Outside the Gazing Star Cliff, the sea of clouds churned like ink. Only the large formation at the cliff's peak was operating, filtering the boundless starlight into an extremely fine silver gauze that fell silently.

Inside the meditation room of the cave dwelling, a mass of deep blue water liquid hovered in the air.

Thirty-six dark cyan Hundred-Fold Refined Steel needles were slowly swimming through the water like fish.

Su Ming sat cross-legged, his ten fingers moving with a slight rhythm as if plucking a lute.

Guided by the spiritual energy at his fingertips, the mass of deep blue water was not static. It vibrated at an extremely high frequency, with countless dust-fine water currents acting like countless flexible and resilient files, repeatedly scouring the needle tips.

If one looked closely, they would discover that around the extremely tiny character for "repair" on the needle tails, an almost imperceptible spiral pattern was being etched.

This was the "water-rifled barrel" technique Su Ming had devised by combining the *Like Water Art* with fluid dynamics.

Once activated, these steel needles could silently pierce through protective spiritual shields using the spiral force, leaving wounds that were torn and difficult to heal.

"Hah..."

Su Ming exhaled a breath of turbid air, his ten fingers abruptly retracting.

The deep blue water instantly dispersed into mist, sucked away by the formation. The thirty-six steel needles emitted a light hum and obediently fell into the wooden box in his palm.

If one looked closely, they would discover that around the extremely tiny character for "repair" on the needle tails, an almost imperceptible spiral pattern was being etched.

Su Ming's eyebrows twitched. He swiftly closed the wooden box, stored it in his storage pouch, and then respectfully took out the token.

There was no earth-shattering phenomenon.

A calm, broad, yet undeniably authoritative voice sounded directly in the depths of his soul.

"Su Ming, tomorrow, Chen hour, Star Pivot Hall. The master acceptance ceremony."

The words were few, with no superfluous pleasantries.

But these brief dozen or so words suddenly imbued the spacious cave dwelling with an additional sense of solemnity.

Su Ming's hand holding the token tightened slightly.

Although he had long known the outcome, when this formal summons arrived, his perpetually suspended heart finally settled back into his chest.

Starting tomorrow, he would no longer be that menial post foreman meticulously calculating in the Repair Hall, treading on thin ice in the outer sect.

He would be the personal disciple of Formation Peak Master, Xuanheng Zhenren.

In this vast Cloud Hidden Sect, he would finally no longer be a drifting duckweed at the mercy of the currents.

"Tsk tsk, look at your lack of composure."

In the Consciousness Sea, Lin Yu's voice sounded timely, tinged with a bit of teasing. "Your hands are shaking. Is it really that big a deal?"

Su Ming carefully hung the token back at his waist, the corners of his mouth lifting slightly. He did not refute.

"Master, you don't understand."

Su Ming stood up, smoothing his robe. "Before, when encountering trouble, my first instinct was to run, because there was nothing solid behind me. From now on, if the sky falls, at least there will be a tall person to hold it up."

"That's true."

Lin Yu crossed his legs in the Consciousness Sea, swinging his illusory feet. "To get by in this cultivation world, you need to rely not only on strength but also on background. That Xuanheng guy might seem stern, but that thigh is thick enough."

Su Ming smiled but didn't continue the topic.

He turned and walked towards the cleansing room in the side chamber of the cave dwelling.

The master acceptance ceremony was no trivial matter. It was not just about showing respect to the master but also about showing face to the entire Formation Peak.

Appearing covered in dust would be disrespectful to the tradition.

Drawing mountain spring water, he washed away the fatigue and medicinal smells from his body.

Su Ming changed into the new purple true disciple robe issued by the sect.

This robe was made from top-grade Heavenly Silkworm silk blended with star-patterned cotton. It was breathable and had decent defensive capabilities. The cuffs were embroidered with the Big Dipper cloud pattern symbolizing Formation Peak. As he moved, starlight seemed to flow faintly upon it.

Su Ming stood before the Water Mirror, looking at the clear-featured, calm-eyed young man reflected in it.

These clothes fit well, yet they felt heavy.

"Looking quite presentable," Lin Yu commented. "But remember, the more splendid the clothes you wear, the more people will be watching you. From now on, when you act, even if you have to pretend, you must maintain a certain demeanor."

"This disciple understands."

Su Ming adjusted his collar, ensuring every single wrinkle was smoothed out.

Just as he was about to return to the meditation room to regulate his breathing, a sharp sound of something tearing through the air pierced the outer illusion formation.

It was a pale yellow communication talisman, folded into the shape of a paper crane, fluttering its wings as it hovered outside the cave dwelling's defensive barrier.

Su Ming raised a hand and pointed. A crack appeared in the barrier.

The paper crane flew in, transforming into specks of spiritual light before him. Luo Feng's vibrant voice then leapt forth:

"Su Ming! Long time no see! Who would have thought, through a series of coincidences, you actually became my junior brother!"

The voice was filled with barely concealed excitement. In the background, one could seemingly hear the sound of rushing wind, clearly indicating he was flying on his sword.

"Junior brother! Congratulations! Don't be late tomorrow!"

"Eldest Senior Sister and Second Senior Brother just sent word! They're rushing back specifically for your master acceptance ceremony!"

"Eldest Senior Sister is a person of few words, her gaze is like an ice pick, but her heart is good. If she gives you something, just accept it!"

"Second Senior Brother has a lively personality and loves to tease people the most, but he's absolutely reliable! If he gives you any strange-looking food, remember to smell it first!"

"I'll come pick you up tomorrow morning! Our Formation Peak is finally getting lively!"

The spiritual light dispersed, and the voice gradually faded.

Su Ming stood in place, listening to Luo Feng's rapid-fire chatter. The solemnity in his eyes dissipated somewhat, replaced by a touch of warmth.

Eldest Senior Sister, Second Senior Brother...

These figures, who originally only existed in rumors, were about to become part of his daily life.

This feeling was strange.

It was like someone who had walked alone through a cold night for a long time suddenly seeing a lamp lit up ahead, with someone under it waving, calling him home for a meal.

"It seems the atmosphere at Formation Peak is better than I imagined," Su Ming murmured softly.

"Of course," Lin Yu chuckled. "Tech geeks, male or female, mostly aren't that complicated. As long as your skills are solid and your character isn't bad, even if you're a quiet one, they'll treat you like family."

Su Ming nodded.

He walked to the meditation cushion in the center of the meditation room and sat down cross-legged.

He didn't rush to cultivate. Instead, he took out several spirit stones from his storage pouch and skillfully embedded them into the surrounding Spirit Gathering Array Disks, adjusting the spiritual pressure within the cave dwelling to the most comfortable frequency.

Moonlight filtered through the layers of formations, spilling over him like a silver cloak.

Outside the window, the unique spiritual energy light streams of Formation Peak flowed through the sea of clouds like auroras, serene and mysterious.

Su Ming closed his eyes, his breathing gradually becoming long and even.

There was a little less apprehension about the unknown, and a little more anticipation for tomorrow.

After tomorrow, he would truly have a "thick thigh" to clutch within the Cloud Hidden Sect.