The armored Golden Immortal Metal God called him "little friend," and Luo Qing's scalp instantly went numb.
Although he had only seen him act once, Luo Qing knew he had not mistaken him.
The one smiling at him right now was none other than the Lord of Hundred Gods Mountain, the Grand Unity Golden Immortal Ancestor Hun Xing.
If he found out that Luo Qing was from the Five Elements Tribe and had even captured quite a few innate gods from Hundred Gods Mountain, would Luo Qing still be able to stay alive?
Did Lord Hun Xing mistake me for an innate god who had just emerged?
Luo Qing's thoughts raced, and he immediately grasped the key to survival.
As soon as the Lord of Hundred Gods Mountain finished speaking, Luo Qing did not hesitate in the slightest.
Luo Qing immediately bowed and said:
"Little God Redflame pays respects to the High God. May I ask why the High God summoned me here?"
As he spoke, Luo Qing put on an uneasy expression.
Lord Hun Xing smiled and explained:
"Little friend, don't panic. You and I are both innate gods born from Heaven and Earth. We belong to the same race, and I have no intention of harming you.
It is merely that the Fierce Beast Calamity is currently raging, and our Divine Race is in a time of crisis. The wilderness is filled with fierce beasts, and danger lurks everywhere.
It is no longer suitable to cultivate alone, so I brought you here to Hundred Gods Mountain. This is a gathering place for innate gods. We can band together and seek survival."
Luo Qing put on a look of sudden realization and bowed again.
"So that's how it is. No wonder the moment I emerged, I saw that the baleful aura between Heaven and Earth was so intense. These fierce beasts are truly too detestable. Little God is willing to join Hundred Gods Mountain and seek its protection!"
"Hahaha, you're teachable! From now on, you are the fifth Nominal Disciple of mine, Hun Xing. Once you break through to the Metal God realm, I will accept you as my Direct Disciple."
Seeing Luo Qing's obedience, Lord Hun Xing was delighted. He laughed heartily and immediately decided to take Luo Qing as his disciple.
Hearing this, Luo Qing was overjoyed. He bowed to Hun Xing from atop the clouds.
"Disciple Redflame pays respects to Master!"
"Not bad, not bad!"
Hun Xing happily stroked the dragon horns on his head. The more he looked at Luo Qing, the broader the smile on his face became.
"Redflame, that's a good name! Since you have become my disciple, your master should naturally bestow a treasure upon you.
Take this high-grade Innate Treasure, the Flame Fire Pearl!"
As he spoke, Hun Xing tossed Luo Qing a Treasure Pearl wrapped in flames.
Luo Qing happily took the Treasure Pearl in his hand, refined it on the spot, and put it away.
Only then did Hun Xing nod in satisfaction.
"Come, follow your master into the mountain. From now on, Hundred Gods Mountain will be your cultivation grounds."
"Yes, Master!"
Luo Qing wore an excited smile the entire time. He was utterly obedient to Hun Xing, showing no sign of resistance.
Ancestor Hun Xing was the only Grand Unity Golden Immortal on Hundred Gods Mountain, and he was also a mid-grade innate god.
His position on Hundred Gods Mountain was supreme.
As Ancestor Hun Xing's fifth disciple, even if Luo Qing was merely a Nominal Disciple, his status was still above that of ordinary Golden Immortal elders.
As Luo Qing followed Ancestor Hun Xing into Hundred Gods Mountain, the news that he had been accepted as Hun Xing's disciple immediately spread throughout the entire mountain.
In the core region of the caves on Hundred Gods Mountain, more than a hundred caves belonging to innate gods were scattered about.
When the news that Lord Hun Xing had accepted his fifth disciple reached them, it immediately caused an uproar among the gods.
"What? The Lord accepted a newly emerged innate Fire God as his disciple?
"How is that possible? Could it be that the nearly hundred gods on the mountain are inferior to a newly emerged Fire God? I refuse to accept this!"
"Exactly! Who could accept this? It's unfair! Why can this fellow named Redflame become the Lord's disciple the moment he arrives?"
