Chapter 8

### Chapter 8: Forced to Become a Disciple

The Three Pure Fires are the purest yang fires in the world, refined by the primordial energy as a catalyst in the alchemical furnace, repeatedly tempering the spiritual fire within. After eighty-one days, the spiritual fire can be formed. The spiritual fire within the alchemical furnace is a convergence of the most yin and yang fires in the world. The most yin fire is the hellfire that erupts from the earth and causes disasters, while the most yang fire is obtained by ascending to a high place and focusing sunlight with a crystal. When these two are placed in the alchemical furnace and smelted for forty-nine days, the spiritual fire is formed. In other words, the Three Pure Fires are obtained through the unity of heaven, earth, and humanity.

Of course, there is a prerequisite: the purity of the primordial energy affects the success or failure of the Three Pure Fires' refinement. Even a slight impurity can destroy the spiritual fire within the alchemical furnace, and even the furnace itself might not be spared.

Lin He was a cautious person and did not rush to act. Instead, he first found the jade slip he had obtained earlier and studied it carefully for several days. Of course, he did not miss his three daily self-study sessions. Unfortunately, after ten consecutive days, there was no new progress. Lin He was not too disappointed; if he had made more progress, he would have been considered a prodigy.

After some time of research, Lin He felt that he should wait until he advanced to the next level before tempering the true fire. Currently, his chances of success were only fifty percent, but after advancing, they would be at least seventy percent. Swinging his fist, Lin He encouraged himself, "Young man, work hard! Hope rises like the sun, and the door to the great path has already opened."

Another month-end arrived, and Lin He went to the chief manager's office to submit his Yuan Gathering Pills. As he walked through the mountain gate, his mindset had changed significantly. The change in his strength had led to a change in his mindset, which was very normal in a world where strength was paramount.

Of course, Lin He, being as smart as he was, knew that to return to the Wanxiu Sect and reclaim his status as an inner disciple, he had to maintain a humble demeanor, even if it was just an act. So, the moment he walked through the mountain gate, Lin He's expression returned to its usual respectful state.

Old Ge, the chief manager, was still lying on his chair, dozing off. When Lin He entered, Old Ge's eyes suddenly opened, and the dull, dim look in his eyes disappeared, revealing a sharp, piercing gaze.

"Kid, you're already at the third level of Qi Cultivation. Last time, you were only at the first level," Old Ge asked, a rare initiative. No one from the new generation of disciples knew Old Ge's background. Even when Lin He was a child running around, Old Ge looked the same.

"Respected elder, I have only recently made a breakthrough. I don't know why, but I reached the third level in just one month," Lin He answered cautiously. This old man was not as simple as a crane, a fox, or a monkey. He had hidden his true nature deeply, and Lin He had only just glimpsed a bit of his true self.

"Strange. Continuous advancements like this have happened before, but usually after a foundation-building stage and a significant encounter. It's the first time I've seen someone who has been stuck at the initial stage for ten years suddenly advance to the third level in a month. Tell me, have you encountered anything special recently?" Old Ge's sharp gaze softened, and he adopted a kind and benevolent demeanor.

"Respected elder, I haven't had any significant encounters. I have just been practicing diligently every day. My foster mother, Wu Mama, once said that heaven rewards diligence, and hard work will always pay off. I deeply believe this and have persisted in daily practice until now," Lin He replied carefully. He would not reveal the truth, as he still had to stand firm in the Wanxiu Sect.

"Wu Mama was a down-to-earth person. Although she only reached the third level of Qi Cultivation in her lifetime, she lived to be 129 years old, which can be considered a reward from heaven. You're not bad, kid. You've persisted, and finally, the clouds have cleared. Now, I have two options for you: one is to return to the inner sect and choose another master to practice under, and the other is to become my disciple and continue practicing outside the mountain gate. Rest assured, regardless of your choice, you will still receive the treatment of an inner disciple."

Old Ge's words made Lin He quite hesitant. After some hesitation, he smiled bitterly and said, "My foster mother once said that I was abandoned by my parents in the mountains as a child, and my master's wife saved me. My life is a gift from my master's wife. I will wait for her to come out of seclusion to ask her about my future."

"Many young people face setbacks, but it's rare to see someone who can maintain a pure heart after so many years. Yao Girl is still in seclusion. I love talent, and since I've seen a gem, I won't let it go. Rest assured, becoming my disciple won't make Yao Girl angry; she will be happy. Come, extend your hand!" Seeing that Lin He was unwilling to make a choice, Old Ge resorted to a more forceful approach.

Lin He, having no choice, could not resist. Although he was reluctant, he obediently extended his hand. Old Ge's eagle-like hand rested on his pulse, and after a moment of concentration, he inwardly exclaimed, "Strange, strange, I've found a treasure. This kid's primordial energy is unexpectedly pure, not inferior to that of a Golden Core cultivator. I don't know how he cultivated it. Looking at his dantian and meridians, they are unexpectedly broad, not inferior to those of a foundation-building cultivator. With this dantian and meridians, he has a more than fifty percent chance of successfully foundation-building after reaching the ninth level of Qi Cultivation."

