by Translator: Pokka; Author: 我本纯洁 (I Am Pure); Licensed From: Migu
“Of course. The natural energy present within this stone is so pure and unblemished; what else could this be if not a high-grade spirit crystal?” Zi Changhe indifferently replied.
Hearing this, the guard who had knocked away the crystal felt deep regret. He was merely at the third stage of the Astral Realm. If he was able to obtain one high-grade spirit crystal, the energy within it would be enough to help him reach the sixth stage. One must know that spirit crystals were not easily obtained; even one low-grade spirit crystal would require quite a significant price to obtain it.
“Damn, why didn’t the brat say so earlier?” the guard silently cursed to himself.
“Is this spirit crystal yours?” Zi Changhe asked, turning to Xiang Shaoyun. He could see that Xiang Shaoyun was merely a third-stage Basic Realm cultivator; it was no wonder he found it strange that the boy had a piece of high-grade spirit crystal on him.
Cultivators at the Basic Realm were the most ordinary cultivators; furthermore, the third stage of the Basic Realm was at the bottom of the cultivation world, only being slightly stronger than a regular mortal. This piece of high-grade crystal would not only throw Astral Realm cultivators into a bloodbath, even late-stage Transformation Realm experts would have their eyes turn red.
Facing Zi Changhe, Xiang Shaoyun put on a fawning smile and said, “Greetings, elder. This piece of high-grade spirit crystal indeed belongs to this young one, but since it is now in your hands, this young one would like to offer it to you to pay my respects.”
“Paying your respects? Brat, you really are generous.” Zi Changhe dryly laughed then asked, “What are your motives?”
Rubbing his hands together, Xiang Shaoyun sheepishly grinned and said, “Elder, this young one has no motives. I just wish to take you as my master.”
Chapter 2: Master, I Will Broaden Your Horizons!
“Haha. You wish to take me as your master? Do you even know who I am in the first place?” Zi Changhe laughed, his purple hair whipping around. The wolf that he was mounted on also let out a howl, as if it were seconding Zi Changhe.
“I know that you are Martial Hall Palace’s heroic genius. With outstanding skill and peerless technique, you are the omnipotent nineteenth elder,” Xiang Shaoyun shamelessly flattered. Nineteenth elder, that seemed to be what the two guards had called him.
“Then what makes you think that I would take in a third-stage Basic Realm practitioner to be my disciple?” Zi Changhe asked as he developed a tiny sense of curiosity towards this unbridled bootlicker.
“If it was any other ordinary third-stage Basic Realm cultivator, they would naturally not be worthy of your attention. However, I, Xiang Shaoyun, am not any ordinary person! When I was born, auspicious clouds descended from the heavens, purple clouds filled the sky, tens of thousands of beasts roared, and hundreds of flowers bloomed—all at my birth!” Xiang Shaoyun bragged without restraint.
Before he had even finished speaking, black lines appeared on Zi Changhe’s forehead, and Zi Changhe cut him short. “Enough, stop bragging. If you truly are as impressive as you’ve mentioned, you wouldn’t have been stuck at the Basic Realm.”
“Sigh, nobody believes me when I speak the truth.” Xiang Shaoyun sighed to himself.
“Speak, where did you get this piece of high-grade spirit crystal?” Zi Changhe changed the subject.
Xiang Shaoyun momentarily hesitated before saying, “I picked it up from the river.”
“Since when was such a spiritual crystal so easy to find?” Zi Changhe said with a straight face. He did not trust Xiang Shaoyun’s words one bit.
Looking slightly gloomy, Xiang Shaoyun lowered his hands and said, “If you don’t believe me, then forget it.” Bowing his head, he said, “Since you seem to have no intention in taking me as your disciple, please return the spirit crystal to me.”
Seeing that this youth dared to ask Martial Hall Palace’s nineteenth elder to return the spirit crystal, the two guards silently thought to themselves, This brat truly does not know the immensity of heaven and earth, daring to ask for something that is already in the hands of the nineteenth elder!
The two guards knew that the nineteenth elder was renowned throughout Martial Hall Palace to the point that others called him the “Purple Lightning Marquis”.
