The Eleventh True Disciple

Jiang Tian's heart leaped into his throat.

The white-robed man radiated no aura and exerted not the slightest pressure. It was as if he had become one with heaven and earth, indistinguishable from them.

Yet simply standing there in silence, he gave Jiang Tian an immense sense of oppression.

With one glance, he had seen that Jiang Tian had transferred the Solar Qi into his heart.

Jiang Tian felt unsettled.

Why did those eyes look so much like the golden eyes in the Reception Hall?

Those eyes had been a brilliant gold, while the pair before him were simply black and white. But the feeling of being seen through, of having every secret laid bare, was exactly the same.

A True Person?

No. This was probably a True Lord of the Heavenly Fire Sect!

Jiang Tian drew a deep breath, suppressing his shock, and cupped his hands. "Greetings, True Lord."

The white-robed man, a Water-Fire Mark between his brows, stood with his hands behind his back. He seemed not to have heard Jiang Tian's greeting and simply began speaking to himself.

"The heart belongs to fire, the liver to wood, the kidneys to water, the lungs to gold, and the spleen to earth..." he murmured, as if speaking to himself, yet also as if speaking to Jiang Tian. "Using the five organs to contain the Five Elements Qi. How did I never think of this before?"

A glimmer of thought crossed his eyes. "But once it condenses into liquid, will the five organs be able to withstand it?"

His gaze lingered on Jiang Tian for a moment, and the thoughtful look in his eyes turned to mild surprise. "Hmm... your body is quite strong. No, not quite strong—extremely strong. Even ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators aren't as strong as you."

Jiang Tian said nothing. He simply held his cupped-hands salute, motionless.

The white-robed man smiled as he picked up several Qi Gathering Methods from the table and flipped through them. Then he looked at Jiang Tian with interest.

"The Gold Qi in your body is too weak. You'll definitely need to replace it." He set the Qi Gathering Methods back on the table.

"Solar Qi and Lunar Qi are easy to find. There's the sun in the sky and the moon at night; they're inexhaustible."

"But how will you find the other three—the wood, earth, and gold?"

Jiang Tian's gaze flickered. He replied in a low voice, "When you reach the mountain, a path will appear. If a mountain blocks my way, I'll split it open. If a river bars my way, I'll cut it in two!"

Ji Fuyao paused, then the corners of his mouth lifted slightly, as if he were quite pleased with the answer.

He gave a small nod, his tone growing more casual. "My name is Ji Fuyao. I am the Sect Master of the Heavenly Fire Sect."

"Greetings, Sect Master!" Jiang Tian cupped his hands again.

After showing off at the gathering yesterday, he had known that many people in the Heavenly Fire Sect would take an interest in him. He'd expected someone to come find him today.

He just hadn't expected the Sect Master himself to come.

Ji Fuyao's eyes shifted.

Ever since he had divined that this boy before him was connected to the Hundred Thousand Year Calamity, he had been somewhat unsettled.

He had even considered whether he should drive the boy out of the sect.

Killing him was out of the question. The karmic consequences would be too great for Ji Fuyao to bear.

But driving him away seemed to carry no small karmic consequences either.

After Lu Qingyao and Zhu Tiangang had left yesterday, he had used a Top-Grade Dharma Treasure to divine the matter again, and in the process, had sacrificed sixty years of his lifespan.

Sixty years was not much compared with a Golden Core True Lord's two-thousand-year lifespan, but it was no small loss, either.

He had obtained a much clearer result.

This boy was connected to the Hundred Thousand Year Calamity, but he would bring only benefits, not harm, to the Heavenly Fire Sect.

That result had been like a calming pill, finally setting Ji Fuyao's troubled heart at ease.

A good thing.

This was a good thing!

He showed no emotion on his face, but in his heart, he was already working out how to raise this promising talent safely.

He looked calm, but inwardly, he was delighted.

Jiang Tian had a vague feeling that Ji Fuyao's lips were curling up slightly. Was he smiling?

"Jiang Tian."

"This disciple is here!" Jiang Tian hurriedly answered.

Ji Fuyao stared at him, his gaze burning.

"I intend to make an exception and appoint you as the eleventh True Disciple. What do you think?"

"Hm?" Jiang Tian looked surprised, his eyebrows lifting slightly.

Which of the ten True Disciples wasn't an outstanding Foundation Establishment cultivator?

Hadn't each of them fought their way through their peers to claim that position?

He was only at the Qi Gathering Realm!

