"Do you know what’s wrong with this book, then?" Li Qingxian asked.
Jiangg Youfei placed her slender, jade-like hand on the book, tapping it a few times with her index finger. She glanced at Li Qingxian, her eyes twinkling, and asked, "Besides this one, have you read any other official Daoist Books?"
"Just this one," Li Qingxian said.
"No wonder..." Jiangg Youfei trailed off, lost in thought.
"What’s wrong?"
Jiangg Youfei said coolly, "You were able to absorb the Divine Sky Thunder Seed because of the Thunder Ancestor Treasure Decree and the Divine Sky General Outline. If you want to practice Thunder Skills, you naturally need other things. This book is suitable for someone with profound Daoist Skills, but you know nothing about them."
"Like what?"
"Do you know how to open a Magic Altar?"
Li Qingxian shook his head.
"Do you know how to submit a Celestial Record?"
Li Qingxian shook his head.
"Do you know how to select a god?"
Li Qingxian shook his head.
"Do you know how to perform a thanksgiving sacrifice?"
Li Qingxian said, "I think I’ve heard of that one. It’s to give thanks to the Divine Spirits. It used to be called ’dajiao’ or something, but later it was all changed to ’sacrifices’."
"These are just the basics. In ancient times, the transmission of teachings was extremely strict. It required the bestowment of a Thunderbolt Decree, the acquisition of a Divine Might Iron Certificate, the prior creation of a seal, and so on—it was all incredibly complex. Nowadays, the lineage is fragmented, and many things have been simplified."
’I think I’m starting to understand why I couldn’t learn it...’ Li Qingxian hadn’t expected learning a Thunder Skill to be so complicated.
Jiangg Youfei said, "These kinds of Daoist Ceremonies differ between sects. I only know the complete set of Daoist Ceremonies for the Celestial Cloud Sect. I know of the others, but I’ve never performed them. I’m afraid I’d mess them up, which would be detrimental to your cultivation."
"So what now?" Li Qingxian asked.
"If you want to learn Thunder Skills from me, there are two paths. The first is to enter the Celestial Cloud Sect and become an official disciple. However, that requires a long and strict assessment period, and you’d have to resign from the Night Guard and return with me to Celestial Cloud Mountain."
"The next path," Li Qingxian said decisively.
"You have an official position, and the Celestial Cloud Sect has a contract with the Imperial Court, so you can become an Official Disciple. Everything can be taught to you, except for the Celestial Cloud Sect’s fundamental Great Dao and the supreme Thunder Skill."
"I know about being an Official Disciple. That path seems more suitable for me. It just requires a title from the Imperial Court and the agreement of your Celestial Cloud Sect," Li Qingxian said.
Jiangg Youfei gave a slight nod with her small chin and said, "However, you need to think this through. If you take the path of an Official Disciple, you can never join any of the major Daoist Sects. And if the Imperial Court ever revokes your status as an Official Disciple, the Celestial Cloud Sect will expel you."
Li Qingxian said, "I know that, but as long as I can get my hands on the Secret Manuals of the major sects, can’t I still learn from them?"
Jiangg Youfei froze for a moment, then said in a small, soft voice, "That’s true, but... isn’t that a little improper?"
"Then I understand. I don’t believe the Imperial Court lacks a supreme Thunder Skill," Li Qingxian said, relieved.
Jiangg Youfei gave Li Qingxian a helpless look.
Jiangg Youfei straightened her small frame and said, "With Uncle Zhou as your guarantor, you can obtain the status of a Celestial Cloud Sect Official Disciple in a few days. But... you possess the Divine Sky Thunder Seed. It would be a waste for you to be a third-generation disciple, and there are no good Second Generation Disciples in the Divine Capital to teach you."
"Aren’t you a second-generation disciple personally taught by Sect Leader Jiangg?" Li Qingxian asked.
"But I don’t take disciples," Jiangg Youfei said.
"It’s fine, I don’t mind," Li Qingxian said with a straight face. "Don’t worry. If I really take you as my master, I’ll definitely study hard. A teacher for a day, a father for life."
Jiangg Youfei’s bright eyes stared at Li Qingxian. She had a feeling he was up to no good and repeated, "I don’t take disciples!"
"Then what should we do?"
"My master and Uncle Zhou go way back. With Uncle Zhou’s recommendation, Master would probably be willing to accept you as an Official Disciple. So, let’s do this: I will accept you as a Celestial Cloud Sect Official Disciple on my master’s behalf," Jiangg Youfei said.
Li Qingxian was a little disappointed, but his spirits quickly lifted. He stood up, bowed with his hands clasped, and said, "Junior Brother Li Qingxian greets Senior Sister Youfei."
"Do you know where the training ground Uncle Zhou arranged is?" Jiangg Youfei asked.
"I don’t, but I can ask. Let’s go."
