Wei Yan's Request

Granny Jin left with Ning Bing.

She even took Jin Guagua's Divine Soul with her.

It was quite a coincidence. When Chen Luo's soul had been shaken and readjusted to perfectly match his physical body, the part fused with Jin Guagua was automatically squeezed out, allowing him to resolve this entanglement.

"This Jin Sanshun, she's good at business but has poor judgment," Dao Lord Tian Ling shook his head. He then said to Chen Luo, "Virtuous Teacher, this Soul Merging technique is merely a method of the Demon Race. For the Human Race, its only benefit is borrowing strength. It's fine that it's resolved. My Daoist sect has its own soul contract methods, which are centered around humans and are much more effective."

"The Star Devouring Toad is indeed extraordinary, but there are bloodlines that can rival it. For example, my Daoist sect has a pool of Heavenly Dragons. How about I, as your host, arrange for a dragon girl with excellent aptitude to form a soul contract with you, Virtuous Teacher!"

"Hmm?" Chen Luo looked at Dao Lord Tian Ling, who had a kind smile on his face, and a sentence suddenly came to mind—

"Old Xu, want a wife or not? If you do, I'll send one over right now!"

"Hmph!" Wei Yan let out a cold laugh from behind Chen Luo. "Dao Lord Tian Ling speaks generously. I thought you were talking about a dragon girl from the Star Sea Dragon Palace, but it turns out to be the Xuan Tan Heavenly Dragon Pool. That place only has some fake dragons that transformed after leaping over the dragon gate. They are far inferior to the Star Devouring Toad!"

After speaking, Wei Yan looked at Chen Luo again. "In that pool of Heavenly Dragons, I remember the youngest female dragon was transformed from an electric eel two hundred and sixty years ago, achieving the body of a Thunder Dragon. Are you interested?"

"Not interested, not interested at all." Chen Luo waved his hands repeatedly. "Completely uninterested."

After speaking, Chen Luo looked at Dao Lord Tian Ling with a mournful expression: Almost got tricked, you bad person!

Dao Lord Tian Ling, whose deception had been exposed, gave an awkward laugh and forcibly explained, "I heard there are also dragon eggs hatching in the pool. I'll keep an eye out..."

Chen Luo had no desire to return to Floating Cloud Market. Wei Yan took Chen Luo and flew out of Floating Cloud Mountain, heading directly for Zhili Academy. Dao Lord Tian Ling left a message talisman and hastily took his leave.

After all, the sudden appearance of the Heaven-Connecting Path was a major event, and he had to return to report it clearly to the Grand Celestial Master. As for the conferment of Virtuous Teacher, there would be subsequent arrangements.

In the quiet room of the academy, candlelight flickered. Only Chen Luo and Wei Yan were present.

Wei Yan waved his hand and set up a barrier before carefully examining Chen Luo, a satisfied smile appearing on his face.

"Tell me, what grievances have you suffered during this time?"

Wei Yan was one of the few people Chen Luo was relatively familiar with in this world. He had never put on airs in front of him. From what Jin Sanshun had said earlier, Chen Luo knew that Wei Yan had run around quite a bit to save him. Hearing Wei Yan's words, a wave of sadness washed over Chen Luo.

He had narrowly escaped death in One Line Gorge, his accompanying Book Spirit had almost perished, and upon returning to Floating Cloud Market, he had been looked down upon. When one is under someone else's roof, they have to bow their head. Until he was forcibly subjected to Soul Shaking, one incident after another surfaced in his mind. It would be a lie to say Chen Luo felt no grievance. He touched the corner of his eye where tears had welled up and began recounting everything from the beginning...

The seven-colored Heaven-Connecting Path in the sky had disappeared. The fine rain dripped onto the earth like a junior pouring out their heart to a senior...

After listening to Chen Luo's account, a flash of anger crossed Wei Yan's eyes.

"Gu Sect! Gu Masters! Good, very good!" Wei Yan said coldly. "These insects dare to show themselves again."

Then, Wei Yan looked at Chen Luo again, his anger dissipating, replaced by a gentle expression. "You've worked hard. This matter will not be let go."

Chen Luo nodded. "Senior, regarding my cultivation path..."

Wei Yan waved his hand. "This matter is beyond my authority. You don't need to tell me. When you go to Central Capital, the Chancellor of Literature will personally ask you. However, before that, I have a question for you. You must answer truthfully."

"Please ask, Senior."

"Is the cultivation path you've opened related to the Literary Heart of the Great Scholars from before?"

Chen Luo nodded.

Wei Yan frowned slightly. Seeing this, Chen Luo asked, "Senior Wei, is there a problem?"

