Duosheng Danyuan

What is this? Looking at the strange writing on my arm, I was completely baffled.

Before they could think any further, the old man in front of them shouted again, "Now, kneel and pay homage to the plaque left by the first head of the Shengdan Academy, and you will all be inner disciples."

"..."

No one spoke for a while. Then, a rather large guy in front of me knelt down first. After that, everyone else knelt down one after another. I looked at this scene and, although I didn't understand what was happening, I followed suit and knelt down with them to worship the plaque in front of me.

Even without understanding the deeper meaning of the words on my arm, I could tell that it was telling me not to stand out.

"Very good, get up. Once you step through this door, you will all be considered Qi Refining stage disciples." The old man grinned with satisfaction, turned around and walked towards the inner door. "Follow me."

"..." The silence was no different from before. The big guy got up first, and the others followed suit, getting up and following the steps of this self-proclaimed elder who was passing on his skills.

"As newly initiated disciples, the nine of you are considered to be in the same cohort, and are also the only Qi Refining stage disciples in the Sheng Dan Academy. From today onwards, you are the students of Qi Refining Class One. Any questions?"

"..."

"It's good that there are no problems. On the first day, we won't be practicing. Instead, we'll be visiting the important areas of the Shengdan Academy—or more precisely, the important areas you're allowed to enter. You can enter any of the places you've already visited without my permission; conversely, the places you haven't visited are forbidden areas and absolutely cannot be entered. Do you understand?"

"..."

"I hope your silence is a tacit agreement," Jian Shan said with a playful quip, then fell silent. No one spoke again the rest of the way.

I glanced around and found that the people around me weren't as strange as Elder Jianshan. The woman on my left was occasionally breathing softly, sounding like she was gasping for breath in panic; the man on my right was not only well-behaved, but he would also occasionally make eye contact with me, so he seemed unfamiliar with the place as well.

Could it be that they are in the same situation as me? I couldn't help but feel a little doubtful, and I began to take a closer look at this unfamiliar place.

"Hehe, Elder Jianshan, how are you?" Suddenly, a pale-faced fellow walked towards us from not far away, with an unnatural smile on his lips.

"What are you doing here?" Although I couldn't see Elder Jianshan's face, I could hear the displeasure in his tone.

"Something's up, something's up," the man said with a forced smile.

"One must be single-minded in cultivation," Elder Jianshan said solemnly.

"Of course, of course."

After saying that, the two did not exchange any more words. Seeing Elder Shan continue walking forward, the big man at the front of the group paused for a moment, then quickly followed. So we all followed as well.

"This man's face is unnaturally pale. Even those drug addicts who use meth wouldn't be this deathly pale..." I swallowed hard as I observed the man who had suddenly appeared.

Seeing that the elder who had passed on his skills didn't attack him, the man put on the same unnatural smile he had when they first met, and limped back the way we had come. Looking at his gait, I felt that the phrase "walking corpse" was exceptionally apt for him.

"Hehe, hehehehe..." Suddenly, perhaps because I had been staring at him for too long, his head stiffened like a puppet and quickly turned in my direction. His eyes met mine briefly, and he let out a strange, chuckling laugh.

His gaze was chillingly cold, and even I, who was used to seeing poisonous ghosts, couldn't help but feel a chill in my heart at this moment, and quickly avoided his gaze.

"Hehehe, junior brothers and sisters? Hehehehe..."

"Hmm!"

The woman to my left couldn't help but let out a soft scream. Although she immediately covered her mouth with her hand, the scream was like a silver needle falling to the ground, subtle yet piercing.

"Hmm?" Elder Shan stopped in front of the crowd, turned around and looked in our direction and at the man. "What's wrong?"

"..."

The woman beside me and I both lowered our heads simultaneously, not daring to utter a sound.

"Elder, it's nothing. I was just saying hello to my junior brothers and sisters. Sorry, haha."

"Hmph, just mind your own business. These new recruits have nothing to do with you."

"Yes, yes." The man nodded with a forced smile, and walked away from us step by step, heading back in the direction he had originally come from.

"Come on, we're almost at the first place," Elder Jianshan said calmly, turning back to look ahead.

So we continued walking. However, even after walking a long way, I still felt the man's gaze on me like a thorn in my back, as if he were constantly watching me. This feeling of being targeted like prey was familiar, and it made my heart race.

"The Sheng Dan Academy isn't particularly strict with its disciples, but you must abide by the rules and remember not to cause trouble. Otherwise, no one can help you. Understand?"

"..."

"Sigh...this year's disciples don't like to talk. From now on, you must answer me with a unison 'Yes,' understand?"

