Yuan’s Ascension

Become his disciple? Wu Yuan's heart jolted.

Was it finally time? Yet, a shred of doubt arose in Wu Yuan's heart. Old Madman referred to Sword Immortal Dong Yang as his junior brother?

Wu Yuan didn't know how many High Immortals were in his sect. But as far as he knew, Sword Immortal Dong Yang was one of the oldest High Immortals in the sect.

Old Madman was even older than him?

"Senior," Wu Yuan said solemnly, "You have given me the grace of your teachings, and I am deeply grateful from the bottom of my heart. I am honored and willing to become your disciple."

"However," Wu Yuan changed the topic, "Discipleship is a significant matter. I cannot blindly accept someone as my master without knowing their true identity."

Despite various signs indicating that Old Madman was a powerful High Immortal from the Dragon Star Immortal Sect, Wu Yuan dared not gamble on it.

After all, this was about acknowledging a master! A master was like a father. Given how serious Old Madman was when he posed the question, he certainly intended to take Wu Yuan as his direct disciple.

How could Wu Yuan not be cautious? He had to confirm the other party's identity.

"Hahaha, good, you didn’t let the situation cloud your judgment." Old Madman laughed, "You can call me Nan Yin. I am a sect guardian. You'll understand what that means when you grow strong."

"Besides Sword Immortal Dong Yang, the abbot, and a few others, few in the sect know of my existence."

"In terms of power, I should be second only to Junior Brother Dong Yang in the sect," the Old Madman chuckled.

Wu Yuan was shocked.

Nan Yin? He hadn't heard of him before.

Sect guardian? Wu Yuan had no idea what it meant, but he quickly surmised that Old Madman must be a hidden powerhouse of the Dragon Star Immortal Sect, unlikely to show himself until the sect was on the brink of extermination.

No wonder he was so mysterious.

"Senior Nan Yin," Wu Yuan gritted his teeth, "I respect you, but all I have is your word, and there's no way for me to verify it."

Wu Yuan mostly believed him, but still had some doubts. Could it really be such a coincidence?

"Send a strand of your consciousness into the Dragon Star Immortal Voidrealm, and you'll understand," the Old Madman chuckled, unbothered by Wu Yuan’s skepticism. [1]

Wu Yuan was taken aback for a moment, then immediately sent a strand of his consciousness into the Dragon Star Immortal Voidrealm.

…

Wu Yuan had just arrived at his personal hall in the Dragon Star Immortal Voidrealm, when he saw countless lights converging, forming a human figure.

Old Madman then materialized in his personal hall.

"This? Senior Nan Yin?" Wu Yuan was utterly shocked.

This was the Dragon Star Immortal Voidrealm. According to the rules of the immortal voidrealm, even a High Immortal had no right to forcibly enter someone's personal hall.

Yet Old Madman was standing in front of him?

"Don't be surprised, the Dragon Star Immortal Voidrealm is controlled by the sect, naturally, special privileges are afforded to a select few," Old Madman smiled, "Sword Immortal Dong Yang, the abbot, and I have administrative authority over the Dragon Star Immortal Sect."

Wu Yuan got it.

Old Madman was akin to the manager of the immortal voidrealm.

"I believe you," Wu Yuan said respectfully.

The scene before him left him with no choice but to believe that Old Madman was a mysterious High Immortal of the sect with extremely high status.

His name was Nan Yin?

Hum~ Hum~ Both of their consciousnesses withdrew from the Dragon Star Immortal Voidrealm simultaneously.

…

Within the jade platform space that spanned a li in radius, adjacent to the Star Origin Soil.

"Senior," Wu Yuan spoke respectfully.

"Before you make your decision, let me clarify something," the Old Madman chuckled. "The reason Sword Immortal Dong Yang refuses to take you as a disciple isn't due to your lack of talent, but because of the Dao."

"Dao?" Wu Yuan was taken aback.

"Although he has some understanding of the Earth Dao, his forte is not the Celestial Body Dao. In this aspect, I am the foremost expert in the sect," Old Madman stated.

Understanding dawned on Wu Yuan. So that was the case.

