Volume One, Chapter 26: Becoming an Apprentice (Part Two)
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Before Gu Mingxi could answer, Yue Qi spoke first. “I have heard that you possess remarkable talent in the Dao of Talismans. I am the only ninth-grade talisman master on this continent. Would you like to become my disciple?”
Hearing Yue Qi try to steal her disciple, Qiong Yu was unwilling to be outdone. “My Array Peak is still lacking an heir. You may choose to become my disciple as well!”
Seeing Yue Qi and Qiong Yu competing for a disciple, Yu Chen could no longer sit calmly as he had at the beginning. He also spoke up. “Gu Mingxi, you possess both a Thunder Spirit Root and a Thunder Spirit Body. Becoming my disciple would be the best choice for you. And if you wish to learn arrays and talismans, I can teach you those as well. Will you choose to become my disciple?”
When Qing Mu saw that He Ming was about to join in, he immediately glared at him. Then he smiled gently at Gu Mingxi and said, “Gu Mingxi, you may choose whichever master you wish.”
Hearing the Sect Master’s words, Gu Mingxi no longer hesitated. She knelt directly before Yu Chen. “This disciple, Gu Mingxi, wishes to take Venerable Yu Chen as her master!”
Although they had been rejected, Yue Qi and Qiong Yu were not disappointed. After all, they both knew that Gu Mingxi was destined to become Yu Chen’s disciple. As for why they had tried to claim her, it was purely because Yu Chen had provoked too much resentment earlier, and they merely wanted to get back at him.
They had only spoken up. If they actually managed to gain a disciple, would that not be an enormous profit?
Seeing that his little disciple had chosen him, Yu Chen also breathed a sigh of relief. “Come and stand beside your master!”
The second person whose name was called was Gu Mingyue.
Yue Heng and Su Yu both spoke up, hoping that Gu Mingyue would become their disciple.
Since Gu Mingyue was fond of alchemy, she chose Yue Heng, the Master of Pill Peak.
The third person called was Lan Ci, who chose to become the disciple of Yue Qi, the Master of Talisman Peak.
The fourth was Xu Chen, who chose He Ming, the Master of Sword Peak, as his master.
The fifth was Yu Wei, who chose Qiong Yu, the Master of Array Peak, as her master.
After Sect Master Qing Mu saw that all the promising candidates had chosen their masters, he turned to comfort the elders who had not taken any disciples. “When the sect competition begins, observe carefully to see whether there are any promising candidates, and then choose your disciples!”
“Yes!”
The apprenticeship ceremony was complete. The next stage was the presentation of gifts.
Following her master, Yu Chen, Gu Mingxi accepted gifts one after another until her hands nearly went numb from receiving them.
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Gu Mingyue and the other three were in the same situation, their hands nearly numb from accepting gifts.
After bidding farewell to Gu Mingyue, Gu Mingxi followed Yu Chen to Carefree Peak.
Gu Mingxi had already learned something about Yu Chen’s temperament. She had heard that he was naturally lazy and humorous, carefree and unrestrained, gentle and approachable, with an easygoing personality.
Although Gu Mingxi and Yu Chen had spent only a short while together, she had already sensed that the rumors were true. Yu Chen was indeed a gentle man, but he was also highly individualistic and remarkably free-spirited.
Upon arriving at Carefree Peak, the sight that left the deepest impression on Gu Mingxi was the vast stretch of purple bamboo forest, which extended continuously from the foot of the mountain all the way to its summit.
Seeing that Gu Mingxi’s gaze lingered on the purple bamboo forest, Yu Chen smiled knowingly and explained, “Those of us with Thunder Spirit Roots are especially likely to be struck by lightning during cultivation. Letting all that lightning go to waste would be foolish, so why not put it to good use? We planted a grove of bamboo, and it gradually became Purple Jade Bamboo. Isn’t that wonderful?”
