Taking Disciples

The Primordial World.

Buzhou Mountain.

Pangu Temple.

Xuanyuan took out the Sun Crystals they had snatched from Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi and smiled. "Dijun and Donghuang Taiyi are good people. They gave us so many Sun Crystals. Let's share them out. They'll be great for body tempering."

Dijiang and the others took the Sun Crystals, their faces lighting up with delight.

"Haha! Those two raggedy birds took a huge hit this time!"

"With these Sun Crystals, we can make our bodies even stronger."

"Honestly, next time we should go straight to the Sun Star. We'd definitely be able to snatch even more Sun Crystals."

After chatting and laughing for a while, Xuanyuan looked at Six-Eared Macaque and the others, who had followed him there. "If you have something to say, say it now!"

Six-Eared Macaque, Kong Xuan, Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird, and Sihuxiang exchanged glances, then all dropped to their knees. "We want to pledge ourselves to you, Boss. We hope you'll take us in!"

After leaving Zixiao Palace, the four of them had stayed by Xuanyuan's side all along, accompanying him to Pangu Temple. They had made up their minds to follow him.

First, they were grateful. Without Xuanyuan, they wouldn't have been able to enter Zixiao Palace and listen to the Dao. Second, after witnessing the strength of Sanqing, Jieyin, Zhunti, and the others, they understood that to survive better in the Primordial World, going it alone simply wouldn't work. They needed to find a powerful force to rely on.

And Xuanyuan was the one they had chosen to rely on.

"Pledge yourselves to me?"

Xuanyuan asked in confusion, "Since you've entered Zixiao Palace and listened attentively to Hongjun's teachings, you can cultivate step by step and surely claim a place for yourselves in the Primordial World. Why pledge yourselves to me?"

Xuanyuan had spent a million years in the Primordial World and had long grown used to being alone. He hadn't even been keen to accept Xuanming and Xing Tian, whom Dijiang and the others had arranged for him.

Naturally, he wasn't eager to take in Six-Eared Macaque and the others either.

If he hadn't been an Ancestor Witch of the Witch Clan, burdened with its responsibilities and karma, he would have wanted to stay at Qianyuan Mountain forever and watch the tides rise and fall in the Primordial World.

Six-Eared Macaque shook his head with a wry smile. "Boss, I'm sure you know that the Dao Ancestor's teachings have rapidly strengthened all the living beings in the Primordial World. The top experts in particular have been breaking through to the Daluo Golden Immortal realm one after another. The Primordial World is vast, but there are only so many good things to go around. On my own, I have no chance of getting my hands on anything valuable."

"Then you should pledge yourselves to Sanqing, Jieyin, or Zhunti. They're all Daluo Golden Immortals. I'm only a Taiyi Golden Immortal, and I've offended so many powerful people. Aren't you afraid you'll be targeted if you follow me?"

"Boss, you don't need to be so modest!"

Kong Xuan looked at Xuanyuan with admiration. "Sanqing, Jieyin, Zhunti, and the others are powerful, but in my eyes, they don't hold a candle to you."

"That's right!" Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird added. "We all saw you take down Minghe, Kunpeng, and East Duke, three Daluo Golden Immortals, with a single move!"

"Boss, please take us in!"

The four of them gazed at Xuanyuan with adoration.

Outside Zixiao Palace, all four of them had kept their attention on Xuanyuan.

They had naturally seen things more clearly.

In the eyes of others, Xuanyuan had merely used the power of the Space Law to win through clever tricks.

But how could knocking down three Daluo Golden Immortals with a single move be a trick?

Xuanyuan had surely been hiding his true strength.

That was why they had stayed by his side, determined to join the Witch Clan Xuanyuan belonged to.

Ding! The system has issued a random quest: Take in Six-Eared Macaque, Kong Xuan, Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird, and Sihuxiang as disciples, and help all four break through to the Daluo Golden Immortal realm before Hongjun's second lecture. Quest rewards: ten thousand years of cultivation, one billion Great Dao Merit, and the advancement of any one Innate Spiritual Treasure to a Chaos Spiritual Treasure. Will the host accept?

The system notification appeared out of nowhere, and Xuanyuan froze.

