A Bet with Master

At this moment.

Inside the Martial Hall, the elders stood silent before one another. The place was utterly quiet.

Yet Yun Qingyao's face turned exceptionally cold. "First Elder, now that the news of Lu Ren being a Person of Divine Enlightenment is bound to spread throughout the major sects, you actually want my disciple to go to the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Cave Mansion?"

"Leaving aside how slim Lu Ren's chances are of obtaining the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Legacy, even if he does obtain it, will the disciples of the major sects—and those old fossils—let him walk out alive?"

This was the first time she had grown angry, dissatisfied with the sect's decision.

The First Elder had not expected Yun Qingyao to be so furious. With an awkward laugh, he said, "Elder Yun, Lu Ren is a Person of Divine Enlightenment. If he can truly change the grade of his bloodline, his potential will become terrifying. Besides, Lu Ren himself wishes to give it a try!"

"Give it a try?"

Yun Qingyao abruptly rose to her feet and walked to the entrance of the Martial Hall. Turning to face the elders, she said coldly, "To you, Lu Ren is merely an outer disciple. Whether he lives or dies has nothing to do with you. All you care about is whether your sect can cultivate a genius. But he is my disciple. Whether he is a genius or trash, I only want him to live well!"

With that, Yun Qingyao left behind the elders, whose faces had turned ashen, and departed.

Qingyun Sect's entrance district.

Lu Ren had barely returned to his cultivation courtyard when Yun Qingyao arrived right behind him.

Upon seeing Yun Qingyao, Lu Ren hurried over to greet her, though he was not overly nervous.

Previously, he had been wondering how he would explain himself to Yun Qingyao once his strength was exposed. Now that the elders all believed him to be a Person of Divine Enlightenment, there was no need for any explanation.

Yun Qingyao pulled Lu Ren into the living room and asked with a grave expression, "Lu Ren, I am your master. Shouldn't you listen to your master?"

"Yes!"

Lu Ren nodded.

"You cannot go to the Tuoshe Cave Mansion!"

Yun Qingyao urged him.

Lu Ren asked strangely, "Why can't I go?"

Yun Qingyao said, "You are a Person of Divine Enlightenment. Not only the three major sects, but other sects as well will never allow you to obtain the Tuoshe Ancient Emperor's Legacy. They will certainly hunt you down within the Tuoshe Cave Mansion!"

"Master, only Martial Artists of the Aperture Opening Realm can enter the Tuoshe Cave Mansion. With my strength, as long as I master all of the Celestial Phenomenon Sword Skill you taught me, no one should be able to defeat me!"

Lu Ren said.

Yun Qingyao shook her head. "Lu Ren, you underestimate those people too much. They have made thorough preparations to enter the Tuoshe Cave Mansion. There are plenty of Martial Artists who have opened their eighth and ninth Spiritual Apertures, and they have even cultivated Yellow Tier Low-grade Martial Skills. There are even hidden masters who, for the sake of the precious treasures left behind by the Ancient Emperor Tuoshe, have trained successors to enter the Tuoshe Cave Mansion. How will you fight them?"

Lu Ren knew that his master was unwilling to let him take the risk because she worried for his safety.

But he had to fight for this chance at the Tuoshe Cave Mansion.

"Master, I have to go to the Tuoshe Cave Mansion. I only have a Scrap Bloodline. If I do not improve my cultivation, I am destined to remain mediocre for the rest of my life!"

Lu Ren said with a resolute expression.

Seeing how determined Lu Ren was, Yun Qingyao said, "Fine. There are still two and a half months left. If you can cultivate Thunder Stirring and Stormy Downpour, I will agree to let you go!"

"If I cultivate those two moves, you'll agree to let me go? Isn't that a little too easy?"

Lu Ren was overjoyed.

"Easy?"

Yun Qingyao shook her head and said no more.

