Huo Lian Becomes a Disciple of Qing Yuanzi

The burly man looked Xu Yang up and down, then said with an unkind expression, "Kid, who are you? Why didn't Li Yuan come?" Hearing the inquiry, Xu Yang took out the token and tossed it to the man, replying, "Master Li has passed away. I am his successor. Before he died, he instructed me to contact you once I reached the Foundation Establishment realm."

The man caught the token, examined it carefully, and nodded slightly. "Not bad, this token is indeed my master's possession. In that case, come with me to pay your respects to my master!"

Xu Yang was stunned to hear this; he hadn't expected this man not to be the master himself, but his disciple. Even so, Xu Yang dared not show the slightest negligence, for this man also possessed profound cultivation. He couldn't gauge the man's depth at all, feeling only an aura as heavy as a mountain.

Xu Yang nodded quickly in agreement. The man then raised his hand and threw something out; a white light flashed and landed in front of Xu Yang. He looked closely and saw a small flying boat appear. The man pinched a spell, and the boat immediately grew in size.

The man leaped onto it and beckoned to Xu Yang, saying, "Hurry up, we cannot keep my master waiting." Xu Yang immediately jumped onto the flying boat, and under the man's control, it rose slowly and headed north.

This was the first time Xu Yang had seen a flying magic tool. He looked around curiously and discovered a barrier surrounding the boat that blocked the cold wind outside, leaving the interior completely calm and silent. The speed of the boat was immense, causing the scenery outside to blur into indistinct shapes.

After flying for about an hour, Xu Yang felt the boat slow down. A moment later, his eyes lit up; below, amidst the mountain ranges, were pavilions and towers everywhere, each palace antique and exquisitely crafted.

On a mountain peak in the center stood a magnificent hall, looking exceptionally resplendent under the glow of the setting sun. Xu Yang gazed at the scene below, intoxicated and filled with longing.

Soon, the flying boat arrived at a plaza. The two men jumped off, and under the man's guidance, they walked toward a palace. They quickly reached the entrance, where the man signaled for Xu Yang to wait while he entered.

A moment later, the man came out and beckoned for Xu Yang to follow him inside. After several turns, Xu Yang arrived in a quiet room and looked up to see a middle-aged man sitting cross-legged.

The man was very handsome, with eyes as warm as jade and a long beard hanging over his chest, dressed in a green robe.

Seeing this man, the burly man immediately bowed and said, "Master, I have brought the person. Do you have any further instructions?" "Hmm, good! You may stand aside," the middle-aged man said, then turned his gaze toward Xu Yang.

The burly man bowed and retreated to the side. Seeing the middle-aged man looking at him, Xu Yang stepped forward quickly and bowed, saying, "Junior Xu Yang greets you, Senior."

The middle-aged man studied Xu Yang for a moment before frowning and asking, "You say you are Li Yuan's disciple. How did he die?"

"Reporting to Senior, Master Li died after perishing together with his senior brother..." Xu Yang then recounted the details of Li Yuan's death in full.

The man listened with an expressionless face, then nodded and said, "I see. It is a pity about Li Yuan. He saved my life once, and seeing that he possessed spiritual roots and the potential for cultivation, I promised to take him as a disciple once he reached the Foundation Establishment realm. I intended it as a test, but I did not expect it to cost him his life."

Having said this, the man shook his head and then said to Xu Yang, "Since you are Li Yuan's disciple and found me with his token, I will naturally keep my promise. However, what is going on with your cultivation? It is impossible for Li Yuan's disciple to have only third-level Qi Refining cultivation!" At this point, the man looked at him with a stern, puzzled expression.

Xu Yang bowed quickly and replied, "Senior, please listen to my explanation." He raised his hand to take out his Qiankun Bag and continued, "The treasure Master Li was fighting for was a treasure map. This map eventually fell into my hands, and following it, I found a cave dwelling where I obtained some spirit stones and medicinal pills."

"I see," the middle-aged man said with a sudden realization. He then asked, "I assume you are practicing the Qi Refining Secret Record. What kind of spiritual root do you have?"

"This!" Hearing the middle-aged man's question, Xu Yang immediately looked embarrassed. He lowered his head and replied, "This junior is incompetent; I have a Void Spirit Root!"

The middle-aged man's expression changed, and he lowered his head in silent contemplation. Then, he turned to the burly man standing to the side and said, "I have not taken on disciples for a long time, but for the sake of Li Yuan, I will accept you into my sect today."

Xu Yang's body trembled, and he immediately knelt before the middle-aged man with excitement, saying, "Disciple Xu Yang pays respects to his benefactor and master." The middle-aged man said helplessly, "No need for such formalities, get up! Since you have taken me as your master, you must know my name. I am Qing Yuanzi; you must remember it well."

