ARK SPIRIT

After a brief hesitation, Tieu Lan answered softly:

“Senior, this is Mystic Ginseng Flower, isn’t it?”

Old Van raised an eyebrow slightly. “Correct. You recognize it?”

“Yes.”

Tieu Lan looked at the potted flower in front of her. Her voice remained gentle, but every word was clear.

“Mystic Ginseng Flower is beautiful no matter where it is placed. Green leaves, purple flowers, pure spiritual qi. Just looking at it makes the mind feel refreshed. It doesn’t look out of place in this garden either.”

Old Van stroked his beard and nodded slightly. “And?”

Tieu Lan lowered her head a little, as though still considering how best to phrase her thoughts.

“But if one truly understands it, then… I can’t help feeling a little sorry for it.”

The smile on Old Van’s face paused. The young man in yellow beside him also stopped idly playing with the bamboo branch in his hand and turned his attention toward Tieu Lan.

She continued:

“Mystic Ginseng Flower originally grows on high cliffs, where its roots cling to cracks in cold stone and each morning it receives mist rising from the depths below. It is accustomed to strong winds, cold air, and sunlight just beginning to break through the clouds. In that kind of environment, the plant not only grows well, but its medicinal properties are preserved at their best.”

Tieu Lan looked at the three pale purple flowers in the pot, then examined the soil around the roots.

“The spiritual qi here is good, the soil is good, and there is certainly nothing wrong with the care it receives. But Mystic Ginseng Flower naturally grows in cold, windy places. If it stays here too long, I think its medicinal properties will gradually weaken.”

She paused slightly, her gaze becoming gentler.

“It is like someone who is used to standing in the wind at the top of a mountain, then suddenly being brought into a beautiful room. It is not that the room is bad. It simply may not be the right place for that person.”

The air around the tea table remained quiet for several breaths.

Hao Nhien looked at Tieu Lan, undisguised appreciation appearing in his eyes. If such words were phrased poorly, they could easily sound like direct criticism of the person who had brought the plant here. But Tieu Lan showed no intention of displaying her knowledge. She was only describing what someone who truly understood and cared for medicinal herbs could see.

Old Van stared at the Mystic Ginseng Flower for a long while, then suddenly slapped his thigh.

“Exactly!”

The sound was loud enough to startle a nearby white crane into flapping into the air. Old Van paid it no attention, his gaze still fixed on the potted flower.

“Exactly. I only thought the spiritual qi here was good and the soil was good. I forgot that what suits it may not be spiritual qi alone.”

He shook his head, half amused and half annoyed with himself.

“What a muddle. I spent several days bringing it here and even thought I had found a fine place to show it off. If I left it here for another few months, I might really ruin a precious medicinal plant.”

The young man in yellow lowered his head, doing his best to maintain a serious expression. Hao Nhien gave a light cough to hide the smile at the corner of his mouth.

Old Van looked at Tieu Lan again. This time, his eyes were clearly brighter than before.

“Girl, what is your name?”

Tieu Lan stood and gave a formal bow. “I am Tieu Lan.”

“Tieu Lan…”

Old Van repeated her name once, then nodded.

“A good name. And a good person.”

He reached out and lightly brushed the rim of the Mystic Ginseng Flower’s pot. His tone also became somewhat more serious.

“What our Medicine Peak lacks most are people who know how to care for and understand medicinal herbs. Memorizing names, medicinal properties, and prescriptions is not enough. Plants have places where they should grow, times when they should be harvested, and qi that should nourish them. Someone who does not understand that is nothing more than a furnace tender, no matter how skilled they are at alchemy.”

After saying this, he pointed at her.

“You have passed my examination. Do you want to enter Medicine Peak?”

Tieu Lan froze.

Although she had guessed that the question about the flower might itself be part of the examination, she had not expected the result to come so quickly.

By instinct, she turned toward Hao Nhien.

Hao Nhien did not decide for her. He only gave a slight nod, leaving the choice of her path to her.