Thunder Stirring and Stormy Downpour were not techniques that someone with a Scrap Bloodline could cultivate. Even a Person of Divine Enlightenment could not do it.

A Scrap Bloodline could only cultivate Human Tier Low-grade Martial Skills.

Lu Ren said, "Master, do you mean it? If I can cultivate Thunder Stirring and Stormy Downpour, you'll let me go to the Tuoshe Cave Mansion?"

"Of course I mean it!"

Yun Qingyao wore a smug expression.

"Master, are you that certain I'll lose?"

Lu Ren asked.

"You will definitely lose!"

Yun Qingyao declared with absolute confidence.

"Then let's add another wager. If you lose, Master, you cannot interfere with anything I do from now on. How about it?"

Lu Ren said with a grin.

"No."

Yun Qingyao rejected him without hesitation. This disciple of hers was reckless and impulsive; he needed to be kept in line, lest he cause some enormous disaster. She had no desire to clean up Lu Ren's messes.

"Hehe!"

Lu Ren chuckled. "So, Master is still afraid of losing?"

"Who's afraid of losing? Fine, let's wager! Can a Scrap Bloodline like yours really turn the heavens upside down?"

Yun Qingyao revealed a haughty expression, then turned and left.

Lu Ren stood where he was and said, "I have the Nameless Treasure Pagoda. As long as I have enough Spirit Rice, I can cultivate Thunder Stirring and Stormy Downpour. I should first find a way to earn more money!"

With that in mind, Lu Ren was just about to leave when he saw many new disciples heading in his direction.

These new disciples had naturally come to congratulate him. Quite a few female disciples even expressed their affection for him, wishing to become Dao Companions with him.

Lu Ren spent several hours dealing with them before finally sending them all away.

At the same time, he could not help sighing inwardly.

This was what strength meant!

With strength, the whole world would treat you gently.

Without strength, malice lurked everywhere!

"Hahaha, Junior Brother Lu Ren, congratulations, congratulations!"

Wang Teng strode into the courtyard with a hearty laugh and stuffed five banknotes into Lu Ren's hands.

"Senior Brother Wang Teng, what are you doing?"

Lu Ren looked completely bewildered. Could it be that Wang Teng was giving him a gift for becoming an outer disciple?

"Hahaha, Junior Brother Lu Ren, your sparring exchange this time earned me one hundred thousand copper coins. I'm giving you fifty thousand of it!"

Wang Teng said with a smile.

Without betraying a trace of emotion, Lu Ren put away the banknotes and then asked, "Senior Brother Wang Teng, can you lend me a little more money?"

Fifty thousand copper coins truly were not enough. Buying Spirit Rice with that would only give him around thirteen and a half years of cultivation time, and it might not be enough to cultivate the other two forms of the Celestial Phenomenon Sword Skill.

"If you truly need money urgently, I still have quite a bit of spare cash on me. Take it and use it first!"

Without the slightest hesitation, Wang Teng stuffed all one hundred and fifty thousand in banknotes on him into Lu Ren's hands.

Receiving the money, Lu Ren felt deeply moved. Smiling, he said, "Senior Brother Wang Teng, don't worry. Consider this money a loan. Once I earn some money, I'll repay you immediately!"

"No rush, no rush. It's not like I'm short on money anyway!"

Wang Teng waved his hand, then bid Lu Ren farewell and left.

With two hundred thousand in banknotes in hand, Lu Ren headed to the Dining Hall, intending to buy four thousand jin of Spirit Rice.

Four thousand jin of Spirit Rice could support fifty-four years of cultivation!

"With fifty-four years of cultivation time, I can easily cultivate both of those sword techniques!"

Lu Ren thought to himself.

By his estimate, those two sword techniques would not even take twenty years.

"Hehe, Master, I wonder what expression you'll have tomorrow when I display these two moves before you?"

With that thought, Lu Ren entered the Nameless Treasure Pagoda's space and began cultivating with all his might.