Xu Yang kowtowed three times to Qing Yuanzi before standing up. Qing Yuanzi then said to him, "I have five other disciples; you are now the sixth. This is your eldest senior brother, Huo Lian. From now on, your cultivation will be guided by him."

Xu Yang quickly bowed to the burly man and said, "Junior brother greets Eldest Senior Brother." Huo Lian smiled and cupped his hands at Xu Yang, saying, "Junior Brother Xu, congratulations on joining Master's sect. If you have any questions about your cultivation in the future, feel free to ask me."

Xu Yang bowed to Huo Lian with gratitude. At this moment, Qing Yuanzi said to them, "I will be going into seclusion for a while. Do not disturb me unless it is a major matter. Huo Lian, take Xu Yang to complete the entry procedures and collect his supplies!"

Huo Lian bowed in agreement, signaled to Xu Yang, and turned to leave the quiet room. Xu Yang bowed to Qing Yuanzi and followed Huo Lian out. After they left, a charming and moving woman emerged from a partition in the room. She giggled and said to Qing Yuanzi, "You old thing actually took this kid in? A Void Spirit Root is hardly impressive!"

Qing Yuanzi said helplessly, "This kid's master once saved my life, and I promised to take him as a disciple. It would be dishonorable to break my word now. You know that for cultivators like us, promises cannot be broken lightly; otherwise, inner demons will arise, and one's entire cultivation will come to naught."

The woman nodded and said, "That is true. But you are quite cunning, pushing the kid off onto Huo Lian. Huo Lian is not exactly a kind soul."

"Haha! I cannot worry about that much. What becomes of that kid in the future depends on his own fortune. As for who will inherit my mantle, it will depend on their own abilities," Qing Yuanzi said with a laugh.

He then looked at the woman and asked, "Junior Sister Bai, you came to see me suddenly—is there something the matter?"

Hearing Qing Yuanzi's question, the smile on the woman's face faded, and she said in a low voice, "I just received a message from Junior Brother Liu Shu. There is unusual activity among the demonic cultivators, and he wants the sect to send elite disciples to the Border City Prefecture to investigate."

"Oh! Is that so? It seems the demonic path is stirring again. We must not be careless. Let the sect leader arrange for people to investigate immediately!" With that, Qing Yuanzi and Junior Sister Bai walked out of the quiet room.

After Xu Yang followed Huo Lian out of the main hall, he was led to another building. Xu Yang looked up and saw the words "Internal Affairs Hall" written on the plaque.

Xu Yang followed Huo Lian inside and approached a man in a black robe. Seeing Huo Lian, the man stood up quickly and said respectfully, "May I ask what this senior needs? Can this junior be of service?"

Huo Lian kept a straight face and pointed at Xu Yang, saying, "This is my junior brother, just accepted as a disciple by Elder Qing Yuanzi. He is here to register, complete the entry procedures, and collect his supplies."

The man replied respectfully, "Senior, please wait a moment; I will handle it immediately." After a flurry of activity, the man finished the paperwork, took out a Qiankun Bag, and handed it to Xu Yang, saying, "After joining, every disciple receives their allotted items. Yours are all in this Qiankun Bag."

Xu Yang reached out and took it, saying, "Many thanks, fellow daoist." Huo Lian patted Xu Yang on the shoulder and said, "Alright, Junior Brother. Now I will take you to the living quarters for disciples, where you will reside from now on." With that, Huo Lian turned and left.

Xu Yang bowed to the man in charge of registration and followed Huo Lian toward the residential area. A moment later, they arrived in front of a pavilion. Xu Yang looked up; the pavilion was two stories high, made of wood, and very exquisite. Outside the pavilion was a small courtyard enclosed by a fence.

Huo Lian smiled at Xu Yang and said, "This is your residence. The other Qi Refining disciples live nearby. As for the situation within the sect, there is a detailed introduction in the items you received. If you have any questions about your cultivation in the future, you can come to me for guidance."

Xu Yang said with gratitude, "Many thanks, Eldest Senior Brother, for your trouble! Would you like to come inside for a moment so I can host you?"

Huo Lian waved his hand, a hint of disdain in his eyes, and said, "Forget it, Junior Brother, you should go in. I will take my leave." With that, Huo Lian turned and walked away quickly.

Xu Yang, possessing keen perception, immediately noticed the disdain in Huo Lian's eyes. His heart turned cold, and he thought to himself, "It seems this Eldest Senior Brother is not as easy to get along with as he appears."

Thinking of this, Xu Yang felt relieved, "It is to be expected. The world of cultivation is incredibly cruel. If he were a pushover without any schemes, he would have been reduced to nothing long ago."

Xu Yang watched Huo Lian leave as he thought, and only when the man's figure disappeared did he walk toward his own pavilion.