“This disciple absolutely cannot remain on Azure Mystery Peak!”
The assembled Peak Masters all nodded grimly in agreement.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
In an instant, they shot into the sky, streaks of divine light tearing across the myriad spirit peaks. Like raging torrents, magnificent divine rainbows surged forth, hurtling towards Azure Mystery Peak. Elders and disciples alike were startled by the sudden, overwhelming display of power.
“Is that the Sect Master, Elder Mu, and even the Cangxuan Old Ancestor, along with so many Peak Masters? Where are they all going?”
“Look closely! Could that young man be the genius who just resonated with the Grand Dao Bell?”
“Good heavens! Today we have two prodigies appearing at once! First Ji Fuyao, and now, who is this new genius?!”
Meanwhile, Lu Xuan lay stretched out on his recliner in front of his humble thatched cottage, basking in the warm sunlight.
Ji Fuyao had just returned from turning in a mission. “Master, the mission is complete. I’ve earned ten thousand contribution points.”
Lu Xuan smiled lazily. “Excellent.”
Ji Fuyao tilted her graceful neck, her eyes sparkling. “It was within expectations that Junior Brother would resonate with the Grand Dao Bell.”
Lu Xuan nodded. “Both of your talents are truly exceptional.”
Growl.
Lu Xuan’s stomach suddenly rumbled.
Ji Fuyao chuckled, a soft, charming sound, and stepped into the cottage. “Master, I’ll prepare dinner right away.”
Lu Xuan nodded again. “Good.”
Boom! Boom! Boom!
From the distance, the overwhelming divine radiance bore down on Azure Mystery Peak, an absolutely terrifying pressure that crashed over them like an unstoppable tsunami.
Moments later, the Sect Master, leading Ye Chen and a host of other powerful figures, descended onto Azure Mystery Peak.
Lu Xuan slowly rose from his recliner.
The newcomers frowned subtly. To arrive at Azure Mystery Peak and immediately find Lu Xuan lounging about… It seemed this man had truly given up on cultivation, utterly resigning himself to a life of leisure.
For some inexplicable reason, a wave of irritation began to simmer within their hearts.
Lu Xuan casually inquired, “Sect Master, is Ye Chen’s talent acceptable? He even resonated with the Grand Dao Bell, I see!”
The Sect Master nodded, his gaze burning bright. “Indeed, we are here precisely for that reason.”
Lu Xuan blinked, feigning confusion. “What do you mean?”
“Wait a minute!” The Dan Peak Peak Master frowned deeply, his eyes narrowing. “Is Fuyao… cooking?”
Lu Xuan smiled innocently. “That’s right. It’s dinner time.”
The many Peak Masters stared at Lu Xuan in utter disbelief.
Seriously?
This was a peerless genius! And he was making Ji Fuyao cook?! What kind of master was this?
He clearly wasn’t teaching her anything, but he certainly knew how to put her to work! A furious blaze ignited in the chests of the Peak Masters.
This is beyond ridiculous! This is an outrage!
The Sect Master’s face twitched. He turned to the others. “Actually, I’ve known about this for a while, but I just… didn’t tell you all.”
The Peak Masters groaned in agony. “Sect Master, you should have told us sooner! This… this is preposterous!”
Ji Fuyao slowly emerged from the cottage, offering a slight bow to the assembled crowd. “Sect Master, this has nothing to do with my Master. I do this willingly.”
Silence descended upon the group. They shot daggers at Lu Xuan, their eyes burning with condemnation. What had Lu Xuan said to Ji Fuyao? She had been completely brainwashed!
They realized then that despite Lu Xuan’s apparent shortcomings, his ability to manipulate people was truly extraordinary. If Ji Fuyao had become their disciple, they couldn’t guarantee she would be so utterly devoted, so utterly obedient to their every word!
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor let out a long sigh. “Enough. I’ve already said it. Fuyao will cultivate under Lu Xuan. He can do whatever he pleases with her. Fuyao, you may continue with your work.”
The others were stunned. Lu Xuan’s treatment was truly unprecedented in the history of the Grand Dao Sect. The Cangxuan Old Ancestor was giving Lu Xuan free rein to do as he pleased! A Qi Refining realm cultivator acting as master to a Quasi-Emperor prodigy – this surely set a new record for the entire Southern Wilds.
With that in mind, the Peak Masters gritted their teeth and turned to the Cangxuan Old Ancestor. “Old Ancestor, Ye Chen absolutely cannot remain on Azure Mystery Peak!”
At their words, the Cangxuan Old Ancestor nodded, then looked at Lu Xuan. “Lu Xuan, Ye Chen should be placed under the guidance of another spirit peak.”
