Zhang Sanfeng's Disciple! Celestial Pills!

"Greetings, Sect Leader!" The clear, resounding voices startled Zhang Hupan, and even the two young Daoist disciples were taken aback. The elder Daoists usually spoke with such kindness; they never expected their voices to be so booming. What puzzled the two young disciples even more was why they addressed the person before them as Sect Leader. Had Senior Brother Qingmu stepped down? Even if the person before them was the Sect Leader, they had never seen these elder predecessors show such great deference to Senior Brother Qingmu! Just as the two young disciples were thoroughly confused. Suddenly, they felt a gentle force lifting them up. Then, they heard the ordinary-looking Daoist in front of them speak calmly, neither hurried nor slow, "Everyone, please don't mind. This humble Daoist is Yunming, sent down the mountain by my master, True Man Zhang Sanfeng, to cultivate." At this, Qing Teng and the others finally understood why their master and grandmasters had shown such great deference to this Daoist. Who was Zhang Sanfeng? He was the founding ancestor of the Wudang Sect, a figure like an Immortal. This person before them was his disciple! However, they were confused again. If he was a disciple of the Immortal Zhang, then he would belong to the Yun generation. How should they address him then? Qing Teng couldn't help but start counting on his fingers. But halfway through, the two of them suddenly remembered their previous attitude and broke out in a cold sweat, their faces instantly turning pale. They scrambled to Zhang Hupan's side and kowtowed repeatedly, "Ancestor, this junior was blind just now. Please do not take offense!"

Another gentle force lightly lifted them up, and the familiar, gentle voice echoed in their ears, "Those who cultivate must treat everyone with a peaceful heart, without arrogance or impatience. You must not rely on your talent to be haughty, nor should you belittle anyone!"

"Yes, yes! Disciples will definitely remember Ancestor's teachings!" The two young disciples nodded their heads as vigorously as chicks pecking at rice.

Seeing the two young disciples still trembling and standing there fearfully, Zhang Hupan smiled. He selected two of the worst celestial pills from his Universe Ring. It wasn't that Zhang Hupan didn't want to give better celestial pills, but the current strength of these two was too poor. Even these worst celestial pills would be enough for them to absorb for about ten years.

When Zhang Hupan took out what he considered the worst celestial pills, a fragrant scent filled with spiritual energy instantly permeated the entire space. All eyes, old and young, stared intently at the celestial pills in Zhang Hupan's hand, the sound of saliva dripping onto the ground clearly audible. Although the Daoist temple had many precious medicinal ingredients, these were only relative to the secular world. After all, the Wudang Sect had only been established for a little over 700 years. Even the best immortal medicines and the most precious varieties, if they hadn't grown for long enough, would have a vastly inferior effect. It was unlike the immortal valley where Zhang Hupan grew. It was a place where Xuanwu had resided millennia ago, so even a handful of soil contained plants over a thousand years old. Just like the celestial pills in his hand, they were refined with the most ordinary ginseng from the valley as the main ingredient, along with some immortal herbs. However, that ginseng and those immortal herbs were all over a thousand years old. Compared to the best pills in Kuye's possession, which were refined using materials only around three hundred years old, the luster, fragrance, and spiritual energy were naturally incomparable. Of course, celestial pills refined by cultivation experts like Zhang Sanfeng and Zhang Hupan, even with the same materials as Kumu's, would be several grades apart.

Now, these old fellows had long since withdrawn from worldly affairs. Their sole focus was continuous cultivation, hoping to glimpse the Heavenly Dao within their lifetimes. Celestial pills were undoubtedly good for improving one's realm and accelerating cultivation speed. Therefore, when Zhang Hupan produced two celestial pills, everyone's eyes lit up. They all hoped Zhang Hupan would smile and say to them, "Hey, take this celestial pill!" Of course, in their hearts, they knew that good things were always given to elders before juniors, and Kuye undoubtedly had the greatest hope. Some old Daoists were already looking at Kuye with envious, even jealous, eyes. Kuye himself was staring intently at the celestial pills with a nervous expression. He had been stuck in the mid-stage Pill Formation for far too long. He was confident that if he took even one of these celestial pills, he would definitely be able to enter the late-stage Pill Formation and advance toward the Core Formation Stage. However, what Zhang Hupan said next almost made them all spit blood and die.

"Two young Daoist disciples, do not be afraid. Ignorance is not a crime; just be more careful next time. These two celestial pills are for each of you, as a meeting gift. After taking them, go into seclusion for ten years and also cultivate your Dao Heart well!" Then, two celestial pills flew into the palms of Qing Teng and Qing Zhu respectively. The two young Daoist disciples looked at their palms in disbelief, then suddenly pinched each other. They found it hurt, realizing they weren't dreaming. They hastily knelt before Zhang Hupan, kowtowing again with immense gratitude. This time, however, their kowtows were filled with joy.

If looks could kill, Qing Teng and Qing Zhu would have been killed dozens of times over. All the old Daoists, as well as the younger-looking Kuye, Ku Xin, and Ku Ku, stared intently at Qing Teng and Qing Zhu. Some old Daoists secretly regretted, "If I had known that sweeping the floor could lead to celestial pills, I should have vied for the glorious task of sweeping the floor back then. Now look, those two little fellows, whose cultivation is as pitiful as ants, actually got celestial pills. What a waste of heavenly resources! Where is the justice in that!" Many Daoists wanted to roar up at the sky to vent their frustrations, but the person standing before them held too much prestige. Even Kuye and the others dared not make a sound in his presence.

Knowing that the two celestial pills already had owners, everyone had to reluctantly shift their gaze away from them. They couldn't shamelessly snatch them from the two juniors! So, their eyes rolled, and they turned their attention back to Zhang Hupan, hoping a few more celestial pills would float out of his Universe Ring.

Seeing everyone looking at him with burning eyes, the simple Zhang Hupan thought they felt his gift was too meager. It was understandable, as they all called him Ancestor and had kowtowed so many times. Now, he had only given them the worst celestial pills from his Universe Ring, of which there were at least thousands. He felt it was a bit stingy. Thinking this, the naive Zhang Hupan blushed and took out two more celestial pills, thrusting them into Qing Teng and Qing Zhu's hands. Then, feeling a bit embarrassed, he explained to Kuye and the others, "It's not that I don't want to give more, nor do I want to give better celestial pills. It's just that their cultivation is too weak!" Thus, Qing Teng and Qing Zhu inexplicably received another legendary celestial pill, and once again enjoyed the gaze of all the seniors.

After this incident, the old Daoists finally understood that this senior before them had many more celestial pills. They then stared at Zhang Hupan with envious eyes, no, more precisely, at the supreme symbol of the Wudang Sect—the Universe Ring. Just as Zhang Hupan felt like a lamb among wolves, a deluge of flattery and obsequiousness from all directions flooded his ears. If anyone were to pass by the Daoist temple at this moment, they would be stunned by the spectacle. At least Qing Teng and Qing Zhu were dumbfounded. A group of Daoists with white beards and hair, who should have possessed an ethereal demeanor, were now lewdly showering a simple and ordinary young Daoist with flattering words. (To be continued)