A Morning Prayer for Master
At dawn, Li Qingran performed her daily ritual.
“Disciple Qingran prays for the heavens to have mercy, to grant protection, to dispel disasters, and to keep Master safe from harm.”
After burning incense and bathing, she bowed three times to the sky before setting off for the Sword Pavilion morning class.
She had always been a punctual person, preferring to arrive early rather than risk being late.
However, when she reached the sect square, she was stunned.
A Sea of Disciples—And A Chaotic Battle for Seats
The entire square was already packed with people!
- On rooftops, in pine trees, even perched on bamboo tips—disciples were everywhere.
- Some stood, others sat cross-legged, while a few were lounging lazily.
- The best viewing spots had the most people.
BANG!
A sword clash suddenly erupted, followed by an intense burst of sword light.
Then, loud shouts of anger:
“Get lost! This is MY spot!”
“Yours?! I claimed it first!”
“I sent my flying sword ahead to mark my place!”
“Do I look like I care?!”
The fight intensified, with swords clashing violently in midair.
Yet, the other disciples simply watched with amusement, whispering bets on who would win.
Li Qingran blinked in shock.
“This is normal??”
A Drunken Senior Brother’s Advice
“Little Junior Sister, you should come even earlier next time.”
A voice came from above as Xu An, the senior brother who had gifted her spiritual wine, landed lightly from a bamboo tip.
“Senior Brother Xu.” Li Qingran hurriedly bowed.
“Ah, no need to be so formal.” Xu An waved his wine gourd casually, his eyes hazy with drunkenness. “The morning class is one of the most important events in the sect. The elders help resolve cultivation difficulties, while the disciples share their battle experiences.
“After that, each peak’s disciples return with their elders to train in their specialized sword arts.”
Li Qingran nodded in understanding.
This was completely different from the teaching style at Qingyun Sect—and much more practical.
“So,” Xu An continued, “since morning class is so valuable, you need to arrive early to claim a good seat. The closer you are, the more details you can observe—crucial for both training and real combat.”
He wobbled on the bamboo tip as he spoke—but despite swaying unsteadily, his feet remained firmly rooted to the narrow stalk.
“But, Senior Brother, aren’t you late too?”
“Me?” Xu An laughed and waved dismissively.
“No one dares take my seat. The front spots are reserved for the top three true disciples of each peak. If someone wants to take them, they have to defeat us first.”
Morning Class Begins
As they spoke, the fight over seating concluded.
One disciple, grumbling in frustration, leaped onto a nearby rooftop, kicked off another disciple, and claimed his spot.
DONG! DONG! DONG!
A deep bell chime echoed nine times from the distant mountains.
The entire sect square fell silent.
“Morning class is starting,” Xu An said, his expression suddenly serious.
His previous drunken demeanor vanished, replaced by a sharp focus.
“Little Junior Sister, I’m heading to the front. See you later~“
Before Li Qingran could react, Xu An disappeared—leaving only a swaying bamboo stalk in his place.
The Sword Pavilion’s Teaching Style
Li Qingran was captivated by the entire morning class.
Unlike Qingyun Sect, where elders simply recited cultivation scriptures, the Sword Pavilion’s method was:
✔ Practical – Elders broke down knowledge by realm.
✔ Engaging – Even lower-realm disciples could grasp key concepts.
✔ Forward-thinking – It allowed disciples to prepare for future breakthroughs.
She couldn’t help but compare it to her old sect.
At Qingyun Sect, when she was taught Chiyun Jue, her elder had simply:
- Handed her the manual
- Told her to memorize it
- Left without further guidance
She had to struggle alone, painstakingly deciphering the technique into words she could understand.
“No wonder Qingyun Sect is so stagnant…”
As morning class ended, disciples dispersed, following their respective elders back to training.
Li Qingran, however, stayed behind.
She had something important to do.
Seeking the Sect Master
After searching the square, she finally found him—
Sect Master Su Qinian, napping soundly on a pine tree.
Li Qingran hesitated.
“Should I wake him…?”
Determined, she bowed politely.
“Sect Master, I have something to report!”
…Silence.
