NOVEL NEXT Chapter 8 - His Vision Is Himself? The First Purple Destiny
Chapter 8: His Vision Is Himself? The First Purple Destiny
“He made it to the top?”
“Impossible! I can barely stand steady here. I suspect there’s something wrong with this Stairway to Heaven!”
“But he reached the summit so effortlessly. His talent must be extraordinary!”
The crowd was already buzzing with discussion.
Earlier, when Ying Bing ascended, she had attracted hundreds of birds in a grand spectacle. In contrast, when Li Mo climbed, there was no such phenomenon.
“Impossible! Absolutely impossible! He must have cheated!” Wang Hu, who had tumbled down from dozens of steps, was already disoriented from his fall. Upon seeing the shameless figure who had ambushed him now standing at the summit, he was filled with rage, his vision darkening. He clenched his teeth so hard he nearly shattered them, wishing he could rush up and drag Li Mo down. Unfortunately, he could barely stand.
“Cousin! That sneaky, vicious brat isn’t worthy of being a disciple of Qingyuan Sect!”
“Shut up! The elders will decide.” Wang Hao, embarrassed by his cousin’s outburst, quickly interrupted. Judging the boy was a matter for the higher-ups; they had no right to question the fairness of the sect’s grand ceremony.
Of course, Wang Hao also suspected that Li Mo had used some other means. Qingyuan Sect’s records mentioned extraordinary phenomena accompanying those who ascended the steps. The fifth-generation sect master once summoned a waterfall from the Milky Way, while the sixteenth caused all trees to burst into bloom. Even the current sect master, Shang Wencang, had swords bowing to him upon his ascension.
All who reached the top had shown remarkable signs.
…
Unlike the crowd below, the elders watching from the observation platform had grown silent. Being at least in the Spirit Realm, they could see things invisible to the naked eye.
In their eyes, an extraordinary scene surrounded the boy with the crow on his head. Behind him stood a figure, its back turned toward the vast sky. The silhouette seemed ordinary yet profoundly striking.
One moment it was a humble fisherman on a riverbank, the next a scholar studying by lamplight, then a general striding through the imperial court. Each time they blinked, the figure changed, yet always returned to the same elegantly dressed young man.
Li Mo’s own silhouette?
Was he projecting an image of himself on the Stairway to Heaven?
This was unheard of!
The elders exchanged glances, each seeing the disbelief and astonishment in the other’s eyes. They had never imagined witnessing such a phenomenon. But one thing was clear: this young man was far from ordinary.
“Since he has reached the hundredth step, he is worthy of being a true disciple. What do you all think?” Xue Jing casually released the piece of beard he had unconsciously torn off.
“Agreed.”
“Yes, I think we should observe him further.”
“But both of them have reached the hundredth step,” Elder Han He hesitated as he set down his tea, “Our ancestral teachings state that whoever reaches the summit should be groomed as a future sect leader. How can the sect have two successors?”
In all the sect’s history, never had two people reached the summit within a hundred years. The elders all turned to the sect master for guidance.
Shangguan Wencang pondered for a moment, then calmly declared, “Ying Bing shall be the Legacy disciple for sect leadership. Li Mo will be a true disciple.”
The elders nodded in agreement. One reflected an image of an ordinary man, while the other mirrored something noble and mysterious, like a phoenix in the moonlight. The latter, clearly, had more potential.
…
Dong——
A long bell toll echoed through the mountains. The incense in the great bronze burner had burned out—an hour had passed. The young climbers, some elated, some calm, and others filled with regret, gradually released their efforts. The dust had settled, and in reality, only about seven or eight hundred out of the second round would actually enter the Qingyuan Sect.
As the sect elders descended from the platform, Shang Wencang stepped forward, and the clamorous scene immediately fell silent.
“Those entering the outer sect, go to the Administrative Hall to receive your waist tokens and miscellaneous items. Those entering the inner sect may choose a peak to join. Each peak has different functions, focuses, and specializes in different martial arts. You have three days to understand this.”
“Whether joining the inner or outer sect, you must not slack off. You are all still young, and your futures are undetermined.” The sect master’s voice carried a natural, awe-inspiring quality.
Li Mo glanced at the elders and paused as he noticed Xue Jing winking at him. So that’s how it was… Li Mo had wondered how a barefoot doctor from a humble clinic could produce something like the Pure Yang Pill.
“Ying Bing will be a Legacy disciple, joining my lineage,” Shang Wencang announced once more.
Though expected, the crowd couldn’t hide their shock. To be accepted as a direct disciple of the Qingyuan Sect’s master, Shangguan Wencang, was a prestigious honor. Moments ago, they had all stood as equals, undergoing the same ceremony. Now, in the blink of an eye, the difference between them had become as vast as that between clouds and mud.
“Li Mo, Lin Jiang, and Murong Xiao also have the potential to be true disciples. Are there any elders willing to take them as disciples?”
True disciples were also assigned on a one-to-one basis. Each elder could take at most five true disciples.
“What a pity, my lineage is already full.”
“Lin Jiang, you have the Praying Mantis Legs, Magpie Shoulders, and Green Snake Spine. This old man specializes in long weapons. Are you willing to follow me?”
