Chapter 15 Yanghua Cloud Sea (Part Two)
Yanghua Sect is located in the mountains five thousand miles east of Jiaolong City. Unlike the strip-shaped spiritual veins of Linglong Sect, the spiritual veins of the mountains here are intertwined and coiled in a ring-like formation. The mountains to the north are higher and have more spiritual veins, which are occupied by Yanghua Sect, while the mountains to the south are occupied by Queyuan Sect.
"More than a decade ago, the Sparrow Kite Sect and the Yanghua Sect were originally one family, but they split into two after the fall of the former sect leader. The Sparrow Kite Sect has always been at odds with us. If any of you elders encounter people from the Sparrow Kite Sect, you don't need to be polite to them." The speaker was a plump female cultivator. She was wearing the crimson elder's robe of the Yanghua Sect, and her tone was gentle. She had a kind and benevolent smile.
This person is none other than Xie Fuxue, the vice sect leader of Yanghua Sect.
A snow-capped pine tree, as tall as the wall, was hanging on the wall of the main hall. Incense smoke floated in the incense burner. She looked at the people sitting there. Apart from the elders who were traveling or in seclusion, all 236 elders of Yanghua Sect were present, plus the 18 newly invited elders. Their cultivation level was at least at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul stage.
As Xie Fuxue spoke, she turned her gaze to the person in the seat of honor and said with a smile, "Young Master Jiang, it is a great honor for Yanghua Sect that you have accepted our invitation to come."
The young man in white nodded indifferently, without the slightest hint of politeness.
Jie Fuxue suddenly felt a bit overwhelmed.
Yanghua Sect did send invitations to several major families and sects when recruiting guest elders, but they all knew in their hearts that this was just a formality. The cultivators from the major families and sects were too proud to come to a small place like theirs. Even if they did condescend to come, they couldn't afford to support them. Sending an invitation was just a polite gesture.
To everyone's surprise, someone from the Jiang family actually came.
It was none other than the legendary Seventh Young Master Jiang Gu, who was said to possess four spiritual roots yet had cultivated to the Nascent Soul stage at a young age. It was said that he was cruel and bloodthirsty by nature. When Jiang Gu came up with the invitation, their sect leader was so out of breath that he almost suffered a qi deviation and was still coughing and adjusting his breathing in the back hall.
In fact, most of the people in the hall were sizing up Jiang Gu.
In terms of cultivation level, Jiang Gu is not the highest among these elders, but the Jiang family behind him is someone no one can afford to offend. It is said that the Jiang family has recently valued him highly, and no one is foolish enough to cause him trouble.
Jiang Gu let them look him over.
At that time in the Chaolong Secret Realm, most of the cultivators who knew that he had the Divine Kite Shark Scale were killed by him in the illusion. The rest were just nameless nobodys. Even if the news got out, it would only be a rumor. After all, the Heart-Protecting Scale had been completely refined by him, and there was no way to prove it.
Not long ago, he emerged from seclusion and successfully broke through to the late stage of the Nascent Soul realm, advancing to the next level. He also completely subdued and refined the Mermaid Bay secret realm. However, some mishaps occurred during his tribulation, resulting in the leveling of three mountain peaks of the Spirit Dragon Sect. He used some means to force the Jiang family to step in and resolve the issue. In return, the Jiang family "exiled" him to the Yanghua Sect, a second-rate sect, as punishment.
Little did he know that this was exactly what he wanted.
"Luckily, Wei Feng has never seen your face, otherwise he would never have become your disciple." Wu Tuo successfully cultivated his true form thanks to him, but his bloodline reverted to its ancestral form, and he has now turned into a kitten with fiery red fur.
"It doesn't matter if I see him," Jiang Gu said to it in his mind. "I'll beat him into submission."
"..." Wu Tuo recalled his own tragic experience, and scooped up a tear of sympathy with his little paw. "That's true."
However, it's always more convenient not to see it, since Jiang Gu is going to undergo a tribulation of love, which involves romance and forming a Daoist partnership. We can't afford to make the scene too ugly.
Therefore, it's best to keep the things that happened in the Chaolong Secret Realm to yourself.
Wu Tuo knew his plan and earnestly advised, "Master, you must restrain yourself. Disciples all like gentle masters who love them. That boy has no relatives or friends in Yanghua Sect, so you must be gentle."
Jiang Gu glanced coldly and arrogantly at the cultivators in the hall and scoffed, "Am I not gentle?"
Utuo bit his paw hard, thinking of all the saddest things in his life, before he could barely stop himself from arguing back.
The area outside the main hall of Touchun Peak was already crowded with people.
Wei Feng and Xuan Zhiyan jumped off the flying boat, causing a great sensation among the young disciples who had just entered the sect. They all looked at them with curiosity and envy.
"They wear crimson disciple robes; they are inner disciples."
"This flying boat is so magnificent. I've seen it at the auction house before; the starting bid is a million high-grade spirit stones..."
"That senior brother's jade pendant is a top-grade magic artifact. My father also has one, but he's reluctant to wear it!"
