Chapter 11: Acquaintance

Lu Ming and the others stared in shock at Han Su, who was scorched black and covered in blood, and at the wounded single-eyed fish lying by her side.
“Han Han Han Su! Did you kill that?!”
“You advanced in cultivation?!”
“How did you get so filthy?!”
All three spoke at once, but their questions were entirely different.

It was only after Tu Qi reminded her that Han Su realized her current miserable state. She quickly performed a Dust-Avoidance Spell, and was instantly renewed, clean and fresh. Her companions crowded around, each speaking words of concern and praise, their admiration evident. Even Han Su, whose mindset should have been that of an adult, could not help but show a hint of delight on her face.

After a while, she remembered to ask about the two unfamiliar friends.
“This is Senior Brother Zhu Shaoyi from the Inner Sect of Spirit Sword Peak, and this is Senior Sister Tao Xinyan from the Inner Sect of Spirit Talisman Peak,” Tu Qiqi introduced them one by one to Han Su.

The disciples of the Yao Hua Sect were divided into several categories: miscellaneous servants, outer sect disciples, inner sect disciples, and elite disciples like Han Su and her companions. Generally, the distinction between inner and outer sect depended on one’s spiritual roots—the better the roots, the greater the talent, and thus the more worthy of cultivation. In the world of cultivation, strength ought to be paramount; it mattered not whether one had been a beggar or of royal blood before entering the sect, for once accepted, all should be judged solely by ability.

However, while worldly status was irrelevant in the mundane realm, it was not so in the cultivation world. Large cultivation families possessed powerful ancestors in the Nascent Soul or even Divine Transformation stage, offering their descendants abundant resources, superior heritage, and formidable backing—this, too, was a form of strength. Thus, someone like Han Su, whose parents were both high-level cultivators and who had two strong cultivation clans behind her, and who herself possessed outstanding talent, was naturally considered an elite disciple of the sect.

Some in their group trained according to family arrangements, while others chose excellent mentors based on their spiritual roots. For example, Lu Ming had a single wood spiritual root; his grandfather, Lord Qian Dai, the master of Spirit Release Peak, had already privately negotiated with Han Su’s father that, upon Lu Ming’s successful foundation establishment, he would become the fourth principal disciple of Lord Lan He.

But not every second-generation cultivator could become a disciple of a Nascent Soul master, nor was every disciple under a Nascent Soul master a second-generation cultivator. High-level cultivators rarely bore children, so those with backgrounds as solid as Han Su’s were rare indeed.

Take Su Yunmo in her past life, for instance: she had a single water spiritual root. Had she apprenticed under Lord Miao Tong of Spirit Pool Peak, it would have greatly benefited her cultivation. Lord Miao Tong, senior sister to Lord Miao Zhen, also possessed a single water spiritual root and was gentle yet resolute, with profound insights into the way of water. An agreement had already been made in private, but Su Yunmo insisted on joining Lord Yu Heng’s tutelage, whose spiritual root was utterly different from hers. In her previous life, Lord Miao Zhen had to apologize endlessly to her senior sister because of this matter.

Though the sect distinguished between inner and outer disciples, the elite disciples often mingled with the inner sect. Their status was more prestigious, but cultivators must vie with the heavens for their fate; if disciples were sheltered too much, never facing hardship, it would do them no good. Thus, while Han Su, Su Yunmo, and others were pampered at home, once they established their foundation and truly entered the world of cultivation, they too had to venture out, seeking opportunities and tempering themselves. The only difference was that they possessed more treasures, more life-saving techniques, and broader experience.

Even so, their special status was enough to attract ambitious inner sect disciples, hoping to gain more resources. Therefore, it was not surprising that these two new friends joined them. Yet, the three were all young in age but rich in experience; to accept these two and receive such attitudes from them meant the newcomers must have remarkable qualities.

Thus, Han Su exchanged greetings with the pair, officially acknowledging their place in the little squad.