The Eleventh True Disciple

Jiang Tian's heart was in his throat.

The man in white exuded no aura, nor did he emit a shred of pressure, as if he had merged completely with the heavens and earth, becoming one with them.

Yet, simply by standing there quietly, he imposed a tremendous sense of oppression upon Jiang Tian.

With a single glance, he had seen through how Jiang Tian had transferred the Solar Qi into his heart.

Jiang Tian felt a sense of uneasy suspicion.

Why were these eyes so similar to that pair of golden eyes in the Reception Hall?

Although those eyes had been a piercing gold, while the pair before him were normal, clear black and white, the feeling of being seen through and laid bare was exactly the same.

A True Person?

No, this was likely a Golden Core True Monarch of the Heavenly Fire Sect!

Jiang Tian took a deep breath, suppressed the shock in his heart, and bowed with cupped hands: "Greetings, True Monarch."

The man in white, whose brow bore a Water-Fire Mark, stood with his hands behind his back. As if he hadn't heard the greeting, he began to speak to himself.

"The heart belongs to fire, the liver to wood, the kidneys to water, the lungs to metal, the spleen to earth..." He muttered, as if speaking to himself, or perhaps to Jiang Tian, "Using the five viscera to contain the five elements of qi—why didn't I think of this method before?"

A glimmer of contemplation flashed in his eyes: "But once condensed into a liquid state, can the five viscera still withstand it?"

His gaze lingered on Jiang Tian for a moment, and the contemplation in his eyes turned into slight surprise: "Hmm... your physical body is quite strong. Not just quite strong, it is exceptionally strong. Ordinary Foundation Establishment cultivators do not have bodies as powerful as yours."

Jiang Tian remained silent, maintaining his bowed posture without moving an inch.

The man in white smiled, picked up several Qi Gathering Methods from the table nearby, flipped through them casually, and looked at Jiang Tian with interest.

"The Gold Qi in your body is too weak; it must be replaced." He placed the Qi Gathering Methods back on the table.

"Solar Qi and Lunar Qi are easy to find; there is a sun in the sky and a moon at night, inexhaustible."

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

Jiang Tian's eyes flickered, and he said in a deep voice: "When you reach the mountain, there will be a road. If a mountain blocks my path, I will split it open; if a river bars my way, I will sever it!"

Ji Fuyao was slightly taken aback, then the corners of his mouth curled up slightly, as if he were very satisfied with this answer.

He nodded slightly, his tone becoming a bit more casual: "My name is Ji Fuyao, and I am the Sect Master of this Heavenly Fire Sect."

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

After showing off his skills at the gathering yesterday, he knew he would attract the attention of many in the Heavenly Fire Sect, and he knew someone would likely come looking for him today.

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

Ji Fuyao's eyes shimmered.

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

He had even considered whether he should expel this boy from the sect.

Eliminating him was certainly not realistic; the karma involved was too great for him to bear.

But if he were to drive him away, the karma seemed just as significant.

After Lu Qingyao and Zhu Tiangang left yesterday, he had used a Top-Grade Dharma Treasure to perform another divination, which had cost him sixty years of his lifespan.

Sixty years was not much for a Golden Core True Monarch with a two-thousand-year lifespan, but it was not insignificant either.

He had arrived at a clearer result.

This boy was indeed connected to the Hundred Thousand Year Calamity, but for the Heavenly Fire Sect, there was only benefit and no harm.

This result was like a sedative, finally allowing Ji Fuyao's suspended heart to settle.

A good thing.

This was a good thing indeed.

He remained calm on the surface, but inside, he was already calculating how to safely nurture this promising sapling.

He appeared calm, but in reality, he was quite pleased.

Jiang Tian vaguely felt that the corners of Ji Fuyao's mouth were slightly upturned, as if he were smiling?

"Jiang Tian."

"Disciple is here!" Jiang Tian hurriedly responded.

Ji Fuyao stared at Jiang Tian with burning eyes.

"I intend to break the rules and make you the eleventh True Disciple. What are your thoughts?"

"Huh?" Jiang Tian was somewhat surprised, his eyebrows arching slightly.

Of the ten True Disciples, which one was not a standout among those in Foundation Establishment?

Which one had not fought a bloody path among their peers to secure that position?

He was only at the Qi Gathering stage!

Moreover, wasn't the Heavenly Fire Sect limited to only ten True Disciples? What was the meaning of this eleventh one?

"Are you unwilling?" Ji Fuyao raised an eyebrow.

If you can't find the book title, try searching for the author; perhaps the name has just been changed!

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

He knew that becoming a True Disciple with only a Qi Gathering Realm cultivation would inevitably invite a constant stream of trouble.

