Chapter 7

"Did you actually dare to hit me!" The girl covered her face, looking at her in disbelief. She was a cultivator at the initial Foundation Establishment stage, yet she had been hit by a炉鼎 (alchemical vessel) with no cultivation!

Lu Xiaodeng said angrily, "Who told you to insult my master? I have to hit you!"

"You’re not even a disciple, and you have the nerve to do this." The girl’s face darkened, and she raised her hand to strike.

At that moment, Lu Yaohang said coldly, "Mistress, do you intend to use your Foundation Establishment cultivation to kill my sister, who has no cultivation and is like an ordinary person?"

The girl was taken aback, and her anger flared up. Another arrogant medicine boy had come to provoke her with words.

"What if I have no cultivation? Do you think you can hit me just by saying that?" She snorted coldly, waved her hand in the air, and Lu Yaohang was immediately flung several yards away, landing heavily on the ground.

Seeing this, Lu Xiaodeng ran over and hugged her sister, crying out, "Sister, don’t die! Help! A Foundation Establishment cultivator is killing people! She wants to kill Yu Xiudan’s medicine boy to make him lose control and unable to refine elixirs. Help!"

She even brought up her master’s name, and her voice was louder than a waterfall, immediately drawing everyone’s attention.

A Foundation Establishment cultivator attacking a medicine boy at another cultivator’s Core Formation ceremony was a complete disregard for her status.

"You are making a fuss over nothing; it was you who started it!" The girl was flustered. How could there be such a person who twists the truth? Just because she had reached Foundation Establishment, did she have to tolerate such insubordination?

"Xi Jin, step back." Seeing her disciple wronged, the True Lord finally spoke. He stopped his disciple and gave Lu Xiaodeng a deep look.

Lu Xiaodeng’s reaction was even faster than he expected. Under his gaze, she immediately hugged her sister and trembled, saying, "Don’t kill us! I won’t do it again. Even if there are bugs that want to bite you, I won’t hit them."

Despite his pressure, she still made things worse. True Lord Huqing was surprised; these two medicine boys were truly bold. Such ignorance and fearlessness were a recipe for early death.

"True Lord Huqing, I don’t know what happened. If my disciples have offended you, please forgive them." Dao Lord Lian Fei, responsible for the reception, walked over and bowed, then said.

True Lord Huqing said coolly, "My disciple had a minor dispute with these two medicine boys. It’s a small matter, but their reaction seems a bit excessive."

"She hit me!" Xi Jin pointed at Lu Xiaodeng, furious. In her sect, she was a prodigy, having reached Foundation Establishment at a young age, and was always pampered. To be hit by a medicine boy at the Cloud Sword Sect was unbearable.

Lian Fei asked, puzzled, "These two are medicine boys of Dao Lord Yu, with no cultivation, not even at the Qi Condensation stage. They can only do some tricks. How could they hurt your disciple?"

Xi Jin’s face turned red, and she was even more furious, saying, "She attacked me suddenly. Who would have thought a medicine boy would dare to hit me!"

"Are you saying you don’t believe me?" True Lord Huqing asked with a smile.

"No, but there must be some misunderstanding. Today is Dao Lord Yu’s Core Formation ceremony. Why would his medicine boys do such a thing? It’s hard to understand." Lian Fei didn’t believe that Lu Yaohang and the others would provoke a Foundation Establishment cultivator, especially with an Elixia cultivator present.

Lu Yaohang, though just a medicine boy, had been the only one in the No Medicine Hall for years, handling many tasks. Everyone knew her well. Though she was cold and spoke harshly, she was a sensible person and wouldn’t provoke anyone on purpose. So he asked, "What exactly happened? Why did you show disrespect to the True Lord? If it was intentional, it’s a serious offense."

Lu Yaohang stood up, shielding Lu Xiaodeng behind her, and said to Lian Fei, "Dao Lord Lian, this lady was praising my sister. As she spoke, a bug flew over, and my sister, being innocent, swatted it. It startled the lady, leading to a misunderstanding."

"So it was all a misunderstanding?" Lian Fei nodded, thinking it was a good excuse that saved face for both sides.

Before Lu Yaohang could answer, Xi Jin shouted, "Nonsense! When did I praise her? If there was a bug, why wouldn’t I hit it? You attacked me on purpose!"

"Yes, the lady praised me, saying I was a good alchemical vessel, and that my master’s advancement was all my doing." Lu Xiaodeng peeked out from behind her sister, smiling brightly. Her current demeanor was completely different from her earlier anger, looking very happy.

She then scratched her head, saying, "But is it really that good to say I’m the reason for my master’s advancement? I didn’t do much, just being more obedient to let my master focus on advancing."

How could there be such shameless people in the world!

Xi Jin, who had never left her sect, was shocked. They had clearly attacked her first, yet now they were speaking so confidently, completely shifting the blame.

