"Greetings, Master Wu."
Lu Li remained calm and composed, bowing respectfully to Wu Changgeng.
She then gave Xu Xiong a gentle smile.
Xu Xiong was surprised and happy for Lu Li, so he immediately addressed him by his full name.
Seeing this, Lu Li spoke first.
"Senior brother, there's no need for that. We've known each other for a long time."
There's no need to follow the rules.
Xu Xiong didn't recognize Lu Li's address and quickly waved his hand.
Even without following the rules, it's not guaranteed that a Foundation Establishment True Person him as "Senior Brother."
Wouldn't people laugh at us if we showed this to outsiders?
He immediately spoke up.
"Uncle-Master Lu, no!"
"If I were to address you as my junior brother, then my master... No! Absolutely not!"
"Forehead..."
"How about this, from now on I'll call you Junior Brother Xu, and you can call me Senior Brother Lu, is that alright?"
Calling me "Junior Uncle" is too formal.
"Let's each discuss our own points; Master Wu shouldn't mind."
After Lu Li finished speaking, he looked at Wu Changgeng.
Wu Changgeng seemed lost in thought, completely ignoring Lu Li's question, his entire being slightly absent-minded.
The young man surnamed Su, standing to the side, chuckled softly.
"Hehe... True Person Lu unconventional."
"He has a good temperament. I am Su Yunzhou, and I greet True Person Lu."
Upon seeing the young Foundation Establishment, one noticed his extraordinary bearing and polite manners.
Lu Li returned the greeting with a fist and palm salute.
"My name is Lu Li, and I greet True Person Su."
Su Yunzhou nodded slightly, said no more, and turned to clasp his hands in a fist salute to Wu Changgeng.
"Senior Brother Wu, since we have guests, I won't disturb you any longer."
"We can talk about it when we get back to the peak. Farewell."
Having said that, he moved and was already out of the side hall.
Wu Changgeng snapped out of his daze, glanced at Su Yunzhou's retreating figure, and then at Lu Li.
A complex emotion flickered in his eyes.
He almost considered taking Lu Li as his disciple back then.
After much deliberation, I decided to give up.
Who could have imagined that, years later... I would feel a little regretful?
" Lu Li, I didn't expect you to have already Foundation Establishment."
"Thanks to Master Wu's good fortune, I've been fortunate enough to learn weapon crafting over the years, and through frugality, I've managed to accumulate Foundation Establishment Pill."
"Hmm, is there something you need from Xiong'er?"
"That's right, I've already entered the inner sect. Today I've come to ask Junior Brother Xu to look after my disciple, and then..."
Lu Li hesitated for a moment, then bowed to Wu Changgeng.
"Then I would like to ask Master Wu for a recommendation; I wish to be promoted to the Supreme Refinement Peak."
" Supreme Refinement Peak? Oh... Now that you've successfully Foundation Establishment, you're already a first-tier weapon-refining master. Wait until you've familiarized yourself with second-tier spiritual materials..."
"It won't be long before I become a second-tier weapon-refining master, and advancing to the Supreme Refinement Peak will be no problem."
Wu Changgeng nodded; it was nothing.
However, he remembered that Lu Li just asked Xu Xiong to look after his apprentice.
His heart was in turmoil.
"This Lu Li is young and promising, a master of weapon crafting, and a close friend of Xiong'er..."
"Entrusting Xiong'er to him would be far more reassuring than entrusting him to Junior Brother Su!"
Upon realizing this, Wu Changgeng did not wait for Lu Li's response.
He suddenly took three steps back, raised his hands, clasped his hands, bowed deeply, and gave a respectful salute.
This scene startled both Xu Xiong and Lu Li.
Lu Li immediately made a hand seal, summoning a gentle breeze to help Wu Changgeng up.
" Master Wu, what are you doing? Why do you have to be so disrespectful to this junior?"
"No, no, don't be so polite, Junior Brother Lu, please listen to me!"