Wei Yan sighed softly. "Some of the old fellows in the Confucian sect are very pedantic. You are not a disciple of our Confucian sect, yet you have received the Literary Heart of a Great Scholar and even opened a cultivation path. I'm afraid some people will have unrealistic ideas."

Chen Luo immediately felt a bit displeased. "The Literary Heart of a Great Scholar chose me. What does it have to do with them?"

"Don't rush," Wei Yan soothed Chen Luo. "This concerns reputation and righteousness, the foundation of propriety. You can't blame them. I observed your Heaven-Connecting Path, its literary brilliance shining, which is in perfect harmony with my Confucian sect. Are you willing to join my Confucian sect?"

Chen Luo was stunned for a moment and asked, "Me, join the Confucian sect?"

Wei Yan nodded. "Don't worry, the person who takes you as a disciple will have a status above mine, or perhaps the Chancellor of Literature himself might take you as a disciple."

"But I don't have Righteous Qi, nor can I cultivate the Mountain of Books and Sea of Learning!"

"So what?" Wei Yan stroked his beard and said heroically, "Inclusivity is the true meaning of my Confucian sect. Sage Han expounds the Way, Sage Mo presents craftsmanship, Sage Qin practices medicine, and now the Minister of War wishes to open the path of the School of Military. They are all forging new paths, merely new paths opened on the great Dao of the Confucian sect, not as conspicuous as you forging your own path alone."

"A teacher is one who transmits the Dao, imparts knowledge, and resolves doubts. You don't need to transmit the Dao or impart knowledge, but you are still young. Will you not have doubts in the future?"

Chen Luo looked at Wei Yan, feeling that the other party was trying to trick him.

"What? You think even a Great Scholar isn't worthy of being your teacher?" Wei Yan met Chen Luo's gaze, feigning anger, and lightly hit Chen Luo's head. "Don't look at me like that!"

"Um..." Chen Luo scratched his head. "I didn't mean anything else, Senior. I was just a bit startled. I think it's better to be familiar than to be unfamiliar. Why don't I just become your disciple directly! Arranged marriage isn't suitable..."

"You can't spit out anything good from a dog's mouth! A Great Scholar takes you as a disciple, and you still want to pick and choose!" Wei Yan glared at Chen Luo. After a while, he sighed and said, "If it were before, it would be no problem for you to become my disciple. But now, you have opened a three-thousand-mile Heaven-Connecting Path, and I have only just entered the realm of a Great Scholar. If I were to be your teacher, I'm afraid I wouldn't be able to protect you..."

Chen Luo's heart trembled upon hearing this. This sentence contained too much meaning. However, he also felt the genuine care and concern that Wei Yan, the Chancellor of Literature behind him, and even the Confucian sect, had for him.

"Thank you," Chen Luo said softly. "Regardless, Senior, you are my elder. I will treat you as a teacher..."

Wei Yan's lips curved slightly. He stood up and patted Chen Luo's shoulder. "Rest well. We'll enter the capital tomorrow!"

Shouyang Mountain, Xuantan Palace.

Dao Lord Qingwei walked with his hands behind his back through the long corridor and arrived at the underground palace of Xuantan Palace.

In the deepest part of the underground palace lay a giant bronze door covered in runes. Qingwei stood before the door, and a phantom image of a formation talisman appeared in his hand. He placed it into the groove on the bronze door, and the giant bronze door slowly opened, releasing a bone-chilling coldness.

Qingwei's body flickered with purple light, enveloping him. He continued walking behind the door and finally stopped in front of a massive ice pillar.

A gentle smile appeared on Qingwei's face as he looked at the figure seemingly asleep within the ice pillar.

"Sister, it seems I've missed out again."

"Tian Ling reported back that the Virtuous Teacher I enfeoffed is actually someone who has opened a fourth cultivation path."

"If I had known this earlier, it would have been so much better to just take him back as a disciple, right? Now, I'm afraid the old scholars of the Confucian sect have gotten there first..."

"As I said, the position of Grand Celestial Master, you are the most suitable person to hold it!"

Qingwei gazed at the cool, aloof figure in the ice pillar, his eyes filled with infinite tenderness.

White Cloud Spring on Mount Tianping, I write for you, all is fate. Meeting in the vast sea of people within books, Vote to help me move forward forever.

This is a transitional chapter, a bit difficult to write. I've revised it several times, and it's late. This is the last chapter of the first volume.

Tomorrow, the story of the second volume, the Central Capital arc, will begin. More people and forces will appear, and the protagonist will also start doing the things a protagonist should do.

Finally, with a serious face, I ask for monthly votes, recommendation votes, and investment... I'm only a dozen or so away from my small goal.