Chapter 279

Those whose names were called were full of joy, while those whose names weren't called had faces full of gloom.

Xu Yang walked out of the crowd and stood beside this inner sect disciple.

When the name-calling finished, they didn't collect apprenticeship applications this time and took Xu Yang and the others toward Blazing Fire Peak.

Although Xu Yang had come to Blazing Fire Peak many times to do tasks, he had only reached the fire field halfway up the mountain and had never truly reached the peak.

Before long, a huge gate appeared before his eyes, like a palace, with the words "Blazing Fire" written on the plaque in imposing characters, emitting an astonishing aura.

Xu Yang discovered that others didn't seem to feel this aura; only he felt somewhat uncomfortable.

"It must be because my five senses are sharp and my mind is strong that I can feel the immense pressure contained within the characters. The person who wrote these words must have an extremely high cultivation realm."

He had been contemplating the Blood Prison Heart Saber Scripture for nearly half a month. Although he hadn't entered the threshold, his mind and five senses were growing day by day, becoming extremely sharp, allowing him to feel the immense momentum like a mountain or a peak from the characters.

The person who wrote these words must have left their martial arts will within the characters for him to have this feeling.

Passing through the gate, before his eyes was an open area where several magnificent palaces were located, with people shuttling back and forth from time to time.

"This is the true Blazing Fire Peak. I will first take Xu Yang and Xiong Kun to find Elder Iron Floating and Elder Huoyun, and then take the rest of you to receive your assessment tasks," said the Blazing Fire Peak disciple who had brought them up.

Through previous conversations, Xu Yang knew this person was called Lu Chuping, a disciple of the Blazing Fire Peak Master.

"By the way, Xu Yang!"

Lu Chuping seemed to remember something and said: "Elder Iron Floating doesn't want to accept you as a disciple, so the Peak Master has arranged for you to apprentice under Elder Huoyun. If you are unwilling, you can still go back on it now."

What the hell?

He was rejected by Elder Iron Floating, and the Peak Master arranged for him to apprentice under Elder Huoyun?

Xu Yang was stunned!

Although he didn't care much about who his master was, just choosing an Elder to apprentice under besides the Peak Master, he knew that in this situation, he wouldn't be well-received under Elder Huoyun.

If he were Elder Huoyun, he wouldn't welcome such a disciple either.

"The disciple is willing to listen to the Peak Master’s arrangements," Xu Yang hurriedly cupped his hands.

At this time, he didn't dare to refuse. Refusing would offend both the Peak Master and Elder Huoyun, and the other Elders of Blazing Fire Peak would likely not accept him either.

Not being well-received didn't matter; he wasn't counting on apprenticing under a master to get a leg up anyway, as long as they didn't make things difficult for him.

According to the Profound Heaven Sect’s style, the relationship between disciple and master was about the same as in a martial arts hall; only a few people would be favored by their master and cultivated as successors.

Lu Chuping nodded with satisfaction: "Elder Huoyun is actually a very good person."

He actually felt that Xu Yang was luckier than Xiong Kun. Xiong Kun seemed to have successfully apprenticed under the master he wanted, but those who knew Elder Iron Floating knew that Elder Iron Floating disliked nothing more than people who had failed to submit to Medicine King Peak and then transferred to Blazing Fire Peak.

Xiong Kun’s days under Elder Iron Floating would likely be even worse than Xu Yang’s under Elder Huoyun.

"Is Elder Huoyun here?"

Lu Chuping took the others and soon arrived in front of a side hall, asking the disciples guarding the door.

"Yes!" one of them replied.

Lu Chuping nodded and turned to look at Xu Yang: "This is Elder Huoyun’s main hall. Go yourself."

"Sorry for the trouble, Senior Brother Lu!"

Xu Yang tidied his clothes, stepped forward, and cupped his hands: "Outer sect disciple Xu Yang, requests to see Elder Huoyun."

"Come in!"

Before long, a dignified voice came from inside.

Xu Yang’s expression became solemn, and he stepped into the main hall, smelling a strange fragrance, instantly feeling his mind become ethereal and his heart tranquil.

"If I had this strange fragrance to assist me when contemplating the Blood Prison Heart Saber Scripture, it would definitely be twice the result with half the effort."

This wasn't the first time Xu Yang had seen Elder Huoyun, so he was somewhat familiar.

He saw Elder Huoyun sitting cross-legged on a gilded chair at the end of the main hall, with an ancient incense burner beside him emitting wisps of smoke; the strange fragrance he smelled that could refresh the mind came from this.

Walking forward quickly, he immediately said in a loud voice: "Disciple Xu Yang, greets Elder Huoyun."

Elder Huoyun opened his eyes, and in an instant, two rays of essence shot from his eyes, and the dim main hall seemed to brighten.

Xu Yang’s hair stood on end, feeling as if he had been stared at by a fierce tiger. In front of the other person, he felt as small as an ant.

Heavenly Origin!

This must be a Heavenly Origin powerhouse who had surpassed Marrow Cleansing.