"Ah, what good does refusing to accept it do? I heard that this Redflame fellow had already reached the peak of the Heavenly God realm the moment he emerged. He has a mid-grade innate god foundation, far superior to ours!"
Once Luo Qing's mid-grade innate god foundation was revealed, the group of low-grade innate gods who had been complaining about their resentment and the unfairness immediately fell silent.
Their faces displayed envy and jealousy in equal measure.
"So what if he has a mid-grade innate god foundation? In the end, it's still uncertain whose cultivation will be higher! I'm going back to cultivate!"
"Ah, I'm going back to cultivate too!"
"One's foundation can only determine our starting point, not our endpoint. Farewell, fellow Daoists!"
The group of low-grade innate gods, whether they were True Gods or Mystic Gods, all left.
Although their foundations were inferior to Luo Qing's, that did not mean they would accept defeat.
Many of the gods secretly decided that when they encountered "Redflame" later, they would have a proper discussion with him.
They would definitely prove to the Lord that low-grade innate gods were not necessarily weaker than mid-grade innate gods.
However, the wishes of these innate gods were destined to come to nothing.
The moment Luo Qing entered Hundred Gods Mountain, Ancestor Hun Xing took him to the most central part of the divine mountain.
It was Ancestor Hun Xing's cultivation cave.
"There are five side halls here. The first four are the cultivation grounds of your four senior brothers and sisters. They have all reached the Metal God realm and are usually cultivating in seclusion. Do not disturb them unless you have business with them."
"The remaining side hall will be your cultivation cave from now on. Are you satisfied, disciple?"
Ancestor Hun Xing pointed out the five side halls adjoining the main hall as he introduced them, then smiled and asked Luo Qing.
"Thank you, Master. The spiritual essence here is extremely dense. This disciple is very satisfied!" Luo Qing revealed a delighted expression.
He looked as though he had obtained a cave for free and profited enormously.
"Good! The Fierce Beast Calamity has now begun, and no one knows when Hundred Gods Mountain may face a battle of life and death.
"Your Heavenly God cultivation is simply too weak. You should achieve the Metal God realm as soon as possible. Only then will you have a chance of preserving your life during the calamity."
Hun Xing solemnly gave Luo Qing another instruction before leaving Luo Qing alone in the side hall and departing.
Once Ancestor Hun Xing left, the smile on Luo Qing's face grew even more joyful.
He closed the cave's door and happily began touring the entire cave.
Although it was only a side hall, its interior was exceptionally spacious.
The cultivation room, treasury, alchemy room, and smithy were all fully equipped.
When Luo Qing finally entered the cultivation room in the deepest part of the cave, he closed the room door and activated the Forbidden Array.
The smile on Luo Qing's face immediately vanished without a trace, replaced by gloom.
Although he had appeared to be admiring the cave just now, he had actually been using the Eye of the Great Dao to investigate whether anything was unusual throughout the cave.
As expected, other than the cultivation room, the entire cave was under Hun Xing's surveillance.
If Luo Qing made even the slightest unusual move, this cultivation ground could instantly become a prison.
What nonsense was this tale about a Grand Unity Golden Immortal taking him as a disciple after seeing his outstanding aptitude?
Luo Qing did not believe it in the slightest.
He knew very well that he was an Acquired Being who had Reverted to Innate and become an innate god.
Luo Qing did not know whether True Gods or Mystic Gods could see through his foundation.
However, he had only just successfully Reverted to Innate, and the aura around him had yet to be completely restrained. There was no way he could hide it from a Grand Unity Golden Immortal.
That was why Luo Qing was extremely wary of Lord Hun Xing of Hundred Gods Mountain.
Luo Qing was certain that Hun Xing had an ulterior motive for accepting him as a disciple.
But by the time Luo Qing was discovered by him, the situation was already one in which the enemy held the knife and he was the fish on the chopping block. What else could he do?
To preserve his life for the time being, Luo Qing had no choice but to play along and acknowledge his enemy as his master.
"Ancestor Hun Xing!"
Luo Qing silently repeated the name in his heart, and a trace of icy killing intent flashed through his eyes.
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