Upon hearing those words, it meant Apex's plan had succeeded, and it had gained the acceptance of the Black Pearl Master as its disciple.
"Thank you, Master!" Apex exclaimed, bowing deeply once again to show its gratitude.
Hu Xin's eyes widened, her astonishment evident on her face. She had never seen her mother accept a disciple so readily, especially someone as young as Apex.
The Black Pearl Master extended her hand, gesturing for Apex to rise. "You have impressed me with your talent and your words. From this day forward, I shall take you under my wing and guide you to greater heights."
Apex stood up and met the Black Pearl Master's gaze, determination shining in its golden eyes. "I am honored to have the opportunity to learn from you, Master. I will do my best to live up to your expectations."
The Black Pearl Master nodded approvingly. "Good. Now, let us discuss the terms of your training and the resources you shall have access to. But first, tell me your name."
Apex had prepared a name beforehand, one that would suit its new identity as a disciple. "My name is Zhou Fan."
The Black Pearl Master smiled, her green eyes glimmering with amusement. "Zhou Fan, a fitting name for a disciple with such scary potential. Very well, Zhou Fan, let us begin your training."
Over the course of the next hour, the Black Pearl Master outlined the details of Zhou Fan's training regimen. She explained that he would have access to the Black Pearl's extensive library, containing cultivation techniques and knowledge from various realms, resources such as rare herbs and materials for pill refinement, and even some high-grade beast cores to aid in his cultivation.
After she had explained everything to Apex, she had one more question.
"Do you know my name?"
Apex replied, "Of course, I know your name, but I wouldn't dare say it, Yu Xin!"
She sighed and responded, "I don't like how you're calling me 'master.' It makes me feel weird, so call me Yu Xin, please."
Apex nodded and said, "Okay, Yu Xin!"
Yu Xin smiled, a smile that would have left any man in a trance-like state, admiring her beauty. But for Apex, it didn't affect him one bit.
Yu Xin noticed this and said, "It looks like the charm of a woman doesn't have any effect on you. How come?"
Apex didn't have a prepared response for this unexpected question. "Your charms do affect me, but a disciple mustn't lust over their master. It's immoral," Apex replied.
Yu Xin then asked, "What about my daughter?"
Apex understood what she meant but feigned ignorance. "What about your daughter?" Apex asked.
She squinted her eyes, trying to see into Apex's soul, attempting to find out if he was toying with her or if he was actually a very innocent boy. This demonstrated just how skilled Apex was at acting.
She gave up and sighed. She told Apex to meet up at the bottom of the Black Pearl tomorrow morning at the break of dawn.
Apex nodded and bid farewell to Yu Xin and Hu Xin.
Once Apex left Yang City, it glitched, similar to when it changed its appearance to that of a human. After a few seconds, the human appearance disappeared, and Apex's true form was revealed.
Apex acted as if nothing had happened and prepared to deal with the three disciples. But before doing so, it reviewed the information it had gathered about Yu Xin the moment the curtains opened, revealing her.
[Yu Xin]
[Physique: Spirit Flame Aura]
[Cultivation Base: 5th Stage Spirit Lord]
[Qi for Breakthrough: 9.90677827584e19 / 9.90677827584e20]
After reviewing Yu Xin's information, Apex reviewed one of the best talents, Hu Xin.
[Hu Xin]
[Physique: Spirit Flame Aura]
[Cultivation Base: 5th Stage Spirit Apprentice]
[Qi for Breakthrough: 100,000 / 160,000]
Once Apex finished reviewing the information, it spent the rest of its time hunting down beasts, which allowed it to achieve a breakthrough to the 9th Stage Spirit Apprentice.
In the forest where Apex had brought the three disciples, Apex was currently preparing to fly to the sect where they resided.
Apex soared into the sky and swiftly flew through the air with incredible speed. It arrived at the sect in half the time it took on its previous journey. Upon arrival, Apex found all of them awake, with one new member.
Apex gathered all four of them and led them to the forest. Once they arrived, they all sat down and stared at Apex, especially the new member, who looked at Apex in terror, just like the other three disciples had when they first met Apex.
"What's your name, new guy?" Apex asked.
"D-Du Lei," he stuttered, trying to understand the situation.
When his best friend, Xu Sheng, had approached him with a very interesting proposal about working for someone from the Upper Heavens and gaining rewards, he had expected to encounter a normal-looking but powerful man. Instead, he saw Apex, who appeared like a monstrous being, even more terrifying than he had imagined.
"Du Lei, you're the only name I know among the three of you, so let's do introductions," Apex said, pointing at the black-haired boy with green eyes.
"My name is Ching Li. I am 20 years old and have been cultivating for 9 years. I am at the 3rd Stage Spirit Apprentice," Ching Li introduced himself.
Next was the girl of the group, with black hair and brown eyes. "My name is Long Qiu. I am 21 years old and have been cultivating for 8, nearly 9 years. I am at the 2nd Stage Spirit Apprentice," she said.
Then it was the other guy's turn, with blonde hair and blue eyes. "My name is Xu Sheng. I am 21 years old and have been cultivating for 10 years. I am also at the 2nd Stage Spirit Apprentice," he introduced himself.
Lastly, Du Lei spoke. "M-My name is Du Lei. I-I am 22 years old and have been cultivating for 11 years. I am at the 3rd Stage Spirit Apprentice," he stuttered nervously.
After they finished their introductions, Apex spoke. "Since everyone has introduced themselves, it's my turn. My name is Apex. I am 1,128 years old and have been cultivating for 1,119 years. I am at the 3rd Stage Soul Illumination."
The four of them were wide-eyed in shock. They had never expected to meet someone with such a high cultivation base. The person with the highest cultivation among the Lower Realm was at the 8th Stage Spirit Lord, which was already incredibly high. But compared to Apex, it was like an ant against a giant.