Yun Mengyao

"Thank you for your trouble, Martial Brother Qingquan."

Lu Wangchuan cupped his hands in thanks. The other man chuckled lightly.

"No need to be so polite, Junior Brother Lu. Come with me."

The two entered the Mountain Gate, and Lu Wangchuan could not help feeling even more astonished.

Though they were separated by only a single gate, the spiritual energy within was several times denser than outside. It was simply miraculous.

Chen Qingquan seemed to notice Lu Wangchuan's surprise and explained with a smile:

"sects like ours are generally built atop the spiritual veins of heaven and earth, and special formations are inscribed to suppress them. Otherwise, given enough time, the spiritual veins would disperse completely, which would be a calamity capable of destroying the sect."

"So that's how it is."

Lu Wangchuan nodded. The two quickened their pace and soon arrived at the Law Enforcement Hall.

"Junior Brother Lu, this is the Law Enforcement Hall. Grandmaster is waiting for you inside."

"Thank you, Martial Brother Qingquan."

Lu Wangchuan thanked him and casually slipped two thousand-tael silver notes into Chen Qingquan's hand.

Chen Qingquan pushed them back and forth for a while, only accepting them after Lu Wangchuan urged him several times. He then remained outside the entrance to wait.

Lu Wangchuan straightened his appearance and walked directly into the main hall of the Law Enforcement Hall.

Inside stood an elderly man with white hair and beard, bearing the air of an immortal and the bones of the Dao. Wherever his gaze passed, pressure bore down like a mountain. Even though Lu Wangchuan had already reached the first level of the Celestial Human Realm, the Condensing Truth Realm, he still faintly felt a trace of pressure.

Clearly, the old man's strength had long since reached the second great realm—the Celestial Human Realm—and he was no ordinary Celestial Human Realm cultivator!

Lu Wangchuan did not stare for long. He quickly bowed and saluted the other man.

"Disciple Lu Wangchuan greets Grandmaster."

Elder Cheng nodded, a kindly smile appearing on his face as the pressure eased considerably.

"Is your master well?"

"In reply to Grandmaster, my master is well in every way."

"That is good, that is good. I have been searching for him all these years, afraid that he might do something foolish. Now that I know he is well, and that he has even taught such an outstanding disciple as you, I can finally rest easy.

"Your master has already explained everything to me in his letter. He wants you to cultivate at the Divine Water Sect. You should have been a disciple of Still Water Peak, but Still Water Peak no longer belongs to Xian Yuan, and Xian Yuan himself has already left the Divine Water Sect.

"From today onward, you will be registered under my Law Enforcement Hall as a third-generation disciple."

"Yes! Thank you, Grandmaster."

"Still calling me Grandmaster?"

Lu Wangchuan gave an embarrassed smile.

"Master."

Hearing this, Elder Cheng nodded and smiled faintly.

"A child who can be taught."

Then he raised his hand and tossed over a jade bottle. Lu Wangchuan immediately caught it steadily. Though he did not open it, the dense blood energy and spiritual energy faintly seeping from the bottle's mouth told him that it was certainly something good. He thanked him again.

"Thank you, Master."

"No need for such ceremony. What is your current cultivation?"

"In reply to Master, this disciple was previously at the Bone Forging Realm. After cultivating for a long time, I have already broken through Open Source."

It was necessary to conceal some of his strength, but there was no need to conceal it completely. In a place like the Divine Water Sect, where geniuses gathered like clouds, if he did not display at least a little talent, he would receive no cultivation resources. In that case, there would be no point in coming here.

Elder Cheng's reaction next proved his thoughts correct.

"Oh, you have already broken through Open Source? Open Source at seventeen—not bad, very good! You can be directly promoted to a core disciple. Have your Martial Brother Qingquan take you to the Library Pavilion to collect a transcendent cultivation technique."

"This disciple has one more matter to report."

"Speak freely."