Moreover, Old Madman was right. His insight into the Celestial Body Dao was indeed extraordinary, far beyond Wu Yuan's imagination.

After all, comprehending an Intermediate Law was extremely difficult. Many Earth Immortals might not even reach the initiate threshold, let alone have the ability to guide someone else.

"Of course, there are other reasons why Dong Yang is not willing to accept you as his disciple," the Old Madman continued. "With your talent, I suspect you joined the Dragon Star Immortal Sect to pursue discipleship under Dong Yang, am I right?"

"Yes," Wu Yuan nodded.

There was no need to hide this fact.

"However," Wu Yuan voiced out. "Sword Immortal Dong Yang is indeed powerful, but in my view, Senior, you are a better fit for me."

Just as masters chose their disciples, disciples also chose their masters.

Perhaps Sword Immortal Dong Yang was stronger, but he had ignored Wu Yuan’s existence the whole time, clearly looking down on him.

Wu Yuan had his pride too.

Old Madman, on the other hand, had mentored him for eight years and possessed a profound understanding of the Celestial Body Dao. Wu Yuan was truly willing to learn cultivation from him from the bottom of his heart.

"Alright! Let me make it clear beforehand. I am a sect guardian, so even if I take you as a disciple, it cannot be revealed, and you must not mention my identity to anyone." Old Madman said.

"Also, I made some mortal enemies during my expeditions in my early years, so it's best if we keep our relationship a secret."

"Keep our relationship a secret?" Wu Yuan nodded slightly, "I understand."

In other words, do not let anyone know that he is a disciple of Nan Yin.

"I have to get the abbot's approval to take in a disciple. Follow me." Old Madman laughed and waved his hand.

Immediately, their surroundings warped around them.

When everything settled down, Wu Yuan scanned the area. He realized they had already arrived in an incomparably magnificent grand hall, reaching tens of thousands of zhangs high and even wider.

At the end of the hall, a large statue of a coiled, meditating azure dragon was enshrined, nearly ten thousand zhangs long, like a small mountain. The statue's aura was vast and lofty, causing Wu Yuan's heart to tremble instinctively.

What a terrifying aura.

And at this moment, under the azure dragon statue, a middle-aged man in red robes stood. Although his aura was strong, it was extremely gentle like warm sunlight, giving off a comfortable sensation.

The man in red robes seemed to have been waiting for a long time.

"Abbot." Old Madman greeted with a chuckle.

Whoosh~ The middle-aged man in red robes turned around and smiled, "Senior Brother Nan Yin, has Li Xia agreed to become your disciple?"

The gaze of the red-robed man fell on Wu Yuan.

"Disciple Li Xia pays his respects to the abbot." Wu Yuan bowed and greeted him.

What a terrifying gaze. Wu Yuan’s heart trembled, feeling as if he was being completely seen through.

The abbot truly lived up to his reputation as a powerful High Immortal and a leader of the sect.

"Dispense with the formalities." The middle-aged man waved his hand, and an invisible force lifted Wu Yuan into the air.

"Li Xia has agreed." Old Madman chuckled, "Abbot, you can't go back on your word. It was Sword Immortal Dong Yang who didn't want to accept Li Xia."

"Mm." The man in red robes nodded, looking at Li Xia, "Li Xia, I have seen your profile, combat recordings from the one-star tower, and so on. You are, without a doubt, the top Golden Core disciple in the long history of our sect."

Wu Yuan listened intently.

The top? He wondered if the abbot was exaggerating.

"The sect's higher echelons initially intended for you to acknowledge Sword Immortal Dong Yang as your master, but for various reasons, Veteran Elder Nan Yin might be more suitable. He is a Sixth-Tribulation High Immortal, and an extraordinarily powerful individual, far surpassing ordinary High Immortals."

"He has never taken a disciple before, and now wishes to find a successor. Acknowledging him as your master would not be any less beneficial for you."

"A Sixth-Tribulation High Immortal?" Wu Yuan was startled.

Didn’t that mean he was only one step away from becoming an Archimmortal?

While perhaps not as prestigious as Sword Immortal Dong Yang who could rival Archimmortals, he excelled at the Celestial Body Dao, which made up for much of the difference.

