CHAPTER 47: A SMILE THAT OFFERS THE SUN

The question was spoken casually, almost like idle conversation—but none of them dared treat it lightly.

Liu Qing chuckled awkwardly, scratching his nose. "Well, Senior’s eyes are sharp. I guess we can’t hide it."

Du San smirked and raised his cup again. "We prefer the term ’free path cultivators,’ but... yes, we’re not tied to any sect."

Xu Jie gave a small shrug. "Better poor and free than dead and bound, that’s what I say."

Xiao Ning gave a faint nod. "Then let me ask you—do any of you possess a complete Mundane-rank inheritance?"

The three exchanged glances. This time, none answered right away.

After a long breath, Liu Qing said, "Senior jests. A full Mundane-rank inheritance? Even many Nascent Soul sects don’t have something like that in one piece."

Xu Jie added, "Fragments are everywhere, sure—but whole systems? We’d have to storm an ancient ruin or rob a major sect to get one."

Xiao Ning’s fingers tapped lightly on the table.

"What if I gave you one?"

The words fell like a stone in still water.

But instead of excitement, the three cultivators immediately grew cautious.

Du San’s smile froze halfway. Liu Qing lowered his cup. Xu Jie straightened slightly, wariness flickering in his gaze.

In their world, no one gave something for nothing. There was no free lunch, and certainly no treasure falling from the sky.

After a long silence, Du San cleared his throat. "Senior... we’re just little Core Formation cultivators. We wouldn’t dare dream of such a thing."

Xiao Ning chuckled. "Did I ask you to dream?"

He reached into his sleeve and withdrew a simple, unadorned jade slip. With a casual flick, he placed it on the table between them.

"Go ahead," he said. "Take a look."

The three stared at the jade slip for a moment.

Liu Qing gave Xu Jie a sideways glance. Du San subtly shifted in his seat. None of them moved.

Xiao Ning didn’t press them. He simply sat there, eyes calm but unblinking—like a still mountain, impossible to read.

Realizing they had already boarded a tiger’s back, the three knew there was no turning away now.

Finally, Xu Jie reached out with both hands, respectfully picked up the jade slip, and placed it against his forehead.

His spiritual sense slipped inside.

A moment later, his eyes widened.

"This..." he muttered to himself. "This can’t be real..."

Xiao Ning raised a brow and gave a soft laugh. "What do you think?"

Xu Jie didn’t answer. He simply passed the slip on to Liu Qing with trembling fingers.

Liu Qing scanned it quickly—and his face paled. A moment later, he sucked in a sharp breath and passed it on without a word.

Du San, ever the loudest, was the quietest now. His eyes darted through the jade slip’s contents like a starving man reading a sacred scripture.

When he finally set it down, his hands were shaking.

"Senior..." Liu Qing said carefully. "We might be small cultivators, but we know enough to understand—nothing in this world is free."

He cupped his hands and bowed slightly.

"What... does Senior want from us?"

Xiao Ning’s lips curved into a smile, pleased.

"Good. I like straightforward people the most."

He lifted his cup, drank the last of his wine, and spoke calmly.

"Do the three of you accept to become this seat’s in-name disciples?"

All three were stunned.

They hadn’t dared to guess what he was after—but this... this was far from what they expected.

Xu Jie’s mouth opened slightly. Liu Qing sat frozen. Even Du San’s confident smirk had vanished completely.

They could tell now—this man was no ordinary Nascent Soul cultivator.

To offer a Mundane-grade inheritance as bait... and then ask to take them in?

What kind of background did he have?

But before any of them could speak, Xiao Ning raised a hand.

"I don’t care for ceremony. No incense, no kowtowing. Just a Dao Heart Oath will do."

"A... Dao Heart Oath?" Xu Jie echoed in disbelief.

The three exchanged looks again, this time with genuine astonishment.

Liu Qing asked carefully, "May I ask what Master... wishes us to swear?"

Xiao Ning gave a faint smile.

"It’s simple. Do not share any of the techniques I give you with outsiders. And be loyal to me."

They didn’t ask for further clarification. There was no need.

