"Martial Uncle Huang Long, some time ago I found a Saliva Spirit Grass on Canglan Mountain. Unfortunately, I only know a smattering about alchemy. If I were to use it to refine pills, it would truly be a waste of heaven's gifts!"
Gu Yunzi took out a white jade bottle, and the others immediately sensed trouble. Xia Yunzi and the rest instantly saw through Gu Yunzi's intentions and cursed wildly in their hearts. "Your sister! Your mother! Your whole family! This bastard Gu Yun is trying to bribe the Sect Master!"
If it had been anything else, True Lord Huang Long might not have been interested. But this thousand-year Saliva Spirit Grass happened to be an extremely important ingredient in an ancient pill formula. True Lord Huang Long had repeatedly hinted that he wanted to trade other items for Gu Yunzi's Saliva Spirit Grass, but this fellow had always played dumb. Who would have thought that, just to take Zhang Yang as his disciple, he would be willing to pay such a steep price?
Sure enough, True Lord Huang Long's eyes lit up. His gaze fell upon the Saliva Spirit Grass and could no longer be pulled away. At his cultivation level, taking another step forward was exceedingly difficult. But if he had this Saliva Spirit Grass and refined that ancient pill formula, he could cross into another realm within a hundred years.
"How could that be? This Saliva Spirit Grass is something you cherish dearly. How could I accept something so precious from you?" True Lord Huang Long declined with a righteous, dignified expression, yet his eyes remained fixed on the Saliva Spirit Grass.
True Lord Huang Long's meaning was obvious. Though the Saliva Spirit Grass was good, it was not enough to exchange for a disciple with a Gray Immortal Seed.
Gu Yunzi groaned inwardly. It was all because he had been too stingy in the past. His Sect Master Martial Uncle wanted to carve a huge chunk out of him! But for the sake of a Gray Seed disciple, for the sake of Gu Yun Hall one day producing a Sect Master, he decided to go all out!
One of his plump hands rummaged through his robes before producing a crystalline Cloud Beast Inner Core. Holding one treasure in each hand, Gu Yunzi's heart bled at the thought of giving them away, but he still wore a smile. "Martial Uncle, I planted some blackwood in the inner courtyard. It can raise the temperature of pill fire and is the finest material for fueling it. I will have some delivered to you later. And this Cloud Beast Inner Core can increase the success rate of pill refinement. So long as you accept these things, refine the Feather Ascension Pill, and lead the Taichu Sect toward an even more glorious and prosperous future, what are such trifles from me, Gu Yunzi? I only ask that you consider this disciple's sincere heart and do not refuse."
True Lord Huang Long was about to decline again, but Gu Yunzi pushed and stuffed the Cloud Beast Inner Core and Saliva Spirit Grass into his hands.
Blackwood, a Cloud Beast Inner Core, a thousand-year Saliva Spirit Grass—every one of them was supreme material for alchemy. Bi Zhuzi, who styled himself the foremost alchemist of the Taichu Sect, felt as though countless cat claws were scratching at his heart. He cursed inwardly at Gu Yunzi, that fat lump who always cried poverty before the elders despite possessing such a rich family fortune. Truly, one could not judge a person by appearance; he was an old fox through and through.
Since Gu Yunzi's "generous kindness was difficult to refuse," True Lord Huang Long could only "accept it without discourtesy." Thus, Zhang Yang, that rare sapling, naturally fell under Gu Yun Hall's banner.
The others had not expected Gu Yunzi to resort to such shameless means, bribing the Sect Master to take this once-in-a-century Gray Immortal Seed disciple. While they fumed with indignation, they could only sigh. Who had more precious treasures than a Cloud Beast Inner Core and Saliva Spirit Grass in their hands? They could only watch helplessly as Zhang Yang fell into Gu Yunzi's palm!
This was a Gray Immortal Seed! He might very well become the future Sect Master.
Xia Yunzi beat his chest and sighed. If Zhang Yang had entered his tutelage, then his Six Yao Divination, unparalleled throughout history, would have an heir. With this boy's aptitude, he might even carry that supreme art forward and make it flourish!
But True Lord Huang Long had nodded, so all they could do was sigh. The Sect Master's decision was not something they dared challenge.
Zhang Yang looked up at the many elders fighting over him, and an arrogant, triumphant expression surfaced on his face. So this Gray Immortal Seed was incredibly rare! So many great figures were fighting to claim me. From this moment onward, I'm afraid I'll rise straight to the clouds! Not only could I deal with Qin Haoxuan—even Zhang Kuang, after his Immortal Seed was tested, might have to turn around and call me Boss!