"Does this mean that all new disciples can receive a flying boat?"
"That can't be right."
The crowd began to discuss the matter, and a young man, also dressed in a crimson disciple's robe, laughed and said, "He bought that flying boat himself."
The young disciples looked disappointed, but then they realized that it was impossible for someone who entered the inner sect to have a flying boat.
“However, I advise you to stay away from him.” The inner disciple’s face showed a contemptuous expression. “Your senior brother Wei is ignorant and incompetent. He has been cultivating for sixteen years and is still stuck at the first level of Qi Refining. He has a penchant for pretty young men and women and is indiscriminate in his tastes. If you are deceived by his sweet words, your cultivation path in this life will basically come to an end.”
The newly initiated disciples immediately showed expressions of fear and disgust.
"The path of cultivation emphasizes character and aptitude; don't let these external things blind you." The inner disciple, seeing Wei Feng and Xuan Zhiyan walking towards him, crossed his arms and teased, "Otherwise, what's the difference between you and those mortals who only know how to enjoy fleeting pleasures?"
Wei Feng grabbed Xuan Zhiyan, who was indignant and about to retort, and walked past him without changing his expression. After a few steps, he suddenly turned around and said with a smile, "Senior Brother Xin Wen, I vaguely remember that your master seems to owe me ten million mid-grade spirit stones. I need the money urgently recently, so could you please help me urge him to pay it back?"
The junior disciples around gasped in shock upon hearing the enormous amount of spirit stones, their gazes towards Xin Wen becoming complicated. Xin Wen's face turned pale and then red, and he sternly said, "Don't move around! Go back and stand still! The elders from each peak will be out soon!"
The crowd then quieted down.
Wei Feng and Xuan Zhiyan walked down the steps in front of the main hall. Xuan Zhiyan was still angry and said while holding his sword, "Look at his smug face. Ruan Keji has been borrowing ten million mid-grade spirit stones from you for years and has not shown any intention of paying them back."
"Is that what he calls a loan?" Wei Feng sneered. "Have you ever seen a robber return money he stole?"
Xuan Zhiyan looked at him, seemingly wanting to say something but holding back.
"Alright, alright, let's not talk about such unpleasant things on such a joyous day." Wei Feng patted his shoulder. "Just focus on choosing a good master—"
"Quiet." A deep and powerful voice rang out from the main hall, and the noisy temple outside instantly fell silent.
Soon, Jie Fuxue led the elders out of the main hall to begin the initiation ceremony for the new disciples of Yanghua Sect.
The training ground in front of the main hall was vast, with three thousand new disciples lined up neatly in the center. Further ahead were twenty thousand outer disciples, and at the very front were more than five thousand inner disciples. The three groups of people wore red robes from light to dark. Wei Feng and Xuan Zhiyan stood at the front because of their seniority, but they had never gotten along with the group of arrogant elites, so their positions were somewhat remote and not very noticeable.
Xie Fuxue, standing before the main hall, spoke earnestly, "You have all gone through layers of selection to finally stand here. The path of cultivation..."
Wei Feng squinted but still couldn't make out the appearances of the elders behind Xie Fuxue. He yawned sleepily and quietly nudged Xuan Zhiyan next to him with his elbow.
Xuan Zhiyan, who had been sitting upright and looking straight ahead, glanced at him sideways after being nudged.
Wei Feng raised an eyebrow at a figure diagonally in front of him, gesturing for him to look.
Xuan Zhiyan followed his gaze and saw that it was a very strict and self-disciplined senior brother from the inner sect. This person was a cultivation fanatic who did nothing but cultivate all day long and did not make friends with fellow disciples. He was a complete freak. And now, his hands behind his back were still practicing hand seals.
Xuan Zhiyan was fortunate enough to be guided by this senior brother. Those two days were like living hell. In order to heal himself, he went to Wei Feng and indulged himself for a while before he recovered.
Xuan Zhiyan pursed his lips and shook his head, revealing an expression of having swallowed a fly. Wei Feng was suppressing laughter so hard that his shoulders were shaking. His fingers flew as he folded a small kite made of talisman paper. Xuan Zhiyan shook his head at him, indicating that he should not do that.
Wei Feng winked at him, and the kite in his hand trembled as it landed on the shoulder of that eccentric senior brother. The other man probably thought he had been attacked and slapped it down.
Crack!
A small firework exploded among them, instantly causing a commotion.
Xie Fuxue paused slightly, glanced at them unhappily, and then continued speaking.
Jiang Gu, who was standing behind her, lowered his eyes and looked over, and sure enough, he saw Wei Feng.
The handsome and bright young man stood out even in the uniform of disciples. He arrogantly crossed his arms and grinned mischievously, as if afraid that others would not know that he was the culprit. He even stuck his tongue out at the person in front of him in a very irritating way.
A red rope, formed from Jiang Gu's heart's blood, was tied around his fair neck. Jiang Gu had tied it in a hurry, and a long section of the rope was left hanging outside the knot, as if waiting for someone to come and take him away and teach him a lesson.
