The Alchemy Pavilion (Happy New Year)

Yue Qianchou had already become someone else's disciple, and the Fu Xian Token naturally belonged to someone else as well. Everyone had agreed to this beforehand, so what could they say now, no matter how unwilling they were? Elder Liu, who proposed this method, snorted coldly upon seeing Elder Guan's smug expression and fled first with a feint of his body. None of the other elders were willing to look at Elder Guan's face any longer, and they all flew away across the sky.

The elders who had instantly surrounded them were all gone. Cheng Gengqing looked at the disciples watching the excitement in the distance, many of whom were disciples from the same factions as these elders. He felt that staying by Elder Guan's side was not a wise choice and immediately bowed, saying, "Elder Guan, this disciple will also take his leave."

After Elder Guan nodded happily, he greeted Yue Qianchou before leaving. The surrounding disciples didn't know what had happened. Those who recognized Cheng Gengqing walked towards him, while others dispersed in twos and threes.

Yue Qianchou saw that Elder Guan was still looking smug and had nothing to say. He took out the token and offered it with both hands, saying, "Master, the Sect Master instructed this disciple to hand over the Fu Xian Token to Master after becoming his disciple."

"Mm! Alright, alright. The Sect Master has always been fair in his dealings. I will naturally obey his decree." Elder Guan took the token with a smile, examined it carefully in his hand, and then casually tossed it into his storage bag, completely lacking the passion he had when snatching it. Afterward, he contentedly led Yue Qianchou back, and they conversed all the way.

Yue Qianchou, who was almost confused by the seniority, finally resolved his doubts. When he bid farewell to Cheng Gengqing earlier, he called him Ancestor Cheng, but when addressing Elder Guan, he had to call him Master. This inexplicably lowered Elder Guan's seniority, making him almost unable to speak.

Now he understood. Terms like Martial Uncle and Ancestor were merely respectful titles for those who had reached certain cultivation levels, and they had nothing to do with actual seniority. On Fu Xian Island, apart from one's own teaching Master, there was no such thing as seniority. As long as your cultivation surpassed someone else's, they would have to call you Martial Uncle or Ancestor. This was a very normal practice.

Yue Qianchou sighed with emotion. Despite the chaotic naming conventions on Fu Xian Island, they implicitly contained a competitive mechanism, embodying the idea of the capable rising and the incapable falling. Coupled with the rule that disciples who failed Foundation Establishment three times would be expelled from Fu Xian Island, it was a complete elimination system. Those who remained were not necessarily talents but elites. It was no wonder Fu Xian Island held its current status in the Cultivation World. And starting today, he was a disciple of the Alchemy Pavilion on Fu Xian Island.

Elder Guan's name was Guan Wei Wu. Upon learning his name, Yue Qianchou felt a slight pang. The name was indeed very imposing, similar to the imposing name of Guan Yu in his golden bead. It seemed he truly had a connection with people surnamed Guan. His newly recognized Master was also quite hot-tempered. After leading him for a short while, he lost his patience, pointed out the location of the Alchemy Pavilion, and then transformed into a stream of light, flying towards the mountain peak before him.

Yue Qianchou had long heard of the Alchemy Pavilion's reputation in the Cultivation World. It was built on the highest mountain range of Fu Xian Island, with a grand hall situated at the very top. Even from halfway up the mountain, he could smell a rich medicinal fragrance. Taking a few more breaths, he felt refreshed and invigorated. The mountaintop was bare, without a trace of green, a stark contrast to the lush greenery below the halfway point.

Generally, the higher the altitude, the lower the temperature. Strangely, the higher he went up the mountain, the hotter it became. The mountain base and the peak were like two different seasons. Although Yue Qianchou's cultivation was not high, this temperature difference did not affect him. He just found it strange why such a peculiar phenomenon occurred. Was it because of the fires for alchemy burning at the summit?

After ascending the stone steps to the mountaintop, he saw a white stone archway standing before him, inscribed with the three characters "Alchemy Pavilion." Behind the archway was a vast complex of ancient buildings. The area between the archway and the buildings was paved with bluestone slabs. Many people were drying various herbs on the ground, presumably spiritual herbs used for alchemy.

Yue Qianchou looked back down the mountain, observing the buildings on the surrounding, much lower peaks. He suspected they were the territories of other elders like his Master, which made him somewhat puzzled. What he couldn't comprehend was that, based on his understanding of this world, people of higher status should naturally reside in higher places. His Master was not the highest-ranking person on Fu Xian Island; there was at least the Sect Master above him. Why, then, could he occupy the highest location?

While lost in thought, someone behind him asked, "Are you Yue Qianchou?"

"Indeed," Yue Qianchou replied, turning around. Standing below the archway was a thin, tall young-to-middle-aged man with a stern face. His gaze as he sized Yue Qianchou up revealed a hint of unfriendliness. The man snorted and said, "Elder Guan said the new disciple is you? I don't think you're much! Follow me." With that, he turned his back to Yue Qianchou.

Yue Qianchou was also a bit annoyed. He thought, Who is this guy? What have I done to him? He's picking a fight with me right from the start. Although he really wanted to kick the man's backside, he knew the gravity of the situation and that now was not the time. He could only obediently follow the middle-aged man, glaring at his backside with hostility. His originally good mood instantly turned incredibly gloomy.

The middle-aged man led him to a courtyard and pointed to a room, saying, "From today onwards, you will live here and cultivate with the disciples here. Do whatever they do. Remember everything I say, and don't think you can do whatever you want just because you're Elder Guan's disciple." He then snorted heavily through his nose again and said, "I heard you're a rogue cultivator from outside the island, only at Level Ten Qi Refining. Am I correct?"

"No, no," Yue Qianchou replied respectfully. "May I ask how I should address you?"

"Yan Shu," the middle-aged man said haughtily, glancing at him again. "My cultivation is at the late Core Formation stage. According to Fu Xian Island's rules, you should call me Ancestor."

"Oh, so you are Ancestor Yan. This disciple, Yue Qianchou, greets Ancestor Yan," Yue Qianchou said, bowing. He muttered inwardly, There are all sorts of people in this world. I've never met such a lunatic. Yan Shu, I'll remember you. I'll definitely repay you handsomely one day.

"Mm!" Yan Shu grunted through his nose. The two "Ancestor" greetings seemed to have made him feel a bit better. He continued, "Fu Xian Island has a rule that disciples who have not reached the Foundation Establishment stage are not allowed to wander around the island. You stay here and don't run around. After your fellow disciples in this courtyard finish their tasks, you can ask them if you have any questions. Have you remembered everything I've said?"

Yue Qianchou replied with a fawning smile, "I would never forget Ancestor Yan's words. This disciple will engrave them firmly in his heart."

"That's good," Yan Shu said. Leaving Yue Qianchou, who was all smiles, behind, he walked out of the small courtyard with his hands behind his back. Someone behind him called out obsequiously, "Farewell, Ancestor Yan!"