Ascending, Do Not Disturb!

Chapter 13: Base Building

The sect master Heng Yan sensed the ordeal clouds form. When he hurried to Moon Perching Peak, he saw many disciples standing or crouching halfway up the mountain. Some people had even taken out fruit and snacks from their pockets to share in a lively gathering.

“What are you all here for?” Heng Yan kept his expression stern, his wide sleeves flapping in the wind. The disciples saw the sect master and didn’t dare to keep chatting and laughing. They straightened and respectfully bowed. “Greetings to Sect Master.”

Heng Yan looked at the ground. These disciples were lazy, but they still knew not to throw the fruit skins and other waste onto the ground. He looked at the disciples in the sky who were coming over on their flying talismans. He only pretended not to know what these disciples were like. “It’s good for you to watch from the side. It will benefit your minds.”

The disciples hid their snacks back into their sleeves, raised their heads and started to watch.

The ordeal clouds in the sky grew thicker and showed golden light on the edges. They could see that Shimei’s cultivation was on the right path.

Heng Yan’s gaze swept through the crowd and he found Wang Tong who was walking restlessly back and forth. Knowing the other would not be reassured, Heng Yan did not try, and stood silently at the side to watch.

As the sect master, Heng Yan had to consider more than other people did. The sect had many disciples, some with good talent, but they were all lazy and nonchalant people. The ones with talent were only willing to put in seven-tenths of effort. The other three-tenths was used to enjoy their lives. There was nothing wrong with this, but which sect master did not hope their disciples were diligent and hard-working, that they would shoot for the sky and rise above the world’s cultivators?

He did not dare to dream about becoming the best. He only hoped that there would be some disciples among the younger generation that were acceptable, and someone who could be a pillar in a few hundred years. Right now, he finally managed to find a good disciple with outstanding talent. He could not let the other disciples influence her crookedly.

Heng Yan looked at the other disciples. Their eyes were flashing as they clearly were conversing secretly using sound arts. Thinking about his efforts and helplessness in his years as the sect master, he turned and looked at his own eldest apprentice, Wu Chuan. Fortunately, his disciple was reliable, and a good candidate for the sect master position. He inhaled deeply in gratification—calm the mind, do not rush.

Kong Hou did not know that her attempt to reach Base Building Stage had attracted an audience from the sect. She was in a very profound state.

What was the path? Maintaining one’s heart was the path.

What was cultivation? Cultivating the body and mind was training oneself, letting oneself come into contact with a wider world, and entering a more profound state.

As a cultivator, the first step was learning how to draw spirit energy into the body, to learn the bounty of the world, to have respect—that was Energy Refinement. The second step was to surpass life and death, to not fear one’s inner mind and to see one’s path.

Kong Hou was raised in the palace from birth. Before the Ji Family’s dynasty was overthrown, she was the only daughter of the Empress and had been innocent. Then, Emperor Jinghong had taken over. Everyone hoped that she would remain ignorant. The palace servants around her were spies for the emperor and empress. They didn’t allow her to be in contact with any outsiders. Who would have taught her scheming and ambition?

Even the teacher responsible for her only spoke of how when the emperor was not kind, the people would have hard lives. The teacher repeatedly caused Kong Hou to recognize how terrible her father had been. Emperor Jinghong had taken over the Ji Family’s dynasty for the good of the country. Otherwise, the teacher would teach her to read, write and draw, never letting her contact with anything related to governance.