Lu Xuan blinked. “But Ye Chen is already my disciple.”
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor coughed awkwardly. “Ahem… you can release him.”
Lu Xuan just smiled. “Why don’t you ask Ye Chen himself?”
A glimmer of hope flickered in the Peak Masters’ eyes as they all turned to Ye Chen.
Suddenly, Ye Chen rushed towards Lu Xuan and threw his arms around Lu Xuan’s leg, clinging on for dear life.
“Master, I’m not going anywhere! I want to stay on Azure Mystery Peak!” Ye Chen thought to himself, My Master is the true big shot! These Quasi-Emperor Old Ancestors and Profound Saint Peak Masters are mere juniors in front of him! How could I possibly leave Azure Mystery Peak to join another peak?
The sight left everyone utterly dumbfounded.
“What the actual hell?!”
Ye Chen, what is wrong with you? What’s so good about Lu Xuan? There are so many Profound Saints and venerable figures here, and you ignore them all, choosing the weakest one instead. Isn’t this just ridiculous?!
The Cangxuan Old Ancestor’s face twitched. He had cultivated for several millennia, and honestly, he had never witnessed a scene quite like this. He simply couldn’t fathom it!
Lu Xuan slowly spread his hands. “Old Ancestor, you see, there’s nothing I can do.”
The crowd was speechless. This guy… he’s really playing innocent, isn’t he?
At that moment, Ye Chen slowly stood up and bowed deeply to the assembled elders. “Old Ancestors, I have already formally become my Master’s disciple. If I had not met my Master, I would certainly have joined another spirit peak. But the master-disciple ceremony has been completed, and such a sacred bond cannot be easily cast aside. Therefore, I apologize for disappointing you all.”
Lu Xuan raised an eyebrow, a slight flicker of surprise in his eyes. This kid certainly knows how to talk.
Grand Ancestor Cangxuan and the other elders exchanged glances. This boy is just as stubborn as Ji Fuyao!
With things having been said this way, they would have to completely abandon all semblance of decorum and forcefully take Ye Chen away!
The many Peak Masters immediately made a move, reaching out to grab Ye Chen, a forced smile on their faces. “This isn’t up to you.”
Lu Xuan was utterly astonished. What the hell?! They’re really throwing all pretense of shame out the window! Ye Chen doesn’t want to go, and they’re actually trying to forcibly abduct him!
Seeing their intentions, Ye Chen furiously resisted. “Seniors, even if you drag me away, my body may be on your spirit peak, but my heart will always remain on Azure Mystery Peak!”
At his declaration, the Peak Masters hesitated, unable to bring themselves to act. This boy is too stubborn! He’s completely unyielding! Lu Xuan has clearly brainwashed him thoroughly!
Grand Ancestor Cangxuan let out a soft sigh. “Forget it for now. Let’s observe. Let Ye Chen cultivate on Azure Mystery Peak for a while, and we’ll see what happens.”
Lu Xuan chuckled. “Still want to make a bet, Old Ancestor?”
Grand Ancestor Cangxuan’s face darkened. “No, I do not.”
The Peak Masters looked at the Cangxuan Old Ancestor, their hearts filled with unwilling resignation. But the situation was as it was, and since Ye Chen had made his intentions so clear, they could only accept it.
The Sect Master took a deep breath. “This matter can be discussed again another day.”
The group prepared to depart.
Lu Xuan offered casually, “How about you all stay for a meal before you go? It’ll be ready soon.”
The Peak Masters immediately shot into the sky, not wanting to speak another word to Lu Xuan. Their frustration was boiling over! Eat?! All he ever thinks about is eating, eating, eating!
Soon, the Cangxuan Old Ancestor and the others left Azure Mystery Peak.
Watching their retreating figures, Lu Xuan clapped Ye Chen on the shoulder. “Ye Chen, what you said earlier was excellent.”
Ye Chen’s face flushed slightly, a hint of bashfulness in his eyes.
Not long after, Ji Fuyao emerged, carrying steaming dishes. Today’s meal consisted of stir-fried Fire Beast meat and a refreshing salad of spirit herbs. The three settled down to eat.
Ji Fuyao smiled enchantingly. “Master, why don’t you just display your Great Emperor realm cultivation? Then no one would dare question you!”
Ye Chen looked at Lu Xuan expectantly. “That’s right, Master!”
Lu Xuan’s face twitched internally. He wished he could display such power! The critical problem was, he wasn’t a Great Emperor!
