Cultivation begins with earning spirit stones

Chapter 100 Formal Apprenticeship

Outside courtyard number 72, Yu Youwei was already waiting.

Seeing him return, he looked him up and down and asked, "What did the Peak Master want to say to you?"

"I've accepted your personal disciple." Zhang Lin handed her the token.

Yu Youwei took the token, her fingertips tracing the character "Lu" on it. After a moment of silence, she whispered, "Congratulations."

Her voice was soft and her tone was flat, but Zhang Lin could hear the complexity in it.

He took back the token and said, "Come with me."

The two did not enter the courtyard, but instead walked up the bluestone path, passing through several courtyards and woods, until they arrived at a secluded cliff.

Below the cliff, the sea of ​​clouds surged, and in the distance, the main peak of Danxia landform was shrouded in a layer of dark gold in the twilight.

Zhang Lin stood with his hands behind his back, gazing at the sea of ​​clouds, and said, "Peak Master Lu is a member of the master-disciple lineage. I have become his disciple, and from now on, I will be a disciple of the master-disciple lineage in the sect."

"The master-disciple lineage and the aristocratic family lineage have always been openly and secretly fighting each other. You are the one I brought to Danxia Sect. We are both just rogue cultivators with humble origins and no foundation. We don't even have the right to speak in front of the aristocratic families."

He turned to look at Yu Youwei: "If you want to establish yourself in this sect, you can only follow the path of master and disciple, just like me."

Yu Youwei listened quietly without saying a word.

Zhang Lin added, "Your Xuan Yin Meridian is indeed at a disadvantage in the Danxia Sect, as there are very few Yin-attribute cultivation techniques to inherit, but this is not a dead end."

"Now that Peak Master Lu has accepted me as his disciple, you are no longer without support. I have informed my master of your situation, and he has agreed to see you tomorrow."

He paused for a moment, then said, "When the time comes, you'd better seize the opportunity."

A glint flashed in Yu Youwei's eyes, then disappeared. After a moment of silence, she asked, "Zhang Lin, why did you help me? Do you like me?"

Zhang Lin glanced at her and said calmly, "I brought you to Danxia Sect. I can't ignore your future. Besides, if your Xuan Yin Meridian can be supplemented with superior cultivation techniques, you won't need Foundation Establishment Pills to reach the Foundation Establishment stage. Your cultivation progress will definitely not be slow, and you might even surpass me."

"At that time, you will be the most trusted assistant in my lineage."

He spoke frankly and without any concealment.

The two are a community of shared interests.

They both came from Chuzhou, both had no powerful connections, and both struggled to survive under the hostility of powerful families.

Only by sticking together can we go further.

After a long silence, Yu Youwei finally nodded: "I understand."

Zhang Lin said no more and turned to walk towards courtyard number seventy-two.

After walking several dozen steps, he stopped again, and without turning his head, said, "Wait for me outside the courtyard at dawn tomorrow."

Yu Youwei watched him walk away until his figure disappeared into the twilight before turning her gaze away and heading towards courtyard number eighty-three along the bluestone path.

Her steps were neither hurried nor slow, and her back was ramrod straight.

The next day at dawn, around 5 a.m.

Zhang Lin, dressed in a Tianlan Daoist robe with faint water ripples visible on it and a token of a direct disciple of Cuiping Peak hanging at his waist, pushed open the door and stepped out.

Yu Youwei was already waiting outside the hospital.

She had also changed into a new sect uniform today, a long, emerald-green dress, and a mid-grade magic weapon she had acquired at the Treasure Pavilion. It was elegant and refined, bright yet understated.

Her long hair was tied up with a green rope, her face was aloof, and she stood there like a tall bamboo.

The two climbed the mountain path, passing through layers of blue stone steps, and arrived at the main hall on the mountainside of Cuiping Peak.

The main hall of Cuiping Peak is built against the mountain, with green bricks and gray tiles, and upturned eaves.

In front of the hall is a bluestone square, in which several ancient pine trees are planted, their branches gnarled and their needles dark green.

A morning breeze blows, and the pines rustle in the wind.

The interior of the hall is furnished in a simple and ancient style. In the center is a three-legged bronze cauldron from which wisps of smoke rise.

Several rosewood chairs are arranged on both sides, and a painting titled "Danxia Clouds and Mist" hangs on the wall. The painting is exquisite and conveys the artistic conception of Taoism.