But was he afraid of that?

When had he, Jiang Tian, ever been afraid of trouble?

As for the other three types of top-tier Qi, it would be very difficult to find them if he were merely an ordinary disciple.

Furthermore, after possessing all Five Qi, he would still need True Qi, and every type of True Qi would cost an astronomical sum.

Becoming a True Disciple would inevitably lead to the sect's resources being tilted in his favor.

Ji Fuyao pinched his fingers to calculate, his gaze lingering in the void for a moment before he nodded slightly and mused, "Today happens to be an auspicious day. Let's hold your True Disciple ceremony at noon today."

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

The moment that hand landed, Jiang Tian felt the world spin, and the wind whistled in his ears.

By the time he regained his senses, he was already standing atop a mountain peak.

Looking out, he saw an endless sea of clouds, with white waves of mist churning beneath his feet like a solidified ocean.

Scattered mountain peaks poked their heads out of the sea of clouds like isolated islands in the ocean, glowing with a golden halo in the morning light.

Presumably, this must be the highest peak of the Heavenly Fire Sect, Heavenly Fire Peak.

"Clang—"

"Clang—"

"Clang—"

A long, deep bell toll rang out across the Heavenly Fire Sect, one strike after another, piercing through the clouds and mist, through the mountains, through every cave dwelling and meditation room, drilling into everyone's ears.

Nine times in total.

No matter what the disciples were doing, they all stopped what they were working on at this moment.

Some jerked their heads up, their eyes filled with shock; some put down the medicinal pills in their hands and pushed their doors open; others opened their eyes from meditation and jumped up before they could even finish their cultivation cycle.

"Quick, quick, quick! Hurry to the Heavenly Fire Hall! Something major is about to happen!"

"Let's go, let's go! Don't dawdle!"

In the Heavenly Fire Sect, there were only two reasons for the bell to ring nine times.

One was that a Foundation Establishment disciple was being promoted to a True Disciple.

The second was that a major event was about to occur.

But currently, all ten Foundation Establishment True Disciples were alive and well, and none had fallen.

Therefore, there was only one answer: a major event was about to happen!

Whether they were Qi Gathering Realm disciples, Foundation Establishment immortals, or Purple Mansion Realm elders, everyone dropped everything they were doing and rushed toward the Heavenly Fire Hall.

Countless figures flew out from various peaks; some traveled on swords, some rode the wind, and others stepped on beams of light, converging from all directions like a hundred rivers flowing into the sea.

Though it was called a hall, it was actually a long, narrow staircase.

At the very bottom of the stairs was a massive platform paved with bluestone, as wide as a plaza. It was already packed with a sea of Qi Gathering disciples, thousands of them standing shoulder to shoulder.

Hundreds of steps up was a slightly smaller platform, where hundreds of people stood with steady bearings and restrained Momentum; these were the Foundation Establishment cultivators.

Unlike the noisy Qi Gathering disciples below, they stood quietly, exchanging glances and silently communicating their own guesses.

Further up, the stairs were narrower and the platforms smaller, occupied by fewer than a hundred Purple Mansion Realm masters. Each of them possessed unfathomable auras; some were white-haired and aged, some had youthful faces, some were closing their eyes to rest, and others were looking up at the sky.

At the end of the stairs stood a towering hall.

The eaves were high and the brackets were upturned. The vermilion pillars were so thick that several people couldn't wrap their arms around them. The hall doors were wide open, and the interior was deep and dim, making it impossible to see the furnishings.

Lu Qingyao and Zhu Tiangang stood inside the hall.

The two of them didn't see eye to eye, but at this moment, both wore solemn expressions and stood side by side, neither looking at the other, their gazes fixed on the long staircase outside.

Since Ji Fuyao had ordered the bell to ring nine times, something major must be happening.

Logically, if there were truly a major event, Ji Fuyao would have informed them in advance. Yet this time, they hadn't received any news.

If it were a major event, why hadn't Ji Fuyao arrived yet?

Zhu Tiangang frowned slightly, his body shifting as he prepared to head to Heavenly Fire Peak to investigate.

His foot had barely lifted half an inch.

The air inside the hall suddenly rippled, like a stone being tossed into a calm lake, with waves spreading out in circle after circle.

Following that, Ji Fuyao's figure emerged from the ripples.

Then, another figure followed him out from behind.

It was a Qi Gathering Realm disciple.

It was that Jiang Tian.

(I'll thank everyone for the gifts in the evening chapter. Today's update is a bit late; I had a lot of work at the office and didn't get much time to slack off. I've been thinking about the plot the whole time, and my head is spinning.)

(Sorry!)