She looked up—he was still asleep, completely unaware of his surroundings.
For a powerhouse at the Spiritualization Realm, wasn’t this too careless?
She tried again.
“Sect Master?”
Still no response.
Suddenly—
A familiar voice chuckled behind her.
“Junior Sister, you can’t wake Master like that.”
A Peculiar Sleeping Habit
Li Qingran turned sharply—
It was Yue Qianchi, her senior sister.
With a mischievous glint in her eyes, Yue Qianchi draped an arm around Li Qingran’s shoulder.
“Master has a very special sleep pattern,” she whispered conspiratorially.
“If he were outside the sect, he could sense danger from hundreds of miles away.”
“But inside the Sword Pavilion…?”
Yue Qianchi grinned.
“Even if you stand right next to him, even if you poke him, he won’t wake up.”
She rummaged through her storage bag and pulled out—
A bronze disc and a wooden mallet.
Li Qingran’s eyelids twitched.
“Wait… are you serious?!”
“Senior Sister, This Is Not Good, Right?”
Yue Qianchi grinned mischievously.
“Today, Senior Sister will teach you how to wake up the sleeping Sect Master.”
Li Qingran’s expression changed drastically.
“Senior Sister, this… this doesn’t seem right?”
She had already guessed what Yue Qianchi was planning to do.
This is disrespectful!
If this happened in Qingyun Sect, she would have been expelled on the spot!
But Yue Qianchi waved it off casually.
“There’s nothing wrong with it.”
Then, before Li Qingran could protest further, she jumped onto the tree, placed a bronze disc right on top of Su Qinian’s head, and raised the wooden mallet high.
BANG!
Li Qingran shut her eyes in terror.
When the thunderous impact finally faded, she slowly peeked through her fingers—
Su Qinian was already sitting up cross-legged.
His face? Dark as ink.
The muscles on his face twitched violently.
Meanwhile, the culprit—Yue Qianchi—had vanished without a trace.
Li Qingran’s heart sank.
“It’s over!”
Hurriedly, she bowed deeply and stammered:
“S-Sect Master! It wasn’t me! It was—”
But just before she could name names, she bit her tongue.
I can’t betray Senior Sister!
So instead, she clenched her fists, lowered her head, and blurted out:
“My disciple’s eyes were full of dust… I… I saw nothing.“
The Pavilion Master’s Scheming Smile
Su Qinian sneered coldly.
“Hah! If you hadn’t said anything, I might not have figured out it was that little brat Yue Qianchi who did it.”
His teeth ground together, and his fists clenched inside his sleeves.
“That troublemaker is getting too bold! Later, I’ll make her clean up after the sect beast!”
Li Qingran sighed in relief.
“Oh, just cleaning up after the sect beast? That’s not a punishment at all.”
After all, she herself had done plenty of those kinds of chores—it was just a little smelly.
However—
Su Qinian’s expression suddenly changed.
A sinister grin spread across his face.
“Heh… so it was that little brat, huh? Heh heh heh!“
Li Qingran froze.
“Wait… why does he look so happy?!”
A terrifying realization hit her like lightning.
She had been tricked!
“Sect Master, I Have Something to Report!”
Li Qingran lowered her head, hands clasped together, filled with guilt and regret.
[Senior Sister, I’m so sorry! QAQ The Sect Master is too cunning!]
But Su Qinian was already done scheming.
“Forget that little brat—she’s dead meat.”
He jumped down from the pine tree, landed gracefully, and straightened his robe.
Then, looking at Li Qingran with genuine confusion, he asked:
“Alright, what did you want to talk about?”
Li Qingran took a deep breath.
“Sect Master,” she began, her voice serious,
“My master—the Great Elder Chen—is currently battling a great demon.
“But he is poisoned… he said he might not live much longer.
“Since my master is the Great Elder of the Sword Pavilion, I thought that you must know about this…”
“WHAT?!”
Su Qinian stiffened.
His mouth twitched violently.
“WHAT GREAT ELDER CHEN?!“
“WHO IS THIS PERSON?!“
He had no idea what she was talking about.
But from Li Qingran’s earnest expression, it was clear—
She absolutely believed it.
