Chapter 85: Three Thousand Paths of the Dao, Cultivating in Joy

The first thing to catch the eye was a massive stone stele standing at the center of the plaza, radiating an imposing grandeur.

Upon it, four characters had been carved in sweeping, vigorous strokes: [Bright and Upright World].

Li Tiezhu's mouth twitched. Well then — very "foremost righteous sect" of them.

The welcoming party the Harmonious Union Sect had assembled was also far more formal and grand than he had imagined.

At the head stood a graceful, middle-aged beauty whose smile came before her words, instantly putting everyone at ease. Her cultivation was unfathomably deep — Si Chen could sense that she was considerably stronger than anyone else present.

Behind her followed a dozen or so cultivators who were likely Elders or core disciples, each with their own distinct bearing, yet all sharing one quality: they were impeccably proper.

Some wore simple, unadorned robes; others were dressed in neat, practical attire. Not a single one was dressed provocatively or behaved with any hint of frivolity.

When the beauty saw Si Chen and his companions descend from the flying vessel, she stepped forward warmly to greet them. Her very first words were not the usual pleasantries, but rather:

"Fellow Daoist Si Chen, you must be weary from the journey! Please, come — the dining hall has already prepared a welcome banquet. Let us eat and talk!"

"Dining hall?"

The moment Heishan heard those two words, his ears perked straight up. His bear-like eyes lit up with a gleam, and his goodwill toward the sect shot through the roof. "Yes, yes, yes! Now that's what I'm talking about!"

This Harmonious Union Sect — they knew what was up!

Even Si Chen gave a slight nod, finding the arrangement quite thoughtful.

"You are too kind," he replied with a cupped-fist salute.

"Fellow Daoist is far too polite. My surname is Su, given name Miaoyin, and I currently oversee the sect's affairs."

The beauty's smile grew warmer as her gaze shifted to Heishan and Chifeng. "Fellow Daoist Heishan, Fellow Daoist Chifeng — my greetings to you both."

She even remembered to turn toward the still slightly stiff Li Tiezhu. "And you must be young friend Tiezhu — you are every bit as impressive as I'd heard."

The group exchanged pleasantries. Su Miaoyin's smile was genuine and her words unaffected; she knew every person's name and background with effortless precision, and her opening gambit of winning them over with food worked like a charm, instantly endearing her to the newcomers.

With the Sect Master herself as their guide, they crossed the plaza and headed into the heart of the sect.

What they saw along the way once again shattered Li Tiezhu's expectations.

Within the Harmonious Union Sect, the disciples' cultivation practices were a sight of remarkable diversity:

In the distant mountains, disciples could be seen practicing swordplay beneath a waterfall, sword-qi slashing in every direction.

From deep within a bamboo grove came the melodious strains of a zither and flute, resonating with the Dao of music.

There was even a group of disciples brimming with vigorous qi and blood, drilling some kind of Body Tempering cultivation technique, their shouts steady and powerful.

This was nothing like the Harmonious Union Sect he had imagined — this was clearly a comprehensive university of cultivation!

Not only was Li Tiezhu left slack-jawed, even Si Chen showed a hint of puzzlement.

Sect Master Miaoyin took in their reactions and smiled as she explained, "Fellow Daoist Si Chen, do you find that what you see here differs somewhat from what you expected of our sect's core cultivation technique?"

Si Chen nodded candidly. "I would be glad to hear more."

He had indeed assumed the Harmonious Union Sect cultivated only the Great Dao of Yin and Yang.

Su Miaoyin smiled serenely and patiently explained, "In our Harmonious Union Sect, the name 'Harmonious Union' carries the meaning of 'Heaven and man in joyful union, ten thousand methods in shared delight.'"

"Each disciple may, according to their own nature and Spiritual Root, choose one path to master in depth — be it sword, music, body, alchemy, or Array Formation."

She then offered a key piece of information: "Furthermore, sect rules stipulate that unless a disciple has also cultivated other Great Daos to temper their character and foundation, they are forbidden from studying the core path of dual cultivation."

Li Tiezhu listened with a dazed expression.

Isn't this just... elective courses?!

You can't pursue the "core curriculum" until you've done well in your general studies — or rather, no dual cultivation until then!

Su Miaoyin added with a smile, a note of pride in her voice: "The sect also has an unofficial guiding philosophy: three thousand paths of the Dao, cultivating in joy."

"And so, the outside world often jokes that our Harmonious Union Sect is... a sect of 'harmonious family joy.'"

Li Tiezhu couldn't help but roar with inward laughter: So that's what "Harmonious Union" really means!

Si Chen, for his part, listened with genuine interest, nodding in appreciation. "Ten thousand methods in shared delight, cultivating in joy... Excellent. Truly excellent."

Chifeng, being of the Demon Race, was a bit sharper than Heishan — but only by a hair — and was still thoroughly lost.

Seeing that Si Chen had spoken, he had no choice but to wiggle his backside and affect an air of profound understanding. "Indeed, quite so. There is much wisdom in this..."

Heishan had absolutely no idea what any of this roundabout talk meant. His only concern was what hearty dishes the welcome banquet in the dining hall would have.

But the atmosphere had built to this point, and saying nothing would make him look terribly uncultured.

