C586 Accepting a Disciple

The elder from the Ancient Desolate Sect's complexion shifted dramatically as he let out a startled cry.

A wisp of his Qi, which had burst forth from within him, encountered the Blood Sacrificial Altar forged from Giant Beast Soul Amber within Yu Yuan's Little World.

His Qi and blood, like an eye, fixated on the altar that shimmered like blood jade, flickering intensely.

Whoosh!

The Blood Sacrificial Altar, suspended at the heart of the Little World of Qi and blood, hurtled towards the Eye of Qi and blood.

Inside the cave, the bald elder's expression darkened as he huffed, "It's indeed that accursed thing!"

Whoosh!

A strand of his Qi and blood shot out in an instant! Before Yu Yuan could even grasp what was happening, the elder, with lightning-fast speed, channeled that Qi and blood straight into Yu Yuan's gathering place of Spiritual Force—the Yellow Court Little World.

"The Yellow Court Little World, with such refined and concentrated Spiritual Force, the expanse of the Qi Sea!" he exclaimed once more. Then, with a gaze as if beholding a demon, he scrutinized Yu Yuan and declared, "The Yellow Court acupoint has been tempered seven or eight times!"

Discerning the number of refinements in the Yellow Court Little World was a feat not easily achieved by outsiders.

Even those of much higher realms could not perceive its depth with the naked eye alone.

It required the penetration of one's soul consciousness or, as he had done, a unique sensing through Qi and blood to possibly gauge the extent of refinement a Yellow Court Little World had undergone.

"Seven or eight times!"

Chen Qingyan of the Sword Sect, upon hearing this, was visibly astounded.

She had deliberately sought out information on Yu Yuan's movements within the sect.

The details she had gathered pertained to Yu Yuan's travels, actions, and achievements, as well as his current realm.

The number of times Yu Yuan had purified and refined his Yellow Court acupoints was beyond her knowledge.

The revelation that Yu Yuan had refined his Spiritual Power Little World seven to eight times at the Yellow Court Stage left her feeling somewhat disconcerted.

She was the prodigy chosen by the Sword Sect, the pride of the Chen family from the Luan Bird Empire, yet here she was, taken aback!

"The Blood Qi Little World exhibits such an anomaly, and the Yellow Court Little World has been refined seven to eight times..."

The bald elder paused thoughtfully before suddenly declaring, "I am Zhongli of the Ancient Desolate Sect, practitioner of the Desolate True Spell! Young man, aside from being the sword sheath's owner, do you have any other mentors or belong to any other sects?"

Yu Yuan, looking as if he had been through a great ordeal, replied feebly, "Not yet."

Zhongli's eyes sparkled with excitement as he burst into laughter, "I wish to accept you as my disciple!"

In the corner of the cave, Chen Qingyan, upon hearing Shen Feiqing's mentor reveal his name and then abruptly express his desire to take Yu Yuan as a disciple, was taken aback. "Accept him as a disciple?"

Yu Yuan was equally astonished.

"The master of the sword sheath has perished, both body and spirit. Even with his swordsmanship legacy, without guidance, reaching his heights would be a formidable challenge," Zhongli said with a sly chuckle. "But I am different! If you agree to follow my teachings, once we escape the Sword Prison, I vow to reclaim all that is rightfully mine from the Ancient Desolate Sect!"

"I am destined to be the current patriarch of the Ancient Desolate Sect! And you, with just a century under my tutelage, I can prepare you to succeed me as the new sect master!"

Zhongli, caught up in his own fervor, continued, "Your innate talent for cultivation is perfectly aligned with our sect's practices! The foundation laid by the Evil Sect is solid, and with my refinement, you will surely be able to forge your Yang God within a hundred years, perhaps even reaching the Unrestrained Stage!"

Witnessing Zhongli's unbridled enthusiasm, Yu Yuan was taken aback. "And what of Shen Feiqing?"

"Feiqing will have to graciously step aside for you," Zhongli said with an air of inevitability. "Her talent for cultivation is commendable, yet it pales in comparison to yours. At most, she could attain the same level as me, reaching the Unrestrained Stage. That is the pinnacle for both her and myself."

After a brief pause, Zhongli's voice boomed, "But you, you have the potential to master the Void True Spell to its utmost, to forge your very Primordial Spirit!"

Upon hearing these words, Chen Qingyan was stunned. "To cultivate the Ancient Desolate Sect's Spiritual Spell, which focuses on the physical body's endurance, and then to break through to the Primordial Spirit!" The concept was almost beyond her imagination.

Her master had once told her that for a sect like the Ancient Desolate Sect, which places great emphasis on physical cultivation, condensing a Primordial Spirit was an incredibly arduous task.