Listening to Yu Chen and looking at the immense forest of Purple Jade Bamboo, Gu Mingxi felt that something was slightly off. Yet she could not say exactly what it was, so she merely nodded blankly.
Seeing his little disciple nod so obediently, Yu Chen turned away and chuckled. Then he turned back and said solemnly, “From now on, cultivate directly in the purple bamboo forest.”
Gu Mingxi nodded. “All right, Master. I understand!”
At that moment, Gu Mingxi did not understand why Yu Chen wanted her to cultivate in the purple bamboo forest. When she eventually went there to practice, however, she was struck by lightning until her entire body went numb. At that instant, she understood what Yu Chen had meant and cursed him furiously in her heart.
Her master had already been drenched by the rain himself, yet he still had to tear apart everyone else’s umbrellas!
Of course, that was a story for later.
At that moment, seeing how obedient and well-behaved his little disciple was, Yu Chen could not help wanting to pat her on the head. No wonder everyone was so eager to take disciples. Having an obedient disciple by one’s side truly felt wonderful.
Yu Chen held himself back for a moment, but in the end he could not resist. He stepped forward and rubbed Gu Mingxi’s head. When he saw the puzzled look in his little disciple’s eyes, Yu Chen calmly lowered his hand, pretending nothing had happened.
Yu Chen handed her a storage ring and instructed her, “Mingxi, I have already prepared a room for you near the purple bamboo forest. This storage ring contains your apprenticeship gift. Go back and see whether anything is missing from your room. If there is, come to me at any time.”
Gu Mingxi bowed to Yu Chen. “Then, Master, I will return to my room first.”
Yu Chen nodded. “Your disciple talisman and disciple token will be delivered to you later.”
“All right, Master!”
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Gu Mingxi arrived at her room and discovered that it was indeed quite close to the purple bamboo forest.
When she opened the door, she found that the room had been furnished in a simple style. Many of its objects had been made from materials gathered locally, particularly purple bamboo.
After looking around, Gu Mingxi decided that the room was arranged quite nicely. She added a few of her own belongings, then took out the many gifts she had just received and began examining them one by one.
The first gift came from Sect Master Qing Mu. When she opened the storage pouch, she found a bell inside, along with an explanation of the artifact.
The bell was called the Illusory Sound Bell. As its name suggested, it could be shaken during battle to attack an enemy’s consciousness and create an illusionary realm.
It was a very fine offensive artifact.
The second storage pouch contained the pills given by Yue Heng, the Master of Pill Peak: one bottle of eighth-grade Minor Restoration Pills and one bottle of eighth-grade Major Restoration Pills.
Minor Restoration Pills could heal most injuries. Their effects were better and faster than those of Springreturn Pills, though they were also more costly to produce.
Major Restoration Pills, on the other hand, could save someone as long as they still had a breath left in them. Their effects were almost miraculous, and they were exceedingly rare.
The main reason was that the principal ingredient required to refine Major Restoration Pills was extremely difficult to obtain: a ten-thousand-year snow lotus.
Even thousand-year snow lotuses were hard to find, while ten-thousand-year snow lotuses were practically impossible to encounter.
This was enough to demonstrate the rarity of Major Restoration Pills. Gu Mingxi had never expected to receive an entire bottle. When she opened it and found only one pill inside, she was not disappointed. After all, a single Major Restoration Pill could save a life at a critical moment.
The bottle of Minor Restoration Pills, by contrast, contained three pills.
The third storage pouch Gu Mingxi opened held the gift from Yue Qi, the Master of Talisman Peak.
Inside was a ninth-grade Talisman Treasure. Refining a Talisman Treasure was different from drawing an ordinary talisman. Talisman Treasures possessed far greater offensive power than talismans, yet they were also much rarer.
The reason was that only talisman masters of sixth grade or above could refine them, and the requirements placed on a talisman master were extremely demanding.
Many talisman masters, even after reaching the sixth grade, were still unable to refine a Talisman Treasure.
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