You don't want your secret to be revealed by others, right?

"""

Great Cultivators initially almost all started in Jingzhou, with over ninety-nine percent of Four Symbols Practitioners also in Jingzhou.

The Four Symbols Practitioners in the other Eighteen States combined were probably just a few hundred at most.

Thus, Jingzhou viewed the other Eighteen States as a mortal human world.

After all, most sects in these Eighteen States existed to discover talented cultivators for Jingzhou, and any cultivator with decent potential would almost certainly choose to go to Jingzhou.

Only those who found it difficult to progress in cultivation, gave up continuing cultivation, or were officials dispatched by the court would stay in the Eighteen States.

The people of these Eighteen States, much like he once was, barely understood the cultivation world and had little cultivation knowledge.

It's no wonder Hong Xi didn't know about Blood Recognition.

"Forget it, I'll help her."

Lin Yue thought with a sigh, then immediately controlled his divine thought.

With the power of his Primordial Spirit, even a slight influence could make Hong Xi unknowingly cut her finger and accidentally let the blood drip onto the Heavenly Martial Heart Plate.

"Uh?"

Hong Xi, sensing the Heart Plate's recognition, was momentarily stunned.

Then, the divine voice Lin Yue had left in the Heart Plate's storage space resounded in her mind.

"Fortunate one, obtaining the relic of this elder is a stroke of fate... Remember, do not reveal this treasure's existence to anyone, or a great disaster will befall you... Within the storage space are various treasures left by this elder, which will unlock gradually as your cultivation improves..."

After a while.

Hong Xi's beautiful eyes lit up as she looked at Lin Yue, excitedly saying, "Disciple, your master is really about to make it big!"

"What happened?" Lin Yue asked knowingly.

"I... um, I can't say."

Hong Xi coughed and said, "You're still young, and I'm afraid you're not tight-lipped, so I won't go into details with you."

Lin Yue was somewhat speechless; this girl truly had little scheming...

"Anyway, being able to take me as your master is your tremendous luck." Hong Xi smiled sweetly, "We are destined as master and disciple; your master won't forget you."

Repeating the lessons just learned, wasn't she... Lin Yue had nothing to say.

"I'm in a good mood today; anything you want, just say it, and your master will fulfill it." Hong Xi, in high spirits, was also exceptionally generous.

Too inflated... Lin Yue replied calmly, "Disciple heard there is a cultivation sect in Cangzhou called Primordial Mountain?"

"Yes, the legendary top-tier Daoist cultivation sect, Primordial Mountain," Hong Xi nodded, "Why?"

Lin Yue, in a childish voice, said, "Disciple heard that the immortals of Primordial Mountain are invulnerable to swords and spears, impervious to water and fire. Can master take disciple to Primordial Mountain to learn some skills?"

"...I never asked you to make a wish..."

Hong Xi was somewhat speechless, "Primordial Mountain is indeed Cangzhou's top cultivation sect, and your master wishes to join it too, but at my age, Primordial Mountain won't accept me..."

She suddenly had a thought, inspired by the treasures stored within the Heart Protector's space.

As the top sect in Cangzhou, Primordial Mountain was a Daoist sect, generally recruiting youths below fifteen but above twelve, selecting disciples based on talent.

Though she was older, she was not yet twenty; with exceptional martial prowess and mental strength, there was still a chance to enter Primordial Mountain.

If she remembered correctly, among those treasures was something to enhance vitality and refine mental strength?

Moreover, there were numerous spirit pills to restore essence and fortify the foundation, alongside top-tier martial arts!

With these treasures properly utilized, she could undoubtedly break through the legendary Five Elements Heavenly Barrier; as a martial genius under twenty, joining Primordial Mountain would be easy!

At this thought, Hong Xi couldn't help but feel an overwhelming anticipation.

"You're still young."

Hong Xi gently ruffled Lin Yue's hair, saying with a smile, "However, your master can first join the Primordial Sect, so that when you grow up, you can directly become a disciple there."

...

Time flowed leisurely, and three months quickly passed.

Northern Cangzhou.

The boundless sea of clouds stretched across a mountain range dozens of miles long, with hundreds of verdant peaks intermittently appearing amidst the mist.

