Elder Yu showed no anger at Lu Mian's words. Instead, he said with a touch of wistfulness, "Such youthful spirit... truly enviable."
Then Elder Yu asked, "Lu Mian, how old are you this year?"
Lu Mian answered honestly, "Almost eighteen."
Elder Yu nodded slowly. "Eighteen... still very young."
"If you can break through to the second realm, Meridian Opening, before you turn twenty, you'll have a chance to go to the Ancestral Court and compete for a place as an inner disciple."
"The world is dark. Hiding away in some quiet corner is no use. Only by growing stronger can you have any hope of surviving."
Lu Mian had heard about the Sunflame Ancestral Court during his last conversation with Xu Yi.
Ke Yuanyi, Liang Chengyun, Elder Yu, and Elder Luo were actually registered as outer elders at the Sunflame Ancestral Court. They had never even entered the inner ranks.
Their potential had simply run dry, leaving them unable to advance any further, so the Sunflame Ancestral Court had sent them to Thousand Chimes Commandery City to help the old chief manage the training grounds.
Only the old chief had held a higher position at the Sunflame Ancestral Court, having once been an inner disciple.
He, too, had been sent here after exhausting his potential.
As a branch outpost of the Sunflame Ancestral Court, the training grounds were responsible not only for expanding its influence and spreading its teachings, but also for selecting truly gifted disciples for the Ancestral Court.
In Elder Yu's eyes, Lu Mian undoubtedly had a chance of earning a place as an inner disciple.
His chances might even be better than Xu Yi's.
"Elder Yu, what is the Sunflame Ancestral Court like?"
Lu Mian asked curiously.
"In the past, the Sunflame Ancestral Court was a true