Lian Fei understood. It seemed this Lingxi Sect cultivator had insulted Dao Lord Yu, so his medicine boys had attacked her. Such a lack of respect, speaking ill of someone in their sect, was asking for trouble.

If not for Lu Yaohang and the others hitting her, others might have heard and, out of respect for True Lord Huqing, let it go. Now, it was a good thing they had hit her.

Though he was secretly pleased, he couldn’t show it, only smiling slightly and saying, "True Lord Huqing, it seems it was all a misunderstanding. I apologize for startling the lady."

"Misunderstanding!" Xi Jin finally felt the world’s malice. She had been hit, yet it was just a misunderstanding. When had Foundation Establishment cultivators been so disrespected? Everywhere she went, people praised her talent and respected her.

Many cultivators were already watching, mostly from the Cloud Sword Sect, and some from other sects who had come to congratulate. Everyone understood that the Lingxi Sect Foundation Establishment cultivator had mocked Dao Lord Yu, so his medicine boys had hit her.

The other side had even given them a way out, though indirectly complaining, but leaving no room for the Lingxi Sect to argue. They had to swallow this loss, but the two medicine boys would likely face punishment later.

"Dao Lord Yu’s two medicine boys are quite bold. I wonder if he would be willing to part with them and give them to me?" True Lord Huqing suddenly smiled.

"That’s up to Dao Lord Yu. I can’t decide. True Lord Huqing, please enter the Unity Hall; my father has been waiting for a long time." Lian Fei quickly moved on, not wanting to do anything to offend.

Lu Xiaodeng, looking puzzled, said, "Sister, the True Lord wants to take us as personal disciples. What should we do? I don’t want to leave my master, but if we become personal disciples, we can become ladies."

"Xiaodeng, if we leave our master, he will be sad. But being personal disciples does sound good." Lu Yaohang said matter-of-factly, as if it were already decided that they would become True Lord Huqing’s personal disciples.

"Master, let’s go quickly, don’t pay attention to these shameless people!" Xi Jin, frightened, pulled True Lord Huqing and hurried to the Unity Hall. She didn’t want her master to really take these two useless people. Her master only took talented geniuses, and these two, who no one wanted, couldn’t be let off so easily.

True Lord Huqing laughed and, led by Lian Fei, entered the Unity Hall. Though he had walked in, he sent a message to the two, "You have some courage, but unfortunately, no strength. You will die soon."

Lu Xiaodeng and Lu Yaohang didn’t respond, just watching him enter the Unity Hall. They would deal with the aftermath later; for now, it was good that he didn’t cause trouble directly. A Nascent Soul cultivator wouldn’t make a fuss over such a small matter.

After the onlookers had left, Lu Xiaodeng suddenly said, "Sister, I want you to become strong."

"Huh? Why not focus on becoming strong yourself? I do want to become strong, but if I can’t enter the Initial Hall, I’ll have to find my own way." Lu Yaohang patted her clothes, which had been dirtied when she was knocked to the ground. Fortunately, it wasn’t obvious, and it wouldn’t embarrass her master during the Core Formation ceremony.

"I’ll refine elixirs for you. It’s just that your spirit meridians are blocked; we can unblock them." Lu Xiaodeng said defiantly, as a medicine boy, she could certainly get the necessary spirit herbs.

But Lu Yaohang frowned, "Now the No Medicine Hall is managed by Dao Lord Lu, not as lenient as our master. If you steal elixirs or spirit herbs from the No Medicine Hall, no one can protect you."

"Sister, you’re thinking too badly of me. I wouldn’t steal spirit herbs. Don’t worry, I’ll find a way to refine elixirs for you." Lu Xiaodeng pouted, was she really that bad?

"Better not. Absolutely don’t steal from the sect." Though she spoke confidently, Lu Yaohang was still worried about what she might do.

Lu Xiaodeng reassured her and then forgot about the incident, dragging her to the Unity Hall to see their master. Important figures were seated inside, while others had to sit outside and listen to the waterfall. The inside was soundproof, so the water sound couldn’t be heard outside.

Without strength, you will die soon...

Lu Yaohang’s mind was filled with True Lord Huqing’s words. She understood that without strength, offending them would lead to certain death. Even a Qi Condensation disciple could easily kill her.

But the most basic cultivation techniques cost more spirit beans than she had. The sect’s disciples wouldn’t teach her, adhering to the rule that cultivation techniques couldn’t be taught outside the sect, even to medicine boys, who weren’t formal disciples.

Hiring someone outside to teach her a few things was useless. Without the means to buy cultivation manuals, what could they teach her? It would just waste spirit beans.

Lu Yaohang stepped into the Unity Hall, looking at the high-ranking cultivators, feeling a surge of determination. She absolutely couldn’t just drift through life like this.