"I won't tell you any details.", Jian Wubai started. "But her circumstances are similar to yours."
Zhang Baichi's face fell. "She also lost her family?"
"Yes." The Sect Master nodded. "She lost her family when she was much younger. The matter is much more complicated though."
He stopped speaking, not willing to share more information about the young girl's past.
As he saw this, Zhang Baichi decided to shift the conversation into another direction. "Li Yao brought me food today, but how should I go about this in the future? I can't ask her to serve me like this."
"Don't worry about that. Li Yao takes care of meals and the garden in the back, but that won't concern you much longer." Jian Wubai spoke with a smile.
For some reason, Zhang Baichi felt that this smile looked mischievous. "What do you mean?"
"Not many people in the sect know about Li Yao, nor the fact that I had a disciple before.", he said, his eyes conveying a hidden message.
"Which means that, for most of the sect, I'm your only disciple?" Zhang Baichi concluded.
"Mh." The older man nodded again, appearing satisfied. "Which also means that it would be bad if I showed you too much preferential treatment. The children and disciples of Elders are also treated like regular disciples."
Zhang Baichi rolled his eyes, looking disgruntled. "So you're kicking me off the mountain back into the Outer Sect, so that I can show the whole sect how just and impartial the Sect Master is."
Jian Wubai's smile widened and he snickered. "I really like how smart you are sometimes! You're correct, but that's not the whole reason. The carefree life up here on the mountain isn't suitable for you."
"Why is that?", Zhang Baichi questioned. "I feel rather content here, if I were to be honest."
"That's exactly why. You're still young and living a life of comfort would only hinder your growth as a person, cultivator and especially as a swordsman." Jian Wubai's eyes sparkled, obviously very satisfied with this disciple of his.
A thoughtful expression appeared on Zhang Baichi's face. He had to admit that the argument made sense. Which great hero in any novel hasn't gone through great hardships before?
'Though that also means that I'll have to survive on my own…', Zhang Baichi sighed in his heart. 'That reminds me-!'
"Speaking of growth, why did you require me to be at the peak of Body Forging when I fought Ji Jian?", he quickly addressed Jian Wubai.
"That wasn't to fight him.", the Sect Master answered, not minding the change of topic since Zhang Baichi had already accepted the fact that he would have to leave the mountain peak.
"You could have defeated him two months ago, when you were at the 7th Layer. The reason that I wanted you to reach the peak was for another matter." He was creating some suspense.
Zhang Baichi played along and put on an eager expression. "Which matter?"
"Haha." Jian Wubai smiled again. "My disciple, your Master has prepared a great opportunity for you. Two weeks from now, our Fleeting Storm Sword Sect and the nearby Broad Wisdom Sect and Willow Tree Pavilion will open a certain Mystic Realm together."
'As expected… There's something to gain there, huh.' Zhang Baichi confirmed his guess and raised an eyebrow. "The Broad Wisdom Sect? Willow Tree Pavilion? And what's a Mystic Realm?"
Jian Wubai frowned, surprised. "You don't know? Right, you were a mortal before… Our sect, the Broad Wisdom Sect and Willow Tree Pavilion are the three greatest sects in the Grand Mo Kingdom. The strength of each of these three sects can rival the Mo family, the royal family."
Zhang Baichi was surprised. Usually, he would expect a royal family to suppress such powerful cultivation sects. "Our Fleeting Storm Sword Sect is that strong?"
Jian Wubai nodded. "Not just us; the other two sects are equally powerful. There's just two reasons why the Mo family is still leading this kingdom. One: They have the support of the common people and two: There's an old monster, the founding king, still hiding in seclusion in the royal palace."
"An old monster? That senior alone is able to cause three great sects to be apprehensive?" Zhang Baichi asked, hoping to learn even more about the cultivation levels in the meantime.