Good! Wonderful! Zhang Yang could barely resist throwing back his head and laughing toward the heavens. His haughty gaze swept over all the others waiting to be tested before finally landing on Qin Haoxuan. Just wait! Back then, you stood up for someone else and broke several of my ribs. Once I master spirit arts, I'll break every bone in your body.
Qin Haoxuan felt Zhang Yang's hateful gaze and frowned faintly. How could someone like this possess such excellent aptitude? Was Heaven blind, or had his ancestral graves been buried in a good spot? Judging by that arrogant manner of his, so lacking in steadiness, his achievements on the vast immortal path ahead would surely be limited.
Seeing True Lord Huang Long accept Gu Yunzi's bribe and place Zhang Yang under his tutelage, while no one else dared utter the slightest objection, Qin Haoxuan suddenly understood.
These cultivators might seem detached from the mortal world, their magic powerful and their lives long, but they were still human after all. They had seven emotions and six desires, along with greed and selfish thoughts. This place was merely a clear reflection of the mundane world, where some of humanity's vile roots were even more obvious.
True Lord Huang Long, who held the reins of the Taichu Sect, possessed strength enough to fear no one's criticism. If he refined that ancient pill formula, his strength would rise another level, and his voice would carry even greater weight.
Strength! Your strength was tied to the weight of your words! The stronger you were, the greater your voice!
Zhang Yang stepped down from the testing platform. Prince Li Jing immediately led several people over and clasped his hands. "Congratulations, congratulations! Brother Zhang Yang, on your future immortal path, you must lend us a helping hand now and then."
"Brother Zhang Yang, what splendid Immortal Destiny..."
"When I saw Brother Zhang Yang yesterday, I already knew you were imposing and extraordinary, a dragon among men, far from ordinary! We will be fellow disciples from now on, so please give us guidance, Senior Brother Zhang!"
"Senior Brother Zhang, from the moment I saw you last night, I wanted to follow you. From now on, you are my boss."
"That's right, Boss! Our boss is an amazing man with a Gray Immortal Seed. They say that Sect Master True Lord Huang Long also had a Gray Immortal Seed when he first entered the sect! In the future, Boss will also be a great figure holding the reins of the Taichu Sect!"
"Easy, easy." Zhang Yang bit back a smug smile as his gaze deliberately, yet seemingly casually, swept toward Zhang Kuang in the distance. His elder brother remained unmoved, his face dark as still water. What was he waiting for? Did he really think he would become a Gray Seed?
"Zhang Kuang, step onto the platform..."
As True Person Luoye called out from the platform, Zhang Kuang walked onto the testing stage with a grave expression. It felt as though a thousand-pound boulder weighed upon his heart. If his test result was a Colorless Weak Seed, then from now on he would never be able to hold his head high before Zhang Yang.
But then Zhang Kuang reconsidered. His results in the initial test had been far better than Zhang Yang's. How could his aptitude possibly be inferior to Zhang Yang's? Since childhood, in what way had he ever been worse than him?
With that thought, Zhang Kuang held his head high and stepped onto the testing platform. He shot a contemptuous glare at Zhang Yang, who was drunk on the torrent of flattery, and thought, Brat, I was your boss before, and I'll still be your boss afterward!
There was already one Gray Immortal Seed among this batch of disciples, enough to make True Lord Huang Long and the others overjoyed. They held little hope for the remaining disciples. The appearance of one Gray Immortal Seed was already Heaven's favor. One could not be too greedy, could one?
Even if every remaining disciple turned out to be a weak seed, True Lord Huang Long would still laugh in his dreams.
Yet at the instant Zhang Kuang's hand touched the Clear Mirror Immortal Eye, an intense, resplendent purple light burst forth, illuminating half the sky and piercing straight into the hearts of everyone present.
For that instant, everyone thought they were seeing things. They could not help rubbing their eyes. That was right—the Clear Mirror Immortal Eye had erupted with brilliant purple light.
"Purple Seed!"
True Lord Huang Long's eyes flew wide open, and he nearly cried out hoarsely. Unbelievable ecstasy bloomed in his eyes. The unshakable Dao heart he had cultivated over a hundred years, the composure that would not change even if the heavens collapsed before him, crumbled completely in that instant.
Purple Seed... a Purple Seed! A Supreme Purple Seed!
What was a Supreme Purple Seed?
If an immortal sect possessed someone with a Supreme Purple Seed and allowed that Purple Seed to grow fully, the sect might even have the chance to rise into a supreme great sect in the future! Such a great sect was far beyond anything the Taichu Sect could compare with.
