Chief Instructor

"We're out of seclusion."

"Master Lu is out of seclusion."

As Liu Hou hurried toward Chen Yulou's study to deliver the news, he shouted at the top of his lungs.

Chen Yulou was meditating in his study, practicing the Meditation Technique Lu Yan had taught him. At the news, he snapped his eyes open, sprang up from the couch, and pushed through the door.

"Where's my master?"

Chen Yulou gripped Liu Hou's shoulder and asked in a low voice.

"In the main hall."

Liu Hou braced his hands on his knees and panted, his tongue still a little tangled.

Unable to hide his delight, Chen Yulou hurried toward the main hall.

As he approached, Chen Yulou's increasingly keen senses picked up an immense pressure radiating from inside. Its source was Lu Yan, seated in the middle of the hall.

"Master."

Chen Yulou gritted his teeth as he approached Lu Yan, sweat beginning to bead on his forehead.

Lu Yan could see that Chen Yulou had made tremendous progress during this time. He nodded in satisfaction and withdrew the aura he had been releasing.

"You've been working hard enough."

"With the supplementary potions you left me, my training has gone smoothly."

Chen Yulou was much older than Lu Yan, but in Huaxia, it had always been the way that the more capable teacher came first. Once Chen Yulou had begun cultivating, he could feel Lu Yan's immense strength all the more keenly.

"Master, now that you're out of seclusion, are we going to start the plan we discussed?"

Chen Yulou picked up the freshly brewed tea and offered it to Lu Yan, asking respectfully.

"Of course."

Lu Yan smiled faintly, his expression brimming with confidence. Looking at the green tea leaves floating on the surface, he blew gently across the cup. "To build anew, first you must break the old. Xieling will surely rise from the flames of blood and fire."

Early the next morning, thousands of Xieling's core disciples stood beneath the platform at the training ground west of the city. Dressed in brown jackets and trousers, they watched Chen Yulou, Lu Yan, and the others above.

Dressed in fine clothes, his hair meticulously groomed, Chen Yulou looked down at Xieling's leaders and called out, "Brothers, I've called you here today for two reasons. First, the treasures from Bottle Mountain have all been sold off. You all worked hard, so you deserve to share the gold and silver."

"I've already worked out everyone's share based on their contributions. Just go to Hua Maguai to collect it."

When the Xieling men heard about sharing the treasure, they cheered with delight.

"Long live the Chief!"

"The Chief is mighty!"

Chen Yulou smiled at the excited crowd and raised a hand for silence before continuing, "Second, there's an important matter concerning Xieling that I want to discuss with all of you."

"As you all know, I became the disciple of the accomplished Mr. Lu and began learning the way of the Arcanist."

"Since entering the field, I've come to understand the principles behind all things more and more. But as Xieling's leader, how could I keep this opportunity to myself and forget all of you, my brothers?"

"After pleading with my master, he agreed to serve as our chief instructor and teach you all his skills."

"In a moment, you'll come forward one by one to have your aptitude tested."

The crowd below buzzed with conversation. Everyone in Xieling had witnessed Lu Yan's abilities. If he taught them, wouldn't they have a chance to become immortals and revered masters themselves?

At the front of the crowd, Liu Hou nudged Dili Beng and whispered, "Dili Beng, what are you thinking?"

Dili Beng grinned. "I'm thinking about Xiao Hua at Yi Hong Pavilion."

"Weren't you saving up to get yourself a wife? You're going again?"

Liu Hou was tall, but still a shy young man. At that, his face turned a little red.

Dili Beng tugged at his waistband and laughed at Liu Hou's crimson face. "We're all going to learn immortal arts from Master Lu. Why worry about finding a wife? This time, I'll take you along and broaden your horizons."

Under the blazing sun, Xieling's men lined up at the training ground, each placing a hand on the crystal ball in front of Lu Yan.

Lu Yan looked at the crystal ball, which had only glimmered faintly, and shook his head. "Next. Red Maiden."

The people in line looked at the spirited Red Maiden ahead of them and whispered among themselves. "Hey, think Red Maiden will make it?"

"I doubt it. Dozens of people before her have failed."

"I wonder if I'll be lucky enough to have what it takes."

"What luck? It's aptitude. Depends on whether your parents had what it takes."

"Then I'm definitely out. My family's been farmers for eighteen generations."

Red Maiden was a little nervous too. She took a deep breath, held it, and stepped up to place her hand on the crystal ball.

"Hey, it's glowing! What a bright light!"

"Red Maiden really is something!"

The moment Red Maiden placed her hand on it, the crystal ball suddenly blazed with light, shining brilliantly beneath the bright daylight.

Red Maiden let out a breath of relief and looked at Lu Yan. "Lu Yan, does that mean I passed?"

Lu Yan looked at Red Maiden in some surprise, then nodded. "You passed. You have good aptitude, only a little below Chen Yulou's."

"Good."

Red Maiden smiled and glanced at Chen Yulou and the others, looking pleased with herself.

"Next."

Lu Yan shook his head with an amused smile and gestured for the next person to come forward.

In the main hall, Lu Yan looked at the two packed rows of people. The great wheel in his eyes spun rapidly, drawing them all into an illusion.

"This is what you may become."

Lu Yan waved a hand. A group of black-robed mages appeared on a battlefield, staffs in hand. All kinds of spells materialized out of thin air, and throngs of enemies fell one after another.

"Or perhaps this."

The scene shifted. In a laboratory, a wizard held up a test tube and studied the colorful reactions inside, carefully using his spiritual power to maintain the balance.

"Wizards—or Arcanists—use their minds to move the energy of heaven and earth. The key is their knowledge."

"Power is only the surface. Don't become obsessed with it. Observe all things carefully and build up your knowledge."

Then Lu Yan turned to another group of muscular Xieling men and reassured them, "Don't be discouraged. Your mental strength may not meet the requirements, but by practicing martial arts, you can also transcend the mortal realm and attain sainthood."

With a casual wave, he changed the scene. A blood-soaked battlefield appeared, with two armies locked in a brutal struggle.

One man wore heavy armor, yet moved as lightly as if he wore nothing. With a swing of his weapon, he shattered the bones and snapped the limbs of all those before him.

"This is what it looks like after you transcend the mortal realm and attain sainthood."

The scene changed again. A burly man radiated deep-red energy and rose into the air. He threw a punch at a distant mountain.

A thunderous boom rang out. Dust blotted out the sky, and half the mountain vanished.

As the two groups stared, dumbfounded and deeply shaken, Lu Yan waved away the illusion. They were all back in the main hall.

"Lu Yan, will we all be able to become that powerful?"

Red Maiden's eyes widened. She breathed quickly as she asked.

"Train hard, and you can."

Lu Yan smiled and surveyed the stunned crowd before calling out, "Red Maiden, Kunlun, Hua Maguai, stay behind. Everyone else, go."