Wu Changgeng's tone became much more serious, and he turned his hand over and took out a Storage Bag.
He pointed at Xu Xiong.
" Junior Brother Lu, you just asked Xiong'er to look after your disciple, and now I'd like to..."
"Please look after my apprentice for me."
"This Storage Bag contains several thousand Spirit Stone, as a reward. If I enter the peak assembly and cannot leave unscathed..."
"From now on, I hope you will guide Xiong'er on his Dao Path. I don't ask him to achieve great things, I only ask that he live a few more years."
"Just make sure you don't die suddenly or get killed..."
Wu Changgeng's words were so True Intention that Xu Xiong stood there stunned.
His eyes instantly turned red, and his massive, two-meter-tall body trembled uncontrollably.
Tears welled up in his eyes, though his face appeared fierce.
"I... Master..."
Wu Changgeng could not possibly be unaware of Xu Xiong's grief.
He sighed inwardly and reached out to pat Xu Xiong on the shoulder.
" Master Wu, there's no need for that. Xu Xiong is a close friend of mine. If he ever faces any difficulties in the future, I will certainly lend a hand."
Lu Li a deep breath and pushed away the Storage Bag that Wu Changgeng handed over.
He then asked, as if sensing something was amiss.
" Master Wu, you just said you wanted to participate in the Summit Tournament."
"Could this grand event be... the Hastening the Seedlings to Immortal Ascension Assembly?"
"That's right, it seems Junior Brother Lu has some connections within the inner sect."
Wu Changgeng glanced at Lu Li in surprise.
"Oh, in that case, could you tell me about this 'Hastening the Seedlings to Immortal Ascension Assembly to Ascend to Immortality' ceremony?"
"Now that I've been promoted to the inner sect, shouldn't I also participate?"
Lu Li then inquired, wanting to know the differences between the Hastening the Seedlings to Immortal Ascension to Bai Sheng" story told by Wu Changgeng, the story told by Bai Sheng, and the story told by Ye Chenfeng.
Wu Changgeng didn't try to hide anything.
After all, once you enter the inner sect, you are qualified to participate in the Hastening the Seedlings to Immortal Ascension, which is not exactly a secret within the inner sect.
Let me explain in detail now.
" Junior Brother Lu, you may not know this, but the inner sect holds a 'Hastening the Seedlings to Immortal Ascension Assembly every hundred years."
"The tournament consists of trials in a secret realm, aimed at selecting True Disciple from among the many inner disciple."
" The True Disciple?"
"Yes! If one is fortunate enough to be selected as True Disciple and obtain the Secret Realm Dao Fruit, the chances Dao Path Core Formation will greatly increase!"
"Once one attains the supreme Golden Core True Lord status, one can relieve the sect's burdens, recruit disciples widely, and establish one's own peak; hence the saying ' Hastening the Seedlings to Immortal Ascension.'"
"Of course, not everyone can participate."
In just a few words, Wu Changgeng gave a general and clear explanation.
It was a rather mysterious trial and competition for the inner sect.
The Trial Grounds are said to be a Law Treasure realm left behind by the Ancestor Azure Pool, containing numerous trials.
Those who pass the test will receive the Core Formation Dao Fruit accumulated over a hundred years in the secret realm, which will not only enhance their cultivation but also greatly increase their chances of forming their Core. However...
"According to Wu Changgeng, this Hastening the Seedlings to Immortal Ascension seems somewhat dangerous, but it also involves seeking fortuitous opportunity amidst risk."
"Why is it that everything only goes well when it comes to Ye Chenfeng..."
"Could it be..."
Lu Li paused, his brows furrowed slightly, and his heart suddenly raced.
A different guess seemed to pop into my mind.
Even his breathing became heavier.
"There's a mysterious figure behind Ye Chenfeng; only now do we know a bit of the truth."
"Could it be that this so-called 'Hastening the Seedlings to Immortal Ascension '... has actually been kept secret from all the disciples of the sect?!"