Besides... he had already encountered his own opportunity, hadn’t he?
Recalling that mysterious junior of his, Chen Yu, Shao Qingsong inwardly relaxed, the corners of his mouth even curling into a slight smile.
Based on his usual meticulous observations, he was well aware of Chen Yu’s secretive nature. The junior’s conduct, conversation, and insights were nothing like those of an ordinary, low-level cultivator. He was almost certainly an extraordinary individual hiding his true talents.
But the two of them had a tacit understanding. He never mentioned the matter, never asked Chen Yu why he hid his aptitude and talent, and certainly never spoke of it to anyone else.
His junior ate the meat, and he drank the soup. But even just the soup was enough to leave him feeling well-fed and utterly content.
This was the genius of Shao Qingsong.
A lackey has to know his place: don’t pry, don’t ask questions, just do your part. The rewards will naturally follow.
He could tell Chen Yu wasn’t a cold and unfeeling person. No matter how high his junior’s talent or how great his future achievements, he would be his backer.
And that was enough.
He even had an optimistic thought: ’If I casually mention this business about Elder Qingya to Chen Yu, maybe it’ll spark his interest in taking a master?’
’With my junior’s hidden talent, if he could catch the eye of this Elder Guo Dong and be taken under his wing, wouldn’t that be wonderful? My junior’s future would be even brighter, and maybe I could bask in some of that reflected glory.’
"Hmm... my junior’s pretty aloof, so he might not be interested in taking a master," Shao Qingsong muttered to himself. "But it wouldn’t hurt to mention it. What if he suddenly changes his mind?"
He stood with the throng of onlookers before the Spiritual Chariot dock. Though it looked crowded, everything was perfectly orderly. Without a word from the Law Enforcement Elder, the disciples all kept a respectful distance, speaking in hushed tones. No one was shouting, let alone pushing or shoving.
No one wanted to make a bad impression on the new elder and their fellow disciples over a momentary lapse in etiquette.
For most disciples, it was enough to just get a glimpse of the new elder, observe his bearing from a distance, and perhaps offer a word of congratulations.
And if they couldn’t, just being part of the excitement, feeling the atmosphere of the sect welcoming new blood, and broadening their horizons was still a fine way to spend the time.
It had to be said, this generation of disciples had an excellent attitude.
"Ahem. Everyone, silence."
At the front, an elder in the dark blue robes of the Law Enforcement Hall gave a light cough. His face was lean and weathered, but his eyes were sharp and full of spirit.
The sound wasn’t loud, yet it carried clearly throughout the Cyan Cliff Bay dock, infused with a natural, commanding authority.
The disciples fell silent at once, their gazes snapping to the elder in unison.
Shao Qingsong recognized the man—Elder Hong Changtian of the Law Enforcement Hall.
He had served in the Outer Sect for decades, known for his diligence, fairness, and immense prestige.
It was rumored that he was the one who had established the rule that the Law Enforcement Hall’s "little black room" provided meals. The policy was said to be a tactful compromise, designed to preserve the dignity of truly destitute disciples.
If a disciple was truly unable to afford food, they could have a quiet word with the law enforcement disciple on duty. They would be guaranteed enough to eat, and might even be offered menial jobs like cleaning or organizing to earn a small stipend to support their cultivation.
Although Chen Yu often joked about going to the Law Enforcement Hall’s "little black room" to bum a meal, it was a genuine possibility.
Remembering Chen Yu’s occasional jests, Shao Qingsong’s respect for Elder Hong deepened.
However, for a figure of his stature to personally come out for the welcome showed just how highly the sect regarded this new "prodigy" of an elder.
As Shao Qingsong’s thoughts ran wild, a hearty and resonant laugh erupted from the front. It was Elder Hong, his voice brimming with sincerity.
"Welcome, Fellow Daoist Guo. It’s been a long journey for you."
’He’s here.’
Shao Qingsong instinctively looked up, his gaze following the crowd’s toward the depths of the sea of clouds.
There, on the distant horizon where clouds churned like waves, a streak of pale cyan light shot toward them. It moved like a bird streaking across the vast sky, fast yet preternaturally steady, as if it were one with the surrounding mists.
As it drew closer, the crowd finally saw who it was: a man, traveling by Sword Control.
The man wore simple cyan robes and stood upon a grey, stone-like Flying Sword. He looked quite young, perhaps in his early thirties, with handsome, well-defined features. While not devastatingly beautiful, he possessed a clean, sharp aura, as if untouched by the dust of the world.