Tieu Lan took a deep breath, then turned back and bowed to Old Van.

“Thank you, Senior, for thinking highly of me. If Hao Nhien can also find a suitable place within Tieu Dao Sect, I am willing to enter Medicine Peak and study there.”

Old Van looked at her, then glanced toward Hao Nhien. A trace of interest flashed through his eyes.

“Hao Nhien?”

Hao Nhien immediately cupped his fists. “This junior is Quan Hao Nhien. Greetings, Senior.”

Old Van rested his chin on one hand and looked him over from head to toe.

“And you? Do you also want to enter my Medicine Peak?”

Hao Nhien smiled. “This junior would not dare claim to be suited to the medicine path. If Tieu Lan is accepted by Medicine Peak, I would already be very happy. As for myself, I still do not fully understand all the peaks of Tieu Dao Sect, so I would like to ask Senior for guidance.”

“What kind of guidance?”

Hao Nhien looked at the Mystic Ginseng Flower in front of him, the corner of his mouth curving slightly.

“This junior wants to find a place that can help me grow without making me lose what I already have. I do not want to become like this flower, placed somewhere that looks very good at first glance, only to slowly lose the most important part of itself over time.”

Old Van froze.

Then his eyes widened immediately.

“Brat, are you using my flower to talk about me?”

Hao Nhien maintained an extremely serious expression. “This junior only feels that Tieu Lan’s words make a great deal of sense.”

“You even know how to talk around it.”

Old Van glared at him for a little longer, but then could not help laughing himself.

“Good. One knows how to care for plants, and the other knows how to use plants to speak about people. The two of you really are interesting.”

He set down his teacup and, for the first time, truly examined Hao Nhien seriously.

A very faint spiritual awareness swept over him.

It was not cold and carried no obvious pressure, but it felt far deeper than the Foundation Establishment auras Hao Nhien had encountered before. He immediately realized he was being examined.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, his Divine Soul trembled slightly. The embryonic cycle within it continued circulating slowly, unaffected by the external spiritual awareness.

Hao Nhien kept his mind calm. He did not resist, nor did he deliberately reveal anything more.

Old Van gave a soft sound of surprise.

He studied Hao Nhien for several more breaths before speaking.

“Your foundation is very solid. Your true qi is clean, your meridians are stable, and your body has clearly been tempered quite a bit.”

His gaze deepened slightly.

“Your Divine Soul… is also somewhat interesting.”

Hao Nhien only cupped his fists and did not answer.

Old Van continued looking at him for a while before laughing.

“Late stage Qi Condensation, yet there are still a few things even I cannot see clearly. Brat, there truly is something interesting about you.”

The young man in yellow standing nearby also began looking at Hao Nhien more carefully.

Phong Van Tu was a late Foundation Establishment cultivator. For him to say there were things he could not see clearly did not mean Hao Nhien could hide everything from him, but it was enough to show that he was not entirely like an ordinary Qi Condensation cultivator.

Old Van tapped his fingers lightly against the table.

“If your Earth attribute were pure enough, Earth Peak would probably like someone like you very much. Solid foundation, able to endure hardship, stable body. Exactly the kind of person those fellows who like sitting on the ground like rocks would enjoy.”

Hao Nhien listened in silence.

Old Van shook his head again.

“But being too steady is not necessarily good either. Tieu Dao is not about only knowing how to stand still. To be truly free, you need a little wind, a little freedom, and a little unwillingness to walk entirely along the path others have already drawn for you.”

He looked at Hao Nhien, a hint of deeper meaning in his eyes.

“You have the bearing of someone who uses a sword, but you are not like the sword cultivators from Sword Sect. Sword Sect values those who follow the sword heart. Sword Peak of Tieu Dao Sect is different.”

Hao Nhien’s heart stirred slightly. “How is it different?”

Old Van lifted his teacup and answered casually:

“The sword follows the heart.”

Only five words.

But Hao Nhien fell silent after hearing them.