Ten thousand years of cultivation, one billion Great Dao Merit, and the advancement of any one Innate Spiritual Treasure to a Chaos Spiritual Treasure.

There were three rewards in total, and every one of them was generous.

Xuanyuan hesitated for a moment.

Especially at the final reward: advancing any one Innate Spiritual Treasure to a Chaos Spiritual Treasure.

Xuanyuan immediately thought of an Innate Spiritual Treasure in his possession, and his eyes lit up.

If he could advance it to a Chaos Spiritual Treasure, it would play a vital role for the entire Witch Clan and for his plans going forward.

Xuanyuan pondered for a moment, then smiled.

"Since you're so sincere, it'd be pretty unreasonable of me to refuse!"

At Xuanyuan's words, the four—Six-Eared Macaque, Kong Xuan, and the others—beamed with joy.

They felt as if they had finally found their place.

Xuanyuan looked at the four and asked seriously, "Are you willing to take me as your master?"

Become his disciples?

Six-Eared Macaque, Kong Xuan, and the other two were stunned at first, then overjoyed. They shouted in unison, "We are!"

They knew perfectly well which mattered more: joining the Witch Clan or becoming Xuanyuan's disciples.

Xuanyuan stood up and glanced at Dijiang and the others before announcing loudly, "Good. From this day onward, I accept Six-Eared Macaque, Kong Xuan, Golden-Winged Great Peng Bird, and Sihuxiang as my disciples. Remember this: disciples of the same sect must not quarrel with one another. I have only one requirement of you: stand by your own, not by what's right. If anyone picks a fight, no matter who's right or wrong, you must stand together!"

"Yes, we will heed our master's teachings!"

Six-Eared Macaque, Kong Xuan, and the others replied eagerly, all of them overjoyed.

Stand by your own, not by what's right!

It was exactly what they wanted to hear.

The four were convinced that with a master who understood them so well, they would never be at a disadvantage.

There was no need for an elaborate ceremony. After Six-Eared Macaque, Kong Xuan, and the other two kowtowed three times and nine times and offered the ceremonial wine, they officially became Xuanyuan's disciples.

After congratulating Xuanyuan, Dijiang smiled and said, "Brother Xuanyuan, you can't play favorites. Since you've taken them as disciples, why not have Jiu Feng and Xing Tian become your disciples too?"

"Uh..."

Xuanyuan hesitated.

He had accepted Six-Eared Macaque, Kong Xuan, and the other two entirely because of the system quest.

As for Jiu Feng and Xing Tian, they were both powerful Great Witches with plenty of responsibilities of their own.

"Big brother, let's just leave it."

"How can we leave it? Teaching four is no different from teaching six!"

Dijiang said with a smile.

He had his own plans.

If Xuanyuan took the time to teach Jiu Feng and Xuanming, it wouldn't be long before the Witch Clan gained two more Daluo Golden Immortals.

That would be a wonderful thing for the Witch Clan.

Zhujiuyin was closest to Dijiang and knew his thoughts best. He joined in the persuasion. "Brother Xuanyuan, we agreed earlier that Jiu Feng and Xing Tian would go to Qianyuan Mountain. You can't go back on your word!"

Xuanyuan shook his head with a wry smile and looked at Xuanming. "Apart from the Ancestor Witches, Jiu Feng is the only Great Witch in our Witch Clan with a Nascent Soul. And she's the best suited to inherit your witchcraft. Let her follow you instead!"

"Forget it!"

Xuanming rolled her eyes at Xuanyuan. "Everyone knows you get fed well when you follow him. I don't want Jiu Feng to resent me!"

As Jiu Feng's elder brother, Qiangliang spoke up too. "Brother Xuanyuan, don't refuse. Let Jiu Feng follow you and learn from you."

With everyone putting it that way, Xuanyuan could only nod.

After all,

he had accepted outsiders like Six-Eared Macaque and Kong Xuan as disciples. Jiu Feng and Xing Tian were his own people. It wouldn't make sense to keep turning them down.

Before long, Jiu Feng and Xing Tian entered Pangu Temple and completed the apprenticeship ceremony. Then all six followed Xuanyuan to Qianyuan Mountain.