Mu Yan crossed mountains and rivers, evaded the dangers of numerous Demon Beasts, and finally reached the foot of Severed Dragon Mountain!
Looking up at the wondrous palaces stretching across Severed Dragon Mountain in rolling waves, he felt more strength well up throughout his body and charged up the mountain.
By all rights, Severed Dragon Mountain should have been the most dangerous place!
The Demon Beasts entrenched here would only be stronger!
Yet strangely, he had not encountered so much as a bird along the way, let alone any danger. All in all, his journey had been remarkably smooth.
Before long, Mu Yan reached the summit!
At the same time, he saw the towering gateway, upon which the words "Kunlun Holy Land" were written in enormous characters!
Mu Yan gaped in astonishment, unable to speak for a long while.
The remnant soul within him, Elder Li, was likewise shocked beyond measure!
"Kunlun Holy Land? It's actually a holy land?!"
Elder Li gradually recovered his senses and exclaimed in wonder.
Holy land was not a title just any power could use. Only a power founded by an Immortal Emperor had the right to call itself a "holy land"!
Could this Kunlun Holy Land have been established by some Immortal Emperor?
Yet no matter how hard he racked his brains, he could not recall any holy land named Kunlun Holy Land. He had never heard that name before.
"What a magnificent place! Elder Li! Tell me, wouldn't it be wonderful if I could join Kunlun Holy Land and become a disciple here?"
Mu Yan gazed up at the enormous characters spelling out "Kunlun Holy Land," unable to stop himself from imagining it.
If he became a disciple of a holy land, would those people in his Lineage still dare to mock him? Those who looked down on him would probably all bow before him, nodding and scraping, wouldn't they?
Of course, none of that mattered most to him.
What mattered most to him was growing stronger!
Only improving his strength was the proper path!
Just as he was lost in his fantasies, the ground suddenly trembled, nearly making him lose his footing.
"Thud! Thud! Thud!"
The enormous Nether Ancient Dragon walked out through the gates. Though he was no longer several hundred zhang tall as before, his current body, several dozen zhang in size, still exuded an overwhelming sense of pressure.
"The Nether Ancient Dragon!" Elder Li was utterly horrified.
He knew an immensely powerful Nether Ancient Dragon lived on Severed Dragon Mountain, but the journey had been far too smooth, and Kunlun Holy Land had distracted him.
For a moment, he had overlooked the Nether Ancient Dragon's existence!
Now that the Nether Bone Dragon had appeared, even his remnant soul was about to freeze!
Before the Nether Bone Dragon, the man and the remnant soul were not even worth a fly. A single breath of flame would be enough to burn them to death!
Mu Yan went rigid, unable to move at all!
The Demon Beast presence the Nether Bone Dragon naturally exuded was exceptionally terrifying. Even the slightest bit of power he casually released would be enough to annihilate a weak human like Mu Yan in body and soul!
We're done for! At that moment, this was the only thought in both Elder Li's and Mu Yan's minds.
Yet neither of them even dared to move.
Fortunately, the Nether Bone Dragon had no intention of killing them and instead stepped aside.
Behind him stood an unfamiliar young man.
The young man was looking at Mu Yan with an utterly calm expression.
"Mu Yan, this man is so powerful. I must hide myself first!" Alarm bells rang in Elder Li's heart. After leaving Mu Yan with those words, he fell silent.
No matter how Mu Yan called out inwardly, there was no response.
Ye Chen looked at Mu Yan and asked, "Who are you? What have you come to my Kunlun Holy Land for?"
Mu Yan stood there with his mouth hanging open, not knowing what to say.
He glanced at the Nether Ancient Dragon, whose attitude was exceptionally respectful, then looked back at Ye Chen. Finally, he mustered his courage and said, "Senior, I... I came to seek a master and learn. Please accept me as your disciple!"
With interest, Ye Chen asked in return, "Oh? You want to take me as your master? Do you know who I am? Do you know what abilities I have? Yet you want to take me as your master?"
His questions left Mu Yan speechless.
He truly knew nothing about Ye Chen. Seeking to become his disciple like this did seem far too rash.
But seeing how deferential the Nether Ancient Dragon was toward Ye Chen strengthened his resolve. He dropped to his knees before Ye Chen with a thump and kowtowed several times, his forehead striking the ground with resounding knocks.
"Senior, you're a good person! That alone is enough!"
This senior could make even the Nether Bone Dragon acknowledge him as master. Did his strength need any further explanation? Mu Yan at least had that much discernment!
Ye Chen burst out laughing at his answer, but shook his head and said, "But why should I accept you as my disciple?"
Hearing this question, Mu Yan had even less idea how to answer.
He thought it over and over, growing so anxious that sweat covered his forehead, then cried, "I can serve you, senior, and attend to your meals and daily needs, working hard without complaint!"
Ye Chen nodded. "You seem sincere enough. How about this? If you can survive one attack from the Nether Bone Dragon, I'll accept you as my disciple!"
"What? I have to withstand an attack from Senior Nether Bone Dragon?" Mu Yan's expression changed drastically in alarm.
He was just an ordinary, insignificant cultivator, while the Nether Bone Dragon was who knew how many times stronger than him. A casual breath could annihilate him in body and soul.
How could he possibly withstand an attack from the Nether Bone Dragon?
"What? You don't dare?" Ye Chen asked coldly.
"Well..."
Sweat covered Mu Yan's forehead, and his entire body trembled.
Of course he did not dare. This was clearly sending him to his death!
But things had come this far, and he had no way to retreat. Besides, he felt he had to take the gamble!
"All right! I dare! Come on!" Mu Yan was utterly resolute, facing death as though returning home.
"Hahaha, good! Bone Dragon, give him an attack!" Ye Chen said with a hearty laugh.
The Nether Bone Dragon answered, opened his mouth to gather flames, then blasted them toward Mu Yan.
Just as Mu Yan thought he truly was about to die without even a place to be buried, the flames swept past him, yet carried not the slightest heat.
Instead, they felt like a breeze, and were rather cool!
"This..." Mu Yan was dumbfounded. Hadn't he been told to withstand one attack from the Nether Bone Dragon? Why was this different from what had been agreed?
Seeing his bewildered expression, Ye Chen shook his head and laughed. "Were you really planning to withstand an attack from him? Forget a whole attack-even a tiny flame from him could destroy you!"
"Senior, then I..." Mu Yan was rather dazed and at a loss.
With an approving smile, Ye Chen patted his shoulder and said, "I've agreed to accept you as my disciple."
This sudden, wonderful surprise left Mu Yan somewhat stunned. Had his quest to find a master really gone so smoothly?
Hadn't it gone a little too smoothly?
But overwhelmed by this enormous surprise, he did not think much about it. In his immense excitement, he knelt on the ground and kowtowed several more times with resounding knocks.
"Come with me. From now on, you're one of Kunlun Holy Land's people." Ye Chen turned and walked through the gates.
Mu Yan hurried after him, following close behind.