In the world of cultivation, the Dao Heart was everything.

It was not something that could be seen or touched—no physical organ, no mystical light—but it was as real as flesh and blood.

The Dao Heart was the will to ascend, the silent compass that guided a cultivator through tribulation, temptation, and despair. It was their clarity of purpose, the fire that refused to extinguish when heaven itself tried to crush them.

To swear upon one’s Dao Heart was not a casual vow.

It did not bind with spiritual force nor alert the heavens, but it rooted itself in the deepest recesses of one’s soul. If broken, it could fracture one’s conviction. It was said that those who betrayed a Dao Heart Oath would find their cultivation stagnating, their mind plagued by unrest, their path dimmed beyond repair.

Even the boldest rogue cultivator thought twice before uttering such a vow.

Liu Qing was the first to speak.

"This disciple, Liu Qing, swears upon my Dao Heart—I shall not share the techniques granted by Master to any other soul. I shall remain loyal to him, in word and in action, so long as my Dao persists."

A faint ripple passed through the air. Though invisible, the oath took root.

Du San followed, his usual grin replaced by rare solemnity.

"This Du San swears the same. My life may be light as dust, but my word shall be heavy as stone. If I betray this oath, let my cultivation collapse and my spirit wander without rest."

Xu Jie exhaled, then closed his eyes.

"This one, Xu Jie, offers this vow willingly. The teachings I’ve received, I shall guard as if they were part of my own soul. From this day forth, I am Master’s disciple in name and truth."

Xiao Ning gave a slow nod, clearly satisfied.

"You’ve done well."

He did not smile, nor did he offer praise lightly. But there was a calm approval in his tone—measured and real.

He looked at them with a mild expression. "Well? What do you think of the Everlasting Nine Suns Sutra?"

Xu Jie opened his mouth, hesitated, then said in a low voice, "It’s... profound. The energy circulation alone is beyond anything I’ve seen. It doesn’t feel like something made for Core Formation at all..."

Du San added, still blinking as if in a daze, "Senior, this technique... is it really usable by people like us?"

Liu Qing furrowed his brows. "Master, if we cultivate this... do we have to abolish our current technique first?"

Xiao Ning gave a faint chuckle and shook his head.

"No. That’s the beauty of the Nine Suns Sutra. Once you begin cultivating it, your current technique will naturally become secondary. Your meridians will adapt. Your qi will transform. There won’t be any backlash."

His smile was calm, but his tone carried weight—certainty backed by personal experience.

"The sutra reshapes your foundation, not by tearing it down, but by engulfing it."

The three exchanged stunned glances again.

Before they could say more, Xiao Ning reached into his sleeve and pulled out two more jade slips.

He placed them on the table with a soft tap.

"The first is Sun Shifting Steps," he explained. "A movement art designed to draw upon sunlight. Under the sun, you will be unmatched in speed among those of your cultivation realm. Even at night, it loses little of its power."

He gestured to the second. "The other is the Sun Hiding, Moon Rising Art. A concealment technique. Properly cultivated, it can deceive spiritual senses even a full major realm above yours."

The table went quiet again.

A breath of silence passed. The three stared at the jade slips as though they were illusionary.

"...Are we dreaming?" Du San muttered.

Liu Qing swallowed. "Feels more like we’ve stepped into someone else’s good fortune."

"We’re not still drinking, are we?"

Liu Qing gave a bitter smile. "I keep waiting to wake up in some beast’s stomach."

Xu Jie stared at Xiao Ning with a bit more caution than before. "Master... with respect, what do you wish us to do?"

Xiao Ning looked amused at the word ’master,’ but didn’t correct it.

"Nothing too difficult," Xiao Ning said, folding his hands behind his back. "There’s a task I want you to carry out. A small one."

The three straightened unconsciously.

"Nothing life-threatening," he added mildly. "You’ll simply be gathering information. Watching. Moving quietly, when I say so."

He paused, then said, "And when the time comes, perhaps... you’ll be asked to light a little flame somewhere."

His smile deepened.

"But that day’s far away. For now, just learn what I’ve given you. In three months, we’ll speak again."