Chapter 71

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At this moment, Chen Hai's heart was pounding in his throat. He had never felt as exposed as he did now, as if he were standing naked before someone.

He never expected that this old Taoist could see through him so clearly with just a glance, discerning all the secrets within his body.

Chen Hai was secretly relieved that he had practiced at the Dao Academy for two years before coming here. If he had directly entered the Inner Sect of the Upper Seven Peaks right after taking over the body, the secret of his soul transfer would not have escaped the old Taoist's keen eyes.

"Reporting to Immortal Ge, I am Chen Hai, originally a son of the Yao family. I committed a grave sin and was stripped of my cultivation, expelled from the clan, and sought refuge with my uncle Chen Lie. I have now been recorded in the Chen family genealogy and have entered the Taowei Sect for cultivation," Chen Hai replied respectfully.

"What grave sin did you commit that made Old Fat Yao strip you of your cultivation?" the old Taoist asked, puzzled.

Chen Hai's memory before entering the Taowei Sect had mostly been erased. Even the few fragments he remembered were disjointed. He really didn't know how to answer the old Taoist's question.

He didn't even know who the old Taoist was referring to as "Old Fat Yao."

The chief of the Ancestor Hall then handed the register to the old Taoist. After flipping through a couple of pages, the old Taoist looked at Chen Hai with a rather appreciative gaze: "At such a young age, you are bold and reckless, even daring to do such things. I admire you; you are much more interesting than that little brat Chen Lie..."

Chen Hai guessed that the register in the chief's hand was like his life record in the sect, probably recording the grave sin he committed in the Yao family. He wanted to snatch the register and read it, but the chief, Sun Buhui, quickly put it away, clearly not allowing others to look at it casually.

The old Taoist took out two fish-shaped black gold talismans from his robe and gave them to Chen Hai and Zhou Jun, saying, "You both should follow the usual method to refine these talismans with your blood..."

Chen Hai could now refine magical treasures, but he could only do so during the early dawn when he fused true essence, and it had to be done in stages, a slow process.

Since the old Taoist had said so, Chen Hai could only nervously cut a small incision on his middle finger and let a drop of blood fall onto the talisman, watching as the blood gradually seeped in.

At this moment, the old Taoist grabbed two strands of luminous light from the air and threw them into the talismans. Chen Hai instantly felt a connection with the talisman and faintly sensed a mysterious presence on the northern side of Qiyun Ridge, which was always in sync with the disciple talisman...

"Being able to sense the Taowei Great Array, your divine soul is indeed strong," the old Taoist couldn't help but look at Chen Hai again, asking, "Since you are entering the Upper Seven Peaks for cultivation, who do you plan to study under? Chen Juan's practice of the Swallowing Mist Technique is not weak, but from my perspective, it is not suitable for you..."

Zhou Jun could tell that the old Taoist wanted Chen Hai to study under him. He also vaguely guessed the old Taoist's identity.

Ge Xuanqiao not only had the peak Dao Pill realm cultivation but was also the senior brother of the Martial Vigor Divine Marquis Dong Liang. As the head of the Ancestor Hall, his position in the Taowei Sect was extraordinary, and he rarely took disciples. However, if someone could become his disciple, it wasn't just that the Ancestor would privately teach them profound techniques and bestow magical treasures; they would at least enjoy the extraordinary treatment of a true disciple.

At this moment, Sun Buhui was also shocked, looking at Chen Hai. He never expected that this minor character, who could only enter the Upper Seven Peaks due to his status as a direct descendant of a marquis, would pique the interest of Ancestor Ge Xuanqiao to take him as a disciple.

"Chen Hai has long decided to study under my uncle Chen Lie," Chen Hai wasn't stupid and could naturally hear the old Taoist's intention to take him as a disciple. But he now wished to hide in a corner far away from this old Taoist, and he certainly didn't dare to cultivate under his watchful eyes.

Zhou Jun and Sun Buhui were both stunned, not knowing what was wrong with Chen Hai. Could he really be so foolish as to not see the old Taoist's desire to take him as a disciple, which was like seeing his first love?

Although Chen Hai would be of a higher generation if he became the Ancestor's disciple, Sun Buhui still couldn't resist the urge to pull Chen Hai aside and scold him. He wanted to shout in his ear that even the Martial Vigor Divine Marquis had been rejected when he tried to send his granddaughter Dong Ning to study under Ancestor Ge, yet Chen Hai was giving up an opportunity that countless sect disciples could only dream of!

An opportunity that countless sect disciples could only dream of was being given up by this young man who hadn't even opened the Secret Palace of the Spirit Sea?

Sun Buhui felt like he was in a dream. He thought that if the Ancestor decided to take him as a disciple today, he would kneel and lick the Ancestor's toes. He thought that if he told this story, his fellow sect members would think he was making up a joke.

The old Taoist looked at Chen Hai for a moment, hiding a hint of disappointment in his eyes, and waved his tattered sleeve, saying, "Alright, both of you are now part of the sect. Don't come to disturb my cultivation unless it's something important..." He scratched the back of his neck and yawned, then walked deeper into the cliff cave.

Chen Hai and Zhou Jun followed the Ancestor Hall chief, Sun Buhui, and bowed to the old Taoist's tall and slightly lecherous figure before heading to the Ancestor Hall on the southern side of Qiyun Ridge.