"You were supposed to apprentice under Elder Iron Floating, but the Peak Master arranged for you to be under my lineage. Are you unwilling?" Elder Huoyun asked calmly.

"The disciple wouldn't dare!"

Xu Yang hurriedly shook his head: "The Elder is also a famous teacher the disciple admires. Being able to apprentice under the Elder is the disciple’s good fortune."

Elder Huoyun smiled slightly: "You are quite clever. Rest assured, this Elder is not a small-minded person and will not hold this against you. Just be diligent and hardworking in the future."

Elder Huoyun understood Xu Yang’s words; he was worried about being made things difficult for, so he immediately stated his attitude.

The Profound Heaven Sect’s rules were like this; there were too many second- or third-hand disciples. If he really wanted to be petty, most disciples would have to be made things difficult for.

Xu Yang secretly breathed a sigh of relief and cupped his hands: "The disciple thanks Master. The disciple will definitely cultivate diligently in the future and will not lose face for Master."

Elder Huoyun nodded and looked outside the hall: "Go and call Gao Lin."

"Yes!"

A response came from outside, and Elder Huoyun looked at Xu Yang again: "You are currently only my named disciple. Only when your cultivation reaches the Marrow Cleansing minor success stage can you become my inner-room disciple.

At that time, we will hold the apprenticeship ceremony."

Without reaching Marrow Cleansing, one didn't even have the qualifications to be an inner-room disciple.

"The disciple will definitely not fail Master’s expectations and will become Master’s inner-room disciple," Xu Yang said in a deep voice.

Elder Huoyun nodded: "In the future, if you have any doubts in your martial arts cultivation, you may come to ask me once every half month."

As he was speaking, Gao Lin walked in from outside with large strides and bowed respectfully: "Disciple Gao Lin, greets Master."

Xu Yang also hurriedly bowed: "Greetings, Senior Brother Gao."

Gao Lin nodded with a smile, not speaking, his gaze fixed on Elder Huoyun.

Elder Huoyun said: "Take Xu Yang to register, receive his inner sect disciple waist token and corresponding treatment, and arrange his accommodation."

"Yes, Master!"

Gao Lin cupped his hands and looked at Xu Yang: "Junior Brother Xu, follow me."

Xu Yang cupped his hands: "Disciple takes his leave!"

Saying this, he turned and walked out of the main hall with Gao Lin.

"Junior Brother Xu, you want to join Blazing Fire Peak, why didn't you come and ask me?" Leaving the main hall, Gao Lin laughed.

"I didn't want to trouble Senior Brother Gao," Xu Yang said.

He didn't want to owe a favor, and he hadn't expected that with his top-three result in the outer sect competition, Iron Floating would refuse to accept him as a disciple.

He could choose any of the four great Elders, but he hadn't expected to choose the one with the worst temper.

Gao Lin shook his head. The two soon arrived in a main hall. Gao Lin stated his purpose, and after the disciples here registered Xu Yang, they took a waist token, a few books, and a few sets of clothes and handed them over.

The clothes were inner sect disciple attire, with several styles, both for daily wear and for cultivation. The most conspicuous was the purple sun on the chest.

Xu Yang looked at the few books; one was called *Inner Sect Disciple Rules*, one was called *Thousand Forging Technique*, and the last one was called *Iron Refining Hand*.

Gao Lin let Xu Yang put the things away first, and the two left the place.

"The core inheritance of my Blazing Fire Peak is the *Blazing Fire Technique*, but this technique is extremely domineering; without breaking through to Heavenly Origin, one doesn't even have the qualifications to cultivate it.

The inheritance obtained by introductory disciples is mainly the art of forging weapons.

This *Thousand Forging Technique* and *Iron Refining Hand* are the basic means of forging weapons. Once you have perfected both techniques, you can learn other means."

Gao Lin laughed: "Of course, if your ambition is not in forging iron but in martial arts, you don't have to study them. Many brothers on Blazing Fire Peak don't specialize in the art of forging weapons."

Forging weapons is also money-burning, just not as much as alchemy.

To learn the art of forging weapons, one also has to spend one’s own money to buy materials for practice. Although a piece of iron can be repeatedly forged, after three or five times, it loses its nature, which is detrimental to the art of forging weapons, so one still has to buy new ones.

Moreover, some precious materials are more expensive than gold and silver of the same weight.

"I want to try!" Xu Yang laughed.

Gao Lin nodded: "You should contemplate for a period of time first. Once you have pondered enough, go to the Weapon Forging Pavilion to practice. The cultivation of *Iron Refining Hand* and *Thousand Forging Technique* still requires actual hands-on work.

However, you must be mentally prepared; the path of weapon forging is actually more demanding of talent than alchemy."

He wasn't surprised by Xu Yang’s answer. Who among those who joined Blazing Fire Peak didn't want to become a weapon forger? It was just that many people gave up after studying for a while, discovering they had no talent in this area.

He wasn't trying to scare Xu Yang either; the talent required for weapon forging was indeed higher than for alchemy.

So, in fact, he didn't think Xu Yang could become a weapon forger either.