Chapter 139 - 120: Taking a Master
Lü Zhong froze, completely stunned.
He gave a wry, internal laugh. ’How am I supposed to respond to this?’
His first instinct was to cast Malice Detection. After all, a windfall like this seemed too good to be true. There was usually a hidden agenda, and he had to be on his guard.
But on second thought, he dismissed the idea.
She was a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, after all; it wouldn’t be difficult for her to notice such a subtle technique. If he ended up offending this master he’d so conveniently acquired, it would only lead to trouble. It was better to wait and see what happened first.
Besides, he was a disciple of the Heling Sect.
’Surely, no matter what, they wouldn’t let me walk right into a trap?’
With that in mind, Lü Zhong decided to accept.
"This disciple, Lü Zhong, pays his respects to Master!" Lü Zhong declared, sensibly performing a deep bow of obeisance.
"Very good! From this day forward, you are my disciple," the female cultivator, Shuini, said as she helped Lü Zhong to his feet. She looked him up and down, her satisfaction growing with every passing moment. Handing him a Magic Bead, she continued, "This is a Four Spirits Bead. It can resolve the Spiritual Power conflicts that arise from the Four Spirits Technique. Take it as a greeting gift from your master."
The others in the hall reacted to this scene in different ways.
Wei Tie and the others were merely shocked, a perfectly normal reaction. The white-robed youth, however, was another story. His smile froze as he stared at the touching scene of the devoted disciple and his new master, his eyes burning with intense jealousy.
He knew Shuini was at the Late-stage of Foundation Establishment and was the Eldest Senior Sister to all Foundation Establishment Cultivators in the Heling Sect.
With such a powerful backer, reaching Foundation Establishment would be significantly easier.
To say nothing of anything else, that Four Spirits Bead was a treasure even Inner Sect Disciples dreamed of getting their hands on.
Yet now, Lü Zhong had obtained it so easily, simply as a greeting gift.
’Bah, what shitty luck!’ the white-robed youth cursed resentfully to himself.
As for the Heling Sect’s other Foundation Establishment Cultivators, the expressions on their faces were quite a sight to behold when they saw their Eldest Senior Sister suddenly take on a disciple.
’Has the sun started rising in the west? She’s actually taking a disciple?’
After all, Shuini had previously turned her nose up at even Immortal Seedlings with Dual Spirit Roots. To think that this time she’d chosen someone with Four Spirit Roots... they truly couldn’t see what was so special about this disciple named Lü Zhong.
They were baffled and utterly confused.
Meanwhile, with Lü Zhong.
"My good disciple, come with your master. I was heading that way anyway, so I can take you to complete your initiation procedures," Shuini said to Lü Zhong, beaming ever since she had accepted him.
"Yes, Master!" Lü Zhong agreed, seeing no reason to refuse.
Shuini summoned a Jade Flying Ship. It carried Lü Zhong as it shot into the sky and flew out of the city. As she piloted the vessel, she gave him an overview of the Heling Sect, expertly highlighting the key points, which quickly gave him a basic understanding of his new home.
The Heling Sect had over three thousand cultivators in total.
Ninety-nine percent of them were disciples at the Qi Refining Stage, who were divided into three categories:
Outer Sect, Inner Sect, and True Inheritance.
True Disciples were few in number. All of them had taken a Core Formation Master from the Sect as their teacher. They generally possessed Dual Spirit Roots and were cultivated as Core Formation Seeds, enjoying the absolute best resources.
This allowed them to cultivate single-mindedly, undisturbed by worldly matters.
There were over a hundred Inner Sect Disciples, and their access to resources was second only to that of the True Disciples.
They were occasionally assigned missions but could otherwise focus on their cultivation.
As the winner of the ranking battle, Lü Zhong had automatically gained the status of an Inner Sect Disciple. He would be nurtured as a Foundation Establishment Seed, with the goal of becoming a future pillar of the Heling Sect.
If he failed to reach Foundation Establishment before the age of sixty, he would lose these privileges and be demoted to an Outer Disciple.
As for Outer Disciples, they came from either Cultivation Clans or were Immortal Seedlings selected at the Ascension Conference. They received the fewest resources and were also responsible for handling all sorts of menial chores.
Only by cultivating to the Late-stage of Qi Refining before the age of thirty could they be promoted to Inner Sect Disciple.
Regardless of their category, all disciples had to be registered on the Sect’s Jade Scroll to be considered officially initiated. Otherwise, even if they participated in the entrance ceremony, they still wouldn’t be considered a disciple of the Heling Sect.
And right now, Shuini was taking Lü Zhong to see the Sect Leader.
The Heling Sect’s main gate was not in Yongling City, but on Heling Mountain, a hundred li away.
Looking up from the Flying Ship, he could see exquisite buildings scattered across the distant, steep mountain peaks. They were all interconnected by covered bridges, appearing and disappearing amid the churning Cloud Qi, resembling a floating Immortal City.
From their current altitude, he estimated that even the lowest of these structures was built on a mountain face thousands of feet up.
Lü Zhong had expected to see even more buildings packed onto the mountainside, but as the clouds parted, he realized he had been mistaken. What he saw before him was the entirety of the Heling Sect’s mountain compound.
Soon, the Flying Ship landed on a mountaintop platform.
As expected of the Heling Sect’s inner sanctum. Under the influence of a massive Tier Three Spirit Vein, the concentration of Spiritual Qi was far greater than in Yongling City.
Lü Zhong had already decided that once he arranged his affairs in the city, he would move here.
Lost in thought, he followed Shuini until they arrived at a square paved with golden bricks. Before them stood a great hall, a plaque hanging above its entrance inscribed with the name "Spirit Welcoming Hall."
When the disciples guarding the gate saw them approach, they immediately came forward. "This disciple greets Martial Aunt!"
"I need to see the Sect Leader. Please make the arrangements."
"Yes! This way, Martial Aunt. This disciple will announce you immediately." Recognizing Shuini, the guard didn’t dare to show the slightest neglect. He quickly led the pair into the hall, served them tea, and had them wait in a room that resembled a study.
「Before long.」
The sound of hurried footsteps approached.
Lü Zhong set down his teacup and rose from his seat just as a middle-aged man with sharp, bright eyes and strong brows walked in. He stood seven feet tall and wore the Heling Sect robes, which were emblazoned with the Three Spirits Unification Seal. The aura he exuded was no less powerful than that of Shuini, Lü Zhong’s new master of convenience.