Chapter 1

Beside a small stream at the foot of Xiaoyao Peak, a beautiful little girl sat on a rock, her white, tender feet splashing in the water, creating ripples. Her feet, as white as tofu, were particularly charming.

She hummed a tune while washing the mud off her delicate feet.

A heavy rain had just passed, leaving the mountain path full of mud.

The little girl had stepped in the mud, and her cleanliness obsession couldn't tolerate it. She had to take off her shoes and socks, wash her bare feet until they were clean, and then continue her journey.

The little girl stood up, tidied her hair, and adjusted her male attire, changing her appearance.

Today, she was dressed as a boy, disguised to visit Xiaoyao Peak for a very important matter.

The rain gradually stopped. She lifted her wet, bare feet, dried them with a silk handkerchief, and put on a pair of boots before continuing toward the mountain gate.

Finally, she met the eldest disciple of the Xiaoyao Sect at the mountain gate.

"Are you Liu Qianye?"

Liu Qianye was twelve years old. When she first came to Xiaoyao Peak to become a disciple, she met her eldest brother, Yuchen, and was amazed by his appearance.

The eldest brother had personally come out of the mountain gate to welcome her?

When Yuchen stepped out of the gate, his spotless white figure instantly brightened the surroundings.

He wore a simple yet elegant white robe, his extraordinary appearance and noble demeanor were unmistakable. His calm and slightly cold gaze seemed to pierce through one's heart.

All the birds and beasts around bowed respectfully to him, showing their reverence.

Liu Qianye, encountering such a remarkable person for the first time, was so nervous that she forgot to greet him.

She was even a bit afraid of this cold-faced eldest brother.

Yuchen's icy eyes swept over her, and a faint smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"Are you Liu Qianye, who stood out among the many external disciples?"

Liu Qianye finally reacted and bowed.

"Liu Qianye, I greet you, Eldest Brother."

Yuchen: "Where are you from?"

Liu Qianye: "From Nanyang."

Yuchen: "From today on, you are one of the direct disciples of the Xiaoyao Sect. Follow me, I will take you to meet the Master."

Liu Qianye: "Yes."

Liu Qianye let out a sigh of relief.

Although the eldest brother looked cold, he was actually quite approachable and didn't put on airs.

Liu Qianye became bolder.

She noticed the long sword at Yuchen's waist and couldn't help but ask, "Eldest Brother, are you a sword cultivator?"

Yuchen was taken aback, hesitated for a moment, and then nodded. "Sort of."

Liu Qianye, still a child at heart, liked to show off. She skipped over to Yuchen and said excitedly, "I am also a sword cultivator. I have already reached the 'Sword Heart Enlightenment' realm. Eldest Brother, you must be very powerful after practicing for so many years. Can I learn swordsmanship from you in the future?"

Yuchen took a deep breath and continued walking without speaking.

Liu Qianye thought the eldest brother was dissatisfied with her low level of swordsmanship and added, "Eldest Brother, don't misunderstand. I just started practicing swordsmanship, so my realm is naturally lower. But my cultivation is already at the late Foundation Establishment stage, and I'm about to form a Core. Really."

Yuchen's face turned a bit sour, but he still praised her.

"Um, not bad, indeed a once-in-a-thousand-years talent. To reach the late Foundation Establishment stage at twelve. Ha... not bad."

Yuchen's smile was somewhat forced, and his forehead was sweating.

His words were insincere.

The two disciples following him exchanged glances and silently thought, "Oh no."

This new disciple, who didn't know the gravity of the situation, kept poking at the eldest brother's sore spot.

They kept giving Liu Qianye meaningful looks, trying to hint that she should stop talking.

But Liu Qianye didn't notice and asked curiously, "Brother, after practicing for so many years, which realm have you reached?"

A vein popped on Yuchen's left forehead, and he finally couldn't hold back, shouting, "Brat, are you annoying me? Is the Foundation Establishment stage so impressive?"

"Ah?" Liu Qianye never expected the seemingly gentle eldest brother to curse at her. Her face turned red, and she lowered her head, not daring to speak.

Her eyes were filled with tears, feeling wronged and confused.

She didn't know what she had done wrong.

The two disciples beside her were panic-stricken and hurriedly bowed to apologize. "Eldest Brother, please forgive us. It's our fault. We didn't teach him the rules before coming up the mountain."

Yuchen's eyes swept over them with a fierce look.

