Chapter 12: Taking a Disciple

"No need to think about it, my cultivation is indeed higher than yours, and I'm not in my twenties; rest assured I have no ill intent, I'm merely curious how a mortal like you can disturb the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy."

"How do you know the question in my mind? Who exactly are you?"

Seeing that Ye Yun harbored no malice toward him, the elder felt much relieved; after all, Ye Yun's cultivation surpassed his, and if he were to die at Ye Yun's hands, his own cultivation would be wasted.

"Answer my question first."

Ye Yun's demeanor was extremely cold. He had previously wondered whether this person might be sent from the Heaven Realm or the Underworld, but now he dismissed that thought; after all, the man before him was only about a hundred years old, making it impossible to be an envoy from either realm, and his cultivation was so low that even Ye Yun could not sense it, let alone someone from the Heaven or Underworld.

"I am indeed a cultivator, which is why I can wield the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy."

So that's the case; it seems the Underworld has changed considerably over the past several thousand years. Come to think of it, even the cats around me can now use the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy, let alone humans.

"Do you know any other cultivators?"

"I don't. I began cultivating after being guided by a senior, which gave me the chance for a complete transformation. Moreover, cultivators like us generally keep to ourselves; none of us wishes to spark conflict. Cultivation takes a long time and is hard, and no one wants their lifelong effort to be wasted by a sudden fall."

What he said is true; to spend a lifetime in arduous cultivation only to fall because of some senseless dispute would be a terrible loss.

"How long have you cultivated, where is the one who guided your practice now, and what is that person's cultivation like?"

"I've only cultivated for about fifty years. As for the one who guided me, I have no idea where he is now; since I began my practice, I haven't been able to find him. Previously he always came to me of his own accord. I don't know which realm his cultivation belongs to; he told me he has been cultivating for nearly a hundred years, but I can sense his presence while you and I cannot."

His remark implies that his mentor's cultivation is not higher than Ye Yun's, but the statement is essentially meaningless. Although Ye Yun doesn't know how they categorize realms, he had already attained his status before the sealing of the gods; he was among the first deities. In this world, only the Three Purities and the Great Way can surpass him. As for those old beings in the Heaven Realm and the Underworld, none match his strength.

This is why the Heaven Realm and the Underworld each have two sovereign deities, whereas the realm he belongs to has only a single sovereign deity.

Moreover, when the Great Way of Heaven and Earth originally bestowed upon him the title "Bound Earth Immortal," it had its own considerations. Ye Yun's power was so great that the Great Way feared he might become dissatisfied with the Underworld and worry that he would meddle in the affairs of the Heaven Realm or the Underworld, so it limited his realm to the Human Immortal realm.

This was a subtle scheme of the Great Way of Heaven and Earth; had they not restrained Ye Yun's power, any future defection by Ye Yun could have unthinkable consequences.

However, it is clear that the Great Way miscalculated—Ye Yun has no intention of meddling in the affairs of the other two realms; he has merely spent millennia earnestly residing in a Taoist temple.

"I wonder what criteria you use to differentiate realms."

"To answer you, Senior, I don't know either. I only know that my current realm is merely the initial entry, akin to a newborn infant. As for the one who guided me, I am unclear about his exact realm, but I can sense that he is far stronger than me."

"Fine, it seems you know nothing either; you're just a newcomer to cultivation."

Seeing that Ye Yun was about to leave, the elder hurried forward.

"Senior, wait a moment—why can't I sense your strength? And why do you appear so young?"

"Since you are just beginning cultivation, let me explain. The reason you cannot perceive my strength is that my power and yours are no longer in the same realm; the realm I refer to is not the one you imagine—just as humans cannot see gods, yet gods can see humans. As for my appearance, it is because my cultivation has reached a certain realm, and when I attained that realm I was only in my twenties, so my looks remain as they are. My actual age, however, I am not at liberty to disclose."

What Ye Yun said completely hit the elder's blind spot, leaving him bewildered.

But he could grasp the gist: in plain terms, my strength far exceeds yours.

"I see, thank you for the guidance, Senior. I am Liu Cheng. By the way, I still don't know your given name."

"I am Ye Yun."

Ye Yun did not reveal his Daoist title, after all he is a deity, and he also wished to use Liu Cheng to learn more about Liu Cheng's cultivation world.

"Senior, I have a bold request: I hope you will accept me as a disciple. With your cultivation so lofty, I wish to follow you."

In plain terms, I see your strength is great, and I want you to be my protector.

Although most people in this cultivation world value their lives, there is a small extremist faction that, relying on their superior strength, bully those weaker than themselves. Most victims end up losing their lives; he does not want his modest name to disappear that way, and having cultivated only fifty years, he is still vulnerable to such bullying.

"Meeting is fate; since I can encounter you here, it proves we are destined, so I will accept you as my disciple. Moreover, you have a good disposition, and I do not wish you to become a wanderer."

"Thank you so much, Master, I, your disciple, bow in reverence!"

Liu Cheng immediately performed the formal disciple‑master ceremony.

Ye Yun also escorted Liu Cheng straight to the Sun family manor. On the way, Liu Cheng answered Ye Yun's questions. In fact, most cultivators now have a second identity—perhaps a billionaire or the hidden owner of a listed company—since wealth provides more opportunities to encounter valuable cultivation resources.

For example, jade, ancient relics, and books may, through prolonged existence, absorb portions of the Heaven and Earth spiritual energy; if a cultivator can draw out that embedded energy, it can boost their strength.