Chapter 6

Lu Xiaoding stood outside the alchemy room, blocking the path of Lü Mu, who was wearing a dark blue robe with silver trim. She looked up at him and said, "Daoist Lü, when will my master return?"

Lü Mu sized up this girl, who was rumored to be Yu Xiudan’s alchemy furnace, and said expressionlessly, "Daoist Yu is currently in seclusion. I am now in charge of the Wu Yao Hall. Do you have any business here?"

"I know that the Zhichu Hall has a rule that attendants of Golden Core cultivators can also attend classes. My senior sister is almost fully recovered, and I want to ask when we can go to the Zhichu Hall?" Lu Xiaoding was currently very idle. To prepare for her master’s return and to take over the Wu Yao Hall, many disciples at the Qi Condensation stage were recruited as backup disciples and were temporarily serving as medicine boys. She and Lu Yaohang had become idle.

The purpose of her refining the Immortal Ascension Pill was not only to let her master live but also to allow her senior sister to attend classes and cultivate. Now that her senior sister could walk, she could follow her to class.

Lü Mu, who looked to be in his thirties and appeared particularly young, crossed his arms and looked at Lu Xiaoding, then laughed, "You two want to attend classes?"

"Yes." Lu Xiaoding nodded seriously, seeing no reason to doubt it.

"Those who can attend the Zhichu Hall all have good aptitudes, only slightly inferior to the new disciples, so they are willing to become attendants to gain the opportunity to study at the Zhichu Hall. However, both of you have very poor aptitudes and do not meet the requirements for admission. You should just be good medicine boys. Your master is now a Golden Core cultivator and a Daoist Lord. Serving as his medicine boy will naturally allow you to obtain some elixirs, which will extend your life. There’s no need to consider cultivation, which is like a fleeting cloud." After saying this, Lü Mu walked away, thinking it was meaningless for a medicine boy with incomplete soul and no spirit veins to want to attend classes.

"Spirit veins?" Lu Xiaoding muttered, then turned to see Lu Yaohang standing at the door, not too far away, listening to the conversation.

Lu Xiaoding ran over with the cauldron on her back, fuming, "Senior sister, Daoist Lü won’t let us go to the Zhichu Hall. I’m going to find Master."

"Don’t go. Daoist Lü is right. The Zhichu Hall has this rule." Lu Yaohang said calmly, as she had already inquired about it, wanting to become a sword cultivator.

If one’s aptitude is poor, it can’t be blamed on anyone else. As long as Master becomes a Golden Core cultivator, there will be a chance to obtain better elixirs, which might allow her to start cultivating.

"Then wasn’t my alchemy in vain!" Lu Xiaoding was suddenly anxious, unable to accept this.

Lu Yaohang laughed at her, "Master has become a Golden Core cultivator. How could your alchemy be in vain? In two days, Master’s Golden Core Ascension Ceremony will be held, and we will attend. You mustn’t pout."

She poked Lu Xiaoding’s pouting face and smiled faintly, "Golden Core cultivators usually don’t hold ceremonies, but Master is not an ordinary cultivator. He will be the highest-ranking alchemist in the Yunjian Sect. In a few days, Master will start refining high-quality fifth and sixth-grade elixirs, which will greatly enhance the Yunjian Sect’s strength."

"Even if he refines better elixirs, none will be as good as mine." Lu Xiaoding said without a hint of modesty.

"Be careful, or Master will punish you. Prepare for the ceremony in two days. When we see Master, I will personally ask about attending classes. If he can’t help, I’ll have to find a way on my own." Lu Yaohang had only a little crystal beans. As a medicine boy under the poor Yu Xiudan, she had no extra resources.

If she couldn’t enter the Zhichu Hall, she would have to buy cultivation techniques from the market, but the ones she could afford were ordinary. The good techniques of the Yunjian Sect were out of reach. Lu Yaohang loved swords and found other magical tools and techniques unsuitable for her.

Moreover, the easiest way to obtain a spiritual sword was to enter the Yunjian Sect’s Sword Tomb after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, where countless spiritual swords were available. A good sword could last a lifetime if one was lucky.

"Golden Core Ascension Ceremony? Yes, I won’t embarrass you." Lu Xiaoding nodded, but her words lacked conviction.

Lu Yaohang paused and said, "You’re not allowed to speak or run around during the ceremony. You won’t eat anything at the banquet, so just follow me closely."

"Must I stay right by your side?" This seemed too restrictive, and Lu Xiaoding pouted, thinking she was always obedient and didn’t need such strict supervision.