"He is." Jian Wubai spoke, not interpreting too much into the question. "Sect Master Guo of the Broad Wisdom Sect, Pavilion Master Xiao of the Willow Tree Pavilion and I have the same cultivation: We're all at the peak of the Core Condensation Realm. That old monster Mo had already reached the Nascent Soul Realm before he vanished from the public's eye 300 years ago. His strength is unfathomable."
'Nascent Soul Realm? So that's the realm above Core Condensation. Body Forging, Qi Gathering, Essence Sea, Core Condensation, Nascent Soul… I wonder how ridiculous the Black Heaven Scripture will be once I reach those cultivation levels.' Zhang Baichi couldn't help but feel a bit excited.
Thus far, he had only used the Black Heaven Scripture's parts for the Body Forging Realm. Once he reached the required cultivation level, he would obtain the higher level parts and could cultivate those.
Jian Wubai looked at Zhang Baichi and spoke up with a light voice. "The Grand Mo Kingdom is also our home. And the Mo royal family treats us cultivators very well. Try to get along with them if you ever meet members of the royal family."
"Don't worry, Master. I won't stir up trouble for no reason." Zhang Baichi nodded but remembered something. "By the way, Senior Mo went into hiding 300 years ago? So, he never met that Martial Emperor, who swept through the whole continent?"
"The Martial Emperor never stirred up trouble with the royal family.", the older man shook his head. "But most people believe he could have swept through them as well. After all, he was only at the 1st Layer of the Core Condensation Realm when he fought our Sect Master of the time."
Zhang Baichi nodded again and Ji Wubai continued. "That's not important, though. You know of the other two sects now, so let me also tell you about the Mystic Realm."
Jian Wubai's expression became much more solemn. He looked at Zhang Baichi and mustered him for a short moment. "The Mystic Realm is a world separate from ours. It's a small, man-made space housing many beasts, plants and at one point even humans. A supreme expert from ancient times has created it and it's most likely a tomb or ruin to house an inheritance."
"Most likely" Zhang Baichi directly jumped onto the most convoluted point. The description of the Mystic Realm matched what he was expecting and he was sure that there would be dangers.
Jian Wubai nodded. "While everything points in that direction, no one has found any evidence of any inheritances. The greatest problem is that the whole Mystic Realm is covered by an incredibly powerful and mysterious formation. No one above the Body Forging Realm can enter the Mystic Realm."
Zhang Baichi frowned. "It would make sense to choose a successor from juniors at the Body Forging Realm. Is that why you believe it to contain an inheritance? By restricting the strength of those that can enter, whoever eventually gets the inheritance will definitely get attacked once they leave the Mystic Realm."
"Correct. Which is why the Mo royal family believe it to be some kind of trap." Jian Wubai smiled mysteriously, while Zhang Baichi nodded. "And why they're leaving it for us, the three sects, to explore?"
"Correct again." With each piece of conversation, Jian Wubai grew more pleased. He only had to mention a small bit and Zhang Baichi would understand the crux of the matter. Talking to smart people was truly the best.
"Still, we have to take this opportunity. Even if no one can get the inheritance, the Mystic Realm itself is an excellent training ground to temper the young disciples.", Jian Wubai said, then looked Zhang Baichi over once more. "Including you."
"With my strength, will the Mystic Realm still pose a challenge?" Zhang Baichi asked earnestly. His strength was leagues above common Body Forging Realm cultivators.
Jian Wubai nodded. "You will definitely be the strongest of the lot that enters. But the challenge will be just as hard for you as it will be for everyone else. Among the Demonbeasts in the Mystic Realm, the strongest that has been encountered thus far was a peak Qi Gathering Wyrm-type creature."
"Wyrm? As in, it has the bloodline of dragons?" Zhang Baichi frowned. Dragons were usually the highest of ranks in terms of monsters and creatures.
"All of the Demonbeasts within the Mystic Realm have the bloodline of dragons…" Jian Wubai mysteriously spoke. "And since you're so strong, your goal will be to find out why."
'Alright, there it is…' Zhang Baichi sighed in his heart and rubs his forehead. He looked at Jian Wubai with a wronged expression. "Master, isn't that a bit much?"