New Moon Profound Palace

The moment Shen reassured Han that he intends to join no matter what, Han's entire aura changed as he darted off somewhere before arriving back within a few seconds.

"This is your identity tag and disciple's robe" Han said with an excited smile while handing a few things to Shen.

"...Great elder Sikong, can't I keep my old clothes on? It is the only thing that reminds me of my teacher." Shen asked with a saddened expression. One of the reasons why he wanted to keep wearing his old clothes was comfort and the other was to stand out among the others even more. He still didn't know who is going to help him get connected to Imperial Family so he wanted to make sure to stand out as much as possible.

"Shen...unfortunately, you can't. I apologize but this is New Moon Profound Palace's policy, wearing different clothes would only-"

"divide disciples and create internal trouble. I fully understand great elder Sikong. Thank you for accepting me despite having low talent." Shen finished Han's sentence and bowed in gratitude before trying to leave but Han stopped him right in the doorway.

"Wait! Shen, you don't have low talent. It's unheard of someone possessing such a low number of opened profound entrances, however, you are the first exception I have seen in my life. Not only that, your cultivation is comparable to those with high innate talent. I believe you are the exception when people say the number of opened profound entrances dictates one's future." Han said with a genuine smile and he truly meant his words since Shen was one of the most unique people he has ever met.

"Hehe, thank you for the confidence boost, great elder Sikong. I will form my future with my own hands" Shen scratched the back of his head with a silly smile before leaving.

The moment he left the room, Han quickly disappeared. He had to inform the Palace chief of this new disciple immediately. Shen at the moment became the brightest youngster in their New Moon Profound Palace. Of course, he definitely had to limit the information regarding Shen's profound entrances only to the Palace chief only.

When Shen arrived at his designated room, he immediately noticed 3 beds.

'It's most likely to increase the social interaction rather than them being too poor.'

Since no one was inside the room, Shen decided to change into his new clothes. As he was dressing up, he kept complaining under his breath how uncomfortable these clothes felt for him.

[You have managed to join the New Moon Profound Palace, make yourself known throughout the palace, and increase the New Moon Profound Palace's overall prestige. The disciples tend to get bullied and laughed at by the other disciples of the great sects. Make a change.]

"Ah! A new roommate! My name is Li Hao" Suddenly while reading the system's message, Shen heard a voice from the doorway behind him.

"Greetings senior brother Li, my name is Shen...just Shen" Shen turned around and politely greeted the disciple while putting emphasis on his given name.

"Just Shen? Well, it is a pleasure to meet you, junior brother. Since you are our new roommate, I reckon you are a new disciple, would you like me to show you around the place?" Hao kindly suggested while secretly trying to read Shen's cultivation, however, he was having trouble which led him to believe that Shen was even stronger than him.

"If senior brother Li would be so kind, please" Shen agreed since he truly wanted someone to guide him around.

Two of them walked around the New Moon Profound Palace's area and Li Hao explained that their palace had more than just a Profound department. If anyone was interested in music or art, they could make use of the palace's different departments.

'I wonder what would be their first response upon hearing modern music, haha. I remember several songs but without the right instruments, it won't sound the same, truly a shame. I even remember a few songs involving phoenix so they might even understand a bit.' For Shen, this entire world and his life as "Shen" was only some sort of entertainment. For now, his desire was to have as much fun as he could, for whatever "fun" meant in his eyes.

"Junior brother Shen is surely attracting a lot of attention...especially from junior and senior sisters" Hao said with a slightly gloomy expression but he quickly tried to cover it up with a smile.

'It seems like I will have trouble making friends with males since jealousy here is even worse than it was back on Earth...No, maybe it's just that they can't hide it as well as the modern humans.'

"Haha, please don't tease me, senior brother Li. You are making me feel embarrassed." Shen released a nervous laugh and scratched the back of his head.

"What a humble junior brother." Someone's voice joined in from behind and once they turned around, Li Hao's face grew slightly red.

"Greetings, senior sister Lan Xueruo. This is a new junior brother named Shen..." Li Hao greeted a beautiful young woman and introduced Shen, feeling slightly awkward since Shen was using only his given name.

'What a beauty, she is comparable to that cold bitch however her aura makes her even more charming since she excludes kind and friendly air around her. I am not sure if the way to get into Imperial family's attention is only by showing off my strength to the elders because she looks too beautiful to be just some random disciple. Even that cold bitch was somehow famous and important in that city. It feels like only females with higher status are very beautiful.'

"It is a pleasure to meet senior sister Lan" Shen politely greeted her with a friendly smile which caused her eyebrows to raise a bit in surprise, however, she quickly collected herself.

"It is indeed a pleasure, I have just heard that we have accepted a very talented disciple into our ranks. Is it possible the rumored disciple is junior brother Shen?" She asked with a sweet smile.

'Hey, make yourself useful AI and tell me something about this woman'

[Master doesn't possess high enough authority for me to accept his request.]

'?! Why would you- I doubt it's because she has a higher cultivation base than Li Hao, it's just that her background must be much better than him. Now that I think about it, sometimes the elders aren't enough to select the most talented disciples to send to the capital. It wouldn't be strange for the Imperial family to send a few scouts into the disciples' ranks to notice some hiding talents.'

"Hehe, I am not so sure about talented but I am indeed very recently accepted disciple."

"What nonsense, junior brother Shen is at 4th layer of the Nascent Profound Realm while looking around the same age as junior brother Li. If junior brother Shen is not qualified to call himself talented, no one else here is!" She replied firmly after seeing Shen's humble act.

"Heeh, does senior sister Lan enjoy teasing young boys that much or is it just me?" Shen acted embarrassed while trying to "flirt" a little.

"?! Hehehe" A shocked expression plastered over her face before she started genuinely giggling which sounded like a calming lullaby to the others.

"Junior brother Shen is very funny, it's a shame that I have to take my leave now. I hope we get to meet and talk a bit more later. Junior brother Li." Before leaving, she didn't forget to say her farewell to Li Hao, however, he still felt like he was just a third wheel during their conversation.

Shen couldn't help but look at her slowly distancing back, feeling like he had just missed something.

'What is this feeling? It feels like having my goal right under my nose. None of the disciples should know about me yet, unless she was just with one of the elders but then again, why would she be there? I am certain she isn't just any disciple but it still feels like I am missing something.' And how could have Shen known that the princess herself would go "scouting" for new talents?

"Is junior brother Shen truly at the 4th layer of Nascent Profound Realm already?" Li Hao asked for confirmation from the person himself.

"I indeed am, how about a light spar since we are already at the training ground?" Shen asked, wanting to test out Hao's strength.

"I- alright..." Hao reluctantly agreed since he didn't want to refuse his "junior brother's" request.

.

.

"Come at me, I will limit my strength to yours so we can have a fair spar." Shen pointed his folded fan at him.

Li Hao felt weird when Shen pointed at him with his "weapon" however he quickly understood in the next 5 minutes.

*gasp* *gasp* "J-Junior brother Shen is truly at another level despite limiting his strength." Li Hao admitted while being on all four, catching his breath. Shen tried to help him up while giving him a few pointers despite not being that proficient in combat himself.

Their spar had a few spectators but none of them left disappointed as new young talent has appeared that easily defeated their most talented youngster.

'Spreading my name inside such a small circle is much easier than spreading those rumors back in Floating Cloud City' As Shen wanted to leave the training grounds while supporting Li Hao...

"You call yourself a man?! 4th layer of Nascent Profound Realm against the 1st layer?!" Someone from the crowd shouted.

'There always have to be some annoying pest'