In such a sanctimonious world, it is only fitting that there should be a hypocritical cultivator like me.

Xiao Qingpei had become famous overnight. With a casual strike, a mere thread of sword energy he unleashed nearly killed a swordsman at the sixth layer of the Lower Foundation Establishment realm. The only reason that swordsman escaped harm was because Xiao Qingpei intervened in time to disperse that sliver of sword energy.

That was the initial account.

Naturally, tales spread and become increasingly exaggerated. Even within the Cloud Vault Palace, this was inevitable. Now, any swordsman who had heard Xiao Qingpei's name knew his combat prowess was terrifying to the extreme.

Ordinary cultivators of the same realm stood no chance of surviving even a single exchange before Xiao Qingpei.

This left the Cloud Vault swordsmen, who originally ostracized Xiao Qingpei, feeling increasingly aggrieved. They relied on their family backgrounds, looking down on Xiao Qingpei with his humble origins, believing that such a swordsman was not even worthy to carry their shoes. Even if he possessed a "clear sword heart," they deemed him unqualified to be compared with them.

Yet now, they could only feel ever greater shame.

As the Cloud Vault swordsmen brooded, Xiao Qingpei himself also felt troubled.

After several trials, he confirmed something: this "false Golden Core" was unlike the Spirit Pill Gourd, which carried special effects.

"So I am truly so false?"

Xiao Qingpei fell into deep thought, first ruling out the possibility that the problem lay with himself.

"What, then, is the cause?"

He tried to recall his past, when he was just a small Qi Refinement cultivator in the Linwu Sect. The rules were clearly written, yet the sect leader's descendants and the elders’ relatives trampled them at will.

The regulations were only enforced upon disciples of humble background, while for those of noble lineage, the rules served them instead. If they broke the rules, nothing happened. But if a disciple of no background broke them, the rules were wielded mercilessly against them.

The Pure Yang Taiyi Palace declared that any cultivator, whether sect disciple or wanderer, could participate in the Immortal Examination. But it was only words. Even when people obtained slots through coercion or bribery, the palace always turned a blind eye.

Then, Xiao Qingpei remembered his first arrival at Cloud Vault Palace.

Here, the swordsmen targeted him solely because of his origins.

In that instant, Xiao Qingpei felt enlightenment dawn upon him.

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Such a hypocritical, morally inverted world, where the powerful colluded to oppress and enslave the powerless for their own benefit, surely it was fitting that it produced a false cultivator like himself.

Xiao Qingpei nodded repeatedly, quite satisfied with the causal relationship he had deduced.

He then pondered a second question.

How could he resign smoothly and without suspicion from his position teaching swordsmanship at the Cultivation Academy?

Though he hadn’t heard much about the impact of his previous spar, he could well imagine it.

A single sword energy nearly obliterated someone of the same realm?

And the key point: there was a difference of five minor realms between them.

Just thinking about it made his scalp tingle.

In fact, someone was indeed feeling a tingling scalp—Xu Jiansheng. He had once blocked Xiao Qingpei’s path and issued a warning, only to be ambushed and knocked out by Xiao with a gourd.

Originally, Xu Jiansheng was angry. But after the incident spread, he felt not only a tingling scalp but also a measure of relief.

Luckily, Xiao hadn’t struck with full force!

The realm of "clear sword heart" was truly frightening. Xiao’s cultivation relied only on the way of the lunar shadow, yet already possessed such power. If he were to acquire the Pure Yang true teachings of the sect…

Xu Jiansheng shuddered at the thought, envisioning a second Jian Lin, the Grand Saint.

No, this must never happen. He must not be allowed to obtain the Pure Yang true teachings!

Xu Jiansheng himself cultivated the corresponding method, and was well aware of its power; with his own sixth-layer Lower Foundation Establishment cultivation, he could defeat a fifth-layer Upper Foundation Establishment cultivator within ten rounds.

And he was only at the stage of "sword as arm."

If someone at "clear sword heart" were to learn the Pure Yang true teachings, Xu Jiansheng believed they could, with Foundation Establishment cultivation, challenge a mighty Golden Core cultivator.

"I need to find a way…"

Xu Jiansheng pondered, and suddenly his mind stirred. He hurried off to the Celestial Hall.

The Xu family was a top-tier clan in Cloud Vault Palace, so even though Xu Jiansheng was only at Foundation Establishment and held no power in the palace, he easily gained an audience with Jian Lin, the Grand Saint.

The sword’s foremost figure in Cloud Vault Palace, though cold and aloof, was not lacking in political acumen.

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He knew precisely which families to cultivate ties with.

"You’ve come to see me—what is it you want?" Jian Lin, the Grand Saint, asked directly.

"Greetings, Grand Saint Uncle!" Xu Jiansheng greeted respectfully, then spoke: "Your insight is keen as ever. I have come to ask that you send our newly inducted Brother Xiao to the Reverse Yang Spring for cultivation."

"Do you know what a treasure the Reverse Yang Spring is?" Even Jian Lin, the Grand Saint, was momentarily taken aback upon hearing this.

The Reverse Yang Spring was a wondrous and perilous place in the world.

It was called wondrous because, so long as one followed the proper method, even amidst the ceaseless flow of pure yin energy, there was not the slightest danger. Instead, it could be used to temper oneself and advance one’s cultivation.

Thus, even though Cloud Vault Palace had mastered the means to enter the Reverse Yang Spring, each family jealously guarded it.

Even direct blood kin would not be taught the method lightly.

"Brother Xiao is extraordinarily gifted. Despite the world being suffused with pure yang immortal energy, he managed to cultivate Foundation Establishment through the way of the lunar shadow. Moreover, he possesses the realm of 'clear sword heart.' If he remains to cultivate in the palace, he may never rise beyond Upper Foundation Establishment. But if he spends ten years cultivating at the Reverse Yang Spring, he just might condense his Golden Core!" Xu Jiansheng declared solemnly.

Hearing this, Jian Lin, the Grand Saint, immediately understood Xu Jiansheng’s true intention: in half a year, the Pure Yang true teachings would be conferred in Cloud Vault Palace.

By then, Xiao Qingpei might wish to switch to the Pure Yang path.

After all, as a wandering cultivator, Xiao had practiced the way of the lunar shadow likely out of necessity and lack of choice.

Yet Jian Lin, the Grand Saint, did not wish to see a second sword cultivator with a "clear sword heart" learn the Pure Yang true teachings.

Thus, Jian Lin nodded coldly. "Xiao Qingpei has stirred up much disturbance recently, affecting both other disciples’ cultivation and his own. To prevent him squandering his talent, he should indeed be sent to the Reverse Yang Spring. However, since you requested this, it will count against your Xu family’s quota. Do you understand?"

"I have a quota for the Reverse Yang Spring, and I will give it to Brother Xiao!" Xu Jiansheng replied quickly.

Sacrifice brings reward: giving up his own chance at the Reverse Yang Spring in exchange for Xiao Qingpei forever losing hope of switching to the Pure Yang path and living only a single lifetime—this was a bargain with no loss!

After all, how many ten-year spans does a person have?

Ten years at the Reverse Yang Spring, even if his cultivation advanced greatly, Xiao would have reached thirty. By then, he would no longer have the chance to switch cultivation methods.

Because Xiao Qingpei practiced the lunar shadow for longevity, his appearance had reverted to that of youth, so Xu Jiansheng and the others assumed he was only just past twenty.

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