Yang finally entered the outer sect hall. The structure was carved directly into the mountainside of the outer sect disciples' peak, forming a wide stone chamber supported by thick natural pillars left during excavation. The walls and ceiling were smooth, but the rock remained visible, giving the hall a solid and simple appearance rather than a decorative one.

  The entrance opened into a large space where disciples could gather. The floor was flat stone, worn smooth by countless feet over the years. At the front of the hall stood a raised stone counter staffed by what appeared to be senior outer sect disciples. They registered task completion, distributed points, and answered basic questions from the steady stream of disciples approaching them.

  Behind the counter were several doors, closed and offering no hint of what lay beyond. Probably offices and storage rooms, Yang guessed, though he had no way to be certain.

  One entire wall served as the main notice board. A large stone slab was embedded into the wall, divided into multiple sections by glowing lines. Each section held thin jade slips or wooden plaques that displayed information.

  Yang moved closer to examine it. One section listed scheduled lectures and basic training sessions available to outer disciples. Cultivation lectures, body refinement, qi control, etc. Times, instructors, and locations were clearly marked beside each entry.

  Another section was dedicated to sect tasks that could be exchanged for contribution points. Simple duties suitable for outer disciples, since they weren't permitted to leave the sect grounds. Common tasks included tending spirit herb gardens, feeding and cleaning after spirit beasts, assisting in basic pill refinement, preparing talismans, maintaining formations, helping in kitchens, delivering supplies between peaks. Each task plaque showed the required time, difficulty level, and number of points rewarded.

  Overall, the outer sect hall was practical rather than grand. Designed to manage daily life, training, and discipline for large numbers of low-ranking disciples while keeping everything organized and efficient.

  Yang approached the counter. A senior disciple sat behind it, reviewing a scroll. He looked up as Yang drew near.

  Yang bowed slightly. "Senior, I am new here and wanted to know about the classes, including the reading and writing one."

  The senior disciple set down his scroll and smiled. "Did you just join with the latest group of new disciples?"

  "Yes, I arrived yesterday," Yang said.

  The senior's smile widened. "Congratulations on entering the sect." He gestured for Yang to come closer. "I'm Bo Yu. You can call me Senior Brother Bo Yu."

  "Thank you, Senior Brother," Yang said.

  "The writing classes are held daily," Bo Yu explained. "But the new batch for beginner classes will start in three days' time. You'll want to attend those."

  Yang hesitated. "I already know how to read and write a bit. I've read the basic manual that was given to me. But there are some characters I'm unfamiliar with that I want to understand."

  "Oh?" Bo Yu's eyebrows rose with interest. "Show me."

  Yang pulled out the cultivation manual he'd brought with him and opened it to the pages where he'd struggled. He pointed to the characters he couldn't decipher.

  Bo Yu looked through them quickly, telling Yang the meaning of each one by one. When he finished, he closed the book and handed it back. "You're ahead of the beginner classes."

  He paused, considering. "You should take the class of Senior Ming Hao instead. He teaches smaller sessions. His classes are more suitable for someone who has gaps in their education rather than a true beginner. He holds them two to three times a week. You can attend when you wish. It's more like tutoring sessions rather than lectures. He helps younger disciples fill in the gaps in their knowledge of characters." Bo Yu gestured toward the notice board. "You can find his timing on the board for lectures."

  Yang nodded, absorbing the information. Then curiosity got the better of him. "Senior Brother, do many disciples hold lectures for others?"

  Bo Yu leaned in slightly, his expression becoming more animated. "The sect pays disciples in points to teach. Many disciples want to do it because they believe it's easy money. But it's quite difficult to find a subject and be good enough at teaching it to others." He smiled. "Even inner sect disciples hold lectures."

  "They're all free to attend," he continued. "The sect pays the teachers in points to encourage the disciples to explore any paths and find the one most suited for them."

  Yang turned to look at the notice board again. His eyes scanned the listings more thoroughly this time, surprised by the variety. There were lectures on sword techniques, alchemy basics, formation theory, beast taming. And then his gaze caught on something unexpected.

  "Cooking classes?" Yang asked, turning back to Bo Yu with curiosity. Such a mundane subject seemed out of place among cultivation techniques.

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  Senior Brother Bo Yu's expression shifted immediately. "Cooking cultivators are some of the rarest professional paths. It's a very respected profession." He leaned forward earnestly. "While they may not be making things as obviously advantageous as an alchemist, their dishes can sometimes even provide enlightenment."

  His chest puffed slightly. "White Cloud Sect is the only sect to have such a large group of cooking cultivators. We're all blessed for it, having such delicacies to eat."

  Yang had to wonder incredulously for a moment if it was White Cloud Sect lucky to have them, or if it was that no one else wanted them in their sect. But he kept quiet, realizing the cooking cultivators were clearly a point of pride for the sect. Better not to question it.

  "What lectures would be best to attend?" Yang asked instead. "For someone just starting cultivation?"

