Chapter 4: The Master's Wish

“How could it be him…”

Those who had just been mocking Jiang Ning now stared, mouths agape, their throats parched with disbelief.

Jiang Ning himself was utterly bewildered.

“Seriously, why does everything keep coming for me?!”

He was helpless—heaven seemed intent on denying him any chance to keep a low profile. The direct disciple of the sect leader? He had absolutely no desire to take up such a role.

Now, he felt bound, as if the very laws of the cosmos were weaving around him, impossible to escape.

Above the palace, the myriad arts resonated in unison.

The palace absorbed the essence of sun and moon, dazzling with radiant brilliance. Shrouded in this aura, Jiang Ning’s figure slowly drifted down to stand beside the sect master.

Golden crows, conjured by illusion, circled the palace, the supreme resonance of the Dao descending upon the halls.

This was the welcoming ceremony for a direct disciple.

It was as grand as could be.

The sole direct disciple ranked far above any inner disciple—this was an honor within the sect that few could hope to attain.

“What in the world…”

Jiang Ning’s face was drawn with distress.

Now he understood why he’d felt so uneasy, and why those elders on the council had been pointing at him.

Meanwhile, Lin Qian and Yang Xiangtian both gazed at him, their thoughts inscrutable.

“How could it possibly be me?” Jiang Ning cursed inwardly. He’d worked so hard to remain inconspicuous, but now all eyes were upon him—utterly contrary to his wishes.

“It should have been Lin Qian or Yang Xiangtian—how did I end up as the direct disciple?”

He could only roar in his heart, powerless to change his fate.

“This can’t be… How could it be him?”

Wang Shuo and his companions were the most shocked of all.

“That kid’s had incredible luck.”

“No matter—if our last plan had succeeded, we’d already know his true abilities,” someone beside Wang Shuo muttered.

“Sometimes, when you’re in a position your strength doesn’t match, you can’t stand firm…” Wang Shuo’s gaze was icy as he stared at the palace’s shining peak.

“This boy goes against the grain—he’s worthy of my admiration,” Li Zhenyu remarked, waving a feather fan that had appeared in his hand at some point. He exuded an otherworldly air.

Those around him shot him odd glances.

“Could this fellow see the future?” they wondered, their thoughts uneasy.

Li Qiaochan, standing among the crowd, stepped lightly, lotus-like, her gaze fixed on Jiang Ning in the palace heights.

She felt she could not see through him.

“Next is the inheritance ceremony for the direct disciple.”

The Grand Elder appeared at Jiang Ning’s side, with the sect leader also turning toward him.

Both elders bore traces of the Dao—the sect master of Idle Cloud Sect had comprehended the Way of Nature, his aura supremely pure. Twin beams of light radiated from their bodies, enveloping Jiang Ning once more.

“This is bad!”

Jiang Ning sensed that all his secrets might soon be laid bare.

“There’s no need for this—really!” he cried out, “Ceremonies aren’t my thing; I’m a practical man!”

But the ritual had already begun.

Master Yang’s voice sounded ethereal, like a guiding force slipping into Jiang Ning’s ears.

“This is the ritual of spiritual infusion. Do not resist—it will be greatly beneficial to you.”

Jiang Ning had no chance to resist.

He was profoundly uneasy, watching the Grand Elder and Master Yang for any sign of change.

“They probably haven’t noticed anything unusual… but I can’t be sure.”

The third rule of survival: even the slightest hint of difference could bring danger.

He was riddled with anxiety; these were hidden threats.

In the next moment, the spiritual energy within the pillar of light grew denser still.

A surge of sacred brilliance shot skyward, echoing with the sect’s protective formations around the palace.

It was an overwhelming tide of spiritual energy.

Thunder rumbled.

Jiang Ning’s consciousness began to blur, drifting in and out of clarity.

He could feel endless spiritual energy pouring in through the crown of his head, an unceasing torrent. Yet, unlike in a breakthrough, it did not shatter any bodily limits.

Instead, the energy seemed to vanish, hidden somewhere deep within.

Bathed in this aura, he grew drowsy—resistance was futile.

Jiang Ning tried his best to remain alert, fearing something beyond his control might happen.

But with the spiritual infusion and the ceaseless mystical chanting, his body relaxed completely, and before long, he drifted into a deep sleep.

“That kid is ridiculously lucky, damn it.”

Some were envious, others resentful.

“He’s been in the sect for half a year and probably hasn’t even reached the Spirit Gathering Realm. With that kind of aptitude, even spiritual infusion is wasted on him!”

Wang Shuo’s eyes were dark with displeasure.

Within Idle Cloud Sect, only Lin Qian and Yang Xiangtian had previously received the spiritual infusion ceremony.

Now, Jiang Ning joined their ranks.

Most looked on with jealousy and longing, wishing it was themselves receiving the ritual.

“The traces of the Dao, engraved upon the body’s meridians—a cycle anew. Spiritual infusion is more curse than blessing…”

Amid all the envy, only Li Zhenyu, gently fanning himself, spoke these words.

Everyone kept their distance, unwilling to get too close.

His mysteriousness only deepened, for he was always making such cryptic remarks.

