Kunlun Mountain, Jade Void Palace.
A figure appeared furtively outside the palace gate; it was none other than True Lord Yuding.
He looked around nervously, glancing left and right.
"Senior Brother Yuding "
A voice suddenly rang out, startling Yuding.
Upon closer inspection, he saw that the White Crane Boy had Present Self at some point, looking at him with a smile on his face.
"Is Master here?" Yuding smiled awkwardly and straightened his somewhat disheveled robes.
The White Crane Boy nodded. "Master has been waiting in the hall for quite some time. Senior Brother, please go in quickly, don't keep Master waiting."
Yuding took a deep breath, trying to calm his mind, before stepping into the Jade Void Palace.
Inside the palace, the Yuanshi Tianzun sat firmly on the high platform. Below him were the Daoist Randeng, the Immortal Official Nanji, and the Twelve Golden Immortals, including Guangchengzi, Chijingzi, and True Lord Taiyi. Each of them possessed a profound aura, and the lowest level of cultivation was that of Daluo Golden Immortal.
Yuding strode into the hall, knelt down before Yuanshi Tianzun, and bowed. "Disciple Yuding greets Master."
The Yuanshi Tianzun slowly opened his eyes, his gaze falling on the Yuding. "You're back? Has Yang Jian been accepted as your disciple?"
Yuding shook his head and recounted the events of the Red Maple Tribe in detail.
"The Venerable Saint Fuxi made it clear that he would not accept Yang Jian as his disciple. This disciple... this disciple is incompetent and has failed to fulfill Master's instructions." Yuding finished speaking and bowed his head deeply.
The hall was completely silent.
The Yuanshi Tianzun sneered, " Zhunti? He certainly put on a good show. Did he think I didn't know what he was thinking? He wanted to use this to bask in the Human Race Destiny and gain merit, but alas, he failed!"
"Although I am a saint like him, I disdain to associate with him! He deserved to be humiliated by the human race this time!"
"That Fuxi... I never expected him to break through to the Primordial Daluo Golden Immortal... He must be Lin Tian..."
"Enough." Yuanshi Tianzun waved his hand. "Let this matter rest. My Chan Sect already has Twelve Golden Immortals, all of whom are True Immortal of Fortune and Virtue, protected by the Heavenly Dao. Everything is in accordance with Heaven's will."
Suddenly, his gaze fell on Chiting in the corner, his brows furrowed, and his tone turned cold. "I hope you all will cultivate diligently and not slack off. Especially some people... don't waste the opportunity I've given you like trash!"
In the corner, Chiting trembled, his head drooping even lower, his face filled with shame.
Over the years, his cultivation progressed slowly, and he has only just reached the Golden Immortal realm. Compared with his fellow disciples in the hall, he is worlds apart.
The Immortal Official Nanji has reached the mid-stage of Quasi-Saint, Guangchengzi has entered the early stage of Quasi-Saint, and the weakest of the other fellow disciples is Daluo Golden Immortal.
He alone remained at the Golden Immortal, not even making it into the ranks of the Twelve Golden Immortals.
A strange look flashed in Randeng's eyes, but he quickly returned to normal.
Everyone in the hall knew perfectly well that their master was targeting Chiting.
"Alright, everyone disperse." After saying this, Yuanshi Tianzun's figure transformed into specks of Purple Light and disappeared.
The disciples bowed and left the main hall.
Chiting also wanted to leave quickly, return to his own dojo, and cultivate diligently, so as not to disappoint his master again.
Just as he was about to step out of the palace gate, Yuding suddenly appeared beside him and patted him on the shoulder. " Chiting, wait a moment."
Chiting stopped and forced a smile, "Senior Brother Yuding, is there something you need?"
Yuding looked at the disappointment and inferiority in his eyes and sighed inwardly.
He took out a vibrant green herb from his sleeve, emitting a faint fragrance, and placed it in Chiting's hand. "Junior brother, don't be discouraged. The path of cultivation is long. Talent is important, but perseverance is even more crucial. I believe that as long as you persist, you will definitely break through the bottleneck."
He paused, then lowered his voice. "This is a ' Azure Origin Grass ' that I obtained during my travels in the Primordial Wilderness. It can help improve cultivation and refine magical power. I hope it can lend you a hand."
Looking at the spiritual herb in his hand, then at Yuding's sincere eyes, Chiting felt a lump in his throat and his eyes reddened slightly. "Senior brother... thank you. In this vast Chan Sect, you've been the kindest to me, never looking down on my demon beast form..."
Yuding patted his shoulder, hesitated, and finally just sighed softly, "Actually, Master and the other fellow disciples weren't always like this. It's just..."
He didn't finish his sentence, but Chiting understood.