  "My advice?" Bo Yu said. "Attend every basic introductory lecture. Then you can decide from there what interests you most." He gestured broadly. "Even if you attend an advanced lecture now, you won't understand much. So it's better to attend the introductory ones first before delving deeper."

  "Do I need to register for them?" Yang asked.

  Bo Yu waved him off. "No, just attend. All lectures are free, whether given by elders, inner sect disciples, or outer sect disciples."

  He reached under the counter and pulled out a piece of paper. "Here. This lists all the lectures being held this week along with their timings and places."

  Yang accepted it gratefully. "Thank you, Senior Brother." He paused, another question forming. "What about the library?"

  "The techniques cost you points," Bo Yu said. "But the rest is free to access. You can read whatever you like as long as you don't remove it from the library."

  Yang thanked him again and was about to leave when another thought struck him. He turned back. "Senior Brother, is there a way to send letters to other sects?"

  Bo Yu nodded. "Yes. Every month, letters are sent from the sect to all major cities. If you send the letter through the outer sect hall, it will be sent once a month." He looked at Yang with understanding. "Do you have a relative in another sect?"

  "I have a brother in a sword sect," Yang said. "I'd like to inform him of my whereabouts and the good news of entering White Cloud Sect."

  "Just bring your letter here before the month's end," Bo Yu said. "We'll make sure it gets sent."

  Yang bowed in gratitude and took his leave.

  He made his way out of the outer sect hall and onto the walkway that connected the outer sect peak to the other mountains. The path was wide, covered by a roof supported by elegant pillars. The sides were open, offering views of the clouds below and the other peaks rising around him.

  Yang came across many fellow outer sect disciples along the way. Some walked alone, lost in thought. Others traveled in small groups, talking amongst themselves. He looked up and saw inner sect disciples and elders flying to and from various peaks. Standing on swords or riding in small flying vessels. Moving through the air with the ease of birds.

  Yang wondered wistfully when he would have that ability. When he could fly instead of walk. When the sky itself would be his path.

  The walkway brought him to the peak where the library was situated. More disciples gathered here than he'd seen elsewhere. The library clearly drew many seeking knowledge.

  Yang entered through tall doors carved with patterns of clouds and mountains. Inside, the space opened up into a grand hall. But what caught Yang's attention immediately was the man sitting at a desk near the entrance.

  The librarian was an elder in elaborate robes. He looked to be in his fifties, with streaks of grey in his hair. His white robes were far more ornate than Elder Yu Shan's had been, with intricate embroidery along the sleeves and collar.

  It took Yang a second to realize this was an inner sect elder. Someone of much higher rank than he'd expected to find managing a library.

  Yang approached and bowed respectfully. "Senior, I'm Chen Yang. I just joined the sect yesterday. Am I allowed to enter the library?"

  The elder looked at him with calm, assessing eyes. "I am Shi Yichen. You may call me Elder Shi, since I am an elder."

  Yang's eyes widened as he realized his mistake, he was so used to calling the painter senior Cheng Mo that now he thought of all elder cultivators as seniors. So he'd called the elder 'senior' instead of using the proper title. He immediately bowed deeper. "I apologize, Elder Shi. I didn't…."

  Elder Shi waved him off. "It's fine. I can see you're a new disciple." He gestured to his sleeves, showing a pattern embroidered along them. Intricate clouds woven in silver thread. "All the elders have this pattern on their robes."

  He pointed to another section of embroidery. "This denotes inner sect. All inner sect disciples and elders will have this design, no matter their rank." His expression was patient, almost kind. "Anyone with this pattern, you can be assured is an elder and must be called Elder by both the inner and outer sect disciples. The rest, whether higher rank inner disciples or outer sect disciples, can always be called Senior Sister or Senior Brother unless they are your junior."

  Yang committed this to memory immediately. "Thank you for the advice, Elder Shi."

  Elder Shi nodded and gestured toward a jade slip on his desk. "Place your token here for registration."

  Yang did so. The slip glowed briefly as it recorded his information. Then Elder Shi waved him through. "You may enter."

  Yang stepped past the desk and through another set of doors.

  It was like a whole new world had opened for him.

  The library stretched out in all directions. Shelves upon shelves of scrolls, books, jade slips, and wooden tablets. More knowledge than Yang had ever seen in one place. More than he'd imagined could exist.

  The ceiling rose high above, supported by pillars carved to look like trees. Natural light filtered in through windows set high in the walls, supplemented by glowing spirit stones that provided steady illumination without flickering.

  Disciples moved between the shelves. Some browsed casually. Others searched with clear purpose. A few sat at reading tables scattered throughout the space, completely absorbed in whatever text they'd found.

  Yang took a slow breath. The air smelled of old paper and ink. Of knowledge preserved and waiting.

  This was where his journey as a cultivator would truly begin. Not just with meditation and breathing techniques, but with understanding. With learning everything this world had to teach him.

  Yang stepped forward into the library, ready to begin.

  Heron's Hearth In Another World

  TweekZ