Most cultivators at the ninth level of Qi Cultivation are stuck at the foundation-building stage, with over ninety percent failing to advance. The path to enlightenment is difficult, and countless cultivators never reach the foundation-building stage. The higher the level, the fewer the cultivators, mainly because the success rate of the foundation-building stage is very low. Once foundation-building is achieved, the subsequent Golden Core stage is just a matter of time. Those with good aptitude can achieve it in ten years, while those with poor aptitude might take fifty or a hundred years. After foundation-building, one can live for at least two hundred years, and some can live even longer, enough to reach the Golden Core stage. Entering the Golden Core stage, one's lifespan will not be less than three hundred years, and whether one can reach a higher level depends on luck. Achieving the Yuan Ying stage is equivalent to immortality. If one cannot live long enough, the body will age and wither, which is bad luck. Failing during the tribulation, the soul will be extinguished, which is also fate.

Old Ge pondered for a long time, seemingly considering an important issue. After a while, he pulled out a jade slip from somewhere and tossed it on the table, saying, "This is for you. From today, you are my disciple. This jade slip contains a summary of my lifelong cultivation. Take it and study it well. Come back next month. By the way, you don't need to submit Yuan Gathering Pills anymore; keep them for yourself. The disciple ceremony will be held when the sect leader comes out of seclusion."

Then... that was it. Old Ge lay back on his chair, closed his eyes, and soon fell asleep. The old man was being unreasonable, trying to make a fait accompli. Lin He knew this but also knew that if he did not accept the discipleship today, he would be struck by lightning as soon as he left the mountain gate.

So, he accepted it, picked up the jade slip Old Ge had thrown on the table, and left with a lack of enthusiasm. In reality, what Lin He most wanted was to return to his master's wife's tutelage. When Yao Yao abandoned him, it was because he could not advance in cultivation, not because of her. As Lin He said, in the entire Wanxiu Sect, he only had two people he considered family: Yao Yao and his foster mother, Wu Mama. Only these two people had truly cared for him, and the others did not matter.

Ah, life is like that. Since it can't be that, it has to be this.

Lin He left reluctantly, but Old Ge got up, excitedly slapped his thigh, and muttered to himself, "I never thought that in my old age, I would have the urge to take a disciple. Could it be that heaven is testing me? This kid has a pure nature and a strong character, which is rare. I just don't know if he can maintain his progress in the future. Well, I'll go to Old Qian and register him, then see how he fares. I must also warn Old Qian not to mention this to anyone, so as not to ruin my reputation if the kid doesn't live up to expectations."

Old Qian, of course, was the chief manager of the Wanxiu Sect. Every inner disciple needed to be registered with him. Old Ge walked in slowly, and Old Qian, who was looking at the accounts, immediately stood up and respectfully greeted him, "Ancestor, what brings you here?"

"Nothing major. I just took an inner disciple and came to register him separately." Old Ge replied coldly, and Old Qian was greatly surprised. Old Ge was the former sect leader's attendant, who had never had the habit of taking disciples. After the former sect leader's death, Old Ge retired from all duties and no longer involved himself in sect affairs. However, both the Northern and Southern Sects had to respect this last remaining Spirit Transformation expert of the Wanxiu Sect, who was a treasure of the mountain. His presence or absence made a significant difference to the Wanxiu Sect. Therefore, Old Ge was allowed to do as he pleased, even if he pretended to be a temporary worker in the chief manager's office. The inner sect managers, who rarely saw Old Ge, had to respectfully call him "Ancestor" when they did.

Old Qian was curious why Old Ge, who had never taken a disciple, suddenly decided to take one.

Curious as he was, Old Qian did not dare to ask. He quickly processed the registration and, noticing the familiar name, asked, "Ancestor, this inner disciple seems to be the former sect leader's wife's inner disciple, who was placed in the outer sect to study miscellaneous arts because he could not advance in cultivation. Has he not left the outer sect yet?"

"Why are you asking so many unnecessary questions? This matter must not be mentioned to anyone," Old Ge sternly said, scaring Old Qian into shrinking back. Old Qian was a high-level foundation-building cultivator who had practiced for sixty years without achieving the Golden Core stage, making him a cultivator with average aptitude and good luck. Otherwise, he would not have ended up as the chief manager, overseeing both the inner and outer sect disciples and the sect's miscellaneous affairs. Old Ge's affairs were not something he dared to question.

After the registration was completed and the identity jade slip was in hand, Old Ge smiled satisfactorily, like a bandit who had successfully robbed another cultivator and obtained many treasures. He left with a self-satisfied air. He had not involved himself in Wanxiu Sect affairs for many years. In his younger days, he had been a fierce warrior, following the old sect leader in battles. Unfortunately, the old sect leader failed the tribulation and died, and Old Ge, who witnessed it, fell into a state of depression. After a hundred years, the slowly recovering Old Ge unexpectedly found a good seedling and suddenly had the urge to take a disciple. This was not a whim but a desire to pass on his lifelong knowledge. However, he was also worried, given Lin He's past record.

Lin He, unaware that he had embraced a powerful mentor, thought his good luck had run out and that he had encountered a "moldy" situation. He was determined to return to his master's wife's tutelage and did not want to be forced to become a disciple of an old man. He would settle this score in the future. This old man, forcing him to become a disciple.

Lin He, who had no sense of respect for his teacher, cursed silently as he walked, but he did not dare to say it out loud.

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