With a surprised expression, Zi Changhe asked, “Brat, I thought that you were offering it to me?”
“That was on the precondition that you take me as your disciple,” Xiang Shaoyun unyieldingly said to Zi Changhe.
Zi Changhe’s expression slowly turned cold, showing traces of anger. As an expert in the Transformation Realm, most people were unable to withstand his pressuring gaze. However, Xiang Shaoyun stood there calmly and returned his gaze, as if he was completely unaffected.
“Even if you don’t want to take me as your personal disciple, at least give me a chance to enter Martial Hall Palace,” Xiang Shaoyun negotiated.
“Hoho, interesting. Fine, I shall grant your request,” Zi Changhe laughed. He found that the young man standing in front of him was slightly interesting and decided to give this young man a chance; that could be considered as the payment for the high-grade spirit crystal.
“Many thanks, master!” Xiang Shaoyun joyfully laughed, heaving a huge sigh of relief.
“Slow down, I’m not your master just yet. Wait until you pass the entrance exam into Martial Hall Palace. If you are unable to pass it, don’t blame me when I throw you out later,” Zi Changhe told him the ugly truth before everything began.
“You don’t have to worry about that at all,” Xiang Shaoyun confidently said as he beat his chest. Following that, he muttered softly to himself, “Just don’t go back on your promise to take me as your personal disciple.”
Although Xiang Shaoyun was whispering, Zi Changhe had heard every word with clear clarity. He unhappily said, “What a narcissistic brat. Okay! I, Zi Changhe, will see for myself if you are truly an amazing genius!”
After he finished speaking, Zi Changhe signalled to his wolf which then stood up. Like lifting a chicken, he lifted Xiang Shaoyun up with one arm before rushing through the main gate of Martial Hall Palace.
“Hey hey, how could you do this to me? You could’ve just let me mount your wolf to ride inside,” Xiang Shaoyun complained, dissatisfied.
“Brat, this great wolf is not something that you are qualified to ride,” the wolf said fluently.
“Wah, it’s a demonic beast that can speak!” Xiang Shaoyun shouted in amazement. Bending down, he then said, “However, it’s not like I’ve never ridden trash like you before. In fact, I’ve even mounted kings of demonic beasts before!”
“Tsk, I really want to swallow this brat in one bite,” the wolf angrily complained.
The wolf was a mighty demonic beast, yet he had been called trash by this young boy. What’s even more infuriating was that this brat was even bragging that he had ridden the kings of demonic beasts before; that was unforgivable.
Shooting a glance at Xiang Shaoyun, Zi Changhe had a complicated expression in his eyes as he thought to himself, Does this brat really have some amazing background?
The area occupied by Martial Hall Palace was extremely vast, as if it were a small village inside the town. Inside, there was a large open space—the outer disciples’ cultivation area. A little further inside, there were various large trees planted closely together, forming a small forest from which roars of demonic beasts would occasionally sound. Within the forest were also numerous old halls, some of which had mist coming out from them, carving out an extremely imposing image.
After they arrived at an open area, one would be able to see a stone tablet. There, Zi Changhe flung Xiang Shaoyun toward the stone tablet.
Peng!
“Aiyoh, are you trying to kill this young master?” Xiang Shaoyun pitifully cried out. He shouted like he was a pig being slaughtered, creating a ruckus that attracted the attention of numerous outer disciples who were cultivating in the area, causing each and every one o
f them to turn in the direction of the commotion.
“Eh, isn’t that the Purple Lightning Marquis? I’m finally able to see my idol!”
“It really is the nineteenth elder! Look at what he’s straddling, a giant demonic wolf! Such an amazing demonic beast!”
“The Purple Lightning Marquis is well known along with his trademark spear. Together, they’ve terrorized the demonic beasts of the Hundred Beast Mountain to the point where the beasts do not dare to come close to Wu Village. How I wish I could be as strong as him one day!"
"Wait, the scream came from that boy that the Purple Lightning Marquis brought right? Who is he?"
