The two disciples escorting Bai Xiaochun both wore yellow robes, and eyed Bai Xiaochun more than a few times as they walked along, apparently unsure of what to make of him.
After all, he had made quite a commotion upon his arrival. Usually, these two yellow-robed disciples were quite harsh in their treatment of newcomers, but for some reason, they were being very polite to Bai Xiaochun.
“Sky Quarter Rainbow has the Ten Halls,” one of them explained, “and all newly promoted yellow-robed disciples end up joining one of them. The selection process doesn’t happen each time a disciple is promoted, but rather in groups, once per year.”
“However, your luck runs strong, Fellow Daoist Bai,” said the other. “We only have four months to go until the next Hall Selection Forum.” Not only were these two explaining how things worked on Sky Quarter Rainbow, they were also explaining his new responsibilities.
“One of the reasons Sky Quarter Rainbow is divided up into five rings is because of the Ten Halls. The inner ring is where the peak lord lives, and nobody can go there without being summoned. As for the other areas, they are set aside for use by the Ten Halls.”
Last time Bai Xiaochun had been here, he had merely been passing through, but this time, thanks to the introduction given by these two disciples, he was already coming to a much better understanding of Sky Quarter Rainbow.
Although it was called a rainbow, it actually had flat ground inside just like any other location. There was a seven-colored sky overhead, and the dirt beneath their feet also featured seven colors, although it wasn’t generally visible because of the green limestone which covered almost everything.
The only places where the seven-colored dirt was visible was on the immortal mountains which rose up in certain locations. What left the deepest impression of all on Bai Xiaochun was how soft and gentle the spiritual energy was. He could already tell that it would be very easy to absorb, and wouldn't lead to the terrifying energy drainage that was common in Sky City.
From his current vantagepoint, Bai Xiaochun could look to the side and see lushly vegetated hills and mountains interspersed with blue bodies of water, which were the lands of Heavenspan. There was also a golden channel of water stretching off as far as the eye could see, which was the Heavenspan River.
In the other direction was the vast and boundless sea!
Last time Bai Xiaochun had been here, he had come to the inner ring, and hadn’t been able to see much. At the moment, though, he was in the outer ring, and was able to glimpse the magnificent golden waters of the sea. The sheer grandeur caused him to gasp in shock.
Furthermore, the strength of the spiritual energy in that sea seemed beyond imagination. It even caused mighty waves to roll across the surface of the water, the crashing of which even reached all the way to the rainbow and Bai Xiaochun’s ears.
“That’s the Heavenspan Sea?” he murmured, shaken.
The two cultivators escorting him couldn’t conceal the pride which rose up on their faces. After all, being a yellow-robed disciple in the Starry Sky Dao Polarity Sect was truly a glorious position. One of them smiled.
“That’s right. Only disciples who get promoted to the yellow-robed level qualify to live here and enjoy the majestic sight of the Heavenspan Sea!”
That sea formed the center of the lands of Heavenspan, and was the source of its spiritual energy. It was a sea that would never dry up, a sea that would flourish for all eternity!
As Bai Xiaochun looked at the Heavenspan Sea, he was struck with the sudden impulse to fly out and explore it. After a moment, he took a deep breath and turned his gaze to look at the ancient battleship which existed on top of the waterfall.
From this vantage point, it was clearly visible. It was pitch black, and appeared to be in a state of extreme damage and dilapidation, especially its sails. Within the ship, terrifying, shadowy figures floated here and there.
The mere sight of it caused Bai Xiaochun’s hair to stand on end, and he quickly looked away.
As they walked along, Bai Xiaochun caught sight of other cultivators who lived on Sky Quarter Rainbow. All of them were yellow-robed disciples, without a single one wearing robes of green or cyan. From what Bai Xiaochun could tell, the green- and cyan-robed disciples were either very rare, or lived in a different area.
Just as he remembered from his last time here, the cultivators were very aloof and cold. None of them spoke to each other; at most, they would occasionally exchange a glance. Because of that, Sky Quarter Rainbow was a very quiet place.
Bai Xiaochun wasn’t used to such silence, but there was little he could do about it. The cultivators escorting him along eventually took him to the location where new disciples were required to check in. He handed over his identity medallion for inspection, and then was given a yellow robe and a jade slip key to an immortal's cave. After exchanging a few parting words, the two disciples who had led him up to this point took their leave.
Bai Xiaochun sized up his surroundings, feeling very out-of-place and very alone. Frowning, he followed the map in the jade slip until he found his immortal’s cave on the very edge of the fifth ring.