It was not about allowing the sword to push the person forward, nor about spending an entire life with nothing left except the sword. Wherever the heart went, the sword followed.

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The moment that thought appeared, Hao Nhien felt as though something had lightly touched his mind.

Body Soul Fist Art.

Divine Soul.

Spirit Sword.

Tieu Dao Sword.

Cosmic Ark.

His path had long since ceased to be a straight road containing only one thing.

Hao Nhien looked up at Old Van.

For the first time since entering Tieu Dao Sect’s area, he genuinely felt that this place might suit him better than he had first expected.

Old Van seemed to have seen enough and waved his hand.

“All right. Tieu Lan enters Medicine Peak. As for you, I’ll accept you into Tieu Dao Sect and send you over to Sword Peak. Those old fellows there will owe me a considerable favor later for finding someone like you for them.”

Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan looked at each other at the same time.

Tieu Lan’s eyes widened slightly.

Even Hao Nhien rarely showed such obvious surprise.

“Senior… that means we passed?”

Old Van glared at him. “What else? Do you want me to set up a formation, beat drums, burn incense, and make the two of you crawl through thirty six trials before you’re satisfied?”

For a moment, Hao Nhien did not know how to respond.

Old Van laughed and raised his teacup.

“Tieu Dao Sect values fate when choosing people.”

Tieu Lan still looked a little unconvinced. “But… isn’t it a little too easy?”

“Easy?”

Old Van pointed toward the Mystic Ginseng Flower.

“Since this morning, seventeen people have praised its beauty, three have said its spiritual qi was excellent, and one even told me placing it here made the whole garden feel more immortal. You were the only one who saw that it did not belong here.”

Then he pointed toward Hao Nhien.

“And this brat knows I am an elder. He still speaks respectfully, but when he has something to say, he does not swallow it just because of my status. Someone who fears rules too much will find it difficult to be free. Someone who has no sense of respect at all is even worse.”

He stroked his beard and smiled.

“He knows respect, but he is not overly afraid. That is enough.”

After hearing this, Hao Nhien could not help feeling some admiration.

Tieu Dao Sect’s examination looked almost arbitrary, but in truth, from the moment the two of them entered the garden, every answer, every reaction, and the way they faced Old Van had all been part of his observation.

He had not asked about their cultivation first.

He had not asked about their family backgrounds.

He had not used the same mold for everyone.

But that did not mean there had been no examination.

Old Van took two pale yellow tokens from his sleeve and placed them on the table.

“Take them.”

Hao Nhien picked one up.

The token was not large. A crane with spread wings was engraved on the front, while the back remained blank.

“This is a temporary entry token. Engrave your own name on it. Three days from now, take it and follow the people of Tieu Dao Sect up the mountain to complete the entry procedures.”

Hao Nhien looked at the token in his hand, then cupped his fists.

“This junior has yet to ask Senior’s title.”

The old man stroked his beard.

“Within the sect, they call me Phong Van Tu. If you find that too long, Old Van is fine.”

Tieu Lan immediately bowed. “Tieu Lan greets Old Van.”

Hao Nhien also cupped his fists. “Hao Nhien greets Old Van.”

Phong Van Tu seemed very pleased.

“Good. From today onward, you can consider yourselves to have one foot through the door.”

After saying that, he turned toward the young man in yellow.

“Give them two sets of entry robes.”

The young man immediately took out two neatly folded sets of pale yellow clothing, one for a man and one for a woman. The fabric was soft and light, and a small crane with spread wings was embroidered near each cuff.

Phong Van Tu pointed at them.

“Wear these when you go up the mountain in three days. After you enter the sect, if you like them, have a few more sets made as spares. You’ll need them eventually when fighting…”

He paused and coughed lightly.

“I mean, when cultivating.”

Tieu Lan blinked in surprise.

Hao Nhien looked at Old Van.

He could not tell whether the old man had truly misspoken or was deliberately reminding them that life inside a sect would not be as peaceful as this garden appeared.