So he nodded vigorously, his voice booming like a great bell: "Me too!"

The two senior uncles' performance of pretentious refinement made Li Tiezhu's mouth twitch uncontrollably.

But after everything he had seen and heard, he couldn't help but feel a surge of emotion, and a thought welled up that he could not suppress...

This place — aside from the aesthetic — was essentially the same as the university campus he'd left behind before he transmigrated!

* * *

The welcome banquet in the dining hall was, naturally, a delight for hosts and guests alike.

The Harmonious Union Sect had many female cultivators, all clever and inventive; the variety and unique flavors of the food were in no way inferior to those of any great city in the outside world.

Heishan and Chifeng ate until grease dripped from their lips, their opinion of the Harmonious Union Sect rising even higher.

Even Si Chen helped himself to an extra half bowl.

The atmosphere at the table was warm and convivial. Su Miaoyin personally kept them company, her conversation witty and her knowledge broad; she carried not a trace of a Sect Master's airs.

She seemed quite interested in the details of Si Chen's condensing the Nascent Soul in the Demon-Subduing Sea, yet was considerate enough not to press the matter.

After several rounds of drinks, when the mood was at its most festive, Su Miaoyin clapped her hands, her voice carrying clearly throughout the entire banquet hall. "Everyone, a moment of quiet, please."

The lively banquet fell silent at once, and all eyes turned toward her.

Su Miaoyin smiled and looked toward Si Chen, announcing to the assembled crowd: "Today, our sect is honored to welcome a new Honorary Elder — none other than the third-ranked on the Qingxuan Rankings, Fellow Daoist Si Chen, who condensed the Nascent Soul in the Demon-Subduing Sea!"

The entire dining hall went still for a moment — then erupted in a great uproar.

"Si Chen?! The Si Chen who's third on the Qingxuan Rankings?"

"It really is him! I've seen his image jade slip!"

"Heavens, he's become our Honorary Elder?"

They had only known that today's welcome banquet was for some important personage, but had not known who — and now it all became clear.

Countless gazes — shocked, curious, and reverent — fell upon Si Chen.

Si Chen remained composed as ever, simply giving the crowd a slight nod of acknowledgment at Su Miaoyin's prompting.

Li Tiezhu straightened his back with a sense of reflected glory, feeling as though his status as a follower had just been gilded another layer.

After the banquet, Su Miaoyin personally led Si Chen to the Scripture Repository.

"Elder Si Chen, while our sect's Scripture Repository may not claim to be the finest in the Eastern Region, it does have its own distinctive strengths — particularly in its treatises on the birth and death of Yin and Yang, and the transformation of all things. Please, follow me."

The Scripture Repository was a building of ancient, dignified grandeur.

Stepping inside, Si Chen's vision opened up — the interior was far more spacious than it appeared from outside, clearly the work of a masterful spatial Array Formation.

Countless bookshelves stood in neat rows, and the archives were clearly divided into dozens of sections, with large signboards hanging overhead:

[Great Dao of Yin and Yang], [Sword Technique Archives], [Music and Sound Combat], [Painting Realm Divine Abilities], [Body Cultivator Combat Methods]...

Si Chen's gaze swept across these sections, and a look of satisfaction crossed his face.

The systematic organization here was very much to his liking.

"Where is Tiezhu?" Si Chen suddenly thought of his disciple.

Su Miaoyin smiled. "Young friend Tiezhu mentioned just now that he was very interested in the sect and wanted to look around. I could see he was sharp, so I had a disciple take him to get familiar with the place."

Si Chen nodded. He did feel that Li Tiezhu needed a place like this where he could learn in a systematic way.

He looked toward Su Miaoyin, his tone calm. "Sect Master Su, my disciple is of good character — he simply lacks proper systematic guidance. I wonder if it would be possible for him to stay at your sect for a time and cultivate alongside the other disciples?"

Su Miaoyin's smile brightened at the words. "Elder, what are you saying? Your disciple is no different from our own Personal Disciples. All cultivation resources will be provided at the highest standard."

This was, after all, the perfect opportunity she had been hoping for — a chance to deepen her connection with this mysterious Elder.

And so, Li Tiezhu's "university life" in the Cultivation World officially began — while he himself was still in a daze about the whole thing.

* * *

Su Miaoyin accompanied Si Chen as they strolled through the vast sea of books, introducing the treasures held in several key sections.

Her manner remained warm and attentive throughout, but several times when she glanced at Si Chen's profile, she seemed to have something on her mind yet hesitated to speak.

Si Chen noticed her hesitation and stopped walking, turning to look at her. "Sect Master Su, is there something else you wish to say?"

Su Miaoyin took a deep breath, as though steeling herself. When she raised her head again, her gaze held a trace of complex anticipation, and she asked softly:

"Fellow Daoist Si Chen, forgive my boldness... who is Si Shuo to you?"

Si Chen was mildly taken aback.

He had not expected to hear his Third Uncle's name here, from the lips of a Sect Master.

Looking at the complex expression on Su Miaoyin's face, Si Chen first felt puzzled — then quickly broke into a knowing look:

"Sect Master Su, my Third Uncle... don't tell me he..."