Chapter 123 - The Summon
The morning mist still clung to the edges of the towering mountains as Su Ming flew toward the grand hall of the Heavenly Dao Peak.
The stone steps of the peak were silent, carved from ancient stones that carried the legacy of thousands of years.
Su Ming walked up the steps towards the grand hall with steady steps. His Nascent Soul cultivation base had already stabilized since that eventful day, and the embryonic world seed inside his dantian remained quiet, settling into a steady rhythm.
He crossed the high threshold of the entrance. Inside, granite pillars with dragon carvings supported the majestic ceiling, and the faint scent of incense drifted through the quiet air.
At the far end of the hall, Sect Master Jun Tianya sat on the stone throne, his hands resting on the armrests. Beside the throne stood a young cultivator.
The youth was tall and broad shouldered, wearing the dark robes of the Heavenly Sword Peak. His jet-black hair was tied back in a high, sharp ponytail, and he stood with a regal bearing, his posture as straight as a sheathed blade. His presence was distinct, and even from a distance, Su Ming could feel a sharp sword aura radiating from him.
Su Ming approached the throne and bowed. "Disciple Su Ming greets the Sect Master."
Jun Tianya nodded, gesturing for him to rise. "You have arrived. Good." He turned his focus toward the young cultivator. "Su Ming, this is Jian Wushen."
The young cultivator stepped forward and cupped his hands, bowing slightly. His voice was level and clear. "Heavenly Sword Peak personal disciple, Jian Wushen, greets Peak Master Su."
Su Ming cupped his hands in return. "White Lotus Peak Master Su Ming greets Disciple Jian."
As their eyes met, Su Ming felt a subtle ripple in the air. Jian Wushen’s eyes flickered, his gaze locking onto Su Ming. In that fleeting moment, Su Ming felt a thread of spiritual sense sweep over him. It was incredibly fast and subtle, but it was clear that Jian Wushen had just used his divine sense to scan him.
’That’s impolite,’ Su Ming thought. But at the mention of the name, he recalled the leaderboard. ’So this is that disciple...’
He remembered the golden runes carved at the top of the Heavenly Sword Pool leaderboard. Jian Wushen had risen to the top spot there within the span of a few years, a peerless genius whose talent was whispered about across the Sword Peak.
Su Ming observed him closely. Even though Jian Wushen’s aura was sheathed, he was undoubtedly a Nascent Soul cultivator. And he was young, very likely younger than Su Ming.
’Nascent Soul realm at his age...’
Apart from his cultivation, an overwhelming sword aura radiated from him. It was not just sharp. It had the crushing presence of the endless sky.
Su Ming’s expression remained calm, but his mind sharpened. ’This guy is dangerous...’
It was a strange sensation for him. Su Ming had seen stronger cultivators before. He knew the current Peak Masters were at least in the Avatar Formation Realm, or maybe in the Early Saint Realm, and the Sect Master was even higher. And to top it off, there was Ancestor Sky Sovereign. And yet, he had never met a cultivator of his own age, near his own realm, who felt this dangerous.
Even though he knew Jian Wushen was not an enemy, he kept his guard up.
Jun Tianya watched the silent exchange with a satisfied nod. "Now that the greetings are out of the way, let us get to the point of this summon," his voice echoed through the hall.
"Jian Wushen is the personal disciple of the Master of the Sword Peak, and Ancestor Sky Sovereign, the Cloud Sword Saint, has chosen him as his successor."
Su Ming nodded, keeping his hands cupped.
"However," Jun Tianya continued, "the Ancestor has also taken a liking to your sword mastery, Su Ming. He wishes to give you personal pointers before his departure."
Su Ming raised an eyebrow. "The Ancestor himself?"
"Yes," Jun Tianya confirmed.
Though Su Ming knew the Ancestor had taken an interest in his sword path and gifted him the Sky Sovereign Sword Technique, the offer to teach personally was unexpected. Receiving direct guidance from an Ancestor was no small matter.
"Because the Ancestor has chosen Jian Wushen as his direct disciple, you cannot be registered under his direct lineage," Jun Tianya explained. "But you will be considered an unofficial disciple, only if you agree, of course."
"Peak Master Su, do you accept this arrangement?"
"I agree," Su Ming replied without hesitation. "I thank the Ancestor and the Sect Master for this opportunity."
"Good," Jun Tianya nodded. "But do keep in mind that this is not just a simple training session. With this status, you are now part of the sect’s core legacy, and to a certain extent the White Lotus Peak as well. However, this arrangement will not be made public. For now, only a select few, such as the Peak Masters of the grand peaks, will be made aware of it."
He reached into his sleeve and pulled out a dark wooden token carved with a drifting cloud and a sharp sword.
"Take this token. It carries the Ancestor’s personal seal. Do not use it lightly. Understood?"
Su Ming nodded, stepped forward, and took the token. As his fingers brushed the wood, a cold sword energy flowed into his palms, carrying a trace of the Ancestor’s aura. He stored it in his spatial ring. With this token, many of the sect’s restricted vaults, ancient libraries, and secret realms would be open to him.
"The formalities are done," Jun Tianya said, waving his hand. "Follow Jian Wushen to the back mountains. The Ancestor is waiting."
Su Ming bowed once more.
Jian Wushen stepped beside him, his movements sharp and fluid.
"Peak Master Su, please follow me."
Su Ming nodded, and the two walked out of the hall together.
***
"Uncle should have handled this himself," Jun Tianya sighed, leaning back against his stone throne. "Dumping all this formality on me... Am I the Sect Master of the Heavenly Cloud Sect or not, Elder Wei?"
An old man in plain clothes suddenly materialized from the shadows near the throne. He stroked his grey beard, a faint smile appearing on his weathered face. "Of course you are, Sect Master Jun. Though to me, you will always be the young master who scraped his knees on these very steps."
Jun Tianya gave him a dry look, but did not argue. Elder Wei had guarded him since childhood, and he led the sect’s shadow squad.
"So," Jun Tianya said, his tone turning serious. "Was that truly a Grotto-Heaven he created the other day?"