supply our disciples with Blood-Replenishing Pills when they leave on dangerous missions,” said Elder Ying, sounding genuinely upset that the sect’s disciples would be in danger. “Senior Sister Yuanlei says that she and the Patriarch are making efforts to deal with the demonic cultivators, but I could hardly guess when they’ll manage to do so.”

Out of all the Elders in the Verdant Valleys Sect, Elder Ying was ironically the one who had unsettled Ruo Xingchen the most aside from Patriarch Songyu himself. Not because she was particularly powerful—as far as he could tell—but because Ruo Xingchen found no evidence that implied that she was anything but an honestly empathetic and caring individual.

Such an individual was truly a unicorn among powerful cultivators.

Having heard enough, Mo Duan turned his attention away from the conversation before activating what was the most unique ability at his disposal and the lynchpin of his future plans. 

Much like he had done with the teahouse attendant a few days ago, Mo Duan watched as a twisting branch grew from his palm and blossomed until a strange looking fruit formed at its tip. But instead of the dark hues of the Nightshade Plum, the Soul Nourishing Peach glistening in Mo Duan’s hands emitted a warm golden light that seemed to pulse gently and comforted those around it.

Xiao Li immediately stopped glancing toward the girl from the Divine Maiden Sect and began staring directly at the Spirit Fruit, his expression somewhat similar to a dog eagerly expecting a treat. 

That probably made sense given that Mo Duan had been diligently feeding Xiao Li Soul Nourishing Peaches every few days for the past several weeks.

“Here, Disciple Xiao Li. Remember to savor it slowly and channel its energy through your meridians evenly,” Mo Duan said as he tossed the fruit to the kid and stood from his seat. “Also, I think it’s time that we go introduce ourselves.”

Xiao Li grunted in affirmation, but seemed to be too distracted by the Spirit Fruit to pay much attention as he bit into it and absent-mindedly followed Mo Duan across the room. His targets’ cultivation-enhanced senses allowed them to notice his approach almost instantly.

Elder Ying and her two companions all paused in their conversation, attention now fully on Mo Duan and his disciple.

As he drew closer, Mo Duan allowed his aura to unfurl and saw the exact moment that Lady Shang and Forge Master Xu felt the weight of his Core Formation stage cultivation wash over them. Their expressions immediately shifted from polite interest to genuine respect and well-hidden caution, as was expected given that they were both in the Foundation Establishment stage.

Strength more than any other factor was the basis for all interactions between cultivators.

Mo Duan merely smiled and turned to Elder Ying, deciding that it would be best to first greet his colleague and the strongest cultivator present aside from himself. 

“Elder Ying, it’s a pleasure to see you,” Mo Duan said with a respectful nod as he confidently took a seat at the table, speaking to his colleague for the first time since he’d taken over Ruo Xingchen’s body. “I thought that I’d take this opportunity to better make your acquaintance and introduce my newly chosen Direct Disciple, Xiao Li. May I ask what you were talking about? It looked like quite a serious conversation.”

Mo Duan smiled and spoke the same diplomatic niceties that he’d used while speaking to clients in his past life. Xiao Li awkwardly found a spot behind Mo Duan and remained standing as etiquette dictated. 

Something that he couldn’t decipher flashed through Elder Ying’s eyes before she quickly covered it with a much more friendly smile of her own. 

“It’s a pleasure to see you as well, Guest-Elder Mo. And you, Disciple Xiao Li,” said Elder Ying, her expression warm as she greeted him before somehow growing even softer as she addressed the teenage boy. She then went on to introduce her two companions, likely having assumed that Mo Duan wouldn’t have been familiar with them. “We were just discussing some of the recent challenges we’ve been facing due to the current troubles in the east.”

“Indeed. A subject that someone of your experience and impressive accomplishments would no doubt have valuable insights,” said Forge Master Xu. His tone and words both seemed superficially fawning, but something about it set off Mo Duan’s instincts. “Though I hope that isn’t presumptuous of me to say. We know so little about you, Guest-Elder, aside from rumors about your origins as a wandering cultivator.”

Ah. He’s fishing for information, Mo Duan suddenly realized.

When the Verdant Valleys Sect decided to accept Ruo Xingchen’s proposal, they obviously couldn’t come out and publicly admit that they were going to recruit a demonic cultivator. Therefore, they’d been rather circumspect about the entire affair and allowed outsiders to draw their own conclusions. This was reasonable for Ruo Xingchen as he only intended to stay with the sect for a decade, which was not particularly long for cultivators, and not involve himself with affairs beyond his secret missions.