The Ancient Desolate Sect, reputed to be older than the Sword Sect, the Primordial Yang Sect, and the Profound Sky Sect, has a history that dates back to the earliest mortal cultivators who harnessed spiritual energy.

Those first cultivators, having discovered how to absorb spiritual energy into their dantian, gradually developed what has become the modern system of cultivation.

Since the emergence of the first Primordial Spirit, demonstrating divine might that pierced the heavens and the power of immortality, human cultivators have held the belief that focusing on the cultivation of the three souls of heaven, earth, and humanity is the true path.

The Spirit Accumulating Stage and the Profound Break Stage were seen as mere precursors, sufficient to support the subsequent Yin God and Yang God stages.

Orthodox cultivators would not expend too much energy on these two stages. Moreover, once they advanced beyond the Profound Break Stage, they would cease refining their bodies and instead, dedicate all their efforts to condensing the three souls.

Humans, unlike demons, are born with inherently weaker bodies. It was believed they should play to their strengths and not engage in physical contests with demons.

As a result, despite their venerable history, sects like the Ancient Desolate Sect were not regarded as orthodox on the Heavenly Source Continent.

Chen Qingyan herself believed that sects overly preoccupied with physical endurance, such as the Ancient Desolate Sect, would struggle to give rise to Primordial Spirits.

And yet, when Zhongli proposed taking Yu Yuan as his disciple, he boldly claimed Yu Yuan had the potential to achieve a Primordial Spirit. Chen Qingyan couldn't help but wonder if his long confinement in the Sword Prison had addled his mind.

"I'll give it some thought once you've left the Sword Prison and ascended to the position of the Ancient Desolate Sect's leader," Yu Yuan said with a smile.

At that, Zhongli seemed to snap back to reality.

His hesitation to immediately accept indicated that Yu Yuan had reservations, and wasn't particularly keen on the idea of becoming his disciple. This left Zhongli's gaze wavering with indecision.

All of a sudden, Yu Yuan felt an eerie shiver run through him, and his heart raced with apprehension.

The intense killing intent flickering in Zhongli's eyes triggered an instinctive unease within him.

The gaunt, bald elder of short stature experienced a sudden shift in thought, and with it, his presence underwent a dramatic transformation. To Yu Yuan, the old man before him seemed like a colossal beast masquerading in human flesh.

Yu Yuan recognized that his vague remarks had inadvertently provoked the formidable Ancient Desolate Sect's powerhouse, who was now entertaining the thought of slaying him right there in the Sword Prison.

And distressingly, this individual possessed both the capability and the power to do so.

"If Yu Yuan perishes in the Sword Prison, you'll likely find yourselves trapped here as well," Chen Qingyan interjected, sensing the perilous atmosphere. She quickly cautioned the bald elder against acting rashly and without regard for the consequences. "As for taking on a disciple, why not simply capture him once we're out, confine him, and force his hand?"

Yu Yuan attempted to speak but found himself at a loss for words.

Zhongli's demeanor cooled slightly at Chen Qingyan's suggestion, and with a forced smile, he nodded in agreement. "Indeed, that's an option."

No sooner had he spoken than he unleashed another wave of his sleeve, sending a powerful punch through the air.

The space around Yu Yuan was instantly flooded with the surge of his fist's imprint.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

Yu Yuan, who had just managed to sit upright, was once again subjected to excruciating torment. The overwhelming force of the punch, as if warping time and space itself, mercilessly honed his flesh and spirit.

"It's alright, it's alright," Yu Yuan whispered to himself, relieved as he sensed Zhongli's murderous intent dissipate.

Moments later, he collapsed to the ground, as lifeless as if he had died yet another time.

"With your vital energy within the Yellow Court Little World, you needn't fret over recovery," Zhongli stated, stepping forward and grasping Yu Yuan's neck. He glanced toward the tunnel leading to another cave. "Helping you reach the Penetrating Stage benefits everyone in the Sword Prison. I shouldn't be the only one exerting effort."

With those words, he flung Yu Yuan's near-lifeless body towards the other cave as if it had sprouted wings.

"Seek out that ancient dragon for a drop of its blood. Use the power within your Little World to refine it," Zhongli instructed.

As Yu Yuan was about to cross through the curtain of sword light, Zhongli's voice echoed once more, "That old dragon still has strength to spare. It's time he contributed as well."

Whoosh!

Yu Yuan breached the barrier of sword intent and sword light, vanishing from Chen Qingyan's view to another location.

"Is Yu Yuan going to be okay?" Chen Qingyan expressed concern. "You hit him hard; he can barely stand. Couldn't you have waited a bit?"

"Why bother standing?" Zhongli cackled. "I'm not that old dragon. He can't dodge the sword light's targeting. If he makes a move against that kid, he's signing his own death warrant."

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