"Last night, this disciple saw disciples of the Black Lotus Society slaughtering martial artists outside the Mountain Gate who wished to join the Divine Water Sect."

"What? Such a thing happened?"

"Absolutely true."

Elder Cheng's expression grew grave.

"This old man understands. You may withdraw first."

"Yes."

Lu Wangchuan withdrew. Chen Qingquan immediately came forward with a smile.

"Junior Brother Lu, what did Grandmaster say?"

"Master told me to be registered under the Law Enforcement Hall as a third-generation core disciple. Then he gave me two pills."

"What? He made you a core disciple right away?"

Chen Qingquan was somewhat shocked.

"The Divine Water Sect's resources are allocated according to status. First come the true disciples of each peak, then core disciples, elite disciples, and ordinary disciples. Every step upward requires enormous contributions. It took me a full twelve years to rise from an ordinary disciple to a core disciple!"

Only then did Lu Wangchuan realize that Elder Cheng had given him such a tremendous benefit. For a moment, he felt even more respect for the old man.

"By the way, what pills did Master give you?"

"These two."

Lu Wangchuan took out the porcelain bottle and opened it for Chen Qingquan to glance at. After seeing it, Chen Qingquan's lips trembled without stop, his eyes brimming with envy.

"They're actually a Marrow Cleansing Pill and a Divine Blood Pill! You brat... damn it, my teeth are aching with envy. Without tremendous contributions, it is impossible to obtain these two pills so easily. Even now, I have only exchanged for one Marrow Cleansing Pill."

Lu Wangchuan had not expected the pills Elder Cheng gave him to be so valuable either. It seemed his patron within the Divine Water Sect was firmly secured from now on.

"By the way, I still need to trouble Martial Brother Chen with something. Master asked you to take me to the sect's Library Pavilion to select a cultivation technique."

"You are now a core disciple, so according to the rules, you can indeed choose one transcendent cultivation technique. Come, I'll take you there."

"Thank you, Martial Brother."

The two headed toward the Library Pavilion. As they walked, Chen Qingquan explained some of the sect's rules and matters requiring attention, so that Lu Wangchuan would not be unfamiliar with them later and stir up trouble.

Lu Wangchuan carefully memorized each matter. After Chen Qingquan had explained nearly everything, he finally asked:

"Martial Brother Chen, do you know whose name Still Water Peak is currently under?"

Chen Qingquan gave Lu Wangchuan a somewhat strange look.

"Martial Uncle Lu didn't tell you?"

Lu Wangchuan shook his head.

"This is Master's sorrow. He has never spoken of it to me. But I swear that I will reclaim Still Water Peak for him, to repay the grace of his teachings."

Chen Qingquan could neither laugh nor cry at his words.

"Then I'm afraid your wish will be difficult to fulfill."

After a pause, he spoke in a slightly heavy tone:

"Your senior sister who betrayed Martial Uncle Lu is called Yun Mengyao. She is the current Peak Master of Still Water Peak. Her aptitude ranks second in the entire Divine Water Sect among our generation!

"When she defeated Martial Uncle Lu eleven years ago, she was already in the Dantian Realm. Seven years ago, she broke through to the first level of the Celestial Human Realm—the Condensing Truth Realm.

"If I am not mistaken, she should have reached the middle or later stages of the Condensing Truth Realm by now.

"Setting aside the fact that your cultivation is currently inferior to hers, even if your cultivation were comparable to hers, with her aptitude, she would soon leave you far behind again. How could you possibly defeat her and help Martial Uncle Lu reclaim Still Water Peak? You should be more realistic."

Lu Wangchuan was rather surprised upon hearing this. He had not expected that woman to have already reached the middle or later stages of the Condensing Truth Realm. It seemed she truly had some skill—no wonder Master had valued her so highly.

However, once a gentleman gives his word, even four horses cannot chase it back.

Since he had promised Master that he would reclaim Still Water Peak, then he would definitely reclaim Still Water Peak!

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