But Mo Duan’s plans called for a more lasting arrangement, meaning he couldn’t be so dismissive.

Fortunately, Ruo Xingchen and his fellow conspirators had gone through the effort of establishing a cover story. One which Elder Yuanlei had gone to great lengths to create a trail of convincing paperwork and evidence to support.

“Those rumors are correct, though I doubt my experience as a wandering cultivator would be of great help here,” Mo Duan said with an apologetic air. “The Dragonheart Dominion is a much different land than the Celestial Jade Empire. I’ve only ever recently started learning about demonic cultivators after the Verdant Valleys Sect agreed to take me on as a Guest-Elder.”

Both Lady Shang and Forge Master Xu seemed shocked at the mention of the Dragonheart Dominion, with Elder Ying only retaining her composure because she’d already been told his supposed background.

They were justified to be astonished as the Dragonheart Dominion was a bordering nation ruled firmly by a family of Flood Dragons, who tended to be as possessive and overbearing as they were unfairly powerful.

“That’s… certainly a surprise,” said Forge Master Xu, the floating crystal at his side seeming to dart back and forth in response to its master’s momentary emotional upheaval. “I was under the impression that any cultivators within the Dragonheart Dominion had been made into pets for their overlords…”

“Most have. But the greatest strength of we cultivators is our ability to adapt,” said Mo Duan, leaning toward his enraptured listeners as if sharing a secret. “There are many cultivators who’ve learned to hide their nature from the Dominion.” 

The best part of Mo Duan’s story was that it was effectively unfalsifiable, as nobody would be venturing into the Dragonheart Dominion to verify his claims. According to Ruo Xingchen’s memories, there was evidence of secretive cultivators existing within the Dominion, but it was doubtful even they would know every other cultivator in their region.

It also neatly explained why the Verdant Valleys Sect would take him on as a Guest-Elder. A Core Formation stage cultivator was already rare and powerful enough to be worth courting, but Mo Duan being from beyond the Celestial Jade Empire meant that he would almost certainly possess unique Cultivation Methods and Qi Techniques to pass down to the sect’s disciples

Mo Duan didn’t much like Elder Yuanlei’s personality, but even he had to admit that the story she’d come up with was ingenious and explained away many of his suspicious qualities. 

He could almost see the two cultivators rapidly think through the implications of the tale as their eyes slowly lit up with greed.

“I’m truly grateful to the Verdant Valleys Sect for agreeing to take me in as a Guest-Elder after I left the Dominion and giving me the opportunity to take on students,” Mo Duan said graciously as he gestured toward the kid by his side. “I have great expectations for Disciple Xiao Li and look forward to seeing him reach his full potential.”

Lady Shang and Forge Master Xu both regarded Xiao Li with much more interested gazes than they had before, clearly reanalyzing his worth. Mo Duan watched in amusement as the boy froze under the sudden attention like a deer in headlights, eyes nervously darting back and forth between the much stronger cultivators surrounding him.

The poor kid will have to get used to this soon enough, Mo Duan mused as he studied Xiao Li’s reaction before glancing back at Lady Shang and saw something that sent a surge of satisfaction flowing through him. Especially since it looks like she’s finally noticed what you’re eating.

“Is… that a Soul Nourishing Peach? Guest-Elder Mo must truly value his disciple if he’s willing to spend so many Spirit Stones on something so rare and precious,” said Lady Shang, her tone faintly incredulous as she openly stared at the half-eaten Spirit Fruit in Xiao Li’s hands. “If I may ask, where did you acquire it? My Clan has many clients who would pay handsomely for any Spirit Fruit capable of producing even small improvements to their heir’s talent for cultivation. It’s a shame that the Soul Nourishing Peach is almost impossible to successfully grow without extreme efforts and have such a small yield.”

Lady Shang’s words immediately caused Elder Ying and Forge Master Xu to both focus on the fruit with widened eyes. While there were several ways of improving a person’s talent for cultivation, they were all very uncommon and thus restricted to the wealthiest of factions. That Mo Duan was seemingly willing to make such an investment in a completely unknown disciple like Xiao Li was enough to attract anyone’s attention.

Just as he had intended.

“I do indeed place a lot of value in my disciples. After all, it is our responsibility as cultivators to nurture the next generation to the best of our abilities,” Mo Duan said with a dignified air as he placed a comforting hand on Xiao Li’s shoulder, preventing the boy from retreating in on himself any further. “It’s fortunate that my Cultivation Method is uniquely suited for this role. Without it, I doubt that I would’ve been able to easily grow these Soul Nourishing Peaches and provide Disciple Xiao Li with the support that he deserves.”

