Chapter 70: The Ranking of the Five Elements Sect
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“Spellcraft: 100”
“Overall Rating: Grade A, admitted to the Inner Sect.”
With a perfect double score and the advantage of being only fifteen years old, Cao Chengyu was directly admitted to the Inner Sect of the Five Elements Sect.
Such results not only stunned the wandering cultivators, but also surprised the young man in charge of assisting with the induction process.
Even Elder Black-and-White nodded approvingly.
“Not bad. I hope you will work hard in your cultivation and contribute to the development of our Five Elements Sect.”
“Disciple will not fail your expectations!” Cao Chengyu answered, cupping his fists.
“Good. What is your current cultivation stage?”
Having left the Great Yue Dynasty, Cao Chengyu had long since employed two methods to seal his own aura. Unless Elder Black-and-White used his own cultivation pressure to forcibly break through, he would not be able to discern Cao Chengyu’s true level.
“I have reached the early stage of the Dao Body.”
“Dao Body? How could—”
Before Elder Black-and-White could gasp in shock, Cao Chengyu straightforwardly released the aura of his Dao Body cultivation.
The elder’s mouth hung slightly open in disbelief, but he quickly asked, “What kind of Dao Body have you forged?”
“It’s a constitution related to the Five Elements, which I obtained from an ancient cave dwelling. Its name has long been lost.”
“The Five Elements? Excellent, excellent. No wonder someone of your talent would join the Five Elements Sect. Wise choice.”
“Ha ha!”
Elder Black-and-White laughed heartily and gave instructions. “Qin Huan, go take care of the others. As for Young Friend Cao, I will personally bring him into the Inner Sect.”
“Yes, Elder Steward!”
The young man named Qin Huan led the group of wandering cultivators away. As he left, Feng Junnan glanced back with obvious regret, realizing he had missed a chance for a valuable connection.
Meanwhile—
Elder Black-and-White conjured a white cloud and brought Cao Chengyu north across the plain between the five peaks.
The five peaks of the Five Elements Sect each belonged to a branch, with a river in the middle of the plain dividing the area into a northern and southern bank.
The southern bank was the domain of the Outer Sect, while the northern bank belonged to the Inner Sect.
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Regardless of whether one was an inner or outer disciple, they could choose to join one of the five branches according to their needs; if not yet assigned, they remained in the central courtyard.
The two chatted idly as they traveled atop the white cloud.
“Young Friend Cao, you come from Great Yue. Why did you make the journey all the way to the Wu Kingdom? I recall that someone from the Water Branch in Great Yue is responsible for recruiting disciples.”
“There’s something you may not know, Elder. I was originally a member of the Skywatch Tower in Great Yue, but was bullied by the profligate sons of the nobility and hunted by a peak Dao Body cultivator. I had no choice but to defect.”
“I came here because the Five Elements Sect’s inheritance suits the Dao Body I’ve forged, and also to seek protection.”
“My family is still hiding in a small border town in the Wu Kingdom, fearing reprisal from the Skywatch Tower.”
“I see.”
Elder Black-and-White responded with righteous indignation, loudly denouncing the darkness of the Skywatch Tower, then offered words of comfort.
He suggested that Cao Chengyu bring his family to the outer city of Ancient Gu, where they could be looked after.
But there was no rush for this. Outwardly, Cao Chengyu agreed, but inwardly he was cautious. His family was his greatest weakness; unless he secured a high position in the Five Elements Sect, he would not risk bringing them all in, lest he lose everything.
As an outsider with such exceptional talent, he knew the sect would only truly side with him once his enmity with the Skywatch Tower was beyond reconciliation.
But he had another plan. The Skywatch Tower was rumored to be plotting some Transcendence Scheme; if he could probe the Five Elements Sect’s experts about it, that would help him gain their trust.
Having led him to a two-story pavilion on the northern bank, Elder Black-and-White handed him an Inner Sect disciple’s robe—no ordinary garment, but a first-grade magical artifact, a clear sign of wealth.