Right or wrong, saying such things in Idle Cloud Sect—especially if overheard by the elder council—would bring no good.

No one dared provoke him, but neither did they wish to be near.

…

When Jiang Ning awoke, the ceremony had long since ended.

The elders had departed to arrange housing for the new inner disciples.

Jiang Ning was no longer on the sect’s stone plaza; he found himself in a hall.

“Just now…”

His heart pounded. He’d actually slept through the spiritual infusion and had no idea what had happened afterward.

“My Immortal Spirit Physique shouldn’t have been exposed…”

He could only guess, uncertain.

If they had discovered it, surely he wouldn’t have woken up unharmed.

“That sensation just now—as if my entire being was laid bare. The Grand Elder and Master Yang, surely they didn’t notice anything…”

He’d been as cautious as possible.

But under such power, resistance was impossible.

“When I joined the sect, they’d already remarked my constitution was unusual. Selecting me as the direct disciple and performing the spiritual infusion ceremony—they may not know I’m an Immortal Spirit Physique, but perhaps they suspect something.”

He turned this over in his mind.

There was surely something strange about this—why make him the direct disciple?

Why, after only a single meeting, had he been admitted to the inner sect?

There were never such easy benefits in this world.

Had he known how rare his Immortal Spirit Physique was, and how it would draw the covetous eyes of every cultivator, he would never have joined Idle Cloud Sect, not for anything.

“What’s done is done. I should find a chance to slip away unnoticed.”

He felt it unwise to linger here much longer.

“You’re awake…”

Just then, Master Yang appeared before Jiang Ning, his form as insubstantial as mist, startling him.

“Greetings, Master.”

Jiang Ning hurriedly gave a deep bow.

“There’s no need for that. From now on, you are my sole direct disciple.”

The sect master had the bearing of a transcendent sage, his features those of an elder well past his prime. His cultivation was closest to the Way of Nature, his countenance kindly and serene, as if part of the very fabric of the world.

Jiang Ning opened his mouth as if to speak, then hesitated.

“I know what you wish to ask.”

The old man spoke, “The spiritual infusion does not directly increase your power. Instead, it engraves traces of the Way of Nature into your meridians and seals away some spiritual energy. When you reach a breakthrough, you can draw upon this resonance and spiritual power, making it far easier to advance.”

“I chose you as my direct disciple because your constitution is unique—innately attuned to the Dao. The Way of Nature is the path you will walk, perfectly matching the legacy I wish to pass down.”

“Lin Qian and Yang Xiangtian have already received spiritual infusion, but their own paths diverge—they cannot follow the same road as I. Thus, I have chosen you.”

Jiang Ning was silent.

He wasn’t certain this path truly suited him, but the old man’s intentions seemed earnest.

Was he being overly cautious? Perhaps this really was just the concern of a sect master, wishing to pass on his legacy.

Yet why him, and no other?

His heart was a tangle of suspicion.

“You need not worry overmuch. To be honest…I too hesitated.”

The old man seemed to see straight through him. “I have lingered at the sixth level of the Divine Repository for too long. I intend, after these matters are settled, to leave Idle Cloud Sect for a time in search of a breakthrough. If I cannot succeed, my end will come, and I will no longer be able to support the sect.”

Jiang Ning was taken aback.

It sounded as though he was passing on the sect’s affairs—if he could not break through, Master Yang would soon pass away.

“I have told no one else of this—not even Xiangtian.”

“I know your true strength is not what you let others see. By nature you are careful, preferring to hide your abilities. Your talent is formidable, and you are attuned to the Dao I have grasped. That is why, at this moment, I chose you as my heir.”

“He knows my real strength!”

Outwardly, Jiang Ning merely nodded, but inside, his shock only deepened.

He thought back to the spiritual infusion ceremony.

“During the ritual, it seemed as if all my secrets were laid bare. It’s no surprise my strength was revealed, but did he discover my constitution as well?”

He thought that even if this elder was unmoved—about to depart on his journey, or even to pass away—the Grand Elder might not be so restrained.

“…I will not constrain you in the future. If you feel your path diverges from mine, I will not force you. This is the last thing I can do for Idle Cloud Sect. In half a month, come see me—I will entrust you with a few other matters, and then I will depart.”

“My only remaining wish is for someone to continue on, bearing my Dao and the legacy of Idle Cloud Sect.”

The old man waved his hand, indicating Jiang Ning could go.

He sighed, seeming to have seen through the world’s concerns, like an ancient house about to return to dust, ready to vanish at a breath.

Jiang Ning saluted and took his leave.

Despite his lingering doubts, he still felt a deep respect for the old man.

As sect master, he had given everything to the sect, and at such a time, still clung to hope.

“Perhaps he truly will find a way to break through and return to Idle Cloud Sect…”

Jiang Ning thought the old man surely believed so as well.

Perhaps it was faith alone that had sustained him to this day.

“Maybe I’m worrying too much, but I must not drop my guard…”

“I wonder what trouble Er Huang has gotten into today.”

He thought of the little yellow dog who had accompanied him from the Tianshan Mountains, transforming into a human along the way.

“I’d better go check…”