Lu Xuan had come to realize that in the eyes of his two disciples, he was already an invincible, peerless existence. At this point, he could only bite the bullet and keep up the act.
Lu Xuan said languidly, “If they knew, they would undoubtedly assign me tasks. Why bother with such trouble?”
Ye Chen and Ji Fuyao exchanged a knowing glance. They understood. It was because he was too lazy… ahem… too detached.
Ye Chen declared, “Senior Sister, I’ll start learning to cook tomorrow.”
Ji Fuyao nodded. “Sounds good.”
Before long, after finishing their meal, Lu Xuan lay back contentedly on his recliner, gazing at the distant sky. With the addition of Ye Chen, Azure Mystery Peak now had a comforting sense of “home.” This feeling was truly wonderful, as if the years were peaceful and all was well. A deep tranquility settled within his heart.
Just then, Yao Yan emerged from Ye Chen’s jade pendant. “Peak Master Lu, forgive me for disturbing your rest. Perhaps we should test Ye Chen’s alchemy talent as soon as possible, so we can plan his cultivation path.”
Lu Xuan nodded. “Alright. Ye Chen, come with me.”
The three entered the cave dwelling.
Both Yao Yan and Ye Chen immediately spotted Lu Xuan’s “doggerel” and the “Jiang Taigong Electric Fishing Diagram,” among his other masterpieces. They were utterly dumbfounded. Could a human really conceive of such things? They felt a strange sensation, a mix of bewilderment and sudden enlightenment. As expected of Lu Xuan!
Yao Yan turned to Ye Chen and slowly explained, “When refining pills, the three most crucial elements are your mastery of spirit herbs, your spirit fire, and your soul power!”
“Firstly, the so-called ‘spirit herb mastery’ means you must be intimately familiar with the medicinal properties and characteristics of various spirit herbs.”
“Secondly, there’s spirit fire. The higher the grade of spirit fire, the stronger the power it contains, which makes pill refining much more efficient. You already possess the Bone-Chilling Ghost Flame, so this condition is met.”
“Thirdly, soul power. During pill refining, the intensity and temperature of the spirit fire are paramount. Every step determines whether a batch of pills will be successfully refined. Generally, alchemists possess soul power that far surpasses cultivators of the same realm!”
Ye Chen nodded, listening intently.
Yao Yan produced a black jade stone, from which dark energy constantly flowed. “This is a Soul Stone, used for testing soul power,” Yao Yan explained. “The black energy inside is soul energy! I’ll adjust the Soul Stone to the Profound Emperor realm to see the level of your soul power.”
With that, Yao Yan’s hand flashed with spiritual incantations, imprinting a seal onto the black Soul Stone.
Ye Chen asked, “Elder Yao, what should I do?”
Yao Yan instructed, “Mobilize your soul power and clash with the soul energy inside the stone. The stronger your soul power, the brighter this Soul Stone will become.”
Ye Chen placed his hand on the Soul Stone and began to channel his soul power. In just a few breaths, the black energy rapidly retreated. After a few dozen breaths, the Soul Stone turned completely cold white, all traces of black energy vanishing.
Yao Yan exclaimed in shock, “Chen’er, your soul power is incredibly formidable! It can rival the prodigies of my Yao family!”
Ye Chen was pleasantly surprised. “Elder Yao, can I truly refine pills?”
Yao Yan smiled. “All the pieces are there but one is missing! What you lack now is spirit herb mastery!”
With that, an ancient jade slip appeared in Yao Yan’s hand. “This is the first volume of my Yao family’s ‘Herbal Scripture.’ Alchemist ranks are divided into Yellow-tier, Human-tier, Jade-tier, Earth-tier, King-tier, Heaven-tier, and Divine-tier!”
“If you fully comprehend this first volume of the ‘Herbal Scripture,’ your spirit herb mastery will reach the Earth-tier level!”
Ye Chen inquired, “Nangong Baixue reached Earth-tier Alchemist within half a year. What level does that represent?”
Yao Yan chuckled. “She’s considered an alchemy genius! However, Earth-tier also has nine grades, and there’s still a significant gap within the Earth-tier itself! But I believe your alchemy talent will absolutely blow Nangong Baixue out of the water! Because the blood of the Yao family flows within your veins!”
Ye Chen nodded. “Elder Yao, Master, I will work hard.”
Yao Yan set a goal. “Alright, your mission is to reach Jade-tier Alchemist within one month!”
Just then, the System’s voice chimed.
“Ding! Limited-time Disciple Cultivation Quest issued!”
“Within one month, raise Ye Chen’s alchemy mastery to Earth-tier! Rewards will be distributed based on completion!”