Cangzhou's premier sect, 'Primordial Mountain,' was situated here.

As Cangzhou's top-tier sect, Primordial Mountain was rumored to be a branch of the Daoist Sacred Land, Primordial Sect, tasked with selecting cultivation talents from Cangzhou for the headquarters in Jingzhou.

Today marked April 1st of the fifteenth year of the current era, the day when Primordial Mountain opened its doors wide to recruit disciples and initiate the entrance exams.

At the Outer Peak of Primordial Mountain, a group of youths followed a Daoist-robed man along a rugged mountain path, advancing quietly and unobtrusively among the mist-shrouded peaks.

Beside the robed man was a young woman carrying a small boy on her back.

"Miss Hong."

The Daoist-robed man smiled as he gazed ahead, saying, "Look, up ahead is our Primordial Mountain's sect, we will be there shortly."

Hong Xi, carrying the drowsy Lin Yue, nodded slightly, a bit nervous.

The Daoist-robed man, noticing this, chuckled and said, "Miss Hong, rest assured that with your talent—breaking through the Five Elements Heavenly Barrier at under twenty—the elders are sure to accept you."

"That's good." Hong Xi nodded slightly and said, "It's just my disciple..."

The Daoist-robed man said, "No worries, I see Miss Hong's disciple, although young, has well-developed roots, and considering Miss Hong, the sect will certainly allow your disciple entry as well."

After some time, passing through a dense shroud of clouds, their vision suddenly cleared.

The group followed the stone-paved mountain path up to the peak, soon beholding an ancient and grand mountain gate, beyond which lay a moss-covered platform.

Seeing the gate, the youths exhaled deeply; after such a long journey, they had finally reached the West Mountain Gate of Primordial Mountain.

Beneath the gate, a gray-robed elder sat behind a wooden table, smiling at the Daoist-robed man leading the young ones, "Brother Xiao, hard work."

The Daoist-robed man shook his head slightly, saying, "Please, Brother Lu, register these youths and test their roots and potential."

"A small matter."

The gray-robed elder nodded, then glanced at Hong Xi, standing nearby, inquiring, "But this young lady is...?"

"Hong Xi, Miss Hong also wishes to join our Primordial Mountain."

The Daoist-robed man explained, "Like Uncle Zuo, she was a wandering martial artist in the Jianghu, recently breaking through the Five Elements Heavenly Barrier. Brother Lu, Miss Hong is not even twenty yet."

"A Jianghu wanderer breaking through the Five Elements Heavenly Barrier at under twenty?" The gray-robed elder's eyes shone.

Under twenty and breaking through the Five Elements Heavenly Barrier.

In Di Hong City, or even Jingzhou, this wouldn't be a big deal.

Reportedly, among Jingzhou's prestigious families, many reached the Four Symbols Peak in their teens.

But...

That was with ample Heaven and Earth Treasures building their foundations and many treasures aiding their cultivation, naturally reaching the Four Symbols Peak with ease.

Yet, wanderers from the Eighteen States' Jianghu rarely had access to Heaven and Earth Treasures, and the cultivation environment was poor, relying entirely on themselves. Achieving the Five Elements Heavenly Barrier in such conditions was already remarkable.

With the same cultivation resources as those prestigious families, they would surely surpass many descendants of such families.

"Great, great, great!"

The gray-robed elder nodded in appreciation, "Brother Xiao, you've truly made a contribution this time."

"Also, regarding the child Miss Hong brings," the Daoist-robed man said, "he's Miss Hong's disciple. Although young, since she's about to become a Core Disciple, she has the right for her family to reside within the sect, correct?"

"That's a small matter." The gray-robed elder nodded slightly and said, "Just report to the sect, and it's settled."

Lin Yue lay on Hong Xi's back with eyes closed, his divine thought naturally overhearing their conversation while extending and permeating freely to sense the state of Primordial Mountain.

"Hmm, a small sect, and even Jingzhou's Primordial Sect is merely an ordinary Holy Land..."

He silently made up his mind, "Within a year, I'll have Hong Xi catch the attention of Jingzhou's forces and the rival forces of the Prince Lin Mansion, clearing them out along the way..."

"""