Phong Van Tu acted as though he had not noticed Hao Nhien’s gaze. He had already bent down and picked up the Mystic Ginseng Flower.

“All right, go on. I still have to recruit a few more people for the sect, and I need to find a way to return this plant to a suitable place. What a muddle. I nearly raised a fine medicinal plant into nothing more than decoration.”

As he walked away, he continued muttering to himself:

“High cliffs, cold air, mist rising from below… Mm. There should be somewhere behind Medicine Peak that is fairly similar…”

And with that, Phong Van Tu truly walked away carrying the flower pot.

Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan remained beside the table, entry tokens and robes in hand, still not entirely recovered from how quickly everything had happened.

The young man in yellow standing nearby smiled.

“You two don’t need to be so surprised. Old Van has always been like this. Other people recruit disciples by looking at spiritual roots, cultivation, and background. He likes looking at tea, looking at flowers, and then seeing whether someone dares to speak honestly.”

Hao Nhien smiled helplessly.

“Does Tieu Dao Sect… always recruit people like this?”

“Not exactly.”

The young man in yellow thought about it very seriously.

“Some look at swords, some listen to music, some judge wine. I even heard there is an elder who likes to see whether candidates sleep well.”

Tieu Lan stared blankly. “Whether they sleep well also counts?”

“Of course.” The young man laughed. “That elder believes that if someone comes to Tieu Dao Sect and still cannot sleep peacefully, then their heart is too burdened and they are not free enough.”

Hao Nhien remained silent for a moment.

In the end, he could only say:

“As expected of Tieu Dao Sect.”

The young man in yellow laughed loudly. “Come, I’ll see you two out.”

Hao Nhien and Tieu Lan followed him out of the garden.

Once outside, Tieu Lan was still looking down at the token in her hand. Her expression clearly carried a trace of disbelief.

“Hao Nhien, were we really accepted?”

Hao Nhien looked at his own token as well, then smiled faintly.

“It seems so.”

“Tieu Dao Sect recruits people in such a strange way.”

“Mm. Strange, but not careless.”

Hao Nhien turned his head and looked back at the garden. White cranes still wandered lazily through the grass, the distant zither had not stopped, and the faint fragrance of tea continued drifting out into the square with the breeze.

Tieu Lan nodded softly and hugged the entry robes against her chest. Joy, nervousness, and anticipation all blended together on her face, making her eyes seem brighter than usual.

Outside the Tieu Dao Sect area, the gathering remained lively. Long lines still stretched before the other sects, while voices calling names, bursts of discussion, and occasional cries of surprise whenever someone passed an examination continued one after another.

Hao Nhien lowered his gaze to the pale yellow token in his hand.

Everything had happened faster than he expected.

Just then, his steps suddenly stopped.

Amid the stream of people moving through the square, a familiar figure entered his sight.

Quan Nha.

Today, she wore a pale pink silk dress, the soft fabric swaying lightly with each step. Her long hair fell behind her, held only by a simple jade hairpin. The morning sunlight cast a gentle glow over her, making her usual cold elegance appear even more distinct.

Hao Nhien stood still.

Quan Nha was very beautiful. He had already known that.

But what made him unconsciously look a little longer was the vague sense of familiarity that appeared every time he saw her.

As though he had met her somewhere very far away.

Perhaps in some fragment of memory.

Perhaps in a dream.

But whenever he tried to grasp that feeling, it dissolved like mist.

Quan Nha had clearly noticed him already.

She walked directly over, her cool expression still carrying its familiar pride. When she came closer, her phoenix eyes swept over Hao Nhien and stopped just as he was still looking at her.

“Don’t look at me like that.”

Hao Nhien immediately came back to himself.

Quan Nha raised an eyebrow slightly.

“You’re still young. Focus on cultivating properly. Don’t stare at people until you lose yourself.”

She paused, her tone still cool.

“If you look at me like that again, I really will give you a sword strike.”

Hao Nhien gave a light cough and immediately cupped his fists.