Even supreme great sects might not find a single Purple Seed successor in several thousand years! The appearance of such a successor was enough to make two sects fight fiercely over them.
"Purple Seed... it really is a Purple Seed..."
True Lord Huang Long rubbed his eyes fiercely. This was not an illusion. The Purple Seed stood right before him! He had thought that if he could see a Green Seed in his lifetime, he could die without regrets. Yet he had unexpectedly seen a Purple Seed that even the leaders of many supreme great sects would never see in their entire lives!
He could barely breathe. True Lord Huang Long felt suffocated. The rise of the Taichu Sect, its true glory, its history of becoming a supreme great sect—was it truly going to be accomplished in my hands? Patriarchs of generations past! Can you see this? Our Taichu Sect has a Purple Seed!
Gu Yunzi stared blankly at Zhang Kuang. He had just traded so many resources for a Gray Seed, only for a Purple Seed to leap out moments later! Immortal ancestors above, are you toying with me? Gray Seeds were already rare—how could a Purple Seed appear? Wouldn't my investment just now be...
Gu Yunzi looked toward Zhang Yang below the stage and suddenly found this smug disciple, who had looked pleasing from every angle before, unbearable to look at. He only wanted to slap himself hard across the face. If he had not used that Saliva Spirit Grass to trade for Zhang Yang, perhaps he could have used it to obtain this Purple Seed as a disciple instead.
Becoming the master of a Purple Seed disciple was an honor enough to blaze through history and shine across a thousand autumns. Even if he achieved nothing else, the Taichu Sect's history would still record him with a heavy stroke!
With a Purple Seed, what hope did the Gray Seed disciple he had obtained at such great cost have of becoming Sect Master? No, no matter what, he had to fight for this again!
Just as Gu Yunzi was about to speak, Bi Zhuzi, who had always presented himself as broad-minded, suddenly stood up and said in a trembling voice, "Martial Uncle Huang Long, Zhang Kuang must come to my Bi Zhu Hall. Bi Zhu Hall values the cultivation of one's state of mind. Every Bi Zhu Hall disciple possesses an exceptionally steady temperament. This child Zhang Kuang has edges and corners to his nature. I can certainly preserve the best traits in his temperament and teach him..."
"Bullshit! Look at how restless your own state of mind has become—how dare you guarantee that you can teach Zhang Kuang well? Zhang Kuang's temperament suits my taste perfectly. Gu Yun Hall is the best place for him!" Afraid that True Lord Huang Long might be swayed by Bi Zhuzi, Gu Yunzi jumped up in fury and began arguing. There was no trace of immortal bearing left on him. "Gu Yun Hall does not cultivate any damn state of mind. Strength! Only strength can ensure an unobstructed path on the road to immortality!"
Xia Yunzi sneered and retorted, "Senior Brother Gu Yun, you have just taken Zhang Yang. Are you planning to scoop up an entire basket of good seedlings? Martial Uncle Huang Long, my Six Yao Divination is unparalleled throughout history. It knows the heavens above and connects to the earth below, possessing mysteries beyond the measure of ghosts and gods. Zhang Kuang's talent is exceptional; he is precisely the finest heir for the Six Yao Divination!"
As Xia Yunzi spoke, he turned to Zhang Kuang and said, "The Six Yao Divination is an ancient supreme art. It can not only foresee fortune and calamity, but also defeat enemies without leaving a trace. It is the most profound art of our sect."
"Senior Brother Xia Yun, your Six Yao Divination is merely a fragment of the ancient Six Yao Divination's surface, incomplete and broken. Passing such a technique to Zhang Kuang—would that not be wasting a Supreme Purple Seed?"
The one who spoke in rebuke was Su Baihua. The Hundred Flowers Hall Master, so well maintained that she looked young and beautiful, was unexpectedly sharp-tongued. It deeply proved that no woman was easy to provoke, especially not an old woman who had lived several hundred years.
"That's right, Xia Yunzi. Isn't your Six Yao Divination supposed to know the heavens above and the earth below, and comprehend the past and future? Why not simply calculate where another Purple Seed disciple is, then go take one as your disciple? Why must you fight the rest of us for Zhang Kuang?"
Su Baihua's words could choke someone to death without paying with her life. At once, Xia Yunzi was left red-faced and speechless. With a sweep of his broad Daoist sleeve, several Six Yao Divination tokens floated before him, and it seemed he was about to perform a reading on the spot.
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