Unfortunately, no one but the owner of the red string could see it.
Jiang Gu glanced at him indifferently and then looked away.
"What's wrong?" Xuan Zhiyan asked, a little worried when he saw him frowning and scratching his neck. "Are you feeling unwell?"
"Hiss, it's a bit hot." Wei Feng tilted his head and whispered, "The material of the clothes the sect issued is too rough."
“…” Xuan Zhiyan’s lips twitched. “It must be because you haven’t been in the sun for too long.”
Wei Feng then made a small kite and placed it on his fingertip, grinning as he said, "Why don't we all bask in the sun together?"
"Ancestor, please calm down!" Xuan Zhiyan sensed something was wrong and was about to stop him when he heard a cold and murderous voice coming from the high platform.
"Wei Feng".
Wei Feng, who was about to pull a prank, was startled, thinking that his trick had been discovered by an elder. He hurriedly looked up, but forgot that this little spell was based on visual positioning.
The exquisitely folded golden kite fluttered its wings and wobbled as it flew toward the monks speaking on the steps.
The other person was tall and slender, with white robes adorned with cloud patterns, flowing sleeves, and long, waterfall-like hair tied up with a jade hairpin. His face was exquisitely handsome, with clear features and dignified eyes, as if a celestial being had descended to earth.
With one hand behind his back and the other holding the golden paper kite, he glanced down at Wei Feng through the glow of the sunset and the high platform.
Wei Feng stared at him blankly, his mind going blank for a moment.
The surroundings were so quiet you could hear a pin drop, and he could almost smell the rich fragrance of the rhododendrons blooming on Touchun Peak.
It's not just a thought.
The golden kite exploded into countless burning crimson petals the moment Jiang Gu caught it, scattering across the ground.
"Wei Feng!" After an awkward silence, Xie Fuxue reacted instantly and angrily shouted, "What nonsense are you spouting now!?"
Wei Feng was startled by the reprimand, but then he nonchalantly curled his lip, acting as if he were a dead pig unafraid of boiling water, and said with a grin, "I just wanted to welcome the new elder."
Jie Fuxue was so angry that her blood boiled, but because the new elder was there, she could only glare at Wei Feng fiercely, and then look at Jiang Gu apologetically and nervously, "Young Master Jiang, you have seen it yourself. This boy is dissolute and ignorant. He has been cultivating since he was a child, but he is only at the first level of Qi Refining. Taking him as a disciple would be an insult to your reputation. There are still many excellent disciples in the sect who have not yet become disciples. Why don't you take a look at more disciples?"
In the training ground, whether they were inner or outer disciples or newly arrived disciples, everyone looked at Jiang Gu with great interest. After all, as Jie Fuxue had just introduced him, he was a member of the Jiang family. If they became Jiang Gu's disciples, they would only receive countless benefits and have a bright future.
"Taking on disciples? What do you mean by taking on disciples?" Wei Feng had been playing around the whole time and hadn't listened to the old woman's rambling at all. Now, he hung his head and pretended to be dead, asking Xuan Zhiyan in a low voice.
Xuan Zhiyan lowered his voice, "It seems that the new elder wants to take you in."
"!?!" Wei Feng looked up in shock, then unexpectedly met Jiang Gu's gaze.
The elders on the stage and the disciples below all looked as if Jiang Gu had gone mad.
Why would anyone be so foolish as to take on a good-for-nothing playboy like Wei Feng as their apprentice?!
He's gone mad from practicing qi cultivation! He's definitely gone mad from practicing qi cultivation!?
Wei Feng, sitting in the audience, froze in place.
Xuan Zhiyan, who was standing nearby, was extremely anxious. Seeing this, he subtly moved his fingertips inside his sleeve, and two streams of spiritual energy struck Wei Feng directly in the back of his knees.
Under the watchful eyes of everyone, with a "thump," Wei Feng knelt straight down on the ground.
"Ouch—" Wei Feng's knee slammed heavily against the stone slab, causing him to grimace in pain. He turned to glare fiercely at Xuan Zhiyan, mouthing, "What the hell are you doing?!"
He must be crazy to want to become an apprentice! No matter how good-looking the other person is, it's not okay!!
Jiang Gu suppressed the urge to grab the man and beat him up. Amid Wu Tuo's incessant persuasion, he forced out a faint smile and asked, "Wei Feng, would you be willing to become my disciple?"
Wei Feng, who had originally wanted to back out, looked at Jiang Gu's gentle smile and, despite his already dizzy and aching mind, suddenly nodded.
"willing."
Bar?
Wei Feng curiously and cautiously glanced at Jiang Gu, only to be dazzled once again by the other's gentle and otherworldly smile. Ignoring the reactions of those around him, he said in a strong voice, "Master, your disciple is willing!"
His master looked like a gentle, considerate, and caring beauty.
Jiang Gu suppressed his smile and expressionlessly crushed the wings of the little kite between his fingertips.
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