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It was a very ordinary immortal's cave, and the only good thing about it was that if he stood at the window, he could catch a glimpse of the sea far off in the distance.
The cave was relatively small and ordinary, but most newly-promoted disciples would be elated to be given such a dwelling, which vastly exceeded the standards of virtually every cultivator in Sky City.
But to Bai Xiaochun, it was like a hovel compared to his room back in his tavern. Sighing, he stood there looking around blankly for a moment, then resigned himself to his misfortune and began to tidy the place up. A bit later, he sat down cross-legged to do some cultivation.
As his session of cultivation progressed, he grew more and more calm. Sure enough, his progress surpassed what he could accomplish in Sky City, and plus, there was no energy drainage. Once again, he was filled with the sensation that he didn’t need to eat food.
With every breath he took, boundless spiritual energy poured into him, filling his body, swirling here and there. Gradually, Bai Xiaochun immersed himself in his cultivation.
During the following ten days, he spent much of his time in cultivation, but also took some time to explore and familiarize himself with his new surroundings. Whenever he encountered fellow disciples, they treated him very coldly. Even if he called out a greeting, they would ignore him.
However, he soon got a good sense of the true power of the Starry Sky Dao Polarity Sect. During those ten days, he realized that almost all of the yellow-robed disciples he encountered on Sky Quarter Rainbow were Core Formation cultivators!
Although a few were in Foundation Establishment, most of those were in the quasi-Core stage. Everyone possessed incredible battle prowess, which was quite a shock to Bai Xiaochun.
He also asked about the location where the Living Mountain Incantation was intended to be cultivated, but was disappointed to find that it wasn’t on Sky Quarter Rainbow at all. Instead, it was on the second level of rainbows, where the sect leader resided.
Looking up at the rainbows above him, he murmured, “On the second level, there are two rainbows, the one on the left being for the devas, and the one on the right set aside for the sect leader, as well as various training grounds and trials by fire....”
He was a newcomer, and because of how everyone was so cold and indifferent, it wasn’t easy for him to get information.
After becoming a yellow-robed disciple, there were certain restrictions regarding returning to Sky City. Such restrictions didn’t really apply to people like Li Yuansheng and his friends, but for Bai Xiaochun, getting back down to the city was a very complicated ordeal.
However, jade slips could still be used to communicate, and he soon got news from Master God-Diviner and the other Dao protectors. After Bai Xiaochun’s departure, the mood in the Azure Dragon Society had turned very bleak. However, after making some adjustments to the profit margins, they were fairly certain they would be able to get by.
Although the Celestial Sky Society had begun to cause more problems, they still feared Bai Xiaochun, and thus, didn’t do anything overtly aggressive. The Dao protectors also told him that they planned to handle a few important affairs regarding the tavern, and then do their best to be promoted to the rainbow district as well.
That got Bai Xiaochun very excited. Without all of his Dao protectors, he was actually very bored, with little to do other than cultivate his Undying Live Forever Technique and Frigid School Will-Evolving Incantation. Things went on like that for about a month, until one day in the middle of a session of cultivation, his expression suddenly flickered. Waving his hand, he sent the door of the immortal's cave creaking open, revealing a figure approaching, bathed in the morning sunlight.
When that person saw the door of the immortal's cave open, he stopped in place for a moment, seemingly in thought, before proceeding forward again. Soon, his handsome, grim face was clearly visible.
He was none other than Song Que!
“Que’er!” Bai Xiaochun exclaimed happily as he shot to his feet. Just when he was about to rush forward to pull Song Que inside, Song Que snorted coldly and took a few steps back, refusing to enter.
“Bai Xiaochun,” he said in a stony voice, “the details regarding my promotion to yellow-robed disciple aren’t important. What’s important is that I owe you because of it. There are some things you probably haven’t been told about since you’re new, so listen up!
“First. In three months, both you and I will be part of the Hall Selection Forum. Because I got here a bit before you did, I’ve learned a few things about it. There are some halls which many people desire to enter, mostly because they are safer, and can even lead to lucrative opportunities. Some examples are the Hall of Magical Techniques, the Hall of Defenders, and the Hall of Spirit Enhancement. However, some halls are considered perilous, and there are high mortality rates among the disciples who join them. Most notable among those are the Hall of Covert Operations and the Hall of Devil Slayers! Be careful when the time comes!
“Second. During the month since you’ve arrived, word has spread that someone is out to give you a hard time... or worse. You should consider who it is you might have offended and take precautions!” With a final look at Bai Xiaochun, Song Que turned and left. Apparently, his only reason in coming had been in an attempt to pay back his debt of merit points.