Qi Refining Fifth Level, Golden Core Elders Fight Over a Disciple

With the final system notification sounding, Cultivation Technique Hosting ended.

Jiang Li officially advanced to the Qi Refining Fifth Level.

At that moment.

His eyes were full of delight.

He had originally only wanted the cultivation technique, the Profound Yellow Heart Refining Art, to help him evade the Heart Questioning Mirror's inspection. He had never expected the technique to be so monstrous that, through some operation he could not understand, it completed a transformation.

Not only had it gained the new entry, "Soul of Justice," but its Cultivation Method Progress had also soared by fifty percent in one go.

This allowed him, already standing at the edge of a breakthrough, to advance in a single stroke.

System, you were too amazing.

While he was secretly thrilled.

He had no idea that the two Golden Core Elders inside the Law Enforcement Hall were even more shocked.

Their mouths hung slightly open, their faces full of uncertainty and disbelief.

"Qi Refining Fifth Level? Did he attain enlightenment? But what did he do? He attained enlightenment just by looking into the Heart Questioning Mirror? This is too damn absurd."

Cui Yan unleashed four soul-snatching questions in a row.

His mind was buzzing.

The Heart Questioning Mirror was a third-tier spiritual treasure, an inspection tool used by the Law Enforcement Hall to distinguish Demonic Path infiltrators. Its usual purpose was to determine whether disciples were lying or whether they were people burdened with grave sins.

But now...

He had personally watched his own spiritual treasure cause someone else to attain enlightenment during an inspection.

He began to wonder whether he had failed to uncover the Heart Questioning Mirror's true purpose.

Zhang Song was equally astonished.

He praised, "Otherwise, why do you think he's a genius while you aren't?"

Cui Yan wanted to retort. Anyone capable of becoming a Golden Core cultivator had been regarded as a genius by the world. In his own era, he too had been called a proud son of heaven.

But when the words reached his lips, he could not say them.

Compared to an Innocent Heart that attained enlightenment at every turn, he truly could not bear the title of genius.

He was a genius, but Jiang Li was a genius even more genius than he was.

However...

He could make this genius his disciple.

At that thought.

Cui Yan no longer cared about the composure expected of a Law Enforcement Hall Elder and Golden Core cultivator. He directly extended an offer to take Jiang Li as his disciple:

"Jiang Li, are you willing to become my disciple? I am the Punishment Elder of the Law Enforcement Hall, at the Golden Core peak. I hold a certain standing even within the Heavenly Mystery Holy Land. With my help, your future will be bright as a broad road."

The moment Zhang Song heard this, he blew his beard and glared. Angrily, he said, "You bastard, Cui Yan! He's talent I had my eye on. You're snatching him right in front of me?"

"Good disciples have to be fought over."

"Bullshit. You clearly want to steal a chicken."

Zhang Song cursed angrily.

His gaze also fell upon Jiang Li.

"Kid, I originally planned to formally take you as my disciple after you joined the Elite Training Program, but it isn't too late now. I am an Elder of Heaven Sword Peak, at the Golden Core peak. You know Heaven Sword Peak, right? It is the paradise of Sword Cultivators. With your talent in the Sword Dao, only Heaven Sword Peak will not let you down."

"Bullshit! Who says only your Heaven Sword Peak suits Sword Cultivators? Sword Cultivators need to comprehend their own Dao through hundreds and thousands of battles. Other than my Law Enforcement Hall, where else can satisfy that?"

"My Heaven Sword Peak has sword scars that help people comprehend the Sword Dao."

"My Law Enforcement Hall is rich and powerful. We have countless resources to help people advance swiftly along the road of cultivation."

"My Heaven Sword Peak also has the Sword Tomb, with countless flying swords for him to pick from."

"Pah! My Law Enforcement Hall has spiritual treasures for breaking through major realms, letting him take one step ahead and stay steps ahead."

For a time.

The two Golden Core Elders fought until their faces were red and their ears heated as they vied for Jiang Li, arguing with great gusto.

They flaunted their respective assets.

The stakes in their bidding war rose steadily.

In the end.

The two even shouted out legendary lines.

"He can become the Law Enforcement Hall Master."

"He can also become the Heaven Sword Peak Master."

Law Enforcement Hall Master#Heaven Sword Peak Master: Hey, feed me peanuts!

Jiang Li listened from the side.

The longer he listened, the more bitter his expression became.

He secretly thought, Stop, stop, don't... don't keep driving up the price like this.

I don't want to choose either one of you.

How am I supposed to keep a low profile when I go out if you do this?

He was certain that after today, news of two Golden Core cultivators fighting over a Qi Refining disciple would spread throughout the Heavenly Mystery Holy Land.

When that time came.

He would become famous again.

Had he known this would happen, he would have told the system to take it easy.

Who could understand the troubles of a genius like him?

Jiang Li sighed inwardly.

But he also knew that, now that things had come to this, refusing to choose would only attract even more criticism.

Moreover, if he wanted to establish himself in the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, he had to display sufficient value.

Becoming the disciple of a Golden Core Elder was his letter of allegiance.

It would let the Myriad Desire Demon Lord see his greater value.

And make him a hidden pawn.

That way.

He could avoid the fate of being sacrificed.

The only question was which Elder he should choose.

