Although Celestial Peak Sect claimed to be a supreme cultivation institution due to its excellent array of elders and masters, the truth was that their real advantage lay in their Scripture Hall. Through contributions from illustrious ancestors, generous offerings by former sect leaders, confiscations from defeated enemy sects, and pure historical fortune, Celestial Peak had built a scripture collection without equal in the Nine Provinces. One could find any cultivation manual one desired, regardless of whether it related to orthodox cultivation or not, there was even an entire section dedicated to dual cultivation romance scriptures, for instance. The Scripture Hall was so vast it had expanded deep into the spirit caverns beneath the mountain. Many of the lower levels were only accessible to Inner Disciples, so it was only now that Wei Zian, having reached the ninth level of Qi Condensation, was allowed to browse those hallowed shelves. Fortunately, the Scripture Hall remained open during rest days, so the very first thing Wei Zian did upon awakening was descend into these depths to discover what he'd been missing these past two years and perhaps expand his collection of cultivation techniques.
He was pleasantly surprised at the sheer number of techniques and training manuals available to ninth level Qi Condensation disciples. There were more jade slips and scrolls than he could master in ten lifetimes. Most techniques were either highly specialized or minor variations of one another, so he didn't feel compelled to learn them all, but he could already tell this place would keep him occupied throughout the year.
Many techniques looked surprisingly simple and harmless, making him wonder why they were kept in the restricted section instead of being available to all disciples. He could have used these during his second year.
He was in the middle of searching for the rain barrier formation that the sect had incorporated into its protective arrays when he realized he had missed breakfast and was growing quite hungry. Reluctantly, he reserved several jade slips to study in depth within his quarters and went to find something to eat.
There was no cooking area in his room, unfortunately, but the sect maintained a decent Disciples' Dining Hall, the food offered was inexpensive yet surprisingly palatable. Still, it was considered the option for common disciples, and most of the wealthier young masters ate at one of the many teahouses around the sect. That's why Wei Zian was shocked when he entered the dining hall and realized the changes to the sect weren't limited to external appearances, the hall was positively gleaming, and all the tables and seats were brand new. It was strange to see the place so... pristine.
Shaking his head, he quickly filled his bowl with rice and several side dishes, noting with interest that the cooks were far less stingy with the spirit beast meat and other expensive ingredients than before, and then began scanning the dining disciples for familiar faces. Clearly something unusual was happening here, and he disliked being left outside the loop.
"Wei Zian! Over here!"
How fortunate. Wei Zian immediately headed toward the plump disciple waving at him. Over the years, he'd learned that his enthusiastic fellow disciple was firmly connected to the sect's gossip network and knew practically everything about everyone. If anyone would know what was happening, it would be Bai Ning.
"Hello Bai Ning," Wei Zian said. "I'm surprised to see you at Celestial Peak so soon. Don't you usually arrive with the final caravan?"
"I should be asking you that!" Bai Ning exclaimed loudly. Wei Zian never understood why the boy always spoke as if addressing a crowd. "I came here early but you're already here!"
"You arrived two days before classes begin, Bai Ning," Wei Zian said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes. Only Bai Ning would think that arriving a couple of days early was some great accomplishment worth mentioning. "That's not particularly early. And I just arrived yesterday."
"So did I," Bai Ning said. "Heavens! If you had sent me a message via transmission slip we could have arranged to travel together. You must have been bored to death here, all alone for a whole day."
"Something like that," agreed Wei Zian, smiling politely.
"So are you excited?" Bai Ning asked, suddenly changing the topic.
"About what?" Wei Zian asked. Funny, hadn't Qin Ling asked him the exact same question?
"The start of a new cultivation season! We're third-tier disciples now, that's when the real fun begins."
Wei Zian blinked. To his knowledge, Bai Ning was one of those disciples who weren't terribly concerned with advancing in cultivation. He already had a guaranteed position in his family's merchant guild, and was here simply to gain the prestige of being a recognized cultivator. Wei Zian had half expected him to leave immediately after reaching the ninth level of Qi Condensation, yet here he was, just as excited as Wei Zian to finally start delving into the true mysteries of cultivation. Now he felt rather bad for judging him so hastily. He really shouldn't make such presumptions...
"Oh, that. Of course I'm excited. Though I must admit I never knew you actually cared about your cultivation progress."
"What are you talking about?" asked Bai Ning, eyeing him suspiciously. "The female disciples, brother, I'm talking about the female disciples! The younger ones love senior disciples like us! The new batch of first-year disciples will be all over us."
Wei Zian groaned. He should have known.
"Anyway," said Wei Zian, recovering quickly, "since I know you're always gossiping around—"
"Gathering vital intelligence," Bai Ning cut in, his voice assuming a mock-lecturing quality.
"Right. What's with the sect being all sparkly and clean all of a sudden?"
Bai Ning blinked. "You didn't know? By the Heavenly Dao, people have been discussing this for months! Just which mountain cave have you been meditating in, Wei Zian?"
"Wei Village is a glorified farming settlement in the middle of nowhere... as you very well know," Wei Zian said. "Now tell me."