“They're right in front of the Evaluation Stele, could it be that the nineteenth elder is taking in a disciple?”
The outer court disciples were all simultaneously talking about what was happening right in front of them.
“This is the Evaluation Stele. It can test not only your strength, but also the innate talent you have. Give it a shot,” Zi Changhe spoke as he crossed his arms, looking down at Xiang Shaoyun on the floor. He wanted to see just how heaven-defyingly amazing this boastful brat was.
"Okay, then I will allow master to broaden your horizons!" Xiang Shaoyun said full of confidence as he climbed up from the floor. He then closed his eyes, entering a state of tranquility. He stood there unmoving, as if it was the prelude to an expert about to unleash his signature move.
Close to a thousand disciples were holding their breath, eyes glued to the youth in front of them. They were all curious as to how amazing the Purple Lightning Marquis's personal disciple was. After a period of time, Xiang Shaoyun opened his eyes, thrusting one of his fists into the Evaluation Stele.
Peng!
The Evaluation Stele had a reaction to Xiang Shaoyun's punch, rippling a greyish color, following which three thin lines barely condensed in front of everybody. The crowd was stunned.
"Am…am I going blind? He…he's only in the third stage of the Basic Realm!"
"You're not. I also saw only three lines, and they're grey! He really is in the third stage of the Basic Realm!"
"Is…is he really the Purple Lightning Marquis's personal disciple? I can beat him to a pulp with one hand."
"Is there still justice in this world? Even this piece of trash can become the personal disciple of the nineteenth elder, unbelievable!"
"He’s not the illegitimate child of the nineteenth elder, is he?"
Chapter 3: Five Stars Illuminating the Sky!
The more the disciples speculated, the more ridiculous their theories became. Black lines started appearing on the face of Zi Changhe, and he bellowed, "All of you, shut up! If you don't want to keep watching, go back to practicing!"
Hearing his shout, the entire courtyard became completely silent. Who among the disciples did not fear the fiery temper of Zi Changhe?
At this moment, a voice that sounded like a pig being slaughtered pierced the air, "Ouch, my hand hurts so much!"
Turning to look, one could see Xiang Shaoyun constantly waving his hand back and forth while prancing around, an extremely comical sight to behold. Seeing this, many of the disciples at the scene wanted to laugh but didn't dare to do so in front of Zi Changhe, resulting in them forcing themselves to restrain their laughter.
"Tsk, unable to bear this little pain...he really is a piece of trash," said Zi Changhe’s wolf with contempt.
"He's already at this age, yet he's only a third-stage Basic Realm cultivator. He indeed is trash." Zi Changhe echoed the wolf's sentiments. "I will activate the Evaluation Stele to see how talented you are. Stand before the Evaluation Stele and empty your mind."
Hearing this, while still clutching his throbbing hand, Xiang Shaoyun walked over and proudly declared, "The result of my evaluation will definitely produce a natural phenomenon!"
Using both hands, Zi Changhe proceeded to form seal after seal, causing purple rays of light to appear around him. The purple rays condensed into crackling bolts of lightning filled with raw energy.
"Awaken!" Zi Changhe shouted, sending a bout of power towards the Evaluation Stele.
Having been stimulated by this rush of power, the Evaluation Stele lit up, shining like a precious gem, appearing very extraordinary. At this moment, a penetrating wave of power rushed toward Xiang Shaoyun, making him feel extremely relaxed in both body and mind. The Evaluation Stele, however, had no further reaction and left Zi Changhe extremely disappointed.
"There's not even the slightest bit of reaction from the Evaluation Stele. He really is a piece of trash."
"I don't understand. This pathetic bit of ability and he dares to have the Purple Lightning Marquis to preside over his examination? What a disappointment."
"Indeed. One's natal chart can contain up to nine stars. One star is weak, two stars is somewhat bright, three stars is extraordinary, and four stars enters the night sky. This brat doesn't even have any stars in him; he really is too ordinary!"
"Haha, he even said just now that he would cause a phenomenon, what a joke!"
