Chapter 31: Becoming an Apprentice – My First and Only Disciple…

In an instant, the hall seemed to be enveloped by a thick, deathly silence, and even the air became thick and oppressive, making it almost suffocating.

As if drawn by invisible threads, everyone's gazes were drawn to Yin Lisheng. Those gazes were filled with undisguised shock and disbelief, as if they were looking at a reckless madman.

Immortal Venerable Huaiwei, Fu Yunshu, is a legendary figure of the Qingyuan Sect, renowned throughout the entire cultivation world. He possesses profound cultivation and a cold, aloof temperament.

He has been in seclusion for many years, avoiding all worldly troubles, and has never taken on a single disciple. Even the peak masters of each peak find it incredibly difficult to see him on ordinary days.

At this moment, Yin Lisheng actually uttered arrogant words, saying that he wanted to become a disciple of Immortal Venerable Huaiwei. Isn't that a bit too presumptuous of him to think so highly of himself?

Song Wenzhuo did not show any contempt, after all, he had seen all the care his grandmaster had given this kid.

However, his grandmaster uncle had not shown up all day, and Song Wenzhuo found it difficult to fathom his thoughts. Faced with this thorny and awkward situation, he was at a loss for what to do, feeling as if his mind was a complete mess.

Qiu Nan and Yan Shuangwan were stunned by Yin Lisheng's words, as if struck by lightning. One of them subconsciously tugged at Yin Lisheng's sleeve to remind him not to act impulsively or do anything foolish; the other frantically gave him meaningful glances, her eyes filled with anxiety and worry.

The two of them exclaimed inwardly: "Wow, bro, you've got guts!"

The atmosphere was at a standstill, and this couldn't continue. Song Wenzhuo helplessly forced a bitter smile, trying to persuade him, "Yin Lisheng, Immortal Venerable Huaiwei... he has never accepted disciples, I'm afraid this matter..."

Yin Lisheng raised his head and said firmly, "Sect Master, I want to give it a try."

This short sentence was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, stirring up ripples that spread throughout the hall. Low murmurs instantly rose and fell, with people whispering amongst themselves and their eyes darting back and forth between Yin Lisheng and Song Wenzhuo.

Seeing this, Ye Xiuzhu approached with great interest, a kind smile on his face, and said, "Young man, I see that you have extraordinary bones and innate talent. You are a rare and promising talent. Would you like to join our Weapon Peak?"

“Don’t listen to him,” Wen Xun retorted, stepping forward quickly. “The disciples of the Weapon Peak study weapon crafting day and night, often working tirelessly until they are exhausted. You won’t get a good rest if you go there. Why not come to our Talisman Peak and study talismans and formations? You’ll be carefree.”

Ning Xuexi glanced at Wen Xun and said leisurely, "Come on, you disciples of Fu Peak are always independent and go your own way. If you go there, you probably won't see many people for a month. Wouldn't you be lonely to death? It's better to come to our Dan Peak. Our Dan Peak disciples are all gentle and kind, and the most warm and friendly."

Ye Xiuzhu snorted coldly: "Hmph, I'm afraid that on the first day of entering Danfeng, they'll have to be carried out on the second day. Either they'll be affected by the explosion of the alchemy furnace, or they'll faint from testing the pills. That's not a pleasant experience."

The three of them argued back and forth, each refusing to give in, until their faces were red with anger in the main hall.

The dignified peak master, who is usually highly respected and revered within the sect, is now arguing without regard for his image. The scene is quite comical and makes people unable to help but laugh.

Song Wenzhuo tried to persuade them a few times, but the three of them were arguing heatedly and were very emotional, showing no intention of stopping.

He sighed inwardly, comforting himself: At least there's Gu Yuan, which is normal.

To his surprise, Gu Zhinan had somehow walked up to Yin Lisheng. His eyes were cold, but his tone was sincere: "Your talent in swordsmanship is exceptional. Would you be willing to become my disciple?"

"You, Gu Zhinan with your thick eyebrows and big eyes, who always looks so serious, I never thought you would come to steal someone!" Ye Xiuzhu had sharp eyes and immediately noticed the commotion. Her eyes widened, and her face was full of disbelief.

Gu Zhinan seemed not to hear him and continued to say to Yin Lisheng, "I have not yet accepted any disciples. If you become my disciple, you will be my only personal disciple. I will definitely pass on all my knowledge to you without reservation and lead you to the pinnacle of swordsmanship."