Lu Yaohang nodded seriously, knowing that if she didn’t keep a close eye on this girl, who knows what she might do. There would be people from other sects present, and if she started shouting about being a furnace, it would be embarrassing for Master.

Two days later, Lu Xiaoding put on a new light green medicine boy uniform and followed her senior sister to the Guiyi Hall. They couldn’t fly, so they walked from the mountain top to the Zhichu Hall and then took the Huaguang carriage from the Luoxian Platform.

The Huaguang carriage could hold eight people and used crystal beans provided by the sect, mainly for the convenience of lower-stage disciples. All the disciples who could attend the Golden Core Ascension Ceremony could fly, so only they and Lu Xiaoding, with her large furnace, were on the carriage.

"Senior sister, the Guiyi Hall looks the same as before." They soon arrived at the Taishan Peak, where a waterfall like a river of milk fell from near the mountain top, about five hundred zhang wide, with white water roaring and thundering into the sky.

The Guiyi Hall was built on the waterfall, grand and unique, reflecting the Yunjian Sect’s style. It was proud and intimidating, even treading on natural wonders to show its might.

The Golden Core Ascension Ceremony was somewhat embarrassing, so it wasn’t on a large scale. It was held on a wooden square outside the Guiyi Hall, with a dark red floor above the waterfall. Standing by the railing, one could see the waterfall turn into mist and disperse into the air, making the Taishan Peak seem to float in a sea of clouds.

The square was already set up with low tables, and disciples were placing spiritual fruits and drinks on them, with exquisite cushions beside the tables.

The Huaguang carriage stopped at the Luoxian Platform on Taishan Peak. Lu Xiaoding and Lu Yaohang got off and walked toward the Guiyi Hall.

None of the disciples here wore green, only dark blue sect uniforms, which was what Lu Yaohang had always wanted to wear. Only those who entered the various peaks as disciples had the right to wear this color, and the various patterns on the uniforms represented their status.

Of course, once one reached the Nascent Soul stage and became a True Lord, they could wear whatever they wanted in daily life, but they would wear the sect uniform for important occasions.

Although they wore green and had low status, they were Yu Xiudan’s medicine boys, so no one stopped them from entering.

"Senior sister, I’ve always wanted to stand here and look. The last time I came, I didn’t understand anything and was taken away by Master, so I didn’t have the chance to stand here and look." Lu Xiaoding quickly ran to the railing and leaned over, seeing the bottomless depth below. Falling would mean certain death.

Lu Yaohang stood beside her, watching the disciples guide people in, noticing that their clothes were different, indicating that many guests had been invited.

At that moment, a mocking laugh came from nearby, "Master, why is the Yunjian Sect so petty? Just advancing to the Golden Core stage, and they’re holding a Golden Core Ascension Ceremony. Aren’t they afraid of being laughed at?"

The voice was unpleasant, and she turned to see a girl around eighteen in a bright red dress, walking beside a True Lord, speaking with disdain.

The True Lord, who looked to be in his forties, crossed his arms and said calmly, "Don’t speak nonsense. Although he is just a Golden Core cultivator, he is a rare alchemist. The Yunjian Sect has long lacked high-quality alchemists, and now with Daoist Yu, their strength will greatly increase."

"I’ve heard that this Daoist Lord has a bad character. He couldn’t advance for a long time and waited a long time after reaching the Foundation Establishment stage, then brought in a fool to be his furnace. Master, such a person who will do anything to advance must be very evil and probably refines poisonous elixirs." The girl waved her hand, looking disgusted.

If it had spread outside, Master must have been very unlucky. Lu Yaohang was speechless. It was just a playful remark at the time, but it had spread so far and seemed to be becoming more and more real.

"Why do you call me a fool? Did you see it with your own eyes?" Suddenly, she saw Lu Xiaoding run quickly to the girl, fuming.

The girl was startled and said, "Who are you?"

The True Lord beside her glanced at Lu Xiaoding, feeling surprised. A girl with one soul and two spirits, a pure Yang body, and no spirit veins...

"You just called me a pure Yang body fool. Why did you say that? And you’re badmouthing my master. Hasn’t anyone taught you to be polite and virtuous?" Lu Xiaoding asked angrily, knowing her master was a good person and that the furnace story was a misunderstanding!

The girl suddenly understood and said disdainfully, "So you’re that furnace. You have no cultivation at all, so it seems your master advanced by using you. Even a child, what a beast."

"Slap!"

As soon as she finished speaking, Lu Xiaoding suddenly raised her hand and slapped her. The slap was so unexpected that even the True Lord beside her didn’t react in time.