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Qin Shu happily accepted the "first" gift she had received since joining the sect. Wanting to give something in return but feeling embarrassingly broke, she could only smile awkwardly. "Senior Brother, I just joined the sect and don't have anything of value to give you. But once I master alchemy, all the pills you need for cultivation will be on me!"

When it came to making big promises, she had never lost.

If she truly became a master alchemist, a few pills would be nothing. But if she didn't survive the next eight years, she wouldn't be breaking her promise either.

After bidding her farewell, Rui Ming let out a sharp cry, transformed into his original form, and vanished into thin air in the blink of an eye.

Rui Ming circled around Dream Camel Peak dozens of times before Elder Fucheng, unable to tolerate it any longer, called him down.

"What are you so excited about this early in the morning?" Elder Fucheng sat cross-legged in his cave, addressing the silly crane that had just entered.

Rui Ming returned to his human form, a single feather sticking upright from his head like a tuft of crane down.

He stepped forward excitedly, his tone two octaves higher than usual. "Master, someone called me Senior Brother! She even said that once she masters alchemy, all the pills I need for cultivation will be covered by her!"

Elder Fucheng gave the foolish crane a glance. If it hadn't been for him, this na?ve boy would've had his crane heart gouged out while still praising the culprit.

Still, he was curious to see who dared to fool the simple-minded crane under the Dan Sect's watch.

He raised an eyebrow and looked at Rui Ming. "Oh? Who is it?"

"She's called Qin Shu. Judging by her bone age, she's about ten years old. I ran into her on the mountain trail this morning. She was asking me for directions to the Hall of Transmission. She called me Senior Brother and said I was amazing. I felt a connection with her, so I gave her one of my crane feathers." Rui Ming, being straightforward, recounted the morning's events honestly.

Elder Fucheng paused his beard-stroking, squinting as he tried to recall. After a while, he said, "I remember now. The Sect Leader mentioned recruiting a batch of new disciples recently. If she's a newcomer without much knowledge, calling you Senior Brother makes sense."

Rui Ming nodded earnestly. "The recruitment was just yesterday. Little Six and the others even went to watch—it was quite lively."

Elder Fucheng's nod stopped midway, and he turned to Rui Ming with a look of disbelief. "Yesterday?"

"Yes, yesterday. Everyone knows about it."

In other words, you're the only one who doesn't.

"If you don't believe me, you can ask Senior Brother Wen Chi."

Elder Fucheng waved his hand dismissively. "This little girl joined the sect yesterday and is already seeking out the Hall of Transmission today? Could it be that she achieved Qi Condensation overnight?"

If she were truly such a prodigy, she'd be a treasure! He'd need to take her as his disciple immediately before anyone else could snatch her away.

Rui Ming scratched his head and quietly added, "Master, maybe she had already achieved Qi Condensation before coming here? When you found me, I was already at the third level of Qi Condensation!"

As he spoke, pride crept into his tone, and he puffed out his chest.

Elder Fucheng considered this and found it reasonable. Perhaps she came from an established family and had already achieved Qi Condensation before joining. He relaxed at the thought.

If Qin Shu knew that Rui Ming's casual remarks had cost her an inner disciple status, she'd probably pluck every last feather from his head in anger.

At the moment, though, Qin Shu was blissfully unaware. She followed the path Rui Ming had pointed out, eventually reaching a corridor with intricately carved railings. At the end of the corridor stood a grand wooden hall, more imposing than even the three main halls of the Forbidden City in her past life.

At the top of a nine-tiered staircase of white jade stood two massive black columns. The beams of the hall were intricately painted with carvings, with clouds curling around the rafters.

Qin Shu's gaze was drawn to a purple cloud. The cloud seemed alive.

In her mind, she saw the dawn of creation: a swirl of purple emerging from chaos, absorbing the essence of the sun and moon as it grew. Then came an ancient war...

Her head throbbed painfully, and she quickly snapped out of her daze. That brief moment felt as if her mind was on the verge of exploding.

From years of reading novels and watching dramas, she deduced that her current weakness couldn't handle such high-level phenomena. Her body had automatically activated a protective mechanism.

Despite her lingering curiosity, she dared not look at the beams again. Remembering the splitting headache, she averted her eyes and climbed the white jade steps.

The doors of the Hall of Transmission were tightly shut. Unsure if anyone was inside, she didn't dare enter without permission.

Standing at the entrance, she bowed respectfully and called out, "Disciple Qin Shu of the Dan Sect's outer division, having achieved Qi Condensation, humbly seeks to learn techniques."

The hall remained eerily silent, amplifying the sense of unease.

Qin Shu frowned. The Hall of Transmission was supposed to be where disciples learned spells. While it might not be bustling, how could it be completely deserted, with even the doors shut?

Could it be... she had arrived too early, before they "opened for business"?

While she hesitated, the Hall of Transmission itself was perplexed. How could a newly-condensed disciple even step foot here?

Moments ago, her mind had been seized by its aura, yet she had broken free with ease. This one was no ordinary individual.

Just as Qin Shu debated whether to leave and return later, the doors before her suddenly opened without warning.

Startled, she looked into the hall, its interior veiled in a translucent mist.

She hesitated.

But according to the Beginner's Guide, new disciples like her had to come to the Hall of Transmission to learn spells. If she didn't enter, where else could she go?

In that instant, Qin Shu made up her mind. She stepped boldly into the hall.

Crossing the golden barrier at the entrance, she reminded herself that cultivating immortality was a path against the heavens. There was no place for cowardice.

Moreover, the Hall of Transmission was part of the Xuantian Sect. How could they possibly leave something harmful to disciples here?

Perhaps this was just the Xuantian Sect's style.

As she stepped through the barrier, the doors shut behind her, restoring tranquility to the exterior of the Hall of Transmission.

From the outside, the hall appeared shrouded in mist, but inside, it was entirely different.

The central hall featured a grand portrait of a figure in flowing white robes, with ink-black hair and a sword at their waist—a strikingly heroic presence.

Qin Shu didn't recognize the person but assumed they must be someone of great significance to be displayed here. It wouldn't hurt to pay her respects.

After a respectful bow, the scene before her changed again.

The sight could only be described as opulent. The roof, walls, floor—everything was dazzling gold. Even the tables, chairs, and incense burners seemed to be made of pure gold.

For a moment, Qin Shu could hardly keep her eyes open.

Shielding her eyes with her hand, she squinted through her fingers to adjust to the brightness. Once her eyes adapted, she noticed a single book resting on a table.

It was the only thing in the entire hall that wasn't gold.

Sitting upright, she picked up the book and opened it.

On the title page, four golden characters gleamed brightly: The Guide to Transmission.

Qin Shu broke into a smile. After an eventful morning, it seemed she had come to the right place after all.