The grand disciple-seeking event which had started with exhilarating fanfare drew to a close with barely a whimper. Thousands of candidates had been examined but there was not a single one suitable. Wanting to become an immortal's disciple? It wasn't easy.
Chen Wentian sat stoically in his seat. He had long since given up and was only continuing with the situation as a formality. As the new lord of this land, it was important to build a reputation. He had to maintain a certain level of dignity and respect. He also was not an impolite or irrational person so he didn't mind waiting until the end.
The last candidate came up. She wore a conservative dress of a light-yellow color. It wasn't too flashy and suited her demeanor. Her slender fingers twiddled nervously in his presence.
"Age eighteen, 3rd level of the Body Refinement Realm..."
Chen Wentian looked up and was momentarily stunned. The girl standing before him had a pair of almond-shaped eyes, small red lips, a face smooth as polished jade, and glossy black hair held up in a couple of elegant but simple knots. Two adorable bangs framed her face which was also accentuated by a charming dimple on her right cheek.
Pretty, really pretty! He stared dumbly as his thoughts flew in all directions. He was an immortal for crying out loud but he couldn't stop his stomach from fluttering.
"Immortal Chen, this is my daughter, Lin Qingcheng." Mayor Lin Qinghong spoke eagerly and gestured to her, "Quickly, pay respects to this immortal!"
Lin Qingcheng blushed under Chen Wentian's heated gaze. She lowered her eyes and bowed deeply, "Immortal Chen!"
Chen Wentian's lips twitched. Even her voice was so attractive.
He really did not know why he was reacting this way. In truth, this Lin Qingcheng was far from the most beautiful woman he had ever laid eyes on. She was merely cute and pretty in a young and innocent kind of way. Perhaps it was due to all of his struggles in the past, all the losses he had suffered. Or maybe meeting those fearsome grannies had affected his mentality more severely than he expected.
His reaction was odd but he could be considered an oddity in this world. He had managed to break through at the tender age of twenty-five which was freakish and unheard of. The number of times sheer luck led him to some secret manual or rare treasure would make people scream in jealousy. It was as if a luck god was watching over him.
He was incredibly lucky but he also cultivated desperately. He had been wholly consumed by it for over ten years, constantly fighting for his life and for his cultivation. The result was that he never had the chance to develop romantic relationships. He had never experienced a maiden's affection. He had never kissed anyone. He had never…
Chen Wentian coughed, suppressing the sudden surge of fantastical thoughts. He turned to Lin Qingcheng with a gentle smile. Her talent was good enough. Her temperament was fine. He was more than satisfied.
"Maiden Lin Qingcheng. It seems we were fated to meet today. I, Immortal Blue Dragon Chen Wentian, wish to take you as my disciple. Do you accept?"
Lin Qingcheng's small mouth popped open in surprise, "Me?"
"Yes, do you want to be this immortal's disciple?" He asked patiently.
"Immortal. disciple." She repeated in a daze.
She had never imagined something like this would happen. She was a simple girl who lived a simple, carefree life. She had grown up listening to stories about heroes and villains, gods and devils. She had only heard of immortals and never thought she would meet one, let alone be a disciple.
The young immortal before her exuded power and confidence. His aura was magnificent and cast a cocoon of warmth around her. She felt he was the most dashing man she had ever met.
"I... I..." She stuttered, helplessly starstruck.
Lin Qinghong gave her a swift kick to bring her back to her senses.
"Ow," Lin Qingcheng yelped but quickly knelt on the floor. "This... This disciple accepts master's grace!"
She then bowed down and remained like that as a show of gratitude. At the same time, an older woman rushed out from behind a nearby doorway. Together with the mayor, they also fell down and prostrated themselves before him while crying with joy.
"Thank you! Thank you!"
"Immortal Chen, thank you!"
"Mmm, you may rise."
The three of them stood back up only to shed another round of tears. They were simply too happy. Even Chen Wentian felt touched.
"You are her mother?" He asked.
The older woman bowed quickly, "This one is named Mu Yurou. Lin Qingcheng is our only child. She may be a little naughty and immature but I promise, Immortal Chen, she is a good girl."
Lin Qingcheng looked away in embarrassment.
Chen Wentian chuckled, "Good. You two have raised a good daughter. Here, a token of my appreciation."
He swept his hand in front of him, drawing forth the void powers of his spatial storage bag. A small mountain of gold appeared out of thin air and landed on the ground between them. Additionally, there was a small stack of clear crystals on top that glittered and sparkled.