“Tsk tsk tsk, this Murong Xiao lad is not bad, actually possessing the bloodline of an auspicious beast. He’s good material!”
Lin Jiang was quickly taken by an elder. Murong Xiao even attracted three elders vying for him, finally becoming a disciple under Elder Han He.
As Li Mo sized up the others, his mind worked to analyze them:
[Name: Lin Jiang]
[Age: 16]
[Constitution: Praying Mantis Legs, Green Snake Spine, Magpie Shoulders]
[Realm: Blood Qi Realm, Four Meridians]
[Destiny: Blue]
[Evaluation: This person’s talent is decent, but his desire for quick success may lead to his downfall. If he realizes this in time, he could still rise further.]
[Recent Encounter: Just became a true disciple of Qingyuan Sect, wants a weapon above ordinary quality.]
…
[Name: Murong Xiao]
[Age: 16]
[Constitution: Roaring Dragon Body]
[Realm: Blood Qi Realm, Five Meridians]
[Destiny: Blue]
[Evaluation: His father is human, his mother is a shape-shifting dragon. Good-natured but deeply affected by his bloodline. If he can combine the advantages of both, his future is limitless. If he combines their disadvantages, he’ll bring disaster.]
[Recent Encounter: Long-term suppression of his instincts, hoping to calm the bloodthirsty intent in his bones.]
“Hiss…..” Li Mo softly drew in a cold breath. A hybrid of human and dragon? Murong Xiao’s father must have been quite the man—even Xu Xian would have to serve him tea in admiration. [1]
He silently noted down their circumstances. “What about me?” he thought, realizing the elders were glancing at him with some reluctance.
“This child’s talent is indeed excellent, but how should he be taught?” This was what all the elders seemed to be pondering simultaneously.
For a moment, the scene fell quiet. Suddenly, a lazy voice broke the silence:
“Kid, *hic*… are you willing to become my disciple?”
Li Mo looked over and saw a woman in palace attire, hands on her hips, trying very hard to appear serious and solemn. Her features were dignified and graceful, her loose palace attire barely concealing her stunning figure. Standing there, she was like a peony in full bloom.
“Of course,” Li Mo replied without much hesitation, giving a respectful bow.
“This… Shang Wu niece, she…” Xue Jing was stunned and about to speak.
But he was silenced by Shang Wu’s threatening sidelong glance and clenched fist with long, slender fingers.
“Ahem, becoming her disciple is also excellent. From now on, you’ll be the sole seedling of the Ninth Peak,” Xue Jing quickly changed his tune.
“Greetings, Master,” Li Mo said, stepping forward to pay respects, though he couldn’t shake the strange, somewhat sympathetic looks the other elders were giving him. Out of curiosity, he used his Heavenly Fate Divine Eye.
[Name: Shang Wu]
[Age: 27]
[Constitution: Nanming Fire Lotus Body]
[Realm: Seventh Stage of Inner Realm]
[Destiny: Purple]
[Evaluation: The youngest elder of Qingyuan Sect. You can doubt her character, but please don’t question her strength. She has an extraordinary background.]
[Recent Encounter: No money to drink, considering how to extort some silver from elders of other peaks. Very interested in the sect leader’s legacy disciple, Ying Bing.]
Li Mo: “?”
No wonder the elders were giving him such strange, almost sympathetic looks.
From any angle, Shang Wu didn’t seem like an ideal master. And more surprisingly, it wasn’t his supposed “extraordinary talent” that got him accepted as a disciple, but Shang Wu’s interest in Ying Bing?
Those evaluations…
Li Mo began to doubt the true value of this ‘Purple Destiny’.
‘Well, at least it’s my first encounter with someone who has a purple destiny,’ he thought.
“Even if I don’t learn much, there should still be some return on this investment.”
With this rationalization, Li Mo allowed himself to relax a bit.
“Hmph, from now on, you’re under my wing,” Shang Wu declared, giving his shoulder a hearty slap that seemed to reassess his root bone. “In the future, just drop my name when you’re out there.”
Li Mo sucked in a sharp breath—her hand strength was really something.
Not far away, Ying Bing, who had already become a legacy disciple, observed the woman in palace robes and the young man with his resigned expression.
“So he ended up under Shang Wu’s tutelage…” she mused.
Ying Bing gave an almost imperceptible nod. If Li Mo could grasp even a fraction of Shang Wu’s true skills, he might carve out a place for himself among his peers in the Ziyang Prefecture.
Of course, in the grand scheme of the Eastern Desolate Region, he likely wouldn’t be considered a prodigy or make it onto the system’s rankings.
“Four true disciples emerging in one session—our Qingyuan Sect is bound to prosper,” the short, plump elder remarked with a face full of smiles as he looked at the group. “Come, let’s complete your initiation procedures.”
…
T/N: [1] Xu Xian is a character from the famous Chinese folktale “Legend of the White Snake.” He unknowingly married a powerful white snake spirit who had taken human form. The reference suggests that Murong Xiao’s father, who fathered a child with a true dragon, has surpassed even this legendary figure in terms of relationships with supernatural beings. In Chinese culture, serving tea is a sign of respect, implying Xu Xian would defer to Murong Xiao’s father’s greater accomplishment.
So, he’s quite the man because he dared to bed a dragon…