If he had seemed like a transcendent being a moment ago, now he looked like a demon.

The two disciples felt like rabbits being stared at by a lion, not daring to breathe, and their backs were drenched in sweat.

A few seconds later, Yuchen took a deep breath and calmed down.

He reached out and patted Liu Qianye's little head. "This time, it's forgiven. Don't speak recklessly next time. Understand?"

Liu Qianye wiped her tears with her small hand. "Sorry, Eldest Brother. I know I was wrong. I'll be more careful next time."

In fact, she was still confused and didn't know what had upset the eldest brother.

Yuchen led her to a cliff and walked onto a rainbow bridge.

The rainbow bridge was crystal clear, and the valley below was shrouded in mist, its depth unknown.

Liu Qianye was captivated and said, "Truly a fairy mountain."

Yuchen said calmly, "Be careful, the path is slippery. Below is an endless abyss. If you fall, you won't come back up."

Liu Qianye nodded excitedly. "Understood."

They walked on the rainbow bridge for about half an hour, and the clouds gradually thinned, revealing the end of the bridge.

Ahead was the main hall where the Xiaoyao Sect's leader, Li Daoshi, practiced.

Yuchen said calmly, "Little Junior Brother."

Liu Qianye: "Yes."

Yuchen: "We're about to meet the Master. Since Ziyang and Chunyang didn't teach you the rules, I'll teach you some. Our Xiaoyao Sect doesn't have many strict rules. Just remember these:

1. Do not betray your teacher or ancestors.

2. Do not betray your fellow disciples.

3. Do not collude with demons or evil beings.

...

...

...

"

Liu Qianye listened attentively.

Indeed, the Xiaoyao Sect didn't have as many rigid rules as other sects, and it was quite lenient.

As long as you didn't make major mistakes, you could be forgiven.

Yuchen continued.

"11. Try not to cause trouble.

12. We don't provoke others, but we're not afraid of trouble. If someone causes trouble, you can't disgrace the Xiaoyao Sect. In other words, if someone dares to provoke you, beat them to death. If you can't win, shout, and the other disciples on the mountain will help you."

Liu Qianye: "Yes."

Yuchen: "13. This is important. Try not to have any dealings with the women on Yvnü Peak, and don't provoke them. If you encounter them, treat them as if they don't exist. Don't make eye contact."

Liu Qianye tilted her head, confused. "What does 'treat them as if they don't exist' mean?"

Yuchen: "It means to treat them as if they are nothing."

Liu Qianye nodded vigorously. "Understood."

Yuchen: "That's about it. When you meet the Master, be sweet. The old man loves flattery. If you flatter him well, he might even give you a thunder talisman."

As he spoke, they arrived at the entrance of the main hall.

Yuchen instructed Ziyang and Chunyang, "Take the little junior brother in to meet the Master."

Ziyang asked cautiously, "Eldest Brother, aren't you coming in?"

Yuchen: "I'm not going in. I just had an argument with the old man yesterday. He's still angry. If we meet, we might end up fighting."

Liu Qianye was stunned and secretly stuck out her tongue.

The eldest brother was really bold, daring to argue with the Master?

It seemed the eldest brother had a high status in the sect.

She would have to be careful and curry favor with him in the future.

After Yuchen left, Ziyang and Chunyang started complaining to Liu Qianye.

"Qianye, you really should have looked at the rules before coming up the mountain. You made us take the blame."

Liu Qianye's face was full of apologies. "I'm sorry, both of you. I caused you trouble. Thank you for covering for me in front of the eldest brother. Otherwise, I would have been in big trouble."

She still felt the terror of the eldest brother's gaze.

The eldest brother's cultivation must be very high, to have such a penetrating gaze.

Late Core Formation? Early Nascent Soul? Early Deity Transformation?

While Liu Qianye was lost in thought, Ziyang urged her, "Quickly take out the rules we gave you and read them. Don't cause us more trouble."

"Yes, Brother." Liu Qianye quickly took out the rules and skimmed through them.

The content of the rules was similar to what the eldest brother had just said, quite lenient and a bit quirky.

However, the eldest brother seemed to have left out two rules.

14. Do not drink the Master's wine when he is in seclusion. Violators will be punished tenfold.

15. Do not show off your cultivation in front of the eldest brother. Remember! Remember! Remember!

(Many readers said they didn't understand the plot, so I'll explain here. Liu Qianye is a young demoness in disguise, infiltrating the sect as a spy.)