Mingyue Takes a Master

After Situ Mingyue decided to join the Azure Cloud Sect, both sides introduced themselves again.

At this point, everyone also learned the identity of the middle-aged man in blue. He was a guest elder of the Situ Family named Qin Yushu. The Situ Family had once saved his life, so he had remained with them in service.

This time, when Situ Mingyue ran away, Qin Yushu had been responsible for protecting her.

As for Situ Mingyue's maid, her name was Chunxiao.

But when Situ Mingyue produced the Spirit Stones, another dispute arose.

"One million Spirit Stones, and you're only giving me this much? This is probably only ten thousand Spirit Stones!" Zhang Yang glared at Situ Mingyue.

Although the Spirit Stones Situ Mingyue had given him contained denser spiritual energy, the difference was simply too great.

Situ Mingyue rolled her eyes. "These are Mid-grade Spirit Stones... You didn't think I promised you one million Mid-grade Spirit Stones, did you? Dream on. That would be one hundred million ordinary Spirit Stones. Even if I sold the Cloud Soaring Merchant Association, I couldn't give you that many."

Zhang Yang had never seen Mid-grade Spirit Stones before. The Azure Cloud Sect was simply too poor!

Knowing he had made a blunder in basic knowledge, he chuckled. "It's still better to ask clearly. What if Junior Sister had meant Mid-grade Spirit Stones?"

Situ Mingyue was speechless. She discovered that this Eldest Senior Brother was far too greedy for money.

The group paused briefly at Azure Cloud Market before heading toward the Azure Cloud Sect.

Since Qin Yushu had no connection to Azure Cloud Sect, he remained at Qingyun Market. Chunxiao was also an outsider, but in consideration of Situ Mingyue's one million Spirit Stones, she was allowed up the mountain to care for Situ Mingyue.

When they saw Zhang Yang appear, Danchენzi and the others emerged one after another.

The last time Zhang Yang went out, he had brought back quite a few Spirit Stones and materials, and everyone had gained considerable benefits.

Now that Zhang Yang had returned, he had likely brought back plenty more.

However, seeing outsiders present, everyone maintained the bearing of lofty experts and did not step forward to ask for anything.

"This is my master, Azure Cloud Master, and also the current School Leader of the Azure Cloud Sect. You have already met Second Uncle-Master Ling Yunzi. As for Third Uncle-Master..." Zhang Yang introduced the Azure Cloud Seven Sons to Situ Mingyue.

The moment Situ Mingyue saw Azure Cloud Master, her eyes lit up. Disregarding all restraint, she stepped forward and bowed deeply. "This disciple, Situ Mingyue, greets Master!"

In Situ Mingyue's eyes, Tan Qiushui was already a legendary expert. Azure Cloud Master, who had easily defeated Tan Qiushui, was like a deity in her heart. Now that she had the chance to take such an expert as her master, how could she care about restraint?

Azure Cloud Master looked utterly bewildered. What was going on with this little girl, rushing up to become his disciple?

Zhang Yang coughed and said to Azure Cloud Master with a smile, "Master, Junior Sister is also a genius. She certainly won't disappoint your teaching."

Azure Cloud Master understood.

Last time, this brat had brought him back one disciple, and now he had brought back another. Was he specializing in picking up disciples for him?

Though he had only taken one disciple, it was practically the same as taking several...

Seeing Zhang Yang constantly signaling with his eyes, Azure Cloud Master snorted inwardly, then said with a smile, "Rise. From now on, you are my disciple."

He still gave Zhang Yang this courtesy. More importantly, Zhang Yang's reforms had begun producing results, allowing him to see hope.

Seeing that she had truly become Azure Cloud Master's disciple, Situ Mingyue was so excited that she solemnly performed the disciple-taking ceremony.

From now on, she too was an Azure Cloud Sect disciple.

Azure Cloud Master smiled. "Later, have your Eldest Senior Brother take you to find a good cultivation technique and cultivate properly. He has already received my true teachings. Ask him anything you do not understand. If he cannot solve it, then come find me."

Ling Yunzi and the others beside them felt that this scene looked awfully familiar!

They quickly remembered that when they had taken Azure Cloud Master as their master, it had been exactly like this.

Situ Mingyue froze for a moment, but she soon understood.

With her current bit of cultivation, she truly was not qualified to seek guidance from Azure Cloud Master.

But she had already made up her mind. She would cultivate diligently, raise her realm as quickly as possible, and strive to surpass Zhang Yang. Then Zhang Yang would no longer be qualified to instruct her and could only take her to see their master.

After Situ Mingyue finished taking a master, she took her maid to arrange their lodgings.

Since they would both remain at the Azure Cloud Sect to cultivate from now on, they naturally needed a place to live there.

Only after Situ Mingyue had left did Azure Cloud Master glare at Zhang Yang and shout, "Who told you to take in disciples for me? Taking you in alone has already given me enough headaches. I never want to take another disciple again."