His aura was so well-concealed that, standing on the Flying Sword, he looked no different from an ordinary scholar on a long journey—utterly unremarkable.
But as he used Sword Control to pass through the sea of clouds, effortlessly gliding past several of the sect’s slowly moving Spiritual Chariots, his sheer, weightless grace sent a tremor through the hearts of all the disciples present.
It was an indescribable feeling, as if he belonged there in the sea of clouds, a companion to the wind, a partner to the mists.
"What kind of Magical Treasure is that sword?" a sharp-eyed disciple murmured in admiration. "It looks so plain and simple, yet it carries its rider through the sea of clouds with such ease. It must be some kind of ancient treasure, one that embodies a return to true simplicity."
"I think his Cloud-Stepping Shoes are the real treasure," another countered. "Their Spiritual Light is concealed, and clouds seem to form at his feet. They have to be something special."
"Wrong, my brothers," an older disciple said, shaking his head. His gaze was fixed intently on the cyan-robed figure. "Haven’t you noticed? The truly incredible Magical Treasure is that ordinary-looking robe. Even while using Sword Control, the hem doesn’t flutter in the slightest. It’s like it forms its own separate realm, completely nullifying the wind..."
Chen Yu, who had just landed on the green flagstones of the dock, felt the corner of his mouth twitch.
’Since when was I covered head-to-toe in treasures?’ Chen Yu thought, dumbfounded.
That’s right. This new elder, Guo Dong, was none other than Chen Yu.
In reality, in order to play the part of a Loose Cultivator from the frigid northern land of Beichaotian, he had deliberately prepared this set of utterly common clothes. Even the Flying Sword he stood on was something he’d casually fashioned from ordinary stone. Besides being hard and capable of flight, it had no other noteworthy features.
When he’d first arrived at the sect seeking entry, the elders who had come to greet him had been overcome with pity. They’d all secretly lamented how hard this child’s life must have been. To emerge from a place like Beichaotian and still manage to reach Foundation Establishment all on his own... ’It couldn’t have been easy,’ they thought. ’Truly, not easy at all.’
In reality, the person "Guo Dong" didn’t exist. He was simply a new identity meticulously fabricated by Chen Yu to plausibly reveal his Foundation Establishment Cultivation and join the Three Elements Sect under a suitable guise.
As for why he went to so much trouble—he didn’t want people to discover that a minor cultivator who was only in the Qi Refining Stage a short while ago had suddenly and inexplicably broken through to Foundation Establishment.
Anyone could tell there had to be a massive secret involved, the kind that would attract unwanted scrutiny and trouble.
Still, he had to admit, the Slime’s Gel Mimicry was incredible. It could change him completely, from the inside out, altering everything from his physical body to his aura and turning him into an entirely different person.
Even a careful inspection with Divine Sense would reveal nothing out of the ordinary.
He had left a ’Chen Yu’—a doppelg?nger formed from a Gel clone—back at Yunshen Cottage to handle daily affairs, while he himself joined the Three Elements Sect under a brand-new identity.
Now, as a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, he could finally openly browse the cultivation manuals and scriptures in the Library Pavilion he previously had no access to. He could also tap into higher-level sect intelligence and resources.
Of course, to secure enough status and be taken seriously, he had also revealed his improved Spirit Root aptitude—a result of his ’Elemental Affinity’—as well as his youthfully low bone age.
This bone age, too, was a fabrication. His true age was even younger, but revealing that would be so shocking it would only invite suspicion.
After exchanging a few more pleasantries with Elder Hong and accepting congratulations from several other elders who came for the ceremony, Chen Yu followed Elder Hong’s lead toward Cyan Cliff Hall. It was time to complete the official onboarding process and familiarize himself with his new work environment.
As he turned, his gaze swept casually over the quiet, curious crowd of Outer Sect disciples behind him. And then, his eyes met a familiar pair in the throng.
Shao Qingsong.
His dear Brother Shao was looking right at him, his gaze fervent, but he showed no sign of recognition.
Their eyes met for only a second before they both looked away.
Chen Yu acted as if he were just casually scanning the faces of the unfamiliar Outer Sect disciples, his expression calm and unruffled. He then naturally turned back to continue his conversation with Elder Hong as they walked toward Cyan Cliff Hall.
Shao Qingsong, however, was left with a flicker of doubt after Chen Yu’s gaze moved on.
’Did Elder Guo just look at me?’