He also received an Inner Sect disciple’s jade token, his name inscribed on the back, two hundred spirit stones, ten second-grade talismans, and three bottles of second-grade pills—the monthly stipend for Inner Sect disciples.
Along with these privileges came responsibilities: tasks to be performed, much like the mission system of the Skywatch Tower, but the rewards were considerably higher.
Here, even advanced Golden Core techniques were offered in dozens of varieties—far surpassing the scope of the Skywatch Tower.
As for the pavilion, Elder Black-and-White granted it to him. The first floor contained a forge room and a pill refining chamber; the second floor was for living and cultivation, complete with a small spirit-gathering formation.
The backyard held a small spiritual field, and a fire vein drawn from the Fire Peak ran beneath the ground.
The environment was excellent, and the area was quiet—Cao Chengyu was very satisfied.
Having made arrangements, Elder Black-and-White departed, instructing him to attend an entrance ceremony in three days, which would also be the time to select a master and a branch—a crucial event, so he was not to wander off.
Now a member of the Five Elements Sect, Cao Chengyu communed with the ranking board. Since he had come to a new place, he was once again single.
He took the opportunity to study the available targets in the Five Elements Sect, so that in three days he could choose a branch accordingly.
Indeed, he did not plan to choose a branch based on his needs, but rather according to the ranking board.
Not for any particular reason—just for his own enjoyment.
[Character Rankings]—Five Elements Sect.
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NO.1 “Nangong Yao”
Profile: 543 years old, peak Golden Core cultivator, hidden branch leader of the Five Elements Sect, a genius unseen in the Hundred Nations for three thousand years, obsessed with cultivation, loves all things related to training.
Belief: Mastery is achieved through diligence and lost through idleness; success comes from reflection and is ruined by recklessness.
Current favorability: 0
NO.2 “Zhao Fengxian”
Profile: 921 years old, peak Golden Core cultivator, Second Elder of the Five Elements Sect, grandmaster of spellcraft, excels in the arts of the Five Elements. Born into poverty, he enjoys punishing the scions of noble families, and is a beacon and protector for disciples of humble origins.
Belief: Upholds the way of Heaven, an executor of justice.
Current favorability: 0
...
NO.19 “Lan Lou”
Profile: 141 years old, early Purple Palace cultivator, adept in the arcane arts, one of the Water Branch’s steward elders in the Five Elements Sect. Fond of music, though clumsy in practice, often deceived by inner disciples and overestimates his own musical ability.
Proud by nature, seldom interacts with strangers.
Current favorability: 0
...
“Whoa.”
One glance revealed that the Five Elements Sect had many ranked figures, with the highest cultivations at the peak of the Golden Core stage—far beyond his current consideration.
And what was with this Water Branch?
Cao Chengyu recalled that back in the capital of Great Yue, there was also a leader of the Five Elements Sect’s Kui Water Branch, who, if he remembered correctly, was at the early Purple Palace stage.
Yet here, the branch leader and the steward elder were close in age and cultivation, but held different positions. Leafing through the manual Elder Black-and-White had given him, he came to understand.
It turned out that each peak of the Five Elements Sect served a different function. Disciples who reached the peak of the Dao Body stage could apply to be stewards; upon reaching the Purple Palace stage, they became steward elders, overseeing the stewards of their peak.
The Water Branch managed the sect’s array formations; the Metal Branch specialized in offense, primarily sword cultivators and overseers of punishment.
The Wood Branch focused on cultivation, with many spirit plant masters, managing spiritual herbs and gardens. The Fire Branch specialized in alchemy and artifact forging, with many pill and tool masters, overseeing pills and magical artifacts.
The Earth Branch was in charge of defense, home to many body cultivators, skilled in warding.
Beyond these, there was also the Hidden Branch, which governed the mysteries of yin and yang—Elder Black-and-White seemed to be a steward elder of this very branch.