The family of three all gasped.
"This is?" Lin Qinghong asked, not daring to believe her eyes.
"A gift. You must accept it. Ten thousand taels of gold and ten kilograms of spiritual crystals." Chen Wentian replied.
"Spiritual... crystal?"
Chen Wentian nodded, "Yes, the most basic spiritual crystal which contains spiritual energy. It's not worth much. You can place a few beside your bed and absorb the benefits as you sleep. It will help your body recover faster, ward off illness, and provide you greater energy during the day."
He didn't mention that each kilogram was worth around one thousand taels of gold, fearing that they wouldn't dare to use them. This gift was only a minuscule portion of his fortune and he wanted the parents of his first disciple to live comfortably.
The Lin family could only nod dumbly as they were showered with more wealth than they could have ever imagined. It was an amount greater than even city lords. It was a hundred times more than Lin Qingcheng's bride price even if she had married a noble.
"Alright, Qingcheng, come here." He called.
Lin Qingcheng jumped but quickly went to his side.
He continued, "I will take her with me. We won't stay too long in Lin Town. This province is now my domain by decree of the Immortal Association but I have yet to formally establish my immortal sect. We will be moving around for a while to find a suitable location. But don't fret, you will have many opportunities to visit each other in the future."
"Of course, of course. But if I may, could we hold a banquet tonight to celebrate this joyous occasion and also send off our daughter?" Her father asked.
"Yes, let's do that. I'll let you handle it." Chen Wentian said.
"Hahaha! Thank you, Immortal Chen. I will get started right away!" Lin Qinghong said.
With that, the parents retreated from the hall, leaving Lin Qingcheng alone with Chen Wentian. There was a moment of awkward silence before Lin Qingcheng tugged on his shirt.
"Immortal Chen, Immortal Chen, does being an immortal disciple mean that I will become an immortal someday?" She asked.
Her expression was too cute. He wanted to pinch her cheeks but felt it was a little improper. They had just met so they needed time to get to know each other.
"Qingcheng, did you forget already? You should call me master." He said.
"Oh, hehe." She blushed and nodded, "Master!"
The way she said it was so lovable. Nobody had ever called him master before, let alone in such a tone.
"Say it again."
"Master!" She said with more conviction.
"Again!"
"Master!" She cried out loudly.
Chen Wentian burst into laughter. "Good, good. You are my disciple now so I will slowly teach you many things about the world. As for immortal disciples, they come in many varieties. An immortal may accept only a few disciples or many hundreds. One person cannot teach so many so only the disciples closest to their master will receive the most attention and the best guidance. Understand?"
"Mm!"
"I am a picky person and I have high standards. So naturally, I will not accept many disciples. I will personally teach you, guide you along a suitable Dao to break through to the immortal realms." He paused and looked at her intently, "Qingcheng, you are my first disciple. Do you know what that means?"
She stared at him blankly.
"You are my first disciple. I may have more disciples in the future but you will always be my first. You will always hold this important position in my heart."
Her face brightened, "Master, I won't let you down!"
"Haha, that's what I wanted to hear!" He said and beckoned her to follow.
They strolled through the hallways of Lin Manor and arrived at the back courtyard. For an immortal, it was trivial to sense his surroundings with spiritual force and find the way. By now, the sky glowed orange as the setting sun illuminated the squiggly clouds above.
He looked up and said, "The weather is nice, perfect for our first lesson. Tell me, what do you understand about the differences between a mortal and an immortal?"
Lin Qingcheng thought about it and said, "An immortal can fly. They can live for thousands of years. And they can defeat great demons that have the power to destroy the land!"
Chen Wentian smiled, "Only one out of three. But I suppose I can still reward you for that. Qingcheng, let's fly!"
"Really?"
He replied by summoning his power. In a blink, a surge of flames surrounded them both, coloring the world with a light-blue hue.
"Ahh!" She yelped in panic but then realized that she was not on fire.
"This is my blue dragon flames, my immortal power. I have complete control over it. If I don't want it to burn, then it won't burn."
Lin Qingcheng's mouth once again opened wide in shock but no sound came out.
"Here we go, are you ready?" He asked.
She didn't look like she was ready but he went for it anyway.
Woosh!
With a great puff of flame, the pair shot into the sky like a flaming arrow from a great bow, leaving a thin trail of blue flames in their wake.
"Ahhhhhhh!" Lin Qingcheng shrieked as if her life depended on it.
