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Under the cover of night, Misty Mountain remained still, shrouded in clouds and fog.
Yet, within the Wayless Sect atop Misty Mountain, an air of weirdness hung heavy.
The Main Hall of Wayless Sect.
Three pairs of eyes were locked in mutual gaze.
The air was extraordinarily tense.
Each of the three harbored different thoughts in their hearts.
Chu Yuan was in a daze, blankly staring at the greatly transformed Ye Luo.
His aura was ethereal, as if merging with the cosmos.
Although he did not know what the golden mark on his forehead was, it looked incredibly cool...so handsome...
In the time he was away, what had Ye Luo come to understand?
On the other side, Ye Luo was also in a daze, but he was looking at Zhang Han.
His heart was filled with complex emotions.
His master had taken another disciple.
Wasn't he supposed to be the master's only disciple, the one who would inherit the sect in the future?
Did his master not love him anymore?
At the end of the line, Zhang Han was equally lost in thought.
His gaze shifted between Chu Yuan and Ye Luo.
Why did he feel...he felt as if this senior brother was stronger than his own master?
It must be an illusion!
Yes, definitely an illusion!
For a long time, the three of them just stared at each other, not saying a word.
Finally, it was Chu Yuan who spoke first.
"Alright, what are we all standing around for? Han'er, you go first. The sect is quite large; wander around and get familiar with it."
"Luo Er, you stay behind. I plan to...cough cough... provide some guidance on your cultivation."
Chu Yuan waved his hand, indicating for Zhang Han to leave first.
Then he kept Ye Luo back.
Don't ask why.
If you ask, it's to glean his cultivation techniques.
Zhang Han, of course, had no thoughts of refusal. He bowed and said, "I will follow the respected master's order!"
After saying this, he nodded to his senior sect brother as a form of greeting.
Once he received a nod in return from Ye Luo, he obediently exited the hall.
Soon, only Chu Yuan and Ye Luo remained in the hall.
Chu Yuan, feigning a casual demeanor, sat in the Sect Master's throne at the main hall, looking at Ye Luo below with a gentle expression and slowly said,
"Luo Er, it seems that in the time I left the sect, you have gained much."
His tone was very calm.
But still, he couldn't help feeling a twinge of bitterness.
He had fallen from the Nascent Soul Realm to the Golden Core Realm.
Yet his disciple had made great gains.
This was a source of sorrow for him.
No, this won't do.
He must extract the cultivation techniques; if he didn't pry into what Ye Luo had realized, he would truly be at a loss.
Upon hearing his master's words, Ye Luo did not dare to act casually but replied respectfully, "It's all thanks to my master's nurturing. Without the guidance you gave before you left the sect, I could never have progressed so swiftly."
Guidance before leaving the sect? What guidance did I give you before I left? Why don't I remember giving you any guidance?
Could it be that I've developed amnesia?
Let it be, let it be. You say I gave guidance, so it must be guidance then.
Chu Yuan felt utterly confused internally, yet maintained a composed facade.
He took an ancient-looking key from his sleeve and handed it to Ye Luo.
"Luo Er, since you have become my disciple, I have never gifted you any treasures. Today, I shall bestow upon you this object, you must take good care of it."
To extract what Ye Luo had realized, he needed to proceed step by step, offering a little sweetener first, and then he would ask about the cultivation method later.
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As for the key,
it was, of course, a trinket from that scheming and nefarious Great Elder to amuse himself.
Since the thing was practically useless, might as well deceive Ye Luo and give it to him as a present for becoming a disciple.
Chu Yuan was confident that Ye Luo would not harbor any suspicions.
Well, to put it accurately,
he was quite confident in his ability to deceive.
If he said the key was a treasure, could Ye Luo even dare to refute that?
When Ye Luo saw Chu Yuan hand over the key, he hurriedly accepted it with great respect.
He examined the quaint key from both sides and fell into deep thought.
He could vaguely sense an extremely sharp Dao Yun within it.
This was an absolute treasure!
Before he even had the chance to thank his respected master,
Chu Yuan stood up and leisurely walked to the entrance of the main hall, turning his back to Ye Luo.
His voice turned stern as he said, "Can't you see what this is?"
"Don't underestimate this key; it belonged to a supreme powerhouse, and your master managed to win it from that being after emerging slightly victorious from a showdown."
"This key contains a certain opportunity, and now that you have it, you must comprehend it daily. Once you grasp the opportunity, do you understand?"
Heh, whatever nonsense he'd spouted before, there's no way Ye Luo could decode anything from it.
He admitted it.
Now, with a broken key, if Ye Luo could still discern something, then he'd swallow his Sect Master throne right then and there!
Even with a Physique Close to the Path, no matter how extraordinary, it was impossible to glean anything from a mere broken key!
This was also a bit of small revenge from Chu Yuan.
That'll teach you to stab in the back.
First, make you comprehend a key and waste your time, then ensnare you in a cultivation technique, and finally kick you out of the sect—all arranged in one go, clear and simple!
On the other side, Ye Luo was completely unaware of his master's thrilling inner drama.
He gripped the key tightly and nodded, "Respected Master, your disciple understands! I will contemplate it daily and grasp the opportunity as soon as possible, never to disappoint your expectations!"
Chu Yuan nodded satisfactorily and then turned around, coughing twice to mask his awkwardness, "Luo Er, since you joined, your master hasn't properly guided you. Now, I shall give you some proper advice."
"You must tell your master everything you have comprehended, so I can help refine and improve it."
As he said this, his heart was incredibly thrilled.
At last, someone named Chu was going to have a cultivation technique.
Heaven knows how poor this cultivator was.
The only cultivation technique he had was a Basic Cultivation Method for Early Qi Refining Stage that he'd bought in Wu Chang City, spending all his wealth…
However, upon hearing this, Ye Luo firmly shook his head, adamantly saying, "You've already taught me more than enough, Respected Master. I wouldn't dare to ask for more guidance!"
Clearly, the new junior disciple had given him a sense of crisis.
He didn't want to let down his master!
He needed to prove his capability to his master!
Ye Luo didn't need guidance; he could understand the Dao Yun on his own!
These thoughts were the only ones on Ye Luo's mind at that moment.
With that statement,
Chu Yuan was petrified on the spot.
"It's fine. Let your master give you some advice, to help you avoid taking detours," Chu Yuan said with a strained smile.
Ye Luo was unwavering, bowing with clasped hands, "Respected Master! Your disciple can solve all problems on his own! Please trust me! I will not disappoint your expectations. As for guidance, I wouldn't dare to ask for it. Your disciple takes his leave, wishing you peace, Respected Master!"
As the sound of his words faded, he turned and strode out of the main hall, not stopping for an instant, his figure exuding unwavering determination.
Ye Luo had left…
Gracious as the wind.
Chu Yuan, on the other hand, was dumbfounded.
Hey, hey, hey, he hadn't extracted the cultivation technique yet.
And just like that, he was gone?!
Couldn't he at least hand over the cultivation technique before leaving??
Chu Yuan, on the verge of tears, could only silently pick up his Basic Cultivation Technique for Early Qi Refining Stage and start reading…