Li Qingxian went out and asked a Guard. Led by the Guard, the two of them entered a small training ground, designation Jia-8.
The training ground was enclosed by two-zhang-high black walls. Faint Talismans flickered at the top of the high walls, forming a square area with sides of about ten zhang.
The ground was hard-packed earth, and various training dummies were placed around the field—straw, wood, pig iron, and even talismanic ones.
Jiangg Youfei glanced around and nodded lightly.
"Shall we begin?" Li Qingxian asked.
Jiangg Youfei nodded, walked to a small high platform used for inspections on the training ground, and made a grasping motion with her right hand. A Holy Token made of black Thunderstruck Wood with red characters materialized in her hand, looking just like an ancestral tablet from a shrine.
Carved onto the Holy Token was the name "High Supreme Divine Sky Yuqing True King, Emperor of Eternal Life, and Celestial Ruler of Heaven and Earth."
Jiangg Youfei said, "Normally, an Official Disciple should worship the ’Nine Heavens Responding Origin Thunder Sound Universal Transformation Celestial Venerable,’ who is an incarnation of the ’High Supreme Divine Sky Yuqing True King, Emperor of Eternal Life, and Celestial Ruler of Heaven and Earth.’ However, because you carry the Divine Sky Thunder Seed, your status is extremely high, so you will worship the ’High Supreme Divine Sky Yuqing True King, Emperor of Eternal Life, and Celestial Ruler of Heaven and Earth’ along with the Direct Lineage disciples of the Celestial Cloud Sect. Next, I will teach you the ’South Pole Treasure Decree.’ You will recite it just as you recited the ’Thunder Ancestor Treasure Decree’ last time."
"Yes." ’These names are ridiculously long,’ Li Qingxian thought.
Jiangg Youfei taught him the South Pole Treasure Decree.
"With utmost sincerity, I take refuge. In the High Supreme Divine Sky Mansion, in the Concentrating Spirit Palace..." Li Qingxian silently recited it three times in his mind and felt the Thunder Dragon Fire Seal grow even hotter.
Jiangg Youfei spoke again, "There is no Magic Altar here, but the ceremony cannot be neglected."
As she spoke, Jiangg Youfei waved her right hand. A Three-Layered Jade Platform made of white jade appeared on the high platform. It was about a chi long and wide, and three cun high. She placed the Saint Emperor of Longevity’s Holy Token on it.
"I am now Opening the Altar and Teaching the Method. Face the Saint Emperor of Longevity’s Holy Token, sit cross-legged, and do not let your mind wander."
"Alright."
Li Qingxian found a suitable spot and sat down.
"This is my first time Opening the Altar and Teaching the Method. If I make a mistake, it’s just your bad luck."
Under Li Qingxian’s helpless gaze, Jiangg Youfei first recited a series of Purification Curses—the Mouth Purification Curse, Body Purification Curse, Hand Purification Curse, Sword Purification Curse, and so on. Then she recited the Earth-Securing Curse, the Heaven and Earth Purification Curse, and others.
After that, she took out four yellow banners and planted them separately at the east, south, west, and north points of the small training ground.
Li Qingxian felt the flow of qi in the air change. It was as if an extra energy had been added—what must be the legendary Spiritual Qi.
Next, Jiangg Youfei took out, in order: two Black-Character Yellow Banners, a Nine Cranes Carved Bronze Burner, a pair of Lotus Candlesticks, two Cyan Porcelain Vases, a Mountain-Shaped Bronze Sanqing Bell, a pair of Cloud-Patterned Jade Ruyi, a Thunder Light Fire Rune Seal, and twelve All Emperors’ Five Thunder Tokens...
An overwhelming variety of innumerable Sacrificial Vessels and Magical Artifacts soon filled the high platform. Li Qingxian didn’t even recognize some of them.
Finally, Jiangg Youfei took out a long, red wooden slat and handed it to him.
Li Qingxian took it and looked. The wooden slat greatly resembled the ceremonial tablet an official would hold at the Imperial Court. On it were a Yin-Yang Eight Trigrams Map, the seal of the Celestial Cloud Sect, depictions of the Star Dipper and Star Phases, and some Runes he didn’t recognize.
Jiangg Youfei walked to a spot between Li Qingxian and the Holy Token, forming a straight line between the three of them. She slowly knelt on the ground, muttering something under her breath.
Li Qingxian looked ahead. The young woman’s back was graceful and elegant, like a lotus flower on the water.
As she kowtowed, her body was tightly wrapped by her white dress, and her long hair spread to the sides, revealing what looked like a small, unripe, and plump little peach.
Li Qingxian quickly averted his gaze from the small peach wrapped in the white dress.
’Appetite and lust are parts of human nature. Do not look at what is improper. Just don’t look...’ Li Qingxian continuously tried to banish the distracting thoughts from his mind.
While Jiangg Youfei chanted the prayer aloud, Li Qingxian muttered along in his heart.