Although Yuanshi Tianzun accepted him as a disciple, he always harbored resentment towards him.
Who told him to be a creature with fur and horns, born from moisture and eggs?
Under the influence of their master's intentional or unintentional attitude, the entire Chan Sect treated Chiting with superficial politeness, but in reality, they kept their distance.
Yuding saw this, but unfortunately, his position in the Chan Sect was not high, and he was powerless to do anything about it.
"Senior brother, your disciple..."
"It's alright, if I can't take him in, so be it. I don't like teaching disciples anyway."
"Alright, Junior Brother, go back and cultivate now. If you have any questions, feel free to ask me anytime," Yuding said gently.
Chiting nodded emphatically, carefully put away the Azure Origin Grass, and then flew towards his cave.
Just as Chiting reached the cave entrance, a dark figure darted out from the bushes beside him and landed in front of him, transforming into a Daoist priest in black.
The Daoist priest was thin, with a sinister face and narrow eyes. There was a faint aura of Yao Qi circulating around him, but it was not a pure Demon Race aura; rather, it was some kind of strange mixture.
" Chiting Daoist Chi Ting, you're finally back!" the black-robed Daoist laughed. "I've been waiting for you for so long."
Upon seeing the newcomer, Chiting smiled, a rare expression on his face. " Shen Gongbao? What brings you here?"
The newcomer was Shen Gongbao, a black panther who had attained enlightenment and had become acquainted with Chiting by chance, and they had been friends for many years.
Shen Gongbao chuckled and put his arm around Chiting's shoulder, "We haven't seen each other in so long, can't I come to see you? What, aren't you welcome?"
Although Chiting's cultivation level was higher than Shen Gongbao's, Chiting never acted like a senior; instead, he treated Shen Gongbao like a brother.
"Not at all."
Chiting shook his head and invited Shen Gongbao into the cave.
The cave dwelling was simply furnished, containing only a stone bed, a stone table, and a few stone stools.
Shen Gongbao casually sat down and, seeing Chiting's gloomy expression, guessed what was wrong. "What's wrong? Did you get scolded by the Yuanshi Sage again?"
Chiting smiled bitterly, "My master's treatment of me... sigh, let's not talk about it."
Shen Gongbao said solemnly, " The Yuanshi Sage is Heavenly Dao Saint. For him to accept you as his disciple is already an immense opportunity. His strictness towards you stems from his high hopes for you. He also hopes that you will cultivate diligently and not waste this opportunity!"
Chiting chuckled self-deprecatingly and poured Shen Gongbao a cup of tea, "High hopes? Perhaps. But... sometimes I really regret joining the Chan Sect."
His voice was low and deep. "Ever since my cultivation progressed slowly, my master has become increasingly distant, and my fellow disciples are mostly just superficially polite. In the entire Chan Sect, apart from Senior Brother Yuding, who else truly cares for me? They... ultimately look down on my background."
A complex look flashed in Shen Gongbao's eyes. In his view, what an honor it would be to be accepted as a disciple by Yuanshi Tianzun!
Even if one is only a nominal disciple and is not highly regarded, having the status of a disciple of a sage gives one more confidence when traveling in the Primordial Wilderness.
Did he himself not wish to become a disciple of a sage?
But he didn't even get the chance to be a registered disciple.
"You're mistaken," Shen Gongbao advised. "Being accepted as a disciple of a sage is a blessing many would rather die for. As for cultivation... we can take it slowly. That's precisely why I've come to see you today."
"Oh?" Chiting looked up.
Shen Gongbao smiled mysteriously, "I recently received news that a ruin in the northwest of the Primordial Wilderness is about to be revealed. It is said that there are Postnatal Spiritual Root inside, and there may even be clues to Innate Spiritual Object!"
Chiting's eyes lit up. "Really?"
"Of course it's true!" Shen Gongbao patted his chest. "When have I, Shen Gongbao, ever lied to you? How about it, want to try your luck together? If we can find a spiritual item to enhance our cultivation, your breakthrough will be just around the corner!"
Chiting's resolve wavered.
He had been stuck at the Golden Immortal realm for many years and truly needed an opportunity to break through.
Although the Azure Origin Grass given by Senior Brother Yuding is good, one spiritual herb is probably not enough.
"Alright!" Chiting made up his mind. "In that case, I will accompany Shen Gongbao on this trip!"
Shen Gongbao was overjoyed. "That's more like it! Let's set off right now!"
After reaching an agreement, the two immediately left the cave, transforming into two streaks of light and flying towards the northwest of the Primordial Wilderness.
Shortly after they left, Yuanshi Tianzun slowly opened his eyes, his gaze piercing through the void, his brows slightly furrowed.