Chapter 375

Chapter 375: A New Arrival

After a dizzying swirl, Wang Chen found himself in the Great Hall of Guidance.

The West Sea Sect truly deserved its title as the top immortal sect in the Mountain-Sea Realm. Not only did it possess formations capable of teleporting hundreds of cultivators across tens of thousands of miles, but its inner and outer mountain gates could also be freely relocated, making everything incredibly convenient.

Calming his mind, he retrieved the task scroll and Zhou Shenzhi’s head from his storage bag, bowing respectfully to the towering figure enveloped in a faint golden light before him: “Disciple Wang Chen, I have fulfilled my duty.”

Earlier, Zuo Xiaomo had informed Wang Chen that Elder Zixiao, who presided over the Great Hall of Guidance, was actually a clone. The true body had been in secluded cultivation within his cave abode.

Although it was merely a clone, its imposing aura and destructive power far surpassed that of an average Purple Palace cultivator.

“Hmm.”

Elder Zixiao gave a slight nod and gazed at Wang Chen with an indifferent and cold expression: “New disciple Wang Chen, you have completed the assessment within the specified time and are hereby granted entry.”

As soon as he finished speaking, the head and scroll in Wang Chen’s hands vanished instantly.

An ancient bronze oil lamp floated silently towards him, hovering in front of Wang Chen.

Elder Zixiao’s voice echoed in his ears once more: “Light the soul lamp.”

Without hesitation, Wang Chen condensed a wisp of his soul energy and infused it into the soul lamp before him.

In an instant, a small flame ignited.

This soul fire was connected to Wang Chen’s soul, allowing for sensation even across thousands of mountains and rivers.

If he were to die, the soul lamp would automatically extinguish.

However, if Wang Chen were to betray the sect, it would use this lamp to scour the Mountain-Sea Realm, capturing and executing him!

Yet, if Wang Chen found himself in dire straits, it could become a lifeline.

“The Ten Precepts of the Sect, the first precept: Betraying the sect…”

After lighting the soul lamp, Elder Zixiao explained the ten commandments of the West Sea Sect to Wang Chen.

Each commandment was a capital crime, and violating any one of them would warrant the most severe punishment.

Once Elder Zixiao finished, Wang Chen swore an oath before the soul lamp.

The oath corresponded to the first precept, forbidding betrayal; otherwise, he would meet a death from which there was no rebirth.

It sounded harsh, but in reality, the binding force of such oaths wasn’t very strong. There were many ways to evade or resist them; otherwise, no one would dare betray the sect.

In fact, in any sect, disciples who left had never truly disappeared.

Taking the oath was merely a formality.

“The journey of cultivation is long; you must be self-disciplined.”

Elder Zixiao’s words echoed in his ears as Wang Chen found himself involuntarily teleported out of the Great Hall of Guidance.

He discovered himself in a vast square, with towering palaces behind him and strange peaks rising all around, shrouded in mist.

At that moment, a young disciple with red lips and white teeth greeted him, “Young Disciple Yiling greets the Immortal Master. Please instruct me.”

Although Wang Chen was now an official disciple, he was newly arrived and didn’t even know where he was, having been sent out by Elder Zixiao in a bit of a daze.

Next steps or where to go, Wang Chen was truly at a loss.

The answer clearly lay with the young disciple before him.

Without hesitation, he asked, “I’ve just passed the assessment to enter the inner sect. What should I do now?”

If it were anyone else, they might not have been so direct, especially out of respect for the Purple Palace master’s dignity.

But Wang Chen was never one to pretend to be something he wasn’t.

The young disciple smiled and replied, “How about I, Xiao Yi, show the Immortal Master around the mountain gate and its scenery?”

Wang Chen nodded cheerfully, “Excellent!”

Having just arrived at such a prestigious place, it was only natural to familiarize himself with the surroundings.

The young disciple, Xiao Yi, let out a whistle, and two cranes emerged from the clouds, soaring gracefully before landing in front of them.

“Immortal Master, please,” Xiao Yi gestured.

Wang Chen mounted the larger crane, while Xiao Yi took the other.

One after the other, they rose into the sky!

Flying high above the clouds, Wang Chen was astonished to see a massive island beneath them.

Surrounded by endless blue waters, the island was mostly veiled in mist, though glimpses of towering mountains, steep cliffs, lush forests, winding streams, and hidden waterfalls could be seen.

The Great Hall of Guidance stood atop a mountain peak, commanding a majestic view of the landscape.

Wang Chen gazed ahead and saw countless islands scattered in the distance, dotted with white sails.

Some islands were connected by shimmering rainbow bridges, glowing brilliantly under the sunlight.

Streams of light darted between them, and others, like Wang Chen, rode cranes or other flying creatures, moving leisurely through the air.

Xiao Yi flew alongside Wang Chen, acting as a dedicated guide, explaining everything in detail.

The West Sea, known as the sea of the west, was not an actual ocean but a vast lake spanning thousands of miles.

Legend had it that in ancient times, a powerful being from the upper realm struck the Mountain-Sea Realm, creating an enormous pit in the ground. Torrential rains followed, lasting three years, until the pit was filled.

This became the West Sea beneath their feet.

Later, several true immortals joined forces, using their powers to raise land and create islands, thus establishing the West Sea Sect.

The core of the West Sea Sect was the West Sea itself, along with 9,305 islands of varying sizes!

Within the inner sect of the West Sea Sect were nine veins, with over a hundred thousand cultivators spread across these islands.

Larger islands could house tens of thousands of people, while smaller ones served as secluded cultivation spots for real masters and true immortals.

The largest island was West Sea City, a city-island and the only immortal city within the West Sea Sect’s inner sect!

According to the sect’s rules, newly admitted inner sect disciples had to first settle in West Sea City and then choose to join one of the nine veins.

If they failed to join a vein within three years, they would be expelled from the inner sect and sent to the outer sect.

In essence, the true core of the West Sea Sect was its nine vein disciples. Without joining a vein, even as an inner sect disciple, one risked being eliminated.

As for how to join a vein, that was up to the newly admitted disciples to figure out!

Xiao Yi explained to Wang Chen that every year, thousands of disciples left the inner sect, many of whom were Purple Palace cultivators.

Additionally, settling in West Sea City required payment of contribution points.

One contribution point per day!

These points could be earned by completing sect missions. If a disciple couldn’t pay the required points for residence in West Sea City, they too would be expelled from the inner sect.

In short, the sect did not support those who couldn’t contribute. Entering the inner sect didn’t guarantee an easy path; the competition within was fierce.

Wang Chen pulled out his identity token to check.

It contained one hundred contribution points.

This was the starter pack for new inner sect disciples, allowing him to stay in West Sea City for three months.

If he didn’t earn more contribution points or join one of the nine veins during that time, he would have to leave!

“Immortal Master, ahead lies West Sea City!” Xiao Yi announced.

Wang Chen’s spirits lifted instantly.

A colossal island came into view, resembling a magnificent emerald jewel set upon the shimmering blue waves.