The Law Enforcement Hall possessed a vast quantity of cultivation resources, and it also controlled the spiritual treasures cultivators needed to break through major realms.

If the Profound Yellow Heart Refining Art wanted to progress, it also required him to slay demons and defend the Dao, uphold justice, and these were all visible benefits of joining the Law Enforcement Hall.

Heaven Sword Peak, meanwhile, was the paradise of Sword Cultivators.

It suited the art, Dragon Slaying Sword, for comprehending the Sword Dao.

It also had a large spiritual weapon wholesale market like the Sword Tomb.

The increase to combat strength would be extremely obvious.

Jiang Li fell into the sweet agony of choice.

At this moment.

Seeing that neither could convince the other, the two Elders turned their eyes toward Jiang Li.

"Jiang Li, who do you choose?"

With the choice placed in his hands, Jiang Li hesitated for a long while before apologetically telling Cui Yan, the Law Enforcement Hall Elder, "Thank you for your kind offer, Elder Cui, but Elder Zhang has shown me the grace of recognizing my talent. One should repay kindness with gratitude, so I choose Elder Zhang."

Upon hearing this.

Zhang Song's lips curled upward, his face openly brimming with satisfaction.

Although Cui Yan felt somewhat regretful, Jiang Li's actions left him unable to offer even the slightest rebuttal.

The other party had said he was repaying the grace of recognition. What else could Cui Yan say?

He could not exactly ask him to abandon kindness and betray righteousness.

Through this matter.

His evaluation of this disciple rose even higher.

"What the hell are you smiling for? You only had the advantage of meeting him first. Otherwise, who he chose would still be uncertain."

After forcibly saving face with that line, Cui Yan curled his lips and left with considerable regret.

Zhang Song did not mind.

He was still immersed in the joy of accepting a disciple.

"From today onward, you are the sole disciple of Zhang Song, the inheritor of my mantle. I came in too much of a hurry today and have not prepared your apprenticeship gift. Go back first today and consolidate your cultivation. Tomorrow, I'll take you to Heaven Sword Peak."

Jiang Li blinked.

This was not right, was it?

You were preparing an apprenticeship gift for me?

Wasn't that turning heaven and earth upside down?

Sure enough.

The treatment of a genius was simply different.

For ordinary disciples hoping to take a Holy Land Elder as their master, no amount of gifts would open the door. Yet now, the master was instead giving gifts to the disciple.

What could Jiang Li say? He could only accept it fiercely.

"Thank you, Master."

Jiang Li performed a disciple's salute.

The smile on his face was obvious.

He had taken a major step forward within the Holy Land.

Next, he needed to address the impact that the annihilation of the undercover agents had on the Ten Thousand Demons Sect.

To Jiang Li, that was even more important.

Because not choosing a master would only invite criticism, but if he did not explain this matter clearly to the Ten Thousand Demons Sect, he could die violently at any time.

After returning to his Cave Residence.

Jiang Li took a blood-colored token from a hidden passage beneath his bed.

This was an identity token that every Backup Possession Vessel possessed.

It came from the Myriad Desire Demon Lord.

At critical moments, it could be used to pose as one of the Ten Thousand Demons Sect's higher-ups.

But it could only be used once.

After using it, if one failed to demonstrate greater value, the Myriad Desire Demon Lord would kill them.

"I really don't want to use this."

Jiang Li revealed a trace of wariness.

Although he was flourishing in the Heavenly Mystery Holy Land, to the Myriad Desire Demon Lord, it was all still petty squabbling, not worth mentioning.

As his thoughts turned.

Jiang Li pressed the token against his forehead.

Immediately.

His consciousness connected with the presence within the blood-colored token.

He entered a blood-red space.

The Myriad Desire Demon Lord's divine sense floated into the air.

It took the form of a mass of dark crimson mist.

That was one of the Myriad Desire Demon Lord's divine sense incarnations.

The Myriad Desire Demon Lord had several thousand such incarnations, scattered across the world.

One was hidden within every identity token.

One of their functions was to monitor the condition of the possessed bodies. At critical moments, they could control the possessed bodies and sacrifice them directly.

Could this strand of divine sense incarnation be taught?

He looked forward to it.

Just as he was thinking.

A pair of scarlet eyes faintly emerged from within the dark crimson mist.

Jiang Li lowered his head.

Damn.

Was this the might of someone about to reach Dao Integration?

Even though it was merely a strand of divine sense, he could not even look directly at it.

He did not know what level of strength it truly possessed. If he wanted to turn the tables and kill it, the road ahead was blocked and long.

"My lord, this subordinate has an important matter to discuss."

"Speak."

"Yes."

Jiang Li took a deep breath.

He organized the events of the night before last in his own words.

He concealed the part concerning the system, saying only that he had accidentally discovered Holy Land disciples lying in wait outside the temporary stronghold. In order to avoid being wiped out and to continue serving the sacred sect, he had chosen to use a self-inflicted injury ruse, killing all the other undercover agents to win the Heavenly Mystery Holy Land's trust.

He also emphasized that his performance had caught the eye of a Golden Core Elder from Heaven Sword Peak, that he had become a personal disciple, and that he would soon join the Elite Training Program.

There was only one meaning.

I, Jiang Li, have a promising future.

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