Translator: EndlessFantasy Translation Editor: EndlessFantasy Translation
Life was like a seesaw. When one side dipped, the other side would always go up!
In reality, Yan Liqiang was making preparations for the dangerous blindfolded contest in the Imperial Capital city which would take place in a few days time. If there were no accidents, this contest would be a turning point for Yan Liqiang in the Imperial Capital. In the Heavenly Realm, Yan Liqiang was welcoming his first glorious moment in the Divine Sword Sect.
On the eighth day of the twelfth lunar month in the 17th year of the Yuanping reign, Luqiu Mingyue’s apprentice ceremony was held in the morning at the Ancestral Hall on the Divine Sword Sect’s Tiankui Peak.
The event was scheduled for around seven o’clock. The apprentice ceremonies for nearly every sect would be held at this hour, filled with good wishes and thoughts.
A very long time had passed since Luqiu Mingyue accepted any disciples, and the last time he did so was twelve years ago. That disciple was the Heavenly Brave Sword, Qi Zizheng, one of the Three Braves within the current younger generation. Before that, he apprenticed another disciple fifteen years ago. She was Lian Wushuang — the best of the best among the Divine Sword Sect’s younger disciples.
Twelve years later, the Sect Lord once again accepted another disciple. Not only that, it was an external disciple named Yan Liqiang. When word got around, the entire sect was in an uproar. Everyone was trying to find out how that unknown individual, Yan Liqiang, was to be able to grab the Sect Lord’s attention, be apprenticed, and rise above the others.
Within the past two days, Yan Liqiang’s past was dug up and spread across the Divine Sword Sect…
To most of the disciples in the sect, Yan Liqiang’s inspirational story was simply legendary.
Even as an external disciple who was assigned to clean the toilets upon his recruitment, Yan Liqiang managed to shine brilliantly and change his own destiny by doing the dirtiest, most tiring and despicable job with impeccable attitude and motivation. Such an inspiring tale was like chicken soup for the soul. The younger disciples in the sect who had yet to make a name for themselves went crazy as they idolized Yan Liqiang.
If a toilet-cleaning external disciple could make a name for himself in the Divine Sword Sect, there was no reason why they couldn’t do that for themselves. There was only one thing that held them back — they weren’t the best versions of themselves yet and hadn’t excelled in their duties. Therefore, they weren’t noticed by the elders or hall masters…
News about Yan Liqiang inspired many ordinary disciples in the sect.
As soon as it was seven o’clock in the morning, the Ancestral Hall on Tiankui Peak was already extremely crowded.
At this moment, all the elite disciples and above arrived at the Ancestral Hall in succession. Several thousand people, including the direct and core disciples, elders, people in charge of various courtyards and halls, stewards, and managers filled the vast hall.
Many of those who had never seen Yan Liqiang before were extremely curious and they wondered what kind of person he was.
….
Based on the apprentice ceremony rules, Yan Liqiang didn’t catch a wink of sleep at all last night. After burning the incense, cleansing himself and fasting, he cleared his mind and meditated in silence in a simple yet elegant small loft inside the Ancestral Hall.
It was snowed heavily in Lai Province. Yan Liqiang sat in the loft and watched the fluttering snowflakes outside the window. His mind wandered as he thought of many things.
Yan Liqiang had never experienced this before. In the small loft, he carefully recalled the days he spent ever since he recovered his consciousness. It seemed like he never had a peaceful day before — he had to constantly push himself to train and cultivate to face the never-ending dangers every day. He clenched his teeth and pressured himself to never stop forging ahead. Keep running and running, never relaxing for even a moment…
While sitting and doing nothing but killing time, Yan Liqiang realized that watching the snow falling outside the window in a daze for the entire night was relaxing. Although he couldn’t say that the experience was enlightening, he was able to make clear of the many things he never understood in the past. It felt as though the gray clouds over his head had suddenly been lifted.