Upon hearing this, Ning Xuexi and the other two instantly stopped arguing, as if frozen in place. They had only been trying their luck, after all, Yin Lisheng was indeed a rare talent. But Gu Zhinan's words sounded like he was serious.

“Yin Lisheng,” Song Wenzhuo also spoke up to persuade, “In terms of cultivation, Peak Master Gu is the most outstanding among us, and can be considered the second most powerful person in Qingyuan Sect, second only to Immortal Venerable Huaiwei. Taking him as your master will be entirely beneficial to you and will definitely help you grow rapidly.”

Just then, Fu Yunshu arrived at the main hall and stopped abruptly upon hearing this, then disappeared.

Although he was unaware of what had happened inside the hall, if Yin Lisheng intended to choose Gu Zhinan as his master, he could not rashly show himself and force him to do something against his will.

Moreover, although Gu Zhinan usually appears aloof, he is extremely attentive to his disciples. Fu Yunshu vaguely remembered that in the original novel, Gu Zhinan was the master of the protagonist, a protagonist who was arrogant and domineering. He devoted himself to the protagonist's growth and contributed a lot of effort, but unfortunately, he was killed by the demon prince Yan Nanqiu in the end.

Yin Lisheng fell silent and remained silent for a long time.

Gu Zhinan's eyes flickered slightly, his peripheral vision subtly sweeping towards the gate. Suddenly, he said, "You'd better think it over. If you insist on choosing Immortal Venerable Huaiwei and are unwilling to take anyone else here as your master, then if Immortal Venerable Huaiwei does not agree to accept you, you will only be able to do odd jobs in the outer sect."

Upon hearing this, Song Wenzhuo was startled: ??? When was this rule set? Did they ask me, the sect leader, about it?

However, although Song Wenzhuo was full of doubts, he did not intend to expose Gu Zhinan on the spot. He also wanted to see just how determined this kid was to become a disciple of Immortal Venerable Huaiwei.

"Yes—" Yin Lisheng slowly bowed his head, his posture upright, his tone as firm as a rock: "This disciple's mind is made up, and I am determined to do so. I only wish to become the disciple of Immortal Venerable Huaiwei."

A soft chuckle rang out, and everyone followed the sound to see a man in white robes walking slowly towards them, his hands behind his back. Despite the sweltering heat of midsummer, it seemed as if a sudden snowstorm had begun outside the hall. The man, dressed in white robes that were even more pristine than snow, moved with the grace of a celestial being descending from the heavens.

He seemed to carry a cool, refreshing fragrance, and his every step exuded an innate composure and elegance, revealing an extraordinary and refined demeanor in every gesture.

His long hair was half-tied up, his appearance was extremely handsome, his eyebrows were like distant mountains with dark eyebrows, his eyes were like cold stars, his nose was high and straight, his lips were light in color, and his features were so exquisite that they were almost unreal, as if they were a work of art carefully sculpted by the heavens. However, there was a sense of detachment and indifference in those deep eyes, as if nothing in the world could catch his eye.

Fu Yunshu sat down in the seat that had been reserved for him, and Song Wenzhuo and the others were the first to react and bow.

"Grandmaster Uncle—" The voices were clear and respectful, echoing like a great bell in the hall.

The disciples below were stunned for a moment, but then they immediately reacted and knelt down in unison.

"Greetings, Immortal Venerable Huaiwei—" The voices rose and fell, like waves crashing one after another.

"Get up." Fu Yunshu raised his hand indifferently, his voice cold.

Yin Lisheng stared blankly at the high platform. The fingertips peeking out from beneath the plain white sleeves were as perfect as jade carvings. At this moment, Immortal Venerable Huaiwei was casually propping his hand up and looking down at everyone.

Even though they were people I'd never seen before, why did those eyes... feel so familiar?

"Didn't you want to become my disciple?" Fu Yunshu lowered his eyes and stared at the boy in the hall. In just one day, this child seemed to have become stupid.

"Huh?" Yin Lisheng was still immersed in that inexplicable sense of familiarity. Caught off guard by the question, he couldn't quite process it and instinctively uttered a bewildered question, looking somewhat dazed.

"Since you are so sincere in wanting to become my disciple, I am not an unreasonable person. It is not a problem for me to take on a disciple." Fu Yunshu's tone was calm and even, like a still lake, but it stirred up a storm in the hall.