Besides, a master willing to mentor and care for him was far more important.

"Alright, I'll ask you one last time, are you willing to acknowledge Veteran Elder Nan Yin as your master?" The man in red robes asked.

"I am willing." Wu Yuan declared solemnly.

"Then, let us perform the master-disciple ceremony in front of our immortal ancestor." As he spoke, the man in red robes bowed slightly toward the statue of the azure dragon.

Old Madman seated himself on a jade platform.

Without hesitation, Wu Yuan knelt and prostrated, "Disciple Li Xia pays respects to Honored Master."

He then kowtowed three times.

"Haha, very good." Old Madman revealed a slight smile, "I, Nan Yin, finally have a disciple. From today onwards, you will be my first direct disciple, and probably the only one."

"Rise.”

Wu Yuan stood up.

"Congratulations, Senior Brother, on acquiring such a fine disciple," the middle-aged man in red robes smiled and cupped his hands.

In a sudden motion, Old Madman threw a green token over, "Catch, Disciple."

Without missing a beat, Wu Yuan quickly caught it.

The green token gleamed with a metallic sheen. The characters ‘azure dragon’ were engraved on its front, and the landscape of a myriad rivers and mountains was etched on its back.

It seemed ordinary. Yet, Wu Yuan could instinctively feel an ancient and profound aura emanating from the token within his grasp.

"This Star Dragon Token is a gift from the immortal ancestor," Old Madman said. "Consider it my first gift to you."

"Immortal ancestor?" Wu Yuan asked thoughtfully.

"These are matter you’ll naturally learn once you become an Earth Immortal, but there shouldn’t be anything wrong with telling you ahead of time," said the red-robed man, "The immortal ancestor is the only Archimmortal of our Dragon Star Immortal Sect! An eternal Archimmortal!"

"The immortal ancestor is the core of our Dragon Star Immortal Sect," he added with gravity.

"Archimmortal?" Wu Yuan feigned surprise, but inwardly, it was as expected.

"From now on, the fact that you are my disciple will only be known by you, me and the abbot," Old Madman said.

"Outside the sect, you can call yourself a nominal disciple of the immortal ancestor with this token to avoid revealing your identity as my disciple."

"Yes," Wu Yuan responded respectfully, despite the confusion swirling within him.

Was all this caution really necessary?

"Senior Brother Nan Yin, you may take Li Xia with you to your residence," the man in the red robe said.

The Old Madman nodded.

With a wave of his hand, he and Wu Yuan simultaneously vanished from the hall.

Only the red-robed man remained.

Without a sound, a young man dressed in white, his face as handsome as jade, appeared, looking out of the hall. His gaze seemed to penetrate the space, reaching far into the distance.

"Senior Brother Dong Yang, why go through all this trouble?" The man in red robes spoke softly, "You could accept Li Xia as your disciple directly, as long as no information is leaked."

"No! My enemies are Archimmortals. I must be as cautious as possible." The young man in white calmly said, "As a master, I must consider my disciple’s safety. Why would I want him to attract a host of powerful enemies the moment he acknowledges me as his master?"

"Now that I have this token from the immortal ancestor, and a further layer of protection with Nan Yin's identity, the chances of other factions associating Li Xia with me are slim." The young man in white said. "Has Nan Yin's identity been fabricated yet?"

"Mm." The man in red robes nodded, "Nan Yin is an Earth Immortal who disappeared from the sect years ago. We only need to forge the last part of his traces. It's not a difficult task."

The young man in white slightly nodded, "Should I fail to survive my Immortal Tribulation, Li Xia will naturally learn of all this when he becomes an Earth Immortal. Only then will he have the strength to protect himself."

"Senior Brother, you will definitely overcome the ninth Immortal Tribulation!" The man in the red robe said seriously.

"Haha, thank you for the well wishes."

"I'll be going ahead to teach my disciple." The young man in white smiled, "I've never truly taught a disciple before. I should experience the joy of being a master."

Whoosh! The young man in white drifted away.

1. To avoid confusion, I'll be updating "immortal realm" to "immortal voidrealm". Apologies in advance if I miss a few instances here and there. ☜

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