Inside the cabin of the flying dragon ship, Leaf Gray glanced left and right. When he returned to his senses, he realized Elder Lockridge was already seated on a meditation cushion.

He hurried over and sat respectfully before Elder Lockridge.

Fate could indeed be strange. They had met in the mine tunnel, and Leaf Gray had never expected he would end up joining the sect to which Elder Lockridge belonged. But regardless, from this day forward, he finally had a place to belong in this world. The thought brought a faint warmth to his heart.

Choosing The Vermilion Guild had been a decision made out of helplessness, but if it was the sect to which Elder Lockridge belonged, then it was not entirely unacceptable.

"I am Arthur Lockridge," Elder Lockridge said. "The tenth Sect Master of The Vermilion Guild."

Leaf Gray was stunned.

Though he didn't know much about the cultivation world, he at least understood what a Sect Master meant.

He had guessed that Elder Lockridge held a high status in The Vermilion Guild, but he never imagined that the man before him was actually the Sect Master.

He quickly saluted. "Disciple greets the Sect Master."

Elder Lockridge nodded. "Although I have accepted you today, every nation has its laws, and every sect its rules. For now, you cannot be considered a formal disciple, only a registered one. You must first pass certain examinations before you can truly enter the sect. As for what the examinations involve, you will naturally learn once we return. Besides, with your current cultivation, you are still far from ready for the trials."

Leaf Gray listened attentively and replied, "Disciple understands."

Back then, the mine slaves who wanted to join The Lunar Blight had also needed to undergo examinations, so this did not surprise him.

Not only him—those chosen by various sects earlier were also not formal disciples. Every sect had its own tests, examining the disciple's temperament, morals, and other qualities. Only those who passed could be considered true members.

"The Vermilion Guild is located at The Verdant Peaks in Tranquil Province. It was founded a thousand years ago and has trained sixty-three thousand six hundred and sixty-two disciples. Among them, those at the Divine Sea Realm number..."

As Elder Lockridge spoke, a historical tapestry of the sect slowly unfolded before Leaf Gray's eyes, giving him a basic understanding of The Vermilion Guild.

Right now, he didn't yet grasp the significance of those numbers, but in the future, when he did, he would understand how weighty they were.

After a moment, Elder Lockridge looked at Leaf Gray. "If there is anything you wish to know, you may ask."

Leaf Gray asked the question that had been puzzling him greatly. "Sect Master, during the attack on The Lunar Blight, why did we not see any Shixiong or Shijie from The Vermilion Guild?"

When Elder Lockridge came to look for him earlier, he hadn't noticed anything amiss. But once he learned Elder Lockridge was the Sect Master, he immediately realized something odd.

It seemed that only Elder Lockridge had come from The Vermilion Guild. Otherwise, he wouldn't have personally gone to find Leaf Gray. Welcoming new disciples was something any disciple could do—there was no need to trouble the Sect Master.

"Ahem..." Elder Lockridge cleared his throat lightly. "The truth is, our Vermilion Guild doesn't have many people."

Leaf Gray understood. "So, our talent is sparse and the sect is in decline."

It made sense. A ninth-rank sect was already at the lowest tier in the cultivation world of The Novem Lands. Recruiting disciples wouldn't be easy. Just take the former mine slaves for example—over a hundred had been rescued, yet only Leaf Gray had chosen The Vermilion Guild, and that was thanks to Morgan Sterling's guidance.

"Well... that's not entirely wrong," Elder Lockridge said helplessly.

"Then, Sect Master, how many people are in the sect now?"

"Ask a different question," Elder Lockridge replied.

"Huh?"

"Do you have anything you want to ask about cultivation?"

"Yes!" Leaf Gray nodded quickly. "Disciple has filled one aperture, but when trying to open the second, I can't find its location. I ask for your guidance, Sect Master."

Elder Lockridge nodded. "At the early stages of cultivation, this is indeed a common problem. But to open the second aperture, you need a suitable cultivation method."

"I have a cultivation manual," Leaf Gray said. As he spoke, he began to loosen his clothes. Under Elder Lockridge's astonished gaze, he retrieved a second storage bag that he had been keeping close to his body.

It was Manager Miller's storage bag. When Leaf Gray had decided to leave the hidden passage, he had concealed it on himself. There were valuable items inside, and he was afraid others might covet them.

Now that he had joined The Vermilion Guild and was speaking to the Sect Master, he felt there was no need to hide it.

Seeing the storage bag at Leaf Gray's waist and the second one he took out, Elder Lockridge immediately understood.

This kid had slain more than one member of The Lunar Blight in those mine tunnels!

"Clever," Elder Lockridge remarked.

Leaf Gray gave an embarrassed smile and took out a book from Manager Miller's pouch, handing it to him. "This Cicada's Transcendent Metamorphosis was owned by a cultivator from The Lunar Blight. I wonder if this disciple can cultivate it?"

"If it is a cultivation method, then it can be cultivated. What are you worried about?" Elder Lockridge received the book and opened it.

"It's just... it belonged to a disciple of The Lunar Blight, so I was worried it might be some kind of demonic art..." Leaf Gray trailed off mid-sentence.

Because strange sounds suddenly came from Elder Lockridge. In the silence of the cabin, those sounds were exceptionally jarring.

Leaf Gray couldn't help but twitch at the corner of his eye.

Elder Lockridge, however, looked quite entertained.

The sounds grew louder—rising and falling, full of odd intonations and peculiar dialogues.

Anyone who didn't know better would probably think something indecent was happening inside the cabin.

Unable to resist, Leaf Gray leaned forward slightly to peek at the book in Elder Lockridge's hands.

With Elder Lockridge channeling spiritual power into it, the once-static illustrations came to life. The sounds Leaf Gray heard were coming from the book.

At this moment, he realized he had taken the wrong item.

Manager Miller's storage bag contained three books: one was Legend of the Sword Saint, one was Cicada's Transcendent Metamorphosis, and the last was the one now in Elder Lockridge's hands. He had grabbed it without thinking.

When he had looked at it earlier, he only thought the artwork was astonishingly lifelike, but he never imagined the book held such strange abilities.

Had he been opening it the wrong way all along?

Leaf Gray was dumbfounded!

While Leaf Gray stood shocked, Elder Lockridge closed the book in his hand, and the images and sounds vanished instantly.

Their eyes met. Leaf Gray said, "Elder Lockridge, this book..."

Elder Lockridge's expression was solemn. "It is a dual cultivation technique. It has some value, but you are still young and not suited for such things yet."

"No, Sect Master, it's not mine. I confiscated it from a disciple of The Lunar Blight," Leaf Gray hurriedly explained.

Elder Lockridge nodded. "Good. You are still young. I shall keep it for you for now. Once you are older, I will return it to you."

For some reason, Leaf Gray felt that line sounded strangely familiar...

Elder Lockridge had already put away the peculiar book. Leaf Gray couldn't see any storage bag on him and had no idea where he stored it.