"One million Spirit Stones!" Zhang Yang said with a grin. "Master, is one disciple worth one million Spirit Stones or not?"

"What one million Spirit Stones?" Everyone was utterly shocked.

Even Azure Cloud Master was moved, asking, "What happened?"

Ling Yunzi glanced at Zhang Yang and said to Azure Cloud Master, "Eldest Senior Brother, he had you take Situ Mingyue as a disciple. Situ Mingyue gave him one million Spirit Stones, along with some materials!"

"What?" Hualingzi was overjoyed. "Was there any good talisman paper? Any Spirit Blood?"

Biling Zi perked up and held out her hand toward Zhang Yang. "Now that there's money, give me Beauty-Nourishing Pills!"

Smiles appeared on every face. The Azure Cloud Sect had not been this wealthy in a very long time.

Azure Cloud Master could not help smiling as well. Then he put on a stern face and scolded, "You sold your master for one million? How spineless! As School Leader, I should take the largest share of this one million. At least three hundred thousand Spirit Stones must go to me."

Zhang Yang said irritably, "Master, this is all development capital for the Azure Cloud Sect. Taking three hundred thousand is going too far. I have a major use for this batch of Spirit Stones, so I can't give you that much."

"No, you must give me three hundred thousand!" Azure Cloud Master said seriously. "You brat, when I bought you that Spatial Ring back then, wasn't it my money that paid for it? Think carefully, brat—how have I treated you all these years? Now that you clearly have money, you won't even give me a few Spirit Stones. Are you worthy of the kindness I have shown you?"

Ling Yunzi nodded. "These Spirit Stones should be given!"

Danchენzi seemed to recall something as well and nodded repeatedly. "Zhang Yang, you know how Eldest Senior Brother has treated you, so you must give these Spirit Stones!"

"Yes, I also agree that they should be given."

Zhang Yang looked at the Azure Cloud Seven Sons in surprise. They actually all agreed?

After thinking for a moment, he said, "Master, if there's somewhere important you need Spirit Stones, just say so. Don't play this kind of moral blackmail. Although the Azure Cloud Sect urgently needs Spirit Stones, we can always find ways to earn them back. Three hundred thousand probably won't be enough. I'll give you four hundred thousand. Handle the extra as you see fit."

For something that could make the Azure Cloud Seven Sons unanimous, it was surely no simple matter, so he gave an extra hundred thousand.

Azure Cloud Master chuckled. "With this batch of Spirit Stones, I can finally live freely for a while. From now on, don't come looking for me. I need to leave for some time."

"Wait!" Ling Yunzi hurriedly said. "Eldest Senior Brother, the Cloud Mountain Empire's attitude this time was rather strange! We even fought on the way back."

He then told them about Zhang Yang's clash with the Flying Dragon Guard.

But no one cared about the Cloud Mountain Empire at all. They were staring at Zhang Yang in shock.

"You brat can use Spirit Artifacts in the Core Formation Realm? And two of them?" Hualingzi looked at Zhang Yang strangely. "Did you hide something from us? Did you keep some good treasure behind?"

Azure Cloud Master also looked at Zhang Yang strangely before suddenly asking, "When you looked inward at your Golden Core, what did you see?"

"There's nothing inside!" Zhang Yang looked at Azure Cloud Master in surprise. "Is there a problem? Aren't your Golden Cores like that too?"

The others' expressions changed, only to return to normal at once.

Zhang Yang had been watching Azure Cloud Master the whole time and did not notice the looks on the others' faces.

Azure Cloud Master's expression stiffened as well. Soon after, he shook his head helplessly. "Your Golden Core... is too ordinary!

"Our Golden Cores all contain the Great Dao we cultivate! Take your Uncle-Master Ling Yun, for example. A sword has been nurtured within his Golden Core, which is why he walks the Sword Dao.

"I finally understand why you reformed the Azure Cloud Sect. With a Golden Core like yours, you truly need more cultivation resources to cultivate. But there are indeed advantages as well. Your spiritual power is far more abundant than that of other Golden Cores... After all, you consumed more resources and cultivated for longer than others. It is only natural for your spiritual power to be more abundant."

Zhang Yang nodded again and again. He also felt that this reasoning made perfect sense.

But though his intention behind reforming the Azure Cloud Sect had been discovered, he refused to admit it. "Master, I didn't reform Azure Cloud Sect for my own sake."

"Do whatever you like!" Azure Cloud Master waved a hand. "If there's nothing else, hurry and cultivate... I, Azure Cloud Master, am the leader of a generation, yet I actually took in such a disciple. Sigh... sigh..."

He looked deeply dissatisfied.

Zhang Yang left in some frustration. Was his Golden Core really that bad?

What he did not know was that the moment he left, Azure Cloud Master waved his hand and set down layer upon layer of restrictions. Then he threw back his head and laughed wildly without end. "Heaven blesses my Azure Cloud Sect! Someone has actually formed a Chaos Golden Core again. The patriarchs of generations past have blessed us—our Azure Cloud Sect shall finally be completely freed in this generation."