“Senior Sister Quan Nha, please don’t misunderstand. I only feel that Senior Sister seems somewhat familiar. I could not remember why for a moment, so I was slightly rude.”

Quan Nha looked at him.

Her eyes clearly showed that she did not believe much of what he had just said.

“Familiar?”

“Mm.”

“How exactly are you and I familiar?”

Hao Nhien fell silent.

He truly did not know how to answer that question.

If he said she resembled someone he had once seen in a dream, it would sound no different from some clumsy attempt at flirting on the street.

If he said she resembled someone from his past, that would be even more absurd.

He had not been in this world for very long.

Where would he even find someone from his past who resembled Quan Nha?

Just as Hao Nhien was still considering how much truth he should say, Tieu Lan stepped forward and gave a very proper bow.

“Greetings, Elder Sister Quan Nha. This little sister is Tieu Lan. I came with Hao Nhien.”

Quan Nha turned her gaze toward her.

The initial coldness in her expression softened slightly.

“Tieu Lan?”

“Yes.”

Tieu Lan smiled.

“Hao Nhien really did not mean to be rude. Perhaps Elder Sister simply gives people a slight feeling of familiarity, like meeting someone from one’s own family.”

Quan Nha frowned faintly. “Someone from one’s own family?”

Tieu Lan nodded.

“Not because your appearances are similar. It is only a feeling. Some people seem distant the moment you see them, while others, even if you have not known them for long, somehow make you feel as though you have met before.”

Hao Nhien looked at Tieu Lan.

Her explanation was actually closer to what he felt than the thoughts he had been struggling to put into words.

Quan Nha turned back toward Hao Nhien.

“You think so too?”

Hao Nhien nodded very seriously.

“That is exactly it. I meant nothing else.”

Quan Nha looked at him for a while longer.

The coldness in her eyes finally eased slightly.

“At least your tongue still knows how to keep you alive.”

Hao Nhien quietly let out a breath.

Tieu Lan lowered her head slightly beside him, but the corners of her lips were clearly curved upward.

Only then did Quan Nha notice the token and the two pale yellow sets of clothing in their hands.

“You just registered with Tieu Dao Sect?”

Hao Nhien nodded. “That’s right. Tieu Lan and I just went inside to see whether we had fate with the sect.”

Quan Nha glanced at the token in his hand, her tone still calm.

“Registered, that’s all. Anyone can register with Tieu Dao Sect.”

Hao Nhien paused slightly.

Tieu Lan also froze, then hurriedly explained:

“Elder Sister Quan Nha, it wasn’t only registration. Old Van… ah, Senior Phong Van Tu personally accepted Hao Nhien into Sword Peak, while this little sister was accepted into Medicine Peak.”

This time, Quan Nha truly stopped.

Her usually cool eyes widened slightly, something that happened rarely.

“Senior Phong Van Tu?”

“Yes.”

Hao Nhien nodded.

“Old Van is still inside. We were fortunate to meet him today. Most of it was because Tieu Lan performed very well, so Senior took a liking to her.”

Quan Nha turned toward Tieu Lan.

Her gaze immediately changed, becoming noticeably more serious than before.

“Senior Phong Van Tu accepted you into Medicine Peak?”

Tieu Lan looked slightly embarrassed. “Yes. Actually, this little sister did not do very much. I only said a few things about Senior’s Mystic Ginseng Flower.”

Quan Nha remained silent for a breath, then stepped closer.

“What did you say?”

Tieu Lan briefly explained that Mystic Ginseng Flower was naturally suited to cold cliffs, mist rising from deep ravines, and strong winds, while the garden, although excellent in many ways, was not suitable for preserving its medicinal properties over the long term.

Quan Nha listened very carefully.

By the time Tieu Lan finished, the way she looked at the girl before her had clearly brightened and become more serious.

“So that’s how it was.”

Hao Nhien stood beside them and suddenly felt as though he had been pushed aside.

A moment ago, he had been the one Quan Nha was warning.

Now Tieu Lan was the one receiving her attention.