Sun Buhui, who had originally been reluctant to help Chen Hai and Zhou Jun, now became extremely enthusiastic because Chen Hai had piqued the Ancestor's interest to take him as a disciple.

After meeting Wu Meng in the Ancestor Hall, Sun Buhui personally led Chen Hai and Zhou Jun to complete the remaining procedures, mainly to familiarize them with the various halls and temporarily arrange their accommodation in the disciples' dormitories...

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The cultivation techniques and spells of the Inner Sect were quite important. Although the Inner Sect disciples had taken great oaths, to prevent the accidental loss of the sect's secret texts, they could only borrow them on-site from the Scripture Hall and were no longer allowed to take copies away.

Chen Hai and Zhou Jun could only study on Qiyun Ridge, laying a foundation before they could go to Jianyun Cliff or return to Yulong Mountain for further cultivation under the guise of training. Therefore, they had to stay on Qiyun Ridge for a while.

Many true cultivators of the sect had opened cultivation caves and spirit heavens on the Upper Seven Peaks, but even with the seven main peaks, each over ten thousand meters high, and a hundred or two cultivation caves, the area was sparsely populated.

Qiyun Ridge, as the true center of the sect, was much busier.

In addition to the seven halls, there were large areas of courtyards on the southern slope, providing temporary accommodation for guests during grand ceremonies. Inner Sect disciples who wanted to study profound techniques and spells in the Scripture Hall often stayed for several days to understand the profound meanings in the texts, so they usually stayed on Qiyun Ridge for a period of time.

Qiyun Ridge also had dedicated dormitories for the disciples.

Chen Hai and Zhou Jun were assigned to two adjacent courtyards. Although it was the middle of winter, the orchids and tung trees in the courtyards were in full bloom, and a special array ensured that each courtyard was always filled with abundant spiritual energy for cultivation...

At this time, over a hundred Inner Sect disciples were staying and cultivating in this area of courtyards.

"Did you not notice that Immortal Ge wanted to take you as a disciple?" After Sun Buhui left, Zhou Jun couldn't help but ask, puzzled.

"What? This old Taoist wanted to take me as a disciple? Impossible! I just felt his gaze was creepy, and it made me uncomfortable. I didn't think of anything else," Chen Hai feigned ignorance.

Zhou Jun shook his head and smiled bitterly, unsure if Chen Hai was really ignorant or pretending. But since the matter involved the head of the Ancestor Hall, he didn't dare to discuss it casually in private.

Chen Hai took out the disciple talisman and changed the subject, saying, "The disciple book says this talisman can enhance the six senses. I wonder how effective it is?"

Chen Hai was worried that the old Taoist might secretly spy on him, so he didn't dare to use the snake bracelet to enter the Blood Cloud Wasteland for cultivation. With nothing to do, he and Zhou Jun, along with Wu Meng, began to study the disciple talisman they had received today.

The disciple talisman was made of black gold and shaped like a fish, hence it was also called the disciple fish talisman. It was slightly smaller than a palm, and when held in the hand, it felt like a struggling spirit fish trying to jump out of the river. It was usually worn on the waist to indicate the status of an Inner Sect disciple.

In the various counties of the Hexi region, this fish talisman was more significant than the official seals of ordinary counties or the seals of middle-ranking military officers. In the Wuwei Army, the Grand Protector General, and the counties below, official letters with the fish talisman seal were usually given extra attention, and such letters were often called fish letters in the Hexi region.

This was actually a special form of the monopoly of the Taowei Sect and the noble families over the local power in the Hexi region, indicating that the status of civil and military officials from the Upper Seven Peaks was higher and more prominent.

The disciple fish talisman could be considered part of the Taowei Sect's fundamental great array, but Chen Hai didn't want to attract the attention of the old monsters in the sect. Even though he knew that the disciple fish talisman could be used to sense the mysterious existence of the Taowei Great Array, he didn't dare to try it easily.

The head of the Ancestor Hall, Ge Xuanqiao, was already so powerful, and it was said that the Taowei Sect had even more powerful beings than the Wuwei Divine Marquis Dong Liang. If he wasn't extremely cautious, how long could he hide his shocking secret?

In addition to being able to sense the Taowei Great Array, the main magical effect of the disciple fish talisman after refinement was to greatly enhance the six senses of the refiner...

Chen Hai's Nine Flame Soaring Dragon Seal was a very good protective magical treasure. When attacked, it would release nine fiery dragons, but it required Chen Hai to be alert for it to work instantly.

The time it took to become alert when attacked usually depended on the six senses, which was the most dangerous moment.

It was commonly said that even if a Spirit Realm disciple had an extremely strong protective magical treasure, they could not avoid a sudden attack from a Profound Aperture Realm cultivator. This was the absolute gap in the six senses that was difficult to bridge.

Chen Hai's martial cultivation focused on close combat techniques, making the six senses particularly important.

Especially when fighting sword cultivators, without superior six senses and nearly direct super-speed reactions, how could one counter the lightning-fast spirit swords controlled by sword cultivators?

Chen Hai wanted to test how much the fish talisman could help improve his strength. He grabbed his war spear and called out to Wu Meng, "Wu Meng, let's find a place to spar. You attack me with your sword, and see if this disciple fish talisman can help me defend with this war spear and counter your attacks..."

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