The disciples present started to chatter, their eyes full of disdain towards Xiang Shaoyun. Just as Zi Changhe was about to throw Xiang Shaoyun out of Martial Hall Palace, there was a sudden bout of change. The Evaluation Stele became shrouded in light, and a stream of light pierced through the clouds as if breaking the firmaments of heaven and joining the heavens and the earth.
"There's a reaction from the Evaluation Stele!" Zi Changhe said, his curiosity piqued.
Shing shing!
As the clouds above the nine heavens began to part, one could see a single star light up and pierce through the heavens.
"So he isn't trash after all—he has a one-star physique!" some disciples exclaimed, surprised.
Before they had finished speaking, another star in a different direction began to illuminate. And before they could even react to that, yet another ray of starlight pierced through the nine heavens.
Three stars was extraordinary. A three-star physique could only be found once in every hundred thousand physiques, and its owner would undoubtedly reach the Transformation Realm eventually.
Zi Changhe's eyes were sparkling, one could find traces of astonishment inside them. "This brat really is slightly talented."
Three-star physique was rarely seen Wu Town, and the owner of this physique was more than qualified to be an outer disciple of Martial Hall Palace, with the chance of eventually becoming an inner disciple.
Shing shing!
Amid all the clamor, astral power from yet another star flew over. This time, however, two stars had simultaneously appeared at once. The light resulting from all five stars illuminated all of Martial Hall Palace, and the bright light filled the sky, visible to even people outside Wu Town.
If four stars entering the night sky was regarded as king, then five stars Illuminating the sky was like a dragon transforming into an emperor!
After the appearance of the five stars, Xiang Shaoyun felt as though all five stars were resonating within him, causing waves of heat to rise in him, raising his cultivation directly into the fifth stage of the Basic Realm.
"Five stars illuminating the sky!! It's a five-star physique! Who on earth is this matchless genius?" an old man in Martial Hall Palace dressed in blue said, staring in shock at the power of the five stars in the sky. Hastily, he leapt into flight from his original position, heading toward the outer courtyard.
Somewhere else, another elderly man came out from his house, his hazy eyes becoming clear. "Five stars illuminating the sky! Such an auspicious sign! Could it be that one of our elders has had a fateful encounter?" Upon finishing his monologue, he also began heading for Martial Hall Palace’s outer court.
While all this was happening, numerous similarly mighty figures started coming out of their abodes, rushing toward the direction of the Evaluation Stele.
"Five…five stars illuminating the sky! I'm not going blind, am I?!" Zi Changhe spluttered, his face full of shock. Above the skies, additiona
l astral energy seemed to still be gathering. However, before the energy could fully condense, the Evaluation Stele split cleanly in two.
Peng!
Xiang Shaoyun, who was still immersed in the feeling of relaxation, was startled by this sudden change. He jumped in fright, running away from where he was originally standing.
"My gosh, must a genius going through a test have this hard a time?!" Xiang Shaoyun yelled, feeling wronged.
"The Evaluation Stele has broken in two! Could some problems have occurred?"
"It's possible. Maybe the energy from the five stars was not because of him, but because the Evaluation Stele itself had some issues?"
"That must be the case. If not, how could someone like him gather the energy of five stars? In our Martial Hall Palace, something like this has only been accomplished by Senior Sister Gong Qinyin! And she is the number one genius of Wu Town!"
"But all of us definitely saw the power of the five stars descend upon him, showing that he has a five-star physique, did we not? Could this be incorrect too?"
The thousands of disciples who had just witnessed what had happened had a hard time believing their own eyes. A five-star physique! Such a cultivation monster would be able to surpass them in no time at all!
At this moment, Zi Changhe finally regained his senses and firmly swore to himself, "I must take this brat as my personal disciple!"
Just as he was about to say something, numerous shadows appeared one after another right in front of them.
"The Evaluation Stele is broken! What exactly happened here?!" an age-worn old man asked. This old man was one of Martial Hall Palace’s vice palace masters—Qing Xiuhe, a peak Transformation Realm expert.
The disciples who were present did not dare to hide anything from him, narrating to him what had happened. But the place was too rowdy; no one could make out anything that was being said.