Mo Duan might as well have admitted to being able to turn lead into gold with the reaction his words solicited. Shock, skepticism, and immense greed most of all shone in the eyes of the cultivators as they processed the implications of what he had said.

Elder Ying was the first to compose herself with a cough and directly ask for further clarification. “Guest-Elder Mo, I wouldn’t normally be so rude to ask someone about the details of their Cultivation Method, but I hope you’re willing to indulge my curiosity. Do you mean to imply that you’re able to somehow produce these Soul Nourishing Peaches in significant amounts?”

“I suppose that depends on what you mean by ‘significant amounts’,” Mo Duan said, feigning nonchalance even as everyone around him listened with intense interest. “My Botanical Sublimation Method does allow me to efficiently grow a limited number of Spirit Plants within my Dantian without worrying about their delicate environmental requirements. Though you’ll have to forgive me for not being any more specific on the exact details.”

Cultivation Methods were the means through which cultivators took in Qi and refined it within their bodies, with each method resulting in vastly different effects. They could do everything from granting a cultivator slightly more flexible joints to completely changing their entire bodies until they could no longer be considered humans.

The real name of Mo Duan’s Cultivation Method was the ‘Demonic Sublimation Method’, but only because it was capable of functioning with demonic Qi. Aside from lying about the name, everything he had just said about his Cultivation Method was the truth. Mo Duan could effectively host his own personal garden of Spirit Plants within his Dantian—which was a metaphysical internal space that all cultivators possessed—and use it to grow rare and precious plants that would otherwise require extensive care.

The Demonic Sublimation Method itself didn’t hold much direct combat potential, which was why Mo Duan’s Dantian hosted a dangerous entity like the Veinripper Vines. It was a shame that the symbiotic relationship was gradually growing more parasitic in nature, but Mo Duan’s Cultivation Method still held an immense potential to quickly improve a small group of disciples through the use of rare Spirit Plants.

“That’s… extremely impressive, Guest-Elder Mo. Do you have any intentions of sharing your Cultivation Method with your disciples?” asked Lady Shang, barely able to hold back her excitement. “Such a method would give your valley a prominent place in the Spirit Plant trade.”

It was difficult to overstate just how significant the act of passing down a Cultivation Method could be, especially one as unique as Mo Duan’s. Entire clans and sects had been built around the idea of focusing on a particular Cultivation Method, allowing them to gain greater benefits from specialization.

Oh, it was implicitly understood that Mo Duan wouldn’t allow his Cultivation Method to be shared beyond those he personally taught it to, but it was still an enormous opportunity. Especially given that becoming Mo Duan’s Direct Disciple would also gain them access to rare Spirit Plants such as the Soul Nourishing Peach.

“I do have that intention, yes,” said Mo Duan, allowing a deliberate pause to build anticipation among his audience. “In fact, this is one of my primary goals in today’s Disciple Selection Ceremony. I hope to find a talented disciple with a Pure Wood Spirit Root who can inherit my Botanical Sublimation Method.”

Mo Duan punctuated his statement by reaching into his Dantian and pulling forward one of the rarer Spirit Plants in his possession. The Azure Dew Flower quickly emerged from his palm, its luminescent petals casting a serene light around and exuding a potent wave of Qi that captured the attention of many cultivators beyond their table. 

While the Soul Nourishing Peach was only effective for Qi Condensation stage cultivators, the Azure Dew Flower was the main ingredient for a pill that improved the spiritual perception of those in the Foundation Establishment stage. Given that the majority of the cultivators currently within the Moonlit Jade Hall were of that level, Mo Duan had no doubt that details about his method would begin spreading as soon as the conversation was over and make him the most talked about figure in the region.

And far more importantly, he would be allowed to recruit practically anyone he wanted to his valley without worrying about any influential factions feeling slighted at his lack of pedigree.

This wouldn’t have been all that important if Mo Duan had decided to move forward with Ruo Xingchen’s plan to deal with the Veinripper Vines. However, he wasn’t all that eager about following that lunatic’s idea of using an evil ritual to effectively subsume the even more evil parasitic entity residing within him. Doing so would definitely solve the threat of the Veinripper Vines eventually becoming powerful enough to devour or take over his body, but it was hard to imagine that such a fusion wouldn’t have consequences.

While Ruo Xingchen might not have cared about the likely side-effects of taking on so much demonic Qi, Mo Duan would prefer to avoid becoming a psychopathic monster.