Life was short and fleeting. Regardless of the Great Han Empire’s future, it was fine as long as he had come to this world, lived his life to the fullest, and did his best with no regrets. Up to this point, his life had actually been a lot more exciting than his previous life so there was nothing else to regret.
The sky outside the window was gradually turning bright. Three knocks rang out from the other side of the loft’s door.
“Come in…” Yan Liqiang said softly.
The door was pushed open. Two servant disciples dressed in black robes from Tiankui Peak’s Ancestral Hall came in. They were each holding a tray with a brand new outfit on it.
“Senior Martial Brother, change into this. In half an hour, there will be a chime and you will have to go to the grand hall…” One of the servant disciples informed him politely.
Two days ago, Yan Liqiang would have had to address these two inner servant disciples as ‘Senior Martial Brothers’ since he was an external disciple. In just the blink of an eye, these inner disciples had to address Yan Liqiang as ‘Senior Martial Brother’ instead as their positions were suddenly reversed.
“Alright. Thank you, Junior Martial Brothers!” Yan Liqiang nodded to both of them.
The gaze of the two servant disciples from Ancestral Hall lingered briefly on his flawless face. They both seemed amazed, but didn’t comment on anything. They just set the tray on the tea table before Yan Liqiang then left and shut the door.
One tray contained a full purple silk robe set with a light blue sash. The other tray contained boots and a crown. Altogether, the items made up a standard outfit for Divine Sword Sect’s elite disciples.
Yan Liqiang looked at the items on the trays and then stood up. In less than fifteen minutes, he put on everything in his room.
When he looked at himself in the bronze mirror, he could barely recognize himself…
As the saying goes, ‘A person depends on their apparel, a buddha depends on gold.’ Yan Liqiang was wearing a gorgeous, long purple robe. His lips were red in contrast with his pearly whites, and his eyes shone under his sharp eyebrows. He looked like a fine young man with a silver crown on his head. Combined with his handsome face as well as heroic and mysterious temperament, Yan Liqiang could easily crush any teen idol from his previous life.
Not long after he changed into the outfit, a crisp chime rang out. Yan Liqiang opened the door and exited the loft.
The two servant disciples who were standing outside door immediately led Yan Liqiang to the Ancestral Hall.
Since Yan Liqiang had been informed about the ceremony etiquette today, he wasn’t at a loss.
The public square outside the Ancestral Hall had been swept clean. As soon as Yan Liqiang arrived at the hall’s entrance, the voice of Elder Guo, or the host of the ceremony, rang out. “Welcome, the Divine Sword Sect’s disciple, Yan Liqiang…!”
Upon hearing the voice, Yan Liqiang stepped across the high doorsill at the entrance alone and entered the grand hall.
At that exact moment, countless gazes in the grand hall fell on Yan Liqiang’s face.
He then heard people drawing a sharp breath between their teeth in the silent grand hall.
There was nothing Yan Liqiang could do. Everyone was shocked by his handsomeness. It was not an exaggeration to say that he was dazzling. His body and face seemed to really be glowing. Anyone who laid eyes on him would be dazzled…
Aside from the disciples, all the hall masters and stewards who saw him for the very first time reacted the same way. Even the elders, Hall Master Su, and the rest who had seen him before couldn’t help but secretly gasp at the sight of Yan Liqiang with their sparkling eyes. — As expected of a disciple chosen by the Sect Lord. His appearance and temperament are simply perfect.
Many young female disciples in the grand hall blushed the moment they laid eyes upon Yan Liqiang. Their gazes were glued to him, and they found it impossible to tear their eyes away. At this very moment, Yan Liqiang was a walking aphrodisiac to them.
Yan Liqiang barely walked ten steps into the grand hall when some alarmed cries suddenly rang out among the crowd at the side. A beautiful female disciple about eighteen or nineteen years old was staring at Yan Liqiang with flaming cheeks while holding her hands over her heart. She was so excited that she forgot to breathe. As a result, she suddenly fainted and caused a slight commotion…