Lu Yuanshan was already seated in the main seat.

The three deacons and elders stood on the left and right, respectively, along with four disciples. These people were the core figures of the Cuiping Peak master-disciple lineage.

Zhang Lin straightened his clothes and entered the hall, clasped his hands in a salute, and said, "Disciple Zhang Lin greets Master."

Yu Youwei followed behind and also bowed to everyone in the hall.

Lu Yuanshan nodded slightly and pointed to a thin-faced old man beside him: "This is Elder He Chuan of the Dharma Platform. You have attended his lectures."

Zhang Lin looked at He Chuan and bowed respectfully, saying, "Elder He."

He Chuan stroked his beard and nodded, then smiled and said, "When I was lecturing at the Dharma Platform, I noticed that this boy had exceptional comprehension and a particularly good talent for controlling fire. Now that he has become a disciple of the Peak Master, I can say that I was half a talent scout."

There was a hint of pride in his words.

Lu Yuanshan then pointed to the three deacons: "Deacon Du is in charge of the administrative hall, Deacon Sun is in charge of the spirit material room, and Deacon Qian is in charge of criminal law. If you need anything in the future, you can seek them out."

Zhang Lin met them all.

Then, Lu Yuanshan pointed to the disciples standing below him.

"Your senior brother Meng He, who hails from Tianzhu Peak, became my disciple two years ago. He has now reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining and is preparing for the Foundation Establishment in the Underground Passage."

A young man with a square face and a burly build smiled and clasped his hands in greeting. He was none other than Meng He, the one who had asked Zhang Lin to refine pills at Thousand-Foot Cliff.

"Second Senior Brother Han Mo, hailing from Zizhi Peak, has perfected his Qi cultivation and specializes in alchemy research."

A refined-looking young man in a blue robe cupped his hands in greeting and smiled gently.

"Third Senior Sister Su Qing, from Furong Peak, has reached the peak of Qi Refining and is in charge of the Outer Sect's Herb Garden."

Su Qing was a petite woman with almond-shaped eyes and peach-blossom cheeks. Her eyes revealed shrewdness, and her gaze toward Zhang Lin carried a hint of scrutiny.

"Fourth Senior Brother Gu Beichen, born from Tianzhu Peak, just broke through to the Great Perfection of Qi Refining last month and has opened his spiritual sea."

The handsome young man in white clasped his hands in a salute, his smile hearty. He was none other than Gu Beichen, who had asked Zhang Lin to refine the Breakthrough Pill at Thousand-Foot Cliff that day.

"You are ranked fifth," Lu Yuanshan said. "These are your senior brothers and sisters. You can consult them for guidance in cultivation, alchemy, and missions in the future."

The moment Zhang Lin saw Meng He and Gu Beichen, he understood that the test had already begun.

He calmly cupped his hands to the four people and said, "Junior brother Zhang Lin greets all senior brothers and sisters."

Meng He nudged him with his elbow and said in a low voice, "When I bought the Mind-Concentrating Pill from you last time, I was just a junior disciple of the outer sect. Now I'm like this. Our fate was set long ago. That pill is really useful. I relied on it to stabilize my mind when I broke through the four acupoints and three gates."

Gu Beichen also came over and gently punched him on the shoulder: "That top-grade breakthrough pill saved me several years of hard work. Senior brother owes you a favor. If you ever need anything in the future, just ask."

Although Han Mo and Su Qing didn't say much, they nodded in greeting.

The atmosphere among Lu Yuanshan's disciples was harmonious, unlike the infighting and backstabbing among the aristocratic families.

After they finished exchanging greetings, Lu Yuanshan slowly said, "Please sit down."

After everyone took their seats, Zhang Lin sat down in the first seat at the bottom, while Yu Youwei stood quietly under the eaves outside the hall, unable to enter without being summoned.

Lu Yuanshan looked around at everyone and said, "I called you all here today for two reasons. First, for my newly accepted disciple Zhang Lin, I hope you senior brothers and sisters will take good care of him in the future. Second, for another matter."

He paused, picked up his teacup and took a sip, his voice slightly deep: "During the minor alchemy assessment, Zhang Lin's medicinal herbs were mixed with Bloodline Grass. Steward Sun has already found out that Manager Wang of the Spiritual Materials Room was recommended by the Zhou family."

Upon hearing this, the senior brothers and sisters reacted with varying expressions.