Yin Lisheng felt his breath catch in his throat, his mind going blank for a moment. Immortal Venerable Huaiwei... agreed? Just like that, so easily? Happiness came too suddenly, leaving him momentarily at a loss, as if in a dream, unable to believe it was real.

At this moment, all the disciples in the hall were so shocked that they couldn't close their mouths. Their mouths were wide open, as if they could fit an egg inside.

"You agreed so easily? Didn't you ask a few more questions or try to understand the situation better? Is it really that hasty? If I had known that becoming Immortal Venerable Huaiwei's disciple was so simple, I would have mustered up the courage to try it myself!" Many disciples were eager to try, their eyes gleaming with anticipation.

Fu Yunshu, discerning everyone's thoughts, glanced around the crowd and spoke slowly, "My energy is limited, and Tingxue Peak is not a large place. Taking on one disciple to inherit my mantle is enough."

"If you become my disciple, you must devote yourself to cultivation in the future, without the slightest slackness, and you must not step into evil paths, otherwise don't blame me for being ruthless and expelling you from my sect."

These words were addressed not only to Yin Lisheng but also to the disciples below. The disciples all gave up their thoughts and looked at Yin Lisheng with resentful eyes.

How can this person be so lucky! Heaven is so unfair!

"Yes!" Yin Lisheng was overjoyed. He lifted his robes, knelt down, and kowtowed three times, his forehead turning slightly red. "Disciple Yin Lisheng greets Master."

Fu Yunshu stood up and walked down from the high platform. He raised his hand and summoned Hanqi. He then took out a blank disciple token and used spiritual energy as ink to solemnly engrave the three characters "Yin Lisheng" on it.

"From this day forward, you will be my first and only disciple, Fu Yunshu. I hope that from now on—" Fu Yunshu's voice was clear and cold, yet carried an undeniable authority.

He paused, his gaze falling on Yin Lisheng like a cold star. Though his tone was calm, every word was like a knife: "First, you must not slack off in your cultivation; second, you must not be arrogant; third, you must not follow evil paths. If you violate these rules, Hanqi's sword will show you no mercy."

As soon as he finished speaking, the Cold Cry Sword emitted a clear and melodious sword cry, as if responding to its master's words.

The sword gleamed coldly, making Fu Yunshu's face appear even more solemn.

Fu Yunshu raised his hand and handed the disciple token to Yin Lisheng: "This token is the token of a Tingxue Peak disciple. With this token, you can freely enter and exit all parts of Tingxue Peak. This is also your disciple certificate in Qingyuan Sect. I hope you will not disappoint your master's expectations."

Yin Lisheng accepted the token with both hands. The moment his fingertips touched the token, a cool spiritual energy flowed into his body through his fingertips, as if it were resonating with the spiritual energy within him.

He felt a chill run down his spine and solemnly replied, "Disciple will follow Master's teachings and will certainly live up to Master's expectations."

Fu Yunshu nodded slightly, a hint of gentleness flashing in his eyes, like a ray of warm sunshine in a cold night.

He turned to look at the crowd in the hall and said calmly, "The apprenticeship ceremony is now complete. If there is nothing else, I will take him away first."

"Yes," Song Wenzhuo and the others replied in unison and respect.

Fu Yunshu turned to look at Yin Lisheng, her tone still cold, but less distant: "Come with me."

Yin Lisheng quickly followed, and the two figures soon disappeared through the doorway. Sunlight shone on them, as if gilding them with a layer of gold.

Qiu Nan and Yan Shuangwan looked at each other in bewilderment.

"Immortal Venerable Huaiwei finally accepted Lisheng as his disciple," Qiu Nan sighed, his tone full of envy and relief.

Yan Shuangwan hesitated: "Then what about the two of us? Which peak should we go to? And if we run into Li Sheng later, how should we address him? Should we call him Grandmaster Uncle?"

Qiu Nan scratched his head: "According to seniority, that's how I should address you, but something just feels off to me."

"You two," Ye Xiuzhu said, placing his hands on their shoulders with a teasing smile, "how does it feel to suddenly be several generations removed from your status as best friends?"

The two were so nervous that they dared not move, as if they had been frozen in place.

"We're acquaintances, after all. How about we come to our Weapon Peak?"

Before Qiu Nan and Yan Shuangwan could answer, two voices suddenly rang out simultaneously:

"Would you like to become my disciple?"

Ye Xiuzhu turned around in shock, only to see Song Wenzhuo and Gu Zhinan standing behind them at some point, staring intently at each other, their eyes seemingly clashing with sparks.