"...Yes." Scattered yet intermittent, we all agreed.

"We need to be more tidy from now on."

They remained silent the rest of the way.

We walked for an unknown amount of time, and although the surrounding environment hadn't changed much, an ancient school gradually came into view. In the light mist, the three characters "Lianxin Hall" were clearly engraved on the eaves of the school's door.

"This is the Refining Heart Hall, and it will be where you cultivate from now on. Today, your senior brothers and sisters who are at the Core Formation stage are teaching here; tomorrow it will be your turn. Go in and audit one class. If you don't understand something, don't ask the teacher; come and ask me after class."

As soon as Jian Shan finished speaking, a cloud of black mist began to spread from his body. Under this black mist, the originally simple and unadorned Lianxin Hall showed a strange luster. The flowing light began to extend along the texture of the wooden stakes in front of the hall to form unknown patterns. Before long, the tightly closed door was slowly opened.

Having witnessed Elder Jianshan's methods, I couldn't help but swallow hard. My initial doubts and suspicions had turned into shock—had I really come to another world? And a world about cultivation at that? But this world was definitely not as righteous as I imagined; at least so far, my experience had been mostly bizarre.

"I don't know whether to say I'm lucky or unlucky to have come into this world. Could this be a dream I'm having before I die?" Thinking this, I pinched my cheek. Hmm, it hurts, it doesn't feel like a dream.

"Come in." Elder Jianshan's cold voice came calmly, and we dared not delay, so we quickly followed him in.

"Jianshan? Who are these people?" A middle-aged man wearing glasses and dressed as a schoolteacher asked in confusion in the Refining Heart Hall.

"The newly initiated disciple has been placed in the Qi Refining Class One by the sect leader."

"Oh, I see. What are you doing bringing a Qi Refining disciple to my Core Formation stage class?"

"The sect leader requested that these disciples be shown a tour of the sect grounds, which is also a way to prevent the same kind of accident from happening again."

"...Understood, let them in. But I still have one question: did you remind them to follow the rules?"

"Don't worry, none of them jumped; they're all quiet and well-behaved children."

That's good.

"Go inside, I'll wait for you outside." After talking with the middle-aged man, Elder Jianshan turned around and said to us.

As I entered the Refining Heart Hall, I glanced around and found that the hall was small yet just right. It was small because from the outside, I knew the layout of the Refining Heart Hall couldn't possibly be just one room; it was just right because it had exactly nine double tables, perfectly accommodating us and the other students taking classes there, no more and no less.

What's even stranger is that the layout inside the Refining Heart Hall is nothing like the ancient and rustic appearance it had from the outside; it's more like the classrooms I remember from middle school. The windows along the walls are made of glass.

With trepidation and doubt in our hearts, we all sat down. It was unclear who had done it intentionally, but each of us new disciples was paired up with a senior brother or sister in the Refining Heart Hall to sit at the same table, all of us being freshmen paired with senior brothers or sisters.

"Okay, let's continue the lesson now. Everyone, please open your booklets..."

This teacher showed absolutely no regard for us, the auditing disciples, rigidly adhering to the predetermined curriculum to impart knowledge about the Core Formation stage. Although I don't know if they understood it or not, I was certainly completely bewildered by the teacher. Moreover, the booklet the teacher mentioned was never given to us.

Moreover, I don't know if it's just my imagination, but I feel that the senior student sitting next to me has a similar aura to the pale-faced man I met on the street earlier. At least, I haven't felt her move an inch since I sat down.

Of course, I didn't dare look at her. Even from that distance, that man was still watching me intently; now, this senior was practically touching me. If she really wanted to do something to me... no one would save me.

About half an hour later, the bell on the teacher's head suddenly made a muffled sound. Only then did the senior sister next to me move, close the booklet, and put it into the sleeve of her robe.

"get out of class dismissed."

On the platform, the middle-aged man spoke calmly and took the lead in walking out of the Refining Heart Hall. Immediately, the nine senior brothers and sisters also stood up and followed him out the door one by one.

For a time, only the nine of us newcomers from the same cohort remained in the Refining Heart Hall.

"..."

In the silence, a few people began to look around, but no one spoke or stood up. I didn't look around; I just sat quietly, observing the woman in front of me—the woman who had screamed earlier.

"Huh? Wait, is she really a woman? Why does she look so...so thin?" I frowned, puzzled, and my gaze unconsciously drifted to the window by the wall.

The dim, empty space outside made the window like a mirror, reflecting my youthful face. I had no idea that I now looked like a child of about ten years old!

"What are you standing there for?! Get out here right now!"