Therefore, he would need to walk down the much harder path of modifying the Demonic Sublimation Method if he wanted to rid himself of the looming threat in a way that preserved his sanity. But doing so would not only require the vast amounts of resources that Mo Duan could only reasonably accumulate with a flourishing base of power under his control, but also data from other cultivators using his Cultivation Method.

Mo Duan couldn’t help but glance to the mirrors reflecting the ongoing Disciple Selection Ceremony, wondering which of the hopeful candidates there might soon become his disciple.

The conversation from that point on revolved around Lady Shang and Forge Master Xu attempting to secure a promise from Mo Duan to collaborate with their respective factions. He politely deflected their offers, as he wasn’t interested in making deals until after the Disciple Selection Ceremony.

By then, he would have a much better idea of who would be joining his valley and what political implications they would be bringing with them.

Elder Ying, on the other hand, merely inquired about his ability to grow various Spirit Plants meant for healing. He had a finite amount of space within his Dantian so he was only able to reach a very limited agreement with Elder Ying, but even that was enough to make her smile brightly in his direction.

Just as Mo Duan was privately celebrating having made a decent impression on one of his colleagues, his attention was suddenly drawn by a commotion on the other side of the hall. Mo Duan turned toward the source of the disturbance and very quickly saw what had so thoroughly captured everyone’s attention.

Walking into the room from a passageway that led deeper into the Moonlit Jade Hall was the largest and most muscular man that Mo Duan had seen in either of his lives. 

Standing at nearly seven feet tall and built like a mountain of muscle, Elder Wu Zhen looked like a man who could destroy a mountain with his bare fists and exuded a Late Core Formation stage aura that spoke of raw, unbridled power. His presence alone was enough to command the attention of the entire room, a testament to his status as the second deadliest man in the Verdant Valleys Sect.

Despite this, Mo Duan found his eyes inexorably drifting to the figure walking alongside Elder Wu Zhen.

During his research into the leaders of the Verdant Valleys Sect, Ruo Xingchen had estimated that he would have a strong advantage against most of its Elders in terms of combat and perhaps even odds against Wu Zhen if he prepared beforehand. 

But when it came to the sect’s leader, every single bit of research that Ruo Xingchen had done led him to conclude that the only means of surviving a conflict would be for him to flee as quickly as possible.

Patriarch Songyu wasn’t even close to being as visually imposing as Elder Wu Zhen—his appearance that of a smiling man who was uncommonly handsome even among cultivators. He honestly looked more fit to be a gentle scholar than the leader of the most powerful sect in the province. Yet the sheer power that emanated from him as a cultivator who had reached the Nascent Soul stage was enough to utterly overshadow his subordinate’s formidable presence.

The leap from Core Formation to Nascent Soul was one that very few were able to achieve, and elevated Patriarch Songyu to a level of strength beyond anyone else within the Moonlit Jade Hall.

With two such powerful figures walking into the room at the same time, it was no wonder why they had drawn the attention of every person present.

Although… the bloodied and unconscious man being carelessly dragged across the floor by Elder Wu Zhen probably added a bit to the spectacle, a trail of blood marking his path.

“Greetings, Fellow Daoists. I apologize for my late arrival, but Elder Wu Zhen and I were detained by a demonic cultivator who foolishly believed that we would be distracted by today’s events,” Patriarch Songyu said with an easygoing smile, his voice resonating throughout the hall as he made his way to a stage and addressed his audience. “If anyone has any information or complaints regarding this man, please bring them to Elder Yuanlei’s Spirit’s Rest Valley before his execution.” 

Elder Wu Zhen looked almost bored as he nonchalantly tossed the demonic cultivator in Elder Yuanlei’s direction, drops of blood. The curmudgeonly woman merely grimaced as her shadow swelled from the ground to catch the unconscious figure mid-air and swallow them whole in one fluid motion.

The part of Mo Duan who was still just a maladjusted businessman expected the scene to unsettle or otherwise disturb the gathered crowd. However, the gathered cultivators simply continued to silently observe with a mixture of approval and interest. Even though he’d understood that this world was much more ruthless and that everyone in the room had likely seen their fair share of bloodshed, Mo Duan still found it somewhat astonishing to witness firsthand.

This… is something that I’m definitely going to need to get used to as soon as possible, Mo Duan thought as he studied the reactions of his peers. Only Xiao Li and few of the other similarly young disciples seemed to share his sense of shock. Especially if I’m going to actually teach others how to survive this world.

“But I doubt any of you came to hear about a criminal who was braver than he was wise,” said Patriarch Songyu, his words eliciting a round of polite chuckles as the atmosphere lightened considerably. “This is a day of celebration, a welcoming of new blood into the ranks of the Verdant Valleys Sect and a reforging of alliances that safeguard our shared interests. It is an affirmation to the enduring strength of our traditions and legacies. And most of all, it is a trial through which the next generation is given the opportunity to prove their worth.”