Besides, wasn't the Heavenly Fire Sect allowed to have only ten True Disciples? What did it mean to have an eleventh?

"You don't want to?" Ji Fuyao raised an eyebrow.

"I do! Of course I do!" Jiang Tian's eyes lit up.

He knew that becoming a True Disciple while still at the Qi Gathering Realm would bring him endless trouble.

But was he afraid of that?

When had Jiang Tian ever been afraid of trouble?

If he remained an ordinary disciple, he'd have little chance of finding the other three kinds of top-tier Qi.

And after gathering all Five Qi, he would still need True Qi. Each kind of True Qi would cost an astronomical sum.

As a True Disciple, he would surely receive the sect's support and resources.

Ji Fuyao made a quick calculation with his fingers. His gaze lingered in empty space for a moment, then he nodded slightly and murmured, "As it happens, today is an auspicious day. We'll hold your True Disciple Ceremony at noon."

With that, Ji Fuyao reached out and patted Jiang Tian on the shoulder.

The instant that hand touched him, Jiang Tian felt the world spin, wind howling in his ears.

By the time he came to his senses, he was already atop a mountain peak.

As far as he could see stretched an endless sea of clouds. White waves churned beneath his feet like a frozen ocean.

Here and there, mountain peaks poked through the clouds like islands in the sea, their slopes shimmering gold in the morning light.

This had to be the highest peak of the Heavenly Fire Sect—Heavenly Fire Peak.

"Dong—"

"Dong—"

"Dong—"

The deep, resonant toll of a bell rang through the Heavenly Fire Sect, one peal after another, piercing clouds and mountains, passing through every Cave Abode and every Quiet Room, until it reached everyone's ears.

Nine peals in all.

Every disciple stopped what they were doing.

Some jerked their heads up, shock written across their faces. Others set down the pills in their hands and rushed out the door. Some opened their eyes in the middle of meditation and leaped up before they could even complete their practice.

"Quick, quick, quick! Get to the Heavenly Fire Hall! Something big is happening!"

"Come on, let's go! Stop dawdling!"

In the Heavenly Fire Sect, nine bell peals meant one of two things.

Either a Foundation Establishment disciple had been promoted to True Disciple.

Or something major was about to happen.

But the ten Foundation Establishment True Disciples were all alive and well. No one had fallen.

There was only one possible answer: something major was happening!

Whether Qi Gathering disciples, Foundation Establishment immortals, or Purple Mansion True Person elders, everyone set aside what they were doing and rushed to the Heavenly Fire Hall.

Countless figures flew out from the surrounding peaks. Some rode swords, some rode the wind, and some sped along on beams of light, converging from every direction like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea.

The so-called hall was actually a long flight of steps.

At the bottom stood a vast platform paved with blue stone, broad as a plaza. It was already packed with Qi Gathering disciples, a sea of heads so dense there had to be thousands.

Hundreds of steps above it was another, somewhat smaller platform, where several hundred people stood. Their bearing was steady and their auras restrained. They were Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Unlike the noisy Qi Gathering disciples below, they stood quietly, exchanging glances as they silently shared their guesses.

Farther up, the steps narrowed and the platform grew smaller. Fewer than a hundred Purple Mansion True Persons stood there, each with an unfathomable aura. Some had white hair, some looked young, some had their eyes closed in meditation, and some gazed up at the sky.

At the top of the steps stood a majestic hall.

Its eaves soared high, its brackets swept upward, and its vermilion pillars were so thick that several people together couldn't encircle them. The doors stood wide open, but inside was dark and deep, its furnishings impossible to make out.

Lu Qingyao and Zhu Tiangang stood inside the hall.

They couldn't stand the sight of each other, but now both wore solemn expressions and stood shoulder to shoulder. Neither looked at the other; both gazed toward the long flight of steps outside.

Since Ji Fuyao had ordered the great bell to ring nine times, something major was sure to happen.

Normally, if something important were going on, Ji Fuyao would have informed them beforehand. But this time, they hadn't received a word.

If it was something major, why hadn't Ji Fuyao arrived yet?

Zhu Tiangang furrowed his brow and shifted, about to head to Heavenly Fire Peak to investigate.

He had barely lifted his foot half an inch.

Suddenly, the air inside the hall rippled, like a stone dropped into a still lake. Rings of ripples spread outward, one after another.

Then Ji Fuyao's figure emerged from the rippling air.

Another figure followed behind him.

A Qi Gathering disciple.

It was Jiang Tian.