The whole world became a blur as her home and Lin Town rapidly diminished. She felt faint. Her stomach was tumbling in all directions. She was afraid she would plunge back down at any moment. Unconsciously, she had flung her arms around him and hung onto him in desperation, burying her head in his chest.
They hovered in midair, high above the land. Chen Wentian laughed non-stop, having the time of his life. This was the first time such a pretty girl had hugged him of her own accord. Their bodies were plastered together with not a sliver of separation.
Her body was so soft. She smelled like flowers. He was truly living life for the first time. The past twenty-five years of struggle were finally paying off. In a moment of inspiration, he bravely slid a hand around her waist.
"How do you feel?" He asked, "There's no chance I will let you fall. Don't you feel like you are standing on solid ground? This is the power of an immortal."
"Oh." she could only muster that one word.
"It's understandable that you are nervous so you can continue holding onto me, I won't mind."
Only then did she realize that she still had him in a bear hug. She sprang back in shock but because of his sneaky hand, she remained in his clutches.
"Now, let's really fly!" He shouted over her protests.
His spiritual energy responded to his will, accelerating them forward rapidly. They shot off towards the setting sun, towards the mountains in the distance.
"Ahhh! Ahahaha!" Lin Qingcheng screamed and laughed.
She eventually dared to peek her head out and she was astonished by the amazing sights.
"Wow! Ahhh! Oh, wow!"
The peaks of the White Mountains sprouted before her eyes as they approached rapidly. She could see her Lin Town as a spec at the bottom of the hills below the mountains. The Li River she played in as a child looked like a small garden snake slithering towards the far-off distance.
She shouted her joy for the world to hear. She was overwhelmed with hope and wonder. She would never forget this moment for the rest of her life.
"Haha, wonderful." Chen Wentian said as they landed on the highest peak.
In only a few moments, the deep snow drifts melted away due to his flames, leaving dry rock beneath their feet. Lin Qingcheng finally detached herself from him, blushing madly, not daring to look up at him.
"Qingcheng, let's continue with our lesson. What can you tell me about the three great mortal realms." He asked.
She regained her composure and did her best to explain everything that she knew. Her knowledge was limited as she didn't have any formal training but it was roughly correct. All mortals knew about the Body Refinement Realm, the Mind Focusing Realm, and the Spirit Initiate Realm. They knew about them but most didn't know how to properly cultivate within these realms or reach the next one.
"Good, now about immortals, you believed that we can live for thousands of years. This is not wrong but not exactly correct. Like the three great mortal realms, the immortal domain has different realms, seven to be exact. Once someone breaks the shackles of mortality and becomes an immortal, they will be at the Spirit Lord Realm. This is my realm."
He paused and raised his palm. He formed a light-blue fireball with it and shot it toward a nearby cliff.
Boom!
Flame, ice, and rock flew out in a huge explosion. Once the dust settled, a crater fifty meters across was left behind. If the target had been Lin Manor, it would have been completely destroyed.
Lin Qingcheng once again became a goldfish as she swiveled her head between her master and what he had just done in pure wonder.
Chen Wentian smiled, "Although this seems very powerful, it is only the weakest immortal realm. For humans at the Spirit Lord Realm, our lifespan is indeed increased but only by around a hundred years or roughly double. The next realm is the Spirit King Realm and we can gain an additional five hundred years. Along with it comes a proportional increase in power and the same goes for the other realms. What follows is the Spirit Emperor Realm with a thousand years of additional life, the Spirit Overlord Realm with three thousand years, the Spirit Master Realm with ten thousand years, the Spirit Saint Realm with thirty thousand years, and finally, the Spirit Demigod Realm with additional lifespan of over a hundred thousand years."
"And then?" She asked, "What comes after that?"
"Nobody knows. The Spirit Demigod Realm is the highest recorded cultivation ever achieved by any being. Some say there are higher realms but they are nothing but myths, children's tales of true gods and true demons."
She slowly counted the seven immortal realms again with her fingers. "So master is still at the first immortal realm."
"Mmhm. I am still cultivating, just like you. Just that my starting point is a little higher. But don't worry, since I have many years to spare, I will put forth all my effort in teaching you."
Lin Qingcheng slowly nodded as if she understood something, "So if master continues to reach higher realms, master will gain more and more years and will never die?"
"Right."
"And if I also reach higher and higher realms, I will never die either?"
Chen Wentian smiled, "That's right. All intelligent beings fear death, this is a universal law. In this vast and endless world where countless different souls reside, the goal of cultivation is to break the cycle of life and death and achieve immortality!"