As Patriarch Songyu finished speaking, the mirrors lining the walls transitioned from showing various prospective disciples being evaluated by examiners to revealing the location to which those who had passed the initial screening were teleported.

“In most years, our secondary trial is one that is meant to test endurance and perseverance. Qualities essential for any who wish to walk the path of cultivation,” Patriarch Songyu said with a gravity that effortlessly commanded attention. “But the Scorched Hallow grows restless and fate pulls us ever closer to confrontation with the demonic cultivators who seek to undermine everything we’ve built. It would be pure negligence if we failed to prepare our disciples for the harsh realities they may face.”

Those ‘harsh realities’ were clearly on display for everyone in the Moonlit Jade Hall to see. Each of the mirrors showed young prospective disciples spread throughout an uneven terrain filled with jagged rocks and shrouded in a mist so thick that visibility was nearly nonexistent. The contenders were currently surrounded by an enormous barrier of Qi that protected them from danger, with those who were just finishing the written exam being teleported in every few moments.

“That is why this year’s Disciple Selection Ceremony will be conducted within our sect’s Enigmatic Fog Valley,” said Patriarch Songyu, causing a stir of interest and murmurs among the crowd. His eyes scanned the crowd, momentarily lingering on Mo Duan as his mouth curved into a slight smirk. “For millennia, our Dawnlight Jade Province has stood as the empire’s bulwark against the evils of demonic cultivation. It is with immense honor that the Verdant Valleys Sect has been entrusted by your esteemed families to shape your descendants. While the tides of fate may be uncertain, I’ve no doubt that a new generation of heroes will emerge from them to carry on this sacred legacy.”

There was something in the way Patriarch Songyu spoke that caused Mo Duan to feel an ominous chill settle over him, even as the rest of the room seemed to greatly approve. It was… a sense of certainty that made the man seem as if he knew something that others did not, an undercurrent of foreknowledge that tainted every word he said.

Although, that impression may simply be because he knew exactly how good of a liar Patriarch Songyu truly was.

There was something extraordinarily dangerous about a man charismatic enough to convince an entire room of shrewd and intelligent people that he was the very picture of a righteous leader who hated demonic cultivators, all the while knowingly hiding one in their midst. By the time Patriarch Songyu had finished his speech, Mo Duan was thoroughly disquieted while everyone else seemed like they’d been caught in a wave of optimistic fervor.

When the applause finally quieted, Mo Duan decided that he and Xiao Li would be better served watching the Disciple Selection Ceremony in private. After all, he’d accomplished everything he wanted and didn’t really want to deal with any more political maneuvering for the time being.

But just as he was about to excuse himself, a sourceless whisper sounded in his ear with chilling clarity. 

“Ruo Xingchen, please join me and the other Elders in the private viewing room upstairs. Since you’ve seemed to have a change of heart recently about setting down roots, I think it would be best for you to… better acquaint yourself with your peers.”

The voice of Patriarch Songyu spoke with a gentle politeness, but Mo Duan knew better to think of his words as anything else but an explicit order. That was only confirmed when he turned his gaze to the Patriarch and saw the man staring directly at him from across the room.

The other Elders had clearly received similar messages of their own and were beginning to make their way out the main hall, so Mo Duan let out a resigned sigh and offered the Patriarch the only response he could by nodding in acknowledgement. 

He wished that the Patriarch’s answering smile didn’t fill him with as much discomfort as it did.

===================================

Author's Note: People seemed to appreciate the changes that I made to the original in the first chapter, so wanted to share my thoughts again about some of the changes I made.

Mo Duan's Cultivation Method has been a bit more clearly defined, with it allowing him to take in Spirit Plants/Demonic Plants into his internal cultivator space and make a garden out of them. I felt like this is pretty consistent with his vine thing, and gives him a bit of a unique advantage when it comes to training disciples.

Him being a Sect Elder is a central premise of the story, so I was a bit more explicit in explaining how having disciples benefits more powerful cultivators. I also talked a little bit about how it helps the MC specifically in his quest to get fix the whole evil parastic plant thing. Felt this was necessary to help the reader feel invested in the valley building part of the story.

I'm intending to spend a bit more time focusing on Mo Duan, minimizing disciples pov until I've fleshed him out a bit and then gradually showing more of the disciples. Therefore, I put a little more effort in introducing Mo Duan's peers than I did in the original.