Meanwhile, he had somehow turned into a wooden post standing there holding a token.

Quan Nha thought for a moment, then said immediately:

“You two go wait for me at Thanh Van Tea Pavilion.”

Hao Nhien froze. “What?”

“I’m going into Tieu Dao Sect first. I’ll come find you after I’m done.”

After saying that, she looked at Tieu Lan again.

“Tieu Lan, remember to wait for me.”

Tieu Lan nodded almost instinctively. “Yes…”

Quan Nha turned and headed toward the garden of Tieu Dao Sect.

But after only a few steps, she turned back toward Hao Nhien.

“And you.”

Hao Nhien immediately stood a little straighter.

“I’m here.”

“While you wait, keep your mind steady.”

After saying that, Quan Nha gave him no chance to explain further. She simply turned and walked into the garden.

Her pale pink figure quickly disappeared among the flowers and white cranes.

Hao Nhien remained where he was.

The scene from the Inner Secret Realm suddenly returned to his mind, when Quan Nha had coldly warned him that if he kept looking, she would give him a sword strike.

And now it had happened again.

For some reason, his neck suddenly felt a little cold.

Tieu Lan, standing beside him, finally could not hold back and giggled.

Hao Nhien turned toward her. “What are you laughing at?”

Tieu Lan hurriedly covered her mouth, her eyes curving with amusement. “Nothing.”

“There is clearly something.”

She tried to suppress her laughter for a moment before saying:

“It’s just that lately, Hao Nhien’s Dao heart doesn’t seem as calm as it used to be.”

Hao Nhien immediately put on a serious expression.

“I only feel awkward. Ever since leaving the Inner Secret Realm, I’ve always felt there is something very familiar about Quan Nha, but I cannot remember what it is. It’s not what you think.”

Tieu Lan tilted her head, her expression completely innocent.

“What do I think?”

Hao Nhien was left speechless.

Tieu Lan looked at him for a moment, then suddenly reached toward the corner of his mouth as though to wipe something away.

Hao Nhien instinctively stepped back half a pace.

“What are you doing?”

Tieu Lan answered with complete seriousness:

“Wiping Young Master’s drool.”

Hao Nhien immediately touched the corner of his mouth.

“Was I drooling?”

“No.”

Tieu Lan nodded obediently.

“I was only checking to make sure.”

Hao Nhien stared at her for a long moment.

Tieu Lan blinked, looking so innocent that he had no idea how to scold her.

In the end, she was the one who laughed again.

“Actually, I think this is good.”

“What is good about it?”

“You seem more like a real person this way.”

Tieu Lan looked toward the direction Quan Nha had gone, then turned back toward him.

“Elder Sister Quan Nha really is very beautiful. There is nothing strange about Hao Nhien looking a few extra times. If you had no reaction at all, that would be more worrying.”

Hao Nhien sighed.

“If you keep talking, I’ll punish you tonight.”

Tieu Lan immediately lowered her head, putting on an extremely obedient expression.

“Yes. I won’t dare again.”

But the curve at the corner of her lips remained obvious.

Hao Nhien truly had no answer for her.

He was clearly the one making the threat.

So why was he still the one who ended up feeling awkward?

He gave a light cough and turned away.

“Enough. Let’s go find Thanh Van Tea Pavilion.”

Tieu Lan followed beside him, hugging the Tieu Dao Sect entry robes against her chest. The smile on her lips had not completely faded.

The two left the square amid the lively noise of the disciple selection gathering. Hao Nhien walked through the crowd, outwardly maintaining his usual calm expression, but Quan Nha’s gaze from earlier and that inexplicable sense of familiarity kept resurfacing in his mind.

Tieu Lan did not ask anything more.

She only walked quietly beside him, both arms wrapped around the pale yellow robes.

After they had gone some distance, the smile at the corner of her lips seemed to fade slightly.

Hao Nhien noticed.

But he did not know how to explain.

Because even he still did not understand where that feeling of familiarity whenever he looked at Quan Nha truly came from.